There was a blinding flash of light, and then everything went dark. Aang may have dreamed, or perhaps he was left floating in this inky black void, conscious but helpless. He didn't remember how the time was spent, only that it ended. Now he could see a soft blue light, he could feel moisture, and it was cool. No, it was cold, very cold, and then it was hot, and he was falling.
He toppled forward, crashing into someone, his knees striking something soft and wet. His vision cleared, and he looked up into the face of a girl with black hair in two long side bangs and a high bun. He knew her and a sudden surge of fear shot through him, but his body wouldn't move. She was the last person he saw before the blinding light. At least he thought so, though his memory was fading into nothing.
"What!" the girl said with a mixture of surprise and disgust, dropping Aang into the snow. "Oh, it's just a child."
"You're barely not a child," a male voice said from nearby. "You looked almost scared for a moment."
"I wasn't scared, Zuzu, I was just caught by surprise when this peasant fell on me." She knelt and looked at him more carefully. "Odd tattoos...they look like airbending tattoos."
"They are airbending tattoos. He is even dressed as an airbender." He bent over and touched the boy's wrist. "Still has a pulse."
"Then let's turn him over." The two turned Aang over, and he began to stir softly. Azula leaned down to listen to his breathing when he suddenly lurched forward like he was going for a kiss. "Oh, gross." She shoved him back down.
"Trust me, whoever you are, you don't want to do that. My sister's last boyfriend had a mental breakdown after a volleyball game."
"He was weak." Azula spat back. "Who are you, and what are you doing here?"
Aang blinked a few more times. He had this inkling in the back of his head that he should know more things, but all he could remember was flying into the storm with Appa. "Appa, where is Appa," he called out, struggling to his feet and looking around.
Behind him was a sphere of ice, with a large portion melted and blasted away. Curved shards of ice were scattered about it, lying outside the sphere. Aang hurriedly climbed back into the sphere, just in time to see his sky bison let out a yawn and struggle to his feet. Appa let out a happy cry upon seeing his friend and master, and the two embraced. Well, Aang through his arms as wide as he could around the sky bison's head and Appa gently nudged him back.
"You're alright buddy!" Appa let out a gentle bellow in response. "Come on, let's get out of here." Aang triumphantly emerged from the broken sphere with Appa in tow, who shattered what was left of the top of the sphere making his way out. "This is my sky bison, Appa."
"Wow..." Zuko said, looking the creature over.
"Hmm...I'll take a mongoose lizard any day."
"Can a mongoose lizard fly?" asked Aang. "Appa here is the fastest sky bison at the Southern Air Temple. Maybe all the Air Temples."
"I'd bet on it," Azula mumbled under her breath. Zuko gave her a look.
"Um, what was your name again," the teenage boy asked.
"I am Aang, of the Southern Air Temple," He said proudly. "I just received my master's tattoos not that long ago. I created this amazing new move, the air scooter. Do you want to see it?"
"I am Prince Zuko of the...ouch." Azula stepped on her brother's foot. "What are you doing?"
"We are trying to be subtle," she said through gritted teeth.
"He isn't from the Water Tribes, obviously." He turned back to Aang. "As I was saying, I am Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation, and this is my younger sister, Princess Azula."
"I am, however, the better firebender. What were you doing in this ice sphere?" Azula looked over him suspiciously. "Are you actually an airbender?"
"Of course." Aang pulled out several metal balls from a pouch on his belt and sent them swirling about in a small vortex of air between his hands. "Oh, I can fly too." He grabbed a staff from a holster on Appa's harness. It was flatter than most bo staffs, with some ornamentation. With a flick of his finger on some hidden trigger, orange wings popped from the glider, one main pair and a smaller second pair.
"I believe you're an airbender. But what were you doing out here?" Azula pressed.
"I was going for a little fly to clear my head, and I ran into a really bad storm, a hurricane. And then I woke up in your arms."
"I don't think you are telling us everything."
"He just met us. We should take him back to the ship. Mother will want to know about," Zuko paused. "about an Air Nomad being out here."
"Yes, I suppose we should. This turned out to be less boring than I thought a fishing trip would be."
"You were annoying everyone on the ship. I thought some time away would do you good."
"Only because you were too busy playing with your swords and wouldn't spar with me. You are the only other firebender on the ship."
Zuko sighed and picked up a couple of fishing rods and an empty bucket. Aang did notice a pair of swords hanging from his back. Both of the siblings were wearing thick brown coats over black and red clothes, which appeared to have lacquered leather armor for additional protection. The boy had a topknot, but it was the large scar over one of his eyes and covering a good portion of that side of his face that drew one's look the most.
"You came on a ship?" asked Aang.
"Yes, it is anchored around the glacier," Zuko said, motioning ahead. "We hopped over here across the ice fields." He scanned the path back. "It might be more difficult to return."
"Only if you can't jump very far," Azula teased.
"We can fly on Appa, it will be faster."
The two siblings looked at each other. "Oh, I want to see this," Azula said. "How can something so large get off the ground."
"Airbending, of course. That's where airbenders first learned how to airbend." Appa slapped his tail on the ground while letting out a loud cry. A rain of saliva struck Azula, right before a blast of wind knocked her back into the snow.
Zuko laughed, even as his sister gave him a death glare. She stood up and used fire bending to blast the snow off of her, without singing her coat beneath. "Fine, show us what you can do. But I will mock you if he can't get into the air."
Azula dashed up to Appa and leaped into the air. Jet a of red flame blasted from her boots and propelled her onto the back of the sky bison, where she landed on the saddle. She had not quite timed it perfectly and stumbled and dropped awkwardly into a sitting position. She reprimanded herself strongly for this show of weakness but had a small amount of joy that Zuko did not make it.
She reached out a hand and pulled her older brother in. "Don't feel too bad, we can't all be a firebending prodigy."
"One of your hairs is out of place." Azula reached up and frantically checked her hairdo.
"They are not...well played, Zuzu." She punched him playfully on the arm. "It's probably good you aren't as competitive as me, or we would have killed each other a long time ago."
Aang jumped onto the front of the saddle where the reigns were secured. He closed his glider in mid-air while performing a gentle turn before landing gracefully, grabbing the reigns as they drifted into his hands with a touch of airbending.
Azula's eyes slightly opened. An airbender would be better at jumping. But still, she couldn't help but feel she had to find a way to beat him.
"Alright Appa, let's go. Yip Yip!" he called out. And Appa leaped off the chunk of ice, beginning to drift into the air, only to plop violently into the icy water, and begin swimming in the direction of the ship.
"It can fly huh?" Azula said, raising an eyebrow.
"He's just tired, he needs some time, and some food." There was a loud growl, and then another even louder growl. Aang touched his stomach. "I'm pretty hungry too."
Azula leaned back on the saddle. "Well, this isn't a completely unpleasant way to travel."
"We can get you some food when we get back to the ship."
The Southern Water Tribe warship cut through the icy water swiftly, propelled by wind alone. With this good breeze, she could run down any Fire Nation warship without bending. The preserved canine head on the prow stared grimly ahead. On the deck of the ship stood a young man with an equally grim and determined look, staring at several glaciers and fields of floating ice ahead.
That strange beam of light had to be something. Sokka didn't want to hope too quickly, but what else could it be, but the Avatar? What else could have such power? Even if it wasn't the Avatar, this close to Southern Water Tribe territory, it could not be ignored. He heard slow footsteps behind him, and he knew who it was before she spoke.
"Will you continue to stare until you bore a hole through the glacier?"
"Admiral Hama, you saw the beam of light. There is no doubt it is him, the Avatar."
"Or her perhaps. The last Avatar was a man." Sokka just grunted. "I agree, we must investigate, but you have been standing and staring for over an hour. I am sad you have not deigned to try my seal jerky."
Sokka bit his lip. "Seal jerky, you say."
"Oh yes, it is ready at last. I do not think even the great Prince Sokka could handle this level of spiciness."
"I see what you are doing, and it is working." He spun around. "Bring me to this jerky, and I will show you what a true Water Tribe warrior can handle." As they made their way back to the superstructure of the warship, Sokka stopped and turned to one of the crew on the deck, a marine with a wolf head helmet. "Let me know as soon as we arrive at the source of that light."
"Yes, Prince Sokka," he replied, bowing slightly.
The jerky was very spicy, but it was no match for Sokka. At least he would not let on that it did. The sweat pouring down his forehead and his flushed cheeks did not indicate anything. Neither did his desperate gulping of an entire bucket of water or submerging his head in a bucket for as long as possible.
"Admiral Hama," he began. She held up her hand.
"Sokka, I have told you before. You can just call me Aunt Hama."
"I...yes. Anyway, Aunt Hama, if I am to face the Avatar, I must be prepared. I must push my training to the limit."
"If you insist. Your greatest enemy is yourself."
"I do not want more empty platitudes, especially from a washed-up old general." Sokka regretted it immediately after saying it. "I am sorry, Aunt Hama. I should not have said that."
She did not let it appear to bother her. "Even a washed-up old general has much to teach. Now, to your training."
On the deck, Water Tribe marines set up a series of bottles balancing on wooden posts. They swayed slightly with the movement of the ship. Between the four targets stood three warriors, all waterbenders, with waterskins hanging over their shoulders and fierce warpaint. Prince Sokka resolutely strode to the center of the deck, a good thirty feet from the line of targets. Hama stood nearby, still munching on some seal jerky.
The Prince pulled out a metal boomerang and raised it. "Begin! Do not hold back. We face the Avatar soon, and though he is no doubt old, he is a master of the elements and a dangerous foe." As the three water benders drew some water from their skins and formed them into spheres, Sokka threw his boomerang at the first target.
The boomerang flew true, striking the bottle and knocking it off. As it began its return path, Sokka dodged the first barrage of water blasts, then caught the boomerang. He repeated the process successfully with the second bottle. He changed the angle and tossed it harder than before. It struck the first bottle and looped around, heading right for the final bottle on the return trip.
The Water Tribe Prince continued to dodge blasts while trying to keep his eye on the boomerang. It struck the final bottle, which shattered as it struck the deck. Sokka pumped his fist in victory, when a water bolt slammed into his shoulder, knocking him sideways, then the boomerang strung him in the head, and he fell to the deck.
Hama leaned over him as he tried to focus his eyes. "You allowed yourself to celebrate too soon." She held out a hand, but instead of helping him up, she held out something. "More seal jerky?"
"No, not right." He pushed her hand away and stood to his feet. "I must train more. Set the bottles back up." The crewman around hurriedly went to work resetting the challenge as Sokka retrieved his boomerang.
Appa climbed up on a large chunk of ice near where a ship was anchored. A gangplank was lowered onto the ice. Some Fire Nation soldiers with spears or bows waited on the deck, watching the approach. They seemed a touch on edge, but not openly hostile. Aang disembarked from Appa with a whirl of wind, landing on the ice so gently he barely left footprints on the layer of snow atop it.
That got a reaction of surprise from the gathered individuals. Azula and Zuko climbed off of Appa and headed for the gangplank. "You should speak to our mother, right away. She can explain everything." Zuko said. "I'll go to the kitchen and tell them to prepare some food...uh, what kind of food do you like?
"Whatever you have is fine, as long as it doesn't have meat. Most airbenders are vegetarians."
"All the ones I met are," Azula snidely remarked. She turned to some of the soldiers on the deck. "Stop standing there staring at our guest, and get some hay or something for his mount."
"His name is Appa, and he is my friend, not a mount."
"Fine, get our guest's friend some hay or something."
As the three of them headed across the deck towards the superstructure, a woman with long black hair, a red robe with some black trim, and a regal bearing, stepped from within. "So this is the visitor which caused such a stir," she began, smiling warmly. "You caught no fish, just an airbender and his friend."
"We didn't try particularly hard to find fish after we saw something frozen in a sphere of ice," Zuko answered. "His name is Aang, and he is hungry." As if to confirm this, Aang's stomach growled.
"Oh, sorry Ma'am," he said. "As your son said, I am Aang, of the Southern Air Temple, and airbending master."
"And I am Princess Ursa of the Fire Nation. Please, come with me, and we can talk while we have some tea." She looked over her children. "Azula, Zuko, I assume you want to join us?"
"Of course mother," Azula replied. "I wouldn't want to miss this."
"Yes, of course."
Zuko spoke briefly to a pair of older women who looked like sisters, who hurried away to get some food. Ursa led them to her quarters, a well-appointed room despite being within a decaying warship. She began to brew some tea, motioning Aang to sit on a cushion in front of a tea table.
"I can't brew as well as the Fire Lord. His skill with the tea service is amazing." Ursa sat down across from him as she brewed the tea.
"Your husband, the Fire Lord?" asked Aang. A look of sadness crossed her face briefly.
"No, no, my brother-in-law. My husband has passed." Aang suddenly had a sharp pain behind his eyes. Something did not seem right, but it passed quickly. He looked up and his eyes focused again. "Are you alright?"
"I think so." His stomach growled again.
"Don't worry, the food will be here shortly. I have a question for you."
"Ah, here it comes," Azula said behind him. Zuko gently elbowed her.
"Who do you believe the Fire Lord is Aang?" asked Ursa.
"Well, I...hmm, I should have paid more attention in world history class I guess, but the monk teaching that class was so boring. Sozin? I think it was Sozin."
There was a long pause. Azula and Zuko were staring at each other behind Aang. Ursa looked taken aback, before regaining composure and pouring a cup of tea for all of them.
"Youngest-looking centenarian I've ever seen," Azula joked.
"Well, he is bald," Zuko answered.
"I shaved my head to receive my master's tattoos. Also, it helps me sense the air currents so I can react faster. At least, that is what Monk Gyatso told me. Who is the Fire Lord now?"
"Aang...this may be difficult for you, but the current Fire Lord is Iroh, the grandson of Sozin." She turned to Zuko. "Where did you find him?"
"He was frozen in a sphere of ice. There was a beam of light when we melted him out."
"And his eyes and tattoos were glowing when we found him," Azula added.
"We saw the beam of light from the ship. I was preparing to send out a search party when we spotted you returning on that...sky bison, I believe?"
"Oh, yes, that's Appa, my sky bison." The airbender looked a little pale and distracted when he heard how the siblings had found him.
Just then, the door opened, and the two older women arrived with food. After delivering a short rhyme, though it was so awkward it felt like an eternity, they left.
"We will talk more after you have a chance to eat."
Aang was very hungry. He tore into his food with a gusto rarely seen. Ursa watched with kind amusement until he was finished.
"Thank you. That was delicious."
"I'll let Lo and Li know you enjoyed it." Ursa motioned for Azula to move the food tray out of the way. She let out an exaggerated sigh and then moved it off to the side. "Aang, you are the first airbender we've seen, well, ever. We were all under the impression you were all dead."
"That's ridiculous. I'm right here. Besides, the Air Nomads are all over the place. We can't all be dead."
"Yet, as far as the world knows, all the Air Nomads were wiped out around a hundred years ago, the first victims of the Water Tribes crusade."
Aang once again felt a sharp pain in his head for a moment. "That can't be...I'm not over a hundred years old. Look at me, hardly a wrinkle on my forehead at all, unless I scrunch up my face like this." He made a face, but when Ursa did not look amused, her dropped it and became far more glum.
"Is there something you want to tell us?" Ursa asked, staring at him intensely. Aang sat for a moment in silent thought before answering.
"No, not right now. I think I need to take a nap. After I see Appa."
"Of course. I think we can fit Appa in the main hold. I'll tell the crew to see to it."
Appa had enjoyed his meal with nearly as much gusto as Aang. It took a bit of encouragement, but the sky bison did make his way into the main hold through a large hatch on the deck. Aang ended up falling asleep next to his sky bison and began snoring nearly as loudly as Appa.
The royal family had their own little meeting in their quarters. "He's lying mother," Azula snapped. "Sure, he is an airbender, but he's hiding something."
"So he must be a water tribe spy?" asked Zuko.
"The stories say they were all wiped out, but what if some of them were taken in by the water tribe, and now one just pops up frozen in ice, and immediately sends up a sky beam to alert the Water Tribe navy."
"I don't think he did that on purpose. He seemed shocked at how much time had gone by."
"Alright, time out you two." Ursa placed a hand on each of her children's shoulders. "He is hiding something, you are right Azula, and I believe he will tell us when he is ready. However, I do not believe he is a spy, for the reasons Zuko pointed out. I think he may be the Avatar."
"I knew it," Zuko said.
"You did not," Azula shot back.
Zuko was about to say "Did too," but stopped himself. "This could change everything."
"It could. We have hidden in the ice fields long enough, we need to get him to the capital, if we can get past the blockade. Fire Lord Iroh will want to meet him."
"But, he's just a child. Even if he is the Avatar, how is he going to save the world." Azula did air quotes in a very sarcastic manner.
"Because it is his destiny. The Avatar is the one to bring balance to the four nations, and now he has returned and was found by you two. I don't believe that was a mistake."
"I make my own destiny."
"He's isn't that much younger than you, Azula. Or he is a lot older. Either way, I wouldn't underestimate him," Zuko chimed in.
"Oh, don't worry, I won't. If he tries to betray us, I'll make him wish he was wiped out with the rest of the air nomads."
The door swung open and a panicked crewman breathless gasped. "Water Tribe warship, coming this way, fast."
"Ah ha!" Azula said triumphantly.
"They saw the light and came to investigate," Ursa said. "We can't get our engines fired up in time. Both of you, go and change into Firebender uniforms with the masks, and gather everyone on the deck. If they think we are just a group of poor refugees, we may be allowed to leave. But we can't let them know that the Avatar or any members of the royal family are aboard. Now hurry, go."
Her children rushed out of the room and the door swung shut behind her. Ursa sighed and gathered her strength. She removed her robe and donned the armor of a Fire Nation captain, then put her hair up in a tight bun and donned a helmet. Hopefully, this was just a patrol, and they would move on without incident. Then again, probably not.
It may have been unnecessarily dramatic, but it sure made an entrance. Bedecked in full warpaint, his trusty boomerang on his hip, his personal finely crafted war club in hand, in full hide armor, Prince Sokka leaped onto the deck of the old Fire Nation cruiser. It was an older model, caught with its boilers cold, just a short distance from where the light had been spotted.
They pulled up alongside, tossed grapnels from bow to stern, and then Water Tribe marines stormed aboard with Sokka in the lead. The Fire Nation crew aboard did not put up a fight. It would have been foolish to anyway. It was clear they knew who were the better warriors.
Though some of them were armed, he noticed they were all old or injured. The rest were poor villagers, the aged, and perhaps some servants. Sokka motioned for his soldiers to surround them. He pointed to a couple of waterbenders and armored marines. "You, search the rest of the ship." They nodded and headed below decks. As he scanned the crowd of gathered refugees, he noticed some concern and tension in a few of them. "Where is your captain?"
A woman around his mother's age, but with dark hair pulled up under a helmet stood up and faced him. "I am. We are just refugees from Ember Island, who barely escaped the attack. We have little of value, but whatever we have is yours."
"I am not here to rob you of trinkets and baubles. You may think of us as savages, but we are not."
"Says the man with more makeup than I have," a female firebender mumbled under her breath.
"This is warpaint, an ancient Water Tribe tradition to inspire fear in our enemies." Most of the people gathered looked pretty fearful, but not the captain. It was hard to tell with the firebenders, because of their skull masks. "Not unlike your mask," he shot back.
"What do you want from us then?" the captain asked, her voice unwavering.
"I have a simple question. Answer it, and I will let you go. Lie to me, or refuse to cooperate, and I'll take you all prisoner and return you to Wolf Cove for reassignment." He walked over to some of the oldest people there, including a pair of older women who must be sisters. "I am looking for the Avatar, who has hidden from the world for nearly a century." He waved his war club around menacingly.
"He isn't here," the captain answered him.
"I don't believe you." He motioned to two of the marines near him. "We should take the captain aboard the ship, and let our Shamans commune with her." The two began to step forward when the other firebender stood.
"Prince Sokka," he said. Sokka turned to the firebender. "I challenge you to single combat."
"Do you?"
"I do. Are you honorable enough to accept, or is that war paint just for show?"
"Of course I am." Hama began to say something, but he silenced her with a hand. "If I defeat you, you will deliver me the avatar, or I will take all of your captive. If you win, then I will believe your story and release you."
"I agree to your terms." The firebender stepped forward, and the Water Tribe warriors formed a circle, forcing the other Fire Nation people away. Sokka took a deep breath and raised his club in one hand, pulling out his boomerang with the other.
The two circled each other carefully at first. Sokka noticed that the firebender had a pair of swords on his back, but conjured flames from his hands, preparing to strike. The firebender let off a tentative blast, which Sokka easily sidestepped. Then came a flurry more, faster, and with more power. The Water Tribe prince dodged between them, closing the distance as he did so.
But the firebender was ready. He kicked upwards, sending an arc of flame forward. Sokka rolled back out of the way, feeling a burst of heat as the flames flew past. A second kick sent a second arc of flames this one horizontal. Sokka swung his club in front of him, diving straight through the arc. Most of the blast was dissipated by his strike, and he pushed through.
As the firebender turned to the side and unleashed another flurry of rapid fireballs, Sokka turned and through the boomerang. It shot past the firebender, who pressed the attack. They traded a few blows at close range, war club, and flame barely missing their targets. Then the boomerang slammed into the back of the head of the firebender, knocking his helmet off. As he stumbled, Sokka brought the butt of the club down, which slammed into the shoulder of his opponent.
Despite avoiding a second blow to the head, the firebender was off-kilter. Sokka hooked his war club underneath the knee of his opponent, and pulled, knocking the firebender to the deck. He stepped on top of his opponent, with a boot on each side, and pointed his club at the face of the stunned young man, similar in age to him.
"Never underestimate Mr. Boomerang!" he shouted triumphantly. Both Aunt Hama and the other firebender facepalmed. He looked down at his opponent again. The scarred face jogged a memory. "I have won, and as such, you must deliver to me the Avatar."
He looked around and saw that the warriors he had sent below had returned without anyone else. The Fire Nation captain's face remained unreadable.
"He isn't here," the firebender said defiantly. Sokka looked around at the other Fire Nation civilians. The other firebender looked like she was about to stand, but instead, she clenched her fists and remained kneeling.
"I guess I will just have to settle for the Prince of the Fire Nation instead."
"I guess you will," the firebender said. The other firebender stood up and was about to pull off her helmet when a blast of wind knocked Sokka off his feet and back into the deck. A boy landed softly on the deck, an orange glider in one hand. He reached down and helped the Prince to his feet.
"Sorry, I almost ran away again," he said. There was no doubt, it was an air nomad. It had been decades since the Water Tribe had found any Air Nomad remnants, but every warrior and bender knew the tattoos and orange and yellow robes.
"You seem a little young," Sokka said as he struggled to his feet, retrieving his boomerang from the deck.
"If it was he who unleashed the sky beam, then there is no doubt," Hama said. Prince Sokka nodded.
"I will come with you, as long as you let my friends go." Aang collapsed his glider and handed it to Zuko.
"A deal is a deal, and I stand by my word." He turned to two of the largest warriors. "Manacle him, and take him aboard."
Aang stepped forward and allowed himself to be chained and heaved onto the Water Tribe warship. He turned and gave a slight wink. Nearly as quickly as they had arrived, the warship and its crew were gone, leaving the Fire Nation warship alone once more.