A/N: If you haven't already seen I've rewritten this story, please check the first chapter and then work your way back here. I've been having issues logging into FanFiction as well, so if I go silent, please don't assume I've stopped posting but check out AO3, where I will continue posting if I am unable to access this site. Finally, I plan to update on weekends for regular chapters and Wednesdays for interludes (short chapters that build more into the world or characters rather than the main plot). Of course, this is the plan so things might not go as desired but I hope you will all stick with me for this new story.

Falkyn's Flight Out


Chapter 3: The General and the Edge of the Knife

Aang

Somehow in fifteen days, Aang had adjusted to life in the South Pole. Which wasn't something he had ever considered possible. Even the constant half-light provided from the lesser of the heavenly bodies had become familiar and less cold. In the Fire Nation, the moon had always seemed cold, distant, and uncaring. A light that gave no heat. Here though, even the sun was unable to bring warmth. Instead, the moon shone blue, lighting snow and ice in a beautiful silver sheen.

But he needed to move on. He didn't want to, he liked it here, the people were friendly, penguin sledding was fun, and Katara was… nice. But he couldn't stay here any longer, he had to head North and get a master.

Katara was good, but his parents had drilled into him to never learn from anyone who isn't a master, as they could have bad habits. Being completely self-taught meant that Katara probably had her fair share of them.

After he had learned he could firebend, Aang had tried to teach himself by watching his uncle teach his cousins. He had got caught in the first week by Dawa, his sister. Dawa has insisted on teaching him as she was already a master firebender. Still, she hadn't had time to teach him everything. There were some advanced techniques that he hadn't learned yet. But there had been a pull, a strange pressing drive which had sent him to the North Pole several months before he had planned to go. It was odd because a similar feeling had kept him here, but today, it had vanished.

Which he supposed, meant he was supposed to move on. At least that was what the old man had said, that the spirits would guide him where he was supposed to go next.

He stood up from where he had been sitting next to the fire and moved towards the igloo. He, Katara, and Sokka had built for Appa (with the help of the village children). It was more of a large ice shelter rather than an igloo, but Appa didn't seem to mind. The air around his body was always warm like a spring day in his homeland.

All of his belongings but Appa's saddle were there sheltered by an animal hide box that Sokka had given him. The saddle was kept on Appa most of the time, as taking it off put the leather at risk of damage and cracking.

He sighed and moved to the box, starting to pull his things out.

"Aang? What are you doing?" Katara asked. Aang jumped, spinning with wide eyes. Katara was sitting on Appa's back, looking down at him with confusion on her face.

"Nothing! Just um… checking my supplies!" Katara frowned and stood, climbing over the edge of the saddle and sliding down one of Appa's legs.

"You're planning on leaving, aren't you?" She said. Aang opened his mouth to lie, but stopped.

"I have to master waterbending, so I need to go to the north pole. I'm sorry," he looked away. He didn't want to see her response. There was a long moment then Katara spoke again.

"Well, I… wish you luck. Are you going to let Sokka and the children know that you're leaving?" she asked. Aang bit the side of his cheek and winced. He hadn't wanted to make a big deal out of it, but it wouldn't be fair to just up and leave either.

Over the last fifteen days, Aang had found that he actually liked Sokka. That wasn't something he had been expecting. While Sokka didn't trust Aang at first, he had won Sokka over. But only after helping him build an igloo, watchtower, and how to read the wind and temperature to adjust his boomerang throws.

"I guess so," Aang said. There was a moment of awkward silence between them. Aang shuffled his feet, unable to meet Katara's blue eyes.

"Well, I guess I need to go and say goodbye to Sokka-" he said, turning away quickly to leave and head back into the central area of the village.

"Wait," Katara said. Aang looked back. Katara looked just as nervous as he was feeling.

"Can… can I come with you?" she asked. Aang stared at her. What, why was she just dropping this on him? And why would she want to risk her life by travelling with the Avatar?

"I… I want to master my element, but I can't do that here, and self-teaching is only going to take me so far. So I was wondering if you would be willing to take me to the North Pole too. If I go with you on Appa, I'll only be gone a few months, a year at most. But if I took a trader's ship and walked… I could be gone for years if I even make it back," her eyes were pleading as they met his. Despite himself, Aang couldn't help but smile at her.

"Of course you can come! But… won't Sokka and Kanna be worried about you?" he added. Katara nodded, leaning against Appa, who grunted.

"Of course they will, but I can't keep living like this. It's not fair for gran-gran to say no, she travelled the earth kingdom when she was sixteen," Katara said.

Appa groaned loudly, and Katara fell silent, looking past Aang, her eyes widening. Aang turned quickly. Sokka was running at them full tilt.

"You've got to get out of here," he said, skidding to a stop. He was breathing hard with wide eyes.

"What? Sokka, what are you-" Aang began looking at Katara. She seemed equally confused, but she didn't have time to say anything.

"No time! There's a fire nation ship out there, and it's going to be here any second!" Sokka gasped, bent over as he panted heavily. He was wearing his hunting gear, all cream, grey, and off-white with his face painted to match. Only his hair remained unchanged, brown and dark against the colours of the tundra. He must have been out hunting when he had seen the ship and come straight back to the village.

A loud cracking sound split the air, and the ground shook. Appa moaned loudly. Aang threw himself into motion, spinning to face Appa.

"Get over the wall, stay there until I call you," he said. The bison charged out of the shelter and flew low over the back wall while Aang grabbed Katara and pointed to the tent.

"They can't know that Appa was here," he said. Katara nodded, glancing nervously behind her and quickly bending the ice, so it caved in, creating a giant ice pile.

"What are you doing? You're supposed to be hiding," Sokka demanded.

"We don't know why they're here, I'm not letting my people hurt my friends," Aang insisted, adjusting his parka. With that, he marched in the direction the sound had come from.

"Are you insane? You're the Avatar if they find out-" Sokka said, walking quickly beside Aang.

"They'll chase me and leave you guys alone, hopefully, they'll never even know Katara's a waterbender,"

"They won't chase you, they'll kill you," Sokka said. Katara caught up and shook her head.

"No, they won't. If the fire nation kills Aang, he'll just reincarnate, and they'd have no idea where to find him. Why do you think they kept the Avatar of earth imprisoned?" she said.

The conversation cut off abruptly. One of the walls was broken with a crack in the ice running down into the village. The women were cowering with their children, unable to think of where they would be safe.

Oddly, this ship was much smaller than most of the modern fire navy ships. Wouldn't that mean it was dated? He could remember one of his uncles talking about how smaller vessels were being broken down to make larger ones.

The bow dropped into a gangplank, and seven fire nation soldiers stepped onto it. The six in the back were all wearing their face masks, but the man in the front had his face exposed, revealing a large red scar covering one side of his face.

Aang winced. The amount of heat needed to melt flesh that way was extreme. Was it a punishment from a superior? Or had he lost an Agni-Kai? Perhaps he had been trapped in a fire, and the whole side of his body was burnt like that?

Aang was torn from his musings when the man reached the ice. The second his feet touched the ground, he had stopped moving, leaving his soldiers still standing on the gangplank.

"I'm looking for the Avatar," he shouted. His voice was young, he couldn't be much older than Sokka. How was he commanding soldiers?

His eyes flashed to Aang, and for a moment, their gaze met.

"They'd be around the age of those two, either a waterbender or an airbender," he shouted, gesturing at Katara and Aang with one hand. Aang glanced at Katara nervously. What was happening? Why was the fire nation looking for the Avatar in the water tribe? Shouldn't they be looking in their own nation? Or was he not the only one confused by the sudden change in the avatar cycle? But how would they even know about that in the first place?

Kanna stepped forward, even hunched over as she was she somehow managed to hold herself with strength.

"I'm afraid we're a small village, and there has not been a bender here since the last time the Fire nation came to our shores," she said. The teenager huffed, looking around.

"Understand that if I discover anyone is lying to me, you all will regret it," He said. He turned to his men.

"Search the village,"

The six soldiers walked down the plank. They spread out, with one staying nearby and watching the gathered people. The others headed into the village, tearing through tents and igloos searching for people in hiding. The teenager stood at the plank, staring at them.

"We just have to wait. They'll leave eventually," Aang whispered to Katara. She shook her head.

"What happens if they find evidence of our bending?" she whispered back. Aang winced.

The soldier who was walking along the line of villagers stopped and walked towards the teenager. There was a moment of quiet discussion.

"I can make my own decisions!" the teen shouted. Flames bursting from his fists. That caused Aang to raise an eyebrow. What was that about? That… that wasn't a normal military response. He had seen hundreds of soldiers on shore leave, and even the cruellest to their men wouldn't respond like that. What was going on here? This was so far off of ordinary that for a moment, Aang wondered if this was really a fire nation military ship at all.

"You two, up here," the teen said, gesturing to a spot beside him. Katara froze, but Aang took her hand and walked up. You never deny a superior officer's order. Never.

The teenager leaned in, his right eye squinting at their faces. Nervously Aang tugged at the hood of his parka. Hoping against hope that this soldier wouldn't ask him to take it off. His short-cropped black hair clearly labelled him as fire nation.

Unfortunately, the world wasn't working in his favour.

"How old are you two?" The teen asked sharply. Aang kept studying the stranger's face. Why was he here? Why was his ship so dated? Why was he acting without the military discipline that Aang had always taken for granted among men older than himself?

"Twelve," Katara replied with a shaky voice, so quiet that Aang almost didn't hear her.

"Eleven," Aang replied, his voice firm but wavering. What age were they looking for? It had to be his age since he was the Avatar.

Maybe he should have lied.

The teen straightened. His voice clipped as he ordered "take off that hood,"

Aang closed his eyes, his mind spinning. If he took off the hood, they'd know he wasn't water tribe. Which would mean that these people who he had come to care for would be in danger.

The fire began flickering around the edge of the teen's fist as he raised his hand.

Aang shoved Katara to the ground, falling into a familiar stance as his hands flew up. He caught the teen's hand as it came down then yanked. Off-balance, the teen fell face-first into the snow.

He came up sputtering. Out of the corner of Aang's eye, he noticed that Katara had retreated to stand next to Sokka.

The teenager had lost his helmet, revealing a mostly bald head with a single long ponytail. He glared at Aang as he stood up. Then his eyes widened, and Aang realized that his hood had fallen away.

"You're fire nation," the teen said. Aang winced, his secret was out of the bag now. He took a step back. Glancing behind him, he noticed that the soldiers had returned and now stood just behind the crowd of water tribe people, fists ready to bend at a moment's notice. He wouldn't be able to protect the people of the village if he tried to fight.

His heart was beating so quickly that it almost hummed. He swallowed, looking around, trying to think of some way to escape, to get out of this situation.

"Prince Zuko? What is taking so long?" A voice called from the top of the ship. Aang's head snapped up. He knew that voice.

The old man stood at the edge of the deck. He hadn't changed much since Aang had seen him last, other than the last streaks of black hair had turned entirely grey.

Without another thought, Aang did the only thing he could.

Using his bending, he ran past the teenager, Prince Zuko, and into the ship. He had an old man to talk to.


He found General Iroh the floor below the deck, or at least he assumed it was. He hadn't ever been on a real ship before.

They both froze, then Iroh sighed.

"Come in here, my nephew will not be expecting you to be in one of our storage rooms," he said. Aang frowned but quickly followed Iroh inside. The old man shut the door behind him, then sat down on a crate.

"I admit, I never expected to meet you again, let alone in the south pole," he said with a gentle laugh. Aang grinned sheepishly and sat down on another crate beside him.

"I came here to look for my water bending teacher, but it appears that there aren't any master water benders in the south," he groaned.

The sound of shoes hitting metal stilled them both. When the sound faded away, Iroh spoke again.

"I'm not surprised, the southern raiders were very through with their jobs. Anyone who was even suspected of being a water bender was either taken or killed,"

"Sir, may I ask you something?" Aang asked, turning to meet the old man's golden eyes. Iroh raised an eyebrow but nodded his head.

"Why don't you duel Ozai for the throne? You're more powerful than he is, you'd win the Agni-kai. Then this war could end," Aang said, leaning forward. This was his only hope. If he could convince Iroh to do this, then maybe-

But Iroh shook his head.

"I'm sorry. I cannot fight my brother for the throne. The chaos it would cause would unleash unbearable devastation on our nation," Iroh said. Aang frowned.

"Why? Wouldn't things get better?" Aang asked, standing. He didn't understand, how could Iroh taking the throne be anything but good for everyone?

"Our nation sits on the edge of a knife," Iroh explained, "if I were to fight my brother for the throne, our nation would suffer, no matter who won. The only way to save our people, Avatar, is to continue forward. The war must be ended from the outside, just as all wars have always ended,"

He stood but turned and placed one calloused hand on Aang's shoulder. His fingers pressing into the fur of the parka.

"Our only hope for our nation lies in the future generations, you and my nephew," he said. Aang felt his face twist. He found it hard to believe that Prince Zuko, that scarred teen, would be a fit ruler. He didn't seem to know what to do with six men. How was he supposed to lead their country?

It wasn't fair, everything was dumped on him, just because he was the Avatar.

Grumbling under his breath Aang stepped out of the storeroom. Now to get to the upper deck and call Appa. Easy.

"Halt!" a voice shouted from behind him. I guess this wasn't going to be so easy after all. Internally cursing Aang took off, heading towards what he hoped would lead him to the deck.


It took Aang far longer to reach the deck than what he had planned for. Having to dodge guards while making his way through the ship was no easy task. It hadn't helped that he had gone too far up and found himself on the floors above the deck.

But he was outside now. Pulling his tin whistle from under his parka Aang sucked in a tremendous amount of air, using his bending to push as much as he could through the small instrument.

Behind him the door, that he had barricaded with a barrel, burst open, and an irate fire prince stormed out. Behind him, eight soldiers followed at a quick pace. His heart couldn't really go any faster without flying out of his chest. There were no icebergs that were small enough he could jump onto safely. He was trapped.

The firebenders continued to advance. Shakily Aang raised his hands, mentally preparing himself. The first soldier fired. Aang swept the flames to one side, turning the fire onto another soldier who stumbled back with a curse.

A familiar groan came from far away. Appa was coming, but it would still be a few minutes before the bison would arrive.

The battle started for real. The soldiers shot fire at Aang, who swept it to the side, or blasted them back with streams of air.

Appa landed on the deck with a thud, knocking the firebenders to the edges of the ship.

"Aang, get on!" Katara shouted from where she sat on Appa's head, her hands wrapped tightly around the bison's reins. Aang didn't pause to think, he leapt for Appa, landing next to Katara with a breathless, "yip-yip."

Appa crouched, then slapped his tail against the ship. Behind them, Zuko and his soldiers stood, staring up at the bison as Appa wove through the sky.