Sokka stared at the names he had written so far. He gripped his pen tightly, struggling between pride and common sense. Finally, he released a sigh, wrote down one final name, signed it, and stuck the list on the sports news board. A couple of wrestlers were walking by and stopped to look. "Is this really the best the non-fire soccer team can do? All of these guys are the most … wait, hold on a sec." The two of them looked at each other. "But, that can't be right."

Zhoa smiled as Aang sat rather uncomfortably in the front, where everyone was watching him. "Everyone, turn to page four hundred thirty-eight in your Firenation Government textbooks." Everyone else took out their books and scrambled to find the page before Zhoa moved on without them. "Mr. Fire, is there a problem?"

Aang swallowed. "Uh, well, I don't have any books right now."

Zhoa nodded his head. "I see, Wolf." Katara looked up, startled. "Give Mr. Fire your textbook immediately."

"Of course." Katara walked to the front of the class with her head down. She set the book down on Aang's desk and opened to the correct page.

Aang immediately hated himself for letting this professor order Katara around like this. He should say something, but what? "I don't want to take Katara's textbook." Once again, everyone stared at Aang, making him rather uncomfortable. Under Zhoa's stare he began frantically to look for some kind of excuse. "I-I mean … I'm already so far behind anyway and it wouldn't be fair to Katara. What if she just moved to the front and I could share with her?"

He immediately regretted saying anything. Zhoa grabbed the textbook from his desk and burned it in his hand. The ashes fell to the floor slowly, gathering by Zhoa's feet. "Wolf, clean up the ashes." Katara got on her knees and, without complaint, dusted the ash off of Professor Zhoa's shoes and gathered it all in a neat pile.

As she did this, Zhoa began firing questions at the class about firenation government policies. Katara began rushing, knowing that every moment she was out of her seat was a moment her grade was suffering. Professor Zhoa had as many rules as the firenation itself, he was cruel and unreasonable. It didn't matter that Katara was only following orders, she would certainly be punished simply for being out of her seat. And even then, her textbook had been destroyed, how would she study? She would certainly fall behind and suffer even more punishment while Aang was given all the extra help he could ask for. Aang would soon realize this difference between firenation and everyone else was not just a school rule, it was everywhere. Equality was a thing of the past, Aang had unwittingly wandered into a world of discrimination without even thinking. He just had to choose a firenation name, didn't he? And that was another thing, why use a fake name at all? Aang was hiding something, that much was clear. And his obvious obliviousness to the ways of society was another disturbing matter. Could he really not know anything of the war?

Suki couldn't help but notice the strange looks she kept getting in the hallways, I mean she always got those looks, but never so many. Walking into the cafeteria was like setting off a "freak alarm". Suddenly everyone was staring at her. Her sisters waved to her from the table in the back. She stood in line for overpriced pizza and applesauce and walked with her tray to her table.

Immediately she was received by unexplained hugs, high-fives, and excited chattering. "We're so proud of you Suki!" "First female ever to make the Elements High non-firenation soccer team!" "We knew you could do it!"

Suki stared at her sisters blankly. "What?"

"Didn't you know? Everyone's talking about it! The list was posted right outside the sports management office." "You sure showed those sexist macho-men!"

Suki frowned. "I told that jerk I didn't want to be on his team. Why would he put me on that list? If this is some kind of joke I'll kill him!"

"You're not thinking of quitting, are you?"

"Of course I am! After all the disrespect that asshole showed me yesterday I wouldn't play for him if he got on his knees and begged me."

The Kyoshi sisters all exchanged looks with each other and nodded.

"What?"

"We're not letting you quit, Suki. It's too great an opportunity to walk away from. It may require you to play that captain's game for a while but this may be the only chance we get to prove to these guys what 'a bunch of girls' are capable of! If you want to stop the sexist views in the sports division you have to do this. Boycotting isn't going to do anything but convince the school you're too scared."

"Hey! I'm not scared of anything! I could beat the crap out of any of those pea-brains!"

"Then prove it! Bring honor to the Kyoshi name."

Aang waited outside the classroom for Katara. When she passed him, she didn't even look at him. Aang was strangely hurt by this and all the guilt immediately rushed back to him. It was then, when he looked down to stare at his feet, that he noticed the note. He picked up the folded graph paper and opened it. Aang, go down to the basement and wait for me. If someone finds you tell them you were lost.

Aang crinkled the note into a tight ball and threw it out. He looked for the nearest stairwell and went down. He got lost several times but managed to find his way without anyone becoming suspicious. He opened the big heavy door to find a pool. He walked to the water's edge, taking off his shoes, and sat down. He looked up at the wavy designs the water's reflection made on the ceiling. It was very calming, the blue reflections, the gentle lapping of water at his feet, and the cool misty air. He hardly noticed the hours go by.

When Katara tiptoed her way inside the basement, Aang was still staring up at the reflections. "They're beautiful aren't they?"

Aang turned his head. "Katara?"

Katara took off her own shoes and walked to Aang. "They remind me of the aurora australis."

"Uh, the what?"

"Aurora australis, the southern lights. Everyone always thinks of the aurora borealis in the north, but I assure you we have something just as beautiful in the South Pole."

"South Pole? But if you're from the South Pole, what are you doing here?"

Katara looked down at her feet bobbing in the water. "They took us. It happened two years ago, just after the men of our tribe had left us nearly defenseless. We never expected them to come back after they had taken all of our waterbenders, how wrong we were. They've scattered our tribe throughout the colonies, Sokka, Gran Gran, and I have only stayed together through sheer luck. Now all we can do is hope the earth kingdom can defeat the firenation."

"When did this start? This whole conflict between the firenation and everyone else? I never heard anything about it in the air temple."

"Aang, this war has been raging for a hundred years! There's no way you couldn't have known about it, it's everywhere!"

"But I didn't. I've been to the firenation before, I have friends there. I've never seen any war."

"That's just impossible."

They sat there quietly for a couple minutes, staring at the water's reflections. "I want to go home."

Katara looked at Aang. "What?"

Aang looked at Katara. "I want to go home. I'm worried, something isn't right."

"Where is home?"

"The Southern Air Temple. I know I said I'd stay with you, but I have to go home."

"No Aang, it's too dangerous. If you're discovered leaving the colony they could have you killed!"

Aang smiled mischievously. "Would they kill a firebender?"

"You cannot be serious about this!"

"I have to know, Katara. I have to know if there okay. And I need answers from them. Besides, there's something they need from me too."

"What are you talking about?"

"It's nothing." He stood up. "Shouldn't we be getting home now?"

Katara frowned. "No, Sokka has soccer practice today so we have to stay here for another hour."

"Great! That's a whole hour to work on an escape plan! Come on Katara, what do I have to do to get past the firenation?"