Chapter One

The sound of Sokka's grumbling stomach overpowered the whooshing air as Appa soared through the cloudless sky. He, along with Aang, Katara, Zuko and Toph, had set off on a scavenging mission hours ago. While the Western Air Temple made for an excellent hideout, the resources there were scarce, and money for supplies was severely limited. They needed food, enough to sustain the small army that had accumulated at the temple, and they needed it for free.

"What I wouldn't give for some dried meat," Sokka complained. He lay on his back, staring up at the blue abyss with a sour look on his face.

"We know," Katara said bitterly.

So far, they had only managed to gather a dismal number of apples from a nearby grove, and everyone was beginning to feel run down. Zuko appeared to be asleep in the corner of Appa's saddle, or he had simply decided to ignore the rest of the group until they came across something useful.

Leaning over the side of Appa's saddle, Toph patted his thick fur and smirked wickedly. "You know, this guy could provide enough meat to last us a few years."

Appa let out a tremendous groan as Aang made a disgusted face. "Don't joke." He perked up suddenly as something on the horizon caught his eye, and he elbowed Sokka. "Hey! What island is that?"

Sokka sat up with a stretch and smoothed out his trusty map. He scanned the horizon, compared all of the visible bodies of land to his map, and wrinkled his nose. He blinked, held the map up closer to his face, and took another darting look at the island.

Katara raised a brow. "What?"

With a furrowed brow, Sokka set the map down and shrugged. "I don't know."

With his interest piqued, Zuko opened his good eye and asked, "Are you saying the island isn't on your map?"

"Exactly." Sokka pointed out the vast, blue space on the map. "This is an updated map. It should be right here."

Aang shielded his eyes from the sun with his hand as he peered over the side of Appa's saddle. "It couldn't have just appeared. It's full of trees. Look how green it is!"

Sokka immediately shifted gears and began to drool. "Green means food. Green means things live there. Things we can eat!"

Katara glanced at the blank space on the map, her finger tapping against her lower lip. "Do you think we should check it out?"

Toph grinned and threw her arms up in a long stretch. "An uncharted island sounds like an adventure to me."

"An island that lush is bound to be growing all kinds of fruit, at the very least," Zuko said practically. "We've been searching half the day and have come up with next to nothing. We should at least see what's there."

"Does everyone agree?" Aang glanced over everyone's faces and, seeing the unanimity, took Appa's reins and guided him downward.

As they descended, Sokka removed his boomerang from its holder and rubbed the dull side lovingly. "It's almost your time to shine," he whispered to the weapon. "Let's find some good things to eat."

They landed on a sandy beach lined with thick, green jungle trees. Ropy vines snaked around the trunks. Chittering bugs droned endlessly within the thicket, mingling with another, much more unnatural sound.

Toph, who had been adjusting her feet in the sand, paused. "Do you hear that?"

They all stood still, taking in the soft sounds of the waves lolling against the shore and the buzzing insects.

Sokka shook his head. "I don't hear any-." He froze as the tinny sound of plucked strings drifted out of the trees. The music was so faint that all but Toph had to strain their ears to listen.

"Maybe there are people here after all," Aang said.

Sokka slumped his shoulders. "Which means they'll want money for whatever food they have."

Katara rolled her eyes and elbowed her brother in the side. "Or maybe they're kind people who could help us."

"I wonder what kind of people live on an uncharted island," Aang said, his eyes sparkling with anticipation.

"Maybe it's not uncharted and Sokka just can't read the map properly," Zuko suggested casually. He placed his arms casually behind his head and began walking towards the sound with a seething, clenched-fisted Sokka close behind.

Leaving Appa to rest on the beach, the small group began walking towards the sweet melody. The music grew louder as they navigated their way through the trees. With the beach at their backs, they came across a worn dirt trail and followed it. The sun began to shine brighter overhead as the trees became more spaced out, and tree trunks dotted the ground. A soft, gentle voice began to accompany the soothing strings wafting on the breeze.

Aang brightened at the sound and he cupped his hands around his mouth, calling out eagerly. "Hello! Who's there?"

The music came to a halting stop, followed by a surprised gasp. There was the sound of hollow wood hitting the ground and bare feet racing across the dirt. Through the trees, a flash of black hair could be seen, but it vanished so quickly that the sight could have easily been an illusion.

Only Toph was able to confirm that someone had been there. She pointed directly between two trees and cried, "She went that way!"

Distraught, Aang began to quickly follow Toph's pointed finger. "Wait! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you! Come back!"

Before he could get too far, Katara grabbed the back of his shirt and jerked him back with the rest of the group. "Chasing whoever was there is only going to make it worse," she lectured. "We obviously startled her. I think we should just keep going and we'll come to her village eventually."

Toph nodded in agreement. "There are buildings just ahead, but…" She tilted her head to the side. "There don't seem to be any people."

"Maybe they're all out hunting, like we should be!" Sokka waved his boomerang and motioned to the jungle around them. "Did you forget why we came here in the first place? We're not here to make new friends!"

Katara rolled her eyes and stepped forward. "We're going to get supplies, don't worry. Maybe this village has fishing equipment we can borrow, or maybe someone would be willing to trade our apples for something else. Let's check it out."

As they continued down the trail, something just behind one of the tree trunks caught Zuko's eye. He stepped off the path and bent down, lifting a lute with a snapped neck off the ground. He turned back around to show everyone what he had found. "Whoever was here, she was in a big hurry to get away from us."

Aang's face crumpled at the sight of the broken instrument. "Do you think it can be fixed?"

Sokka leaned in close to examine the splintered wood and shook his head. "Probably not." He took one look at Aang and let out a sigh. "You want to replace it, don't you?"

"It's my fault it's broken," Aang said guiltily. "I should at least apologize."

"Like I said, she just ran up ahead," Toph reminded him, pointing ahead once more. "Come on, it'll be easy to find her."

Toph took the lead, and after a few more minutes of walking the trail opened into a vast clearing. The group came to a halt at the sight before them. What should have been a bustling village square was full of decimated buildings. Frames of huts stood black and stark against the lush green background. Overturned carts spilling with rotting, maggot infested vegetables lay strewn throughout the square. Long, ashy scorch marks scarred the ground in jagged patterns. At the opposite end of the square, a gated shrine with punctured walls and only half a roof remaining appeared to be the most intact structure left.

Katara's hand went to her necklace, squeezing the charm. "What happened here?"

Zuko placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. He narrowed his eyes and scanned the destruction. "Some kind of raid."

With a jerk, Katara turned to give Zuko a hard look. "Fire Nation?"

He dropped his hand and took a step back. Before he could speak, Toph shoved both of them aside and took a few steps forward to scan the area. With a satisfied nod, she motioned to the shrine.

"She's in there. She'll-."

Strong, rumbling footsteps coming from somewhere behind the shrine cut Toph off. The thundering steps were slow, but firm – a sure sign of a mighty beast – and they were drawing ever closer. A gurgling, echoing snarl permeated the air.

Sokka swallowed thickly and stared past the shrine into the thicket of trees with wide eyes. He turned on his heel, preparing to run. "Something big is coming, and I don't want to see what kind of monster can make a sound like that!"

Katara, preparing to make a break for it herself, glanced back at the shrine nervously. "What about the girl?"

"Maybe it's her friend!" Sokka said, panic rising in his voice.

He grabbed his sister's wrist and began to pull her back towards the trail, Aang and Zuko close behind. Only Toph remained steadily in place. With a confused look, she held her arm out to them and made an absurd request.

"Wait."

"Are you crazy?" Sokka cried. He watched in disbelief as everyone stopped and turned to look at Toph. He continued to jog in place, ready to bolt. "Don't you hear that thing?!"

"Oh, I hear it, all right," Toph said. She crossed her arms over her chest, dropping her chin down as she focused. The footsteps continued to come closer. They began to pick up speed, and the beast let out a guttural snort. It would be bursting through the trees at any second. But Toph remained rooted to the ground.

"I really think we should get out of here," Katara said with a trembling voice. She darted nervous glances at everyone else. Sokka was still jogging in place. Zuko and Aang both had their knees bent, ready to bolt.

"Nothing is coming," Toph stated matter-of-factly.

"Then how do you explain this?" Sokka fretted. He gestured vaguely into the trees, but he dropped his arms as a sudden realization struck him. "Something that big should be knocking over all the trees."

Zuko narrowed his eyes and looked over the treetops. With a raised brow, he said, "Nothing's moving. It's completely still."

But the rumbling grew closer still. A deafening roar blasted through the square, and Toph clapped her hands over her ears. With a grimace, she turned her head towards her friends and said, "The ground is still, too. Nothing is coming."

The monstrous footsteps resounded in the square, but no dust was kicked up. No prints were tattooed into the ground. Another ear-shattering cry blasted in the air. The small group all covered their ears but remained in place. Even as the invisible beast passed over them and should have been crushing them with its massive feet, they did not move. And nothing happened. As the lumbering creature continued into the woods behind them, hands dropped and confused looks were passed all around.

"What…what was that?" Zuko asked in disbelief.

Katara concentrated on the path the beast took, its massive footsteps still echoing in the distance. The leaves blew lightly in the gentle breeze. "It's impossible. We all heard it. Something was definitely there."

Sokka suddenly went rigid, drawing his arms to his chest. He looked over the rubble and clenched his jaw. "Invisible monsters...invisible people…what if…"

Exasperated, Zuko threw out his arm to stop him. "Don't finish that thought."

Ignoring him, Sokka grabbed Katara by the shoulders and gave her a light shake. "G-g-gh-."

Katara rolled her eyes and knocked her brother's hands away. "It's not ghosts. But something weird is definitely going on here." She put her hands on her hips and scanned the square. "What could have happened?"

A coy smirk lit up Toph's face. She nodded confidently towards the shrine. "Let's go find out. She knows."