Ah, the second part of the first episode...good stuff...good stuff...I still don't Own Avatar..but I do own Po...ok, time share!

Book II: Earth

The Nature of Balance

Waking up in a sweat, the young Airbender looked around his current surroundings, to try to regain a sense of where he was. Looking around, he saw five or six Sandbender skiffs surrounding the group in a circle, and his friends mixed in with the Sandbenders, sleeping. Aang on the other hand, was sleeping outside of the circle, tracing the series of events that led to him feeling empty inside. It has been maybe a day or two since the Sandbenders "rescued" them from the vulture hornets, and because of them, the gang has had the luxury of food, water, and transportation out of the dessert. Though the sand skiffs were the best they had, they weren't Appa. They could never be Appa. The skiffs weren't white and fluffy, but a dull wooden brown. It could never be your best friend, or even save your life. Looking over to the other side of the camp, he spotted the sleeping huddled form of the man responsible for so much of his current anguish.

In fact, Ghashiun was the only person in the world whom Aang felt an unabridged hatred towards. Not even the Fire Lord deserved what Aang wished upon the young Sandbender. Realizing where his thoughts were going, Aang quickly looked away with tears in his eyes. He couldn't let his emotions control him again. He could never trigger the Avatar State in anger again. Aang was terrified of finally losing control of his actions when he entered the Avatar State, and was incredibly lucky to remember back that he only destroyed a couple of skiffs. He transferred his anger onto his friends, and even worse, accused Katara of being selfish, not caring about how much she had sacrificed and did for everyone, but especially him.

"I can't let that ever happen again…" Aang said to himself, and to make this promise easier on himself, thought back to his confrontation with Ko, the centipede spirit who had "helped" him during the Siege of the North.

I should hope not Aang…

With eyes wide open, Aang's face shot towards the voice hoping to see the bluish transparent figure of his mentor and past life,

"Avatar Roku!" Aang called out in eagerness, but looked to see his Earthbending peer taking a seat on the sand next to him.

"Nope, it's just little old me" Toph said frankly. "And Momo". Noticing Aang's weight shift away from her direction, it was obvious that her joke nudged him the wrong way. Well, the other wrong way. "If you want, I'll let you pout alone again." Toph quickly said as she placed Momo onto Aang's lap and attempted to get back onto her feet.

"No Toph, you can stay, I was just…thinking." Aang said quietly to his Sifu, placing Momo on the sand next to him.

"Well I guess it's also easy to figure out what you were thinking about…you want to talk about it? I guess I can play the part of Katara, without the whole, y'know…nevermind." All Aang could do was give Toph a stare, but her sea foam green eyes and blank face reminded him that she was just being Toph.

"I guess," Aang finally said, "I was just thinking about-"

"Appa?" Toph interjected. "Oh, sorry…I'm new at this" she spat out with an awkward grin to try to save the conversation.

"It's ok Toph…" Aang lied, "I'm over that now."

"Oh…well, continue…"

"I was just thinking about this weird dream that I had recently." Seeing that she wouldn't burst in again, Aang simply continued, "It wasn't really a dream, but I was reliving Avatar Roku's memory, or, my memory. It was just before the war started, and Roku went to the spirit world to find a spirit name Po to help him against the Fire Nation, but I don't remember the rest." Regaining his posture, Momo jumped back onto Aang's lap and went back to sleep.

"Heh…Po?" Toph said with a grin, "That's weird." Not understanding the joke, Aang simply played along, "Yeah. Toph, I just want to say, 'thanks'".

"Don't get all gushy on me Twinkletoes…and make sure that you return the little ball of fuzz in the morning. He's a lot more fun to hang out with than Sokka all day." She took a small pause, and just went back to her sleeping bag on top of the wooden Sandbender skiff.

"Good night Toph." Aang simply said.

"Sleep tight". Toph automatically said

Aang started to idly pet Momo until he went back to sleep.

"I'm ready."

"Where am I?" Aang looked around to see the familiar sights, sounds and smells of the Spirit World swamp. It was an odd experience to be in the Spirit World, but it seemed stranger now. Looking down, Aang saw that his reflection was not of his bald self, but Avatar Roku. Looking back up, he saw a monkey dressed up in a monk's clothing making his way a naturally made shrine. "Excuse me!" Roku's voice called out to the monkey spirit.

"Oh dear…" the monkey murmured to himself. "Please, I am trying to start my meditation, and if anyone interrupts me, I will have to start all over again!"

"I apologize for interrupting you noble spirit, but I am here in search of another…named Po."

"Sorry! Don't know him…now please," the monkey said now in a cross legged state with his eyes closed, "Go…away."

"S-sorry for interrupting you..." Roku said as he went in search of Po.

"Humph…I just hope I never have to deal with that man again…Ohhhm"

Walking through the dense marshy ground of the swamp, Roku continued his trek until he saw a large tree. Roku himself did not know who resided in it, but Aang recognized the tree as Ko's.

Working his way towards the lower lair, visibility began to decrease and Roku was forced to use his firebending to see."Hello?" Roku called out, "I'm looking for a spirit named 'Po.'"

"Be careful Roku, this tree is inhabited by a spirit named Koh. If you show one ounce of emotion, he will steal your face!" Aang attempted to warn.

"Yes Avatar-"

"Welcome!" an eerie voice greeted the Avatar as its bulky centipede body popped out of a dark crevice.

Remembering the advice given to him, Roku kept his face bare of any emotion, responding only with a "Thank you". The conversation between Roku and the centipede held an air of déjà vu, with Koh attempting to evoke expression from Roku's face, while Roku continued to ask the crafty spirit of Po's whereabouts.

"Ah…Po… He is a very tricky creature…much older than I and in such," Koh paused as he changed his face to an old man's, "is much more deserving of your fear than I."

"I thank you for your concern dear spirit," Roku said in a slow and calm manner, "but I need to find Po before it is too late. The fate of the world depends on it."

"Such a noble man, dear Avatar; you need only to ask for his name in the depths of the dessert in the Earth Kingdom, for he resides among the sand and is cursed to wander it until he can escape the body of which, one of your previous incarnations trapped him in…" Koh informed Roku in a child's face. Fearing that he may lose the battle against his emotions, Roku quickly said his goodbye to the less than hospitable host, and quickly made his way back to the real wold.