"You have been born into dangerous times. A sharp mind can be the key to survival."
– Taun We, Star Wars: Republic Commando
A New World
Lightning flashed, and thunder roared.
And the scream of a boy, no older than twelve, rang clear as crystal in the chaotic, merciless storm.
The boy was riding a flying bison, fleeing from the shackles of responsibility, the fear of abandonment, and the burdens of dependence.
The bison, still as green and as callow as his master, was overwhelmed by the furious howls of the world, despite his best efforts.
After an eternity of feeling the stark terror of falling, and the desperate screaming that comes with it, the boy and the bison smashed into the raging ocean.
The bison, to the boy's distress, seemed knocked out at the least, dead at the most.
Grief, anguish, and a surprising dose of resolution entered the boy, and using what he had learned he called upon the spirits of those before him to help.
Help him to create an icy pod, born of cold air and water, to house him, to freeze him, to preserve him and his bison until a day came that the universe decided that the time would be right to release them.
To resurrect them.
To give them a second chance in the world. And to right all the wrongs that have been done.
Aang awoke.
Dim light was the first thing he saw as his eyes fluttered open. The gentle clicking of two knitting needles at work became apparent to his hearing. The next thing he noticed was the chilly temperature all around him. Instinctively, his breathing exercises kicked in, warming him efficiently. He blinked twice to clear his vision, and became aware of the fact that he was inside a tent.
"I see that you are awake, little one," a voice beside him said.
Aang turned his head to look at the speaker – an old Water Tribe woman.
"Awake, and a little confused as well, I might imagine," she continued, a small and gentle smile crossing her wizened face.
"A bit," Aang admitted bashfully, respectful in the presence of an elder. The old lady reminded him of some of the Air Nomad elders who were part of the council back at the temple. Well, the ones who weren't strict, anyways.
"Where am I? Where's my bison? Where's Sokka?" Aang questioned, wanting to get up to speed with his current situation.
"You're in a tent at the Southern Water Tribe. Your bison is sleeping outside. Both of you were worn out from the ordeal you went through yesterday. My grandson told me as much," answered the elder, holding up one hand in a placating manner.
"Now, do you mind telling me how a young boy like you ended up frozen in an iceberg?"
Aang halted at the question. Even if it wasn't one of the old monks lecturing him for a cheeky prank, he still felt ashamed at having to lie to an elder.
But he wasn't ready to face up to the truth yet. Not yet.
"I… I don't remember exactly…" he stuttered, "All I remember is that my bison and I were flying through a storm and suddenly it was so cold… I can't recall much else before that. Sorry missus…?"
"You can call me Kanna."
"Kanna," Aang let the new name roll off of his tongue. He looked down at the blankets covering him, pondering what to say next.
"Well, incomplete stories tend to finish themselves later," Kanna spoke up, "Down here in the South, we have to adapt, prioritize and act to get things done."
She placed her knitting to the side, and stood up from where she was kneeling on the mat.
"Get dressed, young one. It was midnight when you arrived here. We should introduce you to the rest of the village."
Aang nodded eagerly at the proposal. After spotting his robes in a pile beside the mat, he got set to dressing himself.
It turned out that even with the loss of his catch yesterday, the women of the tribe had been busy with their own hunting trips, and they had wisely decided not to stray too far from the icy coasts of the polar mainland in their search for food. As a result, they had successfully returned with sufficient amounts of fish and squid for everybody.
For Sokka, it was both relieving and humiliating.
He was helping to distribute the catches in even amounts of rations based on each family's needs when he noticed that the flap to his own tent had been opened and out walked the airbender and his grandmother.
It was time then.
"Everybody! Gather around!" he commanded. As the firstborn son of the chief, Sokka had been made the de facto tribe leader when all the other men had left with his father. Gran-Gran, as the oldest member of the village and the mother of the chief, was the only person in the tribe with an authority equal to his.
The villagers halted their activities and assembled behind Sokka in an organized manner. Quiet murmurs spread throughout their ranks as Aang and Kanna approached. Aang faltered, his shyness increasing.
"Why are they all looking at me like that? Did Appa sneeze on me?"
"Well no one here has seen an airbender in over a hundred years," Kanna told the boy, "We thought they were all extinct, until my grandson found you."
"Extinct?" sputtered Aang apprehensively.
Sokka, meanwhile, had taken an interest in the staff that the young boy was holding.
"Hey, Aang. Is that supposed to be a weapon?" he asked, pointing at the object in question, "It lacks a blade."
"It's not for hunting," Aang corrected him, "It's for airbending!"
Aang twisted part of the handgrip at the center of the stave, and with a click, silk wings in the shape of fans sprouted from the ends of the staff, the front pair several times larger than the back.
"Ooh! Magic trick!" squealed one of the children, a young girl.
"Not magic – airbending!" Aang corrected her with a smile, before getting a short run-up and taking off into the sky.
The crowd below him gasped in awe.
"I can control the air currents with my staff, which allows me to fly!" he called down as he swooped around in a circle.
The village children cheered in wondrous glee.
"Aang's amazing!" cried out another girl.
"That's so cool!" a young boy called out.
"Can I try?" yet another boy asked.
"Whoa there," Sokka interjected, "No one said anything about trying to fly. That staff belongs to Aang, and besides, we're Water Tribe. All we need is the sea."
Several disappointed moans were the responses that he received.
Sokka sighed before slightly loosening up and rephrasing his statement.
"Although I will admit, Aang's flying is pretty cool."
And the kids went back to smiling.
"Oh, wait…" Sokka said as he squinted his eyes, "Where's he going…?"
Aang was so busy reveling in the villagers' awe that he had forgotten to look where he was flying.
"Oof!" the airbender cried as he slammed headfirst into a snow spire.
The spire promptly crumpled in half and regressed into a simple pile of snow. Aang was left with his upper body stuck in the pile, his legs kicking frantically in an attempt to free himself.
"My watchtower!" squeaked Sokka in dismay.
Everyone else just laughed.
An empty ice crater.
That's what Prince Zuko found himself staring down at when he had dismounted his ship to inspect the iceberg. He had no doubt that this geographical formation was man-made, and could only be the work of a powerful bender. But the empty ice that stretched before him and all around him confirmed another fact – that said powerful bender, the Avatar, was also long gone by now.
He marched back to the ship, the snow steaming underneath his boots.
On the deck, Iroh looked down at his nephew in concern. He stroked his beard as Zuko made his way back up the steps.
"Nephew…"
"Not now, Uncle."
Zuko turned towards the bridge.
"Start the engines back up! We'll sweep the entirety of the South Sea if we have to!"
The helmsman looked down at him incredulously.
"Sir! Surely you can't–"
Flames sprouted from Zuko's wrists.
"Did I give you permission to speak, Helmsman Hong?!"
"No sir."
"Then start the engines. Lieutenant Jee?"
The senior sailor approached. "Yes, Prince Zuko?"
"Assemble your firebenders on deck. I must prepare myself if I am to capture the Avatar and bring him back to my father."
To his credit, Jee simply nodded and left to carry out his order.
A gnarled hand placed itself on Zuko's shoulder. Iroh looked up at his nephew with a careworn expression.
"Prince Zuko, regardless of element, all bending requires a focused and collected state of mind. You are wishing to train when you are not at your peak. That is self-detrimental. First, you must rest."
"I don't need rest, Uncle," Zuko replied as he shrugged his uncle's hand away, "With every moment that I waste, the Avatar gets further and further away. I must capture him."
"If the Avatar has truly lived for this long, then he won't be wasting his energy on unnecessary movement. He is old, and he would've acquired the age-old wisdom that a man needs his rest," Iroh persisted, "You will find him, Prince Zuko. That I am sure of. But you will not be up to the task of facing him if you do not rest."
"I. Don't. Need. Rest!" snapped Zuko, pulling away, "If I let the Avatar get away, then that's my only chance of returning home gone!"
Zuko stormed over to the bow, scanning the icy horizon that lay ahead. The words he murmured next were only just loud enough for his uncle to hear.
"I have to find him, Uncle. I just have to."
"Settle down, please!" Sokka protested in frustration to the rambunctious group of little boys play-fighting in front of him.
The teen's words went unheeded, to his increasing consternation. The boys' excited shouting just got louder and louder.
Until one of them accidentally got socked in the jaw by a random fist. A high-pitched wail spread throughout the nearby vicinity. Sokka groaned in both concern and humiliation. Already someone had gotten hurt – before today's lesson had even begun.
"Okay," he sighed, stepping into the fray, "Who got hit?"
"Gedra," five voices answered him as the unhurt boys parted to the sides to reveal their youngest member sobbing on the snowy ground.
Sokka crouched down to examine the toddler's injury. The boy was barely three.
Not even old enough to be a proper warrior, but the war had forced them all to answer to their duties long before their time had come. Sokka often mentally balked at the unfairness of it all, but as always, he pushed down these disturbing thoughts. Right now, he needed to focus.
"Who punched him?" he asked simply.
"Mada."
Sokka looked over his shoulder to see Moshi pointing at his younger twin.
"I am going to deal with you later, Mada," he stated flatly, before turning to two other boys, "Rikada. Denal. You two are in charge while I help Gedra here. I want you to take the rest of the warriors on practice laps around the inner perimeter of the village."
"Okay!" Denal boldly declared as he broke off into a run, "Follow me, boys!"
"Hey, wait up!" Rikada called to the younger boy in annoyance as he ensured that the other young warriors were jogging in line.
With the two five-year-olds managing the rest of the group, Sokka could now focus his attention on the injured toddler.
"Hey… hey Ged," Sokka spoke softly to the youngest boy, whose crying had slightly abated, "You're alright. You'll be alright. Nothing is bleeding, and your teeth look fine. Come now, you're brave. You're strong. Like a warrior. Like a man."
Gedra slowly nodded, using a sleeve to wipe away his tears.
"Do you want to stay with your sister? You can skip today's lesson," Sokka offered.
"Mm-hmm," said Gedra, nodding again.
"Alright then, up we go," said Sokka, gently pulling the kid to his feet.
After several minutes of wandering around the small village, the pair of boys managed to find Iqniq.
At five years old, she was Gedra's older sister, and very protective towards him. Almost like a second mother. Despite her very young age, she was wise beyond her years. It came with being the oldest girl in the village.
Right now, she was busy sharpening her mother's cooking utensils.
"Ged! What happened?" she asked frantically as she halted her chores, looking up from her little brother towards Sokka.
"He's fine, Iqniq. He just took a hard punch, that's all. He'll be sitting out the rest of today's lesson, so can you keep an eye on him?"
"Of course," Iqniq replied, dutifully taking her brother's hand, "Come along, Ged."
With that taken care of, Sokka went off in search of his class.
As he trudged along, he heard loud, joyful shouts arising from the village entrance. Suddenly suspicious, Sokka picked up the pace.
His intuition turned out to be correct when he turned past the meeting igloo and found the boys using Appa's tail as a slide. Aang was supervising them from the saddle.
"Stop! Stop this right now!" bellowed Sokka, his blood boiling.
The little boys gathered themselves in a small cluster off to the side, shame and fear spreading amongst their faces.
"What is wrong with you?!" Sokka yelled up at Aang, "We don't have time for fun and games with the war going on!"
"What war?" asked Aang as he jumped down from the saddle, "What are you talking about?"
"You… you're kidding, right?" sputtered Sokka.
"PENGUIN!" shrieked Aang in delight, as he finally found what he was looking for on the horizon.
Before anyone else could move, Aang dashed after the otter-penguin as it waddled away below the horizon. The airbender was out of sight in less than ten seconds.
Sokka let out a long-suffering sigh and turned to the children.
"Come on. Let's head back to the remains of the watchtower and start our belated lesson."
"Again!" Iroh commanded to two firebenders, who proceeded to throw flames at Prince Zuko.
As part of the teenager's training exercise, he had to dodge attacks from multiple assailants and effectively counter with his own flourishes.
However, the prince took the point of flourishes too literally. They were supposed to be a restrained display of power, to discourage any further attempts of assault from opponents. Putting too much emphasis on channeling fire through one's rage was a waste of chi.
It was a pity that Zuko, like most firebenders, let emotions fuel their movements. Passion is a brilliant source of energy, but it could burn just as quickly as paper.
"No," Iroh fumed, growing more frustrated, "How many times must we go over this? Power in firebending comes from the breath – not the muscles."
The old general inhaled slowly following this, to emphasize his point.
"The breath becomes energy in the body. The energy extends past your limbs and becomes fire."
Without much physical effort, Iroh shot a powerful stream of flame past his nephew to demonstrate the proper basic form.
"Now get it right this time."
However, rather than heeding his uncle's words, Zuko strode up angrily to him.
"Enough! I've been drilling this sequence all day! Teach me the next set! I'm more than ready!"
"No! You are impatient! You have yet to master your basics! Drill it again!"
It was the familiar yet entirely unwelcome argument about the bending arts yet again. Iroh would try and explain to his nephew the point of proper utilization of chi for firebending, while Zuko would try and force his point with aggressive boldness, as he usually did when he met any sort of resistance.
Though tempted to strike out at his uncle, the prince still held the aging man in high esteem, and so he redirected his anger via an overwhelming fire kick against one of the soldier benders. The soldier, caught unaware and lacking the same rage that currently coursed through his prince, was blasted back by the full power of the blast, with only his armour preventing him from receiving any burns.
"The sages told us that the Avatar is the last airbender. He must be over a hundred years old by now. He's had a century to master the four elements!" Zuko snapped, glaring at his uncle, who mirrored back his own displeasure, "I'll need more than basic firebending to defeat him. You will teach me the advanced set!"
Iroh considered his nephew's demands, before eventually conceding.
"Very well. But first I must finish my roast duck."
Sokka was in a better mood now that his training session was underway.
"Now men, it's important that you show no fear when you face a firebender. In the Water Tribe, we fight to the last man standing! For without courage, how can we call ourselves men?"
"Yeah! Men!" cheered Mada, who promptly was slapped upside the back of his head by his older twin.
"Shut up, you overgrown blockhead!" Moshi scolded, still ashamed of his twin's antics from earlier.
"Here now, you two!" Sokka intervened, "There will be no fighting within our ranks!"
"But I thought we're all about fighting," Rikada spoke up.
"Against the enemy. Not ourselves," explained Sokka, "We will fall if we don't stand together. The Fire Nation has already divided our numbers too many times."
"I don't want to be divided," said Atti, now the youngest member of the group since Gedra was out of commission.
"Then that is why you must learn to fight," Sokka said as he picked up a small training spear. Designed for a child, the whale tooth blade was blunted along the edges, which made the weapon perfect for a youngling to swing around and practice with. Sokka handed the spear to Atti.
"Now, I want you to spar with Rikada. Don't go gentle, either of you."
"That isn't a fair fight," Rikada protested for the sake of the younger boy.
"The Fire Nation won't fight fair, you nitwit!" Denal interjected, "So stop being a crybaby and man up!"
"I didn't ask you, ya little wolf scut!" Rikada shot back.
"Denal, that's enough," Sokka warned, "Since you're the best trainee, I want you to spar against Moshi and Mada. Both of them."
Thankfully, Denal didn't protest, too enthused by his new challenge. Sokka turned to Rikada and Atti.
"Atti, you can watch the other boys practice until Rikada and I return. See if you can learn something. Rikada, come with me."
Once there was some distance between the rest of the kids and the two boys, Sokka kneeled down to place a hand on Rikada's shoulder.
"Rik, your mother often tells me about you. How you're so helpful to her at home. That you are her pride and joy."
Rikada nodded.
"Then why do you find it so hard to step up and lead? You are the oldest of the boys, followed by Denal. You two should be keeping order, not squabbling with each other."
Rikada looked down, ashamed.
"I… I'm afraid to die… I want to help… but I don't want to die…"
Sokka tensed, closing his eyes and reflecting upon the surprising similarities he shared with the five-year-old boy.
The fear of death wasn't uncommon among children brought up in war. Sokka knew this to be true, even within himself. But with the aid of a promise, he pushed through the boundaries and the limitations of his fears when it came to combat.
"Rikada…" he spoke gently, "You have a younger sister, don't you? What is her name again?"
"Rudda," the boy answered.
That was right, Sokka remembered. Rikada was a year older than Rudda, just like Sokka was with –
Just like Sokka was with her.
Even though it had been six years, the loss of Katara still hurt like an open wound.
Talking about her capture had become more or less taboo around the village. In his grief, Hakoda had forbidden any discussion relating to the tragedy. But every adult in the tribe more or less knew that the dire situation of their last waterbender being taken away could be deliberated in the privacy of their own homes. Perhaps it was only the younglings who didn't know.
Sokka remembered the late nights in the weeks following his sister's capture. Dad and Gran-Gran would speak in hushed, low tones around the fireplace as the dying embers dissipated. Dad would do his best to be strong and comfort Gran-Gran, but often it was the other way around. Sokka had hated seeing his father like that. Hopeless, and bitter.
Realizing that he was getting over-emotional again, Sokka inhaled deeply to clear his mind. He turned back to Rikada.
"Rikada," he began slowly, "Did you know that I too once had a little sister?"
"No."
"She was a waterbender. The first and only one to be born to our tribe in years," Sokka recounted, every word a dagger that pierced his heart, "All of our other waterbenders had been taken away and killed by the Fire Nation."
Horror spread across Rikada's young face as the realization dawned on him.
"The year before you were born, the Fire Nation raided our tribe and captured my sister. But no, that wasn't enough for them," Sokka ground out, barely keeping a grasp on his desolate rage, "Those monsters also killed my mother. And all the while I was powerless. Weak. Unable to do anything."
Sokka's grandfather – Kanna's husband and Hakoda's father – had died long before he was born. Following this tragedy, the tribe had made a collective, yet unspoken vow that after the chief and his wife had as much children as they so desired, the other couples would put off having any further children until the chief's own offspring were old enough to efficiently help out around the village.
That plan had shattered to pieces after Katara had been taken.
"Do… do you think your sister is still alive?" Rikada asked fearfully, somehow knowing what the older boy's answer would be.
"I don't know. I don't think so," answered Sokka, sadly shaking his head, "The Fire Nation are not nice people. Not if they could wipe out the airbenders and hurt our tribe like this."
A moment of silence passed before Sokka spoke again.
"That is why I encourage you to step up in your training, Rikada. Don't fail your mother the way I failed mine. Protect your sister… as I couldn't protect mine."
Rikada was looking down when Sokka said these words, but something inside him steeled, and he looked up, giving a determined nod to the older boy.
"Good man," Sokka praised, gently clapping a hand on the boy's shoulder.
They walked back to the group, but as they were about to rejoin them, Gran-Gran approached.
"Sokka, have you seen the airbender?"
"He went off to go do some penguin sledding."
Gran-Gran's weathered face furrowed even more.
"Then you must go out and retrieve him," she said gravely, "If by chance a Fire Navy patrol spots him, then that spells certain doom for all of us."
"Alright," sighed Sokka as he turned to Rikada, "You're in charge. Make sure that everyone has five sparring matches each, and then you are all free for the rest of the day."
"Okay," the boy replied as he walked back to the group.
Spear? Check.
Gloves? Check.
Parka? Check.
Seal jerky? Check.
As Sokka was packing supplies for his solo afternoon assignment, Gran-Gran entered through the tent's flap.
"Do what you must to bring him back," she said to Sokka, "But be careful."
Sokka slung his pack over his shoulder.
"I will, Gran-Gran."
"Hey, come on, little guy! Wanna go sledding?" Aang asked a penguin cheerfully as he jumped at it.
It waddled just out of his reach, letting Aang faceplant on the snow behind it.
Aang got up and watched as the penguin rejoined its batchmates. Again, guilt flashed through his mind, this time centering around the people he left back home.
"Extinct? What did Kanna mean? There's no way that is possible!" Aang thought as he readied himself for another attempt at catching a penguin.
"Hey! Aang!" a voice called behind him.
"Sokka!" the airbender called excitedly, "Did you want to go penguin sledding too?"
"Oh for the love of…! No, Aang!" Sokka snapped as he marched up to the younger boy, "I'm here to take you back to the village. It's too dangerous to be out near the coastlines in the afternoon and evening."
"Why?"
"Why?! There's a war going on, for spirits' sake! Unless you want the Fire Nation to capture or kill you, then have some common sense and turn in before the sun sets!"
"Okay, back up," interrupted Aang, holding his palms up, "Fire Nation? Capturing? Killing? I have friends all over the world, and plenty of them are from the Fire Nation. They're a peaceful people, just like the Air Nomads!"
"Aang," said Sokka, his tone now very grave, "How long were you in that iceberg?"
A sick feeling began to bubble up within Aang's stomach.
"I don't know… A few days, maybe?" he answered, looking imploringly at Sokka for confirmation that his predicament wasn't as bad as he feared it was.
But Sokka's face only grew more wistful.
"If you really know nothing about the war, Aang, then you must have been frozen for at least a hundred years."
Aang's eyes widened.
"What?! That's impossible! Do I look like a 112-year-old man to you?"
"It's the only explanation that makes sense."
Sokka watched uncomfortably as a terrible wave of realization hit Aang like a tsunami. The airbender's silver eyes shut tightly with desolation. But that only lasted momentarily before the young boy was looking back at him, his emotional trauma gone as quickly as the wind. Sokka didn't know whether to be impressed or unnerved at the boy's sudden detached nature.
"Well…" Aang continued uneasily, "What's this about the Fire Nation being at war with you guys?"
"Aang… it's more than that…" Sokka muttered, a painful burden bearing down on his heart, "The Fire Nation is at war with the world, trying to take over the other nations. They… they killed all of our waterbenders."
Aang's eyes widened again.
"What about the tribe at the North Pole?"
"Well, we've had no contact with the Northern Water Tribe in many years, so either they've been conquered, or they're too cowardly to help their sister tribe," Sokka answered bitterly.
"Let's get back to Appa then," Aang said resolutely, "Maybe we can get reinforcements from the Air Temples. Every one of us is a bender. I'm sure we can–"
"Aang, the Air Nomads are gone," Sokka finally said, unable to beat around the igloo anymore, "The first thing the Fire Nation did in this war was to kill all of them. The Water Tribes and the Earth Kingdoms swore to avenge the Air Nomads by fighting the Fire Nation as best as they could. As best as we could. But it's not enough. The Fire Nation is nearing victory in the war."
Pausing, Sokka closed his eyes, once again thinking of the bleak reality that they were all trapped in.
"I'm sorry, Aang. It's not safe out here. We need to go back–"
A sniffle.
Sokka snapped to attention, cursing himself. He had been so focused on his own inner turmoil that he hadn't even bothered to check up on Aang.
The brave resolve that Sokka had witnessed moments earlier was gone. Crushing despair had taken its place.
"No…" Aang heaved, his throat choking on tears.
Sokka approached him, reaching out a hand in a futile attempt to provide consolation.
"Aang, I'm sorry–"
"NO!"
A gust of wind materialized out of nowhere and knocked Sokka back a significant distance away from Aang.
When he had finally regained enough strength to lift up his head, the Water Tribe teen could only catch a glimpse of the young airbender as he once more disappeared into the distance.
"Not good," thought Sokka.
Aang was only aware of three things.
His ragged breathing, the cold air which rushed past him, and the tears of unspeakable grief which blinded his eyes.
Dead.
Dead.
Dead.
All dead.
All the Southern Waterbenders…
All the Air Nomads…
All of them dead.
Dead.
Dead.
It had been bad enough finding out that a hundred years of life had been ripped away from him – but that he could have handled. Yes, he would have lost all of his friends, all of his teachers and all of his masters. But death was simply passing through the doorway that marked the end of one's mortal life into the freedom of infinity. Besides, he still had Appa.
But finding out his people were gone forever? That the Fire Nation had betrayed and laid waste to the world? That the other nations were nearing extinction themselves?
No amount of monk training would've lessened the devastation he felt.
It's all my fault…
Blindly running, Aang was caught unaware as soft snow suddenly gave out under his feet and he tumbled down an icy hill. He landed in a heap at the bottom, groaning as he picked himself up and staggered. The frozen terrain of the hill had bruised him in several places during his fall, and he felt blood trickling somewhere along his right arm. He clutched it as he continued walking, before noticing that the light around him had abruptly diminished.
Looking up, Aang saw a Fire Navy ship, uprooted and entrenched by large protrusions of ice.
"They killed all of our waterbenders."
Some part of him still resisted the claim, and resented Sokka for saying those words.
"Kuzon is… was… a good friend," Aang thought sentimentally, his heart aching as he remembered his old friend, "The Fire Nation are a good people. Surely… surely there must be some kind of mistake…"
But somewhere in the back of his mind, a cold voice whispered, "Then why do your feelings tell you that you're wrong?"
He approached the ship and spotted a hole in its lower hull. Using airbending to aid his jumps, Aang leaped up the spires of ice and entered through the opening.
He wasted no time in making his way towards the bridge.
He had to know the truth.
Back in the village, the warrior lesson for the boys had concluded, and they had dispersed back to their families to help out with chores.
Kanna had been busy helping the other women clean and fix up their clothes.
She was just about to enter her tent to finish her knitting from earlier when she heard footsteps running in her direction.
Kanna knew the rhythmic pattern of her grandson's stride, and she knew he would only run like that if something was terribly, terribly wrong and he needed to seek out guidance from her.
The look on Sokka's face told her all she needed to know.
"We've got a problem," he said.
The bridge door gave a loud metallic creak as Aang pushed it open.
Stepping inside, he went straight for the captain's room.
Kuzon's father had served in the Fire Navy as a captain, and the last time Aang had visited the Fire Nation, Kuzon had invited him aboard his father's ship. There, Aang had learned how a military ship was divided into sections, and how part of the bridge doubled as the captain's quarters. In the captain's quarters, standing orders from the Fire Nation military authority would be kept in a cupboard, along with the personal belongings of the captain.
Entering the quarters, Aang searched through several drawers, until he finally found what he was looking for.
It seemed that when this ship was wrecked, all the sailors onboard had quickly abandoned ship, without much thought for salvaging their equipment.
That proved to be most fortunate, for Aang had found a parchment – preserved for decades by the frigid atmosphere – that contained a direct message from Fire Lord… Azulon himself.
Azulon… That must have been Sozin's son.
Aang had never heard of Sozin having a son. That development must have occurred while he was still in the iceberg.
Readying himself for what he might find, Aang unfurled the scroll and began to read.
December 1, 35 AG
To all captains of the Southern Raiders,
You all know the importance of your mission.
As you all know, our attempted invasion of the North Pole two decades prior was a catastrophe that ended with the majority of our naval forces captured or killed.
As we busied ourselves with clinging onto our footholds in the Earth Kingdom, the Water Tribes have proved to be the greater threat to our Empire of Peace. But this shall go on no longer.
While the Northern Water Tribe has militarized their population and bolstered their defenses, we still have the element of surprise against the South. Along with the need to avenge our fellow soldiers who have suffered at the hands of those barbarians.
Your mission, then, is clear.
Attack the Southern Water Tribe and capture all of their waterbenders.
Take them alive back to our homelands. We have devised a special prison complex to contain them.
For if one of them proves to be the new Avatar, we do not want to restart our search all over again in the Earth Kingdom.
Even if none of them turn out to be the Avatar, with their capture and imprisonment, you still greatly weaken the Water Tribes. With every waterbender you take, you avenge a fallen comrade, and you give your fellow soldiers a better chance of surviving our future invasions of the North and South Poles.
And finally, if by chance you somehow find the very last airbender, you have permission to either kill them on sight, or capture them. Because if none of the waterbenders from the South is the Avatar, then the last airbender almost certainly is.
Good luck, and may Agni be with you.
Signed,
Fire Lord Azulon
Aang didn't remember stumbling outside the quarters.
Nor did he remember dropping the scroll as his head spun.
He swayed uncontrollably, and he threw out his arms to brace himself as he completely lost his balance. He managed to catch himself on a control panel, but soon his arms buckled and he collapsed to the cold metal floor.
His stomach churned inside of him and he twisted in agony, his heart throbbing painfully, before he barely managed to wrap his arms around his knees and curl into himself.
He trembled in his huddled position as unspeakable pain ripped his soul apart.
It's all true then…
They're all gone…
Tormented moans became miserable sobs.
And miserable sobs gave way to devastated screams as tears poured from his silver eyes down his cheeks.
"Monk Gyatso, I'm sorry! I'm so, so sorry…"
In his anguished sorrow, Aang lost all situational awareness as he blindly writhed about.
Air swirled violently around him, building into the threatening rotation of a tornado. Airbenders, with unlimited access to their element, could summon gales and winds of immense power, with the ability to wreak havoc on a scale like no other if left unchecked.
That was why the philosophy of that ancient – and now extinct – culture was discipline, first and foremost. It was the first rule that the children were taught at the temples. Air was the element most easily accessed, its power most available to summon above all others. But it was essential for that power to be accompanied with responsibility.
Restraint, yet freedom. That was the core principle of the Airbending arts.
But those teachings had been wiped out with the extermination of the Air Nomads.
Right here, right now, Aang was losing control.
Overwhelming darkness flooded his senses as he drowned in his grief.
The airbender failed to notice a metal tripwire on the far side of the bridge. It was one of many booby traps left by the Fire Navy troops after they had abandoned ship. Right now it was taut and unmoving, but the brutal whirlwinds that emanated from the grieving boy swiftly increased in power, until suddenly…
Clang!
Snapping back to his senses, Aang paled as he felt the ship's ancient machinery rumble back to life.
Time seemed to slow, yet everything happened at once.
Several long moments of loud clanking passed, before a flare rocketed up and out of a tube on the main deck far below. It rose high into the sky above.
At that moment, Aang felt more terrified than he had ever been in his entire life.
Oh, spirits…
Meanwhile, Sokka had managed to round up several women who weren't busy mothers to assist him in finding Aang.
They had packed their own bags with supplies and were busy gathering near the village entrance, where Sokka was waiting.
Gran-Gran was off to the side, watching them as they prepared to leave. A careworn frown creased her face. Sokka grimaced as he caught sight of her, guilt twisting his insides.
She had warned him.
But once again, he didn't think.
"Are we ready?" he asked the group of women, before one of them snapped her head up and abruptly pointed at something.
"Look!" she yelled.
The rest of them turned their heads to see what she was talking about.
That's when they all caught sight of the Fire Navy signal flare.
"Oh no…"
On a different Fire Navy patrol boat, a young prince had also caught sight of the flare.
He peered through the telescope, tracing the contrail that the rocket had left behind back to its source.
It came from an old shipwreck, one that must have seen action in the early raids on the South Pole.
And through his telescope, the prince also spotted a figure jumping through a hole in the roof of the ship's bridge, before it made a great leap back down to the polar ice and started running.
Only one type of bender had the capacity to pull off such stunts.
The prince turned to a soldier behind him.
"Wake my uncle! Tell him I've found the Avatar!" he ordered, blood surging through his veins at the exhilarating prospect of his hunt finally coming to an end.
As the soldier entered below decks, Prince Zuko returned his gaze to the telescope.
Looking in the direction where the Avatar was running, he zeroed in on a small village.
The Southern Water Tribe.
All this time… but now…
"You've got nowhere to run."
There are 6 boys and 5 girls in the Southern Water Tribe.
From oldest to youngest:
Rikada, Boy, 5
Denal, Boy, 5
Iqniq, Girl, 5
Shila, Girl, 5
Moshi, Boy, 4
Mada, Boy, 4
Valu, Girl, 4
Etsu, Girl, 4
Rudda, Girl, 4
Atti, Boy, 4
Gedra, Boy, 3
Sokka isn't counted among the boys because he's a teenager. The only teenager.
PUBLISHED ON = 19 / 02 / 2019
REWRITTEN ON = 27 / 08 / 2021