Yay! I'm back, and with a new chappie to please all you crazy little Avatar-obsessed peoples! No real announcements today, except that the next chapter should be out soon considering that I have the rest of the week off! Whoo! This one was 10 pages! Normally, I make these things a little shorter, but I went on a bit of a tangent. Oh well. Here's the chapter…

We Are All One

They had made it safely away, and everyone leaned over and watched as the scene slowly drifted from sight. A forest was close by, and the bison flew towards the wooded area.

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Aang inspected Appa's underside, which still smelt of burnt hair and ash. He didn't look to have been seriously hurt, but he did moan a little when Aang rubbed a hand over the scorched area.

"Appa, buddy, you did it. And not too late, either."

The airbender sighed and looked back at his three traveling companions. "Guys, let's never do that again. That was way too close for my comfort."

The three all nodded their heads, and Aang slid down onto the cool ground of the forest. "Whew…" he breathed, rubbing his head. Then a thought occurred to him. "Hey, Katara," Aang said, standing up. "Think you can heal Appa?"

The waterbender hurried over to the upturned bison. "Sure." Pulling out the cork that sealed water in her waterskin, she drew it out and molded the clear liquid around one hand. Katara placed it on the bison's belly and breathed outward slowly. Sure enough, the blistering skin healed, and Appa let out a contented grunt.

"Lai Sing."

Everyone turned to the speaker.

Sokka put his hands on his hips. "Lai Sing…"

"Huh?" the girl met his intense gaze.

"What the heck happened back there? You were like-" Sokka started waving his hands around in the air, mimicking her "-I feeeeel my sister! What was that?"

Lai Sing became uptight. She looked to the side, and mumbled, "What are you talking about?"

"Whadaya mean? 'What are you talking about?' You were talking mumbo-jumbo and saying that you feel your sister's presence, right when we were over Zuko's ship!"

Lai Sing looked quite sweaty. "I have no idea whatsoever what you're saying."

Sokka threw his hands up further into the air. "LAI SING! Why are you acting so freaking weird? There's something you're not telling us and we all know it!" He pointed an accusing finger at her. "If you're not gonna be honest with us, then why should we help you look for this 'lost sister' of yours?"

The girl's eyes were big and watery, threatening to leak tears. She quickly wiped a hand over her face as rivers began trickling down her cheeks.

Katara quickly strode over to Sokka and took him by the arm. "Sokka, can I speak to you for a sec?" she whispered under her breath. The would-be warrior was then dragged into the forest by his sister.

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Aang walked over to the little girl and sat down beside her. She sniffled and dabbed at her wet face with her sleeve. "I don't understand why he's picking on me. I didn't do anything wrong!"

The airbender put an arm around her shoulder, hoping that it would comfort her. He hated to see anyone like this. "Aw, Lai Sing, Sokka's just a little frustrated right now. He really hates when people aren't open and…uh, upfront with him. Don't take it personally."

She sniffed again.

"You know, when I first met Katara and Sokka, I went through the same thing."

This statement brought Lai Sing to look up at Aang.

"Katara and I made friends really quickly, but Sokka wasn't as quick to trust me. He was kinda hostile toward me, too. Sokka thought that I was Fire Nation, and so I had to gradually convince him that I wasn't some crazy lunatic waiting to burn down his village. And now, here we are!" Aang lifted his hands up, and then placed them back onto the mossy forest floor. "I'm sure if you give him time, he'll eventually warm up to you, too."

With that, the airbender patted Lai Sing on the shoulder and stood up, stretching. Aang then turned around, smiling slightly. "And if you want to get him to trust you sooner, just give him food." He added a little more onto his last statement, grinning.

"He likes food."

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Katara continued to drag her brother farther into the forest until they reached a large tree sporting emerald green leaves and surrounded by boulders. The she turned on him.

"Sokka, I have no idea what your problem is! Yelling at her like that! She has done nothing to you!" Katara fumed. "I can't believe you would treat an innocent girl the way you just did! What has gotten into you?"

Sokka blinked. Rarely did his sister blow up so unexpectedly at him. "Katara, can't you see? Lai Sing's hiding something, and I want to know what!" He turned his face away from her and looked to the side. "How do we know we can trust her? All she ever says is 'My sister!' That doesn't prove anything as to whether we can really be friends with her."

Katara continued to glare at Sokka. He did have a point, but she also understood the meaning of 'personal privacy'. "I know that she isn't the most upright person in the world, Sokka, but I don't see any reason why we have to pry into her business. Whatever it is that she's not saying, I'm sure there's a good reason behind it. Lai Sing will tell us when she's ready."

With that, Katara headed back to where Aang and Lai Sing were.

Sokka rubbed his head, stumped at what just went on. Why was it that Katara always had a response to everything he ever said?

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"I can't believe it!" Zuko roared, slamming his fist down onto the desktop. "We lost him again!"

"Calm down, Prince Zuko," Iroh said, placing a hand upon the shoulder of his nephew, who collapsed onto the bench set up in front of his desk. Zuko seemed so upset…if there was only something he could do to cheer him up…

"Argh!" The prince's head landed on the table with a loud thud. Then came both his fists. "Why does this always happen? The Avatar is just a child, and not even my men can handle him!"

The general sighed. The best thing to do would be to leave the room and let the prince cool down by himself, so he removed his hand from Zuko's taut shoulder and made his way out into the hall.

With Iroh gone, Zuko got up and locked the door. He sat upon the edge of his bed, knees drawn upward, and head in hands. He squeezed his eyelids shut, for fear of the tears that always followed his frustration. One drop fell to the steel floor below him, and he shuddered. The pain of losing the Avatar, the one thing that would let him return home and reclaim the throne to his country, overwhelmed him. Several more tears dropped to the floor.

You WILL learn respect. And suffering will be your teacher.

Every time Zuko lost the Avatar's trail, every time he managed to slip away, brought the horrid memories of the Fire duel back to mind. The hurt he suffered that day returned ever time he failed to fulfill his father's demand.

Bring the Avatar to me, and the throne is yours. Lose the Avatar, and lose all.

The last words that Zuko's father whispered to him echoed through his mind every day after he had been exiled. A total of two years. At this rate, he would never return. The throne, his birthright, would be given to his cowardly excuse for a sister, Zula, or worse, Zhao.

The prince slowly stood up, and dragged himself back over to his desk, where the candles for meditation were pushed aside and maps placed out. No amount of moping would bring him the Avatar. But plotting his encounters and then predicting the Avatar's next chosen location to appear…that might…

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Appa had risen into the air with everyone aboard, and six hours had passed since the little feud had occurred. Sokka was sitting, cross-armed, at the very back of Appa's saddle, Aang driving, and Katara separating Lai Sing from her brother.

Lai Sing was gazing vacantly at the distant horizon, while Sokka watched her. He indeed felt bad for his outburst, but there was definitely something funny about the girl. He sighed.

"Hey, uh, Lai Sing?"

She looked rather discreetly from the other side of Katara. "Mm?"

Sokka rolled his head to the side and looked out of the corner of his eyes. "Well, uh…I'm sorry about what…happened back there. Ya know."

He got a small nod in response.

"Well, just so ya know. But I just really don't understand why you're hiding whatever you are from us. I mean, we don't bite or anything."

Katara looked ready to pounce on him for even mentioning it again, but Lai Sing looked calm.

The girl returned her gaze to the mountains. "I just really don't feel comfortable talking about it. It's a really long story, and I doubt you'd believe me if I told you. Plus I'm sworn to secrecy-" Sokka looked ready to say something. "-By my sister."

Sokka closed his mouth.

"That OK with you?"

The boy rolled his eyes. "…yeah. It's cool."

"Thank you for understanding!" Lai Sing threw herself and Sokka and clung to his neck happily. He pried her off and grabbed his ponytail, slightly flushed. "Sure. Just…don't do that again. Got it?"

"Deal!" Lai Sing grabbed his hand and shook it.

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"Uncle, get her out of my sight!" The prince roared. Sing Lai had repeatedly been popping up when he was trying to chart the most recent sightings of that blasted Avatar. Right now, Zuko would have thrown himself against the ship's steel railing and into the icy water below rather than put up with the little nuisance.

Iroh promptly poked his head around the corner. "Prince Zuko, maybe if you included her in your work, she might not appear so bothersome. Have you tried that?"

Zuko turned around on the bench he was sitting on to face his uncle. "No, I have NOT! And I don't intend to. She'll mess up my maps."

Sing Lai stuck her hands on her hips. "No I won't! See, watch!" She shot over to where the prince's maps were laid out, told Zuko to scoot over so that she could sit, and immediately began drawing what looked like random dots on the various papers.

Zuko quickly made to stop her. "No, don't!" It was far too late. Now the maps were sprinkled by the dimples made by Sing Lai's pen.

Iroh strolled over and peered at the markings curiously, hand to beard. "Oh, she's very good, Prince Zuko! Look!" He pointed to the coordinates that had been made on one sheet, and corresponded them to the map. A dot had been made precisely where the latitude and longitude lines crossed. He did another one. Another black dot had been drawn in the exact location. Zuko was at a loss for words.

"But-but how?" he asked, confused. "She didn't even glance at that sheet!"

The general shrugged. "How should I know?"

Sing Lai continued to pour over the maps, still plotting what seemed to be random points. "I just know. I can't explain it."

Iroh and Zuko looked at eachother.

"There. Done." Sing Lai straightened up, pleased with her rapid work. She turned around, grinning. "Now. Who's up for some noodles?"

The retired general almost jumped into the air. "I would be most delighted to have some noodles with you!"

After the two left the room, Zuko glanced once more at the maps. He was no simpleton; he knew that no person could plot points so precise without even knowing the coordinates. If it had been one dot, maybe, but more than twenty? It was impossible to have gotten all of those correctly without some kind of assistance.

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A river quickly rose into view as Appa flew over the treetops. Aang pulled on the reins and the bison descended onto the bank.

"Whew!" the airbender exclaimed happily as he hopped off from his seat. He stretched with hands linked in the air, and turned around to face the other three travelers. "So, how you guys feeling?"

Sokka's legs were crossed as he waddled quickly into the woods, all the while shrieking, "Bathroom! Bathroom! Need a bathroom!"

After the shrill yelling had faded into the forest, Aang turned to Katara, grinning. "Guess he couldn't wait, huh?" he said, amused.

She smiled and shrugged her shoulders in return. "Guess not." She lowered her shoulders and a confused expression crossed her face. Aang was still smiling at her, his head tilted to the side. "Uh, Aang?"

"Hm?"

"Why are you staring at me?"

"Oh!" He snapped out of his stance and stopped smiling. "I just, uh, was thinking…nothing more!" He grinned hugely with large red splotches painted across his cheeks.

Katara was immediately aware of Aang's flushed face. What was going on with him anyway? Almost every time she looked in his direction, she caught him staring transfixed at her, as if he had just opened his eyes for the first time. Katara didn't mind the attention he was giving her, but the constant wide-eyed expression that she was faced with every time she talked to him was really starting to make her uncomfortable.

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It was later that night, when the sun finally set beyond the frosty horizon and left only the shadows of the day's activities. The four companions huddled around a small fire for warmth, Lai Sing clutching her blanket around her while Aang stroked the flames and the other two sat huddled up in their fur parkas. Appa was dozing nearby with Momo curled up on top of him.

The fire crackled and twin reflections flickered in Aang's eyes. He sat hunched over, watching the flames dance in the cold night air. He glanced over at Katara, who also was gazing into the fire, and she looked up to see him intently watching her. Aang quickly turned away, checks once again reddening. He hugged his knees and shivered.

"Are you cold?"

The airbender looked up at the waterbender. He sighed and replied, "Yeah. Sorta. This poncho doesn't keep me that warm." He motioned to his red and yellow clothes. Katara grabbed the blanket lying next to her and handed it to Aang, who accepted the cloth warmly. He wrapped it around himself, shivering.

"Still cold?"

"Kinda."

Katara crawled over to him and sat beside him, drawing an arm around his shoulders, hoping to warm him. Aang leaned against her and closed his eyes, sighing. "Thanks, Katara."

The girl smiled and hugged the young airbender closer. "No problem, Aang. That's what friends do." Aang smiled slightly and snuggled into her parka.

A snore erupted from the other side of the campfire, and the three friends looked over in curiosity. Sokka was lying sprawled on the cold ground, snorting happily in his sleep. He gurgled, and a stream of saliva trickled down his chin.

Katara turned to Aang. "I guess Appa's not the only one who drools." They laughed together, happy and at ease.

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Sing Lai rolled over in her bed, unable to sleep. Dreams floated around in her mind, too scattered to make any sense, and too vivid to forget. She wiped a hand across her forehead, where beads of sweat had gathered. Her feet touched the cold metal floor beneath her bed, and she tiptoed out of her room and into the hall.

The girl quietly slinked to Zuko's room, where a faint light peeked out from underneath the steel door. She rapped her knuckles gently against the grey metal, and a crack made its way between the door and the wall. Zuko's face was visible through the space, and both eyes were underlined with purple. He was tired.

"Zuko?"

He sighed wearily and opened the door further. "What is it now?" He was bare-chested, wearing his dark green pants that he always used for bed.

Sing Lai wiggled her toes. "Can I stay in your room for a little while?"

"Why?"

"I can't sleep."

As cold and insensitive as Zuko tried to be, he felt sympathy for the little girl. Many a night he had lain in bed, unable to fall asleep, wishing that someone was there to keep him company until he drifted off into unconsciousness.

The tired prince motioned for her to come in, and she collapsed onto the edge of his bed. He sat beside her, rubbing his head tiredly.

"What's the problem?"

Sing Lai looked down at the floor. "I keep having dreams about…my sister. And they don't make any sense."

Zuko leaned back a little bit. "What kind of dreams?"

The girl continued to stare at the steel plates that made up the ship's bottom. "Ones where…I see bright flashes of light. One second my sister's there, the next, she's gone." She turned her blue eyes onto the prince's face. "Dreams like that."

Zuko didn't understand why this would bother the girl, but then again, he had never experienced anything like that. All his dreams contained the events during the Fire duel and the horrible sentence pronounced upon him. Ones that made him relive the past. He rubbed his bare shoulder.

"Do you have any clue why you're seeing light?"

Sing Lai stiffened. She glanced away from him and at the wall. "…no…"

Zuko's eyes narrowed. She was hiding something.

"What aren't you telling me?"

The girl quickly replied, "Nothing!"

The Fire prince was suspicious. She had answered that rather quickly. Too quickly.

He stood up. "I'll be back." Making his way to the door, he added, "I have to use the bathroom."

As soon as the teenager was gone, Sing Lai's eyebrows became knotted. He was onto her, and she was worried. She could never tell anyone, not anyone, what exactly had happened to prompt those dreams. What had happened a few years ago that had changed her life forever. The reason that she could never meet up with her sister when others were around. It was too risky.

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Zuko slowly walked back to his room, debating about whether or not he should waken his uncle and describe what happened concerning Sing Lai's nervousness when he asked about her dream content. It was never too late to rouse the old man. Especially in an emergency.

He opened the door and to his surprise found Sing Lai curled up into a ball in the middle of his bed. He rolled his eyes and snorted, slightly displeased that she had not decided to go back to her own room and crash there. He slid his arms around her and gently picked her up.

Sing Lai snuffed slightly and nestled against his chest. Zuko stared for a moment. He then gathered her a little more securely and proceeded to return her to her own room.

Once back in the girl's own quarters, the dark burgundy and white sheets were pulled aside and the girl was placed down. The prince drew the covers back up to her chin and left.

In his own room, Zuko collapsed into bed and threw the sheets over himself. His golden eyes vacantly traced the Fire Nation symbol etched onto one of the two tapestries that hung from the wall, and he remembered when he had been that age. His own father had tucked him in just like that, right after seeing his sister to bed. Sitting at the edge of the bed, watching his son fall asleep.

Zuko rolled over and looked at the vent in the ceiling, hands crossed over his chest. The eyebrow pulled downward as he tried to regain his composure, but sleep eventually won over and his eyes closed.

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Lai Sing was having one of those dreams again.

"No, don't do it!" a voice hollered in the distance. Lai Sing continued to walk up towards the golden sphere, transfixed. Darkness surrounded the glowing orb.

A huge explosion of light erupted from Lai Sing's fingertips as she gently touched the shimmering ball, and quickly spread everywhere at once. Lai's Sing's scream of sudden and unexpected shock and pain mingled with the lustrous white beams, and together formed a piercing shriek that wove upwards through the cosmos. Its shrill shriek sounded like the wailing of wind and it tore through the very essence of Lai Sing, whose throat began glowing with an awesome and intense light. She was lifted off of her feet, the rest of her body was pierced by the shimmering brightness, the light grew inside of her, exploding outward, and then all went black.

"Aaaaaggghhhh!" Lai Sing sat up, quickly, sweat pouring down her face. Her breathing was heavy, and she fought for control over her heart rate, which sky-rocketed. Her entire face was wet, and she felt incredibly hot despite the freezing cold surrounding her and the tiny campsite. Sokka was up and out of his sleeping bag in an instant, weapon in hand, and everyone else was wide-awake and looking ready for an attack.

Aang 's grey-brown eyes were wide with shock as he looked at the girl, whose panting was shallow and her face a ghostly white and red.

"Lai Sing, what the heck was that all about?" Sokka breathed. "You sounded like…" He paused for a second, then continued, at a loss for words. "-well, you sounded really scared! What happened?"

The girl's wide-eyed expression faltered. "I-I had a bad dream."

"Yah…about what?"

"My…my sister."

"Oh." Sokka deftly rubbed a hand over the back of his head. He had promised not to interfere with Lai Sing's 'sister' situation, but he felt that he should. Sokka rolled his eyes, settling with a "Want to talk about it?"

Lai Sing huddled up in her blanket, and nodded slightly. Sokka sat down next to her.

"But I don't really want to tell them yet." She jerked her head toward Katara and Aang, who were standing up.

Sokka stood back up and raised his hands. "Sorry, guys, you're gonna have to excuse me and Lai Sing for a while. No offense or anything."

Aang shrugged his shoulders, grinning slightly. "None taken." He grabbed the waterbender's hand and started for the cold woods. "C'mon, Katara, we'll leave them for a while."

As the two benders strolled off in the direction of the dark forest, Sokka collapsed back onto the ground and looked at Lai Sing, who's gaze was directed toward the crackling fire. He sighed and leaned backward a little, waiting for the girl to start her story.

Muahahahahaha! Cliff-hanger! Aren't I so evil? Giggle…

The next one might be mostly the AxK infested chappie, if you guys want. If people want it, tell me in your reviews, and it'll be a Kataang festirama. (My own word for today!) Aang might reveal his feelings to Katara, then again, I could just hinder it a little, but make it romantic all the same… Its your decision!

Well, that's all, folks! Sorry, I always wanted to say that…hehe…cheerio!