Finally here with chapter six, after so long. In this chapter, Azula gets a pet and Yue gets a present. I'm rather unsure about what characters to bind to this story. Katara isn't a main focus to the story at this point, at least not like Yue and Azula is the second protagonist. But if I would label it as Azula and Yue, people might think that's going to the pairing and it's not. And then I could label it as Yue and Aang, but Aang isn't a protagonist! Soo confused!

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender

Yue was sure that if one more person told her something, her head would burst. She had tried to cram a year's worth of healing training into six short days and she had only learned one, simple, basic thing. Fixing skin deep wounds. Yue felt incredibly stupid, for there were children who were half her age that could heal superficial injuries with their eyes closed. Well, I tried. Lady Kya had taught her the paths of chi in a human body. Yue knew about chi-every bender did, and she had learned that sometimes these paths could be blocked.

How all of this could tie into her fixing a broken mind was beyond her.

She was dressed in traveling clothes that were befitting of a princess, wearing a violet long-sleeved tunic that was held in place by a belt around her midsection. The pants she wore underneath were black and were stuffed into her boots. The servants had offered her a cloak, but Yue had thought it was too similar to Katara's and she refused. Her hair was pulled into a row of five thick braids, so they were shorter than a single braid and easier to manage. It was style she wasn't sure about, and the servant had been particularly rough while she braided. But when she looked in the clear glass mirror, she had decided she could live with it. I could always set a trend.

The Northern Water Tribe princess stared out of the window of her room. It would be a while until she would be able to see this view again and she would miss it. She would leave the comfort of having the sea right outside of her living space to instead live on the ocean, at least until they reached the Earth Kingdom. It was a waterbender's delight.

"You should be getting ready to head to the docks, not staring out of the window, Yue." Kya was standing in the door way, her arms crossed in front of her chest. She turned the corner of her lips up into a smile, "See, I thought you about your gift of knowledge!"

Yue turned and shrugged as Kya reached into the folds of her dress and revealed a small amulet, bound on a dark blue ribbon. When it moved, some inside of it sloshed up against its confines and Yue saw it was water. She frowned as Kya held it out to her, "You got this from the North Pole…"

"I did," said she, "This was given to me many years ago when I was a little girl and I visited the North Pole with my parents. It is from the Spirit Oasis-the very pool of sacred water that gave you your life. I've kept it all this time with no real use for it. So I want you to have it," The woman nodded her head, "I think you know its special properties."

She did. The water in the amulet that Kya held had the ability to give life to something dead and Yue had experienced this herself when she was a child. And her hair was white because of it. The Northern Tribal princess blinked as Kya placed the amulet in her hand. "What am I to do with it?"

Kya smiled, "What you're supposed to." She said and turned on her heel, moving to leave the room. "Sometimes, Yue," Suddenly the woman looked back at the princess, smiling, "If I told you everything you need to know, I would be cheating you. Learn to find the answers by yourself." She didn't say this in a rude way, but in a manner that said she had perhaps been the same way when she was a child.

Yue blinked once and looked back at the window. Kya was right; she should be making the final preparations to leave now. They would be escorted by warriors to the ship that waited for them, ready to depart for the Earth Kingdom. With a sigh, the tribal princess bent to pick up the small pack that was filled with her personal supplies, including the small stuffed bison toy. She thought it was cute, and she didn't want the thing to go to waste. She slung it over her shoulder and moved to leave the room.

The halls were quieter than they had been in the last few days, Yue noticed, as she made her way towards the conference room. She looked at the amulet Kya had given her and curled her fingers around the silken ribbon. She paused and held it up to the light, staring at the sparkling clear water inside. Yue hoped she would never get to a point where she would have to use the thing and that she would return it to Kya when they returned. She put the vial around her neck as a necklace, for it something was to happen to her possessions, it would remain with her.

Whenever she went to Ba Sing Se, there was never very much fuss. There was nothing unusual about the royal family's regular visits, but this time, they would have the Avatar along with them. Yue was fairly certain that would call for extra measures.

"Yue!" The princess's thought process was broken by the sound of her voice being called. Hurrying in her direction was the Avatar himself, Aang. He was only twelve, but in the short time she had known him, he had made more progress with waterbending than she had when she was his age. He crossed the distance between them quickly, grinning. "You changed your hairstyle."

Yue felt a smile creeping up on her face. Aang's smile was contagious at times. "Just for a little while," She said, "It's nice to try something new." The young airbender came to her side as she pushed aside the curtain of the conference room entrance, stepping inside.

Katara and Sokka looked up at her from the cushions nearest the exit of the room. Sokka smiled and his little sister looked apathetic as Yue took her place across from the younger princess. Aang sat gracefully next to her.

It was only then that Yue took in the whole room. There was Hakoda-he was always there-and Kya next to him, her hands resting in her lap. Yue blinked, tilting her head slightly to the left in confusion. There was a man she didn't quite recognize, though he was obviously a Water Tribesman. Even though he was sitting, he was tall-taller than Hakoda and very skinny -and his long hair was pulled into a warrior's wolf tail. Who is he?

Her gaze travelled to the other side of the room, where there was yet another people she didn't recognize. It was a woman-at least, she thought it was-who wore a dark green skirt and black armor. Her face was painted white with dark ink over her eyes, which were somewhere between green and blue, and her hair was a color that Yue had never seen before. Auburn? Her hair color didn't really catch Yue's attention, for her curiosity came from who this woman was.

"Sokka, Katara, Yue," Hakoda began and Yue turned her attention towards the Southern Water Tribe chief. "And Aang, I would like you to meet your escorts. Sokka, you probably already know Bato." He smiled endearingly at his son, "He'll be accompanying you on the ship to make sure you arrive safely."

The man, Bato, dipped his head. "Hello, Sokka. The last time I saw you before I went off to war, you were a little shorter but just as skinny!" Yue figured he was alright, for a military man. He knew Sokka and Hakoda on a personal level, so he wasn't bad.

Aang, the child Avatar, squirmed in his seat, as if he was growing restless. Yue was momentarily distracted by his movement and she wished for him to sit still, so he wouldn't draw attention to himself. He slumped down and extended his legs with a tiny sigh.

From her cushion, the light haired woman spoke up. "I'm Suki from Kyoshi Island." Yue recognized the island; it wasn't far from the South Pole and was heavily influenced by the Water Tribes. "I'm the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors, and we'll be your escorts from here on out, through all of your travels." When she spoke, Yue realized that this wasn't a woman at all, but a girl who was about the same age as Yue. "You can count on me and my girls for anything!"

Even though Yue only knows her name, she decides that she can get used to Suki. She seems nice enough-but everyone would be nice in the presence of the chief. "I sure we can," Hakoda said to the young woman and smiled, "I think it's about time you should be heading towards the docks, now." The Southern Water Tribe chieftain rose to his feet and his wife followed suit. He-and his entourage-would accompany the younger monarchs down to the ship.

The white-haired princess pushed herself to a standing position. The gathering had been brief, but Yue had met two new people. As she straightened her clothes and lifted her bag from the floor, she took note of an oddly shaped craft lying beside her where Aang had been sitting. It was white and brown, made of hollow wood with a mouthpiece. Raising an eyebrow, she reached for the object. A whistle.

A paler, smaller hand darted forward and snatched up the thing before Yue could. Aang clutched the object to his chest, his gray eyes wide with guilt. "I didn't take it!" He cried and Sokka turned at his outburst. "Honestly, I didn't! I found it on the ground!"

Yue suddenly understood. She put her hand on her hip and frowned, taking the whistle from Aang's hands. The twelve year old winced as she turned her cobalt glare on him. "You stole this, didn't you?" She held the whistle up, "Didn't you? I thought Air Nomads weren't supposed to steal."

"I didn't steal it." The Avatar argued and leaped up for the whistle, but Yue held it out of his reach. "It's a bison whistle," He said, "It can be used to call bison, back then…" He looked off to the side, "But I didn't steal it. I found it on the ground when we went shopping, and I've kept it."

From behind her, Sokka snatched the whistle from Yue's hands and tossed it towards the Air Nomad. When Yue glared at him, the younger teenager shrugged nonchalantly. "Come on, Yue, don't be so uptight. He said he didn't steal it and even if he did, it's too late to return it. Besides, you're going to be left behind if you stay back here to lecture someone who isn't listening." The prince smiled, "Come on!"

Katara was standing off to the side, her arms crossed in front of her chest. When Yue turned her attention towards the younger princess, the dark haired girl pulled down the collar of her shirt and gestured to her neck. "When did you get a necklace like that?"

Yue fingered the ribbon around her neck and shrugged, "That's not important." She said and Katara looked at her for a moment, looking as though she was genuinely curious. But Yue knew Katara, and she knew that the look on the girl's face was simply a mask to hide the real calculation going on behind her cerulean eyes. After a moment, the younger princess shrugged and left the room.

The Northern Water Tribe followed suit with Sokka and Aang on her heels. She trotted out into the hallway, rejoining the older Water Tribesmen, along with the palace's regular guards. They couldn't take the risk of someone threatening their chief. Even though the royal family was loved by the majority of the people, there was always one person who would be angry enough to take the chieftain's life. The royal guard would not allow it.

With Hakoda at the head of the group, Kya at his side, they began the exodus down to the docks. They were flanked by a number of guards, their pikes used as barriers to keep the city's people from getting too close to their charges.

"So…Suki," Sokka said and Yue raised her eyebrow. The gangly teenager had lifted his chin into the air in a failed attempt to look smug. "You're from Kyoshi Island. How did you get down here so fast? You know, since you're going with us to Ba Sing Se."

The light haired warrior's painted face turned up into a brief, barely discernable smile, but Yue saw it all the same. "By boat." She said and her voice was strictly professional, as she was centuries older than Sokka. "I've been to Ba Sing Se before."

"Me too!" Sokka said and Yue resisted the urge to slap her forehead. She had hoped that her friend wouldn't make a fool of himself, but her prayers had seemingly gone unanswered. The prince cleared his throat and looked off the side awkwardly, "I mean, so have I, since I'm the chief's son and all, you know?"

Suki looked amused, at least Yue thought she did. Her face paint wasn't exactly the easiest thing to read emotions through. "Yes, I know," She replied and her eyes swept over Aang. "Soo…you're really the Avatar, huh?" Yue thought she sounded skeptical. "I figured that after a hundred years, you would be taller. Maybe a little muscular, too."

Aang looked indignant and looked down at his chest and arms, as if he was taking her words to heart. "I'm not that short. And I'm not scrawny…I just…haven't grown that much, yet." The young Avatar blinked and Yue could see the faint blush appearing across his cheeks. She didn't really blame him; she would be embarrassed if someone pointed of her lack of muscle if she had been a twelve year old boy, too.

They were silent after that as they approached the pier. The great ship that would take them to the Earth Kingdom seemed to stretch into the sky, glinting in the weak light of the South Pole. The Water Tribe insignia flew in the wind, snapping against the brittle air of the polar cap. Yue inhaled, her shoulders straightening instinctively. She would travel on the ocean, one of the main sources of her waterbending power. She felt…fresh.

Hakoda stopped, then, and the guards around him stepped back to give their leader space. He held out his arms towards his children, beckoning for them to embrace their father before their departure. "You'll return as women and men," He said and pulled his daughter forward by her arm, crushing her against his chest. The dark haired princess looked surprised for a moment before she hugged her father, squeezing her eyes shut for a brief time. She pulled away and Sokka took her place.

Yue stood off to the side with the others. Even though she was treated like family among these people, she wanted to give them time to share this moment among themselves. Aang stood next to her and she wondered if he missed his family. Did Air Nomads have families?

"I don't know why you're standing there, Yue, when you're supposed to be over here joining in the hug. You, too, Aang." Kya said and Yue flushed in embarrassment as she stepped towards the older woman, wringing her hands in front of her body as Kya hauled her forward, cradling her against her soft clothes. Yue had always thought that Lady Kya smelled nice and now she was drowning in her scent. Kya leaned down, her lips nearly brushing Yue's ear as she whispered, "You'll figure out all the answer you'll ever need on your own."

Then, she is standing away from Yue, pushing the princess onto the gangplank of the ship with a smile. Yue turned back, nearly bumping into Aang, as she looked back at the beautiful queen. She lifted her hand and waved at her older friend, smiling back. She loved Kya as though she was her own mother and she envied Katara and Sokka sometimes. "Goodbye!" She called and stepped back as the door began to roll closed, "See you went we get back!"

Sokka was suddenly at her side, clapping his hand on her shoulder. "Don't say goodbye right there, we're going up to the deck. There's a whole crowd down there, waiting for us to wave at them!" And then he was taking off through the corridor of the ship, the dim light casting shadows on the walls as his boots clanked on the floor.

Yue took off after him, if only because she is curious. It is hard to run with her supplies on her back, but she keeps pace with him as they weave through the metal halls of the ship. Her steps sound metallic and echo off the wall as the Southern Water Tribe prince led his companion up a case of stairs. "How do you know the inner workings of a ship so well?"

"I like to tinker around, you know?" Sokka looked back at her, "When you guys used to practice your bendy powers and everything, I would read and study the machinery." He expanded his chest as he opened a metal door, "And I present to you, the deck."

True enough, the ship's bow stretched out before them. Yue stepped out, catching sight of Suki, Katara, and Aang leaning over the right side of the deck, waving. She could hear the shouts of many voices below and as she joined the others, she could see what seemed like dozens of people crying out to them. There were school children and women with children still in their arms, bidding farewell. The Northern Water Tribe princess threw her hand up and beamed.

Beneath her feet, the ship lurched. She grabbed the railing and looked down. They were moving. They were leaving. Yue looked back at the people still on land, now gradually growing smaller. "Goodbye!" She called, "We'll see you soon!"

And she smiled.

Azula hated ships. She hated the feel of the ocean swaying underneath her and the lack of stability that it brought. But she sat on the deck of their ship. There was a small mat under her to keep from getting dirty, a pile of blank paper beside her, and a pen made from hollowed reed. She had an assortment of colored inks with her, ranging for a bright red to deep black. She felt creative today.

Her cousin Lu Ten was showing Zuko how to play Pai Sho, leaning over the board in a seemingly heated competition with the seaman Zhao. Azula had never really had much patience for the game, though she often won. Azula had once heard that the symbols of the game pieces could be used as communication, using the pictures on the tiles as words.

Ty Lee, her acrobatic friend, was jabbering away to Mai, who was simply nodding her head slowly. She was as disinteresting as always and Azula had only truly spoken to her twice in the past six days. Ty Lee, though, rather ever left the pale skinned girl's side. Azula pretended she wasn't offended by this, but she was. Not like I'll ever tell them that. So, she turned her head away from the other girls and turned back to her work.

The day they had left the Fire Nation, she couldn't get the image of the dragon out of her mind. Part of her had hoped that the beast would fly overhead again, but then she feared that someone else would see the dragon and it would choose someone else.

With this on her mind, the Fire Nation princess picked up the reed pen beside her and opened the jar that held dark blue ink. Once she had gathered an amount that she deemed adequate, she set it to the paper and drew a thin curving line.

"What is she doing?" That was Zuko.

"How should I know? She's your sister." Lu Ten replied, obviously disinterested in the activities his young cousin were partaking in. "Instead of asking me, why don't you go over there and ask her…" He moved one of his pieces, "If you're so interested."

Azula rolled her eyes and created a curve with the ink before broadening her stroke to form the beginnings of an animalistic nose. She was sketching the dragon she had seen-her dragon-even though she had only gotten a fleeting glance of it. Azula wasn't the best artist, but she thought this sketch was rather realistic, especially in the colored ink. The body was long and serpentine with a broad tail tip. The head of this beast was broad and Azula had drawn horns on the dragon's snout.

A shadow was cast of her work and the princess looked up into Zuko's eyes as he observed her creation. "Move," she demanded, "You're blocking my light and taking up my good air." She straightened, "Go spread your failure to somewhere else."

Zuko crossed his arms in front of his chest, "I just wanted to see what you were doing," he said, seemingly unnerved, but Azula could see the annoyance in his golden gaze. "And I'm not a failure." The older boy rolled his eyes. He was challenging her, Azula could see it. "I'm not the failure, you are."

The firbending princess stood, smirking. "Oh, really? I'm the failure, he says. I'm the one who can't remember a full set? Really?" She leaned back on her heels and held up her left hand, creating a spurt of blue flame that hovered in the air above her palm. "I'm the one who can't produce blue fire? How about we take this out in a mock Agni Kai? Of course, if you aren't up to it, I can always come back for another day. How about it, Zuzu?"

Her brother set his jaw, meeting her gaze. "You're on." He growled and stepped back, spreading his legs in the beginning stance and holding his hands out before him, his fire beginning to gather in his palms. Behind him, Mai and Ty Lee looked up from their conversation, curious about what was going to unfold between the two hotheaded siblings.

Azula grinned and drew out a whip of azure fire, kindling it along her fingertips. She drew back her arm and lashed out, willing the flame to narrow at the tip. "Dear Zuzu," She said as it licked at her brother's feet before he stepped back, "You've got to be faster than that."

"Don't worry, I am." The older boy said and jabbed at the air. The fire from his fists flew towards Azula, but the princess knocked it aside with a flick of her wrist. "Don't think I'm going easy on you just because you're my sister."

Before Azula could retaliate, though, Lu Ten briefly looked up from his game. "Stop." He deadpanned, "I don't want to carry around two charred teenagers. After a while, they smell bad…" The prince snorted, "Well, teenagers already smell bad, don't you agree, Zhao?"

Azula only registered half of Lu Ten's statement. Zuko had sent a blast of fire towards her head. She ducked and gave an arching kick. The flame swept over her brother and she laughed. This is easy! Then again, she always won against Zuko, unless she felt nice. But today, she wasn't feeling friendly.

"Oh for the love of all things good, stop!" Lu Ten suddenly cried, throwing down the tile he had been about to move. He rose to his feet and held his hand together in front of his body, parting his way through the flashing blue and orange fire. He stood between his two cousins, eyes blazing with annoyance. "Stop, I said!"

Somewhere off to the side, Azula heard Ty Lee whisper to Mai, "Ooh, Prince Lu Ten is really mad. Just look at his face." Azula took in her older cousin's set jaw and angry squint and some part inside of her flinched.

Lu Ten pointed at Zuko, narrowing his eyes. "Zuko, I'm ashamed of you." He said, "You should know better than to fight your sister. And Azula, don't you start laughing because you're in trouble, too. You're fourteen now, you're not a little girl who can get away with everything. I'm in charge of you two on this trip and you're going to do what I say. Now, Azula, go to your room." He pointed back towards the staircase that led into the belly of the ship.

Azula looked appalled. She had never seen Lu Ten lose his temper like this before, and especially not at her. I will not get sent to my room like a petulant child! She opened her mouth to speak but the look in Lu Ten's eyes clearly said: Don't even think about it and she closed her mouth with a glare as she trudged over to her abandoned sketch and gathered her things.

Ty Lee sent a sympathizing glance in her direction as the princess ground her teeth. The pink-clad girl lifted her lips into a hopeful smile, as though she was wishing that Azula would return it. Azula blinked and lifted her head to the sky, staring up through the clouds above the ship.

There, she thought she saw a flash of blue scales. And then, the white clouds burst and a beast leaps from their depths. The sketch of the dragon falls to the floor with the ink jars as the object of her imagination springs from the loins of the heavens, wings colored the purest of blue. She sees animalistic golden eyes staring down at her. At her, of all people.

The shadow that is cast of the deck causes everyone to look up. There is the dragon, now visible to everyone. Its great talons are wrapped around the railing of the ship and the beat of its wings stirs the air. Azula is stunned by the sight and their gazes meet. Her amber one and the flawless gold of the dragon's. Are you the one? The dragon's eyes seem to say, Are you worthy of me?

She nods numbly in her stupor and steps towards the great winged serpent, extending her hand. She is nervous and part of her is afraid. This thing, this dragon, is suddenly something she could never possess and control. It is suddenly more than a prize to hold above Zuko. It is very real and has a mind of its own. It's asking her if she is worthy to be its human companion. The dragon leans its head forward and Azula's touches it nose, feeling the heat that emanates from its nostrils. I'm worthy of you.

Lifting his head from her touch, the dragon breathes. Then you may call me Sanjiv. Azula isn't sure how she understands this dragon, but she accepts it anyway. Behind her, she can hear the others in frantic whispers. They cannot hear the beast like she does and so they do not know if the beast, Sanjiv, is about to eat them all alive.

"It's alright," She said, turning back to them. "Sanjiv is my friend." She explained, dropping her hand. "He," or was it she? "He isn't dangerous." Part of her feels enlightened, that she had such good fortune that a dragon-the most auspicious creature to walk the earth-would choose her of all people.

Lu Ten is the first to speak, "Well, Azula…" He looked at his youngest cousin, then back at Sanjiv. "You're going to be the one cleaning up after it."

Azula decides she can live with that. She looks up at her new dragon and then back at her brother, whose eyes are filled with envy and awe. That's right, Zuzu, eat it up. She raises her hand and Sanjiv rests his muzzle into her open palm.

Azula feels good inside. She feels perfect…no, more than perfect. She feels…invincible. She feels oh-so-powerful, and oh-so-good! With Sanjiv at her sit, it as though she is stronger than the Spirits themselves. It is as though she can be stopped by no one. She is omnipotent. She is legendary.

And she is.

The movement of the ship is calming to Yue. It rocks under her body as she kneels in front of a half filled bowl of water and a thin bone razor neck to her. Her sleeve is rolled up and there are two tiny nicks near the joining of her forearm and elbow. She was experimenting with healing-even though it didn't feel very safe. It felt like the time when she had first started waterbending, when her first lesson was to move the water in a bowl. She thought she had made some progress-one of her cuts had already healed over.

Aang sat in front of her, hands folded in his lap as he watched. He had fretted over her experimenting on her skin when she had first started, but after multiple reassurances-"I know what I'm doing!"-he had simply sat down to observe. "Can you teach me how to do that?"

Yue looked up, "I can try…after I figure out how to do it myself," she said and grinned toothily, but there was a bit of pessimism in her tone. "This is harder than I thought." If I can't even heal a tiny razor cut, how on earth am I supposed to fix someone's mind?

"I'm sure you'll get it. You're really smart, Yue." He said and dug in his clothes. He pulled out the bison whistle-Yue was still adamant in her belief that he had stolen it, but he had sworn that Air Nomads never stole because they were so peaceful. She wondered that if the airbenders had been more belligerent, they wouldn't have been so easily crushed. Or drowned. What would it be like for an Air Nomad to drown? She thought and looked at Aang. He was so free and joyful, and drowning seemed like it would feel as though you were locked in water. It would be a terrible feeling.

The young Avatar looked at her, his gray gaze dark and serious. "Yue, you know how I said I landed on that glacier with Appa? Well, the Southern Air Temple isn't far from here and what if I blew on the whistle? What if I called to Appa and he came?"

It took Yue a moment to remember who "Appa" was. And then was fairly certain that the child's bison would be dead. But she didn't want to shatter the semi-hopeful look on Aang's face and she nodded her head, smiling as though she meant it. "You can always try," She said and it felt like her face was cracking, "Why don't you blow on it now?"

Aang sprang to life, leaping to his feet. Yue's face plummeted as the boy inhaled, putting the whistle to his lips. She didn't want to see his look of disappointment when no bison came to his beckoning call. He blew and there was a rattling sound from the small object.

There was nothing.

"Oh, Aang," Yue whispered, rising to her feet and walking over to her young friend, putting her hands on his shoulders to comfort him, "I'm sorry." The words didn't seem as though they were enough and they fell emptily into the air. "Your Appa isn't going to come back."

"Don't say that!" Aang snapped, pulling away from her. Yue opened her eyes in surprise and stepped back. He blew in the whistle once more, exhaling until his face was red and his eyes fluttered. Then, he took another breath and continued to blow. Yue thought he was about to faint, but he dropped his hand and stood deathly still, waiting.

Waiting.

Waiting…

She heard something.

A roar.

Aang cried out loudly in joy and threw himself onto the railing of the ship. Yue lunged forward, sure he was about to fall to his death, but somehow he kept his balance with his arms outstretched. "Appa!" He called, "Appa!"

There was a bulky figure approaching across the water. Yue couldn't tell what it was, but Aang looked like he was about to burst with excitement. As it came closer, it looked almost exactly like the stuff toy that she had; only it was real. It was a real bison. It was Appa.

Well, isn't that something? Yue thought and suddenly she was frightened. As the bison came closer to the ship, she stepped back. She had never seen something so big, so formidable in her life. "Uh…Aang…are you sure that's Appa?"

But before the boy could reply, the gigantic bison was suddenly on the deck with Aang beneath its huge front feet, licking him fiercely. Aang laughed, sounding like the little boy he was as he threw his arms around the bison's muzzle. If Yue hadn't been scared stiff, she would have smiled. "Appa, buddy!"

The crew members on the ship stopped mid-step, sharing Yue's fear. None of them had seen a bison in their lives, let alone a friendly one. Yue nearly knocked over the bowl of water in her retreat and suddenly someone is behind her, catching her by her underarms and keeping her upright. It was Sokka, his mouth agape at the sight.

She hadn't known she had screamed, and that had sent the others running towards them. Even Katara was stunned, eyes wide. Aang seemed oblivious to his onlookers as he became reacquainted with his old companion, shedding tears of joy.

"Um…well, he found his Appa." Sokka commented, scratching the back of his head. He was overwhelmed by the bison's appearance. "I guess this means he's happy now?" Yue moved away as she regained most of her composure. "Just look at the kid. I haven't seen him this happy since…since ever, really."

Without warning, the bison turned on them, baring a row of teeth that looked as though they would leave a mark if they ever got a hold of skin. He growled low in his throat, spreading his stout legs apart. Yue gasped as Katara shoved her aside, a water whip aimed at the beast.

Aang scrambled to his feet and stood in front of his humongous pet, shaking his head frantically. "No, don't hurt him!" He cried, "He's just scared of you guys! Right, Appa?" The young boy met Katara's gaze, "You're not going to hurt Appa."

Yue looked at the bison, then at Katara. "Stand down," she said softly, "If he knows Appa, then he's telling the truth. Don't scare him, Katara." The Northern Water Tribe princess watched as the younger princess dropped her liquid weapon back into the bowl. "Don't hurt him."

Katara's gaze hardened for a moment before she huffed, crossing her arms back in front of her chest. She looked as though she wanted to say something, her mouth opened to speak, but then she thought better of it and clamped her lips together, looking off to the side. Yue was surprised. Katara never submitted easily, but she figured that the younger princess was just as startled as she was.

Or perhaps it was the steel that had hardened over Aang's eyes that had subdued her. There was something dangerous and defying in his eyes that made Yue feel as though he was a stranger. He had found his only companion and he didn't want Appa to get hurt. She could understand that.

Aang smiled as Sokka reached out to pat Appa's nose. The bison grumbled deep in his throat and Sokka withdrew for a moment before trying again. His hand made contact with Appa's nose and the Southern Water Tribe prince smiled. "I like him!"

Yue felt her own grin creeping onto her face and it was genuine. Aang's smile did that to her. It made her feel good inside, like she had done something right. Like she was doing a good thing.

As long as Aang was happy, she was happy.

That was alright.

And you thought Appa was dead! (I thought Appa was dead, too)

How come Azula got a dragon and Zuko didn't? Because this story isn't about Zuko. It's about Azula and Yue. But actually, it's because in China, dragons represented good luck and power. Azula is often portrayed as lucky and has many achievements. Lucky dragon=lucky princess. According to the name website I used, "Sanjiv" means reviving, which I think goes along well with what the real series said about a dragon's knowledge of real firebending.

Expect a time-skip to Ba Sing Se next chapter. Just a heads up.