"So this firebender guy," Sokka said, trying to break the awkward silence that had come over the Gaang as they flew to the island, "He'd have to be as old as King Bumi right?"
"Let's hope that he's not as crazy as King Bumi," Katara said.
"I don't know," Toph interrupted, "from what all you have said about this Bumi guy, he sounds fun."
"And Aang was friends with Bumi before he got trapped in that iceberg, right?"
"Where are you going with this Sokka?" Zuko asked.
"Well, maybe this guy could be Aang's old Fire Nation friend."
This statement caught the rest of the team by surprise and they all turned to face him. While the thought had come to each of their minds briefly, Sokka was the first on to ask it out loud.
"I don't know if I go that far," Zuko said, "You said your friends name was 'Kuzon' right? When you told me about him?"
Aang nodded.
"You mean the name you said when you got sent to that Fire Nation school was the name of your old friend?" Toph asked, recognizing the name.
"It was the first Fire Nation name that I could think of off the top of my head."
"Well I think this guys name is 'Kuzco' or something like that"
Sokka cracked up at that.
"What kind of a name is 'Kuzco' anyway? Sounds like something someone would name a llama!"
"There was actually a Fire Lord named 'Kuzco' in the past!"
This statement only made Sokka laugh more.
"Fire Lord Kuzco! Did he like to dance? Please tell me he liked to dance!"
"He did..."
This was able to get almost all of the Gaang laughing.
"Well 'Kuzco' and 'Kuzon' both sound similar," Katara said, trying to get the conversation back on track, "Could be the same name."
"Yea, could it be?" Suki asked, "Did you ever find out what happened to your friend after you came back?"
"The last time I saw Kuzon," Aang said, "was before after I found out that I was the Avatar. When I ran away, I had been planning to go see him and Bumi..."
Aang didn't need to finish his sentence. They all knew what had happened.
"And no, I haven't found out what happened to him."
The silence on Appa's back returned once again, broken only by the occasional chipper by Momo.
Aang turned back to steer Appa in the right direction and the rest of the Gaang went back to what they each had been doing. Zuko, Suki, and Sokka studying the map, Katara playing with Momo, and Toph, well being Toph.
That was until Appa's roar told them that there where nearing their destination.
"Island up ahead!" Aang called out.
They all peered off the edge of Appa's saddle at the island, other than Toph, who was facing the completely wrong direction, and saw an old man dressed in red staring back at them.
"Now let's hope he's friendly."