Author's Note: I uploaded this chapter pretty soon after the previous one just because I just want to get the rest of Book 1 pretty much out of the way. I don't want to raise expectations as I won't always be able to update this frequently. Please leave a review so I can improve my writing, and feel free to provide any suggestions as to what you think should happen later in the story! Also an apology, this chapter doesn't really explore that much new stuff, it's essentially just a rehash of The Deserter w/ a few elements changed and some of Aang's emotional explorations and growth. :)

As the bison soared over the northern Earth Kingdom, the young airbender could do nothing but stare. Stare at the endless rows of assorted cumulus clouds gradually revealing themselves over the horizon, stare at the rich hues of blue compromising the morning skies, stare at anything but Appa's depressingly empty saddle devoid of laughter and friendship. Over the past week, Aang's travels had gone much like this. He had never stopped to consider just how dull it was without the antics of Sokka and Katara, how their sibling quarrels would unconsciously brighten Aang's every day. He could imagine them now, their ghosts sitting across the saddle, arguing over a stupid map and trying to figure out which way was what.

"Trust me Katara, that way's north. I can feel it in my gut."

"Oh yeah? Your gut also told you to fly us straight into that storm a few weeks ago, and you were sick for ages."

"Hey don't blame that on me sis, you got sick too."

"But – but – that has absolutely nothing to do with what I just said!"

"It's quite alright Katara, your apology is accepted."

Aang smiled but his vivid daydream caused a pang of nostalgia causing him to reflexively reach his hand to his right shoulder. Under his airbending robes, he had tied Katara's necklace around his arm to make sure that it wouldn't be lost, a likely situation had he continued to keep it in his pocket. The stone was smooth to the touch apart from the intricate carvings, and Aang ran his fingers over the small crevices on its surface. The necklace was one of the few reminders he owned of the siblings; the others being the map to their father's location and a smelly pair of socks that had been accidentally left by Sokka. For a man so associated to water, Aang thought, grimacing, he sure doesn't wash himself much.

Aang sat back, resting his arms behind his head, as he looked up to the fluffy clouds. He groaned, eyes vacantly staring into the sky's endless dimensions, bored out of his 12 year old mind.

"That cloud looks so much like a face don't you think, Momo?" he asked his flying lemur but he, too, had long gotten bored of cloud-spotting and had fallen asleep in an empty sack of fruit. Can't blame him, Aang thought, that must've been the thousandth face shaped cloud we've seen this week. No wonder he's bored.

"And-and that one over there, don't you think that one looks like a rabbit?" Aang feigned excitement during his little speech.

"And that one's a book, that one's a hand, that one's a, a, … a cloud." He finally gave up trying to excite himself. He hadn't wanted to admit it, but cloud-watching had lost its appeal four days ago.

What hadn't lost its appeal to Aang, however, was the idea of exploring new, foreign places. Aang peered over the edge of Appa's saddle and to his delighted surprise a Fire Nation colony appeared on the edge of the horizon, surrounded by acres upon acres of forests and mountains. Aang's giddiness overwhelmed him and as he urged his bison forward with the lure of a meal from the town, Appa roared and took off towards the forest.

Routinely, the cloaked figure marched around the clearing in the forest. He surveyed the surrounding wilderness and made sure that no watchful eyes were upon the rag-tag collection of huts and tents scattered near the river. His master required the utmost secrecy; being the most wanted man in the Fire Nation, save for the Avatar, required that he and his men stay hidden but alert 24/7.

Chey prided himself on his association with Master Jeong Jeong, yet wasn't aware of Jeong Jeong's dislike of him. He was naturally curious but often clueless and stupid and regularly disobeyed orders; not someone you'd ideally want guarding pretty much the most wanted man in the world. And his signature traits could not serve him worse as he spotted the outline of what seemed like an enormous, six-legged cow in the sky. That is, until the arrow upon its furry forehead came into view, and Chey's eyes grew to the size of saucepans.

Could it be? No… the rumours of the Avatar's return were just that: rumours. But what if… no, it couldn't be… but if it is…

His mind frantically drifted back to his orders to not look for the Avatar, under any circumstances. Something about Jeong Jeong being paranoid. But rules were made to be broken, right? And maybe if he found the Avatar and showed them to Jeong Jeong, he wouldn't have anything to fear anymore!

Without a second thought, Chey vanished into the woods and abandoned his post, again forgetting to think of the consequences of his actions. But he knew it; that had to be a sky bison. And only airbenders ever used to ride sky bison. And the Avatar was an airbender. It had to be him. It had to be.

Aang flew down upon Appa to a small patch of land in the woods bare of trees and shrubs, large enough for the airbender, his sky bison, and a small campfire to share between them. Aang took the time available to him to run into the nearby town and gather cooking ingredients to make a soup for himself and Appa. A soup was hardly a delectable or delicious meal for either but making the soup gave him the slightest opportunity to practice some basic waterbending by stirring the ingredients within the broth and Aang was hardly a great chef regardless; the cooking duties had normally fallen to Katara.

Katara was such a good chef, Aang thought to himself as he sniffed gingerly at the bubbling pot of food which somehow already smelt burnt after only a minute over the fire.

Aang's travel into the town had been no easier. Travelling into the town alone was risky enough, travelling into the town alone while displaying airbender tattoos was another problem altogether. He had desperately tried to disguise his tattoos by pulling his shirt up and over his head like some sort of hunchback and by pulling his sleeves over his arms. He later thought that his strange appearance garnered even more attention than some arrow tats would've. And in the end his disguise was futile as in his desperate dash towards the safety of the forest, food loaded within his arms, his shirt fell from atop his head revealing his tattoo. He felt at least ten sets of eyes on him as he fled the town, noticing a few stifled gasps of surprise and confusion. The security of Appa's homely hideout could not have come sooner.

Sokka would've been able to disguise me perfectly, Aang again thought, gulping down his lunch and resisting the urge to gag on the unpleasant slush. Once finished, he began to bend a small stream of soup into Appa's gaping jaw when he heard a rustling in the bushes behind him. He jolted to attention; swivelling around quickly with his body in a mock fighting stance, his eyes darting left to right to try and find the disturbance.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" Aang yelled to the leafage around him. A stupid question, he knew; of course someone was there. His thoughts were confirmed as a cloaked figure emerged from the treeline and walked leisurely over to Aang.

"Hey there, Avatar," the figure said with a sly smile.

Aang was stunned. "How did you – I mean - I'm not the Avatar – how did - wait – how – who are you?" he finally spluttered. He reached out to Appa's side and snatched his glider, tentatively pointing it in the direction of the stranger.

The stranger pulled his hood down. "Relax, kid. I'm not here to hurt you. And there's no need to hide who you are from me, I know an Avatar when I see one." He smiled and beckoned to himself. "The name's Chey."

Aang dropped his guard and held his glider firmly upright. "Why have you come to find me?"

"I serve a man. Actually I take that back, he's not a man. He's a legend, a myth, but he's real. A while ago, Jeong Jeong served as an admiral or a general or something like that, y'know, way up the ladder. Anyways, he became the first person to every leave the Fire Nation army, and live." Chey puffed out his chest and pointed his thumb at himself. "And I'm the second! Although, no one really remembers second anyway. That's fine though. Some people think he's mad. Pfft! Jeong Jeong is a master firebender, he's not mad – just enlightened!"

Aang's eyes widened and his glider was released from his vice grip and fell to the ground. A master firebender? Aang excitedly thought. A firebender who can teach me? Who's not with the Fire Lord?

Aang leaped over and grabbed the front of Chey's cloak in his fists. "You've got to take me to him!"

Chey flashed a smile. "Don't worry little man, that's why I'm here. He's the perfect person to train the Avatar, he just hasn't realised it yet."

Chey turned and beckoned for Aang to follow him as he rushed to pack up their camping gear. Within moments his tent was back on Appa's saddle and the miserable contents of the cooking pot found their way onto the solid ground. They meandered through a narrow path in the trees, barely unrecognisable if not for the faded red ribbons tied to various trees that Chey had pointed out to him. Appa floated effortlessly just above the forest canopy keeping a careful eye upon his rider and their guide as he had given up long ago trying to squeeze between the confines of the path. The walk was rather long and arduous but as they trekked, Chey recounted past war tales to Aang of Jeong Jeong's many escapades, all to Aang's delight and wonder. Aang couldn't be more excited to meet Jeong Jeong. How great was this?

"Commander Zhao, sir, we have reports of the Avatar's location."

Zhao looked up from his desk upon his battle ship to the soldier standing deadly still in front of him. They had anchored off the coast of a nearby colony, aiming to exploit their town for supplies and fuel. "Excellent. And any knowledge of the whereabouts of Prince Zuko?"

"No, commander. It is understood that he is travelling North further still. We believe he will arrive at port within the week."

"And what of the Avatar?"

"He is located somewhere within the forests surrounding the eastern side of the nearby Fire Nation colony. Our sources from within the colony tell us he was travelling with his bison as well."

Zhao narrowed his eyes. So Avatar… you've finally met my failure of a teacher. He thought to himself, smiling deviously. Let this be your failure as well. "Prepare our 8 best firebenders for an immediate raid. I know exactly where he is."

As it turns out, Aang wasn't actually meant to be found by Chey. In fact, he was actually explicitly ordered not to look for the Avatar, as it posed a great security risk to have virtually the two most wanted men by the Fire Nation in the same location. But regardless, after having a small nap and eating some actual food, Aang found his way into the hut where his (hopefully) future firebending master.

The hut was situated on a small jetty leading out over a nearby stream. Its walls and roof were constructed of bamboo poles tightly bound together with twine. A doorway to the interior was obscured by a dirty curtain and as Aang pushed the drape aside he was greeted with the sight of a muggy room, dimly lit by a semicircle of wax candles. Within the candle enclosure a man, who appeared to be at least 60 years old, sat cross-legged with his back to the airbender. He wore a shawl that was loosely draped over his shoulders and had a headful of messy grey hairs.

"I asked Chey not to bring you to my abode, yet here you are."

Aang flinched, unsure how Jeong Jeong knew it was him. "Master Jeong Jeong, I need you to teach me firebending."

"You are not ready, young Avatar. I could tell from watching you arrive at the camp that you have not mastered waterbending nor earthbending."

"How could you –"

"Do not question me, Avatar. Now leave."

"But Master, I need to master firebending. And you're just about the only person who can."

"Only a fool seeks his own destruction."

"But – but I'm the Avatar! It's my destiny to –"

At this, Jeong Jeong scoffed. "Destiny? What would a boy know of destiny? If a fish lives its whole life in a river, does he know the river's destiny? No! Only that it runs on and on out of his control! He may follow where it flows, but he cannot see the end. He cannot imagine the ocean."

Aang caught his breath, and stammered, "Okay, but it's the Avatar's duty to master all of the bending disciplines."

"To master the bending disciplines, you must first master discipline itself. But you have no interest in this, so I have no interest in you! Now," Jeong Jeong slowly turned back around, "get out."

Aang began to feel desperate. "Please, I have to learn. This could be my only chance," he pleaded.

Jeong Jeong whipped his torso around and his eyes bore holes into Aang's soul with their furious gaze. He yelled, "Are you deaf? How can I teach you if you refuse to listen? Before learning firebending you must learn water and earth. Water is cool and soothing, earth is ready and stable, but fire, fire is alive! It breathes, it grows. Without the bender, a rock will not throw itself! But fire will spread and destroy everything in its path if one does not have the will to control it! That is its destiny! You are not ready! You are too weak!"

What happened next, Jeong Jeong couldn't even begin to fathom. The candlesticks launched plumes of flames to the ceiling, encasing the room in a blindingly bright light. It threatened to burn down the very hut they sat in but just as quickly as the flames erupted, they disappeared, plunging the room into an eerie darkness. What confused Jeong Jeong the most however, was that none of this was his doing.

A single candle relit itself and bathed Jeong Jeong's surroundings in its sombre hues. He no longer sat in a bamboo hut; he now sat in a vast, empty space occupied by only a singular, desolate tree behind him. And where the stubborn young airbender once sat, a towering figure appeared in his place: Avatar Roku.

Roku narrowed his eyes. "You think I am weak?"

"Avatar Roku!" Jeong Jeong exclaimed, still working his way over the shock of visiting Avatar Roku. I must somehow be in the Spirit World. But how… and why? Finally acknowledging what Roku had said, he spluttered, "No, no! I did not mean that!"

Roku's glare was unrelenting as he replied forcefully. "I have mastered the elements a thousand times in a thousand lifetimes. Now, I must do it once again. You will teach the Avatar…"

Roku waved his hand at the nearby tree and Jeong Jeong watched on in a mizture of fear and wonder as the tree instantly sprung ablaze.

"… firebending."

Jeong Jeong lowered his head and closed his eyes, acknowledging his new duty to Roku. "Yes, yes, I will teach you." He finally submitted.

"Really? That's great!" Aang's childish voice awoke Jeong Jeong from his vision, eliciting a long groan from the firebending master.

Jeong Jeong stood, towering over Aang's childish frame. How did I get caught into this mess? he thought to himself. With a curt downwards glance at Aang, he ordered. "We start at sunrise tomorrow."

Today, the Avatar had begun his firebending training but Jeong Jeong feared it would end just as quickly as it started. He sat in a meditative position, silently contemplating his predicament and frowning while brewing a small pot of jasmine tea. Fire is dangerous. Fire is alive. Air is free and easy-going. Water is adaptable and soothing. Earth is steady and reliable. But fire… it is devious and cunning. It will consume those even with the slightest lack of willpower and strength. I fear that our young Avatar hasn't learnt either just yet. His mind was littered with fears over Aang's ability to learn firebending. He could tell, through the Avatar's careless mindset towards the discipline required for such a powerful bending art. And, he thought as he heard the soft pitter-patter of the airbender's footsteps, his fears had been confirmed.

Jeong Jeong turned from his kettle to face Aang, who had so rudely entered the hut without even knocking. "What are you doing here? I did not tell you to stop!" he demanded.

"I've been breathing for hours!" the young Avatar said exasperatedly.

Jeong Jeong turned back to his tea. "You want to stop breathing?" he asked rhetorically.

"I want you to stop wasting my time! I already know how to squat and breathe and fell the sun. I wanna know how to shoot fire out of my fingertips!" Aang exclaimed, wiggling his skinny fingers towards Jeong Jeong. He sighed, noting how Aang's childish stubbornness was preventing him from giving truth and reasoning behind his words.

"I had a pupil once who had no interest in learning discipline. He was only concerned with the power of fire, how he could use it to destroy his opponents and wipe out the obstacles in his path. But fire is a horrible burden to bear. Its nature is to consume, and without control it destroys everything around it." Jeong Jeong ended his ramble and thought back to his student, Zhao. How, through Jeong Jeong's failures as a teacher, he had manipulated the power of fire to destroy anything in his path whilst disregarding any consequences.

He ended his monologue by imparting a small piece of knowledge onto the airbender. "Learn restraint, or risk destroying yourself and everything you love." And with that, the airbender took leave from the hut.

Aang must've been meditating on that rock for at least an hour until Jeong Jeong re-emerged from his abode. He had been contemplating over the firebender's words of wisdom and his tragic tale of a student who had lost their way. If he was to learn firebending, he had to be controlled and disciplined. If not, well he didn't know what would happen nor did he want to think too much about it. He already feared the possibility of somehow burning Katara with his fire when they were reunited.

Still, Aang kept his head low and his eyes closed. "I thought about what you said. I promise I'll be more patient."

Jeong Jeong didn't smile, but Aang could sense his acceptance. "We're going to work with fire now." Upon hearing those words, Aang jumped for joy and did a small flip in the air while exclaiming, "Oh yeah!" before registering Jeong Jeong's disapproving stare. He reflexively stood back in a bowing stance. "I mean, let us begin."

The master snatched a small leaf from mid-air and pressed it tightly with his thumb and forefinger. A thin wisp of smoke emerged from the plant as a hole was torched through, sparkling red embers dotting its circumference. "Concentrate on the fire," Jeong Jeong said while passing the leaf to Aang. "I want you to keep the flames from reaching the edges of the leaf for as long as you can."

Aang was exasperated at the task; he'd been told he was going to work with fire but this… this was baby stuff. He knew he could do so much more. As Aang was about to protest, however, Chey barged over to the bamboo hut.

Still catching his breath from running, Chey panted, "Master! There's trouble!"

Aang was confused. "What's going on?"

Jeong Jeong began to sprint with Chey back the way he had came but not before turning back to Aang and commanding, "Concentrate on your leaf!"

Aang groaned, holding his stupid leaf in his hands. Appa, bored of the stables and in need of a good stretch, lumbered down to the river with Momo incessantly chattering into his ear. The sight of his sky bison and the flying lemur made Aang excited, and he wanted to show them what he could do.

"This is the worst firebending lesson ever! All he does is just leave me alone for hours so I can bore myself to death!" Aang smiled over at his animal companions. "At least you guys keep me company."

Aang sighed, knowing neither bison nor lemur could properly understand what he was saying. "Jeong Jeong has no idea. I'm ready to do so much more!" He concentrated all of his energy onto this one small flame and allowed it to chew up the remainder of the leaf; as it did so, Aang captured the small flame and strengthened it through his breath, something valuable he had learned from Jeong Jeong.

"Look Appa, I made fire!" he excitedly exclaimed to a disheartening grunt from the bison. Aang began to toy with the fire to attract their attention by throwing it high into the air and catching it, then juggling the ball of inferno.

His curiosity peaked as his mind wandered to the hordes of firebenders he had fought off over the past two months or so. How they projected large fireballs with their fist or narrower blasts with a flat hand. But he knew he was more skilled than those meagre benders. After all, only a day had passed and look what he could do! He was incredible; a prodigy even. He fought back to how Jeong Jeong had earlier swept a short fire whip the instantly light all the candles within the hut at once. Surely such a basic movement was possible. So he tried it.

And like all things in his life lately, he miserably failed. The fire spread out of his control and scorched Appa's fur on his front right leg, eliciting a loud roar of pain and a smaller squeal from Momo upon the bison's reaction. Aang stared on in horror, as Appa desperately ran into the river to cool his leg and to extinguish any of Aang's flames.

"Appa, oh no, I'm so sorry buddy!" Aang cried. He jumped into the water and waded towards Appa, tentatively putting his hand out to comfort him. Appa seemed to recoil from Aang's touch initially but after looking into each other's eyes and the realisation that it was, indeed, an accident, the bison leant towards Aang so that the airbender's head rested upon his gargantuan, furry arrowhead.

After a minute, Aang led Appa and Momo out of the water to more closely inspect Appa's burn. Thankfully, it was nowhere near as bad as he had originally anticipated. Appa's reaction to jump into the water may have potentially spared serious burn injuries. The flames had only managed to burn some of the hairs on Appa's leg, leaving a black mark indicating the scorched tips of his fur. None of Appa's skin was touched; his thick coating of hair guarding him from the brunt of the heat.

After acknowledging that Appa was now going to be okay, Aang knelt by the riverside and began to weep. "Appa," he whispered, "I'm so sorry. Jeong Jeong tried to tell me that I wasn't ready, and now look at what I did." His tears were running down his cheeks and causing ripples in the river. "I wasn't ready. I hurt someone that was close to me and now I don't know if they'll want to stay with me ever again."

The realisation hit him. No longer was Aang just referring to Appa. His eyes, swollen with tears, looked over to Appa who met him with a concerned look. Aang couldn't resist running up to his large forehead and hugging it, the comfort of Appa's soft fur masking the worst of Aang's cries.

"They've all left me, Appa. The monks, Gyatso, and now Katara and Sokka. All because I've made stupid mistakes and I hurt them. I abandoned Gyatso and the monks when they needed me most, and I'll never get the chance to say sorry. I hid that scroll from Katara and Sokka and hid their dad from them. And… and…" Aang reached his breaking point. "And I've hurt you! My oldest friend, who I stupidly burnt because I don't have discipline. Please, forgive me. Please, don't go like the others did." Appa let out a soft roar of acceptance, and Aang gave a small laugh of relief. Multiple weeks' worth of untouched emotion had finally been unbottled and for the first time since he saw Katara after breaking free from his icy prison, he felt genuinely at peace with his inner emotions.

Unbeknownst to Aang, Jeong Jeong had watched this whole debacle from under the cover of a large tree. He had arrived back to warn the Avatar of Zhao's arrival just as Aang had burned his bison. Such lack of control, Jeong Jeong had thought. But then again, he hasn't mastered the other arts yet. Once he learns water and earth he will be responsible enough to carry the burden of firebending. He approached the Avatar, whose head lifted out of the shaggy confines of Appa's forehead.

"Avatar. You must pack your things and leave now!" Jeong Jeong commanded.

Aang looked genuinely surprised. "Look, Jeong Jeong, I know I didn't do my training correctly but I know why I wasn;t focusing. I promise that –"

Jeong Jeong waved a hand in front of his face. "I do not care for your excuses. You disobeyed my direct requests, and that is not something I will forgive instantly. But more concerning is the fact that Admiral Zhao of the Fire Nation has almost found his way here, and ypu are in grave danger."

"Then why would I leave? I can help you defend your home!" Aang argued, a determined glint in his eye to make up for his past errors.

"Avatar, I understand your enthusiasm, but this fight is not for the likes of you. You are too young a child to face a man such as Zhao just yet, and I fare much more of an advantage against him." Jeong Jeong paused, not sure whether to continue. "After all… he was my ex-student."

Aang's eyes grew abnormally large. "Zhao was your student? The one who had no restraint?"

Jeong Jeong gravely nodded. "Yes. I know his weaknesses, and how to sneak past his defences. And, as my duty to the world, I must ensure that the Avatar is safe so that he may restore balance to the world." Aang was about to raise a concern with that before Jeong Jeong interrupted him. "Do not fail me again, Aang. Do as I ask and leave. It is the best decision for you to leave so we do not risk your death."

Aang submitted, sighing as his shoulders slumped. But not a moment later, his energy was reinvigorated and his determination had returned to him. "Understood, Master. I'll go grab my things now."

But as he was about to leave, Jeong Jeong placed a hand on Aang's shoulder. "I know my exercises today were difficult to undergo, especially for you with the impatience of a child, but you were an exceptional student." Aang beamed. "I sense that one day, you will become a greater firebender than I ever could dream of being. But" – he looked Aang sternly in the eyes – "you must not learn firebending until you have mastered water and earth. This is my last ask of you. Firebending is a dangerous discipline that must be appreciated in order to be controlled. You will only learn this appreciation and patience through mastering the other elements, as is the nature of the Avatar cycle."

Aang seemed determined to follow Jeong Jeong's orders. "I won't let you down again, Master Jeong Jeong. But are you sure you'll be alright to fight Zhao?"

Jeong Jeong cracked a vague grin and responded: "What gave you the impression I intended to fight him?"

"You – you – you just smiled!" Aang laughed. Jeong Jeong's expression quickly turned back into a scowl and Aang remembered what he was supposed to be doing. "Oh right, yeah, leaving. Sorry, I'll get onto that now."

Within moments Aang had gathered his few possessions and tossed them carelessly onto Appa's saddle. As he air boosted himself up onto Appa's neck to take hold of the reins, Jeong Jeong bowed deeply before the pair. "It has been an honour to serve you, Avatar Aang. May our paths cross once more, in this lifetime or another," Jeong Jeong muttered. He was always one for formal attitudes and manneurisms. Aang didn't quite yet understand all the hullabaloo around such formalities and merely waved, as he and his bison lifted into the air and began to soar northwards once more.

"See you later, Jeong Jeong! Best of luck!"

Jeong Jeong lifted his head and gazed at the solace for the world. Such a young boy, Jeong Jeong thought, yet such raw power, such potential, such affinity for firebending. I see now why he is the only hope.

Zhao and his men burst into the clearing to find an abandoned camp, par for the old man standing in the middle facing the river. Zhao was shocked; this is where the Avatar should be! One of his men beckoned him into looking upwards into the sky, and he scowled. The Avatar, elusive as ever, had escaped his grasp once again.

"Hello, Zhao." Jeong Jeong's voice returned Zhao's gaze to the man standing boldly in the abandoned enclosure, who had now turned to face him.

Zhao glanced around the camp and sneered, repulsed and humoured by the master's current standard of living. "So this is what has happened to the great Jeong Jeong. You at you. You were once so great. Ican't believe my former master has become nothing more that a simple savage."

Jeong Jeong pointed a finger warily in Zhao's direction. "It is you who have embraced savagery, Zhao!"

"It's Admiral Zhao, now." He puffed out his chest a little to dignify his new position.

"Your title will not help you against the Avatar. Do not try to fight him. You will not win!" Jeong Jeong stroked his beard. "I have never seen such potential, such raw power within such a boy before. He will easily outclass you Zhao."

Zhao snorted. "We'll see about that." He pointed to Jeong Jeong. "Men! Attack the deserter!"

Fireballs from all sides of the campsite were hurled towards the lonesome figure in the middle of the campsite. Jeong Jeong was trapped within the inferno but as the flames subsided, the man was nowhere to be found. No remnants even of burnt clothing were left behind. It seemed like the master had simply vanished into thin air, like some silly magician's trick. Zhao had seen this all before, he knew how elusive Jeong Jeong really was.

"He's run off into the forest!" he barked, sending his men scampering. "He can't have gone far." Zhao was left alone within the abandoned clearing to wallow in his thoughts and to look at the faint silhouette of the Avatar approaching the horizon. He grew furious and as he bundled his hands into stiff fists, trails of smoke escaped from his grip.

"You can't run forever, Avatar. We will meet again."

As they flew over the Northern Earth Kingdom, Aang never once looked back at the Fire Nation colony or the tent-covered clearing that was obscured by the treeline. He had done enough looking back already; he had a job to do and with Jeong Jeong's selfless sacrifice, he was more determined than ever.

His job was the same as ever: travel to the North Water Tribe and find a master to teach him waterbending. His drive to complete the mission had grown after recognising Jeong Jeong's decision to protect Aang from Zhao. Another face he had let down, all in the pursuit of undertaking Avatar training he should have completed 100 years ago. He'd already spent a century ignoring the war; now, he wanted more than ever to make up for his mistakes and fix the world.

He noticed though, that not once in the past two days with Jeong Jeong had he even remembered that Katara's necklace. His hand crept up gingerly to his shoulder, where the necklace still sat. He untied it, feeling a faint rush of blood flood his right arm. Unbeknownst to him until then, the necklace had been ever-so-slightly cutting off Aang's circulation. After hesitating, he retied the necklace around his own neck, where it sat hidden by the collar of his airbending attire.

Onwards they flew until they reached a small beach facing the Northern sea and they rested the night on a large cliff edge overlooking it. Aang sat against Appa with Momo perched on his shoulder, and cast his eyes out to the tenacious waters in front of him. Waves bashed the rocky precipice, the churning and crashing of the tides cutting through the peaceful silence of the evening. The ocean reflected the warm hues of the western sunset, its colour painting the skies and reflecting off of the restless ocean. And despite the peacefulness of it, the beauty of it, Aang was still sad and confused.

Jeong Jeong must be wrong, he thought, looking out to his left at the falling sun. Fire can't be as awful as he makes it out to be; after all, how could something so bad ever make something so beautiful?

His hand crept back up to the necklace. I wish you could see this, Katara. It's the most beautiful sight in the world. He reconsidered after thinking about the Southern waterbender and those vivid sapphire eyes. Well, almost. I miss you and Sokka so much it hurts.

He cast his gaze further north to his destination: the North Pole. He hadn't actually thought much about it. He was completely assuming that everything would be made right there, but now uncertainty began to cloud his mind. What if it had been destroyed, like the Southern tribe? What if he couldn't find a teacher? What if he wouldn't even be allowed in, after abandoning them for 100 years in his leave?

"We'll figure it all out when we get there, right Appa?" he said uncertainly, receiving a grunt of response from the sleepy bison. "For now, let's get s good sleep. We don't know when the next time we'll get to sleep will be. Next stop: the North Pole." He yawned and curled up into Appa's fur, Momo jumping from his shoulder into his lap and falling asleep instantly.

His eyes were struggling to stay open, and his fingers were slipping from the smooth necklace. He mumbled dreamily, "Katara, Sokka, I'm going to make you proud. I'm going to make this up to you" before finally closing his stormy eyes. Within moments he was fast asleep, preparing himself from the uncertainties of the Northern Water Tribe.

Notes

ImaginedElegance: thanks for the review! You make a good point about Zhao always knowing where Jeong Jeong was, I meant to explain that in the end dialogue between the two but I must've forgotten. What I had imagined was that Zhao had always known where Jeong Jeong was and that there were attempts to capture him, but they all failed, hence the high security at the compound and Jeong Jeong's stubbornness making him unwilling to move. Zhao never went in person to any of these attempts as he would've believed it below himself and he left him alone for a while after attempts of capture were unsuccessful. I need to start looking at my notes a bit more closely when writing to make sure I stick to ideas that make sense and so that everything is explained.