'Well, damn.'

For that moment, that was all Ayaan's mind could think. He knew that something was off about Aang, that he was hiding something from them. But never, in all of his years, did he think it would be that.

Ayaan did not have the words. The Avatar, the person that the world hoped would return and finally end the war, was in fact a twelve year old child with fun on the brain.

'Are we good or are we screwed?'

He didn't have time to answer the thought.

In the confusion, Aang and Prince Zuko were now in a face off. They were circling each other carefully, not letting either out of their sights. "I've spent years preparing for this encounter. Training, meditating." He said, not looking away from Aang. One was able to see the furious glare growing on his face for miles. "You're just a child!"

Aang, however, was just confused as to what his problem was. "Well, you're just a teenager."

Ayaan suppressed the urge to smile just a bit. He nodded to himself in silent approval.

'Yeah, I think we're good.'

Right now, he was dealing with the other soldiers, who had surrounded him while that was going on. Sokka wanted to help him, but Ayaan signaled for him not to come. Katara was the same, but in the mess she was helping Gran-Gran who was visibly shaken up by the recent happenings.

Right now, he was on his own. But his opponents were nothing but small fry. He put his free hand back on his spear, using the same move he did with the prince. They were trying to keep their distance from him, still remembering how easily he'd taken them out before even without his weapon. After surrounding him, they finally charged.

"RAAHHH!"

"HAHH!"

They ran with all of their might, firebending at the ready. This time though, Ayaan remained calm. He stuck his spinning spear in the ground, cracking the ice with the force and pushed himself into the air away from the flames. One hand on the butt of his spear for balance, he reach his other hand down and firmly grabbed on. With a powerful sweep, he blasted on of the incoming firebenders with snow.

As his momentum went downward he used his strong legs to kick the other two. Despite his size, he was flexible. The quick motion of his hand and the tightening of his fist, something he had done many times before, the ones covered in snow were quickly unable to move. Their eyes widened at the fact that they were facing not only an strong warrior, but a waterbender on top of that.

He landed on the ground, having taken down three in only a few moments.

Only one was left, and he was standing with his mouth figuratively agape beneath his helmet. How had they just been taken down like that? Again? Unbeknownst to him, Ayaan was just as confused.

He remembered how one sided his last battle was. He remembered how the twelve year old him, no matter how hard he fought, could not overcome the wall that was shaped in the visage of that horrible fire nation soldier. And this was officially his first battle with firebenders since that day, but—

"You're so... weak?"

He was genuinely confused.

The firebender didn't take kindly to being called weak, apparently, and foolishly charged at him. Ayaan sighed. He raised his spear with the blunt side forward, and the moment the soldier came within range he slapped him with it. Left, Right, then he went full low swing, knocking the enemy clear off his feet.

He did this with the most bored expression his family had ever seen him wear. It rivaled Gran-Gran and that was saying something. But underneath this veil of boredom was a growing irritation.

"You are supposed to be stronger than this, why are you so weak?" He said to himself.

All of his training seemed like overkill right now to the point he felt slightly infuriated. How weak had he been back then to think of this as strong? He did not feel boastful about his strength at all, it wasn't in his nature.

He had made up an enemy to fight in his mind, and had been training to fight that enemy which only seemed to become stronger as he did. And even though he was not naïve enough to think that all fire nation soldiers were like the ones before him, compared to wild beasts, horrid climate, and lethal ice flows, these guys were nothing.

Nothing but disappointments.

But he knew that only he could say something like that. He saw how much trouble his brother and sister had, and he knew that his strength was not normal. He wasn't sure if it was this 'blessing' or if he was just weirdly more capable compared to the others. He was not the type to let his strength go to his head. And there was a very simply reason why.

When he thought he was strong, fate proved him wrong. The scar on his skin was his eternal reminder.

"Sokka, Katara, do not run up on an enemy like this one did." Ayaan said as he pointed to the soldier at his feet, a dull look on his face that matched Gran-Gran's on a normal day.

"Um. Yeah." Sokka was not going to tell Ayaan that what he'd just did to the poor firenation soldier had happened to him not five minutes prior to him arriving. He was not going to tell him that he ran up to the soldiers and got triple bopped with his own club, only to get a solid hit in with his boomerang.

"Totally learned from it." He wasn't going to say a word.

"Pfft." Katara decided not to comment to save Sokka some face. She didn't think this was a good time to joke, so she simply sent Sokka a look which said 'I'm teasing you about this later'. He sent her a glare and was about to say something when the battle before them became dangerous.

Aang was holding Prince Zuko back pretty easily by twirling his staff to produce a shield of air, but the embers of the fire ricocheted off of it and into the crowd behind him. Both Ayaan and Aang noticed it, their eyes widening in horror. Putting the safety of the village before his own, Aang stopped his staff and planted it firmly in the ground.

"If I go with you," He offers up his staff in front of him, making Ayaan's eyes widen in horror, knowing what he was about to do, "will you promise to leave everyone alone?"

"No, Aang..." Ayaan watched as the Fire Prince hesitated for a moment, and then relaxed his stance, nodding in confirmation to the boy's request. Still groaning from the obvious pain Ayaan had dished out on them, the soldiers apprehended Aang and his staff, cuffing him and taking him away.

"No! Aang, don't do this!" Katara said sadly. Aang was surprisingly calm as he was about to answer, but before he could a dark blue blur rammed into the soldier in front of him.

"Let him go!" Ayaan demanded, his foot firmly on the poor soldier who was once again planted in the snow.

"I don't get paid enough for this..." Poor man.

Before Ayaan could continue his onslaught, Aang stopped him. He shook his head, making Ayaan's eyes go wide in a sad understanding. "But, Aang..."

"It's okay." Aang gave the siblings a weak smile. If this continued, the villagers would be put in danger. It was something that neither of them wanted to risk. Ayaan's heart was heavy as he stepped back, letting them take Aang as the boy wished.

A few spiteful glares were sent his way, but Ayaan either did not see them or did not care. Most likely, it was the latter.

They all watched as Aang was taken away, unable to do a thing as the ship retreated back into the fog from whence it came. With it gone, the damage it had done became clear. With a heavy and somber silence, the adults began to access those damages, fixing up what they could.

Ayaan stood with his spear in his hand, not saying a thing. His back was turned to them, so his siblings were unable to see his face at that moment.

In that moment, he had made a decision that he knew was going to change his life forever. Whether he would regret that decision or not, he did not know.

He just knew there would be no going back.

...

..

.

Gran-Gran had been there for each of their births; she had watched them grow up. She had seen their happiest smiles and she had heard their most sorrow-filled cries. So when Ayaan came to her home, which was thankfully unaffected by the recent events, she knew exactly what was going through his mind.

"Gran-Gran." Ayaan had a conflicted expression upon his face. It was the subtle crease in his silver brows and the small frown of his lips that gave him away. The fist that was clenched so tightly around his favorite weapon that his knuckles were white and the hesitance in his footsteps, Gran-Gran could see it all clearly.

He faced forward, looking her in the eyes with all of the determination he could muster. Those beautiful grayish blue eyes she had watched shine with happiness and dull with anguish, Gran-Gran knew the look in those familiar eyes. Her son had that same look in his eyes when he'd made a decision he refused to back down on.

"I'm going."

"I know." She whispered. Ayaan let a small smile slip by. Of course she would know what he was thinking. He loosened his grip on his spear, stabbing it into the ground as he went to embrace his grandmother in one last hug. He held it for as long as he could, knowing that it would be one of the last ones he'd been able to give her for an uncertain amount of time.

It was not an easy choice to leave everything you knew for the unknown. Not when you are old enough to know what that could mean. Not when you know what is on the line.

Ayaan knew all of the risks. But his mind was set. Leaving his village like this felt wrong, but what he was leaving it for felt... right. He felt like he was making the right choice. It was stronger than any other feeling he'd had before. He was certain that he was making the right choice, no matter how sad it made him.

"I promise I will return one day." He released the hug slowly, leaning in to give his grandmother a kiss on her forehead. Just like the ones his mother used to give them when they returned home and before they left.

"I have a feeling you should pack enough for two more, Ayaan." She said with a knowing smile. Gran-Gran knew her grandkids.

Although she would miss them dearly, their fates had already been intertwined with that young boy's. She was worried, she was scared. What troubles would they face out there? Just like her son, they were going to face the hardships of war. But despite all of this... she still had hope. A fragile hope that had been strengthened by them.

"Me too." He said with a smile of his own. As much as he wanted them to stay in the village, he knew there was no way that was going to happen. He left for their storage hut to prepare for what he was going to do.

Gran-Gran watched as he left, and in the distance she could see Sokka preparing to go too. Katara had a determined look upon her face, just like her older brother. Each of them had chosen their path. A path she hoped would lead them where they're meant to be.

In her heart, she had a distant dream that maybe peace was not a fairytale, and the events of the day seemed to bring it just a bit closer. If she would live to see those beautiful days, she was not sure. But she knew that she had just witnessed the beginning of that journey. And her three grandchildren would be at the center of it all, along with the Avatar.

...

..

.

It didn't take long for Ayaan to track down Appa. The enormous fluffy bison stood out compared to the other beasts that Ayaan had seen. And his demeanor was unlike any other beast he'd ever seen.

Appa was still chill-laxing in a formation of ice big enough for him to lounge in. He seemed content as he slept, not a care in the world. Upon hearing Ayaan's approach, his fluffy ears puffed up. Large brown eyes met Ayaan's grayish blue ones, and the giant bison seemed to light up at the sight of Ayaan. Said boy couldn't resist the urge to pet him, his hand sinking into Appa's warm fur.

"So soft..." Ayaan felt really content before he remembered why he was there. "Um. I don't know if you understand me, but," He wasn't sure how to phrase what he needed, "Aang was taken. Do you want to help me get him back, Appa?"

For a moment, Ayaan isn't sure about this working. He was literally out of his element here, dealing with an air, supposedly flying, ten-ton bison with extremely soft fluff. This, outside of his secret meetings with the bison to pet him when the children weren't playing with him, was one of the few times he'd ever approached the bison.

But he had nothing to worry about. Appa let out a low growl, as if to answer his question. This of course, was followed by a giant lick, which left Ayaan both disgusted by the saliva yet delighted by the affection of the gesture.

Appa lowered his head, giving Ayaan access to his reigns. With skillful movements, Ayaan was in the drivers seat at the base of Appa's neck. He puts all of his supplies in the saddle on Appa's back, and with a flick of the reigns Appa began to move.

"Thank you, Appa." Ayaan began to pet him some more, the bison enjoying it immensely. There was something about Ayaan that Appa liked. He had an almost instinctual positive viewing of the water tribe warrior. It was like this with most domestic animals for Ayaan. They seemed to like him a lot without him having done anything.

Maybe it was the Moon Spirit's blessing? He was not sure. But he was not complaining.

"Let's go."

...

..

.

The sky was a mixture of oranges and pinks by the time Ayaan made it back to the village. He could see, in the distance, that they were rebuilding what was broken. The children were with their mothers and grandmothers, helping out with what they could. This would be the last time he would look upon his home for a long time, so he seared the image in his memory before turning toward the southern shores where the ship had left from.

He let a smile slip by as he spotted his sister hugging Gran-Gran. Sokka had prepared a boat for them to leave on, the supplies still in his hand. Gran-Gran was still speaking to them, having already giving them their sleeping bags.

"Aang is the Avatar. He's the world's only chance. You all found him for a reason. Now your destinies are intertwined with his." Katara and Sokka look towards each other, feeling uneasy with the amount of responsibility that had suddenly been placed on them.

They wondered for a brief moment if this was how Ayaan felt when their dad left and he had to take care of both them and the village. Shaking off the uneasiness as their decision had already been made, Katara points at the tiny boat her brother had prepared.

"There's no way we're going to catch a warship with a canoe."

"That's why I brought him." Ayaan spoke up, his voice followed by Appa's growl as he announced his presence.

"Ayaan! Appa! Wait, why are you on Appa?" Katara's excitement and confusion were understandable. Ayaan hadn't shown his affection for the bison in front of them or anyone for that matter. The only one who knew was most likely their grandmother, to which he told everything.

She ran up to the bison, Appa obviously happy to see her too. Sokka, on the other hand, was less than pleased. "You just looove taking me out of my comfort zone, don't you?"

"Sorry, Sokka. But I think most of this journey will be outside of your comfort zone." Ayaan said, helping Katara onto Appa's saddle. Sokka fought the urge to facepalm, but reluctantly got on Appa. With a final goodbye to their grandmother and one last look at their village, the siblings set off.

Their journey had finally begun.