Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender, its plot, or its characters in any way, shape, or form. These things belong to Nickelodeon. What, did you really think I owned them? Pah! As if! Also, I do not own the song lyrics at the beginning of the chapter. Those lyrics are from the song "The Thunder Rolls" by Garth Brooks.

Author's Notes: Not my first fanfiction, but it IS my first Avatar fanfiction. Please have mercy on my soul if I botched the characters.

Summary: Aang, Sokka, and Katara are caught in a furious storm, and after a particularly strong gust of wind, Katara is thrown off of Appa into the ocean. Aang and Sokka land on a nearby island in hopes of finding her there, but they never could have predicted what they did find...

Contents: Likely Zuko&Katara romance later on, but don't expect a lemon. Story begins shortly after the thirteenth episode, "The Blue Spirit".

Chapter One
The Thunder Rolls

"The thunder rolls,
And the lightning strikes...
The storm blows on,
Out of control..."

"Why are there so many storms all of a sudden?" Aang shouted above the screaming wind.

"It's winter," Katara shouted back, holding onto the edge of Appa's saddle. "This weather is probably normal here for this time of year."

"I wish it would stop!" Sokka yelled as he tried to maintain his grip on their supplies. When they saw the storm clouds, they had used a line of rope the old fisherman had given them to tie their bags together. The old woman said they would need it. It seemed she was right.

Katara glanced at the ocean below them. She wished it would stop, too, but there wasn't an awful lot they could do to make their wishes come true. The most they could do was find land and wait out the storm--

"Guys, look!" Katara cried. "Land!" They had been so busy simply trying to not get swept away in the storm that they didn't notice the mass of land not a mile away.

"Land? That's perfect!" Sokka shouted back. "We'll just land there and we'll be safe!"

"Easier said than done!" Aang said, pointing to the island that was a short distance away from the land mass. Katara and Sokka looked closer at that island and soon found what Aang was talking about: a Fire Nation Ship.

A bright flash of light quickly followed by a low rumble of thunder resounded from their left. "We have to risk it, Aang!" Katara shouted once the thunder had died away. "We need to land before we're struck by lightning--or worse!"

Aang nodded and began steering Appa towards the larger mass of land rather than the island. After all, the Fire Nation was probably trying to wait out the storm, same as them; they could leave as soon as the storm ended, and they were less likely to be found on the shore of the mainland rather than the island.

Just as their course changed, the wind suddenly died down to a mere whisper. Aang sat up, stiff and erect, at the change. As an air bender, he knew something was wrong. Momo seemed to agree with him, clinging hard to his arm.

Katara and Sokka, on the other hand, thought this was a sign that the storm was ending. Sokka set about tightening the rope around their supplies, checking things to make sure everything was still in order. Katara, on the other hand, let go of the saddle and looked around, relief in her eyes.

"Well, it looks like the worst is over," she said, steadily rising to her feet.

But Aang remained tensed. He felt something coming. His grip tightened on Appa's reins, and he shouted, "I don't think so. Hold on!"

Just as the words left his mouth, a gust of wind blasted into Appa, causing the giant beast to jerk violently. Aang shut his eyes against the rain that flew like darts into his face, his hands gripping the reins with a desperation brinking on panic. The wind raced passed his ears, drowning out all sound except the whistle of wind and rain.

Once Appa was under control again, he opened his eyes and half-turned his head. "Is everyone all right?"

"I'm okay," came Sokka's shaken voice. "Man, this is some good rope."

"How about you, Katara?" he asked.

No answer.

He turned around so violently that he jerked the reins, making Appa turn sharply to the right. He ignored Sokka's complaints, though, when his eyes didn't find Katara.

"Sokka! Katara's gone!"

Sokka's head jerked up. "What?" he exclaimed, panic in his voice and his face. He looked around, and then, with stiff movements, looked over Appa's saddle, into the dark blue expanse beneath them. His eyes turned to Aang, horror and fear stamped into his countenance. "She must have fallen into the water!" he shouted.

He didn't answer. He simply yanked on Appa's reins, directing him downwards. They plunged through the rain-crowded air towards the ocean, the violent wind pushing the waves out of control. Appa paused above the water, and after only a moment's hesitation, dove into the ocean. Aang and Sokka held their breath. Sokka had his eyes closed tightly, unable to keep them open with the pressure of the stormy water pressing against him. Aang, on the other hand, looked about him frantically, hoping against hope that he would be able to spot Katara.

Once his lungs reached its limit, however, he knew he had to return to the surface. He clapped his fists together and summoned a sphere of air around Appa, and they flew out of the ocean and back into the raging storm.

"What are we going to do, Aang?" Sokka asked once he regained his breath. "How will we find Katara?"

"I don't know," Aang shouted back. "But we have to land. We... we have to find shelter. Katara's a water bender. She's probably swimming to the island as we speak. We're not that far away from it."

"But--"

"What else can we do?" Aang asked desperately. "What?"

Sokka was silent for several seconds, and then he nodded. "All right, Aang. You're right, we don't have much choice. Besides... you're probably right. Me and Katara are used to harsh conditions... we grew up in the South Pole, didn't we?" He didn't sound convinced, but they both knew it was the only way.

"As soon as we land, we'll start searching for her," Aang assured him. "It just isn't safe out here on the ocean."

And that's exactly why he couldn't ease the fear in his heart.

Author's Notes: Well, that's all for now. Comments, questions, flames, criticism--you know where the review button is, so please leave one!