Book 1

Chapter 1

(The People of the Iceberg)

Part 1

"Look I caught one Sokka! I caught one." Katara shouted excitedly. Now one might think that she was just pulling on a fishing rod and was rocking the boat. But Sokka knew better, he knew that his sister was the last waterbender of the southern water tribe, which also meant she was most likely the worst waterbender in the history of waterbending because she had no one to teach her how to use her gift.

"Keep your magical water away from me; I'm the one who always gets soaked when this happens." Sokka not believing for a moment that his sister would have enough skill to actually catch one of the fish lifted his spear in an attempt to get the one right before him accidentally popped the water bubble right above his head and was then soaked in water.

Sokka growled, "This is your fault" pointing to his head and his soaked warrior tail.

Katara snarled back "My fault? I actually caught a fish you're the one who helped it get away. Now we have no food. And it's called waterbending it's an ancient art fo-"

"Ancient art form used for healing and fighting. Yah yah I know, you're very proud of your magic water. You never shut up about it." This was a common argument for the siblings, at least twice a day they argued about something or other. But this time was different this time they were surrounded by water and ice, nowhere near the village and Katara had just had a (minor) waterbending accomplishment. So she through her hands in the air and swung them in a downward motion, unsure herself what her motions would do to the water around her.

The ice began to crack around the boat and then water lifted them up high into the sky. Sokka yelling at Katara, and Katara yelling in surprise the boat they were in started to push them further away from the village then they were allowed to go. The ice was now pushing on all sides of the boat and was causing it to crack into pieces.

"Abandon ship!" shouted Sokka as he pushed himself and Katara over the right side of the boat. The boat then crashed into a wall of ice just in front of them. As everything started to calm down, Sokka and Katara both were panting looking at their sinking boat in disbelief. Katara at how she was able to make a wave that large, and Sokka at how his sister destroyed one of the last boats the southern water tribe had.

"Sokka did you see how big of a wave I made!" Katara shouted.

"Yes Katara, I saw your magic water destroy my boat." Sokka said solemnly, knowing Gran-Gran would make him make the new one not Katara.

But then both siblings noticed the larger problem that mattered right now. They were both stuck on a large iceberg with no more ice around them. They were trapped.

"I can't believe that you're not water bending us out of here. I mean, you're the one that got us into this mess in the first place." Sokka complained to Katara as he tried to paddle the iceberg they were stuck on to any other iceberg or land.

"You can see I'm trying to do that nut for brains, my bending is not as strong as it was before." Katara was attempting to move the iceberg, but was causing more problems than solutions to the sibling's predicament.

Until something odd happens, Katara continuing to make wild arm movements failed to notice that the ice behind her was starting to melt and then begin to shift. As she got more and more frustrated with failing to aid her brother, the water behind her started to form a whirlpool. As Katara continued to seemingly have none of the water follow her movements she then just brought her hands down in anger.

This time the siblings took notice of what was happening behind them. A larger iceberg then the one they were standing on began to rise from the water. It was lighter than the other icebergs around it and the most apparent thing about it was the glow that seemed to be coming from the inside of it. As it broke the surface of the water the siblings saw why. Inside of the icebergs were two people.

The first was a woman, who seemed to be crouching behind the other person in the iceberg inside with her. Apparently hugging him from behind. She was tall and had dark hair but the siblings could see no details inside the iceberg.

The second of which was obviously a boy, but he had no hair on his head. He was the one that was causing the glowing. His tattoos, arrow's covering his arms and his head were glowing a pure white. Then suddenly he opened his eyes and they too were glowing. Katara leaped into action.

"Their alive?!" Sokka exclaimed as his sister was already making her way toward the iceberg.

"Come on Sokka we have to get them out of there" Katara explained as Sokka began to race after her.

"Wait Katara, we don't know why they are inside the ice. They could be cannibals, or meat steal-" Sokka was cut off by Katara storming back again, this time taking the boomerang from his belt and ran back toward the iceberg. She steeled her mind for what might happen and swung.

WUMP PSSSSSSSSSSSSH

Air began to race out of the iceberg pushing Katara back into her brother, as the entire iceberg began to crack. Then suddenly a beam of light shot toward the sky the same color as the glowing boy's tattoos. Creating an aurora borealis from how high the beam went into the sky. The zebra seals began to bark, and Sokka began to panic. The boy and the woman began to lower, until the glowing stopped and they were both on the ground. The boy had slumped to his side when the woman had fallen over him, continuing to protect him through her unconsciousness. Sokka jumped to his feet holding his spear in hand he raced towards them, attempting to look as threatening as possible, began to yell.

"Stop the freakish light thingy!" pointing the spear at the boys head, but then Katara stopped him from saying any more. She grabbed the spear and pointed it away from the boy, and began to untangle him from the woman. Now that they bother were out of the ice she could see them both clearly.

The boy looked much younger than the woman, and appeared to be dressed in colors that were never seen in the southern water tribe. He was wearing what most would think a monk would wear, all yellow and orange. He stood out compared to the white of the ice. He appeared to be no threat to anyone.

The woman on the other hand was a completely different story. She was wearing colors they did recognize. A pinkish red corset with a skirt that went past her knees, she was definitely part of the fire nation. Even if she was only a citizen rather than a soldier, they could not trust her. But before Katara could do anything to restrain her, the boy woke up.

"..come closer…" he whispered. His voice was hoarse and it sounded like he was in pain. So Katara leaned in closer. "…Can i…Ask you something?" the boy spoke again looking her straight in the eye. Then he smiled and appeared to have much more energy than he did before.

"Can you go penguin sledding with me?" He asked. Katara more confused than she had been before, not sure what penguin sledding was to begin with.

"Alright…I guess?" she replied sounding as confused as she looked. The Boy whooped and 'leaped' into the air. When he landed back on the ground Sokka's spear was pointing directly at his head.

"Why are you people not frozen?!" Sokka shouted, just as confused as his sister.

"I dunno" replied the boy, batting away the spear as if it was just a fly that was flying around his head. A large grunt was heard from behind the snowdrift they were in front of. The boy gasped and made his way over the snowdrift to see what had made the noise.

"Appa" the boy shouts "you're alright!" He ran up to hug the huge animal before them. Katara and Sokka were in shock at what was happening, but the boy before them paid them no mind as he attempted to get the flying bison before them to move. But then the boy remembered his female companion.

"Kai-DA" the boy began to shout her name when he suddenly sneezed and flew about 20 feet into the air. That was when Katara suddenly realized what was happening.

"You're an airbender!?" Katara gasped, shock at seeing a bender other than herself for the first time, and a airbender at that. All of them were supposed to be dead.

"Yep, I'm Aang an airbender of the southern temple. What's your name?" the boy landed in front of her and her brother both standing in shock, barely understanding what was happening.

"You just flew 10 feet in the air?!" Sokka exclaimed, suddenly recalling when Gran-Gran told them of the airbenders, but he never really believed her stories of them.

"Really? It felt higher than that. Hey, do you know where Kaida went? She usually never leaves me alone for this long and she is totally going to kill me for what I-"

"For running away? No, I would not kill you. I am very disappointed that you did not think this through completely and I had to run off with you. But I would not kill you for being scared and doing as your instincts told you to do." Said a soft voice behind the water tribe siblings they both jumped and looked behind them seeing the woman from before, who was looking at Aang with a disappointed aura surrounding her.

"I'm sorry about what happened during the storm Kaida. But we're okay now so all should be forgiven." Aang smiled and Kaida shook her head, she appeared used to Aang's energy. So she then turned to Katara and Sokka smiling.

"Hello, My name is Kaida I'm a firebender from Ember Island and guard to the-"Kaida spoke, her voice just as soft as before, but instead of sounding disappointed as she had before she now sounded formal like she had said this greeting before dozens of times. But before she could finish Aang put her hand over her mouth.

"They get it your boring. Hey how are you guys gonna get off this iceberg?" said Aang, pointing toward the sea and how the siblings had no way to make it home.

"We would be happy to take you to the southern water tribe village on Appa if you would like. I would like to speak to the chief or the elder" said Kaida. The water tribe siblings were in shock, not only was the girl really a firebender, but she was also friends with the airbender. So they both nodded and let themselves be lead toward the flying bison. Katara, Sokka, and Kaida all sat in the back area while Aang airbender himself onto Appa's neck.

"Alright you first time fliers, remember not to throw up on the people sitting next to you. Appa, yip yip." Aang shook the reigns but Appa only waddled into the water and began to swim in the direction that Aang wanted them to go in.

"I hate to burst your bubble, but your so called flying bison doesn't fly." Said Sokka, not impressed with the airbender's pet.

"Appa's just tired. Soon he'll be souring through the sky". Aang replied not at all offended at Sokka's comment.

Kaida smiled as she looked toward the horizon, something felt off. She could feel it in her bones. But she could also tell that she and Aang were both right where they were supposed to be, or she should say, when they were supposed to be.