BOOK 1: WATER
CHAPTER 5

"Oppressed"

If Katara had ever been told that, in her life, she would console the Avatar, she would have laughed. The thought that an all-powerful being, capable of bringing entire nations to their knees, would need the comfort of a friend was alien to the waterbender, and so she was momentarily surprised when she found Aang half a mile from the camp, crying into a river.

The airbender didn't acknowledge her presence, doubled over in grief with his head scraping the dirt, and Katara had stopped suddenly at the sight, at a loss for words. She thought he was injured at first, but the sound of his sobbing snapped her from her surprise and drove her to his side. "Aang, what's wrong?" she asked softly, hugging his shoulders to give him comfort.

Aang didn't answer, continuing to sob into his hands, and Katara held him close, intent to wait for him as long as he took to overcome whatever had ailed him. She rubbed his naked back, guessing he had left his shirt back at camp, and wondered what bothered the man so much that he would walk so far from the camp in the middle of the night. She suspected it was his people's fate, knowing it had to eventually hit him full force sooner or later. She couldn't think of a single thing to say to comfort him, and could only hold the man as he wept.

She had no idea how long she held him - it didn't matter to her if she were there the entire night - but eventually his sobs ceased. For another long stretch of time, he sat staring into the river that had swallowed his tears, still refusing to speak. Katara didn't break the silence, but still wrapped her arm around him to show her concern for him. She supposed it comforted him. He didn't shove her away, but then he hadn't acknowledged her in any way since her arrival.

She was debating on asking him if she could do anything for him when he finally spoke. "They're really gone," was all he said, and Katara's heart ached as he confirmed her suspicions. He was weeping over his race's genocide. She still didn't say anything; what could she say? There was nothing but time that could heal his wound. "I guess..." he started, "I guess it didn't sink in." He looked at her, his eyes still wet, and Katara felt her lip tremble as she beheld hopelessness and despair in his gray orbs. His mouth creased as he held in his sorrow. "I just..." His words fell short as another wave of grief overtook him and he looked away as he began to sob again. Katara pulled him close, offering what little comfort she could give as she stroked his back reassuringly. Eventually, he pulled away, wiping his eyes as he composed himself. "I'm sorry," he began, but Katara interrupted whatever else he was about to say with a shake of her head.

"Don't be," she said. "You have every right to feel as you do." His downcast expression said he believed differently, and Katara turned his face to look at her. "You once told me the Avatars were people, just like everyone else." She saw and felt her vision blur with tears as the sight of Aang looking so devastated threatened to overwhelm her with sadness. "Well people go through sorrow. They cry. They shout. They get angry." She let go of his face as she reiterated, "There's nothing wrong with acknowledging the hurt in your heart." He still didn't answer, and Katara shook her head in sympathy. "Why is it so hard for you to accept what you feel?"

His answer surprised her. "Because I have too much power." He held her gaze, a serious light in his eyes. "I can't let my emotions win, or I could do something I would regret."

Katara shook her head again. "But that's no reason to feel shame at your emotions." Exasperated, she couldn't think of a counterargument for his answer even though she felt in her heart that there was one. "I don't know how to explain it, Aang, but it feels wrong to deny yourself your own emotions."

"It does feel wrong," he agreed morosely, "but it's necessary for me to preserve the balance of the world."

At a loss for words, Katara just stared. "How did you come up with this idea?"

He was silent for a time, his thoughts obviously troubled, but Katara waited until he spoke. "I thought about what I'd do to Sozin if he were still alive." He looked away. "I imagined killing him. Over and over again. I thought of different ways to do it. And I've thought about doing it to that prince that's chased me across the world. I could kill him easily. He wouldn't stand a chance." He looked up at her. "I don't want to feel such hate for anyone, even the one that killed my people. I'd rather not feel anything." He shook his head in confusion. "I don't see why you care so much. This is my burden. Why are you so concerned?"

"Because I know it will make you miserable," Katara explained. He didn't deny it, and Katara pressed further. "You can't stop feeling for things or for people. The day you do is the day you don't care anymore." Her brow furrowed as she said her next words. "And I wouldn't feel any safer with an indifferent Avatar than I would Fire Lord Ozai."

Surprised, Aang looked up to see that Katara was serious. "You mean that?"

Katara nodded rigidly. "If the Avatar doesn't care for me and my people, then I don't trust him. I don't want to simply be protected because that's how it's supposed to be." She glared at Aang, and a part of her knew that, though he was still saddened over his loss, he needed this, too. "I want to be protected knowing the Avatar would be devastated if anything happened to us. Because I know he'd try harder to save me." Her gaze softened at his troubled expression. "It's dangerous to feel emotions. I know. You could lose yourself in them and hurt people you love. But it's even more dangerous to not care for anyone."

Aang considered her words for a time, simply staring into the river. Katara wondered anxiously what he was thinking, and hoped that what she had said was right. Finally, he turned to her. "I'll think on what you've said, Katara. I appreciate your honesty." He smiled at her before he noticeably shivered. "We'd better get back to camp. It'll be dawn soon."

Katara nodded, helping him to his feet and smiling at him reassuringly. "I imagine you're exhausted. You need to rest."

Aang nodded. "I think you're right." He smiled at her again as they made their trek back to camp. "Thank you again, Katara."

Katara smiled back, hoping that she had simply made a difference.

When the sun rose the next morning, Katara awoke to see Aang already up, sitting in a meditative stance with his eyes closed. Katara wondered if the airbender had gotten any sleep at all or if he had spent the rest of the night brooding as she slept. He seemed better, though, smiling warmly at her as she sat up, and gave no indication that anything had happened last night.

"Good morning, Katara."

Stunned, Katara couldn't say anything at first, which amused Aang. "Did you get any sleep?" she asked, and the Avatar nodded.

"I did. Oddly enough, it was comfortable too, considering last night's conversation." He smiled again. "I haven't made my decision, but you've given me a lot to think about."

Katara smiled back. "I'm just glad I could help." She gestured to him. "Is that what you're meditating on now?"

Aang shook his head. "No. I'll decide later when I've had time to consider the problem. This is part of my morning meditations. It's where I reflect on my teachings and remember the lessons of my people. It prepares me for the rest of the day."

Katara cocked an eyebrow. "Do you do this every morning?" He nodded, and Katara's brow furrowed. "We've been traveling together for over a month. How have I not noticed before?"

Aang smiled sheepishly. "I prefer to do my morning meditations while it's quite and no one's awake. There's less to distract me."

"Oh," Katara said, looking at the mala at his knees while he waited for her. "Have I interrupted you?" Aang only smiled, genuinely amused, and Katara felt herself flush with embarrassment. "I'm sorry! I didn't know!"

Aang shook his head. "Don't worry about it. We were constantly interrupting our teachers during morning meditation at the temples. It's just a part of life for us to be distracted."

Katara smiled. "Well, I'll go ahead and let you get back to it." She slid out of her sleeping bag as Aang nodded at her and picked up his mala. She found her curiosity piqued and watched as he began his meditation.

He started with the central piece, the wooden disc that was larger than the other beads and had the Air Nomad symbol on it. He began his mantras, silently mouthing them to himself as he recalled the lessons each mantra taught, and Katara smiled as she admired the man's spirituality. As he finished each mantra, he moved on to another bead, mouthing another mantra as he kept his head bowed in deference. She saw him thumbing the beads as he meditated, and wondered just what the mala was for, and why he used it meditate. Feeling disrespectful, Katara turned from him to pick up her sleeping mat, rolling it up before carefully stepping over Sokka's sleeping form on the way to Appa's saddle. She traded her mat for a pack, digging inside for clean linen cloth, before stepping away from the camp a respectable ways to relieve herself. After she had finished, she replaced the linen around her pelvis and breasts with clean linen, gathered up the soiled ones and the pack, and walked to the river she had found Aang near last night. She knelt down at the riverbank, digging a small root out of the pack and placing it in a bone bowl before filling the bowl with water and crushing the root with another piece of whale bone from her home. The result was a solution that, when used on clothing, eliminated stains and odors. It was a nice substitute to her grandmother's method; sea urchin secretions were hard to come by out here.

She returned to the saddle after washing her linens and replaced the pack. She turned from the saddle to see the airbender still reciting his mantras, and decided to do something productive while she waited for Aang to finish and for the other two to wake. She thought about searching the surrounding woods for food, but would want to let the others know where she was going. She didn't want to disturb Aang, though, and if she woke the others, they might distract him as well. Gathering food wasn't an option, at least not yet.

With that off the list, there wasn't much else they did to pack up camp. She looked around once more before deciding to meditate on her chi. She settled into a sitting position, closing her eyes and blocking out all distractions as Aang had taught her, extending her spiritual awareness to the various chi around her. She could feel the water in her friends, sensing the blood rushing through their veins and arteries. She felt the water in the plants and deep in the soil, and the slight mist of water throughout the air that was invisible and untouchable to anyone not a waterbender. At that thought, she had an idea, and began to concentrate on the water that made up a part of the air, trying to understand how Aang was so easily able to pull water from the air. She tried sweeping her hands like she did near visible bodies of water, but didn't feel the water stir. It hung there in the air, still saturating the air with humidity, as if a mocking wall. She sat for a time, considering how this was any different from any other water she had manipulated, and couldn't find anything truly different about it. The only thing she could see differently about it was that she couldn't see it. If Aang had never waterbent the water from the air like he had on several occasions, she never would have known water resided in the air.

She smiled to herself. She probably would have figured it out eventually. It was there, like water all around her, but in smaller quantities. It was easily missed in favor of larger pools of water around her. That train of thought reignited her desire to learn how Aang pulled water from the air. Maybe she could ask him to teach...

...her to pull the water... Maybe that was it. Maybe she wasn't doing it right. As she reflected on the last few times she attempted the feat, she thought that she was willing the water to obey. She knew that wasn't correct, as waterbenders had to pull or push the water to manipulate it; it wouldn't just obey. Maybe the situation changed her thoughts about how to waterbend it; after all, she couldn't see it, so it was hard to imagine pulling water in that sense.

With this newfound knowledge, Katara again reflected on the water that resided in the air, cupping her hands together as she applied her theory. She used her chi to feel the water around her hands, and focused the chi within her hands to pull the water together. It was more difficult than she imagined, but she was rewarded with the feeling of wet hands, and she smiled as she saw a small pool of water having formed in the palm of her hands.

"That's impressive," Aang said suddenly, startling the waterbender. He chuckled from his place where he had been meditating, but he stood and walked to Katara, sitting in front of her with a smile. "Did you figure that out all by yourself?" He gestured to the small pool of water in her hands, and Katara blushed with embarrassment.

"Yeah," she said, unsure of how to explain it. "I just...wanted to figure out how you did it. Pulling water from the air like you do."

"Why didn't you ask?"

Katara shrugged. "I don't know. I guess I never really thought about it until now, and even then I didn't want to interrupt your meditations. They're very important to you, and I didn't want to impose..." She smiled sheepishly, and Aang chuckled at her concern.

"Katara, you wouldn't be imposing. Your questions and concerns are very important, and I'd be happy dedicating time to those as well." He smiled at her again, and Katara briefly found herself lost in that smile before he continued. "I would have gladly taught you how to waterbend moisture from the air, but I'm impressed you discovered it on your own. I'm surprised you had to have a teacher in the first place." Katara only blushed at the compliment, and Aang changed the subject. "Do you have any other questions I could answer?"

Katara, having looked away in embarrassment at his praise, turned to him with a question in mind. "Yes, actually. A week ago, on Kyoshi Island, you said something about bloodbending, and about how I should never attempt it until we've talked about it." Aang tilted his head in recollection of that conversation, his good humor replaced by seriousness. "What exactly is bloodbending, and why would you caution me against its use?"

Aang ducked his head in thought for a moment, and Katara felt as if she had broached a forbidden subject. "Bloodbending is a specialized form of waterbending, just like healing is. It allows a waterbender to take hold of the various fluids in a living thing and manipulate them, achieving different results with different applications. The problem with it, though, is that it's an extremely sharp double-edged sword." He folded his hands in his lap as he continued. "If you remember, and if you've been observant, you've probably noticed that the blood in someone's body is just water with life-giving properties. A waterbender is fully capable of bending the blood in someone's body to do different things." He held out a hand. "A healer can use bloodbending to stop someone from bleeding out while they heal the wound, or to cure a disease that runs through someone's blood." He held out his other hand. "However, a waterbender is also capable of bending someone's blood to control their body. Wherever the blood is made to go, the body will follow. You could literally boil someone alive in their own blood. My past lives have even seen bloodbenders suck water right out of a person, killing them instantly." He put his hands back in his lap. "You can see just how such an art could be dangerous."

Katara nodded, eyes wide. She had no idea that her bending art could be so dangerous. "So it'd be better for me not to even think of using it," she said, already knowing what Aang's answer would be.

The Avatar, to her surprise, shook his head. "Not necessarily. Like I said, bloodbending could be very useful in healing someone. I just want you to know about it before you try it. Bloodbending could be lethal if abused."

Katara nodded. "So when we were healing that Kyoshi warrior a week ago, you were bloodbending?"

Aang nodded. "I've used it twice in my life. Once to heal, and once for defense." He crossed his arms as he elaborated. "During my time, an earthbender was using his abilities to attack a family that had wronged him. This was when I had finished learning waterbending, and was starting my earthbending training. I was maybe seventeen then." He looked up in thought. "His earthbending skill far exceeded my own, and even my combination of airbending and waterbending couldn't overpower him. People were in danger. As a final resort, I froze him in place with bloodbending. He couldn't move, and I proved to him with a demonstration that I had complete control over his body." He looked back at Katara, not at all pleased with himself. "It was the only time I've used bloodbending on someone as a form of combat. Now I train so that I can beat them without having to resort to such a technique."

Katara nodded, absorbing his words with careful consideration. "I think I understand." She was silent for a moment before thinking of another question. "I actually have another question. Back in Omashu, Bumi mentioned something that's been bothering me for some time." She resituated herself before continuing. "Bumi said that you mastered soulbending." She gave him a questioning look. "What is that?"

Aang sucked in a breath as he considered how he should answer. "I really don't feel comfortable with this," he began, and Katara felt surprise.

"Oh, I didn't mean to bring it up," she said, suddenly embarrassed, but Aang stopped her apology short.

"No, it's not your fault," he said, scratching his head awkwardly. "Bumi's the one that put me in this awkward position, but I would rather you hear it from me than someone else." He took a deep breath before continuing. "Soulbending is pretty much what it sounds like. Someone who masters it can bend the very soul of a person." Katara's eyes widened at the Avatar's words. "With it, I can take someone's ability to bend their element, I can put them into a state of hibernation, I can open or close their chi paths or chakra pools, and many other things." He looked away from Katara, feeling slightly nervous. Soulbending was a sensitive subject that was hotly contested in his time, and for good reason. Soulbenders were capable of terrible acts that could very rarely be countered. He wondered how Katara would react to the ability. "Soulbending is very dangerous, but thankfully, also very rare. Until I mastered it, there wasn't a single soulbender in my time."

"Wow..." Katara said, awestruck. "I've never heard of such a thing.

Aang smiled sheepishly. "I doubt anyone alive has. It's a lost art. I was fortunate to learn it from a past life."

Katara nodded. "So you could take someone's bending away?" Aang nodded. "Could you give people bending abilities?" She briefly thought about being able to bend the other elements before Aang shook his head.

"No. I could only restore your bending if you were suddenly cut off from it. A non-bender will never be able to bend elements, and I can never give you bending abilities you weren't born with." Katara grew silent, contemplating this new information, and Aang cocked his head. "Is there anything else you'd like to know?" Katara shook her head and Aang nodded. "Good. If you have any questions, though, please don't hesitate to ask." He smiled, and she returned it before he stood. He offered his hand to her and pulled her to her feet as he said, "We can probably gather food for breakfast while these two sleep." He gestured to Sokka and Suki, and Katara nodded in agreement.

"I'll see if I can gather fish from the river. You can gather some fruits or vegetables around here." The Avatar nodded to Katara, and the two benders set to work. Within the hour, both returned with ample food for the day. Skilled with cooking fish, Katara began prepping the seafood for their meal. Aang found himself nauseated at the smell of cooking flesh and excused himself, retreating further into the woods to meditate. Katara busied herself with preparing the site for breakfast, watching as the smell of cooking fish stirred the two warriors from their sleep.

Suki was first to rise, the conditioned fighter alert and awake moments from opening her eyes. She took in the state of the camp quickly, already moving to pack her own things and dress herself for travel. At the sight of Katara, she offered a greeting. "Good morning, Katara."

The waterbender smiled at Suki, despite her discomfort; Suki's seriousness still made her feel awkward. "Good morning! Did you sleep well?"

Suki nodded, offering a rare smile. "I did." She finished rolling up her mat and walked to Appa's saddle, the bison currently grazing away from the others. "You should have woken me," she said as she threw her mat in the saddle. "I would have helped pack up."

Katara shook her head as she flipped the fish over to cook the other side. "There was only Aang's pack and my own. We didn't need you."

Suki nodded and looked around. "Where is the Avatar?"

Katara pointed in the direction she had seen him go. "Meditating in the woods. The smell of cooking meat makes him nauseous."

Suki cocked an eyebrow. "Really?"

Katara nodded, checking the meat. "Air Nomads are vegetarians. He was raised to abstain from eating meat."

Suki put a hand on a hip. "How do you know?"

Katara moved the fish from the fire to one of the bone plates she had brought from home. "We talk. I asked him about his people, thinking it would help him deal with his loss. The Air Nomads are a very interesting people." She moved more fish to the fire as Suki came around to look at her.

Suki didn't seem pleased with Katara's interest in the Avatar. "You shouldn't be so intimate with the Avatar," she warned, surprising Katara. "The Avatar doesn't need to be emotionally compromised while trying to save our world."

At a loss for words, Katara simply stared. "What? What are you talking about?"

Suki's gaze hardened. "The Avatar is the only one who can stop the Fire Nation. If he is more afraid to lose any of us than he is to do what is necessary to stop Ozai, the Fire Nation holds the advantage over him. They can use us to get to him, and it will be much easier to kill him if they employed a hostage situation that worked." Suki crossed her arms. "It would be better for us to remain detached from each other. Difficult decisions would be easier to make."

In all her life, Katara had never heard of such a thought. It went beyond her entire lifestyle; it was unthinkable to not care for others, especially on a journey as this. Suki was asking her to be able to sacrifice others to ensure Aang survived, even her brother! She opened her mouth to argue, but the words died in her mouth as she remembered Aang telling her of a similar thought last night.

Suki pressed the point further, kneeling down to eye level with the waterbender. "If Aang was put in a position where he had to turn himself in to the Fire Nation, or you would die, which would he choose?" Katara thought about the uncomfortable question and could instantly know he would turn himself in, regardless of the danger to his life. That was the kind of person he was, and even worse, Katara encouraged that kind of behavior. Certainly not the act itself, but a caring attitude nonetheless. She looked up to see that Suki's eyes reflected her own doubt. "As horrible as it sounds, the Avatar's life is more important than ours combined. Getting close to him as friends, or more, will put everyone's lives at risk." With that, Suki walked away to meditate and to train before breakfast, leaving Katara to mull over her words.

Sokka soon woke to discover that the fish he was going to have for breakfast was burned, and his sister was looking dejected. "Katara?" he asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "What's wrong?" His sister didn't answer, and Sokka crawled over to where he sister sat, eyeing the burnt fish but not really seeing it. He shook her shoulder as he asked again, "Katara, what's wrong?" She looked at him, and he could tell she was deeply troubled by something. She was hesitant to say anything, and as she struggled with words, Sokka took a look around to notice that they were alone. "Where is everyone?" Appa was grazing on the edge of the camp, signaling to Sokka that they hadn't been left out here by themselves.

Katara shook her head as she looked away, crossing her arms. "Suki tells me that we're wrong by becoming friends with Aang. She says it could emotionally compromise him, and he won't be able to make the important decisions needed to save our world."

Sokka's brow furrowed as he listened to Katara explain the entire conversation to him. He remained silent after she had finished, sitting on his heels as he thought about the entire ordeal. "Well," he began, "Suki's right." Katara looked to him, surprised, and he held up his hand to stay any argument until he explained himself. "I truly hope Aang is able to make tough choices to save the world. Personally, I would die willingly if it would help save everyone else." He made a wry smile. "I would like very much not to die, but if that's the only choice, I'd gladly give my life to save everyone. I know Suki and you would too. But Suki is just worried about Aang's personality. He's such a nice person, it'd be almost impossible for him to just let someone die, even if that person's death helped bring about peace in the world. Aang seems like that kind of person that would gladly throw himself in harm's way before allowing anyone else to get hurt. Unfortunately, he's not in a position where he can endanger his life at every moment, even if it's to save his best friends." He shrugged as Katara processed the information. "Ultimately, I like to let everyone make their own choices. I doubt we can make the Avatar do anything if he's of a mind to."

Katara nodded, sighing. "Yeah, I guess you're right." She looked to Sokka as the older tribesman started packing his sleeping blanket up. "But what should we do? Do we act differently? Do we still be friendly or keep him at arm's length?"

Sokka gave her a confident look, cradling his blanket under an arm. "Do what you think is right, Katara. Nobody can tell you how to live your life." With a final smile, he walked away to place his blanket with everyone else's in the saddle, leaving Katara to think on the subject even more. It stressed her to think of how to act, and she thought of the irony that she was now going through the same thing Aang was going through. She hoped he could come up with an answer; she had no idea.

Aang appeared minutes later, looking chipper and ready to go. "All done?" he asked expectantly.

Katara shook her head as she and Sokka went over the fruits and nuts Aang had found earlier. "No. I burned the fish." Her confession amused Aang, and she gave him a mocking glare as he sat with them.

"Where's Suki?" Aang asked as he popped a nut into his mouth.

"Meditating out beyond the treeline," Katara said. She quickly changed the subject, wanting to avoid anything to do with Suki at the moment. "So how long do you think it'll be before we get to the Northern Water Tribe?"

Aang chewed thoughtfully for a moment before swallowing. "Honestly, I can see it being as long as Bumi said. Maybe another month." He looked to Appa, the sky bison having finished grazing and was dozing on a patch of grass. "I would really hate to push Appa more than I need to. If I exhaust him every day, he'll get pretty mean and the last thing you want to see is an angry sky bison." He allowed himself a small smile as he ate a berry.

Suki joined them shortly after they had finished eating. She ate the portion they saved for her, and began helping pack up the rest of the camp, acting as if nothing had transpired between her and Katara. Both women didn't speak a word of it to Aang, and to the waterbender's relief, Suki was very polite to Katara, as if they never had the disagreement to begin with. Suki's questioning eyes were enough to remind her of the warrior's opinion, however, and Katara began to brood on her actions and words to Aang.

Just as they were finished packing up, all four suddenly heard-and felt-the earth quake. They all looked around, already alert for any sign of danger; the Avatar could be attacked at any moment, and they all were aligned with him. They were in just as much danger as Aang.

"What was that?" Sokka said, voicing everyone's unspoken question. He flexed his hands, having left his club at the saddle, and too cautious to go get it at the moment.

Again, the earth quaked, the ground thundering off in the distance. Aang, having stretched out his senses as far as he could, sensed the displaced air to the west and pointed in that direction. "It's coming from over there." He quickly grabbed his staff and took off toward the sound, Katara and Suki in tow, leaving Sokka behind.

"Isn't there something strange about running towards huge booms?" he asked no one in particular as he jogged to catch up. He joined them as they knelt behind a fallen tree, overlooking a ravine. In the ravine was a man dressed in a dark yellow tunic with green trim, with a green headband holding back long hair. He was stout, well-muscled, and was rugged and dirty. Added the fact that he was moving rocks at a simple gesture, and he could only be one thing.

"An earthbender!" Katara whispered.

Aang watched the man with an observant eye, taking in the man's form and skill as he practiced his earthbending. "What is he doing all the way out here?" He asked.

"Perhaps there's a village nearby," Suki offered.

"They'd have more food than vegetables," Sokka said, excited for the prospect of eating something meaty. He looked to Aang as an afterthought. "Sorry, Aang. Nothing against fruit."

Aang merely smiled as he watched the earthbender. The man moved with assuredness, but Aang could tell there was some hesitance in his bending, as if he were afraid of the earth he was moving. He furrowed his brow in confusion as he considered the earthbender in front of him. "He could give us information about the Fire Nation around here." He looked to the others. "I say we should talk to him." Katara nodded, and Sokka smiled.

"Good idea. We might not want to all go out at the same time, though," the male tribesman warned. "It might spook him." He looked at the others with a small smile. "It'd put me on guard, finding four strangers out here in the middle of nowhere."

Aang nodded. "Right. We don't know how he'll react, so I'll go out there. Just in case he tries to attack." Aang didn't say it, but it was a truth no one needed to say; the people of the world didn't trust each other, all because of the Fire Nation. Omashu proved that.

He took a deep breath and stepped out into view, along the edge of the ravine. The earthbender didn't notice him, so ingrained in his training was he, and Aang took the time to watch him. The earthbender was simply practicing bending earth from the ravine and slamming it into the walls with as much force as he could muster. It was basic, and it struck Aang as strange that the man was using such a simple form at his age. He decided to make himself known by pointing out that detail to the man.

"You know," he began, startling the man into dropping his boulder, "earthbending is much more than just slamming rocks into the sides of ravines." He took a step forward, but stopped as the man's face grew fearful. Aang hesitated, confused, and the man used that moment to turn and run from the ravine, bending the earth to form an avalanche behind him to discourage pursuit. Aang watched, staring in the direction the man had run, wondering just what he had said to make the man run like that. He heard the sound of feet sliding on earth as the three slid down into the ravine to join him.

"Good job, Aang," Sokka said, finding the situation unusually humorous. He patted the airbender on the shoulder as he said, "Good to know you still have people skills."

"Ha," Aang said with a sideways glance at the warrior before returning his gaze to the blocked exit. "I wonder why he was so fearful of me." He fell into silence, leaning on his staff while looking for an answer.

"Perhaps it was your tattoo?" Suki offered. "He might have recognized you as an airbender, or even the Avatar."

Aang shook his head. "No. I've been gone for over one hundred years, and though word has traveled of my return, it wouldn't have traveled this far yet." He narrowed his gaze. "Something else is going on here."

"He had to be running toward a village," Katara said, crossing her arms. "I doubt he'd be too far from civilization just to practice earthbending."

Aang nodded. "Yes. We should follow him." He smiled. "Perhaps we can find something to eat in that village that is more filling than fruit." He gave Sokka a knowing smile, to which the warrior chuckled and nodded.

"The best idea I've heard all morning."

They topped a hill and immediately knew something was wrong with the village below. Even Aang, in his short time in the present, knew that something wasn't as it should be with the small settlement. The village was coastal, but no activity could be seen on the piers. The markets, while large, where absurdly quiet, and not many people were walking the streets. Even worse than that, though, were the Fire Nation soldiers patrolling the streets, some on Komodo Rhinos, some on foot. They were definitely the contributing factor to the air of oppression felt throughout the village.

"Are we sure he ran in here?" Sokka asked, eyeing the Fire Nation soldiers with a wary eye. Though they were hidden just beyond the horizon, they continued to be cautious.

Aang nodded at the warrior's question. "I'm sure of it. His tracks lead us here." They watched the village for some time before Aang decided to enter, despite the danger. "C'mon. We need to get in there and find out just what's going on."

"No!" Suki said, glaring at the airbender. "It's too dangerous! Soldiers patrol every street! They'll likely see you and know you for who you are!"

Aang looked at Suki, confused at her sudden outburst. "I have to go in there. I have to know what the Fire Nation is doing to those villagers."

"Going in there will only put you in more danger," Suki argued. "You should make haste to the Northern Water Tribe, and then move on to Ba Sing Se to enlist the other nations' help. You can't be of any use to us if you die in a vain attempt to free one small community!"

Aang's eyes narrowed, and the others were surprised to see the unexpected anger the airbender had as he glared at Suki. "One small community can make the difference between success and defeat!" He pointed to the village as he continued, "The Fire Nation won't be defeated by the might of both capitols alone. We must unite all of each nation, or we will still be defeated!"

"And you can't do that if you die down there!"

"I will not die, Suki!" He hissed. "I am the Avatar! One contingent of soldiers isn't enough to warm me up! And I will not stand by while others suffer. If I can help, I will!" He allowed Katara a glance, a small knowing smile playing across his lips as he continued, his gaze returning to Suki. "I will never forgive myself if I am able to save the lives of people that are under oppression, only to walk away."

Suki gritted her teeth. "That's exactly what I'm saying! You need to organize the main bodies of the remaining nations as quickly as possible to defeat the Fire Nation! Only after the head is dead will the branching limbs of the firebenders die! With each community you visit, with each village you save, another is sacrificed! To save the greatest number of people, you must rally the nation capitals and attack the archipelago directly!"

Katara watched, uneasy as she saw Aang's eyes and tattoos flash for a moment, the avatar standing to his full height just out of sight of the village below. "Do you not know that you argue with the wisdom of ages past? That you protest against the experience of those who have seen more of life than you could hope to fathom?" Her silence allowed him a moment's respite to calm down before he continued, softly. "Even Kyoshi from generations past agrees with me; we must not pass these innocents by." He saw Suki seem to consider his words more carefully at the mention of her matron. "Just as pack of wolves kills a bison with numbers and glancing blows, so too will the nations overwhelm the Fire Nation, but not with brute force. If I'm to have any chance of defeating Fire Lord Ozai and his army, I'll need the full support of everyone I can find. The more people I free, the more that will unite under our banner, casting aside their fear in favor of hope and determination." Suki didn't look convinced of his argument, but she knew she couldn't sway him, and so nodded, all emotion fading from her face.

"Very well, Avatar. Whatever you command."

Aang's gaze lingered on her a moment longer before he turned to the tribesmen. "What do you two think?"

Sokka nodded, a look of determination across his face. "I'm in."

Katara nodded. "Me too."

Aang nodded, relieved that he didn't have to convince the two of them as well. "Good. Let's go."

The four quickly made their way down the hill, passing into the village as casually as possible. Aang steered them towards the market, where he thought he was less likely to be noticed by the Fire Nation soldiers. He didn't know if they were informed of him or not, but it was best not to find out. He felt slightly awkward walking into a market without a mind to buy anything, but fell into a step of browsing the booths as he walked by them, all the while keeping an eye out for the man. They didn't fall too far behind him; he couldn't have gotten far.

As he scoured the market for a trace of the man, he couldn't help but notice how extensive the Fire Nation oppression was just from standing in the market. Not a single vendor hawked his products to any of the buyers walking throughout the market. They would simply watch as someone browsed through their goods, their eyes slightly interested, but more fearful than anything else. Aang could tell right away that the buyers and merchants both didn't want to be out in the open, but their survival depended on the market. It worried him that the Fire Nation could affect a village so greatly without violence.

"There he is," Sokka said, sliding up to Aang's left and gesturing over his shoulder. Thankful for the respite from his thoughts, Aang looked to see the earthbender they had seen earlier walking into an enclosed shop. He looked to find Katara and Suki and beckoned them to join him.

"He went in there," Aang said as they closed the distance, and the four followed the man inside the dark shop.

Inside, they saw that they had walked into a clothing shop of meager wear, ranging from men's work clothes to women's casual dresses. To the tribesmen, it was refreshing to see new styles of clothing. A woman stood behind a counter, dressed in earthen colors, and a single window decorated one wall of the shop. Aang, meanwhile, had located the earthbender, who was staring at them in what seemed to be terror.

Katara suddenly stepped forward, gesturing to the man. "Hey. Why did you run away before? Did Aang say something wrong?"

The man shook his head. "Uh, you must have me confused with some other guy. I've never seen you."

"But you've seen me," Aang said, stepping around her, resting his staff on the floor as he regarded the man before him. The man offered no argument, and so Aang simply stared for a moment. The woman, whoever she was, remained silent as she watched the travelers confront the man. Aang cocked an eyebrow. "Why did you run? What did I say that offended you?" The man only took a deep breath, and Aang let out a breath of his own as he started over. "Perhaps I should introduce myself. My name is Aang. Who are you?"

The man sighed, brow furrowed as if considering some difficult question. Finally, he answered. "My name is Haru." He gestured to the woman behind the counter. "This is my mother, Helena." He looked between all the travelers before asking another question. "Who are all of you?"

Aang smiled in an attempt to bring peace to the man. "This is Sokka and Katara, of the Southern Water Tribe. This is Suki, a Kyoshi warrior from the island of Kyoshi." He gestured to himself. "As I said before, I am Aang." He looked to the woman and back at Haru as he decided to make his intentions known. "I am an airbender, the last of my kind. The Fire Nation exterminated my people from the face of the earth, and I have pledged to stop them before others meet the same fate."

Haru simply stared, but Helena gasped. "That's impossible! Stories tell of the airbenders being wiped out almost one hundred years ago." She scrutinized Aang, walking around the counter to better look at him. "You can't be older than Haru." Her voice and demeanor said that she didn't believe him, and he could tell she was slightly frustrated by his story.

Aang smiled at her despite her accusing look – she obviously considered him a liar – and gestured to his companions. "Believe what you will, but we are here to help." He looked back at her and Haru as he frowned. "I know the Fire Nation has oppressed you. Your village is terrified. Even now, between you two, I can feel that fear." Both Haru and his mother seemed to wither under his words, as they evidently rang true. "Before we can help you fight against the Fire Nation, I need to know what happened here. Only then can we plan actions to overthrow them."

At this, Haru and Helena gasped, with the older woman suddenly running to the window and closing it forcefully. She turned to Aang, frightened anger on her face. "You fool! Do not speak like that in this village!" she whispered.

Katara furrowed her brow, irritated at the woman's demeanor when they were only trying to help. "He wants to help. He's the only person who could help. You should listen to him."

Helena shook her head. "What can the four of you do that could possibly help us? Our earthbenders were twice as seasoned as you, and the Fire Nation still enslaved us."

"They singlehandedly saved my village from a Fire Nation raid two weeks ago," Suki put in, her face hard as she started down the woman.

Helena shook her head, glaring at the four of them as she wrestled with frustration. "No! We can't fight the Fire Nation! All of our earthbenders were defeated by them years ago! They're too strong, and to try to overpower them will only result in death!"

Aang furrowed his brow. "Surely you're tired of the Fire Nation's oppression. Unless you stand against them, you'll continue living in their shadow, never knowing peace."

Helena shook her head. "There's nothing more we can do. The Fire Nation has crippled this village. We couldn't fight back even if we wanted to."

Aang nodded, expecting this reaction. "I understand how you feel, but you must realize-"

"No," she interrupted, "you realize nothing! They killed my husband because he tried to stand against them! They killed him and every other earthbender in this town, simply because they could earthbend!" She was distraught, and her outburst surprised Aang into silence. Tears began running down her face as she took a deep breath. "The Fire Nation has won. The only thing we can do now is to hold on for as long as we can." She glanced at Haru as her voice quivered. "I can't lose my only son to them, too."

Aang could only stare as the full scope of the situation hit him. "I…see." He looked to Katara and the others as he sighed. "Perhaps we should leave, then. Our presence here threatens your son." Helena didn't respond, still weeping into her hands, and Aang found that no amount of experience gave him words to say here.

Aang, Sokka and Suki made for the door, but Katara hesitated for a moment before walking up to Helena while untying a pouch from her belt. "Please, if nothing else, accept this." She handed the pouch to Helena, the woman confused as she took the bag and looked at Katara.

"This is…?"

"Earth Kingdom currency." Katara took a step back as the woman opened the bag, revealing gold coins. Helena gasped at the sight. "We won't need them, and perhaps they can make life easier here."

"I…" the woman began, unsure of what to say. "I don't…"

Katara smiled, shaking her head. "Think nothing of it. Just hold on a little longer. We'll think of something. We will free your village." She held her gaze for a moment before turning and joining her companions at the door. They made to leave as Helena suddenly stopped them again.

"Wait!" The group stopped and turned to face her as the woman's eyes threatened new tears. "What do you plan on doing?"

Aang answered for the group. "Our camp is up the hill in the forest. We'll think of something and find a way to free your village." He bowed to them in respect, and the others mimicked his action as he straightened and smiled. "Think nothing more of this." With that, he turned and left the shop, not waiting for a reply from the two. The group left the same way they entered the village, through the shops and back up the hill. Aang spared a look behind him to make sure they weren't followed before topping the hill and making his way back into the forest. They didn't stop running until they had crossed the treeline, and Aang turned back to watch as his companions slowed to a halt beside him. Katara was panting slightly, but the other two showed no sign of exhaustion.

"How do you plan on doing this?" Sokka asked, crossing his arms as he looked at Aang expectantly.

Aang shrugged. "Truthfully, I don't know." He looked to the tribesmen before glancing at Suki, expecting some sort of remark from the reluctant warrior. When she didn't offer anything, he asked her directly. "What do you think, Suki?"

Suki was silent for a moment before answering, and Aang was impressed to see that she was seriously considering how best to handle the situation; there was nothing in her voice that hinted at her reluctance to get involved. "When faced with your considerable power, I doubt there's little the Fire Nation troops can do to stop you. If you truly want to stop the Fire Nation down there, attacking as quickly as possible with maximum strength would be the best option. You can't allow them to overwhelm you. You must instead overwhelm them with your power."

"Did you see the way Helena reacted, though, when we suggested fighting back?" Sokka said, looking to Suki. "If everyone's like that, saving them won't change anything." He looked to Aang. "They'll be too scared to fight, too scared to risk the Fire Nation enslaving them again." He furrowed his brow. "You need to find some way to restore their hope. You need to overcome their fear with their pride or anger or…something."

Aang nodded, staring in the direction of the village as he thought of a solution. They watched him, awaiting an answer when he finally smiled. "I believe we have that something right here." Everyone turned in the direction he was looking to see an unexpected figure walking toward them.

Haru.

"Why risk yourself just to meet us?" Katara said, meeting Haru halfway, the others joining her moments later.

Haru had furrowed his brow, as if struggling with his own fears, but the look of determination was more prevalent on his face as he answered. "What you said back there, about defeating the Fire Nation. I believe you." He looked at Aang especially as he added, "I want to help. I know the village has lost hope. They've given up. But I haven't." He put a hand to his chest. "I am the last earthbender of the village. I want to play a part in freeing it. The Fire Nation will regret killing my father."

Aang cocked an eyebrow. Up until now, he had considered Haru as a possible way to ignite the fires of the village again, but the man's words leaned toward the desire for revenge. Aang could understand such an emotion, but knew it to be dangerous. He wasn't sure Haru would be able to control such a raw emotion, given the circumstances. "I'm not sure," he said finally, stunning both Haru and the others.

"What?" Haru asked. "Why?"

"Yeah, Aang," Sokka added. "Why not have Haru help us?"

Aang shifted on his feet, leaning on his staff slightly as he looked to Haru. "I know you want to avenge your father and fellow villagers, but I can't allow you to act on such emotions. Those kind of emotions will turn to hatred, and if we have any chance of establishing peace between the Fire Nation and the other two cultures, we must stay away from feeling such emotions."

"Peace?" Haru asked, unbelieving. "You want to establish peace with the Fire Nation?" His scowl deepened as he took a step toward Aang. "Those monsters killed my father! I will never forgive them for that!" He looked to the others as he continued. "The Fire Nation doesn't care about us! They want to rule, and for that, they don't deserve a chance at peace!" He glared at Aang. "I came out here because I thought I could help. I thought you could do something. I didn't care if you called yourself an airbender, as long as you could do something. But wanting peace?" He scoffed. "You're crazy!" He turned to leave, leaving the tribesmen stunned to hear someone talk to Aang like that. Katara made a move to go after him, but Aang simply shook his head.

With a single stomp, a wall of earth suddenly blocked Haru's path, shocking the man into falling down. He gaped at the wall of earth as he heard footsteps behind him, and turned to see Aang standing over him. He shifted to his feet, still confused and awed by the level of skill he had witnessed, mouth hanging open as he stared at Aang. "How... You're an earthbender?"

Aang shook his head as he reached for Haru. "No." He placed his thumbs on Haru's forehead and heart and closed his eyes. When next they opened, the Avatar stared back, capturing Haru's stare in his own glowing eyes. "I am something more."

To be continued...