There is one thing I must say to all of you who like my stories - be VERY glad it took two years to write chapter four!! I found an old draft of it and BOY was it bad!!! The plot was horrible, the spelling stunk and Aang was NOT in character. Ugh... Just be happy that I didn't use that first draft...

Anyway, enjoy the next chapter! To those of you who were freaking out about Aang (you know who you are! *winks*) BE CALM! Don't pass out! Continue reading!

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Something tiny and moist touched his cheek. Bright, so terribly bright. Everything ached. It was as if he'd done nothing but train for hours on end; his whole body burned like a wildfire with each breath. Slowly he opened his eyes, a blurry form appeared. It chirped happily.

"Mmm.... Momo?" MoMo bounced on his chest excitedly, much to Aang's discomfort. He tried to move; his muscles were so tight. They even seemed swollen.

"Where am I?" Aang wondered aloud. He was staring at a thatched roof. Strings of fruit and herbs hung from beams around the perimeter of the small room. A single window cast light on his face; he squinted towards it. Slowly the memories of the night before crept back into his mind - the metal taste, racing heart, muscles jerking against his control and the horrible feeling of not being able to breathe. "It worked? The antidote worked? I'm alive?" Aang forced his tortured muscles to pull his body upright. He sat on the floor of the healers hut, bottles of herbs littered the floor. The cupboards were trashed, nearly every bottle was knocked down, many broken. Aang sighed, he felt badly for destroying the healer's well organized shelves, but at least he'd managed to make something useful out of it all. Looking himself over, he realized how bad he must look. His arms and legs were covered in bruises, grass and dirt. The door was shut; it must have swung closed while he searched for his cure. "I must have barely made it in time."

By the placement of the sun, Aang figured it was about mid afternoon. Decorations for the festival were up, laughter and music rang through the town. Using his glider for support, Aang stumbled to his feet, stretching his muscles painfully.

"I've got to get to the palace and warn Zuko before it's too late." He scooped a mouthful of water from a barrel, rinsing away the last of the dry herbs that still stuck to his tongue and teeth. His bending was weak at the moment. He wasn't even sure he could glide back to the palace. He didn't want to be seen. If people saw the Avatar looking half dead... it would not be good. With his flexibility slowly returning, he slowly eased out of the back-facing window, away from the eyes of the town.

He walked slowly toward the palace, using as many back ways he could think of. MoMo flew just behind him, seeming to understand the need for secrecy. Finally he reached the edge of the palace grounds. Now he would have to glide. Some of his strength was back, though it may be a few days before he could properly preform the larger forms of Earthbending. The glider snapped open as his jumped into the air, swiftly sailing toward the garden that surrounded the palace. He could land there behind the wall, safe from the eyes of the town. There shouldn't be many guards as Zuko would be out among the towns people for the festival. Aang knew he would have to avoid being seen, just in case one of Zuko's guards was involved in the poison plot.

With a light gust of wind Aang landed in the garden. He flopped onto the grass behind a bush, so tired. MoMo landed beside him, nudging his side. "You're right, little buddy... we need to get inside. We don't have time to waste." Aang hopped up, cringing as his body protested. Walking as quickly as he could manage, he tiptoed into the palace and up the stairs, finally arriving in the meeting room. No one came in here except Zuko and the gaang. It was off limits to everyone else because of the important documents that were housed here. He laid down on the cool floor; he had to rest. Hopefully Zuko would come back soon and find him. He had no energy left. He closed his eyes and slipped into a dead sleep.

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Wow... what a short chapter! Even I'm shocked at how short it is! Well, it doesn't really matter, the next one will be out soon!! Now you know that Aang is alive and will soon see Katara again. YAY, happiness!! lol

Stick close! Another chapter is coming, you won't want to miss it!