We are all on Appa's saddle, who is slogging his way down the course of the sludge-infested river which is named Jang Hui. Aang and Momo are frolicking in the putrescent water.

"I don't think it's safe to be swimming in that water." I said

"Momo. Oh Momo! Hahahahaha. You found me, buddy." Aang said

Aang looks down at the water in distaste and airbends up to Appa's saddle, where he stands dripping in sludge.

"Hey guys, I think this river's polluted." Aang said

Aang airbends mud off himself, splattering the rest of Team Avatar minus myself with mud, which causes them to cry out in disgust.

Toph tastes the mud on her mouth, and spits.

"Pah! Plegh!" Toph said

Aang airbends again, blowing the rest of the mud back into the river and messing up their hair minus mine. Because I'm perfect, and very emotional all of sudden.

"Well that explains why I can't catch a fish around here, because normally my fishing skills are off the hook. (holds up fishing hook) Get it? Like a fishing hook?" Sokka asked

"Too bad your skills aren't on the hook." Toph said

We all laughed at Toph's joke, while Sokka makes a disgruntled face.

"It looks like we'll need to go somewhere else to get food, assuming that'll fit into Sokka's master schedule." Katara said

"Hmm…it's doable. But that means only two potty breaks today." Sokka said

"Hey, maybe we can get food there." Aang said

"Food does sound good." I said

"Be careful Kida you sound like Sokka." Toph said

I just looked at her, but I knew she couldn't see but all the same she smirked at me. We find a place to leave Appa. Aang hides Appa under a mat of grass.

"Now you look just like a little hill with horns. Bye, Buddy." Aang said

Appa groans as Momo briefly reveals himself under some more grass nearby. We walk down a small hill towards the river.

"I don't feel anything. Where is the village?" Toph asked

"It's in the middle of the river." Sokka said

He points towards the village which is in the middle of the river.

"Sokka why are you pointing at it. It's not like she can see it." I said

As we walk down farther we see a man standing on a ferry.

"Sure is! My name's Dock. Mind if I ask who you are?" Dock asked

"We're um…from the Earth Kingdom colonies." Katara said

"Wow…Colonials. Hop on, I'll give you a ride into town." Dock said

We climb into the boat and start to head towards the village. Soon we make to the village and climb off.

"Thanks for the ride." Aang said

Aang waves his hand to Dock, who waves back. I look around at the poor village. I see three people sitting on a porch.

"Look at this place." I said

There are two other villagers, an old man and a young boy.

"It's so sad. We have to do something to help." Katara said

"No, we can't waste our time here. We have a bigger mission that we need to stay focused on. These people are on their own." Sokka said

"These people are starving. But you'd turn your back on them? How can you be so cold and heartless?" Katara asked

"I'm not turning my back, I'm just being realistic. We can't go around helping every rinky-dink town we wander into. We'll be helping them all but taking out the Fire Lord." Sokka said

"Wow Sokka can you be any louder." I said

"Once again Kida is right. Maybe we should be a little quieter when we talk about 'taking out the Fire Lord'" Toph said

"Come on, Katara, be reasonable about this. You know our mission has to come first." Sokka said

"I guess so." Katara said annoyed

"Let's just get what we need and go." Aang said

We see an outdoor market stall, and walk to it. We see a man who looks exactly like Dock, but wearing a different hat, bowed behind the counter.

"Hey, Dock. You work here too?" Sokka asked

"I'm not Dock. I'm Xu! Dock's my brother." Xu said

We all kind of looked confused.

"But we just saw you. You're even wearing the same clothes. The only difference is your hat." Aang said

"Dock works on the docks. That's why we call him, 'Dock'. And I work in the shop, that's why they call me, 'Xu'!" Xu said

"I don't get it." Aang said

"Me neither." Xu said

Xu then jumps down behind the counter and pulls out a crate filled with rancid gray seafood.

"What I can getcha?" Xu asked

We all look disgustedly at the seafood.

"Hey, I'll give you a special deal. If you buy three fish, I'll give you a clam for free." Xu said

Sokka pushes a clam, and mucus splashes out from it. I put my hand on my stomach.

"I'm not eating that." I said

Sokka picks up three fish.

"We'll just take the fish. Mind telling your brother we need a ride back to shore?" Sokka asked

Xu jumps down behind the counter and jumps up wearing Dock's hat.

"Hey, colonials! My brother says you need a lift." Dock said

We follow Dock to the dock, a little boy stops Katara and I.

"Can you spare some food?" he asked

"I wish I could help more." Katara said

Katara gives the boy a fish, and the boy bows to her and leaves to give the fish to his sick mother. Katara and I both look at each other. We get on the boat with the others and head back over to where we hide Appa. We fill a bucket full of water, Aang lifts the water with waterbending and Toph separates the pollutants from the water with earthbending. Aang passes the water to Katara, who boils it in a crock.

"Our detour into town today has completely thrown off our schedule. It's gonna take some serious finagling to get us back on track." Sokka said

"Finagle away, oh schedule master." Toph said

I looked over at Toph.

"Maybe I should just catch the schedule on fire." I said

"Do it. Do it." Toph said

"Don't even think about it." Sokka said

I flicked my fingers and the schedule froze. Sokka picked up the schedule, then looked at me.

"What I didn't burn." I said

"Unfreeze it." Sokka said

"I don't think I know how to." I said

"Yes you do. Unfreeze it." Sokka said

"Don't do it." Toph said

"Do it."

"Don't"

"Do"

"Don't."

"Now Kida." Sokka said

I looked over at Aang and Katara.

"What do you two think?" I asked

"You should undo it, we don't want him to go off again." Katara said

I walked over and unfroze it.

"Now that I can do stuff with the schedule. It looks like we'll need to wake up forty-three minutes earlier every day." Sokka said

"Forty-three minutes?" Katara asked

Sokka points at different parts of the schedule.

"Look, we only have a few weeks to get to the Fire Lord in time for the invasion and the eclipse, which, by the way, only lasts for eight minutes. And we just lost a whole day. So if we want to make up the time and stay on schedule, we have to wake up early." Sokka said

"Well I'm not waking up early." Toph said

"Or we could just cut out all of our eating breaks." Sokka asked

"Sokka we need to eat to live." I said

"What?" Aang asked

"No way." Katara said

"Forget it." Toph said

Sokka then gets this sly looks on his face.

"I got it, how's this from now on, we'll take food breaks and potty breaks at the same time." Sokka said

We all express our disgust at this idea, Aang spits out the water he was drinking.

"Hey, it might be gross, but it's efficient. Either way, we have to leave here first thing tomorrow morning." Sokka said

I look over at Katara to see she has a distraught look on her face. I know that Katara is going to do something so we have to stay.

Time Skip Following Morning…

I was right. I was woken up by Aang who was talking to Katara. I roll over to see Appa laying on his side groaning.

"What's the matter Katara?" Aang asked

"I think Appa's sick." Katara said

"What? Appa's sick? That's awful." Sokka said

"Wow, Sokka, I didn't realize you cared so much." Toph said

"Of course I care. I might as well just throw our schedule away now." Sokka said

He pulls out his schedule. He stops and looks at the group. We all give him the evil eye, and he quickly changes. He runs to Appa's side.

"And I'm concerned because my big, furry friend doesn't feel well." Sokka said

"He must have gotten sick from being in the polluted water." Toph said

"He doesn't look sick." I said

"Kida's right. You okay, buddy?" Aang asked

Appa groans and Aang pulls out Appa's purple tongue.

"His tongue is purple! That can't be good. Katara, can you heal him?" Aang asked

"It looks like he needs some medicine. Maybe we can find the right herbs in town." Katara said

Momo walks up to Appa and attempts to lick Appa's tongue before I pull him away.

When we arrive in the village it is busting and lively very much unlike yesterday. One villager pole vaults from one house to another.

"Is it just me, or does this place seem different?" Toph asked

"It is different." I said

"Yeah, are the people…happier?" Aang asked

The little boy that had asked Katara and I for fish runs by bouncing a ball, I see Katara smile to herself. The kid walks up to Xu/Dock's market. As do we.

"Hey, Xu, what's going on with everybody today?" Sokka asked

"Ah, something amazing happened last night. Food was delivered to our village by a mysterious and wonderful person… the Painted Lady." Xu said

"The Painted who now?" Katara asked

"The Painted Lady." Xu said

Xu places a miniature statuette of the spirit down on the counter.

"She's part of our town's lore. They say she's a river spirit who watches over our town in times of need. I always thought she was just a legend. Until now." Xu said

"See, we don't need to help these people, they already have someone to help them. All we need is medicine for our sick friend." Sokka said

"Medicine? Sorry, all the medicine we have goes to the factory. That's why there's so many sick people in our village." Xu said

"Looks like we need to stay another night so Appa can rest." Katara said

"I guess you're right. You got any more food to sell?" Sokka asked

Xu goes under the counter and emerges holding a fish in each hand.

"Would you like the one-headed fish, or the two-headed fish?" Xu asked

He turns in his left hand sideways to show the second head. I look at it with a look of disgust.

"Two headed. What? You get more for your money that way." Sokka said

"I'm not eating that." I said

"Nor am I." Katara said

Sokka didn't listen to us, he just bought the fish.

Time Skip Next Morning…

We woke up to Appa being sick once again. We head back over to the village. We walk up to Xu's to see Dock polishing his figure of the Painted Lady.

"Hi, Dock. Is Xu around?" Sokka asked

"Let me check…" Dock said

He runs around the shop and ducks beneath the counter to switch hats.

"Hey there. Back again, are ya?" Xu asked

Toph pushes Sokka out of the way.

"We need more food." Toph said

Toph then slams the money on the counter.

"Our friend is still sick and we can't leave until he's better." I said

Xu shows a platter of polluted clams. Sokka steps up and stands next to me.

"Oh, well that's too bad. Maybe if you guys are lucky, the Painted Lady will visit you in the night, and heal your friend." Xu said

"And maybe she'll cook us a midnight snack, and we'll all have a sing-along." Sokka said sarcastically

"Yeah, may be. You know, last night she visited us again. Healed most of our sick folks." Xu said

"Is that why this place seems so festive?" Aang asked

I look over Aang's shoulder to see the villagers raise a large statue of the Painted Lady in the town square, everyone cheers and applause.

"Yep, it's all because of the Painted Lady." Xu said

"Can you believe how much an entire village can be affected y one lady I mean…spirit?" Katara asked

"Well, I hope she returns every night. Otherwise this place would go right back to the way it was." Sokka said

"Why would you say that? Look how much better off these people are." Katara said

"Yeah, now, but without her they wouldn't be able to fend for themselves. If she really wanted to help, she would use her spirit magic to blow up that factory." Sokka said

Sokka makes a mocking gesture to indicate explosive spirit magic. He crosses his arms with a smile. I see Katara get even more annoyed. Aang has his arms crossed over his chest not impressed.

"Spirit magic doesn't work that way, Sokka. It's more like…" Aang starts

He waves his body with arms in the air making similar gestures to indicate spirit magic. Katara storms away from them.

"You two are childish." I said

Sokka wraps and arm over Aang's shoulder and the two combined their little imitation but far more ridiculous. I leave them and go looks for Katara. I find her at the edge of the dock looking at the factory.

"I know what you are planning. Just promise me you will be careful." I said

"I promise. Do you want to help me?" Katara asked

"I'll think about it." I said

"Okay." Katara said

Sokka, Toph, Aang, and Dock soon join us at the edge of the dock. We made back across the river to where we were staying.

Time Skip That Night…

I was woken up by Aang and Momo.

"What's the matter, buddy? It's her." Aang said

I see Aang wave at Katara/Painted Lady as he puts his headband on.

"Hello, Painted Lady Spirit." Aang said

Katara starts to run from him. Aang gets up and runs after her. I follow behind them.

"Excuse me, I don't mean to bother you, but my friend's sick and we're on kind of a tight schedule." Aang said

Katara continues to run away, Aang continues to chase her, while Momo and I follow them. Katara starts to cross the river.

"Wait. But I'm the bridge between your world and mine." Aang said

I freeze some water so that Aang can get across the river, he looks back at me and smiles. We continue after her.

"I know Hei Bei! We're close personal friends." Aang said

Katara moves faster, and Aang jumps on a wooden bridge. Katara runs out of the river onto the dock and notices Aang's reflection in the water. I see Katara look up to see Aang running across a roof. Aang then runs into a pull. Katara flinches, but continues on across the other side of the river. Aang and I make it across without her seeing. She turns around and we stand in front of her.

"My name's Aang. I'm the Avatar. This is my friend Kida." Aang said

"Well, hello Avatar, and friend. I wish I could talk, but I am very busy." Katara said in a disguised voice

"Yeah, me too. I hate that. You know, you're really pretty spirit. I don't meet too many spirits, but the ones I do meet, not very attractive." Aang said

Aang tries to look under the hat.

"Thank you, but-" Katara giggles

"You seem familiar too." Aang said

"A lot of people say that." Katara said

"No, you really seem familiar." Aang said

"Aang can we go back to camp, I'm tired." I said

"In a second." Aang said

"Look, I really should get going." Katara said

Katara covers her faces and runs, but Aang uses his airbending and blasts her hat up into the air, exposing her.

"Katara?" Aang asked

"Hi, Aang. Kida." Katara said

"You're the Painted Lady? But how?" Aang asked

"I wasn't her at first, I was just trying to help the village. But since everyone thought that's who I was anyway, I guess I just kinda became her." Katara said

"So you've been sneaking out at night? Wait, is Appa even sick?" Aang asked

"He might be sick of the purple berries I've been feeding him, but other than that's he's fine." Katara said

"I can't believe you lied to everyone, so you could help these people. Kida did you know about this?" Aang said

"I had a hunch, but other than that." I said

"I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't have…" Katara starts

"No, I think it's great. You're like a secret hero." Aang said

I shook my head at Aang and laughed.

"Well, if you two want to help, there's one more thing I have to do." Katara said

"Please tell me it's not what I think it is." I said

"It is." Katara said

"What is?" Aang asked

"I want to destroy the factory." Katara said

"Really." Aang said

"Yes. Sokka was just kidding, but he was right. Getting rid of this factory is the only way to help these people permanently. So are you two in or not?" Katara said

Aang and I looked at each other.

"Okay, let's go and destroy use a factory." I said

"Thank you." Katara said

With that we ran towards the factory. We find a door that is unlocked. We enter the factory. We divide into so we can take three different parts of the factory instead of just one. Katara uses waterbending to cut the metal hooks and the hang barrels of magma. Aang, with protective gloves on, overturns bigger hanging barrels, smiling at his work. Aang uses earthbending to break apart the pipe system in the factory. Katara bends a huge wave of water through the windows and floods the factory. I freeze wires, pipes, and the magma that came out of the barrels. I also freeze all the water that Katara sent into the factory.

"I think that should do it." I said

"I agree, lets head back before they find out were gone." Aang said

"Aang you just jinxed us." I said

We all left the factory and quickly headed back to the campsite. Aang is laughing and making explosion noises.

"Shh. We don't to wake Sokka." Katara siad

We turn around and see that Toph and Sokka are already awake.

"Told you, you jinxed us Aang." I said

"Hi, Sokka, we were just out on a morning walk." Katara said

"Oh, really? A morning walk?" Sokka asked

He the dumps the hay out of Katara's sleeping bag.

"I know you're the Painted Lady, I know you've been sneaking out at night, and I know you've been lying about Appa being sick and that you have been feeding him…(sticks his own tongue) purpleising tongue berries." Sokka said

Toph then sticks out her tongue and shows that is is purple and hold up a bag of the berries which Momo starts eating.

"Katara, what you did put our whole mission in jeopardy. We're leaving right now." Sokka said

Katara walks past Sokka sadly, Sokka confronts Aang and I.

"And how long did you two know about this?" Sokka asked

"Hey, I just found out thins morning." Aang said

Sokka turns to me.

"I'm in the same boat as Aang, I didn't know till this morning or was it last night." I said

"It might have been last night." Aang said

"Point is we only just found out." I said

We start packing up camp and start to load Appa. We all stop when we hear a buzzing noise. We turn towards the river to see factory workers headed towards the town on jet skis.

"What's going on?" Toph asked

"Fire nation soldiers are heading toward the village." Aang said

Sokka turns towards us.

"What did you do?" Sokka asked

"I kind of destroyed their factory." Katara said

"You what?" Sokka yelled

"It was your idea." Katara said

"I was joking. I also said to use spirit magic and made funny noises. Did you even think this through? The army is gonna blame the villagers. They're headed there right now to get revenge." Sokka said

"Well, what was I supposed to do?" Katara asked

"Leave! Do Nothing!" Sokka said

"No, I will never turn my back on people who need me! I'm going down to that village, and I am gonna do whatever I can." Katara said

"I'm going with her." I said

Katara and I start to walk away, when Sokka stops us.

"Wait! I'm coming too." Sokka said

"I thought you didn't want to help." Katara said

"You need me, and I will never turn my back on either one of you." Sokka said

"You say that now." I said in barely a whisper

"Did you say something Kida?" Sokka asked

"Nope." I said

"Sokka you really do have a heart." Katara said

"He really does have a heart, doesn't he?" Aang asked as he wiped away tears.

I see Aang turn to Toph. Toph however elbows him and he falls to the ground. We quickly come up with a plan.

On Looker's Pov:

The Fire Nation has arrived at the village.

"I thought we could live as neighbors, in peace. But I guess I was wrong. You steal our food, our medicine…and then you destroy our factory." Mung said

Dock pops out of the crowd.

"We didn't do any of that." Dock/Xu said

He then pops up in a different place as Xu.

"Yeah, the Painted Lady brought us food. She's the one that healed our sick, not your medicine." Xu/Dock said

Mung picks up the small statuette of the Painted Lady.

"Oh, right, the mysterious Painted Lady did it. And I suppose she drew the army emblem on your containers, too." Mung said

He then threw the statuette at one of the barrels that did have the army emblem on it.

"This is a town of thieves and liars." Mung said

Mung then firebends a blast at a house.

"Where's your Painted Lady now? We're going to cure the world of this wretched village." Mung said

The solider begin demolishing the town .A jet ski, with two soldiers, goes past a dock as a soldier sends a hook and chain toward it. The chain wraps around a log holding up a house and it breaks as the jet ski drives away. The house crumbles into the water. Two soldiers who light a large flammable ball perched on a buoy in the river, but a mysterious gust of wind blows out the fire, twice.

"Light it again." Mung said

They follow Mung's command, and it is blown out again. Erie flute begins floating over the water, and snow starts to fall from the sky.

"Look at that! Where's it coming from?" Female Fire Nation soldier

A heavy fog rapidly pouring in.

"I don't know. Something strange is going on." A male fire nation soldier said

An ominous growling noise echoes over the river.

"It's the Painted Lady." a little boy said

He grins slyly.

"She's coming." the boy said in an ominous tone.

"There is no Painted Lady!" Mung yelled

A repetitive thus noise, as of giant footsteps, has begun. The thudding is caused by Toph elevating and dropping a large boulder, while Appa provides the growling, Sokka plays a flute, producing the eerie noises.

"What is that sound?" the female fire nation soldier said

"Maybe it is her." a male fire nation soldier said

The snow stops and the fog parts dramatically to reveal Katara in full Painted Lady regalia. She pauses a moment and rushes toward the soldiers with a burst of waterbending. She alights on the dock and slowly approaches them.

"Do something." Mung yells

Mung pushes his soldiers forward. As they timidly draw near, they are rattled by a blast of airbending. Aang is hiding beneath the dock. The two soldiers run off. To the remaining soldiers.

"Stand your ground." Mung yelled

Katara waterbended two jet skis into a cliff. As she raises her hand things begin to freeze over. The soldiers jump into the remaining jet skis and speed off, leaving Mung.

"I'll take care of you myself." Mung said

He bends an arc of fire at Katara, it freeze's midair, and Aang sends Katara flying into the sky on a column of air. Aang rends the dock in two with a blast of wind, sending Mung flying into the river. As he flounders, Katara rises out of the polluted water before him and raises her arms threateningly.

"Leave this village and never come back." Katara said

Hung swims desperately away from here. A stray jet ski passes by and he clambers into it, the ski buzzes off. Sokka and Toph row towards the village. Aang and Kida come out of hiding. A the village people applaud Katara as she returns to the dock.

"I knew you'd come." the little boy said

"Thank you." Dock said

"Painted Lady, you're the best." Villager #1 said

"Me and my brothers really owe you a lot." Dock said

Dock looked at her and her faded Painted Lady marks.

"Hey, wait a minute! I know you! You're not the Painted Lady, you're that colonial girl!" Dock said

Katara places a hand on her face and realizes her make-up is smudged.

"Yeah, you're the lady that gave me a fish." the little boy said

"You've been tricking us. You're a waterbender!" Dock yelled

"She's a waterbender!" Villager #1 said

"How dare you act like our Painted Lady!" Villager #2 said

The crowd surges forward in anger. Kida, Sokka, Toph, and Aang step forward to block them from Katara.

"Maybe she is a waterbender, but she was just to help you. Because of her, that factory won't be polluting your river, and the army is gone. You should be down on your knees thanking her." Sokka said

"Sokka, it's okay." Katara said

She steps forward and moves Sokka back.

"I shouldn't have acted like someone I wasn't, and I shouldn't have tricked you. But I felt like I had to do something. It doesn't matter if the Painted Lady is real or not. Because your problems are real, and this river is real. You can't wait around for someone to help you. You have to help yourself." Katara said

"She's right, but what should we do?" Dock asked

Toph pops out from behind the little boy's mother and uses a lower voice.

"Maybe we can clean the river." Toph said

"Yeah, we can clean the river! Thank you. You know, you're not so bad for a waterbender." Dock said

"You wouldn't mind keeping that a secret, by the way, would you?" Sokka asked

"No problem. Keeping my mouth shut is a personal specialty. My brother Xu, on the other hand, ohh, he's a blabbermouth." Dock said

Sokka facepalms and I start to laugh.

"So, Dock, are you and your brother gonna help us clean?" I asked

"No, ma'am. I'm going to get my other brother, Bushi. He loves cleaning rivers." Dock said

Dock brazenly switches hats right in front all of us.

"All right, I'm Bushi! Let's get some river cleaning done." Dock/Xu/Bushi said

"Aha, I knew it! I knew you were the same guy. You're the shop owner and the boat guy." Aang said

"Oh, you must be talking about my brothers, Dock and Xu." Bushi/Dock/ Xu said

"No, I just saw you! You switched hats and called yourself a different name." Aang said annoyed

"Oh, you know who does that? My brother, Dock. He's crazy." Bushi/Dock/ Xu said

He then walks away. I turn and look at Aang.

"I'm glad all I ate were berries, because I think these fish and clams are turning these people crazy." I said

"I'm glad I didn't eat the fish as well." Aang said

All of the boats are on the river. The villagers spread clean out the pollutants. Katara bends the water into a large at while Aang and Toph separate the pollutants using earthbending and putting it in a large boat. Kida helps the people in the village fix the burnt houses and buildings.

That Night Kida's Pov:

I was woken up by Katara.

"I saw her. She reals." Katara said

"What? Saw who?" I asked

"The Painted Lady. I was by the river and she appeared she thanked me then vanished. I saw a spirit and it thanked me." Katara said

"I glad." I said

"You've been acting different is everything alright?" Katara asked

"No not really. Everything is going to change. And I'm scared that I might lose you guys." I said

"You will never lose us." Katara said

"You say that now." I said

"Kida, you are my sister. Noting will ever change that." Katara said