3

Hoshiko looked up as the sound of flapping came from her window, she smiled when she was it was a white messenger hawk. She went over and took the scroll from its holder, seeing an insignia of a winged serpent on the outside. She opened the scroll and read the message from Xana.

Hoshi,

Great news! I finally found a way to Ba-Sing-Se that doesn't

involve trekking dangerous deserts and running into my family

members. At least, according to these Water Tribe soldiers I ran into.

They're pretty cool, one in particular, named Bato, he's a pretty

awesome guy. He showed me these amazing new sword techniques

I can't wait to try out. He said he and his leader, some guy named

Hakkoda, had already directed a bunch of Shinjuns to Ba-Sing-Se.

Also, I heard that the avatar was at the North Pole.

Is this true or false? Send me a reply as soon as you can!

But only after Tao-win gets some rest. After all, the North

Pole is a long, long way from Ba-Sing-Se.

I send you much of the loves!

Xana

Hoshiko smiled, she was glad Xana had found a way through the Earth Kingdom. She put the scroll down and petted Tao-win's feathery head. "Thank you for traveling so much, Tao-win." She murmured quietly. She let the hawk fly over to a small stool she had made for him, with a little stick for her to rest on. She put her beak in her feathers and began to preen herself. Hoshiko smiled and gently rubbed the top of her head fondly, "How about I get you some lunch?"

The hawk cawed in approval at the idea of having food and water in its stomach, Hoshiko nodded as she left the room and walked down the hallway and into the room where the elders of the Water Tribe would talk and converse on certain things sometimes. At the moment, it was empty. So she had no problems going into the kitchen and getting a plate of water, some meat, and some sunflower seeds (A rare delicacy in the North Pole) for her. On her way out, she decided to take the long way to see the morning sun outside. She walked out to see Pakku was still training his students, and Katara was in the sparring ring with another student. Aang saw her walk by and he smiled, waving at her. She smiled back.

She had grown surprisingly close to the avatar and his companions since they had been here. It had only been three days since their arrival, and they all considered her to be a friend. Aang was a kind, fun-loving boy that always came up with something to entertain her, even if he didn't realize it. Katara was a caring woman with fierce determination, though her motherly side of herself began to show more often than her determined side. Sokka was… well, he wasn't the sharpest blade, but he was a good man. It must've been some other quality he had that attracted Yue to him, but she hadn't figured it out yet.

Katara was up against Chakko's younger brother, Sangook. He looked nervous as he tried to stare down the confident Katara. He brought up a ball of water, turned it into ice and shot it at her. She caught it and threw it back at him, gathering more water from the snow and imprisoned him in a gigantic, wave-like iceberg. He squirmed around, unable to get himself free, Katara smiled to herself as Pakku walked over.

"Nice try, Pupil Sangook." Pakku said, "A couple of more years and you might be ready to fight a sea sponge." He turned the ice back into water and Sangook fell to the ground, "Would anyone care for a rematch with Katara?" He looked to all his other students, all of them looking worn out, one had frozen feet, one had frozen hair, and one was covered in snow. Hoshiko laughed to herself when she saw them. Pakku turned to his new student, "Katara, you've advanced more quickly than any student I've ever trained. You have proven that with fierce determination, passion, and hard work, you can accomplish anything." Katara smiled at the compliments her master gave her. Pakku turned to where Aang was letting his lemur ride around on a ball of air, "Raw talent alone is not enough." Aang didn't seem to be paying any attention, "Pupil Aang!"

"Yes, Master Pakku?" Aang asked, the ball suddenly disappearing and his lemur landing on top of his head.

"Care to step into the sparring circle?" Pakku asked, "I figured since you found time to play with house pets, you must've already mastered water bending." Aang lifted himself up with air bending to face him.

"I wouldn't say 'mastered,'" He said, "But check this out!" He bent the snow so it covered him completely, a little smile on where his face would've been. Momo jumped on him and knocked him over. Aang laughed when Momo dug his face out of the snow, Katara and Pakku gave disapproving looks at his idleness. Hoshiko rolled her eyes at the bending, but she still had a smile on her face. She walked back down the hallway, gave Tao-win her refreshments and went back outside, where the water bending class had been dismissed for the day. She saw Aang still having Momo balance on an air ball again. He stopped when he saw Hoshiko come down and waved to her, Katara did as well.

"Good morning, Hoshiko." Katara greeted, Hoshiko smiled at her.

"Morning!" She chirped.

"You seem like you're in a really good mood." Aang commented, walking over with Momo on his shoulder.

"And why not?" Hoshiko said, "Today's my day off, and on top of that, I just got a letter from my friend in the Earth Kingdom. Everything's wonderful."

"Sounds like it." Katara said, "So who's this friend of yours?"

"My Reptilian friend, Xana." Hoshiko answered, "I have been on this block of ice for well over two months, letters from friends are like fresh water to a thirsting man." Aang and Katara shared a glance.

"So, why isn't she here with you?" Aang asked, Hoshiko shrugged.

"We decided to separate." She said, "Xana's an old friend of mine from what's left of my tribe. We figured if we separated, we'd be able to cover more ground in case one of us found someone. We were also looking for someplace safe during this war." She shrugged, "I wanted to go to the North Pole. She wanted to go to the Earth Kingdom."

"Wow, so you've been on your own for two months?" Katara asked.

"Not really." Hoshiko said, "I've had the princess to keep me company over the time I've been here. Along with everyone else in the palace." She looked up as she noticed the shadow of something flying through the sky. Then she noticed more of the shadows to see that there were thousands of them. She saw that they were not actually shadows, but black snowflakes. Momo, who was sitting on Aang's shoulder, got one in his mouth to eat. He shuddered and coughed it back out. Everyone looked up as all the water in the fountains and waterfalls in the city turned black. Hoshiko caught some snow in her hand and sniffed it. It smelled of burnt wood, or burning coal.

"Soot…?" She questioned silently, looking at all the black snow surrounding her.

"Oh, no." Katara said, "I've seen this before."

"You have?" Hoshiko asked, "When?" Katara looked into the Shinjun's eyes.

"When I was a little girl, just before my village was attacked." She said, "It's the Fire Nation, they're here." Hoshiko stiffened at the sound of drums being banged again and again. The drums that were only hit when there was an emergency.

"Come on!" Hoshiko said, "Both of you, into the palace halls!" She ushered the two, along with some of Pakku's students up the stairs to the palace nearby. When Katara and Aang were inside, she went back out to look for Princess Yue. She stood to the side as people clamored to get into the palace. Eventually, she saw Sokka holding Yue's hand as he led her up the stairs. She saw when she stopped him, and her sensitive ears picked up on their conversation.

"What's wrong?" Sokka asked, "We have to go!"

"No, Sokka, wait." Yue said, pulling her hand away from him, "I can't see you anymore. Not at all."

"What?" Sokka asked, he spun around to face her, "We're just friends!"

"I wish we could just be friends," Yue said, "But I like you too much, and it's too confusing to be around you. I'm marrying someone else!" She turned away from him so she wouldn't see his face.

"You don't love him, do you?" Sokka asked, "You don't even seem to like him."

"But I do love my people." Yue said.

"You're not marrying them!" Sokka said, Yue turned around to look at him.

"You don't understand!" She said, "I have duties to my father, to my tribe! I have to do this. Goodbye!" She ran by him, Hoshiko saw tears in her eyes as she ran up the stairs to her. Sokka looked after her in sadness. Hoshiko gave him an apologetic stare as she led the princess inside.

Hoshiko sat stiffly next to the princess as everyone sat down to hear the chief speak. Next to Yue was Master Pakku, who she regarded with a solemn nod, and he did the same. Chief Arnook came forward and turned to the crowd.

"The day we have feared for so long has arrived." Chief Arnook said to the villagers as they gathered in the throne room of the palace, "The Fire Nation is on our doorstep. It is with great sadness I call my family here before me. Knowing well that some of these faces are about to vanish from our tribe. But they will never vanish from our hearts." Hoshiko's eyes wandered to the avatar and his friends. She wondered, would this battle bring about her death, or one of theirs? After this battle, would she ever see them again? She shook her mind of her thoughts and looked to Chief Arnook as he continued to speak. "Now, as we approach the battle for our existence, I call upon the great spirits!" He raised his arms and looked to the sky as he called, "Spirit of the ocean! Spirit of the moon! Be with us!" Everyone bowed their heads in prayer as these words were said. "I'm going to need volunteers for a dangerous mission."

Sokka immediately stood up, a hard expression on his face, "Count me in!" Hoshiko looked to him in shock, as did Yue.

"Sokka!" Katara gasped. More and more Water Tribe men stood up to accept the mission. Hahn was one of them.

"Be warned: Many of you will not return." Arnook said, "Come forward to receive my mark if you accept the task." Many men, young and old, walked forward. The first one was one of Pakku's students. He bent his head down and stood still as Chief Arnook took some red paint and made three small, squiggly lines on his forehead, resembling something like jagged wolf claws, or three red lightening strikes. The student walked away, and after him was Sokka, who bent his head down to receive the mark. Arnook dipped his fingers into the paint again and gave him the mark. Princess Yue's eyes never left his form.

As he walked away to join the other soldiers, Sokka turned around to look at the princess. She looked back at him sadly, her eyes begging him not to go, but her mouth saying nothing to stop him. Sokka's eyes said nothing in return as he turned back around and began to walk to where the other soldiers were. Yue turned back to her front as well, squeezing her eyes shut as a tear fell from her eye, biting her lip to keep from sobbing aloud. Hoshiko placed her hand comfortingly on the princess's shoulder. She put her hand over Hoshiko's and looked at her. Hoshiko smiled sadly, and Yue nodded. Gaining her composure, she turned back to the line of soldiers as they walked up to receive the mark of the chief.

Hoshiko looked up when the chief called her name, "Yes?"

"I'm afraid your day off will have to wait." Arnook said, smiling apologetically. Hoshiko smiled back.

"It's fine, sir." She said, "I know where my duties lie. I will stay here and protect your daughter." Arnook nodded his head in thanks. He turned to speak with Master Pakku as he prepared to go to battle with some of his students. Hoshiko looked out of the archway of the palace and saw Aang sitting on a small, statue of ice. He was gazing out into the horizon, where the sun was rising to show it was late morning. She walked out and saw the serious expression on his face, his hand clenching and unclenching around his staff. She looked over and saw Katara standing next to him, but she was silent, her hands wringing something in her hands. They were both anxious about the coming battle.

She walked out and stood next to the avatar as he stayed on the statue, "The stillness before battle is… unbearable." She said, voicing her thoughts, "I felt it once before, and I hated every second of it. It's such a peaceful quietness, but knowing that people are coming to exterminate you… Well, that doesn't exactly make you feel better, does it?" She smiled softly at the two of them, and Katara smiled back.

"I wasn't there when the Fire Nation attacked my people." Aang said, looking at the snow beneath him, "I'm gonna make a difference this time."

"I hope so, Aang." Hoshiko said, "I really hope so."

Hoshiko stood next to Yue as they waited at the palace, seeing the line of soldiers at the front gate of the city. Her sharp eyes caught something as it rose in the distance, as it got closer, she realized it was a fireball. It hit the wall and the force of it was enough to make the palace shake from the impact. She looked to see none of the warriors had been injured. Then, another fireball came, hitting a bridge somewhere in the city. She caught the tiny grey dot that was the Fire Nation ship trying to kill them.

Aang took off on his flying bison and headed towards the ship, after a moment, the fireballs stopped firing. Then the water benders came out and drove and iceberg into the ship, making it sail no longer. Hoshiko squinted her eyes and then they widened in fear when she saw hundreds of Fire navy ships, all of them armed with fireballs and fire benders. She stood and watched, her hands gripping at the snowy railing of the balcony they stood on. No matter how close the ships got, unless they hit land in the Water Tribe, the palace was the safest place for Yue to be. Her knuckles turned white as she glared at the Fire navy ships, her fangs bared. Yue put her hand on Hoshiko's arm and she pounded the railing with her other hand.

"Damn it!" She cursed, "I hate this! I hate sitting here doing nothing!" She glared at the Fire Nation ships, "I know I have to protect you and all, but I really hate this!" Yue gently grasped her arm and began to pull her away, "Where are we going?"

"I should be safer in another part of the palace." Yue told her, Hoshiko lifted an eyebrow in confusion before she realized what was going on. The princess was letting her get out of the palace to go and help the others. She smiled and began to run ahead, the princess still holding onto her. Hoshiko brought her to a small safe house near the sacred oasis Yue had once told her about. She left the princess there, but Yue stopped her for a moment.

"Don't go to the front lines just yet." She said, "You've dealt with the Fire Nation before, go to where the soldiers are meeting to talk to them about battle strategies to help them on their mission. I'll be here when you get back." Hoshiko nodded, "And you will come back, right?" Hoshiko smiled at her.

"As you wish, Princess." She said, Yue smiled and released her. She ran to the hut where Chief Arnook was inducting some of the volunteer soldiers on the undercover mission, where they would infiltrate the Fire Navy ships. When he saw her, she quickly explained where the princess was. Arnook nodded in understanding, but he looked like he still didn't like the idea. He told her, "You can't be part of the mission, but you can help us prepare for it." She agreed to this and stood off to the side, leaning on the wall next to some spears as Arnook was instructing them on what to do.

"Men, you'll be infiltrating the Fire Nation navy." Arnook said, "That means you'll all need one of these uniforms." Hahn walked in wearing a red uniform with large black shoulder spikes and holding a red helmet with a metal poker on the top with the same arrogant smirk on his face. Hoshiko wanted to laugh at how ridiculous he looked, because she had been sold to a Fire Nation general, and that's not how the uniforms looked. She held in her laugh by pinching her lips together, but she still heard someone let out a quick guffaw before shutting their own mouths. Everyone looked to see it was Sokka.

"What's your problem?" Hahn asked, his smirk gone and replaced with a small scowl.

"Fire Navy uniforms don't look like that." Sokka said, pointing to Hahn.

"Of course they do!" Hahn said, gesturing to the uniform, "These are real uniforms captured from actual Fire Navy soldiers!"

"When, like, a hundred years ago?" Sokka asked sarcastically. Hoshiko smiled at his humor, but it quickly disappeared when she looked at the designs a bit closer. Surely the uniforms couldn't be that old…

"Eighty five." Arnook said, confirming her fears. These uniforms were made during the rule of Fire Lord Azulon! Of course the design would change with the differing Fire Lords, especially after 85 years! She bonked the back of her head against the wall, not realizing she got Hahn's attention.

"The Fire Nation doesn't wear shoulder spikes anymore." Sokka said, stepping forward. "The newer uniforms are more streamlined." He walked next to Hahn and flicked the spike on his shoulder. Hoshiko snorted in laughter at the sight. Hahn's scowl deepened.

"How do we know we can trust this guy?" He asked Arnook, "Such bold talk for a new recruit." He glared at Sokka and he glared back.

"Sokka is from our sister tribe, Hahn." Arnook began sternly, "He is a capable warrior, and I value his input." Sokka grinned smugly at Hahn, who glared back. "Now," Arnook turned back to the other soldiers, "Our first objective is to determine the identity of their commanding officer."

Without missing a beat, Sokka said, "His name is Zhao." Everyone looked at him as he continued to speak, "Middle aged, big sideburns, bigger temper."

Hoshiko cocked her head to the side, "I don't remember commander Zhao being given so much power." She said, "Last I checked, a soldier of commander rank can only command a fleet of ten ships or so."

"He's an admiral now." Sokka said, Hoshiko made a small 'o' of understanding.

"Sokka, I want you to tell everything you know to Hahn." Arnook said, "He's leading this mission." Arnook turned to Hahn, "Hahn, show Sokka your respect. I expect nothing less from my future son-in-law." Hahn flipped some of his hair back in an attempt to recover his ego from the Chief's harsh tone. Sokka gaped at him, his jaw going farther than she had ever seen it.

"Princess Yue's marrying you?" Sokka asked, his eyes narrowing as he glared at Hahn, pointing his finger at him.

"Yeah, what of it?" Hahn asked. Sokka turned away.

"Nothing. Congratulations." He said quickly. Arnook told the soldiers to prepare their weapons for battle before they did anything. Hahn looked over at Hoshiko, giving her a sly smirk. Her pupils became slits as she glared at him. Hahn shrugged it off and walked away. Hoshiko came up next to Sokka and put her hand on his shoulder.

"Don't let him get to you." She said, "Hahn's an inconsiderate jerk who doesn't deserve the princess's hand. You make a much better leader than he does, in my opinion." Sokka smiled slightly at the compliment.

"Thanks." He said, removing her hand, "By the way, how did you know about Zhao? Was he your…" He paused trying to find the right words, "Slave master, or something?" Hoshiko stiffened as memories from her time as a slave came back to her.

"No, he wasn't." Hoshiko said, "But he did visit him from time to time. They got along somewhat well." Sokka nodded in understanding. "You should probably get going. I need to get back to the princess. I've done all I can here." Sokka nodded and walked off. Hoshiko sighed to herself, her hand going to the back of her lower neck. She let out a shaky sigh as she felt the edges of a scar. She sucked in another breath and turned to walk out, only to be stopped by someone's arm. She looked to see it was Hahn, still wearing the Fire Nation uniform. "What do you want, Lord Hahn?"

"To talk." He said, walking in front of her, Hoshiko took a step away from him with every step he went forward.

"About what?" She asked him.

"Well, this is a dangerous mission." He said, "I was hoping you would wish me some luck, Hoshiko." He purred out her name, and she inwardly cringed at the sound of it. She tried to take a bigger step back from him, but her back ended up hitting a wall, Hahn put both of his hands next to her head as he kept that sultry look on his face that Hoshiko couldn't stand.

"Fine, you have my best wishes." For you not to come back, she finished in her head. "Can I go now?"

"Words of good wishes aren't exactly what I was looking for." Hahn said, leaning closer to her, "I was hoping maybe you'd give me something to… remember you by." Hoshiko raised an eyebrow at him.

"What do you mean by that, exactly?" She asked, wary of the answer.

"Well, before I leave," Hahn said, leaning his face close enough for her to feel his breath on her cheeks, "I'd love to spend my last night in the tribe with you." Hoshiko's eyes widened as she realized what he was saying. He wanted her to sleep with him! Rage built up in her as it never had before, she glared at him and raised her hand to smack him across his face before she told him off. How dare he think that she would just give herself up to him! How dare he think that he could simply have her instead of the princess, his own fiancée! How dare he think any of this when he's supposed to be the next chief of this tribe! She moved to slap him, but he caught her hand before she ever made contact.

"How dare you…!" She growled, her pupils narrowing into slits.

"How dare I?" Hahn said, "How dare you. How dare you walk around looking so damn good. Tempting me. When you know I can't have you." Hoshiko scoffed.

"Are you as arrogant as you look?" She asked, "Not every girl in this city is in love with you, Hahn! I know I'm not! The princess doesn't even like you!" Hahn scoffed and pinned her wrist to the wall, grabbing her other one and pinning it as well.

"Like I care about other girls." He said, then he pushed his lips forcefully against hers. Hoshiko screamed behind her shut lips, squirming and trying to get free from his hold on her. She tried to use her shadow bending but found she couldn't move any shadows unless she had her hands. She turned her head away from him and glared, but he just smirked arrogantly. She opened her mouth to call for help, but Hahn immediately stopped her by pushing his tongue into her mouth. Hoshiko kept squirming and yelling for help in words that couldn't be heard by anyone. No matter how much she wanted, no one would hear her and no one would come to her rescue.

Or so she thought. After a moment, she heard footsteps, then someone shouting, "Hey!" Someone grabbed Hahn's shoulder and pulled him off of her. Hoshiko collapsed to the ground, gasping and coughing into her fist. She looked to see it was Sokka who had rescued her, he looked down at her in surprise, "Hoshiko…?" He looked to Hahn, who was wiping his mouth as he began to stand, the force of Sokka's push had put him on the floor, "And Hahn…? What's going on?" He stopped and froze in fear when he saw the look on Hoshiko's face. Her eyes were narrowed, her pupils in thin slits. Her ears were hooded back, her tail swinging back and forth dangerously. Her fangs were bared, and her fingernails had turned into sharp claws. She growled at him, sounding like a vicious panther.

"You SON OF A BITCH!" Hoshiko shouted, bringing up a huge wave of shadow and using it to throw him onto the wall on the opposite side of the room. She had some of the shadow wrap around his neck and squeeze off some of his air. Hahn gasped and his hands uselessly tried to pry the shadow from around his neck. Hoshiko put more pressure, and ginned sinisterly when his gasp was barely audible, "I'll make sure you never see the light of day again!"

"Hoshiko! Stop!" Sokka said, putting his hand on her shoulder. She took her leg and kicked him back.

"Stay out of this! It doesn't concern you!" She growled, Sokka rubbed at his now sore side. He got back up and grabbed her arms.

"Hoshiko, I know you're mad." He said, "But that doesn't give you the right to kill him. You need to let it go."

"Are you insane?!" She asked.

"Hoshiko, think about this!" Sokka said, "If you kill Hahn, what would happen? You would be wanted for murder, and if the chief finds out, he'll probably have you banished or worse." Hoshiko released some of the pressure on Hahn's neck, taking in Sokka's words. "And what will happen to Yue if you're gone? What about your friends? What do you think would happen to them?" That's right! Her friends… Xana, Yue, even Katara and Aang were her friends. What would happen if she killed him?

She released her hold on him and let him fall to the ground. He held his throat and gasped, coughing as he gulped in breath after breath of air. He looked up at Hoshiko, who still glared at him murderously. She softened her glare and sighed.

"You're not even worth it." She said, she waved him off, "Just get ready for your stupid mission." Hahn nodded unsurely and left, leaving her and Sokka alone in the room. Hoshiko turned to him and smiled gratefully.

"Thanks." She said. Sokka shrugged.

"Don't mention it." He said, smiling back, before his expression went unbelievably serious, "Seriously, don't mention it. We could get into a lot of trouble." Hoshiko stared at him for a moment before he smiled again. She laughed lightly.

"You had me going for a minute there." She said as she clapped him on the shoulder, as she started to walk out of the room, over her shoulder, she said, "No wonder Yue likes you so much." She left the room, not seeing the expression on Sokka's face when she said those words.

Hoshiko stood beside Yue as twilight began to approach. Katara had run from the front lines and was standing on Yue's other side. They all watched as they saw the ships stop moving altogether, not one of them shooting anything at the city. Smart move. Hoshiko thought, knowing that all water benders were stronger the higher the moon rose. Unfortunately for them, Zhao was a good strategist.

"They've stopped firing." Yue said, seeing the ships weigh anchor.

"Aang!" Katara called, seeing the bison fly into the city. All the girls ran from the bridge to go and greet him. They saw Appa collapse on the ground as he landed, Aang slid off his head and sat next to him.

"I can't do it." He said aloud, putting his head in his hands, "I can't do it."

"What happened?" Katara asked, reaching him.

"I must've taken out a dozen Fire Navy ships but there's just too many of them." Aang said, looking up at them, "I can't fight them all!"

"But… You have to!" Yue said, "You're the avatar!"

"I'm just one kid." Aang said sadly, he buried his head in his arms as they rested on his knees. Katara knelt down and put her hand on his shoulder to comfort. Hoshiko looked down at the young avatar sadly, knowing that he was right. Aang may be over a hundred years old, but he was still just a twelve year old boy at heart. He couldn't handle something as big as this all on his own.

Sokka stood next to Hahn as they sharpened their axes, Hahn spoke first, "Let me tell you, Soukka (He pronounced his name wrong), I've courted a lot of girls, but Yue's the finest." He said, "And she comes with the most perks."

That comment made Sokka turn to him and glare, "'Perks?' What does that mean?" He almost growled.

"I mean, Yue's nice and everything," Hahn said, "But the points I'll gain with the chief aren't bad either. Along with the fact she has some lovely assistants."

"You mean Hoshiko?" Sokka asked, his voice still growly.

"Yeah, she's a little rough around the edges, but give her some time and she'll come around." Hahn said.

"Princess Yue is wasted on a self-absorbed weasel like you!" Sokka growled, sharpening his axe harder than before.

"Whoa, hang on," Hahn said, "What do you care? You're just a simple root from the Southern Tribe. What would you know of the political complexities of our life? No offense." That did it. Sokka snapped. He let out a cry as he tackled Hahn to the ground. He kept trying to throw punches at him as they rolled around.

"You're just a jerk without a soul! No offense!!" Sokka yelled. They rolled around for a few minutes, Sokka ending up pulling the necklace he wore to try and cut off his air, Hahn trying to yank his hair out.

"That's enough!" A loud voice boomed. The two were lifted up by a pair of hands and they looked to see Chief Arnook was the one that intervened, he turned to Sokka, "Sokka, you're off the mission." Sokka gaped at him for a second as the chief walked away. He was off the mission? Disgruntled, he turned away, crossing his arms and scrunching his face into one of anger.

"Alright, fall in men!" Hahn said, a hint of smug triumph in his voice, "Everybody listen to what I say, and we'll take down this Admiral Cho in no time." He led the troops out of the room.

"It's Admiral Zhao!" Sokka growled as he walked away. Hahn ignored him as he led the other warriors out the door.

Hoshiko stood next to Yue as she, Aang, and Katara were out on the balcony near the throne room of the palace. Katara stood next to Aang, who sulked against the railing. Yue gazed up at the moon, seeing that it was almost full tonight. Hoshiko gazed up at it as well, the ethereal light shining through grey clouds that most likely would bring snow in a day or two. It was rather beautiful.

"The legends say the moon was the first water bender." Yue said, trying to make some conversation between her and the avatar, "Our ancestors saw how it pushed and pulled the tides, and learned how to do it themselves."

"I've always noticed my water bending is stronger at night." Katara said, looking at the princess.

"Which is exactly why the Fire Nation ceased fire." Hoshiko said, glaring at the sea that harbored the Fire Nation ships, "They know they can't fight water benders at night, so they plan to wait it out until morning to strike." Her hands gripped at the sleeve of her parka as she scowled, "They're nothing but a bunch of filthy cowards!" She growled. Yue looked at Hoshiko, seeing her face and body and feeling her anger towards the Fire Nation, the emotion emanating off of her like an aura. She turned to the princess when she realized she was staring at her, sharply asking, "What?"

Yue said nothing as she looked back out at the moon. Katara and Aang looked over at the Shinjun as she glared at the ships, her lips forming a small snarl as an animalistic growl was barely heard. Katara looked upon her sadly, thinking that Hoshiko must've had a hard time with the Fire Nation to hate them so.

"Our strength comes from the spirit of the moon. Our life comes from the spirit of the ocean." Yue said, trying to change the subject, "They work together to keep balance." Hoshiko saw the light go off in Aang's head as he jumped up, scaring Momo and making him fly up for a moment.

"The spirits!" He exclaimed, "Maybe I can find them and get their help!"

"How can you do that?" Yue asked.

"The avatar is the bridge between our world and the spirit world." Katara said, smiling at her friend, "Aang can talk to them!"

"Maybe they'll give you the wisdom to win this battle!" Yue said excitedly.

"Or maybe they'll unleash a crazy-amazing spirit attack on the Fire Nation!" Aang said, twice as excited as Yue. He looked to see the girls surrounding him didn't agree with that prospect, "Or wisdom, that's good too." He said, leaning back against the railing.

"The only problem is," Katara said, "Last time you got to the spirit world by accident. How're you gonna get there this time?"

"I have an idea." Yue said, "Follow me." Yue led the group through many halls until they reached a courtyard out back. They went past the safe house that Hoshiko had left Yue in as they went up to a gigantic, icy wall with a single door to let someone in. Yue stood beside the door as Aang stepped forward.

"So, is this the way to the spirit world?" Aang asked, pointing at the door. Yue laughed lightly.

"No, you'll have to get there on your own." She said, "But I can take you to the most spiritual place in the entire North Pole." She opened the door and Aang went in. He saw the spirit oasis and was amazed. The spirit oasis was sacred ground in the North Pole, with warm temperatures surrounding the tiny piece of land that held a small pond near an archway surrounded by bamboo. In the pond were two koi fish. One was black, with a single white spot on the top of its head. The other was white, with a single black spot on top of its head. Aang, full of excitement, ran across a bridge leading to the grass-covered spot. He laughed as he used his air bending to jump high and softly land on the ground.

"I never thought I'd miss grass this much!" He exclaimed, rolling on his back. Yue, Katara, and Hoshiko were right behind him. Hoshiko smiled at the sight of green grass, real green grass. She was tempted to go and join Aang on the ground, just to feel the stalks of grass beneath her.

"It's so warm here!" Katara exclaimed, looking around, "How is that possible?" She began taking off her parka so she wouldn't get too hot in the warm climate.

"It's the center of all spiritual energy in our land." Yue said, following suit. Momo, being a curious little lemur, went over to the water and saw the two koi fish as they swirled around each other. He stuck his paw in the water to try and get one, but before he could. He looked to see the stern stares of Katara and Princess Yue. His ears drooped as he trudged away from the pond.

"You're right, Yue." Aang said, standing underneath the archway. "I can feel… something. It's so… tranquil." Aang sat down in a meditating position, closing his eyes. Hoshiko began to walk away, but the two girls noticed.

"Hoshiko, where are you going?" Yue asked, Hoshiko looked back at her and smiled.

"I have some prior business I need to attend to." She said, "I should be back soon. And besides, I'm sure you'll be perfectly safe in the presence of the avatar." She waved as she headed out. Once she shut the door, she looked around and broke into a run. She ran down the hallways looking left and right.

She finally found what she was looking for, and skidded to a halt. "Chief Arnook!" She called, he turned to see her and jumped back as she ran forward. When she reached him, she rested her hands on her knees as she caught her breath.

"Hoshiko? What are you doing here?" Arnook asked, "Where is my daughter?"

"She's perfectly safe, sir." Hoshiko said, "She's at the spirit oasis with the avatar and his friend. I needed to come and find you so I left her in their protection."

"Why did you need me?" Arnook asked.

"It's concerning the security of your daughter…"

Sokka glared at his boomerang as he squatted on the floor, sharpening the edges with a rock. He was alone in the room as he did so, still fuming about being left behind on the mission. He heard footsteps come in, but didn't care to see who it was.

"Is something wrong, Sokka?" It was Hoshiko.

"Oh, no. Hahn's out there on the top secret mission while I'm here sharpening my boomerang. Everything's fine!" Sokka replied sarcastically. Hoshiko smiled to herself.

"Well, I think I have something that might cheer you up." She said, "The Chief has told me to give you a special assignment."

"What? Does he want me to scrub the barracks?" Sokka asked, turning to her. He became confused at the sight of her smile.

"No, he wants you to guard his daughter, Princess Yue." She answered. Sokka jumped up, eyes wide.

"What? For real?" Hoshiko nodded in confirmation, "But I thought guarding Yue was your job!" Hoshiko smirked and looked at her nails as she spoke again.

"I know, but I reminded the chief that, what with so many fire benders just outside our borders," She said, "That only one persons protection might not be enough against a platoon of soldiers. So, I convinced him to let me have one of his warriors that wasn't on the top secret mission, AKA: you, to help me protect her." Sokka gaped at her for a minute, then his face broke out into a smile and he hugged her, much to her surprise.

"You are the nicest Shinjun I've ever met!" He declared, spinning her in a circle. Hoshiko pushed away from him, and he smiled apologetically, "Sorry."

"No, it's fine." Hoshiko said, straightening out her parka, "You were just happy to receive the news, I understand." Sokka smiled at her, and she smiled back, "Seeing as this may be the final hours of the Northern Water Tribe, I thought you might want to spend it with the princess by your side." She started walking out of the room, "Come on, we shouldn't keep her waiting."

"Oh, right." Sokka said, stowing his boomerang in its holder as he quickly followed her. "So, where is she?"

"I left her with your friends at the spirit oasis." She said, "Although, I didn't think it would take so long to convince Chief Arnook to let you help me. She's been up there for some time, and I'm a little worried. We should find her as soon as possible."

"Hoshiko!" The two whirled around to see Yue running towards them.

"That was easy." Sokka said.

"Yue, what is it?" Hoshiko asked as her friend caught her breath.

"It's Aang, he's in trouble!" She said, "A fire bender found his way through the city, and he's planning on taking Aang!"

"What did he look like?" Sokka asked, stepping forward.

"He was… young. I don't think he was a soldier." Yue said, "He had this huge scar across his face, and a ponytail."

"Zuko." Sokka growled, "He's been trying to capture Aang since day one. I can't believe he still followed us all the way to the North Pole!" Hoshiko nodded.

"Then we need to get to the spirit oasis as fast as we can." She said, she turned down the hall, "It's this way, come on!"

"Wait!" Sokka called, "We'll get there a lot faster if we go on Appa. We need to get to the stables." He ran the opposite direction and Hoshiko and Yue ran after him. They ran outside and saw that it was daybreak as the sun slowly rose into the morning sky. They found the stables and Hoshiko jumped at the sight of the gigantic furry bison. Sokka and Yue were completely calm as they went toward it. Sokka helped Yue up onto the saddle on his back. Hoshiko still stood there, gaping at the great beast. "Hoshiko, what are you waiting for?" Sokka asked, "Hurry and get on!" Hoshiko nodded unsurely as the princess helped pull her up.

"And how exactly is this monster going to get us to the oasis faster?" Hoshiko asked, "We're practically on the opposite side of the city!"

"Yip yip!" Sokka called, snapping the reigns. Hoshiko went back at the force of the lift off. She looked to see they were flying through the air! It was a flying bison, probably the last of its breed. Had the situation been different, Hoshiko would have been amazed to be flying through the air on the back of a big hairy beast with six legs and a big fluffy tail. They made it to the oasis in an eighth of the time it would've taken them to get there if they went on foot.

As they made their descent, they saw only Katara, lying limp on the ground. Hoshiko saw some of the grass had been burned away, and Aang was no where in sight. Katara jumped up, seeming to be awake now, and looked around, calling out for her friend. Appa landed on the grassy floor and Sokka jumped off his head.

"What happened? Where's Zuko?" Sokka asked quickly. Hoshiko and the princess jumped off the bison's saddle.

"He took Aang. He took him right out from under me." Katara said, her voice breaking as Hoshiko saw tears coming to her eyes. She fell to the ground and looked at Momo, who was in the place Aang had been sitting when Hoshiko left.

"Where did they go?" Sokka asked, looking at Momo as he turned to them with his big green eyes. Hoshiko wondered the same, looking around the oasis for any sign where the avatar might've been taken.