Ohai everyone, here's the update that I promised! I'm going to China Town tomorrow so I'm gonna get me some sick weapons-maybe a space sword like Sokka! Anyway, like I said before, things are slowly drawing to a conclusion but don't worry, it's not the end yet so read and review please! I hope you enjoy this chapter!
~th3rdhal3~

The utter silence was bliss. It was so serene I had almost forgotten that I was alive and breathing. My body was on Earth but my mind and spirit were traveling elsewhere. I was in between worlds as I saw the stars and universe around me. My vision was angled upward as I soared higher and higher, trying to grasp the white light up above. It was within my reach now-just beyond my fingertips...

"Karuna."

Then my concentration shattered. I descended; growing farther and farther from the light that I had nearly held in my hands. My hearing gradually returned as the sounds of my surroundings filled my ears drums. I opened my eyes to take in the picture of the Air Temple from my perch up high on the ledges. My legs were crossed and I held my arms up; my right fingers wrapped around my left thumb and my left fingers were curled into a 'C'. I tilted my head slightly to see Katara standing off to the side. My breathing became loud and deep. The hours of tranquility vanished from me and frustration took over.

"Fucking dammit, Katara!" I pounded my fist into the Earth underneath me, causing the rest of the ledge to my left to crack off and plummet. The darker skinned girl's eyes widened and she took a cautious step back. "Why are you bothering me?" I had purposely removed myself from the group to meditate in peace and silence. I needed guidance for my bending, guidance for life and on the war as well and I desperately desired to consult with Kyoshi. But ever since I had seceded from the Fire Nation, I had not been able to enter the spirit world. It bothered me greatly and I had tried that morning and night before to reach enlightenment.

"You've been up here for three hours." The water-bender told me once she found her voice again.

"Yeah, so?" I remarked.

"While I'm all for you finding your inner peace," She looked annoyed then. "Aang needs to start learning fire-bending." I sighed, remembering that I had volunteered to teach the avatar. My own inner turmoil could wait; training Aang was the main priority at the moment. "It can't be put off any longer." I slowly stood up.

"Tell him to be ready in ten."

"Okay," I began, standing a few feet across from the avatar. We stood on the main level of the outer part of the temple in an open space to ensure no damage would come to anyone or anything. The Air Nomad stood with this feet apart and his hands in front of him, at the ready. It was a similar stance that I had been taught use when waiting for instructions from a teacher. The boy looked both excited and scared. "Before we begin, I want you to understand a few things: Fire, like any other element, can be dangerous if not controlled. For this reason, fire-benders often get bad reps. But with that being said, you have to let go of fear in order to bend." Aang listened intently, his gray eyes never leaving mine. The boy nodded as he soaked in the information. "I gathered you guys ran into Jeong Jeong a while back. What did he teach you?"

"Mostly breathing exercises." Aang replied. "I got impatient and tried to rush things." The boy hung his head a little.

"Well you definitely don't want to rush fire," I advised him. "But seeing as how we are a little crunched for time, we're going to have to speed up the learning process a bit. Can you show me your form? Any amount of flame you can make?" The avatar nodded and took in a deep breath. He then stepped sideways, turning his body to his left and pushed his right arm forward. A line of smoke emitted from his open palm. The younger boy shrunk down in stature and he looked a little embarrassed.

"Well, that's a start." I chuckled, trying to make him feel better. "I can tell you're still nervous-don't be." I took note of the avatar's timid posture. "You can't shy away from fire. Be the flames. If you don't feel the energy in you and if you're not fully into it then you can't bend it. Wouldn't you say that's also true for earth, water and air?"

Aang nodded at me. "Yeah...especially earth." He added, most likely thinking back to when Toph was teaching him. "Could you show me how you do it? Maybe if I see your form I'll be able to figure out how it's supposed to be done. I'm kind of a visual learner." The air-bender scratched the back of his head and grinned sheepishly. I was one too; to me it made more sense to see what you're learning rather than just hear it spoken to you.

"Of course." I replied. "Technique is also important right next to emotion. If I show you some forms, then you can channel your energy and feelings into them once I've taught them to you." Aang looked as if he were in a better mood then when we started. I was glad he had started to relax. "Pay close attention, young grasshopper." I teased. The air-bender giggled and returned the friendly banter.

"I'll do my best."

I took a handful of steps back so I wouldn't run the risk of accidentally burning the kid during my demonstration. I spread my feet apart and raised my arms, palms up, to my mid torso. My chest rose and fell with my steady and strong breathing. Then, I slowly pushed my open palms forward then performed a serene clearing technique and as I outstretched my arms, I bent my knees, right foot forward and lowered myself. My right arm was extended forward and I brought my left hand up to my right shoulder for a brief moment. I made sure to keep my breathing consistent. The avatar waited anxiously because of the smooth and fluid build up. I brought myself back up to a normal standing position and as I did this I extended my left arm back down at an angle and drew my right back into a fist at the side of my head. Balancing on my left leg, I pulled my right up so that the bottom of my foot was parallel to my left kneecap. I exhaled slowly, while slightly lowering my body again. I inhaled slowly for the last time.

With swift motions, I moved my arms in opposite positions so that they were practically crossed and at the same time, I stamped my right foot against the ground. The sudden action created a louder noise than expected and I was pretty sure it made the air-bender jump. I kept my left arm bent in a 'V' shape and punched with my right at the ground. Then, I performed and overhead block, sweeping my right arm over my head. After that, I punched to the side with my left and white flames emitted from my knuckles. Then, I inside-to-outside blocked, my left fist down at my hip and my right extended into a 'V'. I crescent-kicked with my right, turning my body so that I was facing away from the avatar. Once the kick had been performed, I twisted my hands into defensive positions and curled my fingers down into palm-heels. Next, I pushed off from the ground with my left foot and side flipped in the air, kicking my right leg high up and across my body. More flames shot out from my foot. After I landed, I pivoted my feet so that my left foot was forward and my right was back; my stance was solid and firm. I leaned my torso forward slightly and slowly brought my arms from behind me and snapped them into place in front of me-hands morphed into the knuckle-punch technique. I vocalized a low k'ihap* and one last burst of white, hot flames formed around my hands, then it vanished. I spread my feet apart and thrust both of my fists down and in front of me-Choon bee* Then, I brought my feet together, placed my hands at my sides and bowed to my pupil respectfully.

It appeared as if Aang hadn't blinked once. He must have been watching me intently judging by his awestruck expression. The boy also seemed a bit intimidated. I had to admit, I felt kind of proud that he was impressed by my performance. "That's what a more advanced kata* looks like." I explained to the avatar. "Once you get started, you'll be able to do what I just did and so much more." The air-bender's face lit up.

"You really think so?" The young monk beamed at my encouragement. It was a change from Toph's harsh coaching. I smiled at him.

"I know so." Aang went into a Chun Kul Ja Shee stance* and raised his hands up mid torso. The boy moved his fingers to try and mimic my technique.

"Is this how you do it?" The avatar asked me. He repositioned his fingers a few times as she tried to remember how I had done it.

"Do it the way you feel you should." I guided him. "There's many different ways to do it; everyone has their own style. It doesn't just define your bending, but you as a person as well." Aang cocked his head to the side and thought about what I just said.

"That's like every bender and warrior I've met. They all do their own thing." The Air Nomad then twisted the top half of his body to the left and brought both arms together. He inhaled quickly, then turned his torso back the other way and executed a sudo with his right. The boy's hand sparked and a flash of orange appeared for a brief moment before extinguishing.

"Look at that!" I praised him. "I think you're starting to get it." Aang looked hopeful. "And remember: everyone goes to the beat of their own drum." It was then that I noticed Zuko leaning against one of the enormous wooden panels not too far away. I didn't know how long he had been observing us but he looked very intrigued. I waved him over to come join us. "I was just telling Aang how every bender has their own style-and it's easiest to see in fire-bending." I filled the prince in on our lesson so far.

"Yeah that's right." The older boy agreed. "Uncle taught me that a long time ago." Then I had an idea.

"Zuko, why don't you show Aang your fire-bending?" It could benefit the learning process if the avatar saw the martial art performed by a different person. At first, it looked as if the prince was going to decline. I guessed I had just caught him off guard.

"Oh...s-sure." He finally obliged. I moved over to where Aang was standing so that Zuko had space to demonstrate. The scarred boy spread his feet out in a wide horse-stance and brought both hands to his left hip. Zuko growled and pushed both arms out-his left over his head and his right out to the side. His fingers were curled, giving the illusion that his hands were claws. A flame sprouted from his right hand, but it was weak and lacked a lot of power. Aang broke the awkward silence by clapping.

Zuko looked at his hands in disgust. "What was that?" He berated himself. "That was the worst fire-bending I've ever seen!" The frustrated boy struck the air again and again, each time dissatisfied with the amount of flame he produced. "Rrgh!" He growled. "Why is this happening?"

A good 40-50 feet behind us, girlish laughter could be heard. The three of us turned around to see Katara sitting on some of the broken stones with her legs crossed. She had been very quiet before so she could have been out there who knows how long. The girl seemed to be enjoying herself thoroughly. "Psh, and you wanted to be his fire-bending teacher." The water-bender jeered at the prince. The scarred boy avoided eye-contact with the girl and groaned again; no doubt he was embarrassed now too. I didn't think Katara's comment was necessary. She had already given the poor boy a hard time the other day, and now she was making fun of him.

"Shut up, Katara." I shook my head and gave her a look to let her know what she had done was very childish. Then I turned back to face Zuko. "Don't over-exert yourself." I told him. "Remember how Uncle taught us to breathe; a nice deep breath first and then you can channel a-" I suddenly stopped mid speech and cringed at at the sensation of ice, cold liquid coming in contact with my skin. After two seconds, my entire body was drenched. The boys looked at me with wide eyes, equally as surprised as I was. I bit my lip and inhaled deeply. Then I slowly turned around to stare down the water-bender who was now on her feet. I also took note that the fountain was not as full as it had been previously.

"Oops." Was all that the darker skinned girl said, but it was in such a tone where I knew she wasn't sorry at all for what she did. Though I was thoroughly soaked from head-to-toe, steam began to rise from my head and shoulders. This must have worried Aang and Zuko because both boys backed away from me. I sighed heavily and began to remove my tunic, to everyone's surprise. Free show, everyone! I kept on my undershirt and shorts for obvious reasons. Upon removing my primary layer of clothes, I realized that Katara had soaked me completely. After giving the water-bender one last dirty look, I turned to Aang.

"We'll resume this later." I threw my wet clothes over my shoulder and began to head into the temple. "I have to go fire-bend myself dry now."

My clothes dried by the time everyone gathered around the fire for dinner that night. Somehow we had gotten on the topic of embarrassing stories and Sokka was the main subject. Surprise surprise. One would think that most of the stories took place when the Water Tribe boy was little; majority of them happened within the last three years. Teo told a few of his own so that Sokka wasn't the only one picked on. The ten of us were laughing so hard I swore we shook the temple side. And I had practically choked on my soup several times.

Then Toph chimed in. "Speaking of embarrassing," She moved her head in the direction of Katara and me. I had sat next to the water-bender despite the fact that I was still ticked at her from earlier. In those moments all I was thinking about was what the blind girl could possibly be referring to. Oh spirits, no. I prayed it had nothing to do with a certain Water Tribe girl and myself, though there was no way Toph knew about us. "Remember when we cross-dressed to get into that one restaurant?" Oh no, this was much worse. All eyes were on us. Katara slapped her hand to her forehead.

"What now?" Haru raised an eyebrow and chuckled.

I folded my arms and shook my head slightly. "It was not our finest moment." Sokka roared with laughter.

"You actually did that? HA! That is way worse than any of my stories! Oh, that's great!" The darer skinned boy slapped his knee.

"It was Katara's idea." I pointed to the water-bender. I took great relish in blaming Katara for plans gone awry. The girl rolled her eyes at me.

"They wouldn't let us in because we're girls. So I improvised!" Zaida and Jin had joined in on the laughter.

"Yeah and then toothpick over here almost got the snot beat out of her." I added. Katara whirled around.

"Who are you calling a toothpick?"

Thankfully, Zuko came onto the scene and the discussion about the incident died. "Listen everyone." It sounded as if he had an important announcement to make. "I've got some bad news. I've lost my stuff." What? How would he have lost it? I watched him set up everything he brought in his room inside the temple.

The Duke raised his arms in defense. "Wasn't me!" The mischievous boy cracked me up. Zuko shook his head.

"I'm talking about my fire-bending. It's gone." Gone? No way! Was it possible to lose one's bending? Katara giggled at this. What was with that girl today? We all gave her a look.

"I'm sorry, I'm just laughing at the irony. You know how it would have been nice for us if you'd lost your fire-bending a long time ago?" She explained.

"Well it's not lost, it's just weaker." The prince clarified. Katara went right back to being cold with him.

"Maybe you're just not as good as you think you are." Geez. The girl's on a bitchy role today!

"...Ouch." Toph couldn't help but blurt out.

"You have my permission to toss her off a cliff." I told the scarred boy. Katara then smacked me upside the head and I almost spit out some of my soup. At least the comment got the prince to crack a small smile.

"I think it's because I changed sides." Zuko shared with us. I thought about his conclusion; it made sense to me.

"I wonder if it's because of how you were fire-bending prior to joining us." I threw in my two cents. "If you used rage and the goal of capturing Aang to fuel your bending before, you're gonna have to find something to replace that original drive with."

Zuko agreed with me. "I don't want to have to rely on anger and hatred anymore. What's your drive?" He asked me.

"Just...pure determination," I tried to explain the best I could. "in the form of whatever the situation calls for." The prince stroked his chin as he thought.

"I've been trying that and it doesn't seem to work for me."

"You should go back to the original source." Toph suggested.

"How's he supposed to do that?" Sokka butted in. "Jump into a volcano?" The Water Tribe boy thought that was hilarious. Such a dumbass, Sokka.

"No." The blind girl quickly shut him down. "Zuko has to go back to whatever the original source of fire-bending is."

"Sooo is it jumping into a volcano?" The warrior boy asked again. Both Zuko and I slapped our hands to our foreheads.

"I don't know." My cousin admitted. "For earth-bending, it's badger-moles. When I was little, I ran away from home and hid in a cave. I met them there and I learned from them."

"That's pretty amazing, Toph." Aang said. I learned from the monks but they told us the first air-benders were the sky bison." The Air Nomad shared.

"Well this doesn't help me." Zuko looked down at the ground. "The original fire-benders were the dragons, and they're extinct." My ears perked up at this. Extinct? No...

"What do you mean?" Aang was on the same page as me. "Roku had a dragon. And there were plenty around when I was a kid."

The prince suddenly snapped. "Well they aren't around anymore, okay?" Aang raised his hands up in surrender.

"What are you talking about?" I glanced up at the scarred boy. "The dragons aren't extinct."

"Yes they are!" Zuko insisted. "Don't you remember what Uncle told us?" It seemed the older boy was misinformed.

"A while back, do you remember that supposed Uncle-Niece trip Uncle Iroh took Azula and I on? The one where after we came back Azula actually said Iroh was the coolest uncle ever...that lasted until she found a reason to dislike him again." Zuko scratched his head and thought.

"Yeah I think I do...where did you guys go?"

"To the old Sun Warrior civilization. It's actually not that far from here. There we met two very real, very alive dragons." I told the prince.

"You're kidding me..." Zuko breathed. " How come you never told me or any of the other kids?"

"Uncle told us to keep mum, so our lips were sealed." I shrugged. "At the time I didn't think you'd believe us anyway."

"So that's where I need to go then. The civilization." Zuko mulled the idea over in his mind.

"You and Aang should go together." I suggested. "It'll be a good learning experience for the both of you." The avatar seemed excited about the opportunity of a field trip. Katara gave us a look.

"Okay, is this really practical? We don't have tons of time to throw ar-"

"Ah, ah, ah!" I interrupted her, pointing with my right index straight up in the air. "Sifu hotwoman has spoken. They are taking this side trip together." The water-bender then glanced over at the air-bender, bewildered.

"Aang! Do you seriously call her that?" The avatar giggled, cheesy grin and all.

"Well the correct term is 'hotman' but Karuna's not a man so I changed it!"

Early the next morning, the boys departed on Appa to the ancient Sun Warrior civilization. I bid them farewell and told them that if they didn't return within two-three days I was coming after them. Aang and Zuko laughed at that and told me to hold the fort down while they were gone. Since I was now in charge, I decided to turn the temple into a boot camp of sorts.

Later that day, after the prince and the avatar left, I rounded up everyone else the best way I knew how. "HEY YOU LILY-LIVERS!" I hollered into the temple, startling the group up and possibly giving a few near heart attacks. "GET YOUR ASSES OUT HERE, PRONTO!" I was surprised that they all actually listened to me and came out. However, they didn't look too happy to be yelled at though. "Alright everyone," I began my spiel. "Baldy and Temper are off to learn the secret of fire-bending-which means we should be doing something productive too. And since I am in charge, I'm starting a game plan workshop." The group gave me a peculiar stare.

"A what now?" Sokka questioned me.

"Boot camp." I grinned deviously back at him. "So here's how it's gonna go: Jin, you go show Sokka how to defend himself." I gave orders to the Earth Kingdom girl. She shrugged but didn't complain. The warrior boy however was protesting. I honestly didn't know why the boy was complaining. He liked to surround himself with girls.

"I would have hated to be in your division." The warrior boy groaned, referring to my days as a military official.

"Zaida you might want to go with them in case he hurts himself." I suggested. My short friend nodded and ventured off with the other two somewhere where they could practice.

"Teo, Duke." I looked at those two next.

"How many times do I have to say it? It's The Duke." The smaller of the two whined. I rolled my eyes at him.

"Uh huh, whatever. Do you think you two could come up with some ideas/plans that could be useful if we plan another attack?" The boy in the wheelchair grinned and gave me the thumbs up sign.

"Sure thing! I helped my dad come up with some things so it shouldn't be too hard." Soon after, he and The Duke went to work brainstorming.

"Katara, you go bend in the fountain" I gazed at the Water Tribe girl for a brief moment before turning to Haru next. "Then you and Toph can practice some earth-ben-"

"Wait a minute!" Katara interrupted me from explaining the plan to the long haired boy. "Who gave you the authority?" I brushed some fuzzies off of my tunic then glanced back up at her.

"Aang and Zuko, of course. Now bend your magic water, woman!" I hollered at her. Katara grabbed the pouch from her side and uncapped it.

"I will use this." She threatened. Before the darker skinned girl and I could get into another tumult, my cousin stepped in.

"Not so fast, Karuna." She chuckled. I turned my attention away from Katara and to the small earth-bender. "You might be a master fire-bender, but your earth-bending can be improved." She critiqued. This was actually true. Earth was my weaker element.

"Come on with us," Haru nodded his head towards the temple. "Like I said the other day, there are some pretty cool spots to practice earth-bending inside." I was reluctant at first but I eventually agreed to go practice with them. I needed it after all.

Katara crossed her arms. "Thank you, Toph, for removing the dictator." She sarcastically remarked. As I followed Haru to where we would be practicing, I glanced back at the water-bender.

"I'm still not through with you." I pointed at her. The darker skinned girl frowned.

"Likewise."

"Don't be afraid to make your stance heavy." Haru coached me. "You seem to have the form down, but your foot movements are extremely light." I stood in a wide horse-stance and my fists were at either sides. I had to have been training for at least four hours. Usually I could go for a lot longer, but earth-bending was pretty exhausting. I was sweating even though the part of the temple we were in was cool and dim. There were statues carved into sides of some of the walls but most of the space was open. Initially, I was worried that earth-bending practice would distort and destroy parts of the temple, but my cousin and Haru convinced me it would be okay. We could put things back together if anything got too severe.

"I'm just so used to fire-bending. The movements are a lot lighter and quicker." I admitted. I forced my arms to the left side of me, hands open. I created a deep crack in the ground that ran sideways. Next I did the same with the other side then raised my left hand over my head and pushed my right out with my fingers pointing forward. An earth column rose up from the ground. I crescent kicked and half of it went flying at the wall adjacent to us.

"Well now you've gotta get used to the earth-bending style." Toph patted me on the back. "You're doing great too. I can already feel your improvement." I smiled and punched forward, splitting the rest of the column in half and sending both halves at the wall across. "Nice." She praised me. "Your offense is coming along good. Now let's work on your defense."

The two placed me in the center of the cavern and stood about twenty feet away from me on either side. "I hate to let you have it like this, Sifu, but it's really the only good way to teach self defensive earth-bender style." My cousin said. "No hard feelings, okay?" I didn't so much as nod when Toph moved her feet across the stone in swift movements and moved her hands in fluid, rhythmic motions. Chunks of the temple wall flew at me. I punched left, breaking the first one and then crossed my right arm over my left to break the other chunk. Behind me, Haru jump-kicked, sending a block fast my way. I hook kicked it, striking the stone with my heel and it broke apart against the wall.

I was in a bow and arrow stance then, with my right leg forward. I twisted my body to the left just in time as small shards of stone nearly grazed my chest. My cousin then sent a surface wave at me, and I hopped to the side to avoid the impact. I threw a palm-heel strike at the ground towards her which she was able to block easily. Haru extended his right arm out so that only his index and thumb were out, making a backwards 'L'. As he did this, thin rectangles of stone detached themselves from the wall and spun towards me. I pushed off the ground with both feet and twisted in the air. I kicked the first one with my heel as I was airborne. After I landed, I dodged the other ones by bending my torso in different directions. One rectangle soared over my shoulder and another zipped past the side of my head. Lastly, I redirected one with a quick movement of my hands. Haru hadn't been expecting that, and he ducked last minute.

"Wow." The long haired earth-bender marveled after the last stone rectangle crashed against the wall. "Towards the end there, your evasive skills really blossomed. Your movements were crane-like." I couldn't help but smile. I felt pretty accomplished.

"Gotta admit it, Sifu, I'm proud of ya." Toph grinned as she approached me. "But you already knew that." The blind girl then socked me playfully in the arm. Just then, Zaida came in from the hallway connecting to this part of the temple.

"Ah, there you guys are!" The short brunet exclaimed. It sounded as if she had been searching for us for a while. "Food's ready, so come get it!"

Haru rubbed his stomach. "Man am I starving." He shared. Toph snorted.

"Bet I could out eat ya." The pale girl challenged. With that, the two raced out and down the hallway. I chuckled softly as they left. My cousin was definitely one of the guys. It would be interesting to see who would end up eating the most between the two.

"How was working with Sokka?" I asked Zaida, slightly nervous to hear how it went.

"Interesting...but better than expected" She giggled. I nodded and laughed with her. Oh, Sokka. "You gonna come get some grub?" She then asked me. I thought about the option for a moment. Then I shook my head.

"I'll catch up with you later. There's some stuff I wanna work on for a bit longer." Zaida nodded and headed for the hallway.

"See ya in a bit."

Soon, my hand techniques were as fast as lightning. Well, maybe not that fast but quick enough. I stamped my feet into the stone in different stances and kicks, feeling myself become one with the Earth. I really made it a point to let my weight sink into my form. My hands were either open handed palm-heels or my indexes and thumbs created 'L's. Hardly were my hands ever curled into fists. I was working myself into exhaustion now. Sweat dripped from my forehead as well as the back of my neck. I wanted to make sure every move was precise and crisp; every technique had to be done right. I was so in the zone that I almost didn't hear someone calling me.

"Karuna!" I snapped out of it and turned my head to the left to see Katara standing by the back wall. My hands were still in defensive positions and my feet were still in their stance.

"What?" I casually responded.

"You couldn't hear me at all? I shouted your name like ten times!" She gave me a look. I couldn't resist to make a comment.

"Naw, that was last night." I grinned like a six year-old at the Dragon Boat Festival. The water-bender rolled her eyes at me.

"It's like talking to my brother." She muttered to herself. That was true to a certain extent. Sokka and I both had a similar sense of humor.

"Do you need something?" I asked as I approached her.

"They said you'd be in here." She must have been referring to Toph, Zaida and Haru. "It's late, you should get to bed." I cracked my back and then started cracking my knuckles, much to Katara's dismay. I shook my head at her. "Come on, you've been practicing for hours."

I sighed deeply. I raised part of the floor effortlessly so that I could sit for a moment. My muscles were pretty sore from the intense workout I had put myself through. "It's not good enough." I mumbled, feeling like someone else I knew. After a few moments of silence, Katara sat down beside me.

"Hey," The Water Tribe girl began. "I'm sorry I've been so hostile with you lately." She apologized. "But this is a hard situation for me. It hurts when someone you care about hides part of them from you. And in your case it was different; it was in your past. But it worries me that there are other things waiting to be dug up that are much bigger than this. And there might not be, but I'll never know unless something comes up again." I stared at the floor, feeling more and more guilty for not having told her in the first place. "I'm not angry at you anymore." Katara clarified. "I'm angry at the Fire Nation for manipulating you to do their bidding."

"Well that's a nice sentiment." I mumbled. The water-bender grabbed my hand.

"I mean it." Royal blue eyes stared into mine of gray. "You were just a kid then. They should have allowed you to be just that." I tore my gaze away from her and redirected it back at the floor. "I have to ask..." The girl started again. "The comment Azula made during the eclipse, about you wanting to lead the seize of the North...was there a reasoning behind it?"

I curled my toes and crossed my legs. "The Fire Nation had been planning that attack for a while before finally deciding to do it during the winter solstice. Back when they were still organizing the plan, I was still quite touchy about my father's death. You see, he died at sea with his fleet. It was implied that they had a run in with the Water Tribe navy...so naturally I wanted my revenge." Katara gave me a sympathetic look as I told her all of this. "I gave up on that though. Hate only leads to suffering. And once I met you and Sokka, the resentment I had left for the Water Tribe ceased."

"I'm so sorry." The darker skinned girl apologized, though it was clearly out of her control. "About everything." She then leaned into me. Out of habit, I rested my head against her's.

"Me too."

Aang and Zuko returned the morning after the next. I greeted the two with bear hugs and teased them by saying I almost flew over to rescue them on Momo. The boys had apparently learned a lot during their field trip and were eager to show us the Sun Warrior moves they had acquired.

"With these new fire-bending moves, Zuko and I will be unstoppable!" Aang cheered as he and the prince performed the Dancing Dragon form, which Sokka made sure to make fun of because of the title.

I snorted. "Okay, grasshopper. Bring it!" The monk was ready for the challenge and made the first move. He punched forward at me, a large fireball shot out, completely trumping the one he had created the other day. I retaliated with large, white flame of my own which literally swallowed his fire. This took the avatar by surprise and I used this to my advantage. With a quick sweep of my leg I pulled Aang's feet out from under him. I palm-heeled him in the chest to ensure that he went down. Next I turned to Zuko.

The prince seemed a bit hesitant at first. Then he side kicked with his left, sending out a jet of orange flames. I dodged his fire and drew closer. The scarred teen threw a ridge-hand with his right. I blocked it and pushed the flames away from me. Then I struck him in the side of the head, not to take him out, but enough to leave a mark the next morning.

"Yeah, you guys are pretty unstoppable." I remarked, smirking deviously. Zuko crouched down, holding his head.

"No fair! You're the White Dragon!" He groaned. Aang got back up on his feet quickly.

"Wait, you're the White Dragon?" The air-bender asked me.

"The white what now?" Sokka questioned, obviously very confused. It looked as if he spoke for everyone else too. Well everyone that is except for Zaida; she had been with me when I had discovered the scroll.

"It's an advanced martial art form that roots itself within a person." I explained to him.

"An extremely powerful one too." Zuko added. I wondered how the boy knew about it. In the caverns of Ba Sing Se, he looked pretty clueless when I had transformed.

"Oh," The warrior boy looked as if he had just had an epiphany. "The White Dragon...I still don't get it." Toph and I laughed at him.

"It's a very spiritual form of fighting." Aang explained to our teammate. "It's kind of like the avatar state, only it can be found in non-benders as well. Before I was frozen in the ice, the White Dragon was a water-bender. When you go into the form, your skill and power increases tenfold if not more. I don't think anyone has mastered the form completely."

Sokka was so intrigued by this that his mouth was literally open. "Okay...we have the avatar and the White Dragon, so...how come we haven't won this war yet?" He yelled at Aang and I. The air-bender and I exchanged a glance.

"Because I haven't unlocked the avatar state?" Aang laughed nervously, displaying one of his cheesy grins.

"And I haven't learned to control the White Dragon state?" I offered my excuse, also grinning from ear to ear. Sokka smacked his hand to his forehead.

"All you guys would need to do is get your glow on and the Fire Nation would run back home to their mommies!" Toph punched the air a few times for effect. The entire gang laughed at her input. I had to admit, that would be a funny sight to behold.

I put my arm around Aang and he did the same to me. "Well, we've got till the end of the summer to figure things out." I reminded everyone. It would give us plenty of time to prepare and train.

"Definitely." Aang agreed with me. "I've got faith in us. I know we can do it. Glow buddies for the win!" We fist pounded and then brought our hands back, pretending as if the action had created an explosion. The two of us even made the sound effects for it as well. Our friends laughed at how lame and dorky we were but Aang and I didn't care. If winning the war took being a geek, then so be it.

REFERENCES:

* Karuna's demonstartion to Aang: Karuna's fire-bending style is based off of Shaolin Leopard style Kung Fu
(just add "youtube" in front)

/watch?v=WQuYtT4Fubo
/watch?v=2KihDirIqXg

*Chun Kul Ja Shee: is Korean for "front stance"

*Choon Be: is Korean for" ready stance"

*Zuko's fire-bending is Tiger style (in my opinion at least)

*Karuna's earth-bending forms: look something like this
(just add "youtube" in front"

/watch?v=lP-acRbxwpc

Also, Katara and Toph did cross dress to get into a restaurant. Their little adventure wasn't in the show but one of extra stories in the "Lost Adventures" graphic novel.

~Thanks for reading! Reviews and critiques are greatly appreciated!~