Disclaimer: All rights belong to Nickelodeon, Bryan Konietzko, Michael Dante DiMartino, and all the men and women that created the A:TLA show, books, and comics. I take no credit, and I do not mean to break any copyright rules. This is simply a work of fiction made for enjoyment. No money is being made. The lyrics are from the song "Shake it Out" by Florence and the Machine
Rating: General Audiences. Warning: some scenes contain dark themes and minor violence
Chapter 1: Unlikely Alliances
And it's hard to dance with the devil on your back
So shake him off
"Are we almost there yet?" Sokka groans and flops on his back in the saddle. Toph flicks a pebble at him, which he half-heartedly defends himself from. From his perch on Appa's neck, Aang turns around.
"We've just crossed into the Fire Nation," Aang announces. "We should be there in a few days."
"A few days?" Sokka sits up suddenly. "Is there any way to go faster?"
Katara, sitting in the very back, understands his impatience. They both have people they're eager to see again. And everyone here is eager to get this done with and fly back into safer lands. Right now they're traveling right into the heart of enemy territory.
"Appa's going as fast as he can," Aang says defensively. "But he's really tired and we're almost out of supplies."
"And we're almost there!"
"We need to set down," Katara says quietly but firmly. "Aang's right. Appa needs to rest, we need to restock on supplies, and we need to make a plan. We're flying in blind."
"Who knows how long Suki's already been in prison for!" Sokka exclaims. "We need to get her out as soon as possible."
"Zuko's been in longer," Katara snaps. Then she takes a deep breath. "I'm just being practical. If you were thinking with your head instead of your heart, you would agree with me."
"I, for one, am voting we set down," Toph says. "We've been flying for days on end. I don't even remember what the ground feels like."
Sokka is uncharacteristically silent. Katara knows he's not happy with their decision. She'll talk to him later about it. For now, they need to find out where they're landing.
"Let's land outside a small city," she tells Aang. "We can blend in some, but hopefully there aren't too many soldiers looking for us."
He nods and turns back to the reins. They ride together for an hour in silence. Katara reflects on the crazy last two weeks they've had.
Ba Sing Se had turned out to be a huge bust, even before Azula and her friends had taken over. The government - or rather, the Dai Li - had been brainwashing everyone into ignorance and compliance, the king was totally unaware of literally everything, and they had been babysat and handled by their guide. Other than the possibility of the eclipse, they'd learned nothing about how to defeat the Fire Nation, and other than Katara advancing her earthbending, the whole trip had been a waste of time.
Then, of course, came Azula. Somehow she'd kidnapped Suki and the Kyoshi Warriors, disguised herself as them, snuck into the palace, got control of the Dai Li, and began a military coup. They'd barely escaped with the Earth King and his pet bear in tow.
They'd dropped them off as soon as they could at a smaller Earth Kingdom city. Then they'd plotted out their course and started off towards the Fire Nation as quickly as possible. They'd been pressing on at full speed for the past week without thinking their plans through. But now that they're only mere days from reaching their goal, they have to take a break and make a plan.
Aang spots a cave not far from a little city and Appa lands, harder than usual due to his exhaustion. They all climb off the flying bison and stretch. Toph lays on the ground and feels the grass and dirt with her hands, sighing in relief.
"First thing we need to do is find clothing so we can fit in," Katara says. "Azula must know we're headed for Boiling Rock, especially since she took Suki. The soldiers and people will be on guard for us."
"We don't have much money left," Aang says. "We can't afford clothes and supplies."
Katara sighs. "Then we'll have to steal."
"Katara, are you sure?" Sokka asks, breaking his moody silence. "We don't do that. It's not us."
She throws her hands up in the air. "What do you want me to do? We're out of money, our friends are in prison, we're in enemy territory, and the last sign of hope for most of the world just got invaded and we weren't able to stop it! We don't have many choices here!"
They all stare at her. She feels instantly bad. She hardly ever yells at them. She just feels so stretched thin right now. She's ashamed for failing to save Ba Sing Se, she feels foolish for letting Azula sneak in right under her nose, she feels guilty for losing Suki, and she's frustrated because although they're heading towards Zuko (finally!), there's a good chance they'll get captured before they even see him, let alone rescue him.
She knows she's not the only one overwhelmed. Aang hasn't shaved his head since they've been in Ba Sing Se, and now a layer of dark brown hair has started to grow, covering up his blue arrow except for the tip on his forehead. Sokka has been quieter and less sarcastic, so the mood has been darker. And Toph hates flying, so she's been a real joy the last week.
"Katara's right," Aang finally says. "We don't have a choice. I don't like it more than any of you, but one pair of clothes from a Fire Nation family won't hurt them. They've been sheltered from the war."
"I'm with Twinkle Toes on that," Toph agrees.
"Let's take a look at this cave first," Katara suggests, breaking the tension. "We need to make sure it's empty."
"Wouldn't want any nasty surprises chasing us out in the middle of the night," Sokka mutters.
They walk into the hole, which is actually quite spacious. Appa fits through easily height-wise, and the opening is long enough for a dozen Appas to walk in side by side.
"Looks pretty empty to me," Aang says after they've walked around a bit.
"Just some cave hoppers, in case we completely run out of money." Toph stamps the ground and a small rock pile bursts apart, revealing a cluster of small white insects. Momo springs forward and grabs one, stuffing it in his mouth.
Katara feels her stomach rumble. "Let's head into town," she suggests.
"We'll be back soon, Appa," Aang says, patting the bison. "Momo will keep you company."
Momo is hopping around, too preoccupied by his hunt of the cave hoppers to notice them leaving.
They find a hut with rows of clothes hanging outside on the edge of the city. Katara doesn't feel a tiny bit of remorse as she spies some cute looking articles that seem about her size. Despite Aang's earlier agreement, he seems to hesitate now.
Katara doesn't give him time to say anything. She leaps over the rock formation, grabs the items she saw, and sprints back. The others go after, grabbing as quickly as they can. Katara is already dressed when they return. She quite likes the long red skirt, matching red one-shoulder top that leaves a small band of midriff showing, and the gold bracelets on her upper arm. She also lets her hair down from its normal braid or bun, letting it flow freely down her back in gentle waves. She does, however, tie up the front part back and out of her face.
Aang returns and dresses in a suit with a red headband to disguise the arrow tip on his forehead. Sokka and Toph are wearing normal everyday attire.
"How do I look?" Katara asks, twirling slightly. She knows it's a bit vain, but deep down she's still a girl who likes to look nice. Besides, being in Fire Nation clothes reminds her of her time with Zuko on the ship - this outfit is similar to the one he'd picked up for her at one of the first ports they'd stopped at. The memory fills her mind, and she remembers not just the small act of kindness, but also the short trip they'd taken into the town - the first time they'd done something together.
Aang turns red. He reaches a hand up to scratch at his short hair. "Uhh...your mom's necklace," he says.
Her smiles falters. "Oh." She reaches up to touch the carved pendant, then slowly removes it. "I guess it's pretty obviously Water Tribe, isn't it?" She holds it in her palm for a minute, then slides it into a hidden pocket of her skirt. She can't bear to let it out of her reach, even if she can't wear it proudly.
The others don't seem to notice the tension. Sokka is fixing his hair and Toph is removing the soles from her shoes so that she can still be connected to the earth. Katara takes a deep breath and then nods to Aang.
"Let's go. I'm hungry."
Sokka leads them excitedly to a vendor. Aang's face visibly falls as he sees the options.
"Oh. We're at a meat place," he says, trying and failing to keep a neutral voice.
"C'mon!" Sokka exclaims. "Everyone here eats meat! Even the meat eats meat!"
Aang turns pale. "You guys go ahead," he says. "I'll just get some lettuce from the garbage."
As the others walk in, Aang walks back into the city. As he nods in greeting to everyone, he gets some weird looks. After a minute ,a group of big men approach him.
"We've caught you now," one of them says. Aang's eyes go wide.
"Ah…"
"It couldn't be more obvious that you don't belong here." One of the men grabs his shoulder.
"Uh...I don't?" He panics, worrying that his headband had slipped and his arrow is visible.
"Next time you're going to play hooky, don't wear your school uniform!" The man holding his shoulder starts dragging him somewhere, probably to the school. Aang feels immensely relieved. He thought he blew it for Katara and the others.
He doesn't even think of how worried they'll be when they finish eating and discover that he's nowhere in sight. All he can think of is what school in the Fire Nation is like and if he'll make any friends.
The man escorts him to a building and throws him into a room. Aang stumbles to catch his footing and then takes a look around. Rows of students on floor level desks are sitting straight and still, all of them wearing identical suits to his - and all of them watching him.
A stern looking teacher with a stick in her hand narrows her eyes at him. "Oh," she says. "Is this a new mind, ready for molding?"
"That's right!" Aang says enthusiastically. "Let the molding begin!"
The teacher's eyes widen. "Wait a minute!" she exclaims. "You're not from the Fire Nation!"
He freezes. She walks slowly towards him and then around, like a cat lion circling her prey.
"Clearly you're from the colonies," she concludes. Aang feels a wave of relief hit him.
"Yeah!" he exclaims. "Of course. The Fire Nation colonies in the Earth Kingdom."
"Your etiquette is terrible," she criticizes, but not too harshly. "In the homeland we bow to our elders. Like so." She moves in front of him and demonstrates a bow, one hand straight up and the other balled into a fist pressed against it.
"Sorry, ma'am." Aang copies her gesture.
"Very well." She stares at him. "What is your name? Or should we just call you 'mannerless colony slob'?"
He laughs. "Just 'slob' is fine." Then he realizes she wasn't joking. He straightens up and faces the class. "Or...Kuzon."
He takes an empty desk in the back and tries his best to pay attention to the lesson. At one point he gets bored and starts doodling on his parchment paper. By the time he realizes what he's drawing, it's already done - a sketch of Katara in her new clothes from this morning. He thought she looked absolutely beautiful. Although she's Water Tribe through and through - and he wouldn't have it any other way - the Fire Nation clothes do much more for her figure than Water Tribe robes or even Earth Kingdom dresses.
When the gong finally rings, Aang follows the others outside. He breathes a sigh of relief. "I made it through the day," he whispers to himself.
"Don't let the headmaster catch you sketching in the lesson again," a voice says behind him. Aang turns quickly.
"What sketch?" he asks, shoving the paper into his pocket.
The girl laughs. "Don't worry. I'm not a tattletale." A slight pause. "I'm Onji. I like your headband, by the way."
Before Aang can respond, a taller boy walks up and slings his arm casually around her shoulders. "Onji, you don't have to babysit the new kid," he says.
"Wow," Aang says, making the respectful bow. "You must be one of the popular kids I've been hearing about."
"That's right. Now listen, friend, I know you're from the colonies, so I'll say this slowly -" He leans in close to Aang's face. "Onji. Is. My. Girlfriend." He pokes Aang's chest condescendingly. "Don't forget it."
The two turn around and walk away, Onji rolling her eyes at her boyfriend. Aang waves as they leave.
"I don't believe it," another boy says, coming up next to Aang. "He didn't beat you up. Not even a little."
Aang smiles. "Well, I guess I'm just lucky."
"We're on our way to play hide and explode. You wanna come?"
Aang can't believe how great this is. He's getting invited to play with the others! "I'd love to!" He can't wait to tell Katara.
Wait. Katara. She has no idea where he is. She's probably scouring the city, worried sick. Aang is disappointed that he has to reject the offer from this kid, but the thought of Katara worrying herself sick over him warms him up inside.
"I just forgot," he says. "My family has something to do today. I've got to go back home."
The kid looks sad. "Too bad. Well, I'll see you tomorrow!"
Aang waves as the kid runs off. He wonders if he'll ever see that boy again. He's never had the chance to go to school before. The monks have special lessons for young Airbenders, but he left those when he joined Katara and the gang. Although those were very different than this school here, he still enjoyed it a lot. It's something normal kids do - go to school, make friends, get threatened by the cool kids, maybe even beat up, but making good, fun memories all the same.
Aang finds the others at the cave at sunset. They already have a fire going. When he steps in, Katara stands up.
"Where have you been? We've been worried sick!"
He can't hide the smile that creeps up on his face. "I had to go to school," he answers. "Turns out I'm wearing a school uniform. The men in the village thought I was playing hooky so I had to go to class."
"You went to what?" Sokka exclaims, springing up.
"A Fire Nation school." Aang takes a seat by the fire. "And I want to go back tomorrow."
Sokka shakily takes a seat and crosses his arms. "Aang, I'm trying to be mature and not immediately shoot down your idea...but it sounds really terrible."
"Yeah, we got our outfits. What do you need to go to school for?" Toph asks.
"Every minute I'm in that classroom, I'm learning new things about the Fire Nation." He reaches into the bag at his side. "I already have a picture of Fire Lord Ozai."
Katara reaches out and takes the picture, her face turning pale as she stares at it. He ignores it and pulls out the next item. 'And here's one I made myself out of noodles!"
Sokka squints at it for a moment. "Impressive, I admit," he says. "But I still think it's too dangerous. And we really should be heading towards Boiling Rock again."
If Lord Ozai made out of noodles isn't enough to convince Sokka, then Aang's going to have to pull out the big guns, so to speak.
"I guess I can't learn about the secret river, then," Aang sighs. "The one that leads straight to the Fire Lord's palace. We were supposed to learn about it in class tomorrow…"
He chances a look over at Sokka, who is leaning forward and trying very hard not to twitch.
"I am a fan of secret rivers," Sokka admits. "Fine. We can stay a few more days. But as soon as I have a solid plan to break into Boiling Rock, we're leaving."
Aang springs up. "Flame-o, hotman!" he exclaims.
"Look like he's learning more than just secret rivers in school," Toph remarks, leaning back.
"Did you hear? New shipment of prisoners today coming in from Ba Sing Se."
Zuko looks over at Kodakah in shock. "Ba Sing Se? Does that mean - "
The other man nods. "Yes. Ba Sing Se has fallen."
Zuko stares at the ground. He's not sure how to feel about it. Ba Sing Se has always been the unconquerable, indestructible city, the one safe haven from the Fire Nation. All the best generals - including Iroh - have tried and failed to defeat it.
"How much do you want to bet it was my sister?" he mutters.
Kodakah shrugs. "It doesn't matter who it was or how it was done. What's important is that we recruit the new prisoners to our cause. If we have enough, we can - "
"What?" Zuko laughs bitterly. "Break out? You were the one who told me that it was impossible."
For the last few weeks they'd been plotting and planning, keeping track of every entrance and exit, every guard change and time, the number of guards and prisoners, the amount of time it takes for the gate to open and close, when the food and supply shipments come in and from where - but it doesn't matter. They'd reached a dead end. Two men are simply not enough to break out of Boiling Rock.
"We can't break out alone, but if someone comes from the outside, we need to be prepared here on the inside." Kodakah glances around and lowers his voice. "Zuko, you know the Fire Nation and the palace better than anyone. If someone is to escape, it has to be you. You need to bring an end to this war."
"That's the Avatar's job. I've done mine."
"You're assuming the Avatar has escaped your sister. If Ba Sing Se has fallen, then I'm not optimistic that she's free."
Zuko shakes his head. "Ba Sing Se falling has no correlation with the Avatar. Even if she was there, everyone knows that sometimes you have to lose a battle to win the war. Maybe she escaped while the Fire Nation was concentrated on the city."
Kodakah strokes his beard. "Perhaps," he muses. "Either way, it doesn't matter. We need to meet these new prisoners and find someone we can trust. And then we need to break you out so you can find the Avatar and end the war."
Zuko stares at the other man. "You have a lot of faith in me," he says quietly. "I don't deserve it."
The man shrugs. "That's not for me to decide. You are the only remaining heir to the Fire Nation throne that will work to bring peace. I have to trust you. And if the Avatar thinks you're worth saving, then I have to trust her."
They fall silent. Zuko thinks of Katara. He wonders where she's at right now and if she's thinking of him. He thinks of her a lot. There isn't much for him to think of here. It's the same boring monotony every day, only a few occasion prisoner scuffles to provide excitement - and even those are more sad and discouraging than entertaining.
He thinks about their few good moments a lot. He remembers when she forced him to go surfing with her. When they laid on the deck of the ship and watched the fireworks from Whale Tail Island together. When they sat close an listened to the horrendous music night on his ship together - and later, when they climbed up as high as they could to watch the stars. When she kissed him. All the times she took his hand or hugged him. After she saved the ship from the kraken and collapsed in his arms.
When she forgave him even after he committed an unforgivable crime.
He suddenly has an overwhelming desire to burn this whole place down just to hold her in his arms one more time.
Kodakah taps his arm, pulling him out of his thoughts. "Here they come," he says.
The gates open up and a line of fresh prisoners walk through. Zuko and Kodakah push closer, getting a good look. Most of the prisoners are Earthbenders and a few important looking generals or politicians. In between the ranks of men, Zuko catches sight of a young woman.
And not just any woman.
"I know her," he says.
"The girl?"
"She helped the Avatar escape the Fire Nation."
That's all Kodakah needs to hear. "Get her attention. But be subtle. If she's an ally of the Avatar, we can trust her to help us."
They split up. Zuko walks around the courtyard, trying to be casual. He slowly makes his way towards her. She's standing with her back to a wall, her quick eyes scanning the area. She's no ordinary girl, although no one here in Boiling Rock is an ordinary prisoner. Zuko wonders what she did to end up here. Helping the Avatar escape, perhaps?
She holds her hands out defensively when he gets close to her.
"Stay back," she warns. "I'm not afraid to take you down."
He can tell by her footwork and her hand positioning that she's a trained warrior. Good.
"I'd be offended that you don't remember me, but I'm sure you've got a lot on your mind." He pulls back his now-shaggy hair from his face, and he sees recognition light up in her eyes.
"You're the prince," she says, stunned.
"Yeah. And I'd prefer if you spoke a little quieter. I'm not very popular around here, as you can imagine."
She nods and lowers her voice. "What are you doing here?"
"You don't remember me staying back to fight off my sister so you and the Avatar could escape?"
She nods again. "Sorry. It's been a long few months. And we had a rough journey here."
He nods slightly. "I'm sure. We need to talk."
She raises an eyebrow. "About what?"
"About the Avatar and escaping."
She observes him closely for a moment before bowing slightly. "I'm Suki. Leader of the Kyoshi Warriors."
He can't help but smirk. How perfect is it that the leader of the most powerful warriors in the Earth Kingdom ended up here? Maybe escape isn't so far fetched after all.
"First thing," he says. "Have you seen Katara recently?"
Suki nods. "We were with her in Ba Sing Se about a week ago. Then Azula captured my warriors and I. She caught us unaware. We thought we were safe inside the city walls, but somehow she managed to sneak in. She stole our identities, probably to get an audience with the Earth King. But as far as I know, Katara and the others are free."
Zuko exhales a deep sigh of relief. That's one less burden on his shoulders. "Is she okay? Katara?"
Suki's eyes soften. "Yeah. She's doing great."
He swallows hard. "Good," he finally manages to spit out. Then he changes the subject before he's tempted to ask more. "Let's get out of here."
Aang is very excited for his first music class. He's given a large instrument that wraps around his whole body. All he has to do is blow into it and move his fingers. Shouldn't be too hard, right?
The conductor raises his stick. The others begin to play. Aang catches his cue and blows as hard as he can into the instrument. After a moment all the others stop.
"I know," he says, his face turning red. "I'm a horrible tsungi hornist."
"No, child," the teacher says. "It's just that horrible hallabullo going on with your feet. Is that a nervous disorder?"
Nervous disorder? Aang shakes his head. "I was just dancing. You guys do dancing here in the homeland, right?"
The kid sitting next to him looks at him with wide eyes. "Not really, no," he says.
"Dancing is not conducive to a proper learning environment," the teacher lectures. "Young people must have rigid discipline and order."
"But what about expressing yourself?"
"I know that sometimes we're so moved by our love for our nation that we can't control our own bodies. If you must, you can march in place quietly next time the urge hits you."
Aang begins to understand a lot more about the Fire Nation. No wonder the soldiers seem to all look the same and march in perfect lines. No wonder they move as one - they're taught to act and behave that way from very young ages. They aren't taught to express themselves and be creative. It's completely opposite from how Aang was raised and taught.
He feels sad as they continue to play, his feet marching in beat quietly. His excitement for the music lesson has disappeared, and he can't wait until the gong sounds and they're set free for the day.
Everyone is looking at him and whispering when he walks out into the courtyard. He tries his best to ignore them. But he can't ignore the one person who walks right up to him.
"Oh, hi, Kuzon," Onji says. "I really liked that crazy dance you were doing."
Aang beams. At least one of them isn't being completely brainwashed. "Thanks, Onji. I could show it to you again if you'd like."
Suddenly a fireball hits right where he was standing if he hadn't quickly moved to the side at the last second. Still, a cry leaves his lips.
"What'd you say, colony trash?" Onji's boyfriend asks. "You were going to show her something?"
Aang isn't perturbed once his heart slows down from the fire scare. He's faced more dangerous opponents than an overly jealous boyfriend. "Just some dance movements," he explains.
"Nobody shows my Onji anything. Especially movements!" He lunges at Aang, who moves slightly to the side. The boy looks like a fool as he grabs as empty air and stumbles forward.
He tries again and again to hit Aang, but each time Aang ducks under, around, or to the side. It's effortless for him, but it frustrates the Fire Nation boy. Finally he tries with too much momentum and ends up sprawling on the ground.
He gets up, wipes his nose, and glares at Aang. "You better watch yourself," he warns him. "One more strike and they'll send you to reform school - that's a nice word for the coal mines."
Aang gulps and nods. He didn't want to start a fight, but no one else will see it that way.
When he gets back to the cave, he recounts the story to the others.
"It's too dangerous," Sokka says. "End of discussion. And anyway, I've got a pretty solid plan for Boiling Rock, so we're heading out early tomorrow."
"No!" Aang protests. "Just one more day. These kids are the future of the Fire Nation. If we want to change this place for the better, we need to show them a little taste of freedom."
"What could you possibly do for a country of depraved little fire monsters?"
Aang grins. "I'm going to throw them a secret dance party!"
The others stare at him in shock. Except Toph, who doesn't stare, but still looks shocked in his general direction.
Toph earthbends a platform with three smaller platforms up one one side of the cave. Sokka and Katara set up candles to provide light. Aang stands in the middle, supervising and looking - and feeling - pleased.
"I still can't believe we're having a dance party," Sokka complains. "It seems so...silly."
"Don't think of it as a dance party, but of a cultural event celebrating fancy footwork." Aang does a little dance in place. Honestly, he's just really excited to do something fun and lighthearted. The entire Ba Sing Se business had left everyone depressed and low in spirit.
"They're coming!" Toph suddenly exclaims. "Everybody, stop bending!"
Aang leads Appa out back, apologizing as they walk. Then he returns, a huge smile on his face. The others don't look too excited, but he's sure they'll loosen up.
A group of the more musical students had brought their instruments with them, and they take places on the platforms Toph had made and begin playing upbeat Fire Nation folk music. Aang thinks it's perfect for dancing. He jumps into the middle of the dance floor and spreads his arms.
"Ladies and Gentlemen! Flameos!" He crosses his arms and nods to himself. "Yeah. This'll get everybody moving."
But everybody just stands in straight lines, watching with a mixture of confused and scared looks. He hears a few comments about unapproving parents or authorities or simply not knowing how to.
"Listen guys," Aang says. "Dancing isn't something you think about. Dancing is a form of self expression that no one can ever take away from you."
The guy who had invited him to play the other day steps forward. "Maybe it was different in the colonies, Kuzon," he says, "but we don't do that here."
"Sure you do!" Aang aruges. "You have for generations. It just so happens that I know several classic Fire Nation dances."
One of his favorite classes with the monks was culture. They learned music, dance, food, and customs from all the four nations stretching back hundreds of years. Music and dance had always been favorites of his (along with food as a close second).
He begins demonstrating a dance move where he's crouched low to the ground, moves in circles, and has his hands pointed back. "This was called phoenix flight."
A quiet chorus of "oohs" go up from those watching.
"And this," he says, jumping back and forth with specific leg and arm positions, is called the chameleon strut."
He lands with a flip in the air and on one leg. The others begin to applaud. He demonstrates a few more. His classmates are beginning to feel more comfortable. The atmosphere changes. Aang takes a quick glance back at his gang. Katara and Toph are watching him. He goes up to Onji, who has also been watching closely, and takes her hand, pulling her out onto the middle with him. She blushes.
"And this is how they do it in the ballrooms of Ba Sing Se." He begins demonstrating a simple move that Onji copies next to him.
A few more brave souls venture out. Aang grins. "Yeah! That's the sound of happy feet!"
"Alright!" More and more join in. Aang decides to mix it up. "Go freestyle!"
Slowly, but with increasing confidence, the others begin to mix up it, adding their own unique moves. Smiles and laughs break out across the room. Aang feels a burst of happiness inside of him. He also gets swept up in the wave of confidence and goes over to Katara, who's now sitting alone and looking a bit sad, and offers his hand.
She stares at it for a minute. "I don't know, Aang," she says. "These shoes aren't really right for dancing, and I'm not sure I know how to - "
"Take my hand," he encourages.
"Okay," she caves with a small smile. He drags her out to the dance floor, elated by her agreement.
He leans up in her ear and whispers, "We're going to do what we do when we bend, but together. Airbending and Waterbending aren't too different, so it will work."
She nods, showing her trust in him. He can't help but feel incredibly proud. Then he puts his hands up and she copies him, and they move in a slow circle. Then they spin like a whip and regain the position.
"Aang," Katara says after a moment. "Everyone's watching." She looks nervous.
"Don't worry about them," he says. "It's just you and me right now."
He moves slowly enough that she can follow his lead, but not so slow that it doesn't look uncoordinated. He's watched her enough times to know how her waterbending movements go, so he incorporates those into the dance. She begins to lead a bit herself, raising her leg in a slow kick that he ducks gracefully under. It's almost more of an elegant combat than a dance - but after months of fighting the Fire Nation, combat is what they're good at.
He can tell that she's becoming more comfortable, even with everyone watching them. A small smile stays on her face. At one point they lean in, their faces only a breath apart, and she doesn't flinch. Aang's stomach flips.
They end the dance with Katara spirling into him and he dipping her. They're both sweating as he holds her steady, but they're also both smiling. Aang can barely keep his racing heart in check. If not for everyone around him, he'd lean in for a kiss.
Instead he lets her up slowly, not even paying attention to all the applause around them. She goes to get a drink and he mingles around with his classmates, who have returned to dancing themselves.
After an hour, Aang notices a change in the mood. Some of the kids near the cave entrance stop dancing. Soon even the musicians halt. Aang sees the headmaster standing at the entrance to the cave, a small group of guards around him. He points to Aang.
"That's the boy who's responsible! The one with the headband!"
"Uh-oh," Aang mutters. He ducks back into the throng, disappearing behind his classmates. It's time to disappear.
His classmates cover for him, pulling out identical headbands and putting them on before surrounding the authorities. Aang bows in respect before following the others out the back, where Appa is waiting. Toph earthbends the back exit shut and they're gone.
Aang can only hope his new friends won't soon forget what they've experienced tonight.
"I think you really did help those kids," Toph says as she clutches the side of the saddle tightly. Despite her aversion to flying, she has a smile on her face. "You taught them to be free."
Aang scratches the back of his head, feeling a bit awkward. "I don't know," he says. "It was just a dance party, that's all."
"Well," pipes in Katara, "that was some dance party, Aang." She leans in and kisses his cheek. He hopes no one can see how red he's turning.
They try to get a little sleep. Aang finds that he can't sleep after all the action and excitement. Every time he glances over at Katara, who is now sleeping peacefully, he feels a burst of flutters in his stomach.
What if things really changed tonight? He's been hoping for so long that she might consider him, and he thinks that just maybe she does now. He reaches up his hand and touches where she kissed him. His skin is still tingling.
Whatever happens tomorrow or the day after, today was a good day. A really good one. Aang finally falls asleep, a pleased smile on his face.