Ayaan thought that Prince Zuko was annoyingly persistent. Very, very annoyingly so. It took them a few hours of twists and turns to finally get him off of their trail. Even more so to get Katara to stop teasing Sokka about his clothing decisions.

"Why aren't you teasing Ayaan, too?! He's wearing the dress!" Sokka said, fed up at this point. Now that they were peacefully flying, Katara couldn't help herself to teasing the boy who was still wearing the Kyoshi Garb. They hadn't had enough time to take it off, but now that they did Sokka was pulling it away like it had sinned against him.

In a way, it had. Katara continued to call him cute.

"Whatever do you mean, Sokka? I've been giving both of you the same compliments, only you seem to take it as 'teasing'." She smiled, but the smile was tainted with amusement. "And what was that kiss from before, huh? When did my brother get himself a girlfriend~?"

Sokka blushed at the accusation, loving the idea but pushing it aside. "I-it wasn't like that and you know it!"

"Oh really now?" Her eyebrow raised just as her smirk grew.

Sokka regained his bearings as he planned his comeback. "Yeah, really. What about you? Getting all 'hugs and cuddles with Aang, eh? Since when did you two become a thing?" He was smirking now as he could see the subtle blush on her face.

"It was just a hug!" She replied defiantly. No one noticed how Aang deflated slightly, but agreed with her with a small tint of pink on his cheeks.

That was not missed by Sokka. "Oh really now?" He said, using her previous words against her. "Aang? You sure 'bout that?"

Aang decided to flee using his glider at that moment, making an excuse of it being a bit of practice. They continued to go back and forth like this, only one of them not caring for the conversation.

That would be Ayaan, who was currently looking over the edge of Appa's saddle and into the dusk painted clouds. The orange, reds, and yellows of the sky fascinated him as the sun began to set on yet another day. But he couldn't quite concentrate on this beautiful scene as his mind replayed what happened to them just hours ago.

Wherever they go, danger follows them. It was no longer an option to stay in one place for too long. How had Zuko gotten their exact location? He'd gotten stronger with his hand to hand as well as his bending. Were the Kyoshi Warriors alright? What about the painters, Ichi, Nii, and San? He was surprised that they were earthbenders too. What were they doing on Kyoshi?

'Aang's Identity as the Avatar brings too much attention. That is something that we can't afford right now. He has not learned the other elements, and only has us to protect him. Soon...'

Ayaan's frown deepened as the grip he had on his spear tightened slightly.

'Soon, it won't be enough.'

"We need to get to the North Pole as soon as we can." Ayaan spoke up, stopping his siblings antics as they turned to look at their brother who had been extremely quiet since leaving Kyoshi. "We need to find a way to hide your identity, Aang. Being the Avatar brings too much attention."

"But people need to know that he's here!" Katara argued, shaking her head. "He gives people hope, you saw that."

"Yes." Ayaan agreed. "But danger follows him. You saw that." He recycled her words. They all knew it was true, and Ayaan wasn't the type to beat around a bush.

To that, Katara didn't have a response. Aang had told her something similar when he was on the island, watching the buildings burn away.

"But we can't just hide away." Sokka spoke up.

"Yeah. People do need to know that I'm here." Aang said from the driver's spot at the base of Appa's neck. "That the Avatar has returned and that I'm here to help! Right, Appa?" Even Appa seemed to agree, growling lowly.

"Allies should know this, yes." Ayaan began. "But to have all of your enemies know, too, while you don't know any other elements," He looked to Aang, who shrunk a bit, "it's dangerous, Aang. And our enemies are strong, and growing stronger as time passes. I'm worried."

"Yeah, they are getting strong."

"But so are we!" Sokka said, earning a nod from both Katara and Aang. They understood their brother's worries, they were justified. But they were strong too, and they were sure that they could handle it. They had an 'Ayaan' after all.

Said boy sighed, but he was happy that they had this enthusiasm. But the issue still stands. "The North Pole is still far away." He continued. "Aang and Katara need to master waterbending-"

"You too."

"-but we also need to think of more than just that. We need more allies. Strong ones." He said, Katara catching on a bit to what he was trying to say.

"Like the Kyoshi Warriors became towards us?"

"Or the weird painter-earthbender trio that was obsessed with drawing you?"

"Um. Yes. Them." Ayaan still wasn't sure how to handle them calling him Master or showing such a liking towards him. But they were strong, and they were willing to risk themselves to help them get away. Those were the type of allies they needed. "They were strong. It was very surprising."

"Yeah! Did you see those rock walls? They were like "BAM"," Sokka did his arms like they had done, though sloppily, "And then "BOOM", He did another sloppy stance, "It was amazing!"

"Yeah," Katara added, also intrigued by the display. "And did you see how in sync they were? It was like they were reading each others minds!"

"It was crazy, awesome, but crazy. Glad they love you so much, Master Ayaan." Sokka teased, earning himself an awkward, slightly embarrassed Ayaan.

"I did not tell them to call me that."

"Sifu Ayaan!" Aang yelled. "We might as well call you that. You are teaching us, right? Sooo~ You are a Sifu!" He exclaimed, earning a nod from Sokka and a giggle from Katara.

"Um. No. Ayaan is fine. Just Ayaan, please."

"Sifu! Sifu! Sifu! Sifu!" Now Aang and Sokka were chanting it, and Ayaan felt the odd want to learn to evaporate like the clouds around them.

"Please stop." Ayaan said, his face neutral, but his ears burning.

"Alright, alright... for now." Sokka said, getting back to the serious things they were discussing. "We also need supplies and money." He said, "Our Water Tribe currency isn't going to be worthy much until we get to the North Pole."

"We won't have to worry about that for now." Ayaan spoke up, pulling out the heavy sack of earth kingdom coins from his pack. "I think this is enough for a while."

Sokka, Katara and Aang had all of their jaws on the floor of the saddle in shocked silence. Their eyes bulged when he kept pulling out more satchels of glittering coins, full of many types of the currency. Gold coins, silver coins, copper coins, you name it.

"A-Ayaan Bro... w-where did you get all of that cash?" Sokka asked warily.

"This is from Mister Oyaji." Ayaan told them, pointing to the largest sack. "Another portion of it was from selling my wares in town." He said, pointing to a slightly smaller satchel. "Apparently, earth kingdom traders like pelts and meat. They complimented me on their condition and paid me a little more than I thought they would for them."

"A-and what of the other one?" Katara asked just as warily as her brother did. Both of them had an iffy feeling when he raised his eyebrow. Whenever he did that it showed that the situation that resulted in that was something he didn't understand.

And they all knew there was one subject he didn't understand at all.

"After I left Mister Oyaji's home, I went to the market to sell my wares as he recommended me to. Many of the girls came up to me and placed coins in my hand. Before I could ask them why or even say thank you, they would run away from me. I asked Oyaji why and he said they were the people who heard our conversation about Water Tribe currency. He said they wanted to help us out in their own way so I just let it go eventually."

Then Ayaan thought about it a bit before adding. "Some of them did speak to me though. Something about it being a thank you for existing. What is that supposed to mean? Why would they need to thank me? I didn't do anything."

He paused.

"Well, I did help an old lady with her grocery bags. And I did help move some heavy boxes for the merchants. And there was one of the toddlers who I let ride on my shoulders." He smiled at this, the child had so much fun. He always loved children. "The children all loved it. They were very good kids." Ayaan thought again for a moment. "A lot of the females reacted strangely when they saw me doing that, though."

"What... did they do?"

"She asked me for my hand in marriage. I declined. I didn't know her."

The trio had careful, blank expressions on their faces. Their strange mood did not go unnoticed by Ayaan. "Sokka? Katara? Aang? What's wrong? I carried Katara on my shoulders, and you too, Sokka. You said it makes you feel taller. 'Being Tall is Manly, and I am a man!' You said."

Both of the siblings were red. "That isn't the same!" All three of them had facepalmed and were groaning from both Ayaan's obliviousness and the pain they felt in their foreheads. He didn't even understand what part of that story they were facepalming for.

"Ayaan, those were fangirls." Sokka said. "You have fangirls, very dedicated ones, apparently. And very bold."

"...'Fan' Girls? But they were not Kyoshi Warriors. The only girls I saw that used fans in such a way it could be a name were them." Ayaan answered.

They facepalmed again. A little harder than before.

Ayaan was left confused. His head tilted and his eyebrow raised. "...Was that wrong?"

They went on to try and explain to their dense older brother what having fans meant. Let's just say it was a long conversation, and they weren't sure if he understood it even then.

"What do you mean by 'my face draws people in'? Why should I avoid them if they like me? Isn't that a good thing? It is, but it isn't? That is confusing."

Facepalming seemed to be something that would happen often, as once again, they facepalmed.

Ayaan would understand... eventually.

...

..

.

Everyone soon found themselves asleep, the naturally sway of the flight comfortable, gentle. Aang had wanted to stay up to guide Appa, but Ayaan insured him that he could do so while he rested. Appa was a strong animal, and flights over long distances were but a small task to him. He could, and enjoyed, flying for hours on end. And Ayaan, being the insomniac that he was, was the best person for the night shift.

He relaxed at the base of Appa's neck, laying backwards to gaze at the glistening night sky. The stars were less apparent tonight thanks to the brightness of the full moon. Its imposing figure sat proudly above them, glowing a silver similar to Ayaan's hair.

The light seemed to bounce off of it similar to snow, his natural features enhanced by the silver light. He let the cool breeze wash over him, his mind calming as he watched the moon steadily rise in the sky. He pat Appa's fur as they continued to drift.

Momo felt left out of the love, so he made his way to his claimed spot upon Ayaan's broad chest. The steady and strong beat of his heart lulled the small creature into a comfortable calm. Ayaan gently rubbed across Momo's back with his free hand, both of them now giving comfort to his beloved animal companions.

He continued his calm state of rest as if nothing changed, gazing at the moon. The silver-white strands that hung loosely in his face were almost glowing in the moonlight. There wasn't a sound to be heard except the steady breathing of his family, Appa, and Momo atop his chest. The sound of life soothed him like a lullaby.

But even still, he did not fall asleep. He continued to stare at that large circle in the sky, it being even bigger because they were flying. "I remember thinking that I was strange when I was young." He said. "Even as a toddler I found myself loving water, and I felt safe beneath the moon's glow. Sometimes, I even thought I could hear... singing. Or laughing."

He lifted his hand, playing with his small, hanging braid. "It wasn't like anything I heard before. It was different, but I recognized it as singing and laughter. It only ever happened when the moon was full, or when I was playing in the icy waters." He closed his eyes, "I always felt comfortable by water, and had more energy at night. After I got my scar, I often found myself by the water as a sort of comfort, even if I hated seeing my reflection on its surface."

He sat up, seeing a good spot of land just below. He gently placed Momo on his lap, guiding Appa down so the large bison could rest too. When they landed, Ayaan wished Appa sweet dreams and put a blanket over the three members of his family. After making sure they were all comfortable, he went to the beach of the small island they found and sat down in the sand.

The waves gently brushed the shore, the moonlight lit the path, and the stars glittered dimly in the sky. Ayaan did not want to fall asleep, fearing they would only be nightmares, as they usually were. So, he simply gazed at the moon, enjoying the comfortable silence.

It was then that a little, distant memory passed his mind.

"Once every few generations, a child like you is born, Ayaan. With beautiful silver hair, strong, brave, smart, and wonderful just like you. You are a blessed child." She paused, a sad smile on her face. "I know that if one day... if one day I'm not there, the Moon and Ocean Spirits would protect you. Because, they love you just as much as I do."

"But Mommy always there!" A three year old Ayaan said, standing up from his mother's lap as he put his chubby little hands on his sides, a look of sparkling determination on his little face. "I stwong! I pwotect you fwom all the fwire meanies!"

He says this, but still could not seem to grasp the sound of the letter "r".

Kya giggled at her adorable eldest son, "I know you will, my big, strong warrior."

"Yeah, I a stwong wawwior!" He said, beaming at his mom. He then had a thought, and looked down at the little baby that was sleeping soundly in her arms. "I pwotect you too." And then he patted his Mom's stomach, which was getting bigger by the day. "And you."

He smiled widely, giving both his sleeping little brother and his unborn little sibling a kiss. "I your big bwother, and big bwothers pwotect. You, Mommy, and Baby. I pwotect, and we be happy!"

He looked at the jewel on his spear, taking it and rubbing it gentle within his hand. "I wish I could have kept that promise." He said, taking one last glance at the moon, one last gaze out to sea, before heading back to the camp.

With the moon as his calming night light and the constant sounds of the waves hitting the shoreline, he made his way to Appa. Gently laying himself upon Appa's soft fur, hearing the strong beat of his massive heart, Ayaan closed his eyes. Momo, sensing his return, got into his usual spot across Ayaan's chest. His large hand stroked the lemur's back, and eventually, he found himself drifting into sleep.

He silently hoped to see nothing in his dreams. But his prayers, as usual, were left without answers.

...

..

.

Burning.

He was burning.

Everything was dark, and he was alone. Burning away.

'It hurts it hurts it hurts it hurts ithurtsithurtsithurtsithurts IT HURTS-'

The right side of his body was so hot it was cold, and as the heat died, the pain worsened.

'MAKE IT STOP! PLEASE MAKE IT STOP!'

But it didn't. It continued to grow worse and worse. But no matter how much he screamed, not a sound was coming out.

No one could hear his cries. No one cared.

'How long have I been burning away...?'

Minutes? Hours?

'I'm so tired...'

...Days?

'Please make it end...'

For how long has he endured this terrible pain? Why? Why was he burning?

"I'm afraid I'm not taking prisoners today..."

No, he didn't want to be here. Not again. Not this day again.

The black, ugly snow was mixing with the familiar white of his home. Falling from the sky, an omen of disaster.

A twelve year old boy found himself running, running as fast as his legs would carry him. Running to his home, hoping he wasn't too late.

But he was always too late.

'No... don't! Get away from her!'

"Ayaan, please! You have to run away!"

'Never! I promised to protect you!'

"There was another? Interesting..."

'What do you mean 'another'? My mother is innocent! Leave her alone!'

"I'll just kill you both then!"

'I won't let you!'

And he fought. And fought and fought more. But nothing he did worked, his bending useless, his spear not with him. It was just his bare hands against the evil man. Coated in his armor, protected by his fire. Wound after wound after wound Ayaan received. Blooded, battered, broken; until he could no longer find the strength to ball his mitten covered, bruised fists.

'I won't... let you...!'

Still, he tried to fight on.

"Get away from my baby!"

His mother pushed the man away with all of her might, but she was too frail to do much. The evil demon, there was merth in his brown eyes, finding his mother's attempts to harm him amusing, laughable. He shoved her aside like dust, moving in to finish his prey.

Ayaan was nothing but prey.

Everything hurt.

All of it was covered in a blanket of red.

Blood?

But why was it glowing?

Fire.

Everything was burning away.

Burning. His world was burning away.

'Is this the end?'

"No!" The flames were blocked by a shadow. Their arms wrapped around him, shielded him.

'No, please...! You have to move! You have to get up! She's crying... Mom is crying!'

But he could do nothing, his right arm feebly tried to grip his mother's parka. He tried to move her behind him. He tried, he tried harder. Desperately.

The man got closer.

'Stay away!'

And closer.

'No!'

And the flames engulf his vision, followed by that same, agonizing pain.

How he wished it was but a simple dream. Just a horrible, horrible dream.

But when he wakes up in the early morn and goes to his reflection, he is met by the same scars.

And the same tears he lets no one else see.