Their canoe glided peacefully between the ice floes as they traveled in search of food. Sokka stared down into the water, hoping to catch a glimpse of movement. Finally, he sees it: the fish he's been waiting for. "It's not getting away from me this time," he says. He raises his spear: "Watch and learn, Katara," he says, grinning. His sister is unimpressed. On her side of the canoe, she also sees a glimpse of movement. Carefully, she removes her glove and waterbended the fish out of the water. The fish soars over her head, just as Sokka strikes with his spear. "Oh, so close," he says, as the fish gets away. He turns. "Don't let Master Yanook see you doing that." Katara snorted "Yanook? Who cares? 'The ways of waterbending are not for women to learn,'" she imitated. She tossed her head derisively. "If he thinks I'm gonna be a magic nurse and stand by and let the men fight for me, he has something else coming."
Sokka scowled. "And Armonak, that warrior they left with us? If he calls me kiddo one more time, I swear I'll smear myself in seal jerky and run to the nearest penguin-wolf den. I mean, he treats me like I'm ten years old!" Katara stood up in the canoe, shaking her head. "And that healer, Senraq? I have never before, met someone so patronizing, narrow-minded, and set in her ways, ever!" She brought her hands down with each word, making waves in the water. "Katara-" Sokka tried to say warningly. Katara ignored him. "I swear, those Northern Water Tribespeople is the most sexist, patriarchal, arrogant people I've ever. seen." Now chips of ice were falling from the iceberg, and a large crack had appeared. "Katara!" Sokka said again, once more to no avail. "And have you seen how Armonak looks at me? It's like he's looking at a piece of meat! I swear the Northern Water Tribespeople were the worst thing to happen to our tribe, ever!" At this last word, a deafening roar sounded behind her. The crack in the iceberg widened and spread, until the entire structure was webbed with cracks. Pieces of ice ranging from the size of a pebble to the size of their canoe fell unto the water as the iceberg collapsed. Finally, the entire thing fell into the sea, a wave pushing them back onto the icepack.
Sokka stared at the spot where the iceberg once was. "Okay. Every time I sided with Yanook about girls being weaker waterbenders? I take that back." Katara stared too. "I did that?" "Yeah. Congratulations," Sokka answered.
Just then the water beneath them glowed blue. From below the waves, a large, round iceberg emerged. Katara inches forward, while Sokka tries to hold her back. Within the iceberg, it appears, was a boy. Perched in a lotus position, the boy sat there, an arrow on his head glowing. Suddenly, the boy opened his eyes, which glowed just as the arrow did. Katara looked on in shock "He's alive! We have to help him!" she says, grabbing Sokka's club and running to the boy. Sokka erred on the side of caution "Katara, wait!" he shouted, bolting after her nonetheless. Katara brought the club down on the ice, smashing away part of the ice. Just then, the ice shattered, and a beam of blue light shot up into the air.
The ship rocked gently in the cold Antarctic seas. Onboard, Prince Zuko and Princess Azula practiced firebending. Zuko punched two balls of fire at Azula. She ducked, rolling and swinging her feet around as she did so, shooting fire out of them. Zuko jumped to dodge them, and Azula shot off a burst of fire at hum. He crossed his arms, blocking it, and landed, kicking another fireball at her, which she dodged, while punching her own fireball at him, which he jumped back to dodge, the fireball passing an inch from his face. "Good, Azula, make him react to you." Lo said. "Zuko, how many times do I have to tell you? Fire comes from the breath, not the muscles," said Li. Azula smirked. "This duel is at an end," Lo and Li said in unison. Zuko and Azula faced each other, bowing. Zuko walked to the railing behind Lo and Li. He gazed across the frozen landscape.
Suddenly, the sky was split by a column of blue light. Zuko started. "Azula, look!" He said. Azula turned. "Yes, the celestial lights are lovely this time of year, aren't they," she said disinterestedly, flicking a piece of ash off her shoulder. Zuko insisted: "That isn't the celestial lights, that light must come from an immensely powerful source, it has to be him!" Azula snorted. "Zuko," she said patiently, "dad sent us on this wild goose chase to get us out of the capital; he' planning something, and if it fails he doesn't want us implicated. That is the only reason we're even in this icebox." Zuko strode across the deck, ignoring her. "Helmsman!" he called "set a course for the light." Azula rolled her eyes. "If you insist," she said, "but when you don't find anything, don't blame me."
The boy stood up. Sokka and Katara stood back in awe, as the boy's arrows and eyes stop glowing, and he fell to the ground. Katara rushed forward, while Sokka approached more cautiously. Katara caught him in her arms, as Sokka pokes him with the blunt end of his spear. In a weak voice, the boy spoke: "I need to ask you something." "What?" Katara said urgently. He spoke again: "Please... come closer." Katara leaned in, curious: "What?" The boy was silent for a moment. Then: "Will you go penguin sledding?" he said brightly
Katara started. "Uh, yeah, okay," she said uncertainly. The boy rose to his feet in one, quick motion, taking both of them by surprise. He looked around. "What's going on here," he asked. Sokka narrowed his eyes: "You tell us. How did you get in the iceberg? And why aren't you frozen?" With this he poked the boy again with the blunt end of his spear. The boy pushed the spear away. "I- I don't know," he said, shaking his head.
A low rumbling noise sounded behind them. A large, furry creature with the same arrow marking as on the boy's head emerged from the snow bank. The boy scrambled up the snow bank, climbing onto the creature's head. "Appa, are you alright?" he said. "Wake up, buddy," he added, looking into the beast's eyes, which are closed. He opened one eye, which immediately closed. Jumping down from the beast, he tried to lift its massive head.
Sokka and Katara climbed over the edge of the snow bank just as the beast. Appa finally woke up, licking the boy with its giant tongue. The boy laughed. "You are okay!" he said, hugging the beast's nose. "What is that thing?" Sokka asked. "This is Appa, my flying bison," the boy said. Sokka snorted "Right, and this is Katara, my flying sister," he said. Katara shot him a look. Just then, the beast- or- bison, breathed in. It sneezed, drenching Sokka in green slime. "Don't worry, It'll wash out," the boy said cheerfully. "So, do you guys live around here?" he asked, looking around at the icy landscape. Sokka narrowed his eyes at the boy. "Don't answer that," he said to Katara, eying the boy suspiciously. "He could have been signaling the Fire Nation with that light." Katara snorted. "Oh, sure, you can see it in that evil look in his eye." The boy grinned sheepishly. "His Paranoia over there is by brother Sokka. So, I don't think you told us your name?"
The boy grinned. "I'm A-a-achoo!" The boy sneezed, flying up into the air. He fell back down, slowing his fall. "I'm Aang" Sokka looked on in shock. "You just sneezed, he said, "And flew ten feet in the air!" Aang looked unabashed. "Really?" he said, puzzled "I thought it was higher than that." Katara pieced it together: "You're an airbender!" she said. Aang grinned "Sure am," he said. "Sokka shook his head, "Flying bison, giant light beams, airbenders... I think I've got midnight sun madness. I'm going where things make sense." He strode over to the edge of the ice floe, the stopped, seeing that the canoe had been smashed.
"If you guys need a ride, Appa can take you," Aang said, airbending himself on top of Appa. "We'd love to," Katara said, running over and climbing into Appa's saddle. Sokka crossed his arms: "No way am I riding on that fluffy snot monster!" he objected. Katara rolled her eyes: 'Are you expecting some other kind of monster to bring you home?" Sokka opened his mouth to say something, then, unable to come up with a response, closes his mouth and climbs on.
Aang grinned: "Okay, first time fliers, hold on tight. Appa, yip-yip!" With that, the bison bounded to the edge of the water, leapt into the air- and fell back down to the water, where he paddled lazily along in the water. Aang, unabashed, tugged at the reigns. "Come on, Appa, yip-yip!" Sokka snorted: "Wow, that was truly amazing." Katara shot her brother a glare. Aang was undeterred. "Appa's just tired; a little rest and he'll be soaring through the sky." Katara smiled at Aang, who returned the gesture.
Katara glanced back at Sokka, who was still fuming. When she looked back, she saw that Aang was still smiling. "Why are you smiling at me?" she asked Aang started. "Oh, I was smiling at you?" he asked, sheepishly. Sokka groaned theatrically, which Katara answered with a glare. All the while, Appa trundled along, paddling through the cold sea.
Zuko stood at the helm of the ship, staring into the distance. Azula approached him from behind. She stretched and yawned. "Well, I'm off to bed," she said. "You should do the same." Zuko stood unmoving. Azula shrugged. "Suit yourself. We're not gonna find anything anyway." Zuko spoke: "You said Father was planning something. What do you mean?" Azula shrugged "Isn't it obvious?" she said "Dad thinks, and I agree completely, that Uncle is a tired old fuddy-duddy who has no more ambition. You saw the way he's been after the siege. 1000 days and what does he have to show for it? A bunch of burned countryside, a quarter of a million dead, and no Ba Sing Se. Now he's all about 'consolidating what we have'. It's because he's tired. Let's face it: Grandfather is old, and he may not last much longer. And when he does die, Dad thinks the Fire Nation need someone ambitious at the helm; not somebody who stopped campaigning to collect antiques." Zuko turned. "You're wrong. Father would never usurp Uncle's position," he said angrily. Azula shrugged "Believe whatever you want. Personally I'd much rather have Dad as Firelord than His Tea-Loving Kookiness." An image of a burning doll flashed through Zuko's mind. He turned, staring out at the Antarctic sun, now near the horizon
Appa continued to swim lazily through the water. Aang lay down on Appa's head, arms tucked beneath his head. Katara moved to the front of the saddle, placing her head in her hand. Aang turned to her "Whatcha thinkin' about?" he asked. Katara thought for a moment. "I was just wondering, you being an airbender and all, if you knew what happened to the Avatar." Aang hesitated. Oh, no, I didn't know him. I mean, I knew people who knew him, but I didn't know him." He smiled weakly. Katara frowned: "Oh, okay. Well, good night." "Good night," Aang answered, curling himself up in a ball, hiding the guilty look on his face.
Aang slept on Appa's saddle while a storm brooded ahead of him. Lightning split the sky and the rumble of the following thunders awakened him. He shot up and looked around.
It was raining and Aang sat on Appa's head again, holding the reins and screaming at the top of his lungs in terror while they went down. Appa and Aang splashed into the waters of the ocean. Appa resurfaced again, growled, but was then quickly succumbed again by another wave. Both Aang and Appa drifted unconscious in the water. As Aang released the reins and drifted off, his eyes and tattoos suddenly started to glow brightly. He slammed his fists together, creating a bluish-white sphere that encased Appa and himself. The air sphere was slowly being covered by ice while suddenly a voice echoed through the dream.
"Aang? Aang! Wake up!" Aang shot up, throwing the covers off his body, gasping for air. Katara perched beside him to see if he was awake. "It's okay, Aang, we're in the village, now. Come on, get ready!" Katara pointed at the door. "Everyone's waiting to see you." Aang pulled his shirt on, as Katara glanced at the arrow tattoos that ran down his arms.
Katara led Aang out of the hut. A large group of people, mostly women and children, stood before him. A little to the side stood a middle-aged woman and two young men. Katara gestured: "Aang, this is the entire village. Entire village, Aang." Their eyes were all fixed on Aang. "Uh, why are they all staring at me?" he said uncomfortably "Did Aapa sneeze on me?" An elderly woman spoke: "None of us have ever seen an air nomad before. We thought that they were extinct, until my granddaughter and grandson brought you." Aang started. "Extinct?" he said, surprised. Katara gestured at the women "Aang, this is my grandmother." The old woman shrugged. "Call me Gran-Gran."
One of the young men strode forward. He grabbed Aang's staff. "What is this, some kind of weapon? A bludgeon of some sort?" Katara rolled her eyes and explained. "Aang, this is Armonak. He, Yanook, and Senraq came here from our sister tribe." Aang bowed politely to each in turn. The woman, Senraq, returned his bow. The other two didn't. When he came to Armonak, he took his staff back. "And to answer your question, it's not a weapon. It's a glider." He twirled it and opened the wings, to cheers from the village children. "Magic trick, do it again!" one of them said. Aang laughed. "Not magic, airbending. It lets me control the air currents and fly." The shorter, stockier man, presumably Yanook, laughed. "That's impossible. Humans can't fly," he said. Senraq shot him a warning look. Aang grinned. "With all due respect sir, prepare to eat those words."
He held the glider above his head, pushing off with his feet. He soared into the air, doing loops in the air. The villagers were awed. "He's flying," one of them said. "It's amazing!" another said. Aang returned to the ground, flourishing his staff and closing the wings, as the villager applauded. Senraq smiled. "Most impressive, young airbender," she said, bowing slightly. Aang returned the courtesy. The Northern Water Tribeswoman turned to Katara. "Alright, playtime's over, it's time for another healing lesson," she said. "You're a healer?" Aang said to Katara. Katara blushed. "Well, sort of. I'm still learning." Aang grinned. "The monks always said that healing was an important job." Katara shrugged. "It's great, but," she looked over at Yanook, who was currently patching up the village's walls, "what I'd really like to do is learn some serious waterbending. I've been watching Yanook and going out into the wilderness to waterbend every chance I get, but it'd really help to have some kind of training."
"Why can't you?" Aang asked, puzzled. From what he'd seen Katara would be more than competent. Katara scowled. "Because of the stupid customs of the Northern Water Tribe. 'Women lack the mental maturity to handle such a difficult and dangerous art' Yanook says. It's all a load of pelican-tern guano if you ask me." Aang frowned. "The monks always told me that gender didn't matter. With us men and women are treated equally; we taught anyone who could airbend" A shadow seemed to cross Katara's face, but Aang supposed he had imagined it, as it was gone as quickly as it appeared. "Yeah, that makes much more sense," Katara said. But even then she seemed hesitant, though Aang didn't know why. He shrugged, as Katara went off for her healing lesson with Senraq, the Northern Water Tribe healer waving her over.
Zuko leaned forward against the railing, staring out over the ocean. As the midnight sun descended to the horizon, nearly but not quite setting, he continued to dwell on what Azula had said. The fact of the matter was that despite his protests to the contrary, there was a glimmer of truth to what she had said. Iroh was tired. He had lost the fire that he had before. He had grown introverted, quiet.
Zuko stood at attention, looking out at the massed people. Grandfather sat on the throne at the head of the steps in front of the Palace. To his right stood Ozai, along with Zuko, Azula, and Ursa. The palanquin carrying Lu Ten and Iroh made its way along the ceremonial avenue. Finally, at the foot of the steps, it stopped. From there, Lu Ten and Iroh walked up the steps toward Azulon. As they neared, Zuko stifled a gasp. Lines crisscrossed Iroh's face where none had before. His hair, once black flecked with gray, had turned completely gray. Lu Ten had changed as well. The full face that he had known was now thinner, the last traces of baby fat wiped away. He had grown a short beard since Zuko had last seen him. In short, to Zuko's 13-year-old eyes, Lu Ten now seemed closer to his father in age than to him. The Chief Fire Sage announced the return of the Crown Prince, and Prince Lu Ten. Azulon made all the necessary speeches about having smashed the Earth Kingdom's best troops, having allowed the Fire Nation to advance hundreds of miles as the Earth Kingdom's army fell back to protect Ba Sing Se, everything needed to turn a defeat into a victory, at least for the propagandists.
Zuko stood behind a pillar, hiding as the door of the Great Hall opened and Lu Ten strode out. Up close, it was even more apparent that his twenty-three years seemed closer to thirty than twenty after the Thousand Days. "What happened?" Zuko asked, as Lu Ten leaned against the wall, slumped forward. Lu Ten sighed. "Grandfather isn't pleased at your Uncle's failure to capture Ba Sing Se. He says he won't name an heir until he writes his will." Zuko's cousin, who he hero-worshipped, smiled sadly. "Who knows? You may end up inheriting the throne, for all we know." Zuko stared, horrified at his cousin's weariness. "I'd rather go blind in one eye than take your place!" he exclaimed. Lu Ten genuinely smiled at that. "I don't think you have to worry about going blind in one eye," he said, laughing. "There is some good news, though," he said. "What?" Zuko asked. Lu Ten grinned. "You know that girl you complained I spent every waking hour with before I left?" Lu Ten asked. "Asami?" Zuko answered. Lu Ten nodded "I asked Admiral Kaizan, and he gave me permission to ask her to marry me." Zuko gaped. "You and Asami?" he asked. Lu Ten grinned, and suddenly didn't seem so old after all.
Zuko stood next to Lu Ten in the Great Hall. The assembled nobles and military men stood and watched, as all eyes were on the door. Finally, it opened, and Asami walked arm in arm with Admiral Kaizan down the aisle. Lu Ten, in his army uniform, smiled as Asami stopped next to him, as servant girls carried the long gold train of her dress behind her. The Chief Fire Sage strode to the front, facing the guests. After giving the traditional speech about why they were gathered there, and the traditional reading from the Fire Scrolls, he turned to Lu Ten and Asami. He read their vows, all the traditional words about loving, holding, and cherishing, about sickness and health and all that. Lu Ten and Asami had decided this would be a modern wedding, so Asami's vows didn't include the phrase "to obey," like Mother's and his late Aunt Lu Han's did. Finally, the Fire Sage finished, pronouncing them married, and finishing by addressing the crowd. "All hail Prince Lu Ten and Princess Asami," he said, as all except Father, Uncle, Mother, and Grandfather bowed.
Zuko smiled at that last memory, looking out to the horizon, where somewhere, the Avatar was hiding...
Sokka and Armonak stood facing one another. Sokka narrowed his eyes He held his club at the ready, poised to strike. At once, they both lunged at each other. Sokka ducked as Armonak swung his club at Sokka's head, Sokka rolling and trying to kick Armonak's feet out from under him. Armonak dodged, jumping back as Sokka sprang to his feet, smashing into Armonak, who fell, rolling and springing back on the balls of his feet, holding his club above his head Sokka ducked and twisted to the side, jabbing Armonak with the blunt end of his club, Armonak grunted in pain; if this had been a real fight he would likely now be nursing a broken rib. He swung his club at Sokka. Sokka parried it with his club, hooking the ball at the end of his onto the same at the end of Armonak's and yanking it out of his hand. "Looks like I win," Sokka said.
Just then, Katara approached. "Have you seen Aang? I haven't seen him since this morning" Sokka shook his head. Just then, Armonak tackled him from behind. "Hey, no fair!" Sokka protested, shaking his head to get the snow off. Armonak grinned. "A fire nation won't stop fighting just 'cause they're disarmed" Sokka scowled, getting up. Just then, Aang poked his head out of the outhouse. "Wow, everything freezes in there!" he said. All children within earshot (and Armonak) laughed. From behind them, a delighted squeal was heard as several children had turned Appa's tail. Sokka scowled. "We don't have time for nonsense like this! Not with a war going on!" Aang looked puzzled. "War? What war?" he said. Armonak snorted. "What do you mean 'what war'?"
Aang opened his mouth to say something, then turned, spotting something out of the corner of his eye. A delighted look spread across his face. "Penguin!" he called, and he ran over to the otter-penguin. Sokka looked at Armonak. "He's kidding, right?" he said. Armonak shrugged. Katara followed Aang.
She found him not far from the village, where hundreds of penguins had gathered. Aang crept up behind one of the penguins. "Aang?" she said. "Here, little penguin, wanna go sledding?" he asked the penguin, finally lunging for it. The penguin squawked, waddling out of his grasp. Aang laughed as he pulled himself up. "I have a way with animals," he said. Katara laughed. "Listen closely, my young pupil," she said, imitating Senraq's lofty teaching style, "Penguin sledding is an ancient and sacred art." She tossed Aang a fish. He looked at it, puzzled, just as the nearby penguins swarmed around him. She, too, holds out a fish, until at last one penguin is within striking distance. She lunges forward, just as Aang does the same. They soared through the air for a moment before landing on the slope and continuing their journey downwards. They raced down, Aang using another iceberg as a ramp to propel him into air and to soar over and past Katara. She in turn used the next jump to land next to Aang again. The two laughed and shouted out as they gleefully rode over snowy bumps. "I haven't had this much fun since I was a kid!" Katara exclaimed, gleefully. "You still are a kid!" Aang said, shouting to be heard over the wind rushing through their ears. The two rode through a tunnel of ice. Katara led and tried to hold Aang back by constantly changing her direction when he wanted to pass her. Aang solved this problem by increasing his speed with airbending, enabling him to race over the ceiling past Katara. The tunnel leveled out on an open plain of ice where the two got off their rides.
Aang looked up. Above them was a huge, dark mass, towering over the icy plain. A massive ship hovered over them, propped up on a pillar of ice. The conning tower, it seemed, still flew the Fire nation flag, and below that another flag Aang hadn't seen before: a red pennant with a black, stylized sea raven on it. "Whoa," Aang said, awed, "What is that?" Katara scowled. "A Fire Navy ship, and a very bad memory for my people." Aang cautiously began to approach the ship. "No, Aang, stop! We're not supposed to go in there! It could be booby-trapped!" Aang looked over his shoulder, a reckless look on his face. "When you're a bender, you have to let go of fear." Katara pondered this, then took off after him.
They climbed up over ice and snow, clambering over the railing onto the deck. From there they walked through the corridors of the ship, made dark and menacing by the lack of light. They entered one room that was full of weapons. Katara spoke, her voice echoing through the room. "This ship has haunted my tribe since Gran-Gran was a little girl. It was part of the first Fire Nation raids on our tribe."
Aang spread his hands in confusion. "Wait, back up. I have friends from all over the world, including the fire nation. My friend Kuzon and I would get into all kinds of trouble." He picked up a spear, inspecting it. "I've never heard of any war." Katara looked puzzled. "How long were you in the iceberg?" she asked. Aang shrugged. "I don't know, a few days maybe?" Katara spoke cautiously. "I think it was more like a hundred years." Aang stopped. "A hundred years? That's not possible! Do I look like a hundred-and-twelve-year-old man to you?" Katara chose her words carefully. "Think about it. The War is a hundred years old. You've never heard of it. It's the only explanation." Aang slumped onto the bulkhead. "A hundred years? I don't believe it." He then brightened up a little. "At least I met you." Katara smiled.
They walked a little way down the corridor, into what looked like the bridge. Aang stepped across the threshold. Suddenly, he tripped, pulling with him a tripwire. The door of the bridge slammed shut with a clang, and they were plunged into semidarkness. "What did you say about booby-traps?" Aang said, peering through the bars of the window. Abruptly, a roaring sound was heard as the engine of the ship started up again. In shock, Katara and Aang stared at the movement of the gears and engine. They jumped as a loud bang sounded behind them. Looking through a hole in the ceiling, they saw a flare light up the summer sky. "Come on," Aang said. Katara grabbed hold of Aang, and he airbended them out of the hole, flying up into the air.
Aboard another Fire Navy ship, Zuko watched the Avatar and a companion fly through the air, down the conning tower, onto the deck. "The Last Airbender," he murmured. Quite agile for his advanced age." He turned to Azula. "Still think it's nothing?" he said smugly. Azula's expression was unreadable, although her eyes flashed with annoyance at being proven wrong by her brother. Zuko watched as they clambered down to the ground and walked away. "We've finally found the Avatar!" He peered through the spyglass, at the Southern Water Tribe village the two headed toward. "And his hiding place."
The story begins! Please, review! Free Fire Flakes for everyone who does, courtesy of Kuang's Cuisine. Send review to 2241 West Fire Lily Street, NoAvAang District, Republic City, 32104