How To Save (Seduce!) Your Villain A Guide By Avatar Aang

by Nazaki-Sama

"Shitty author, shitty novel! Prince Zuko deserves justice!" Aang's famous last words as he took his last breath, and then he found himself waking up in the novel he died cursing. Feeling anger and indignation for the way his favorite character died unjustly, Aang vowed to give Prince Zuko the happy ending he deserved, even if he was the Villain! Inspired By SVSSS.

3. Chapter 3

…How To Save (Seduce!) Your Villain In A Few Easy Steps; A Guide By Avatar Aang…

/Warnings: This chapter contains:- cursing, maybe a little bit of sadness, humor, a little bit of mental breakdown, fluff, a little bit of violence, Aang being a little shit, and Katara was hit with enlightenment! All reviews are appreciated.

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Chapter 3

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Aang was seriously considering calling child services by this point (If they existed in this world) or finding some corner in this world where there were qualified therapists who dealt with traumatized children who imprinted on him like ducklings imprinted on their mother (In a creepy way in the Female Lead's case), and give them these kids to deal with.

Really, it was crazy and Aang had had enough; he also had a few choice words for the Southern Water Tribes for allowing their brats to endanger themselves by coming after Aang (And not stopping them), then refusing to take the brats back after Aang drove them home (Again! Which really? Really? What was Aang? Their personal taxi services?!) all the while huffing and buffing and giving them the scolding for a lifetime for their stupidity; daring to endanger themselves and their family and everyone under the sun with this stunt they pulled out of nowhere.

And when Aang finally dropped those brats (Katara pouting like a brat and trying to make Aang understand they did the right thing; Sokka looking embarrassed and equally scared, and didn't even dare to open his mouth to object to anything Aang said) home, demanding their grandmother to take them off Aang's back and stop them from endangering themselves (Because really, Aang had a noble mission that would probably take a long time! He needed to find the Blue Spirit and that job was dangerous enough; he didn't need brats hanging on his side and slowing him down), because they were stupid brats who got it in their heads that they needed to come with Aang on his journey; you know what the chieftain said?!

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"Young Avatar, destiny had pulled you together, your lives had been intertwined and you three needed to complete your journey together to…. Blah, blah, blah!"

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Nonsense! Just utter nonsense to the point of tears! You would find this utter nonsense from a hack fortune teller trying to sell you their wear on the street, not a chieftain of her village with decades to back her up! Utter nonsense that Aang had suffered its variations in his years as a lawyer and he managed to hear from many people trying to justify their shitty actions and why they did what they did at that time and many other shitty excuses and explanations. Words that almost made Aang bash his head on the next available iceberg because now, he was forced to take guardianship of these two brats he didn't want (Whyyyyyy?! Call the CPS! Call them now!) until further notice when he managed to find that stupid fucking village where Bato from the Water Tribe was hiding so he could throw these brats at him and call it a day after doing his babysitting job.

Life was a pain, and Aang was so going to sue the Water Tribes after this shit was over and done with. Not only was Aang the happy guardian of two teens who were over the moon to have a father figure in Aang after their Dad jumped ship and disappeared (Sarcasm at its finest). But one of those teens he was forced to babysit continued to throw him these cutesy and creepy looks that made Aang shudder with terror as he felt something crawling under his skin (Damn these Lolita freaks, who pushed for books with younger and younger girls to be written in stories and forced to be in such ways! Really, Aang should just say fuck it and burn the world by this point because this was no less than what it deserved!).

So here Aang was… cursing his life choices and cursing the System and its Creator for the mess Aang was thrown into when that hack Main System had decided to make his life a living hell and transmigrated him into this world that Aang died cursing. Really, Aang could have been home right now, under his blanket with a hot cup of tea in his hands while watching shitty dramas, but look at him now… look at him! Toiling around in the dirt and creepy forests while having to care for two children foisted on him by a grandma who couldn't handle them and their spirited nature, and a father who decided to drop everything and go to war to search for glory and death while leaving his thirteen years old and ten years old kids whose mother died three years previously alone with no one by their side….

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Life was hard…

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So here Aang was, swallowing his pride and preparing for a new day as the begrudging guardian of two children he was now responsible for feeding, watering, clothing, and protecting from Fire Nation and other creeps along the way… all without his consent of course! Because guess what? Aang was thrust at a time when people still hadn't discovered that consent was sexy and was the best thing besides sliced bread! Why were the people in this world so eager to take his consent and free will from him? Aang would never know.

So, Aang decided to begin this beautiful day (Doubtful… very doubtful…), by going to the Southern Air Temple, why? Because Aang needed information (As much as he could find in that burned and destroyed place) and money (That was if the Fire Nation hadn't stolen the treasury and the valuables found in the temple during those hundred years), or anything really (The System was not to be trusted apparently, because look at Katara! Even when the System promised him day and night that it had disabled the FL halo, the girl still looked at him in that creepy way!) that would be of use to Aang in his long journey.

Their journey to the Southern Air Temple began with a beautiful sunrise that peeked above some cliffs (Making Aang who had spent the whole night awake, on Appa's saddle curse like a storm because he hadn't even managed to sleep a wink). Beams of the morning sun reflected on the water, bathing the whole scene in the yellow light that signaled the start of a new day (An awful day through and through, Aang was sure of it in his bones to the point it wasn't even funny!). Aang then started his day by moving from the saddle and forcing himself to make breakfast for no doubt hungry children before feeding the giant beast that was Appa (Trying with all his might not to grimace and curse when that beast gave him another lick of gratitude that left him covered with saliva… truly, worse than that cursed pup Bumi owned).

"Rise and shine, brats! We have a long day ahead of us and if you are still asleep by the count of three then you are on your own!" Aang shouted after he was done making these brats some food, causing them to whine and groan at Aang's less-than-stellar wake-up call before they forced themselves to wake up and shuffle toward their breakfast half asleep. Sokka, all but fell asleep once more on his plate before Katara managed to wake him up.

"…'s… still…. Early…." Sokka mumbled, looking at his sleeping bag with a longing that resonated with Aang's whole being. Katara, thankfully wasn't like her sleepy brother, sending Aang pleading looks demanding five more minutes of sleep. No, instead, it was worse; Katara all but was pestering Aang (Who sat above Appa's head trying to check the knots and tie the reins to Appa's horns) about wanting to help, looking so hopeful and sparkly to the point Aang could barely stop himself from raising his hand and shielding his eyes.

"Maybe it's early for you, brat; but it's never too early for grave robbing!" Aang stated, ignoring the sputtering and choking coming from Sokka who shrieked 'Wait, what?!', which went ignored by Aang who tied the last knot and patted the beast under him on the head for being obedient and not causing any problem. Ignoring the System that was sending fireworks all over the place while squealing and cheering like a schoolgirl.

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【My Liege is such a villain!】

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"I… e-eh…. A-Aang… c-can I please… ask… where are we going?" Katara called out to him and for the thousandth time in how many days, Aang almost facepalmed and shouted 'Call me, Mr. Tenzin' before he forced himself to swallow it when he realized who he was talking to and that these brats were either selectively deaf or didn't care when Aang repeatedly told them to call him by his surname (And now that he remembered correctly, in this damn novel surnames weren't used by anyone that wasn't Toph Beifong and some Earth Benders from the rich and prominent households. Even Prince Zuko, and his family, being the rulers of the Fire Nation didn't grant them the power of having a surname) and not just 'Aang' like they were friends, similar in age, or anything casual of that sort when he was ten years their senior, and forced to be the parent that stepped up.

"The Southern Air Temple," Aang stated, finishing checking their luggage and giving a nod of satisfaction before jumping from Appa's head and using his Air Bending to slow his descent, and being proud of how well he was taking to Air Bending to the point of unconsciously using it when needed.

"…Aang…" Aang almost groaned at the casual use of his name once more. "I know you're excited…" Katara shifted uncomfortably when she said this. "But it's been a hundred years since you've been home." Aang couldn't help but raise his eyebrow as if saying 'And?' making Katara shift before. "It's just that… a lot can change in all that time." Something that Sokka, who was listening to them, nodded his head cautiously, an uncomfortable look on his face.

"I know," Aang replied, already knowing what was waiting for him up in the Southern Air Temple, death, destruction, and God only knows what. The thing was, Aang was not that bratty Avatar Aang; meaning, he definitely didn't have the same connection that brat had with his home, and Aang was pretty sure, everything was all fine and dandy. "But I need to see it for myself. Besides, I could find something useful up there, hence, grave robbing." Aang shrugged, ignoring the concerned looks Katara and Sokka were giving him.

So here Aang was, flying Appa (And being grateful for the beast's obedience) above the clouds in the Patola Mountain range, trying to reach the Air Temple unscathed and hoping that the Fire Nation wasn't stationing soldiers around here (Even when part of him knew it was impossible, because if they had, then they would have caught Avatar Aang and his companion the first time they arrived to the Southern Air Temple).

"…Can I, please?" Sokka, for the thousandth time, since they started their journey which was three hours; pleaded with Aang about having a third breakfast, because guess what? Brats like Sokka needed to have three breakfasts before they even managed to feel full, and that their stomachs weren't eating themselves.

"No, Sokka," Aang stated, feeling a bit irritated, but personally? Aang would accept Sokka's whiny personality every single time (At least, that's what a normal teenager acted like), over Katara's creepy one. "You already had a first and a second breakfast; followed by a pre-third breakfast snack. No more food, for you." Aang stressed, wondering what his budget for food would be like with Sokka's bottomless pit, that all but disseminated their food supplies, in a short few days.

"But, but, but!" Sokka cried out, trying once more to bargain with Aang about having a third breakfast and how he couldn't function without food; personally, Aang was wondering how Sokka managed to stay as thin as he was with how much he managed to eat Aang out of the house in the past few days since Aang took over caring for those brats (Another reason why Aang should call the CPS and the police on the Water Tribe, and have all of their men imprisoned for leaving the women to fend for themselves, and have a hard time protecting their home and hunt their food, leaving their kids starving in the process as they tried to ration their food), and the kids, discovered the joy of endless food, and how things could be grown on trees and eaten just after plucking (Making Aang stress and almost rip his hair -Before he remembered he didn't have hair anymore- and pull Sokka away from another poisonous tree, he skipped toward just because the fruit looked juicy).

"No buts, Sokka!" Aang hissed, sending the boy a harsh glare and ignoring the pout that dominated the boy's face. "Wait, like a good brat until we reach the temple, and then we would have lunch like normal human beings!" Aang huffed and returned to steering Appa past some mountains, and up; wanting to reach the Southern Air Temple as fast as he could so all of this was over. To Aang's not much of a surprise, it didn't take long before Sokka and Katara started to squabble about something or the other because they couldn't stay still and silent for more than ten minutes at a time.

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【Turn left, My Liege… Turn right… Now up this mountain… Head straight for two hundred meters… The Southern Air Temple should be right in front of you!】

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The System, which took the job of a seasoned GPS chirped now and then to give directions, looking happy and content as it showed Aang the map to this maze-like place he was having a hard time navigating with squabbling children in the back (Gods above! To think that there were actually people excited to have children when this was going to be their end. Snapping at the children to behave while driving and hoping not to lose it and cause an accident along the way!).

"Oh, for God's sake…" Aang muttered while cursing under his breath. "If you two don't shut the hell up, I swear to everything holy I will throw you overboard!" Aang shouted while sending these brats a harsh glare, which made them give a startled 'Eeep!' before shutting up. "Finally!" Aang huffed, finally having the peace he dreamed of, and turning his attention to the road once more.

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【My Liege. We finally arrived at Patola Mountain's Peak! Five more minutes before reaching the Southern Air Temple!】

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The only one who seemed to have the time of their life was the System, as it chirped and pointed with a big arrow to their destination; making Aang let out a relieved sigh, at the fact that this ride of hell would finally be over, and Aang would leave those brats in one of the gardens or clean rooms in the temple to do whatever they liked, while Aang went searching the place for anything of value.

"Brats, we are almost at the temple." This made both Katara and Sokka perk up and they both leaned out to gaze around, furrowing their brows a bit when the only thing they could see was clouds and more clouds. "What did I say about leaning your heads out of the saddle?" Aang snapped, once more cursing the fact he was forced to take responsibility for two children out of nowhere.

'Sorry!' both, Sokka and Katara squeaked, before pulling their heads back in; pouts dominated their faces before they looked at one another long and hard before turning to Aang. "Aang, before we get to the temple… I want to talk to you about…" Katara started, and Aang, knowing what was going to take place, and the conversation that followed this event, made Aang sigh.

"I know, the Fire Nation was ruthless, they didn't show any mercy, and now the Air Benders are all but extinct," Aang stated, remembering how Katara, tried to open up to Avatar Aang and tell him about the possibility of his people being killed; something that Avatar Aang refused to believe until he was shocked by the remains of his life when reaching the Air Temple…

Thinking about it, even when Aang was reading this novel, part of him refused to believe that the Fire Nation had managed to wipe out a whole race off the face of the earth, without some survivors managing to escape and going incognito to the Earth Kingdom or the Water Tribes. Just by the name alone 'Air Nomads' it conveyed a sense of detachment and wandering; traveling from place to place with no fixed point (Unless you counted the Air Temples and their Monks), and no place to call home. Truly, Aang had many theories regarding the Air Nomads, and he even believed wholeheartedly that not all of the Fire Nation had sided with the Fire Lord and accepted killing, men, women, and children, just because. Could anyone prove that some Fire Nation citizen or soldier didn't falter in the face of a child or a pregnant woman and allowed them to escape? What about the minority of Air Benders who left the temples and lived their lives wandering around? Did the Fire Nation manage to find all of them and eliminate them? Aang doesn't think so… No one could prove the Air Benders were still out there, just as no one could prove that the Fire Nation managed to wipe out the Air Benders from this earth.

Adding to that, the Avatar was the bridge between the Spirit and the mortal world and was the only bender in the world who could control all elements; this fact alone excluded the Avatar from being related to any group, no matter which race he originated from. If bringing this into the cycle of balance and harmony the Avatar's world depended on, doesn't that scream about the possibility of Air Benders being out there? Because surely, just one Air Bender (And the Avatar, which again, in Aang's opinion doesn't count, because he was the center of the cycle, and excluded from any group) being alive, would upset the balance and harmony of this world and cause death and imbalance unseen before.

In conclusion… Aang believed wholeheartedly, that even if the Air Temples were destroyed and the Air Monks were killed; some Air Nomads had survived the massacre and were alive out there. Hiding in plain sight under new aliases, and refusing to use their bending to protect themselves from the Fire Nation and those wishing them harm. Aang, bet that some Fire Nation people even hide Air Benders among them and called it a day, because really, could someone be so cruel as to look at a small child of three or two and kill them just like that?

Sokka and Katara looked at one another before they turned to Aang. "You know… you seem to take the news well… too well… almost as if you don't…" Sokka stated before he seemed to stutter and flounder as he realized how his words could be taken.

"Care?" Aang filled the blank, causing Sokka to stutter and deny, and squeak about 'This wasn't what I meant!' as he tried to explain himself. Truthfully, Sokka's words held truth to it because Aang didn't really care… This was not his world, it was not his home; the people who lived here, and were friends with Avatar Aang and his family… they weren't Aang's friends or family (Whom Aang mourned and felt a sharp sense of loss and pain, because he was alone here, while they were worlds away). So, Aang didn't care about them, period. They were not his responsibility to mourn or care about, they were Avatar Aang's, and that brat had failed them on both accounts; by the end of subchapter three, Aang had hoped that the young Avatar would at least honor what was left of his people by giving them a proper burial, but did the brat do that? No, he didn't, and he went on with his life as it was, made a nuisance out of himself, and blundered everything from start to finish. "You are right, I don't." This made Sokka and Katara shut up, looking at Aang with wide and confused eyes, probably wondering where this answer came from.

"B-b-b-but… aren't they... your… family?" Katara questioned, looking so confused, and unbalanced, while Sokka looked at Aang with narrowed eyes full of suspicion as he seemed to study him; an action that made Aang's lips quirk into a smile.

"Brats… did you ever wonder why it took one hundred and twenty-four years before the Avatar was finally found?" Aang questioned the kids, causing them to furrow their eyebrows in confusion before they shook their heads. "I wasn't an Air Bender, not a day of my life…" Aang started an action that made the System blare before his face.

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【My Liege! Stop! Stop! Identity reveals will be met with punishment! No matter what kind of contract you made with the main System; no transmigrator is allowed to disclose his/her identity to any person in the world they were put in! My Liege! QAQ】

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'Oh, shush it you, hack System! I know; I am just giving a background, not disclosing any identity!' Aang snapped, before he let out a tired sight, as he felt a headache thrumming in his head. "I used to have a life before this." Aang pointed to the large temple that appeared in the distance; its appearance made both Sokka and Katara gasp and their eyes widened at the architecture and greenery surrounding the place (Personally, even Aang was impressed, because looking at this place, was different than what he had imagined when reading the novel; it was both breathtaking and heartbreaking. Especially, when Aang knew what was waiting for them there).

Aang managed to direct Appa to land at the base of snow-covered stairs after a bit of maneuvering; letting out a sigh of relief when there were no major accidents along the way, and the three of them managed to dismount from Appa, who then went pounding to one of the Moon Peach trees in the distant and was snacking on the fruit to his heart content.

"…You said, you had a life before this… how was that even possible? Shouldn't the Avatar… I don't know... born here?" Sokka questioned after a while of following Aang up the mountain's trail. His words made Aang give the boy a pat on the head, and continue to take in the sights that he only read about in the novel.

"I was born…" Seeing the System's screen flash once more in a warning, Aang rolled his eyes before continuing. "…In the Earth Kingdom…" Because Aang felt mentioning the Fire Nation would be too much for these kids, and the Water Tribe was out of the question, Aang's safe bet was the Earth Kingdom which hosted many cultures and people it would be easy faking it (And would partially explain why Aang told Sokka and Katara to call him by a surname as the Earth Kingdom was the only place who had people with surnames in the novel). "My parents died young, they were Non-Benders, so I lived my life as a Non-Bender with my adopted father." Here Sokka's head perked up, and his eyes widened a bit as something sparkled in them.

Aang knew from the book about Sokka's feelings about being a Non-Bender and the inadequacy he felt being the only Non-Bender in the group that was filled with powerful benders who were destined to save the world while he was nothing compared to them, and how it overshadowed every interaction he had to the point it turned bitter; all to the point of his later demise by Princess Azula's hands.

"You were a Non-Bender?" Sokka exclaimed, before he shifted to stand in front of Aang and fire questions left and right, asking about this and that, and everything under the sun before… "…Wait! Then how did you become an Air Bender and the Avatar at that?!" Sokka stumbled a bit, looking a bit confused.

"Turned out that one of my parents was an Air Nomad and not the Non-Bender, everyone believed them to be." Aang flicked Sokka's forehead so the boy would back away. "So, really, before all of this, I had a normal life, friends, family, a job, and a home. Worked in the law forces, and enjoyed my life of putting assholes behind bars. Before being forced against my will to come here, and was told I would be the next Avatar." Aang grumbled, thinking about the less-than-happy times when he was killed and brought into this place against his will and was told he was going to be the Avatar and the person who would kill Prince Zuko in the end.

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【What happened after that, My Liege?】

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The System, seemed to be too engrossed with the story, to realize that it wasn't true in the slightest and actually believed Aang's bullshit (Even if it was half the truth at best), making Aang all but facepalm then and there because really? "Then, what happened?" Katara asked, eyes wide with wonder and a bit of excitement.

"Yeah! What happened?!" Sokka questioned as well, looking like he was vibrating in his place, gazing at Aang with wide eyes like his sister as he waited for Aang to complete the story. Really, just kids in disguise who still felt excited for bedtime stories… kids who weren't allowed to grow up normally because of war, and their parents leaving them one by one (The mother being killed in front of her seven years old daughter, and then their father leaving them alone and forcing the responsibility of protecting the village on a thirteen years old boy who didn't know any better).

"I was killed." Aang shrugged, ignoring the shriek or 'What?!' that came not from one, not two, but three brats as they all but tripped. "Almost killed." Aang snorted and rephrased the sentence when he saw the System finally realized what Aang said and was flashing him warnings left and right. "I used to work as a lawyer…" Seeing the confused looks on both Sokka and Katara's faces; he wondered if this world had lawyers and anything related to them. "I worked with the law forces, you know those, right? You also know about judge and jury?" A nod, to which Aang let out a hum, wondering about the structure of the trials in this world if people knew of judges and juries, but not about lawyers. "Well, I used to work there, in the court; I was the person who initiated a legal proceeding against people who were officially accused of committing crimes and brought them to justice," Aang explained in the simplest terms, for the kids to understand. "And well… some people just don't like it when their crimes become known and they were forced to lose everything because of their stupidity, so they retaliate." Aang's lips twitched, remembering that asshole, who to this day, Aang couldn't remember his full name for the life of him.

"Were they a Fire Nation? Was the person who attacked a bender? Why weren't there any other benders with you, to offer protection?" Katara questioned, immediately jumping to the conclusion that the attacker was from the Fire Nation (A mentality that Aang needed to work on because if it wasn't stopped immediately; Aang could foresee people suffering from such mentality).

"No, they weren't Fire Nation, that was before the war, and brat?" Katara looked up, and as punishment, Aang flicked her forehead hard and ignored his squeak of pain. "Not every bad person comes from the Fire Nation. Just like there are good people and bad people in every group; the Fire Nation had good people within their lands but were overshadowed by the bad people whose voices were the loudest." That made Katara scowl, not looking convinced in the slightest. "But anyway, the asshole who I brought to justice retaliated, and no one could have helped at that time because they were far away. I thought myself dead, and then suddenly out of nowhere, I was able to Air Bend myself out and survive by a miracle. It was a shock, I was still not used to this as I lived my whole life as a Non-Bender, but suddenly, the Air Monks arrived, and told me I was an Air Bender and the next Avatar, before dragging me here and forcing me to learn Air Bending… so, to answer your question; no, I don't care about them, and I held no filial piety toward them. Mostly I felt annoyed they dragged me from my life and threw me deaf and blind into something I didn't know how to handle." Aang sent a harsh look toward the System floating beside Aang, causing the System to squeak, and back away slowly.

"How long did this happen? When they brought you here, I mean." Sokka questioned, looking curious and a bit sympathetic; as for Aang, he couldn't help but narrow his eyes and send the System a nasty look before letting out a grumble.

"In my time, excluding the hundred years? Over three months ago, I was brought here and forced to train extensively before being sent to the South Pole to learn Water Bending, and look where that got us…" Aang huffed, remembering the pain and agony he was forced to go through during those three months in hell, where Aang spent days breaking his body and bones until he mastered Air Bending.

"Wait, what? Three months?!" Sokka exclaimed, looking at Aang up and down with a strange look. "And you managed to lean Air Bending in three months?!" Disbelief and skepticism (And envy, Aang managed to detect but didn't point out) dripped from Sokka in waves and Aang could only give a pained smile.

"It was three months of hell…" Aang left it at that and didn't elaborate more, but that pained smile and whatever showed on his face seemed to convince the kids and stop them from asking further questions. "Ok! We finally reached the temple, meaning, I will go there and try to find something of use to help us during our journey to the North Pole, while you wait here… and play around." Aang looked around the place wondering if it would be safe enough to leave those two for five minutes to go and search for the valuable; gazing at these two and then gazing at the garden, Aang changed his mind, feeling like these brats were not to be trusted alone. "You know what? Come and help me search for anything valuable, books, trinkets, money, anything of that like. Having three people searching would cover a lot of ground than just being alone." Aang then pulled the kids inside the temple and directed them to their searching spots (Instructing them not to leave the place unless Aang came to collect them) while Aang went on his way, trying to find something of use.

So, they searched. A few books of use here (That talked about the history and culture of Air Nomads, a few books about law, and a book that talked about the fauna and flora of this world… if the System took offense to the books and started complaining and huffing about being a million times better… Aang just let it be and went on his way), small trinkets that weren't burned and could be of use; some valuables that Aang could sell in the next village they stopped in, repairing tools, incense, accessories, pouches of money, a chest filled with gold and jewels (A pleasant surprise Aang managed to find in a hidden compartment in one of the rooms), and many stuff that was too big to move on Appa without attracting attention.

By afternoon, Aang could say, what the three of them managed to collect and would be able to use and get a good sum of money, filled an entire room; something Aang didn't believe he would ever find, considering that a hundred years had passed, and people could have come and went and stole from this place as much as they liked.

"Why don't you look at that…" Aang mumbled as he inspected the dangling lotus from a jade hairpin, his lips twitching in amusement as he wondered why the Southern Air Temple, known as the place of monks, had such pretty accessories within it when all the men around here were shaved clean; but nevertheless, Aang liked it, and part of him thought it would be a waste to leave it here (If Aang ordered the System to put this hairpin in the inventory for safekeeping, it was no one's business).

"I am hungry! Can we eat now?" Sokka whined once more, his arms surrounded his stomach and he gave Aang pitiful looks as if trying to convey how starved he was after all the work they were forced to do to collect these valuables.

Aang could only sigh, and try as hard as he could to stop from facepalming at the pitiful sight that was Sokka lying on the nearest surface and whining about how hungry he was. "We will eat, as soon as we stash the stuff somewhere safe that no one would be able to access," Sokka whined even more hearing this and he started to complain.

"No one would ever come here! We could just leave this stuff here and call it a day! It wouldn't be stolen or anything, who could be suicidal enough to climb all these mountains and come here?!" Sokka huffed, a huge pout dominated his face as he glared at Aang for taking too long and depriving him of food.

"The Fire Nation managed to come to this place just fine." Sokka clicked his mouth shut hearing this, and an embarrassed flush took over his face followed by a pout. "Come on brats, we are going to put them in the Sanctuary where no one would ever reach them, after that, food," Aang promised the kids, ignoring Sokka's pout and Katara's eager nod as they picked out the stuff and put it on Appa's back before starting their journey to the Sanctuary, where Aang had to brace himself and Air Bend until the huge and sturdy doors were opened (Another win for Aang! He was really getting the hang of this Air Bending stuff! He was so proud… sniff, sniff…).

"What's this place? Who are all these people?" Katara questioned, her eyes wide as they entered the Air Temple Sanctuary, ignoring Sokka who let out a 'Waaaahhhhh!' as he looked around, his eyes almost bulging as they fell on the statues of people lined in circular patterns, before stopping in front of one of them and studying it with curiosity.

"This is the Air Temple Sanctuary, and this is the Avatar cycle, and those people are the past Avatars." Aang started off-handedly, as he put the chest full of gold in one corner and started unloading their treasure in one of the free corners of the room, patting Appa on the muzzle, when the bison behaved like a good beast and didn't go pounding around and destroying the place.

"The past Avatars… then that means all these people are your past lives, Aang!" Katara was excited when saying this, and she started to skip from one statue to the other. "Wow! There are so many!" Looking amazed and all sparkly to the point Aang looked at Sokka who had a skeptical look on his face.

Aang returned his gaze to the statues, raising his eyes when he saw women and some children among them, and he couldn't help but roll his eyes. Because really, he did not for one second believe in reincarnation, past lives, and trans… looking at the System floating lazily beside him, Aang changed his mind… but anyway! these were Avatar Aang's past lives, not his; so again, not his problem!

"Past lives?" Sokka threw Aang a look before returning to gaze at the statues with raised eyebrows. "Katara, do you really believe in that stuff?" Sokka crossed his arms over his chest, once more looking between Aang and the statue of a huge woman with fans (That woman looked intimidating, and it kind of reminded him of someone… you know what, all of these statues reminded him of some people from his life before he transmigrated! That woman, Sokka was standing near looked like Judge Kyoshi who handled his case some years ago -A woman he kept in touch with and was his role model in everything- and was the one who inspired him to enter law school; this was Aunt Yancheng, who from time to time loved to drop on Aang when she returned from her travels around the world -Though after Gyatso's death, he rarely saw his aunt- and that statue was Roku! His next-door neighbor who was like a grandpa to everyone in their neighborhood -And secretly in Aang's opinion but he would never dare to say out loud, in case Roku heard and was sad; had a shitty taste in men, if his relationship with the neighborhood pariah, Sozin, was anything to go by- and always looked after Aang because he was Gyatso's BFF or something… wait a minute! Just wait a minute! Don't tell Aang that this hack author whomever it was had really stalked Aang and wrote this shitty novel about him?!).

"But it's true!" Katara huffed, crossing her arms and glaring at Sokka as if he dared to insult her and her intelligence. "When the Avatar dies, he's reincarnated into the next nation in the cycle…" And then she went on a pages-long essay about the Avatar, bending, and reincarnation, unaware of Aang who was having a crisis about the fact he was stalked for God knows how long, to the point, a shitty novel was written as a homage in his name.

"Ok, that's enough chatting brats, come and help, we have a lot of stuff to move!" Aang called out, already speed-walking out of this cursed Sanctuary and back to where their valuables were put, so they could move them in and get this over with. Grumbling could be heard from behind Aang as those two brats followed him to move their stuff, and finally, after some time, the three managed to finish their task and stash all the valuables in the Sanctuary where no one would come and steal them if they were away.

"Finally… done…" Sokka moaned in pain, throwing himself at whatever surface was available in the courtyard, which turned out to be the stairs near a statue of an elderly man with a mustache and a distinct round necklace sitting in lotus pose with his fists bumped into each other in front of him (Which looked startlingly familiar to the point Aang refused to look at it for more than a second at a time because every time he did his heart hurt). "Can we eat food now?" Sokka whined, and Aang could only sigh and present the kids with the cursed Blubbered Seal Jerky they brought with them as a temporary fix while he went to prepare their meal.

"Eat this while I make dinner." The joyful squeak following this statement made Aang shake his head; nonetheless, he went on to make dinner for two hungry children and ignored their squabbling about who got the bigger share and why the other should give some of their food… really, just a bunch of annoying brats…

It was the screech of terror that made Aang whirl around toward the kids, his heart pounding in his throat at the thought of something happening to them in the last five minutes since he turned his head away (Was it a Fire Nation soldier? Did they fall from a cliff while he wasn't looking? Did Appa eat them?!). Only to get smacked in the face with something fluffy, that all but crawled over his face to sit atop his head (Which really, made Aang freeze in his place in terror and his heart dropped to the pit of his stomach because what the hell was that?!), letting out chittering noises followed by munching and the crumbs of something falling on Aang's face.

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【Oh! A Flying Lemur!】

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The System peeped happily and came to fly close toward the creature on top of his head (Now finally identified) before going on and on about Flying Lemur, like a bestiary; ignoring the fact Aang almost departed from this world, thinking that whatever creature on top of his head was from the poisonous varieties and would rend him dead, not even a few days after living in this world. "A-A-A-A-A-A-Aang! T-there is… s-something…" Sokka choked out, his hand inching toward his boomerang.

"Don't worry," Aang said as calmly as he could (Even when he wasn't feeling it) before raising his hands and picking the lemur on top of his head; ignoring the startled squeak and the hiss that followed as the creature tried to wiggle free from his hands. "It's just a Flying Lemur, nothing to be concerned about." Aang glared at the creature with anger in his eyes for daring to startle him and almost causing him to have a heart attack then and there.

"Flying… Lemur? What's that?" Katara, who walked slowly toward Aang asked, gazing at the squirming animal cautiously. Aang let out an annoyed huff and picked up a Moon Peach from the basket he managed to gather and gave it to the annoying animal before letting it go; causing the animal to chitter and look at the peach, before looking at Aang (Before looking at the peach again, and then Aang again!) before jumping on Aang's shoulder and curling its tail around his neck while nuzzling his cheek before starting to munch on his newly acquired food.

"A pet of some sort; Air Nomads used to have them. This temple was a hot spot for them in the past, but now? I think this is the only one left in this mountain range." Aang gazed at the animal on his shoulder with a scrunched face, wondering if all Flying Lemurs were as trusting as the one on his shoulder… no wonder their species went extinct decades ago, if this was how they acted when someone gave them food.

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【Get back! Go away! Shoo! This is my place, you filthy animal! HHIISSSSSSS!】

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The System, on the other hand, seemed to have gone insane and was trying to shoo the Flying Lemur away as if its life depended on it; hissing and snarling and letting out loud noises that all but pierced Aang's eardrums… the animal's reaction to all of this? It ignored the System and continued to munch on its peach with a happy chitter.

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【NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! QAQ】

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The System wailed, causing Aang to close his eyes and raise his hand to pinch the bridge of his nose, wondering if he could mute this annoying entity hovering over his shoulder just so he could have peace of mind. Katara and Sokka looked at one another, before they looked at Aang, the lemur, and then Aang again, before letting out a soft 'Oh'.

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【My Liege… *Sob, Sob*… I am sorry, for not stopping this sooner… b-b-but… The Cat Distribution System had struck again! Waaahhhhhhh! QAQ】

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The System sobbed as if its life depended on it, while Aang let out an annoyed groan when those brats looked at him once more before speaking with hesitation. "Well… it could come with us, we don't mind…" Cementing with it Aang's fate of not only caring for two clingy children foisted to him by an old and crazy grandma but also taking care of three creatures from now own (The System included) foisted to him by fate and the virtue of being the last Air Bender known to the world.

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Life really loved messing with him…

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…("Pervert!" Prince Zuko's dying screech could be heard all around the ship, causing the crew to look at one another, not one of them dared to open their mouth to say something. "T-t-t-t-that pervert! Dishonored! Disgraced!" Prince Zuko's screech even reached above the deck, causing the men who sat drinking that night to look at one another, and take another swing from their jugs; most of them were still in shock and didn't believe what happened these past few days, and what was said and done by the Avatar before his departure.

"I still can't believe…." Lieutenant Jee mumbled, looking at the fire before him in a daze, raising his free hand to once more pinch his arm and make sure he was truly awake and that he wasn't sleeping somewhere or passed out from drinking the night away. "It really happened, did it not?" The man then touched his nose, wincing at the pain that spread to his face, but that was enough to inform him that yes, he was awake.

"I know what you mean…" Fang, the helmsman spoke, looking shocked and unbalanced, as he once again took a swing from his Baijiu. "Like… even now, I still can't believe that the Avatar… then Prince Zuko… and…" Prince Zuko's angry shouts could be heard, muffled this time, probably General Iroh managed to convince the young Prince to calm down.

"What did the Avatar see in Prince Zuko to say such words?" Yao (The guard on duty who was supposed to guard the Avatar but was knocked out, so he was still salty about everything, especially, the scolding of a lifetime that followed) huffed, looking so pissed as he glared at the fire like it was his mortal enemy. "I mean, yes, the Prince's temper had mellowed down after five years on the sea, and he is almost pleasant to be around now…" Here, Yao received many glares from those around him for daring to talk like this about the Prince. "But still, why did the Avatar say such words? Was he trying to mess with the Prince?" That made many frown and look at one another, wondering if the Avatar would really go to such lengths to escape when the man didn't even look that concerned and was actually holding up pretty well against everyone to the point of managing to escape the ship unscathed and without outside help.

"Are you crazy? This is the Avatar we are talking about; no words of his are spoken in jest, every word held truth and foretold people's destiny." The healer, Li stated, sending Yao a glare for daring to talk about the Avatar, like this in her presence (She was still someone who believed in the tales of old and held a deep respect for the Avatar). "I don't know about you, assholes… but I think it was…" Li didn't continue her words, but the smile on her face, and the mumble of the word 'Sweet', that Lieutenant Jee managed to hear but didn't point out, sent the idea loud and clear to everyone sitting around the fire. The Prince's furious shriek, made many flinch, and everyone finally shut up and didn't bring up the topic once more, fearing the Prince overhearing them and then raining hell on top of their heads.

Elsewhere, in Zuko's room, the said Prince was huffing and buffing and shrieking about perverts and assholes, and disgraceful men who used underhanded tactics to escape while throwing all decorum and honor out of the window; Iroh, who could only watch his nephew lose it like this, let out a tired sigh before sipping his by now, cold tea.

"Nephew…" General Iroh let out a sigh, as he put the cup down, looking at the boy who looked more hysteric and panicked than really angry about what happened. "The Avatar's honor is intact and what he did was within the rules of the… game… so to say. No rule was broken, and no honor was questioned; what the Avatar said and did was within the initial agreement of our game… what he said before his departure though… that's a surprise really." Iroh chuckled, amused by the situation now he had a few days to think things through; part of Iroh was even baffled and confused about the Avatar saying such a thing out of the blue, but the other part? The part that wanted his nephew (Son) to be happy (Whatever form of happiness really, because the last seven years were hard on everyone… but Zuko? Those seven years were hell on him, and Iroh, who stood on the sidelines and watched how the bright flames within his nephew turned to ambers about to be snuffed out as he fell further and further into depression, could only fear what would have taken place had this year ended and they didn't find the Avatar), was content with the fact the Avatar had said such thing (Which really, Iroh still wondering if he had dreamed this or not) because now, the fire that had been absent for more than three years was back, and Iroh couldn't help the happiness he felt seeing it again.

Zuko stilled in his place hearing these words, his face red with either anger or something else, but the fire in his eyes was enough to make Iroh smile, even when his nephew's face twisted into many expressions before he let out a growl. "What that pervert said, was nothing but an underhanded tact, nothing else!" His nephew hissed, looking like an angry cat as he walked around the room in circles looking more agitated by the second.

"Zuko…" Iroh let out a sigh, shaking his head as he gazed at his nephew who hissed like a cat got splashed with water. "This is the Avatar we are talking about; the bridge of the Spirits and the mortals' worlds, the keeper of knowledge and the one who knew what's beyond. Do you really think this man would use such an underhanded tact when he himself managed to incapacitate a ship full of soldiers like it was a walk in the garden?" Iroh couldn't help but inquire gently, trying to make his nephew understand his point of view and how the Avatar had seen the goodness in Zuko's heart and found it moving to the point he fell in love at first sight with such a gentle and pure soul.

Zuko froze in his place, his face blank from any emotions, before he let out a harsh breath through his nose, expelling smoke with it; nevertheless, Iroh knew that Zuko knew of the Avatar's honor and character (In the past, and in the now when meeting this new Avatar who was nothing as they expected) and that these words wouldn't be said in jest by someone whose mission was to bring balance and peace, and had the ability to bend all elements and knew all about the cultures and their taboos to achieve his mission.

"Uncle…" Zuko breathed out after a while, a self-deprecating smile painted itself on his lips, making whatever mirth Iroh felt vanish. "Look at this face…" Zuko said slowly while pointing out at his burned side, his smile getting wider even when there was no humor in his eyes. "Is this the face that someone… anyone for that matter… would say such words for?" Iroh let out a cry of Zuko's name hearing such words, feeling his heart, breaking into tiny pieces when Zuko continued to give him that unsettling smile as if he hadn't said such hurtful words. "Uncle!" Zuko slammed his fist on the wall beside him, anger clear on his face (Along with pain and hurt that Iroh managed to detect). "The Avatar used an underhanded tact, and he dared to humiliate me by uttering such nonsense when he could have walked away and left my dignity intact, but he didn't, and now I am the talk of every waging tongue on this damned ship… but that's alright, I will make him pay for it, end of discussion." With that Zuko stomped away, leaving Iroh sitting in his place, deep in thought.

Iroh could feel all of his fifty-plus years weighing him down, as tiredness and pain filled his features as he looked at his nephew's (Son's) back, feeling helpless and resenting the feeling that had made its home in Iroh's heart ever since that cursed day, seven years ago. Sighing Iroh could only look at his cup of tea, his lips twisting into a frown as he once again thought about what happened a few days ago, and how the Avatar had proclaimed his love to Zuko in front of everyone on the ship… Iroh could only hope that the Avatar really meant his words because…

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Iroh had the feeling that by this point the Avatar was their only hope…)…

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The Air Nomads were not his responsibility; they were not his to honor, care about, or pay respect to people he knew nothing about. The Air Benders were Avatar Aang's responsibility in both lives; they were his to honor, care about, and give them proper burial; but in both timelines, Avatar Aang had let them down again and again, first by running away from his responsibility as the next Avatar, and second, by walking away, and not giving what was left of his kin a proper burial as the final act of goodbye and filial piety.

They were not Aang's responsibility, they were not his people nor his family, and he held no relationship or filial piety to people who died a hundred years in the past; Aang didn't even know anything about them other than the fact they were mentioned here or there to garner some sympathy and heartbreak… The Air Benders were not Aang's responsibility… but…

Aang let out a pained grunt as he hit the frozen earth with the spade he found, trying to dig deeper and deeper into the frozen ground, and ignoring how his back was screaming in pain, and how his hands were bleeding and shaking from the splintering wood digging into them. Aang hissed, and not for the thousandth time, he grumbled to himself about his inability to bend earth, because if he did, he would have finished this job a long time ago.

Dawn was approaching, and Aang knew Katara and Sokka would wake up any minute now and start questioning him about what he had been doing all night, why his hands were a bloody mess, and where he was. Aang truly didn't want to answer questions brought by annoying brats who then would look at Aang as if he had dared to kill their beloved pet, if he dared to answer.

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The Air Benders were not Aang's responsibility… they truly weren't… but…

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There was someone with his father's name in their midst; someone who held the name that was dear to Aang's heart, and if Aang dared to leave that person and walk away just like Avatar Aang did… then Aang wouldn't be any better than that annoying and sniffling brat who abandoned everyone and everything just because he couldn't handle the responsibilities and the duty that came with being the Avatar.

'Gyatso'… a name that Aang didn't even imagine that he would ever associate with this cursed novel not one a bit; a name that just hearing, brought the sharp pain and guilt he tried to bury deep down, for being the reason of his adopted father's death… Gyatso… who got into a car accident years ago, just because he wanted to attend Aang's graduation, even when Aang again and again, told him it was fine if he didn't, because his health comes first… Gyatso… who insisted on coming and later died on the way because a stupid asshole and his friends decided to use the road as their racing ground… a hit and run, they told Aang… Gyatso died immediately and without pain, they said… the culprits couldn't be found; they complained when he continued to ask about updates… but Aang did find them in the end, he did, and he raged, and rained hell on them for taking his father away from him.

The Air Benders were not Aang's responsibility, but among them was a man who held his beloved father's name, and that alone granted them Aang's favor and loyalty even when they were Avatar Aang's and not his family.

When Aang walked around the temple that night he entered a building and he could only take a sharp breath as he saw the skeletons dressed in Fire Nation armor, surrounding a skeleton in the middle; a skeleton that was adorned with those yellow monk robes, and a wooden necklace with the symbol of Air Benders, and when Aang asked the System who this person was?

…Aang's world all but came to a screeching halt as he heard his adopted father's name coming from the System's screen… so here Aang was, plowing the frozen land and digging grave after grave, trying to honor the people that weren't his and give them the burial and the respect they deserved in both lives, but wasn't given to them because of a brat who decided to run from home, and later walked away on them without looking back.

Air Bender after Air Bender, one after the other; Aang spent his night collecting their bones and belongings, and putting them in the freshly dug graves while praying and hoping they find peace in their afterlife, burning incense and feeling a little awkward for only doing this and not giving them more offerings (Other than the few Moon Peaches he managed to pick from the trees) or burning Joss Paper…

Air Bender after Air Bender… and finally, after spending his night away in the snow, dirt, and mud, Aang was digging the last grave with bloody and shaky hands that were going to fail him any minute now. But Aang did it, he finished the last grave, and Aang's shaky hands could only pick the bones and place them in; gently, one bone after the other, until all of 'Gyatso's bones were inside his final resting place (A beautiful place near a pond he found, surrounded by some trees, a place if his Dad were here, he would have adored and spent all of his afternoon reading and drinking tea, or practicing his Wing Chun here).

The last to go was the wooden necklace, and even then, Aang hesitated in putting it inside, his eyes tracing the wood and carving, and wondering if he could take this with him and polish it to its former glory (A reminder… of his late father, and this man who shared his name… a reminder of…). Aang shook his head, before putting the necklace inside and started to bury the bones, before giving the meager offering and burning the incense he found within the temple's ground yesterday.

The Air Nomads were not Aang's responsibility, nor were they, his family; they weren't the ones who raised him from childhood nor were they the ones he grew up alongside and had familial bonds with them. The Air Nomads were Avatar Aang's responsibility, and that annoying child had blundered it with both of his hands before he went out to the world and made a nuisance out of himself… they truly weren't… but Gyatso's name was among them, and just that alone gave them some of Aang's loyalty.

A chittering from behind, followed by the annoying Flying Lemur perching on Aang's shoulder and curling its tail around his neck, gazing at the grave before letting out chittering noises (And surprisingly, it didn't jump to steal the offerings and run away like Aang expected from the animal) before nuzzling into Aang's cheek.

Aang could only look at the lemur from the corners of his eye before he let out a sigh. "You know Momo…" Aang called the animal by the name given to him by the Avatar in the novel, raising his hand to pet the animal with a wry smile. "You, and Appa…" Aang let out another sigh. "And I guess me by association. We are the only thing that's left of this place." Aang murmured, finally standing up and going to the pond to wash his hands, wincing at the icy water stinging his hands. "So that meant, we have to stick together, and protect one another, because we are the last remaining thing from a culture long gone, and I need to protect it and impart it to the next generation after the war… it's what Gyatso would have liked…" Aang turned to look at the grave one more time before bowing his head, giving the last respect and goodbye to the man in the place of the child who should have been here but wasn't, before walking toward the temple, planning on changing his clothes and getting an hour or two of sleep before they left the place and their journey to the North Pole continued.

Momo let out a chitter and nuzzled his face once more, making Aang sigh at the clingy animal he found himself with. Suddenly, a soft breeze came and ruffled Aang's clothes… a familiar laugh was heard from behind… making Aang furrow his brows and look back only to see nothing but the pond and trees… and fireflies? Where did they come from? …Aang could only gaze at the glowing flies as they danced and raced in the air before leaving the pond and flying high in the sky, making Aang tilt his head in confusion before he shook it and returned back to his original plan of getting some shut-eye before leaving… it was that familiar laugh sounding once more, joyful this time, that made Aang press his lips tightly, wondering if this place was possessed or something… That was weird… Aang could only think when he was back to the camp and he managed to lay down to get some shut-eye.

But well… it was nice, hearing Gyatso's joyful laugh once more… was Aang's thought before he drifted to sleep… it was two days later when Aang was ruffling through his luggage to find money, did Aang find it… the wooden necklace with the Air Nomads' symbol which Aang was sure he buried alongside Monk Gyatso… Aang could only gaze at the necklace, then at the System, then at the necklace once more, wondering if ghosts and haunting and other things like this were real, before letting out a tired sigh and putting the necklace in his bag; planning on polishing and repairing it when he had time… You know what? Aang was probably losing it, and he forgot about putting the necklace in his backpack…

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Yeah… that was the only logical explanation for finding such a thing with him…

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Another day on this cursed journey to the North Pole, and another day of Aang being forced to hear children squabbling and fighting and making his life a living hell with their pettiness and childish nature. Don't get Aang wrong, he doesn't have anything against these two children who had proven themselves as competent individuals (The sad reality of being forced to grow up early and not have a normal childhood because of war, absent parents, and generally a shitty situation), but when you are forced to hear the same childish fight all day, every day, even when you sleep… that's where Aang drew the line and he almost whacked them on the heads and ordered them to behave and stop this madness once and for all.

Aang could feel his face twitch into a scowl when he heard Sokka and Katara squabbling about Sokka's pants and the hole that Katara should sew or something, which really, only made Aang facepalm at the children he was forced to babysit, and how now it wasn't time for them to get into fight and distract Aang from directing Appa to their destination. "Will you please quiet down?" Aang snapped irritably as he sent a harsh glare to the brats on Appa's saddle, causing them to squeak out 'Sorry!' and quiet down for a bit, giving Aang the peace he needed and had craved since morning when the brats woke up and decided to turn Aang's day into hell.

To Aang's dismay, the silence had only lasted for about ten minutes before Katara and Sokka started fighting once more, and Katara ended up tossing Sokka's pants at his face, which made Sokka squeak in outrage and scrambled to free himself before he started to complain as his life depended on it.

"Oh, for God's sake… That's it!" Aang snarled, directing Appa toward the land in front of them, glaring at the children who squeaked and clutched the saddle as if their lives depended on it when Aang forced Appa to go full speed and then land. "That's enough! Both of you, down, now!" Aang glared at the two as he stood on Appa's head and pointed to the shore, ignoring Sokka and Katara's protests as he snapped. "Now!" Once more, glaring at them with eyes that promised murder until the two of them finally shut up and did as Aang demanded and dismounted from Appa. "You two, go and find some food or something, I will be with you shortly." Aang grumbled to Momo and Appa, before marching toward Sokka and Katara who were glaring at one another with a look that screamed 'Your fault!'.

What followed you might ask? Well, what followed was Aang giving these two the scolding of a lifetime as he ranted on and on about respect, equality, and seniority all in one, glaring at the two when they tried to open their mouth and protest while pointing at one another and proclaimed it was the other's fault. Aang even pulled Sokka's ear when the brat brought on his misguided views on what was appropriate for girls and boys and how it was Katara's duty to help because she was a girl (Oh, the scolding that followed was legendary); Aang also pulled Katara's ear when she laughed at her brother's misery and rubbed it in his face (Only to flush with shame and embarrassment when being subjected to the same scolding from Aang)… really if it was up to Aang, he would have punished them harshly by forcing them to do handstands for an hour or two as punishment; watch them flounder and fall face first into the sand as their hands turned into jelly and couldn't support them any longer (Which was Gyatso's favorite punishment when Aang decided to act out and get into troubles with the wrong crowd).

But as Aang had it, there was no time for this, and Aang just wanted this cursed journey to be over with (Cursing these children's father, and wondering when he would be able to find Bato so he would foist the children to him and be over with this annoying babysitting duty). The North Pole was still far away, and from the estimated time and the maps the System showed him, it could take them weeks to reach there, maybe months if Sokka and Katara didn't get their shit together and stop their fights, and Aang was definitely not going to let this fly, not when this could endanger them and could possibly lead to one of them getting hurt because the children couldn't keep it down (God above, were Katara and Sokka this bad in the novel? Or was this a newly acquired trait? Or -God Forbids- they were always like this and Avatar Aang was an unreliable narrator -Something that Aang was sure of, because really, that brat must have ADHD or something because he could not focus for the life of him!- and either didn't care or found his friends' personalities fun).

So Aang ranted, scolding them, giving them the verbal thrashing of their lives that made Katara and Sokka's faces turn red with embarrassment and shame. He pointed out Sokka's misogyny and how wrong it was, pointed out Katara's warped views about everything, and how this was not the time for them to lash out when they were in the middle of a war; he even threatened to return them back home if they didn't get their act straight, because the time they were in, wasn't the time for such pettiness and childish fights, not when they could be caught by the Fire Nation and killed anytime soon.

"…Now! Do you understand or do I need to send you back home?" Aang questioned, letting out a harsh breath as he glared at the two children who had their heads lowered in shame. "I said, do you understand?" Aang repeated, louder this time, receiving mumbles of 'Yes, sir!', making Aang let out a tired huff before raising his hands to massage his temples. "Good…" Aang let out a tired sigh, looking at the sky and noticing the time, which made him grumble and curse, noticing how he spent hours scolding these two and now it was better for them to sit in a camp instead of flying in the dark and losing the way. A rustling sound was heard from above, making Aang still in his place before letting out a groan of pain when he saw the System's announcement.

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【Beginning stage checkpoint arc had begun. Destination: Kyoshi Village. Mission: Convince the villagers and Kyoshi Warriors you are the Avatar and defeat Prince Zuko! Reward: 4000 A-Points!】

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The System chirped, looking so happy and overjoyed, and Aang could only raise his head to see the Kyoshi Warriors in the treetops, looking down on them… when the leader finally saw Aang looking at her, she let out a war cry before she and the other warriors jumped down and encircled their group and begin knocking them out (Well, Sokka was knocked out immediately, Katara was pulled and was incapacitated and a parka was pulled over her hand, and a warrior in the distance managed to grab and bound Momo and blindfold him…).

Aang on the other hand? Oh, he just found an outlet for his aggression and let everything loose! Did Aang care he was fighting little girls? No. Did he pull his punches? Maybe a little. Did he shock those girls to the point of freezing with confusion and disbelief using Air Bending? Oh, absolutely! How did it end? With the Kyoshi Warriors bound with the same ropes, the warriors planned on using on Aang and his brats.

"Y-y-y-you! You are an Air Bender!" The leader squawked, her eyes wide with disbelief and her jaw dropped, and she could only watch Aang freeing his brats and checking on them to make sure no harm was done to them, Katara looking at him with sparkling eyes (Creepy… so very creepy) and Sokka was taking his time waking up.

"That I am." Aang had a smile on his face as he said that, but the narrowed eyes promised a heavy retribution, which made the leader gulp and lean back. "I am also, the Avatar, if you are wondering." Shock and disbelief painted every face looking at him, and the smile Aang sported vanished as he looked at the girls with a harsh look. "And you dared to raise your hands against my brats; something that won't go unpunished, I am afraid." And so, Aang picked up the warriors (The oldest, their leader was possibly seventeen years old, while the youngest was thirteen) and put them on Appa's saddle, preparing to find their village before having a long… long… talk with their chief about attacking people unprovoked (And the dangers of allowing children to get involved in the war).

What followed you might ask? Another scolding of a lifetime, this time, directed at the Kyoshi Warriors and their chieftain who stuttered and tried to explain himself only to shut up when Aang sent him the harshest glare he mastered a long time ago… needless to say, everyone believed he was the Avatar without a doubt, why? The chieftain told him he had the same glare that froze the blood, Avatar Kyoshi was known to possess…

Aang should really thank Judge Kyoshi for teaching him her infamous death glare… If he ever saw her in his next lifetime, Aang swore he would be her wingman and help her get together with that equally scary police officer she always raved about; Rangi was her name… needless to say that was a story of another time, as for now?

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Aang had annoying brats he needed to discipline…

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…(Sokka sulked, a pout dominated over his face as he followed Aang through the village toward… somewhere (Aang refused to tell him where, just pulled him by the back of his shirt and told him to buckle up? Because he was about to learn a valuable lesson before dragging him outside of the large house the people within Kyoshi village had provided them).

Sokka was still upset, and somewhat angry and embarrassed about the fact that a bunch of girls had kicked his butt yesterday (Something that Katara continued to bring up in front of Aang and embarrassing Sokka about, because really? Really? Did Katara want Sokka to expose her clear crush on Aang, and make fun of her like she was doing?!) and that in the end, Sokka had shown Aang how inadequate he was by being unable to defend himself or Katara, and ended up needing Aang to come and save them (Really, it was embarrassing! Sokka wanted to show Aang that he was capable and grown up, that he was a man who could hunt and fight, so Aang didn't need to lose his shit on them like he did yesterday, but what happened when the time to shine arrived? …Sokka got his butt kicked and now Aang would stop them from participating in the war, and would possibly send them back home -Something that Sokka refused to allow to happen, he refused! Not when he finally managed to…- without giving Sokka another chance to prove himself).

Fangirls, and some boys, followed them from behind, looking at Aang and giggling, and some even screaming in delight every time Aang looked back at them (Totally ignoring the grimace on Aang's face, and how he put his hand on Sokka's shoulder in a silent order to walk faster, something that Sokka was too happy to do; Katara alone was enough and Sokka could handle her crush on Aang because he knew Aang wouldn't do anything, and the man tried to avoid or put Sokka between them when Katara tried to catch Aang's attention, but strangers who were too bold and border on stalk-ish were too much!), and were even sending Aang suggestive looks that made Aang scrunch his face in disgust.

It was a while of walking before they finally reached a small house surrounded by trees, and Sokka noticed how Aang seemed to relax before a smile of some sort crossed over his face, when he sent Sokka a mischievous look (Which totally didn't freak Sokka out!). Going inside the house, Sokka could only freeze in the doorway when he saw the Kyoshi Warriors inside the house, training and performing with their fans in perfect unison.

"Ladies," Aang called out, making the warriors stop in their training and turn to Aang before bowing with respect, their eyes wide, and sparkling with admiration (Something that Sokka understood quite well because really, Aang had that effect on people, when he wasn't scowling and glaring and promising them punishment for stepping out of line). "I apologize for interrupting your training, but I heard from Chief Oyaji that this was where the warriors train." Aang bowed in return, his words made many warriors whisper excitedly and nod their heads.

"Yes, you're in the right place, Avatar Aang." The leader, who introduced herself yesterday as Suki smiled, there was admiration and respect in her eyes, as she looked at Aang, making Sokka pout (But Sokka understood, he really did; Aang was the type of person who gains admiration and respect whenever he walked inside a room, or even just down the street. He was a no-nonsense type of man and strong as hell, and he didn't even flaunt it or anything of that sort, people just knew it by looking at him! Aang really knew how to attract a crowd and how to make his words heard and listened to -And secretly, he was the man, Sokka always dreamed about becoming when he got older because, in Sokka's eyes, Aang was the definition of what a perfect leader should be- so who was Sokka to fault the warriors for looking at Aang like this, when Aang single-handedly, defeated them as easily as breathing, and later apologized for scaring them and even offered a bit of advice or two about how to beat large opponents like him?). "Did you come here to train?" Here, the hope shone in the warriors' eyes, no doubt many wanted to train beside the Avatar and have Aang teach them something or two while he was here (Which totally didn't make Sokka jealous! Uh-huh! Not at all! especially because he wasn't counting on being able to convince Aang to teach him how to fight or anything!).

Aang laughed charmingly, seeming to be delighted before he put his hand on Sokka's shoulder. "Maybe next time, but really, the only reason I came here, was to ask you to teach my brat here a thing or two." Aang had a smirk on his face as he patted Sokka's shoulder, ignoring Sokka's sputtering and screeching of 'What?!' as he looked at Aang with betrayal and anger for bringing him here, so these bunch of girls would teach him when Aang could do it even better!

Suki looked at Sokka with narrowed eyes and raised nose, before looking at Aang and saying hesitantly. "We normally don't teach outsiders, let alone boys, and him… well…" Words that made Sokka bristle and he almost whirled around and stomped away, if it wasn't for Aang's hand tightening around his shoulder.

"I know, but please make an exception, just this one time." Aang smiled, bowing once more. "My brat here thinks that girls are weak and can't handle themselves in a fight, I just want to prove him otherwise." Here Suki and the warriors looked at Sokka with narrowed eyes; the looks on their faces made a shiver run down Sokka's back as he felt danger approaching.

"Well, if it's the Avatar asking, who are we to deny your request?" Suki smiled, bowing before sending Sokka a smirk. "But for us to teach him, your charge must follow all of our traditions, if he wants to learn…" Here Suki looked at the other warriors who nodded their heads, giggling and looking too delighted. "And I mean all of them." These words were for Sokka, causing him to swallow as he felt his fight-or-flight instincts blaring through the roof.

Aang on the other hand only laughed, looking over the moon if the amusement in his eyes was anything to go by. "Of course, anything you see fit, Sifu Suki. I am sure Sokka, won't let you down." With a last pat on his shoulder, Aang bowed to the warriors before leaving Sokka alone with them, ignoring Sokka's protests as he tried to follow Aang.

"Where do you think you are going, little warrior?" Suki questioned, pulling him from the back of his shirt and giving Sokka a dangerous smile. "If you think we are going to allow you to make us lose face in front of the Avatar, then you are dead wrong." Suki hissed, pulling Sokka toward the warriors who held what looked like a dress, accessories, and makeup…

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Sokka could only gulp…)…

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【My Liege! QAQ】

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The System's annoying nagging made Aang blink and raise his head from the book in his hands, his eyes falling on the System hovering just out of Aang's reach, teary emoticon on the dark screen as the System floated around and made sad noises like Aang had insulted its ancestors. "Yes?" Aang questioned with a raised eyebrow that got higher as the System situated itself between Aang and the book in his hands (A book talked about Kyoshi Island's history and the laws put by Avatar Kyoshi in her time -Her creation of the Kyoshi Warriors and the Dai Li, which was really interested because none of this information was mentioned in the novel- and even some of her amazing achievements).

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【Why are you reading this when The System could provide in-depth information about everything and anything in this world? Why is My Liege refusing to make use of the System?!】

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The System whined and whined like a disgruntled wife as it nagged at Aang and gave him these angry emoticons as if its life depended on it. Aang on the other hand, raised his eyebrow at the annoying pest that was even worse than Momo when that lemur wanted treats and head scratches every now and then. "Is that so? Then give me a Water Bending scroll for beginners." Aang offered his hand to the System, knowing that the creature wouldn't do this, because one, it would be counterproductive to the plot, and two, the subchapter dealing with the stolen water scroll was dramatic, so obviously the System would want him to follow the plot to the T (If going to the Air Temple and later finding themselves on Kyoshi Island when Aang made sure to steer away from this place, was anything to go by).

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【Done!】

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The System chirped, and no sooner than it said this, Aang found a Water Bending scroll in his hand; something that made Aang throw away the book in his lap and open the scroll to inspect it, a gleeful look crossed over his face that deepened when the System squawked when it realized its mistake and tried to take the scroll back from Aang. "My, my, you really are a dedicated and amazing minion!" Only to stop in its place and start showing heart emoticons when Aang pat the System on the screen and cajoled it with a few empty words. "I knew you were the only minion I could depend on." Aang cooed, making the System let out noises of contentment before perching itself on Aang's shoulder and trying to proclaim how great it was, ignoring Aang's subtle eye roll as he opened the scroll and started to study it, feeling happy and content that he wouldn't suffer through that annoying and cliché pirates plot up ahead.

It didn't take long before the alarm bells sounded all around the island, and Aang didn't even need to look at the system to know that Prince Zuko had arrived in Kyoshi and was planning on capturing Aang and bring him to the Fire Nation (And really, it wasn't like Aang hadn't thought about that, he did; he could have used Prince Zuko and snuck into the Fire Nation and end up killing Ozai via asphyxiation and be done with it… but then people were going to label Prince Zuko as a traitor, and all of Aang's heart work would go down the drain if that happened).

Sighing tiredly, Aang stood up from his seat and stretched a bit before picking up his staff and preparing to face Zuko; wondering if he would manage to talk the Prince down and stop him from attacking people and destroying Kyoshi village this time around (Part of Aang, the hopeful part, couldn't help but wonder if he would manage to convince Zuko to join him this time… fingers crossed and all of that).

"Nice try, Avatar! But these little girls can't save you." Aang heard Zuko's shout, as he finally left his temporary home, he couldn't help but raise his eyebrow as he saw the scene in front of him was Zuko, fighting with the Kyoshi Warriors (Who were all down by this point) and Sokka, who was wearing the Kyoshi Warriors outfit and makeup (Also down) surrounded by four Rhinos with soldiers on top of the animals with Prince Zuko in the front of the group searching for Aang.

"My, my!" Aang called out, twirling his staff and giving Zuko a playful grin. "If it isn't my Little Sunshine showing his face! Came to play more games after our last one?" Aang couldn't help but mock a bit, wanting the Prince's attention on him, so that the Kyoshi Warriors and Sokka would manage to escape unscathed from this hostage situation.

"Why you…!" Zuko snarled fury and loath shone in his eyes before he sent two Fire Balls in Aang's direction, to which Aang used his staff to decimate the fire and run toward Zuko to start their spare (Even when part of Aang didn't want to do so in the slightest, because come on! Would it be too much for Zuko to just come and sit with him to have tea and chat a bit?).

So, Aang fought Zuko, making sure to put down any of the fires the Prince bent at him before they even touched the houses and burned everything. From time to time, Aang couldn't help but glance at the Kyoshi Warriors and Sokka, feeling relieved when he saw Katara had arrived and managed to help them escape from the Fire Nation hold.

Aang who wanted to finish this fight sooner, and knowing that the only way to do that was by distracting Zuko so he couldn't help but lose concentration, couldn't help but tease. "Such a bright fire that stole my breath away, Little Sunshine. You really do be throwing these Fire Stones around, don't you?" To which Prince Zuko actually stopped in his next attack his eyes as wide as saucers as they looked at Aang with confusion and something else.

"W-wha… y-you… I…" Prince Zuko choked out, stumbling on thin air to the point of all but falling on his face if Aang didn't help the devilish idea that came into his mind, and took hold of the Prince before he made acquaintance with the ground, grinning as he leaned down a bit (And oh! Look Prince Zuko had amber eyes -In the Novel, they just talk about how scary and unnatural the Prince's eyes were, fluctuating between yellow, and red, but they were in fact amber!- and their color was pretty!).

"Hoo, be careful, darling, can't have my Little Sun injuring himself now, I won't forgive myself if you did." Aang couldn't help teasing once more, his grin widening as he gazed at the Prince and waited for his next move. Prince Zuko opened and closed his mouth several times, and from the corners of his eye, Aang managed to see and hear the sound of a Fire Nation soldier falling from one of the Rhinos in shock and slapping into the ground. Silence once more reigned over the place, and Aang could only wonder if he had said something even more damning than the last time.

The silence was then cut by Prince Zuko's loud screech that resonated across the island (Making the animals flinch and run away, and the people around Kyoshi Island look at one another in confusion wondering where that sound came from; as for the people in Kyoshi's village, they looked at Aang and Zuko with dropped jaws and shocked eyes). Aang could only stare at his arm in confusion and wonder where the Prince had disappeared to in that split second following the screech; raising his head, Aang saw Zuko hiding behind the tree farthest away from Aang, while sending him nasty and horrified looks and pointing at him with a shaky finger. "Y-y-y-y-y—you! You!" The Prince choked out, still hiding behind that tree, and all but teleported to the next one when Aang took a step toward him (What did Aang do for the Prince to hide several meters away behind a tree and refuse to come near?!). "This isn't over!" The Prince screeched after a few seconds of giving Aang a nasty glare, and then, Aang could only watch in confusion as Prince Zuko turned around and fled, being followed by his soldiers who sent Aang confused and hysteric looks before they ran after their Prince.

"…He left?" Aang could only mutter in confusion, wondering what the hell happened and why the Prince had left without doing as Aang expected (Getting angry and chasing him until Aang managed to guide him outside of the village and take him down). From the corners of Aang's eye, he saw the system giving him that teary emoticon, before suddenly notifications started blaring one after the other to Aang's confusion.

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【 Chief Oyaji's good feelings towards you have increased. Protagonist's Satisfaction Points: 50 Points.

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Suki's good feelings towards you have increased. Protagonist's Satisfaction Points: 50 Points.

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Sokka's good feelings towards you have increased. Protagonist's Satisfaction Points: 50 Points.

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Character 1's good feelings toward you have…

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Gained the Scum Villain's full attention. Protagonist Satisfaction Points: 50 Points. 】

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【 Completion of beginning checkpoint arc: 4000 A-Points. Congratulations! Congratulations! Congratulations! Important things must be said three times! Please continue your amazing efforts, My Liege! 】

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Aang couldn't even react probably because the chieftain and the Kyoshi Warriors (Plus Sokka -Who looked amazed- and Katara -Who looked angry and confused- came running), surrounded him and started to bomb him with questions, and some of the Kyoshi Warriors (Among them Suki) started to squeal about how cool he was, and that he was truly Kyoshi's reincarnation because only the true reincarnation of Avatar Kyoshi would know how to handle Fire Nation people, and show interest in Fire Nation boys/girls like that… which was really strange and freaky, and Aang was a step away from booking it and leaving the place…

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As Aang left Kyoshi Island the next day with Sokka and Katara…

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He couldn't help but wonder what happened to Prince Zuko and why he had run away…

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…("Oh… so Avatar Aang is like that… so cool! He is even more like Avatar Kyoshi than the other Avatars!" Suki squealed, looking at Aang with wide eyes full of admiration and respect so strong, Katara could taste it on her tongue; part of Katara wanted to brag about Aang, tell everyone who would hear how cool and amazing the man was, while another part was feeling jealous because another girl was looking at Aang like he hung the stars and moon (And really, Katara had spent all of her time in Kyoshi seething as she saw girls and sometimes boys come flirting with Aang; she spent even more time trying to send them away because couldn't they read the room and just back off?!).

However, Katara couldn't help the curiosity that had taken hold of her when she heard Suki's words, because what did the older girl mean by 'Aang being like that?'. "What do you mean?" Katara remembered asking the older girl, curiosity had won out and she couldn't keep the questions inside of her anymore, and it just slipped!

Katara remembered Suki looking at her with a grin and saying. "Oh, I meant Avatar Aang being interested in men, and precisely that Fire Nation Prince! He even flirted with him in the Fire Nation ways! Just like Avatar Kyoshi who tried to romance Rangi from the Fire Nation; who would have known... just like the books said, Fire Nation flirting is truly effective! That Fire Nation Prince ran away without even doing anything to the village!" Suki laughed and laughed, looking too delighted for Katara's taste.

It had been days since they left Kyoshi Island, and part of Katara still refused to believe what Suki said, about Aang flirting with that… that Fire Nation monster! …Fire Nation people were bad, they were bad, and they killed innocent people, and all of them were monsters without mercy who preyed on the weak!

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"Katara… Not every bad person comes from the Fire Nation. Just like there are good people and bad people in every group; the Fire Nation had good people within their lands but were overshadowed by the bad people whose voices were the loudest…"

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Katara heard Aang's voice resonate in her mind, causing her to frown harshly and huff because that was impossible! All Fire Nation people were bad, and that was that! …But then she remembered the way Aang lost it at them when they reached Kyoshi, she remembered the way Suki talked with enthusiasm about Rangi from the Fire Nation, and then she started to point at some of the people who had Fire Nation's descendants within her village, and then… and then she did meet some Fire Nation civilians along the way, and Katara could admit they were nice… normal… mothers, fathers, children, and elderly… normal and nice people…

Fine! Fine! Maybe not all Fire Nation people were bad, but that didn't mean that Aang was interested in boys, nor did it mean that Aang was interested in that Fire Nation meanie who was chasing them around and planning on capturing Aang and bringing him to the Fire Nation as a prisoner!

…But then Katara remembered the way Aang gave a mischievous grin, the way he called that Fire Nation Prince 'Little Sunshine' every time they met; the way Aang teased the man, and laughed happily, leaned down until their faces were close together… the way he held his waist… Katara flushed bright red just remembering that, and her hands could only cover her face in embarrassment.

Katara's heart was pounding in her chest, and she felt something choking her up; embarrassment and something else took hold of her heart when she remembered how Aang acted around Prince Zuko and how he held him and flirted with him back then on Kyoshi Island (Yes, fine! Katara admitted Aang was flirting with that Prince! And even if Aang was really interested in boys like this, shouldn't his standards be a little bit higher?! Why chose someone from the Fire Nation when there were thousands of other people out there?!).

Katara glared at Aang as if just glaring at him and giving him this harsh pout that puffed her cheeks like a chipmunk would make Aang fess up about why he chose the Prince out of every other person in the whole world; a world, where everyone would be eager to fall for Aang, not like that annoying meanie who wanted to lock Aang up in a cell and torture him for Tui and La's sake!

Katara could only growl and try to make sense of what had gone wrong, and why it was Prince Zuko who managed to catch Aang's attention of all people! Like he was tall and menacing (Ignoring the fact that Aang was taller than Zuko by a head or so and that Aang was more terrifying when he wanted to be), he was always scowling and glaring at them (Ignoring the fact that Aang's death glare made everyone shake in their boots, even those Fire Nation soldiers who tried to capture them and that Aang's sharp smile was scarier than the Prince's scowl); Prince Zuko was loud, and he was scary, and he obviously had a nasty temper (Ignoring Aang's anger issues, that made him scold Katara and Sokka like his life depended on it more than one time and the way he forced them to do handstands as punishment every time they acted out and were loud to the point of attracting attention… or cause some problem… which again, not their fault! So, what if they wanted to play a little and explore? And help people -Who turned out to be Fire Nation's spies, or crazy criminals, or bandits, but they didn't know that, because Aang pulled them away and booked it before those crazies managed to capture them- from time to time? The world wasn't all work and work like Aang thought it to be!), and he was a Fire Nation! Katara could only pout harshly, wondering why Aang would like someone like that, when he could… Katara didn't know! Find some wife or a husband material man on their travels?

"Hey, Sokka!" Katara hissed, leaning toward Sokka, who was gazing at the fan, Suki gave him with longing; hearing Katara's hiss, Sokka blinked and turned toward her before hiding the fan in his pouch and asking her 'What?'. "I just wanted to ask, what do you think about Prince Zuko?" Katara questioned, hoping that Sokka would help enlighten her with an answer that would help her decide on what was going to be her next step.

"Prince Zuko…?" Sokka questioned, obviously confused, probably didn't know why Katara asking, but Sokka shouldn't even ask about the why, he should just give her the answer she wanted so Katara could make a life-saving decision! "I don't know…?" Katara glared at Sokka for not being of help, making the boy furrow his eyebrows in confusion. "Like what do you want to know?" Sokka let out an exasperated sigh, looking at Katara with a confused frown.

"Ok, fine, objectively speaking, is he pretty?" Katara asked out of the blue, causing Sokka to let out a confused noise, and squeak 'What?!', but Katara didn't care, she just held her brother's shoulders and shook him. "Just give the first answer that came to mind. Is Prince Zuko pretty? Feminine pretty that is." Katara repeated, her question made Sokka look at Aang (Who was flying Appa and didn't give them that much attention) before returning his gaze to her.

"I… guess…?" Sokka answered slowly, looking confused and a touch out of it before he swallowed when Katara glared at his answer. "Excluding the scare, he looks… pretty? I mean he had pretty features, golden (?) eyes, fair skin, and all of that… as for feminine… maybe? I mean if he grew his hair out and ditched the armor then yeah." Sokka looked nervously as he said this, looking at Katara then Aang, then Momo (Who was chittering and looking at them) before looking back at Katara who was pondering this answer.

"What about his temper? His behavior? His talent? Do you think he…? Could you…? And…? But…! And is…? Could…?! Do you think he is a wife material? A husband material?" And Katara then started interrogating Sokka who looked freaked out by the second but couldn't escape Katara's strong grip, so he was forced to answer her questions, even when there was a hysterical tinge to his voice that got louder and louder with every question he was forced to answer.

Satisfied, Katara finally released Sokka after the last question was answered, feeling like she got what she was after, and now, she could ponder on everything and decide if Prince Zuko was a good candidate to be Aang's significant other…

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It was a week later in Omashu that Katara finally received the enlightenment she was after. Her eyes were wide and her heart was pounding in his chest when King Bumi (Who turned out to be Aang's best friend and his right-hand man when they were in the law forces? Katara didn't know all the details) grumbled after he was beaten by Aang, and whispered under his breath (Katara was close enough to hear) about. "Of course, of course, you were always obsessed with Prince Zuko, hoping to be his knight in shining armor… you know what? I hope you fall in love with that pretty and melancholic Princess and are forced to follow the plot to the T, give you something to laugh about then…" Before running after Aang and squeaking about needing his help and not dying and the like, ignoring how he left Katara frozen in place as his words (Even if confusing, and half weren't understood) slammed into her with the power of a thousand boulders.

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Princess…. Knight… Love….

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Katara could only let out a choked squeal; slapping both her hands on her mouth as everything finally started making sense to her, to the point Katara could only feel like a fool for not noticing this earlier. Katara's eyes started sparkling and her heart pounded in her chest as everything she knew and thought was true, rewrote itself in Katara's mind.

Suddenly, that tall menacing monster from the Fire Nation she always saw Prince Zuko as warped and shrunk until an elegant-looking young man (Princess!) took place; a man who was always melancholic and was kicked out of home and left to fend for himself in this dark and cold war-torn world; waiting for his knight in shining armor to come and save him from the dark fate he was forced to suffer since childhood!

A sad young man, who was no doubt afraid and skeptical about Aang's love! And how wouldn't Prince Zuko be skeptical?! He and Aang were on the opposite side in this war! They were enemies, they should be enemies and nothing more, but Aang had dared to throw that away because he fell in love at first sight with that feisty and sad man who wanted to capture Aang so he could finally return home, unaware that his true home was beside Aang all along!

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…(Zuko sneezed, and sneezed, and sneezed some more before feeling a shiver run down his spine; the feeling of foreboding all but took hold of him, and he could only shiver at such assault out of nowhere. "Nephew?" Iroh questioned as Zuko sniffled, looking around the place trying to find the reason for such a feeling that all but took hold of him.

"Nothing, uncle…" Zuko sneezed once more, before he all but felt his skin crawling and shivers took hold of him. "I… I think I am getting sick…" Zuko left it at that, accepting the tea his uncle offered him with a concerned look and trying to forget that nasty feeling that all but took him, hostage…

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What was that?)…

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And Aang! Spirits above, Aang! The man who was ripped from his home and life in Omashu (If the way King Bumi acted was anything to go by, as he sobbed and clung to Aang and stuttered about thinking him dead… which was really sad, to see a hundred plus years old man losing it like this and crying on Aang's shoulder), from his friends and family and was forced to be the Avatar out of nowhere! Just when Aang thought his life had settled somewhat, the poor, poor man (Knight) was frozen in the sea and woke up a hundred years in the future where everything he knew was different and all of his friends and family died!

Seeing Prince Zuko and falling in love with the man, at first sight, was probably the only normal thing in Aang's life! No wonder Aang held tightly to Prince Zuko and tried with all his might to make Prince Zuko see him in a different light that wasn't an enemy or threat! Always flirting and laughing, even when Prince Zuko's rejection was no doubt breaking Aang's heart!

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…(Aang felt a shiver wrecking his whole body, and he could only shake as the feeling of damnation had taken hold of him; looking to the right, and then the left, Aang could only turn and glare at Bumi (The idiot who was still blabbering and begging Aang to help him because he was stupid enough to die and transmigrate and allow the System to play its tricks on him without even demanding to read the fine print or anything, which resulted in this stupid man transmigrating into a one hundred and twelve years elderly about to die any day now when he was nothing but twenty-four years old young man who didn't experience life to its fullest) who was sniffling and holding into his robes and begging him to use his scary powers on the system and do something.

Another shiver wrecked Aang's body, and suddenly, he could only feel like prey in front of a predator, being seized up and down, and being found tasty to the point of getting eaten then and there. The stupid System beside Aang suddenly started blaring the word 'OOC!' over and over again before floating toward Katara (Who seemed to be lost in whatever world she found herself in) and screeching these words in front of her face (Not that Katara seemed to see the system or care about it and its blaring, which made the system give up on her and send her an angry emoticon in the end).

Something that made Aang furrow his brows because what the hell was happening? What did the System mean by 'OOC' when Aang had long since disabled the OOC function? And why did the system go to Katara and now give her an annoyed emoticon? Aang could only shiver as he felt his skin crawling, the wailing of that idiot Bumi as he held Aang tightly in his hug of doom as he sobbed to his heart's content, making Aang grimace…

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What the hell was going on here?!)…

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All along, this was happening before Katara's eyes and she was so stupid as to not realize this sooner! How blind was Katara to chase after a man who had his eyes on another and get angry and snappy when Aang paid more attention to his true love than her?! Was Katara really this stupid as to ruin a great friendship with Aang because she had a crush on him (And who wouldn't, Aang was so cool!), but Aang was in love with Prince Zuko? Hell! Even Sokka noticed something was going on! He must have, because why did Sokka never show any open disdain toward the Prince when Katara knew that her brother hated the Fire Nation as much as Katara did?

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…(Sokka could only gaze at Katara with concern, wondering what the hell was going on with his sister or if she was losing her mind or something of that sort. Sokka could only gaze at Aang nervously (Who was all but choked by the wailing King who begged Aang for help) before looking at his sister, wondering if it would be wise to ask Aang for help, because surely, his sister was possessed or something.

The choked squeals and giggles, Katara was letting out made Sokka shift in his place, almost backing away and booking it outside of Omashu, thinking that it was a disease that spread from this kingdom and was going to get Sokka next and turn him crazy like his sister whose face was red as she let out another giggle, looking too delighted to be healthy.

Sokka looked at Aang once more (Who finally snapped and was hitting Bumi with a scroll he got out of nowhere and was shouting at him 'Bad, bad Bumi! Bad!'), before swallowing and deciding to be a man and tackling this problem on his own because clearly, Aang had more pressing things to handle at the moment.

Swallowing, Sokka inched his way toward his crazy sister and put his shaky hand on her shoulder, hearing her crazy mutters about 'Princesses' and 'Knights' and 'True Love', which really made him even all but facepalm as he was hit with the realization of his sister probably losing herself in her fantasy world and imagining herself as a Princess and Aang as her Warrior in shining armor… yeah… Sokka really needed to talk with Katara (Or Aang) about the raging crush his sister had on a man who would never look at her as anything other than a little sister or a brat foisted on him by their Gran-Gran…

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"Katara…" Sokka sighed…)…

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The image of Aang and Zuko, their first-ever meeting, and then what happened on Zuko's ship, played in her mind, causing Katara to let out a choked squeal of delight as she remembered how Aang also put his arms around Prince Zuko's waist and whispered something before playfully pushing him into the water, probably telling him to chase and find him again!

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...(The system if it could, would have facepalm so hard it would break its screen, as it saw the cursed image the girl was imagining; it almost shouted at the girl 'Things didn't happen like that!' and 'How did you manage to warp the reality of what happened this much?!' and was also wondering if another annoying system had dared to interfere with its very important job and try to change the plot… that annoying Cat Distribution System!

The Supreme Villainous system looked at the cursed image, then at the girl, then at the cursed image that had its Liege in it, standing beside that annoying mini-villain, and wondered what kind of heavy punishment its Liege would subject it to, when the system told him about the genre of the novel changing… looking at its Liege who had lost it and was hitting that other transmigrator with a scroll, the system shivered and looked at the image one last time… you know what?

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It's Liege didn't even need to know!)…

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Hearing her brother's voice and feeling his hand on his shoulder, Katara turned toward the other teen, looking at him long and hard before a huge grin painted her face. "Sokka…" Katara choked out, feeling fulfilled and content as her purpose in this universe finally revealed itself. "Sokka! We need to get Aang and Prince Zuko together!" Katara exclaimed, looking at her brother with determination in her eyes, the thought of finally getting those star-crossed lovers together made Katara feel all gleefully and over the moon because her true calling in this universe had finally revealed itself!

Sokka looked at her his eyes were as wide as saucers and his jaw all but dropped from its hinges as he looked at Katara like she sported seven other heads and told him she was Fire Lord Ozai all along (Which was rude, but Katara would let it slide this time because she was in a great mood!). Sokka opened his mouth and closed it several times before he finally managed to screech…

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"Wait, what?!" )…

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---

So, what do you think?

An update, yay!

And people! I present you… Katara, 'The Liu Mingyan of this universe'!

…And the first Zukaang shipper after Iroh!

Her new mission? Get Aang and Zuko together!

Zuko and Aang didn't know what was going to hit them after this…

Today's lore and world build!

"A Bright Fire" is a compliment of some sort because there is no better compliment to someone's bending than this in the Fire Nation. Such words meant that the speaker recognized the Fire Bender as a competent Master and was proud of them to the point they recognized them publicly; the higher the person's status (The one who said them), the more the compliment rings true and spreads around by people. So, when Aang (The Avatar and the Master of all elements!) told Zuko about his 'Bright Fire' followed by "Stole my breath away", Aang then and there recognized Zuko as a competent Fire Bending Master, the only Master strong enough to equal the Avatar in strength and prowess and that Zuko would be the only one Fire Bending Master Aang would recognize… but then it was followed by the words 'Fire Stones' so the meaning changed into… 'You continued to make me fall in love with you harder and harder by such a beautiful display and Mastery of bending.'

Man, Aang is a flirt… if only he realized what he said that is…

"Little Sun" This phrase that Aang used, meant lots of things in the Fire Nation, considering their connection with the sun and how they 'Rise With The Sun'; in the Fire Nation, the sun is considered their source of power and from which their bending came from (In another story I am working on, about Spirits and origins of bending; the sun is considered one of the Fire Nation's two deities, and the wife of Agni, the God of Fire and Dragons). For Aang to look at Zuko and call him 'Little Sun', was Aang's way of telling everyone (Especially the Fire Benders) that Zuko was the source of his powers, and his presence brought Aang strength (And was a backhanded way of telling them that Zuko was his equal, and future wife)… because in the Fire Nation this phrase is always (Always!) followed by a marriage proposal.

So why did Zuko run away when hearing this? My boy was too terrified out of his mind that Aang was going to ask for his hand in marriage then and there, so he jumped ships before Aang even managed to pop the question (Not that Aang would have done it, but shhh, Zuko doesn't know that!).

So, yes, while Suki knew Aang was flirting in some way with Zuko (Because everyone knows that anything in relation to Fire, Sun, and Elegance, is the Fire Nation's way of flirting) she didn't realize just how hardcore Aang was flirting with our boy who up and left to protect his virtue from having the Avatar propose marriage in front of the whole village.

Read and Review

And tell me what you think…

Nazaki-Sama