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.

7. Chapter 7

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

/Warnings: This chapter contains:- cursing, a little bit of humor, a little bit of violence, a little bit of sadness, a little bit of angst, lots and lots of feels, fluff, Aang being a tired single parent, and the promised 'Mom' chapter is here! All reviews are appreciated.

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Chapter 7

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Today was going to be a good day… That was the first thing Aang forced his tired mind to think of as he woke up that morning (Not to the sun shining in his face signaling the start of a lovely new day, but to Momo who was sleeping with his butt on Aang's face); confused and disorientated and a second away from suffocating to death, thanks to Momo's daily morning routine. Aang, looking at the clear sky that day, could only try and force a smile on his face as he stood up and went to do his daily stretches; preparing for the day in earnest by breaking his bones and twisting his internal organs as he did Air Bending stretches that made his back crack ominously with every move and twist (Ah, the tears that Aang had to hold back when his discs all but screeched, begging for mercy, reminding him that he was no longer a brat of twelve who was known for his flexibility, but was actually a man who was going to be a quarter of century old, so he needed to care for his back and health because any broken bones in this foreign and scary world could mean nothing, but infection, sepsis, death, and pain unimagined as there was not even painkillers in this world that would relief him from the agony he would suffer).

Today was going to be a good day… That was the only thing Aang tried to drill in his mind as he prepared himself to face the harsh, cruel world that was bent on offing him for the thousandth time. Trying to summon any feeling of contentment and happiness; the chronically tired man on the verge of nervous breakdown ever since transmigrating into this world, went to prepare breakfast for the kids who were going to wake up any minute now, demanding food and attention and turning Aang's life into a living hell if he didn't deliver. Aang could only sigh, as he once more looked at his cup of tea with sadness and pain unimagined as he, for the thousandth time ever since transmigrating into this world, lamented how there was no coffee in this place to help him face the long days that all but killed him then and there (Curse the author of this world through and through! Out of all the historical inaccuracy that shitty author decided to bring into this world -Heavy machines, war balloons, Renaissance Era mixed with Wuxia and let's not to forget the futuristic elements, also, let's not talk about the world map that was far away from being accurate!- coffee nor chocolate managed to cut it and appear in this shitty world!).

Today was going to be a good day… Aang repeatedly reinforced in his mind, refusing for today to be any less than good, because if not? Then Aang would commit genocide then and there! So, instead of jumping on the System and breaking it into millions of pieces (Still a bit salty about what happened in the Blue Spirit Arc, a week ago), Aang let the annoying thing continue on with its morning job, which included the System turning into an alarm clock/radio/news channel/remind him about the plot/whatever the hell it fancied to be that day. Humming now and then, as he nodded his head to show the System that he was listening to it (Not, he wasn't, but he allowed the System the illusion of having Aang's attention on it), already thinking about a million things and one, and how many paces Aang and the children could cross today, before the kids started complaining on and on, about wanting to rest and sleep or a stray plot arc would appear and destroy his day… Sigh… Aang's life was so tiring and painful by this point that it wasn't even funny anymore!

Today was going to be a good day… Aang thought to himself as he petted Appa's head, giving him all the treats and scratches the giant fluffy monster could ever need or want (Appa! The only one who stood by Aang's side and didn't turn his already shitty live into hell! Such a good boy! Such an obedient boy! Such a fluffy boy! Aang so promised that he would reward this obedient beast with anything and everything he wanted after the war ended, and to start with Aang's repayment, Aang promised he would save this poor, poor creature from being taken by the Sand Benders in Chapter Two: 'Earth'!), give Momo his dinner (That annoying cat! No matter how much Aang fed that thing, it continued coming back to have a refill, and if not refills, then it would go into the forest to hunt his food, always getting into trouble and bringing the said trouble to their camp, where Aang would have to do something to stop it!), listen to the System deafening his ears by its unending chatter (Why don't you look at that? It seems like today, there would be a higher chance of rain in the afternoon! Hmmm, Aang needed to make sure his kids stay dry this time, couldn't have them falling sick again when they still didn't recover fully), and wake the kids for breakfast (God, they were so clingy! Latching onto Aang like baby monkeys and refusing to let go until Aang sat them near the fireplace and all but shoved the food down their throats).

Today was going to be a good day… Something that Aang actually started to think was true as he walked with his kids toward their destination for that day (A village where they would hopefully rest and resupply before returning to their journey). That day was sunny, there was a gentle cool breeze in the air, calmness surrounded everything, and Aang couldn't help but relax and enjoy his hike (Man, it had been such a long time since Aang went hiking -Something he and Gyatso used to do- for enjoyment and not for survival -Something that only happened after coming into their world- you know what? Maybe after the war was over, Aang could bring Bumi here, and the two of them could hike or something, with no kids this time, just two best friends enjoying their time before returning to their duties as the King of Omashu and the Avatar). Even Sokka and Katara didn't bicker that day, but instead chatted happily as they pointed at trees or shrubs and asked Aang about their names, waiting for Aang to answer them and enlighten them about this world that wasn't all ice and snow and coldness and actually had greenery in it (Aang used the System to answer the kids questions, ignoring the System's squeals of delight as Aang paid it more attention today then he did the last week). To make the matter even sweeter and lovely, no Fire Nation soldiers or unexpected guests showed up, even Momo behaved himself, sitting or napping on Appa's head, not causing any problems!

Today was going to be a good day… Aang believed that wholly that day, when they all had stopped for lunch that noon, and then decided to rest and make their camp near a sunny lake (Aang not wanting to be caught in the rain unaware, besides, the kids had behaved all day, so they deserved a treat, don't they?), enjoying the lovely nature while they rested. After lunch, Aang and Katara trained a bit in Water Bending using the scroll the System had provided; Aang was impressed by how talented Katara was, and how she managed to grasp Water Bending as easily as breathing, a prodigy Water Bender if Aang had any right to say. Then, Aang decided to teach Sokka how to fish once and for all, and stop him from going into the river and splash around in the future (Less chance of the kid falling sick like he did a while back, plus it would stop the second-hand embarrassment Aang felt every time he saw the brat preparing to fish, only to splash in the water like a five-year-old and call it fishing), feeling content and happy with such a calm atmosphere, that made Aang sigh happily and for once, enjoy his day. You know what? Maybe it was true after all, maybe today was going to be a good…

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Roar!

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…I spoke too soon… Aang could only lament to himself, feeling every good emotion that coated him since waking up evaporate into the air above, leaving Aang scowling harshly as he turned his gaze to where that roaring noise had originated from, already feeling apprehension, and part of him, almost made him turn his head away and pretend that he hadn't heard anything; unfortunately for Aang, his brats turned toward where the noise was, before giving Aang expectant looks, as if demanding that he do something, especially as the roaring continued on followed by stomping.

So, in the end, being the responsible adult and the Avatar that needed to take care of every small or big thing in this world. Aang dragged his feet toward where the noise was coming from, his eye twitching, as he felt every calmness he had cling to ever since waking up vanished by the appearance of an unexpected and an unwelcomed guest that ruined Aang's 'Very, Very Nice Day', which something that only happened once every blue moon or so.

"Aang, look!" Katara gasped, pointing at something in the distance. "Someone's being attacked by a Platypus Bear!" Aang felt his brain do a reboot hearing this, and he could only let out a dumb 'Huh?' trying to make sense of what the hell this strange combination was doing together to form the entity that was 'Platypus Bear', still, Aang leaned down the rock to gaze at the scene below, feeling his eyebrow raised the longer he saw the madness below.

What Aang saw was a large creature with dark brown fur, the body and head of a bear, with the tail and bill of a platypus, and bearing a white 'V' across its chest… Well, at least I knew what the hell the 'Platypus Bear' thing was, now… Aang thought to himself as he watched the creature standing upright on its hind legs and swinging at a man clad in blue who was smiling merrily, with his hands behind his back. A man who was acting as if he wasn't being attacked by a wild animal that would make him a tasty meal for daring to come into its territory. Then and there, it was confirmed by Aang when the man continued to laugh like a loony, this was not a case of a man accidentally encountering a wild animal, but a case of a lunatic who went into the wild to test their strength against such animals.

"Well, hello there!" The man chirped happily as he dodged another swift swing of the bear's claws, not even looking that scared or put off. "Nice day, isn't it?" The man questioned, and just as he did, his brats started to advise the man, shouting to him to either run off, play dead, climb a tree, and many more suggestions that went ignored by the man who chirped happily. "No need, it's going to be fine!" Aang, on the other hand, could only groan in dismay when the System beside him let out a happy ding and started floating near his face.

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【My Liege! The Fortuneteller Arc had started! Go, go My Liege, work your wonders!】

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The System cheered happily, unaware of Aang, who was throwing it a nasty look for throwing him into this situation. Great, just great! More nonsensical fortunetelling, as if it wasn't enough that Aang had to suffer that fate from his brats' grandmother, who thought it was appropriate to send her minor grandchildren with a suspicious character to dangers unknown to stop the war. What if Aang was a bad person? What then? Do people not know the phrase 'Stranger, Danger'? Aang let out a tired sigh at the harsh reminder of what he was forced to suffer daily because of the nonsensical beliefs these people held onto.

Seeing the bear almost succeeding in landing an attack on the man, Aang went toward the best next solution, one that was larger than an elephant. Whistling loudly, Aang summoned Appa to the front of the fold, pointing to the bear, and waiting for the Flying Bison to work his charms, which Appa didn't disappoint Aang at all! As soon as Appa got the non-verbal orders, Appa stomped behind the bear before bellowing loudly, causing the animal to bristle in fear and escape as fast as lightning, leaving behind only a spotted egg as a reminder of what took place… an egg that Sokka chirped 'Dinner!' happily before picking up.

Aang's face scrunched in disgust… Oh, hell no! His brats weren't eating that poisonous thing, even on the threat of death! Aang would cut both of his hands before allowing that to happen! …Aang sent a harsh gust of wind, knocking the egg down, ignoring Sokka's squeak of dismay as he looked at the egg and then at Aang with betrayed eyes and a huge pout. "Why? This was our reward for helping out!" Sokka whined, puffing his cheeks in anger as he looked at the egg that was crushed into pieces not that far away.

"Poisonous," Aang, not wanting to tire himself explaining the danger of picking things off the ground and how platypuses were poisonous creatures made in hell, stilled on saying only this one thing, watching from the sideline how Sokka's face paled before he squeaked and jumped away from the crushed egg, looking at it like it was the devil's creation (Which it was!).

The man, who was calm until now, let out a soft chuckle, looking too happy and cheerful for his own good, as if he wasn't about to be turned into a pancake by a bear not that long ago. "Thanks, but everything was already under control." The man said, looking like a wise old sage, imparting his wisdom to the younger generation. "Not to worry. Aunt Wu predicted I'd have a safe journey." The man folded his hands together and bowed slightly while saying this, his words causing Katara to tilt her head in confusion and ask, 'Aunt, who?' which in return made the man reply. "No, Aunt Wu. She's the fortuneteller from my village. Awfully nice knowing your future." While looking too happy to be healthy, as for Aang, who suffered an awful fate of being the guardian of two teenagers thanks to their crazy grandma believing in these things, could only grimace at the reminder.

"Wow, it must be…" Katara looked to the side, as if pondering the older man's words, making Aang's eye twitch because he knew what was going to come after this. "That explains why you were so calm!" Knew it! …Every cell in Aang's body screeched, and he had to desperately stop his hand from slapping his forehead then and there at such a conclusion that this girl had reached… Ugh! Girls and their obsession with fortunetelling and love.

"But the fortuneteller was wrong!" Sokka, the lover of everything logical and scientific, spoke, and Aang all but applauded the boy then, and there. "You didn't have a safe journey; you were almost killed!" Sokka stated while pointing at the man, his nose scrunched, looking so skeptical and unconvinced by the nonsense spoken in front of him.

"But I wasn't!" The old man chirped happily for the umpteenth time, making Aang raise his hand and pinch the bridge of his nose. "All right, have a good one!" The men bid them goodbye before turning and skipping to his home, only to stop midway and turn back; Aang, knowing what this was about, extended his hand to receive the package in their name. "Oh, and Aunt Wu said if I met any travelers, to give them this." As predicted, the package was put in his hand, and the man skipped merrily back home, leaving Aang in the presence of two kids who exploded then and there.

Katara, as expected, wanted to go to the village to meet Aunt Wu to have their fortune read (Girls, ugh!), while Sokka was skeptical and called fortunetelling a nonsense (It was!). Aang, instead of getting involved in their squabble like those two demanded (And they were doing so good this morning… damn you, Aunt Wu!), busied himself with opening the parcel that contained a red umbrella.

"Kids, come here," Aang demanded while motioning to the two kids to come, making the two furrow their eyebrows in confusion, but nonetheless, they ended up following Aang's demand and came to stand beside him. Aang then held the umbrella over their heads and opened it… as soon as he did, the sky immediately darkened and it began to rain, going as far as to thunder over their heads.

"That proves it!" Katara squeaked, latching onto Aang and pointing at the sky that was having the show of its life by producing thunder and lightning at a rapid speed, even Aang was getting dizzy by the lightshow above; not to forget the rain that fell like it was a waterfall, not a few drops of water coming from fluffy cloud in the sky.

"No, it doesn't! You can't really tell the future!" Sokka, who was on Aang's other side, shouted and glared at his sister. Aang, the poor one trapped between the squabbling siblings, could only sigh tiredly, clearing his throat loudly and sending the two a harsh glare, ordering them to be quiet, something that only succeeded in reminding the two that Aang was with them, and with that, the kids' attention zeroed on him.

"Wait a minute…" Katara narrowed her eyes a bit as she looked at Aang, then at the umbrella, and back at Aang again. "How did you know it would rain at this exact moment?" That question made even Sokka shut his mouth (That he had opened to retort to Katara's words and once more, make fun of her for believing in fortune telling).

"Yeah! How come?" Sokka questioned Aang, narrowing his eyes, while looking Aang up and down, giving him the same quizzing look his sister was sending Aang. "Is it like, Avatar's power of something?" Sokka tilted his head, and Aang let out a tired sigh at that,

If you meant by power, the power of being stupid and reading this novel from start to finish? Then, yes, yes I have powers… Aang wanted to say, but instead of doing so and exposing himself as a poor transmigrator who had the misfortune of reading this shitty novel Aang said. "The sky had been gray all day." Going with the most logical answer there was, causing Sokka to look at his sister with a look full of superiority.

"But! But! The umbrella! And then you opened it just as the sky-!" Katara squeaked while pointing at the red umbrella in Aang's hand, causing the man to wince at the reminder and almost stated that the only reason they got it, was to lure Katara into the village to have her fortune told and nothing more, still, Aang didn't say anything and directed the kids back to the camp, where they would pack their things and head to the village and finish this stupid arc.

Not that surprising, the rain stopped halfway through their journey to the fortuneteller village, and the brats once more started to squabble about fortunetelling vs. science and logic. By then, the only thing Aang could do was pinch the bridge of his nose and continue on with this cursed mission, knowing that the only way to end this stupid arc was by meeting the fortuneteller and saving her damned village from a volcano.

So, after a lot of walking on their part, bickering (Katara and Sokka), and sighing (Aang, who felt like he was aging a decade with every step he took), they finally reached the village that was found on the mountain's base, making Aang all but screech finally at the realization that this day could be over then and there. They walked through the small village, gazing at all the shops, people, and ducks that were a hybrid of something (That Aang didn't want to know what the hell it was, but seriously? Were all the animals here hybrid of something? Why weren't there normal animals around?!) quacking at Sokka. Aang and his kids finally reached the fortuneteller's establishment, where Katara would get her fortune read by a hack who was going to scam the little girl by telling her about marriage, babies, and the like… sigh…

So, Aang resigned to his fate of just allowing things to happen, entered the establishment with the brats, hoping that they would finish early, so they could leave even earlier… as soon as Aang stepped a foot inside, though, the atmosphere around him changed drastically, and after Aang's talk with the fortuneteller's assistance, Aang could only let out a confused 'Eh?' when both Katara and Sokka just latched into his arms, severe looks on their faces and the expressions from before (Sokka who was annoyed, and Katara who was excited), had vanished, and instead, harsh glares made themselves known.

"Kids? Aang questioned the kids, not receiving any answers, only the kids tightening their hold around his arms…What happened to his kids? …Was the only thing that Aang could think of, especially when Sokka and Katara's faces twisted even more severely when they saw the assistant giggling and walking toward them. What was wrong with the kids? Did the other brat (Who looked like she was twelve) steal something or say something to them? Was something in the air? Or did the brats finally snap out of their delusion that fortunetelling was real and they were finally going to leave this place?

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…(Unknowing to Aang, or maybe the man didn't notice because he didn't pay too much attention to the ones he dubbed as 'Brats', because they were children and Aang, to protect his sanity, didn't pay too much attentions to every word or interaction with them, having learned that that would mean headache and mental breakdowns unimaginable.

As soon as they entered the establishment and talked with that 'Meng'… alarm bells rang in Katara and Sokka's minds, especially when they saw that brat giggle and stutter and look at their Aang way longer than it was appropriate (Even the System was bristling on the side when that Floozy dared to insult its Liege by implying he had big ears! Excuse you?! Its Liege was perfect!) while trying to act all cutesy, and failing miserably in the siblings' opinion. What in the name of everything holy?! Why was Aang always attracting such creeps around him? Creeps that needed to be put in a mental hospital or something, but were still prancing around!

Why the hell was that Floozy looking at Aang like that? Aang is already taken! …Katara all but screeched as she bristled, tightening her hands on Aang's arm and glaring at the girl, warning her to stay away from her guardian (*Cough* Dad! *Cough*) who was already taken and was in a happy relationship with a Princess! Who was this homewrecker, and where were her parents? How dare she look at Aang even when Katara gave her a nonverbal and almost verbal threat?! Katara could only bristle even more when that, that, continued to ignore Katara, and try to act (And fail!) all cutesy around her Da- she meant Aang! Oh, as soon as Katara got her hands on this woman, then it was over!

What? Another stalker?! And a bratty one too? What the hell with crazy brats always developing a crush on Da- I mean Aang?! …That was what ran inside Sokka's head as he glared at the girl who all but splashed Aang with hot tea and puffs if it wasn't for Aang helping her and taking the tray off her hands, to make things even more insulting, that brat then and there insulted Aang! She insulted Aang! What the fuck?! Was she out of her mind?! Sokka could only tighten his hands around Aang's arms, turning his furious eyes from that brat to his sister while giving her the 'This is all your fault!' look, as if it wasn't hard enough for Sokka to keep other women (Sometimes men) away from Aang, now he was going to have another repeat of Katara, but a more derange version!

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After a silent conversation between the two siblings, they agreed then and there…

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They needed to get Aang out of here, damn this fortuneteller business and all!)…

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"Welcome, young travelers. Now, who is next? Don't be shy?" An elderly woman clad in yellow robes entered the room, all but making Aang sigh because finally! The woman was here. Aang could have his brats read their fortune before leaving this place once and for all, because things were getting awkward and his kids had all but started growling like rabid dogs, making Aang concerned that something was going on (And partially terrified because what was wrong with them!?).

"Katara, come on, let go," Aang tried to cajole the little girl, who only tightened her hold around his arm and bristled, hissing like a cat someone stepped on its tail, when she saw the fortuneteller's assistant coming into the room once more with another tray of tea. "Katara?" Aang questioned in confusion, wondering what the hell happened to his kids in the span of the half hour since they entered this establishment.

"No, thank you, we only came here to give you this back. We don't believe in this bullshit; come on, Katara!" Sokka stated hurriedly before putting the red umbrella in front of the woman and tightening his hold on Aang's arm, trying to pull the man up and drag him toward the door, something that Katara was doing the same if the way she scrambled to get to her feet was an indication.

What… what was going on? What was happening to his kids? Did something happen to them while Aang wasn't looking? Wasn't this too OOC and shouldn't have happened, especially when Katara insisted they come here in the first place? 'System, what's going on?!' Aang could only screech inside his head, turning to the System, hoping the machine would have an answer for him… instead of doing so, the System was ordering him in bold letters to leave and that the Fortuneteller's Arc was over… what?

"My, my, such a nonbeliever… I see a future full of struggle and anguish. Most of it, self-inflicted." The woman hummed, making Katara flinch and tighten her hold on Aang's arm in fear, while Sokka scowled harshly and glared at the woman. Aang, hearing this, felt the world coming to a screeching halt then and there, and when the woman's words made sense to him, he whirled around, his face in its signature scowl as he marched toward the woman and ignoring his brats that fell on their butts from the sudden movement.

"What did you just tell my kids?" Aang hissed, bristling as he glared at the woman who just dished out that prediction to his kid like it was nothing (And to make it even more damning and infuriating, Aang knew that it was true because in the Novel, Sokka ended up being killed because he acted as a human shield to protect the Avatar from Azula and her Dai Li), something that made him bristle like mad, because how dare that woman say this to his kid?!

The annoying woman, instead of backing away or even apologizing, had the gall to smile in Aang's face and say. "I just read his fortune, dear, nothing more; it's written all over his face. Do you want me to read your fortune too?" A few more careless words followed from the woman, and by then… Aang lost it, and had to be pulled back by both Sokka and Katara when he all but jumped the woman and strangled her to death. The hell was wrong with this crazy, and how dare she talk to his kids like this!? She was begging for death! She was begging for a divine punishment to befall her! This hack or a fortuneteller had the nerve to smile in his face and say this nonsense in front of him! Him!

"…I need no person telling me my fortune, woman! I am the Avatar!" Here gasps of shock and horror rang aloud when people had to come and pull him away before he managed to destroy the establishment. "In fact, I will be the one telling you yours, you hack!" Aang remembered screeching, trying to struggle out of the entirety of the village's hold and all but jumped on that woman and took hold of her bony neck, strangling her to death. "You want some fortune; I will give you fortune! I will give you divine visions from the spiritual world, even!" Aang snarled, uncaring of anything other than making that hack pay for giving this damn prediction to his kid and guide him down the path of suicide by sacrificial play because Sokka actually believed in this prediction and believed that he would end up harming his friends more than helping so he decided to take himself out of the picture.

Aang, uncaring of the System's shrieking in the background, pointed at the woman, feeling anger boiling in his blood and blazing in his veins. "A cloud reading will take place this afternoon, and you will predict that the village will not be destroyed by the volcano. False! The volcano will erupt! Why do you even think I decided to come to this stupid village in the first place other than to help?" Aang snarled, uncaring of the gasp the woman let out as she looked at Aang with wide eyes, but Aang didn't care, deciding, you know what? Aang would be a little shit too and will use his knowledge of the novel as he wanted!. "Next week, the village would be attacked by a giant monster, so enjoy the chaos that would take place, you hack!" Aang didn't know if this would happen; he just wanted to terrify the people here, and this did the trick (…Unknowing to Aang… Zuko was going to show up next week with a bounty hunter and her giant beast).

"…A failed siege would be laid out on the Northern Water Tribes! Tui and La will make an appearance! Ba Sing Se would fall! The fucking Spirits are anger at you all! The war would end on the day of Sozin's Comet! My fucking Sunshine would become the Fire Lord! And Ozai will meet a fate more gruesome than death! There! That's your prediction and future for this fucking year!" Aang snapped, whirling around and picking his brats by the back of their robes and dragging them away from this house of madness, hoping to leave this damn place once and for all. "Oh, and if I were you, I would start digging a trench to stop the lava from destroying the village. Now have a nice day!" Aang huffed as he continued on his way after spitting these parting words, ignoring the System that was giving a dying screech in the background and the village that was thrown into a tizzy with every prediction said. "And you two!" Katara and Sokka, seeing that Aang directed his attention at them, could only squeak and flinch, thinking the worst after Aang all but exploded on that woman. "Don't listen to her nonsense, both of you will live happy, long lives and have many kids, and that was because you didn't listen to such a hack!" Aang bristled just thinking about that crazy woman, but still, he marched away from the village, not wanting his kids to be here when the volcano erupted…

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...…Not that surprising, the volcano erupted not two hours later, by then Aang wanted to do nothing but ignore that damn plot and arc and move on with his life, still fuming at the audacity of that hack who had dared to talk to his kids like this (The System was weeping in the corner, not knowing if it needed to initiate a punishment -Something the System will kill itself before doing to its Liege!- or just mark it down as one of its Liege's divine abilities because he was the Avatar so he could see into the future… right? …The System could only weep because, in the end, it forced itself to take 100 A Points as punishment)…

It ended with that hack of a fortuneteller coming to apologize and beg for help, and it also ended up with his brats looking at him with wide eyes, trying to guilt trip him into helping those crazy people who deserved what they got for believing in nonsense such as fortunetelling…

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Aang ended up helping them… Ugh…

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…(…Years after the war had ended, everything was said and done, and the fortune Aang predicted rang true (Which, unknowingly to Aang, had thrown the world into a tizzy and made everyone believe that this generation's Avatar was the strongest ever because the Gods had blessed him with divine visions from the beyond, which in turned made everyone call Aang the All-Knowing Avatar…. The System was weeping in the corner because that wasn't what happened! It was just the author and its Liege making the first move before the enemy!) which finally meant peace and prosperity to the four nations.

The said Sunshine of the Avatar, who was in his monthly afternoon tea with their kids, got the shock of his life when he was told by Sokka (Who took his job as the family storyteller seriously) the story of their adventure in Makapu Village all these years ago, and the visions Aang told everyone after that hack fortuneteller told Sokka he would die young and alone 'Which Boo-Hoo! See Katara, fortunetelling was a lie! Aang was the one right all along, because a deity with Godly abilities is different than a hack! See! He was already married with children and getting older without the dangers of death! Aang was in the right all along!' (…Unknowing to Sokka, Aang had spent years and years looking out for his kids, all but screeching in despair because why was the universe always targeting those brats?! What does Aang need to do to keep them safe?! He was an old, old man by then, and damn it all he couldn't watch over them like they were still kids! He wanted to retire!), while Katara giggled and told Zuko about how Aang must have had a vision of him when he was trapped in the ice and how destined they were to be each other's soulmate (Unknowing to everyone, Sokka had just inspired Katara to write another bestselling novel featuring their Mom -Zuko- and Dad -Aang- by reminding her of that day she almost forgotten about… Katara giggled evilly, already drafting the plot in her mind and planning on sending a signed first edition copy to her Dad who would only roll his eyes, but say nothing as her Mom would go into a tizzy trying to capture -And fail to do so- the elusive 'The Painted Lady' who was infamous for her accurate Novels that depicted the lives of the Avatar and the Fire Lord).

"Aang!" Zuko screeched that night, slamming the door of his husband's office open, causing the sleeping man to be startled awake and look around, wondering what the hell was going on and if they were under attack or something. "You knew me!" Zuko glared at his husband, making Aang blink his eyes, still sleepy and not knowing what the hell his husband was talking about, while looking all angry and huffy like a haughty cat. "You knew me before you even met me in the South Pole!" Zuko repeated as he stomped toward Aang, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring at the man like he was something nasty for hiding such crucial information from him for all these years.

Still sleepy and a touch out of it, but knowing that the only way to make Zuko stop being angry at him was flattery and praise, Aang just smiled dumbly and said. "Of course, I knew you, darling. You were my dream come true." To which, Zuko's face turned crimson red before he stuttered something too fast for Aang's sleepy mind to catch on.

"You! You!" Zuko's face turned even redder with every second that passed (Still flustered with Aang's shameless flirting even after years of marriage… secretly, Zuko loved being his husband's center of attention but shhhhh! That's a secret!). "Just go back to your work, idiot!" With that, Zuko whirled around and all but flew out of the room, leaving as fast as he had appeared. Aang, still a touch out of it (Having spent three nights pulling an all-nighter trying to make the Republic City Project, that stupid Hack Author told him was the next big plot point, happen), was wondering if he had dreamed this or started hallucinating because of the lack of sleep.

"Meh, I will get the story out of Azula later." Aang decided, laying his head on the mountain of paperwork (That Aang was a thousand and one percent sure was breeding under his desk daily, because how was Aang not even halfway through his stack when he had spent sleepless nights hunching over them and there was still not even a dent in the tower of papers?), Aang then and there started dozing off once more, his snores filling the office, and definitely overshadowing the screeching System not that far away…

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The System could only weep from the sideline because…

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Why does his liege always do this to him!?)…

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Today, I feel like it was going to be a bad, bad day… Aang thought to himself as he woke up that morning, feeling a step away from losing it at the world then and there, knowing that he woke up on the wrong side of the bed no doubt, especially after that eventful week spent getting as far away from the fortuneteller's village as he could (Gods above! After that day, Katara always came and bugged him day and night, wanting him to tell her about her fortune… just why? Aang didn't know any fortunetelling nonsense that all girls like, and to damn it all, Sokka was with his sister looking at Aang with expecting eyes as if waiting for him to say something to him too! …Aang sighed tiredly, before telling the brats 'No' and that they should live their lives how they wanted without bonding it to some nonsensical fortunetelling that would ruin it because it would limit everything they say or do).

Aang could only sigh tiredly, picking Momo by the scruff (That annoying cat! Using his face as a pillow regardless of the fact that Aang was all but choked to death!) and throwing him away, ignoring the animal's squeak as Aang stood up and started to prepare for the day, already moving on autopilot and doing what needed to be done. From training, to preparing breakfast, to feeding everyone and then himself (And crying in his soul about how coffee didn't exist in this world… wait a minute, wait a minute! …Aang's delusional mind had screamed at him when he tried to drink his tenth cup of tea, hoping for the meager caffeine there to kick up by now… Sand Benders! Sand Benders -When mentioned in the Novel- looked like Middle Eastern People! Middle East = Coffee! Also, a dark, giant library with an owl for a librarian, but still, coffee! …Aang pulled away his tea and looked at it, wondering if that thing was making him delusional or something, but you know? It wouldn't be bad to check this information after reaching Si Wong Desert… worth a shot).

With that, the journey started once more. This time, the destination (According to the maps and the System that was going on and on about something or the other) was a village near the beach, where Aang and his kids could stay there for a while before flying to the Northern Air Temple (An adventure to Aang was more of a vacation considering how it started when Aang all but slammed the Mechanic living there with a law suit after law suit for destroying private property, unauthorized use of property, stealing, fraud, and everything under the sun -Salty about the fact that the System forced him to undergo this damn plot, just when he managed to avoid 'The Deserter Arc'- so, you could say after a long and harsh discussion with the man and his family, they had come to an agreement that they would restore the temple to its former glory, while Aang would protect them from the Fire Nation -In addition to the Mechanic teaching Sokka engineering because the look on Sokka's face when they saw the Mechanic's workshop; his brat wanted to be an engineer… *Sniff, Sniff*… the dream of every Asian parent came true! Now, Aang only needed to make Katara become a doctor, and he would get a full package that would be the envy of every Asian parent alive, Muahahahahaha!- needless to say, Aang managed to drive the Fire Benders away, stayed in the temple with his kids for two weeks to see part of the restoration, and watch from the sidelines how Sokka had the time of his life, giggling manically while working on his inventions -Aang was so proud!- before they finally packed their bags and headed to the Northern Pole with Sokka and Katara in tow waving goodbyes to their friends and promising to come and see them later), before going on their journey to the Northern Pole which would take two days of none stop flying to reach (Poor Appa… Aang promised he would spoil and give him treats for all of his hard work).

So, here Aang was, walking with his kids through the forest, planning to reach the shores and camping there tonight. Thankfully, his kids, having learned when Aang was in a bad mood, kept quiet this time, not starting their bickering session yet, and were content humming and walking around without causing problems. Reaching a tiny hill, Aang climbed up, letting out a contented sigh at the sight of the ocean in front of him, bringing back memories and calmness unseen before. It was then that Aang saw it; the weapon sticking in the ground, making him narrow his eyes at the familiar colors. 'System, is that…?' Aang questioned in his mind, doing a quick count before he finally realized what was waiting for him and his kids tonight.

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【My Liege, from here on, 'Bato of the Water Tribe Arc' had started!】

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The System chirped, looking cautious as it gave the news to Aang, whose eyes widened as the realization finally came into him… the kids' family was close; they were here! "Sokka…" Aang poked his kid's shoulder before pointing down to his find, causing the boy to tilt his head in confusion before he gasped and rushed to slide down the dirt slope and yanked the sword by the hilt from the ground.

"Eh? Sokka? What are you doing down there? Did you find something?" Katara called out, gazing at her brother with curiosity while narrowing her eyes, trying to see what her brother was holding and studying with such intensity. Looking at Aang, who was gazing at the boy, then at her brother, waiting for him to answer her and stop the curiosity from eating her alive.

"Guys… I found a Water Tribe weapon!" That made Katara gasp and rush to reach her brother, her eyes widening even more when they fell on the sword. "Come, see if you can find anything else," Sokka laughed out, looking so excited and nervous, Aang couldn't help the small hum that left him as he studied the kids before opening his glider and taking a flight, trying to find the ship he knew was in the distance.

It wasn't a hard job to find the ship, nor did it take him long, and in the end, Aang flew toward where he left Katara and Sokka, flying above them in circles and getting their attention. "One of the Water Tribe's ships is near the shore," Aang called out, before flying in the direction of the ship, being chased by both Katara and Sokka, who looked desperate with every step they took.

"It's one of our boats!" Sokka laughed almost breathlessly after they reached the boat, and with that, the kid inspected the thing, leaving nothing unchecked. Aang, when he saw both Sokka and Katara looking at him with excited faces, could only offer a small smile and a nod, not knowing what to think, but knowing that this… this… this was probably Aang's only chance in saving Sokka's life and changing the plot…

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Aang needed to think about his next move… carefully…

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…(Today, would be a good day, one way or another… that was Zuko's only thought as he sat with his uncle in the older man's room, listening to his uncle's hum and chatter while nodding his head now and then, as they sat around a low-lying table. Zuko, this day, didn't want to do anything other than sip tea and calm his frazzled nerves down (Still being on the edge and thrown in a tizzy after the last time he and the Avatar had met and the words exchanged).

Zuko hummed when he received his cup filled with jasmine tea from his uncle, humming softly as he allowed the scent of jasmine to lull him to calmness he hadn't felt for days now. Taking a sip, Zuko let out a soft sigh, gazing at his uncle, who seemed too happy for words if the way his uncle was sparkling was anything to go by.

"See, nephew, a moment of quiet is good for your mental well-being." His uncle hummed happily while raising his cup and taking a long sip, letting out a happy 'Ahhh', which made Zuko's lips twitch up. Still, these words had informed Zuko (Even if his uncle didn't speak them out loud) that everyone in the ship had noticed how twitchy and unbalanced he had been and were worried. Ever since the day Zuko pulled the disappearing act on them and returned the next afternoon, throwing everyone in a tizzy as they went all mother hen on him, fearing that he had gone and done something stupid, which really, only made his crew keep an eye on him and watch his every move.

Zuko, instead of answering his uncle with an excuse that would make things even worse, decided to raise his cup and take another sip of tea… only to have the ship jerk harshly all of sudden and made his cup sail through the air and soak Zuko's face and hair with the hot tea (Causing his uncle to cry out in alarm and all but fly to the other side of the table, drying Zuko's face with whatever rag he could find around). "Uncle, I am fine!" Zuko whined as he pushed the older man off him, standing up, and decided to go and investigate what the hell had happened on his ship to cause such a big reaction, especially when they were doing nothing but ducking innocently near one of the villages far away from the Fire Nation and the colonies.

Lo and behold, as soon as Zuko reached the upper deck of his ship, he was treated to the sight of a woman on a fucking Shirshu, who looked ready to attack. "June!" Zuko snarled as he saw that annoying woman he hoped he would never see again who always dropped on them and destroy his ship in search of her stowaways (Assholes always choosing his ship because it was old and had few people around) and leave the place in a disarray. They first met five years ago, when that woman came and destroyed his ship to search for a stowaway, and after that? The woman always came back like a stray cat that refused to be shoo-ed… ugh! Such a nuisance! "What the hell are you doing here?! Haven't I made it clear you are not welcome and that if there is a stowaway, just inform the crew and they would bring them out?!" Zuko snarled, pushing his crew behind him and away from the beast that could attack and paralyze them; marching toward that menace and her beast, glaring at her with a look that told her he wouldn't hesitate for one second and would retaliate if that woman did something stupid.

"Ah, if it isn't the firecracker who prances on this ship." The woman grinned mischievously, and Zuko's eye twitched hearing this. "Don't worry, we are after a stowaway, just bring him here and everything will be fine." The woman chirped, and Zuko, knowing what this menace would do to his ship if he denied there was no one there, only sighed and nodded to his crew to search the ship and bring whomever the woman was after to the deck so they could finish this shit show once and for all. "I see you are still on this dump." The woman tried to make small talk while they waited, smirking happily when she saw how Zuko's eye twitched even more.

"And I see you are still a bounty hunter with no prospect or future." Zuko retorted with a bland smile, feeling vindictive when he saw the woman's face twist before she ended up rolling her eyes, mumbling 'Touché' under her breath. It wasn't long before his crew came back with the stowaway who was hiding in the food storage and threw the man at June's feet, allowing the crazy woman to pick him up and put him on her Shirshu's back before leaving.

Zuko, who managed to save his ship from any further damage made by this mental case, let out a contented sigh; the realization that he wouldn't be forced to dip into their food stash to fix the ship and suffer for the next month or so made him relax. Damn that June and her rats that kept coming to his ship… Wait, rats?! …Zuko's eyes widened as realization struck him then and there…

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Zuko would finally manage to capture the Avatar this time, once and for all!)…

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That night, Aang could only gaze sullenly into the fire, his mind running a mile a minute as he tried to make sense of what he was thinking and putting everything into neat boxes, hoping that in doing so, the decision he had come into would be supported and would make sense in a way that wouldn't hurt any party involved (In fact, Aang was assured it wouldn't hurt any party involved, not only because the kids would be ecstatic, but because they would meet their father after so long).

So far, Aang had come to a crossroads where he had to decide on one of two things. The first choice was to follow the plot through and through, and that would involve him bringing the kids with him as they completed one arc after the other, from the Northern Water Tribe Arc, to Ba Sing Se; Aang would be forced to see things to the bitter end, even if it meant that there was no possibility of saving Sokka after Ba Sing Se (Something that had been eating at Aang ever since he was reminded of Sokka's destiny by that hack fortuneteller; something that had caused Aang to start having sleepless nights every time he looked at the kids and realized that if he ended up bringing them with him, they could die…). The second choice that was more favorable to Aang, because then it would mean the children's survival, was when Bato showed up, Aang would give the kids to one of their tribesmen and order him to bring them back to their father (That was the only way for the kids to survive, to be taking out of the plot completely, to have the chance to grow up normally and not entangled themselves in the war more than they already did. Giving the kids to Bato meant that Ba Sing Se's events would not take place. It meant that as soon as Aang finished the Northern Water Tribe Arc, he would head toward Bumi, where he would learn Earth Bending, and then later go face the Fire Lord… it meant the kids would be safe…).

Aang sighed as he concluded what needed to be concluded and made his decision; still, he couldn't help but lift his head to look at the sleeping kids. (Well, Sokka was pretending to be asleep -courtesy of Aang enforcing a strict sleeping schedule of eight hours for children- while Katara was snoring with Appa and Momo, the only ones who truly managed to sleep after the eventful day of finding the ship.) This sight, more than ever, assured him of his decision.

It was funny in a way... how… real they are… Aang couldn't help but ponder the longer he gazed at the children. Part of Aang was confused and even bewildered about when he had stopped looking at the kids like they were just some characters in a godforsaken novel he had read, and started looking at them like real kids who needed protection and guidance to thrive… Aang couldn't even pinpoint where that shift had taken place or when it started…

Ever since transmigrating into this damned novel, Aang's only goal was to find the Blue Spirit, save Prince Zuko, and kill Fire Lord Ozai. Find the Blue Spirit because the Blue Spirit was the only person who stood up beside the Avatar and helped him unconditionally; a helpful ally in a world where everyone wanted his head to be put on a spike. Save Prince Zuko because he was Aang's favorite character and the one who was killed unjustly in this damned novel after he did everything to help Avatar Aang (And after Aang discovered that the Blue Spirit was, in fact, Prince Zuko, everything had shifted and put into a new prospect, bringing with it a damn truth that had shaken everything Aang thought he knew). Kill Fire Lord Ozai because he was the big boss and the thorn in Aang's side, not only because of the raging war, but also because Prince Zuko would not be able to ascend as the new Fire Lord if that man were still alive.

Everyone and anyone Aang had met until now, for him, were nothing but characters in a book; some were insignificant, while others held their weight. Even Katara and Sokka, for a while, Aang could only think of them as nothing but annoying characters that Aang had the misfortune to be shackled with… but things changed. Instead of characters, Aang started seeing people. Real people with their own emotions, struggles, lives, and memories. People who had family, who lived and died, who had hopes and dreams, who… they were humans, not characters in a book, but people that Aang could have as well met on the street in his world or maybe represented in one of his cases…

Sokka and Katara? They were real too; children who needed Aang to take care of them and make sure they wouldn't get hurt or worse, die. It took Aang a while to reach the conclusion he now reached; the only way to make sure that he would be able to protect Sokka and Katara from the certain doom awaiting them was to send them away… and sending them away was what Aang would do.

A strange noise was heard not that far, and Aang didn't even need to turn around to know that the plot had started in earnest and that Bato had arrived. "Who is there?!" Aang ordered as he stood up with his staff in hand, just to be on the safe side, even if the System reassured him from the sidelines that it was Bato who had arrived.

A shuffle behind Aang informed him that the kids were already up (No doubt Sokka had woken up his sister so they could pack in case it was Fire Nation soldiers), and were ready to meet Bato who finally appeared in their line of sight, bandaged and confused, but clearly surprised when his eyes went from Aang to Sokka and Katara who froze behind Aang.

"Bato?" The kids questioned, before their suspicion was confirmed when Bato called their names in confusion. "Bato!" The kids cried out cheerfully before they both ran over to the man, hugging him tightly and letting out cheerful laughter as they did so. Aang, finally seeing the reunion taking place, lowered his protective stance and decided to watch things from the sidelines while bowing his greeting to the man.

"You have grown so much!" Bato looked happy as he said this, looking from Sokka to Katara, his smile dimming a bit when the kids asked about their father and if he was here with Bato. "No, he and the other warriors should be in the Eastern Earth Kingdom by now." That was Bato's answer to them, causing both the siblings to look so crestfallen and unsure, and that more than ever cemented into Aang's mind that his decision was the right one all along. "This is no place for a reunion. Let's get inside." Bato offered when a gust of wind had blown up, making everyone shiver.

From there on, it was just Aang following the man and the kids, watching from the sideline their interaction and marking everything down, relaxing slightly when he didn't see anything of concern to be brought on, and that Bato was interacting with the kids like a father or an uncle with no ulterior motive shining in the man's eyes. It wasn't long before they reached the abbey, where Bato had been staying for a while now after he got injured and decided to stay here so as not to slow down his group.

By then, the kids had been going on and on, chatting Bato's ears and telling him about Aang being the Avatar, how they found him, and the adventures that they had gone through trying to reach the Northern Pole. Aang, too, talked with Bato from time to time, but mostly he preferred to stay silent and allow the kids to have their fill of Bato, who, from what Aang understood in the novel, was like an uncle and a second father to the kids (And like Chief Hakoda, he too vanished into the ether after the failed invasion and the capture of everyone).

So, after greeting the Mother Superior and the Nuns in the Abbey and exchanging a few words with the women (Later after everyone was asleep, Aang went to talk with them and investigate about Bato and the Water Tribesmen who came here, but mostly, Aang only cared about knowing what Bato was like, unwilling to give the kids to stay with a creep or a predator even when he knew the man could be their safe passage back to their father… thankfully, Aang's fears turned to be unfounded, and Bato was not an unsavory person like he had feared him to be). They found themselves in Bato's hut, where Sokka and Katara had all but thrown themselves into a tizzy as they saw the piece of a home they never imagined they would see again.

So, Aang sat with the kids, watching from the sidelines how they interacted with Bato; the happiness and delight on the kids' faces made Aang's lips twitch into a smile, and deep down, everything was settled as he finally knew he had made the right decision all along. Aang sat on the outside, and watched the kids eat and talk with Bato, demanding stories about their father and the adventures the two of them had; from time to time, Aang could only turn to subtly glance at the System. Waiting for the countdown to reach zero so he could leave and wait near the ship where he knew a messenger was going to come and bring with him a letter from Chief Hakoda; when the countdown reached zero, Aang let out a sigh…

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It was finally time…

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…(Zuko was already regretting this decision, that was the only thing he could feel as he stood outside of this damned seedy tavern that he had heard through the grapevines that June always frequented…. The things I do to catch that annoying pervert… Zuko thought to himself, his regret skyrocketing toward the moon when he saw a man getting through the roof and landing not that far from Zuko, whose eye twitched once more, and he raised his hand to pinch the bridge of his nose; Zuko then and there, could only thank Agni above that he managed to convince his uncle to wait for him on the ship and not come here, knowing his uncle, the poor man would have probably suffered a heart attack or two just crossing the threshold of this place.

"Out of my way!" Zuko ordered as he pushed the men crowding over a table away from him, trying to reach that annoying June, who was arm-wrestling a man with a smug smirk on her face, knowing that she was going to win any second now. "June, I need to talk to you!" Zuko demanded as he finally reached the front of the crowd, scowling harshly when the woman glanced at him and her grin widened even more.

"Well, if it isn't my dear old friend!" June laughed lightheartedly as she decided to end the match here and now by winning it in her next breath, causing the crowd to cheer loudly and throw money at her. "Came to demand payment for the damage? I didn't do any damage this time, Angry Boy." June winked, and Zuko could only scrunch his nose in disgust.

"What about the other times?" Zuko retorted in annoyance, taking his seat on the other side of the table and gazing at June with a raised eyebrow, watching how she was collecting her winnings without a care in the world while sipping her drink.

"Well, I'd love to help you out, but I'm a little short on money." June then turned to the crowd and raised her pot. "Drinks on me, everyone!" Causing everyone to cheer happily, while June turned to give him that annoying smirk that made his eye twitch once more… Spirits above, why was dealing with this woman so frustrating and annoying?! Every time it happened Zuko was sure then and there, that he would need a doctor to deal with the chronic high blood pressure this annoying ass caused!

"Money isn't what I had in mind," Zuko stated as he leaned with his elbow on the table, causing June to pause mid-sip and raise her eyebrow in surprise and curiosity. "I need you to find someone." Zuko cut to the chase, watching how the woman lowered her drink and gave him once over.

"It will cause you money." The woman raised her hand and rubbed her fingers together, an arrogant look on her face that was wiped when Zuko took out a scroll and pushed it toward the woman, a placid smile on his face as he watched how June growled and sent him a nasty glare.

"It will cause me nothing." Zuko started, a smirk twitched over his lips. "Every damage you did was recorded. Unfortunately for you, the ship you kept coming back to destroy was one of the Fire Navy's official ships, as old and outdated as it was, meaning any damage taken from anyone, considered something worth punishment. Fortunately for you, I am more flexible than any Fire Nation official you will ever meet." Zuko leaned back on his chair, feeling superior by knowing that June, want it or not, would end up helping him even against her will. "So, willing to pay back what you are owed?" Zuko tilted his head, watching how June growled and glared at him in annoyance.

That's how Zuko found himself outside with June, who was leaning on her Shirshu, pouting harshly while Zuko presented her, his grey Shozoku (The one he wore during the Pohuai incident, want it or not, it was only after Zuko reached the ship that he had discovered his robes were saturated with that perverted Avatar's scent, thanks to the idiot carrying him around and later laying him to sleep in his sleeping bag), watching how the woman raised her eyebrow in surprise before she whistle in amusement.

"What happened, your lover boy ran off on you?" The woman questioned, looking too invested for Zuko's comfort, if the way her eyes sparkled with interest was anything to go by. Zuko, hearing what that annoying woman said, grimaced harshly and sent her a nasty glare, something that went unnoticed by the woman who picked his robes without a care.

"As if!" Zuko bristled at the implication of the Avatar being anything to him other than an annoyance of the highest order. "…And he is not like that!" Zuko hissed, which only made the woman look even more amused and strangely excited. Still, June took the shirt and showed it to her Shirshu, allowing it to sniff it to its heart's content. As expected, it wasn't long before the dumb animal stood near him, recognizing his scent on the shirt.

"Not like that, eh?" June snickered, looking too delighted to be healthy, ignoring the way Zuko hissed and bristled at what the woman had implied by her words, "Well, it doesn't matter, hop on; Nyla found your lover boy." June stated, pointing to the Shirshu that was getting agitated and pointing to the northwest. It wasn't long before Zuko and June headed off to the northwest, tracking the Avatar who had eluded Zuko for weeks now…

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Soon…)…

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Aang hummed as he waited near the ship, waiting for the messenger he knew would come with the letter to Bato about Chief Hakoda's whereabouts. "System… if I followed the plot to the T, would there be any consequences for allowing Sokka and Katara to go with Bato?" Aang couldn't help but question the System, wanting to know what that pesky thing would say or do if presented with the situation before it.

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【My Liege… Character 'Sokka' was supposed to die at the end of Chapter Two, while Character 'Katara' was…is… the FL…】

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"Katara is not the FL anymore, hadn't we established that during the South Pole fiasco when you deactivated the FL's Halo?" Aang questioned in irritation, causing the System to float around, before confirming Aang's words. "And Sokka… if we sent Sokka with Bato, wouldn't that be the same as letting him die because he would not show up during any more arcs?" Aang stated, feeling desperate, and trying to mask it with indifference.

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【…But he will remain alive; that's against the protocol…】

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Aang could only take a harsh inhale hearing this, clutching his staff tightly and biting the inside of his cheek to snap himself out of his panic and try thinking of some way to help Sokka. "It's not against any protocol considering the OOC function is off, and I could do whatever I want by the power of being the MC." Aang threatened, glaring the System into submission.

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【 My Liege, sending Characters 'Sokka' and 'Katara' with Character 'Bato', is already a huge diversion of the plot that would take nearly all of your A Points and bring you back to the starting point… to change a character's fate or skip an arc; A Points are needed, something you will lose by taking this route.】

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Aang frowned harshly, hearing this, reading and rereading this over and over again. "So, every time I decided to skip an arc, you had been taking some of my points, the same goes for the fate of the characters I changed, is that it?" Aang questioned slowly, watching how the System all but gave him an emoticon in confirmation. "How much A Points are deducted from skipping arcs, and how much to changing someone's fate?" Aang questioned, already doing mental math in his head, trying to see how much he had lost and how much he would have gained.

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【For Skipping Arcs: Arcs that held no importance, 1,000 A Points are deducted. Secondary Arcs, such as today, can vary from 5,000 to 10,000 A Points. Major Arcs, such as 'The Siege of the North', 'The Crossroads of Destiny', and 'Sozin's Comet', that are considered the end of a chapter, 150,000 to 300,000 A Points, are needed to be able to skip these arcs】

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Aang, reading the amounts needed, could only wince in shock, knowing that during any Major Arc, if Aang had dared to use his A Points, then he would never be able to use this ability again, especially when needed. That, if not counting on the Points taken out for any character's fate, or insignificant Arcs skipped, but when adding those, Aang knew it would be possible for him to scavenge any points from then on, after daring to skip a Major Arc.

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【 For Changing the Fates of Characters: Insignificant characters, such as 'The Cabbage Merchant', a 100 A Points would do the trick. Minor characters such as 'Bato' and 'Hakoda', 5,000 A Points. Side Characters such as 'General Iroh', 'Princess Yue', and 'Appa', 10,000 A Points. Villain Characters vary depending on the plot; Minor Villains such as 'Zhao' and 'Long Feng', 15,000 A Points will do, but Major Villains such as 'Ozai' and 'Azula', it varies from 25,000 to 75,000 A Points. Major Characters also vary; Character 'Sokka' and 'Katara' will fall in the range of 50,000 to 100,000 A Points… As for the Love Interest, 100,000 to 150,000 A Points are needed】

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Aang, reading the absurd amount needed, felt his head spin around, and he leaned on the ship behind him, feeling the mother of headaches taking hold of him then and there. "Oh fuck…" Aang mumbled to himself, remembering the fact that Aang, even when he was more than halfway through the first chapter, the number of A Points he had was nothing but 28,000 A Points, and that was after deducting what needed to be deducted. If Aang continued down this road, having Sokka and Katara with him, the number of A Points would be with him by the end of Chapter One: 'Water' would roughly equal 40,000 to 50,000 A Points, but sending Sokka and Katara away would eat up all of his A Points, leaving him only with 100 A Points… Achievements and bonus points aside, if the System still needed those 50,000 to 100,000 to change Sokka's fate and prevent his death, Aang needed to find a loophole where Aang could save Sokka while keeping his A Points in case something unexpected happened! "System, is there any way to change a character's fate without losing my A Points?" Aang questioned, massaging his temples, hoping to elevate the headache that took hold of him.

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【Well…】

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Whatever the System planned on saying next was cut off by the sound of pounding feet that made Aang raise his hand to silence the System before turning to the source of the sound, wanting to see where it was coming from. Not that long later, Aang managed to spot a cloud of dust moving closer and closer to where he was until it stopped completely, revealing an ostrich horse with a messenger on its back. "Greetings!" The man on the bird/horse called out, looking around before fixing his gaze on Aang. "I am looking for Bato of the Water Tribe. Do you know where I could find him?" The man questioned, and Aang's shoulder slumped in relief, knowing that the message he had been waiting for had finally arrived.

"I know where Bato is, he has been staying with me at the Abbey, not far from here." Aang pushed himself away from the ship and walked to the messenger, offering the man one of his winning smiles. "If you want, I could direct you toward him, or deliver what you want to deliver for him." Aang offered the man, waiting for what the messenger would decide.

After seeming to have reached the final conclusion, the man turned and started rummaging through his pouch before pulling out a scroll and offering it to Aang. "Please, make sure he gets this!" The man handed Aang the scroll before riding away, leaving Aang gazing at the scroll while whistling loudly at how loose the mail security was that they were willing to deliver messages to anyone who claimed to know the receiver.

Curious, Aang unraveled the message and studied the map, letting out a hum and a nod at what he saw. "We will continue our conversation later," Aang told the System that floated not that far away, wrapping the map shut before turning and making his way to the abbey, wanting to meet up with Bato and talk with him about taking Katara and Sokka with him to meet their father.

"Aang, where have you been?" That's what Aang was greeted by as the kids all but jumped him after he finally reached the abbey, causing the man to huff at the additional weight that made him stumble back a few steps, glancing at his kids, Aang could only raise his eyebrow in surprise, wondering how the kids noticed his absence when in the novel they didn't even know the Avatar was gone until the brat was back. Glancing up, Aang noticed Bato looking at Aang and then at Sokka and Katara with surprise and something that even Aang wasn't able to interpret, before he hummed and returned to his hut, leaving him with the kids…. It was after everyone had been asleep that night that Aang woke Bato up and motioned to him to meet him outside, not giving the man the chance to question him before saying…

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"We need to talk…"

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…("Ooooohhhhhhhh!" June, the annoying woman whom Zuko had the misfortune of meeting, let out an amused snicker while glancing around the Ruins of Taku, appearing far too eager and curious for her own good. Zuko, who knew this would be the first place that this cursed woman would find (Considering both his and the Avatar's scent was present here), had managed to harden his expression enough to display only annoyance, suppressing the embarrassment that threatened to show on his face. "Are you sure you two aren't together or something? After all, spending the night here in a secluded place, all alone, with only the stars as company and the sounds of the forest as music to- Ack! What was that for?!" June screeched when Zuko slapped the back of her head in retaliation for the nonsense she had dared to say in front of him.

"We are nothing." Zuko gritted through his teeth for what felt like the thousandth time that day, directing the harshest glare he could muster at this cursed woman. "And secondly, we weren't alone; his sick kids were sleeping right there!" Zuko hissed while pointing to where he remembered the kids were sleeping that night, glaring at the woman, who raised her eyebrow even higher than it already was.

"…You two worked fast." June finally said, as Zuko let out a choked screech of outrage because this damned woman didn't seem to grasp that Zuko and that cursed Avatar were nothing and had nothing going on between them. "Well, anyway, the Avatar has been through here, so let's keep moving." June snapped her whip, causing the Shirshu to growl before starting to run to their next destination…

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Zuko could only regret the day he considered hiring this menace…)…

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The next morning, after waking up and preparing breakfast for the kids (A habit that Aang needed to stop, doing after today, but well, considering this was his last day together with the kids, he thought, why not?), already thinking of ways to tell them the news about what he and Bato had talked about last night. Sokka and Katara chatted happily that morning, skipping around and info-dumping Aang about all things Southern Water Tribe, some things Aang knew about having read the novel, while other was a pleasant surprise he didn't know about, and nodded along and allowed the kids to talk to their hearts' content.

"This ship is sentimental to me." Bato started that morning after he had taken Aang and the kids toward his ship, looking at Aang nervously while no doubt trying to distract the kids by bringing up the topic of the ship. "It was built by my father." The man saying this patted the ship gently, turning to look at Katara and Sokka, who were taking everything with rapid excitement and anticipation.

"Is this the boat he took you ice dodging in?" Sokka questioned, looking too excited at the mention of 'Ice Dodging', Aang, having read the novel, knew about how important ice dodging was to Sokka, and how it had hurt him deeply that his father wasn't there to take him ice dodging when he reached the age of adulthood. Bato, as much as he was like a kind uncle and a family, and as much as it was a nice gesture of the man to take Sokka ice dodging, he wasn't Sokka's father… from what Aang remembered, it was one of Sokka's many unfulfilled wishes and regrets that he held on to until his death.

"Yep! It's got the scar to prove it. Ha!" Bato laughed, looking happy and looking at the ship with nostalgia in his eyes. "How 'bout you, Sokka? You must have some good stories from your first-time ice dodging." Bato questioned, and Aang could only wince at the reminder of Chief Hakoda leaving before doing so to Sokka.

The atmosphere seemed to be strange after that, and both Katara and Sokka shifted and looked away before Katara cleared her throat and said. "He never got to go. Dad left before he was old enough." Looking uncomfortable and a soft scowl painted her face when she saw her brother's sad look.

"Oh, I forgot you were too young," Bato said nervously as he glanced at Aang, then at the kids, then at Aang again as if asking for his help with the kids. Aang could only raise his eyebrow and give the man a strange look, and motioned with his head to the boat, then to Sokka as if telling him to take the hint. Thank every God above, Bato seemed to catch on to what Aang meant by his motion, and he smiled, putting a hand on Sokka's shoulder. "You know what? You are about to find out!" Bato replied, causing Sokka to look at his sister and then Aang, before his eyes widened for a bit, and a grin painted his face while he pointed at Aang.

"Could Aang be at the front?" Sokka questioned, and Aang could only blink in surprise, wondering why Sokka would ask such a thing, when in the past, Avatar Aang was assigned to control the jib while Bato sat at the front of the boat (Substituting for Chief Hakoda's place) during Sokka's ice dodging trial.

Bato, hearing this, looked as surprised as Aang if not more shocked; it was only when Katara backed Sokka up even more vehemently that Aang and Bato looked at one another, having a silent conversation regarding this matter… Well, what did Aang have to lose by substituting for Chief Hakoda? Nothing really, and when both Katara and Sokka ended up meeting their father with Bato, they could ice dodge again, and this time with Chief Hakoda standing in his rightful place. Aang, reaching his final conclusion, shrugged his shoulders and smiled…

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"Sure, why not?"

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…(After that cursed trip to the Ruins of Taku, the next trip the Shirshu 'Nyla' took them on was toward a village at the base of a mountain. Zuko, reaching this place could only raise his eyebrow in surprise and confusion as he saw the people as soon as they saw them (As soon as they saw the Shirshu in fact), ran away screeching as if their lives depended on it, looking too terrified and some even stepping on other people to get away.

Zuko blinked and looked at June with narrowed eyes, already suspecting that the woman was the reason for all the fuss that was happening around. Knowing this menace, she had no doubt come here and started chaos, destroyed homes, and paralyzed people, probably why they were fleeing as if their lives depended on it (Looking at June… yes, their lives depended on it).

It ended with them stopping in front of an elderly woman, who was looking at the Shirshu than at them, before she knelt and started praying then and there. "He was right! His divine vision had come true! Pray to the Gods for forgiveness! Pray!" The gibberish that followed made Zuko let out a confused 'Huh?' while turning to glance at June, who had the same confused look on her face, telling him indirectly that even she didn't know what the hell was going on (Which really didn't bud well and meant something very, very bad if this menace didn't know what the hell was going on).

"…Let's get out of here… Nyla had no doubt found the next location." June clicked her tongue, egging the Shirshu to get out of this village as fast as it could, no doubt in the hope of escaping this madness before it infected them or something because what the hell was going on here?! Hearing the people cry and sob while kneeling beside the woman in golden robes, all praying and begging the Gods' forgiveness, Zuko could only shiver and agree with June wholeheartedly…

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What the hell was the Avatar doing with these crazies?! )…

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It ended up with Aang taking the leading role in starting the ceremonial ice dodging, feeling a bit uncomfortable as he repeated the words said by Bato in the novel to the Water Tribe's people, while polishing them to fit his new role. "Ice dodging, as was known centuries ago, is a ceremonial test of wisdom, bravery, and trust." Aang shot Bato a look, watching how the man nodded for him to continue. "In the Southern Water Tribes, ice dodging was done by weaving a boat through a field of icebergs, but considering this is not the south, and there are no icebergs here, you will be dodging those." Aang pointed to a group of tall, jagged rocks near the shore, answering Sokka's question before it even manifested. "Sokka, you steer and call the shots, lead wisely." Aang gave Sokka an encouraging smile. "Katara, you secure the main sail. The winds can be brutal, so be brave." Another smile directed toward the girl, making her grasp the ropes in front of her. "Bato… you control the jib. Without your steady hand, we all go down. Your position is about trust." Aang nodded to the man, receiving a nod in return. "For this is to be done right, I cannot help." Aang sat cross-legged at the front of the boat, feeling decades older than he already was by being put in such a situation by the kids. "You pass or fail on your own." Aang gave the three a nod, signaling the beginning of the ice dodging ceremony.

Aang watched from the sidelines how Sokka studied the rock, deep inside Aang was nervous, and a touch worried, wondering if this was what Gyatso had felt teaching Aang how to drive at sixteen… unfortunately this was no car, and Sokka was determined to pass this trial, something that in the past, happened because Avatar Aang had an active role of bending as much air to the sails. 'System…' Aang started, sending a subtle glance toward the System, which was floating with nervous energy that all but infected Aang. 'I trust you to take my turn, you will participate in the trials and bend as much air into those sails, got it?' Aang hissed loudly in his mind, causing the System to squeak and protest at the job assigned to him by Aang. 'I will title you as my trusted right arm.' As soon as Aang said that, the System had transported beside Sokka, buzzing happily and chirping.

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【What are we waiting for, My Liege?】

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Aang could only grin; it was so easy tricking the System, it was funny in its own way. "Bato, ease up on the jib." Sokka started to give orders, signaling the start of the trials in earnest. Aang, by then, could only swallow tightly as he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back on the boat, his life already flashing before his eyes, but he forced all of his uncertainty down. "Katara, steady." Katara looked at the shore with concern, swallowing a few times but listening to her brother. "Bato, less sail. Katara, give him room." As the ship moved to the side and sailed between the rocks, Aang could only feel a lump in his throat as the ship was slammed by wave after wave, almost knocking him around like he was a toy. "Bato, helm to lee. Helm to lee!" Sokka gave his orders, and finally, the boat managed to pass between a few more rocks, causing Aang's shoulders to relax a bit with every set of rocks they passed.

…God above… if Gyatso back then had thought his driving was bad, then Aang had nothing on Sokka, who was a terror in the ocean. If the older man had been here beside Aang, while Sokka was sailing this thing, Gyatso would have screeched his lungs to high heaven and would demand that Sokka give him the boat to sail it back to the shore, even when he didn't know anything about boats. Aang could only sigh tiredly… now Aang knew what Gyatso had felt teaching him how to drive a car at sixteen…

The group cheered around, no doubt happy that they had passed the first hurdle in this trial; Aang, knowing what was going to come next, gave the System a nod, telling it to start blowing winds and help the kids. It wasn't that long before a large bundle of rocks had shown up, and with it worry eclipsed every face, especially Bato, who held tightly to the jib. "Sokka, you've already proven yourself. Maybe we should-!" Bato started only for Aang to cut him off.

"Trust him to succeed in his trial; I know he can pass this without any problem, so don't show fear," Aang ordered the older man, being thankful that his poker face was coming out too strong and didn't show how Aang was really terrified on the inside; Sokka hearing Aang's words, smile brightly and gave Aang a nod and started to give orders left and right… I am so going to regret this… Aang thought to himself as the boat rocked harshly, almost flinging Aang off if he didn't take hold of the rail.

"…Katara, I want you to bend as much water as you can between us and those rocks. Now!" Sokka ordered his sister, and Aang gave the System a look, telling it to bend as much air as it could into the sails. Katara thankfully, was at the stage where her bending was advanced enough to be able to bend the water below the boat so Aang needn't feel terrified she would fail.

To Aang's surprise (Because he didn't trust the plot nor System, so he truly thought they would end up crashing and drowning) they managed to clear the rocks, causing Sokka to let out a laugh full of delight while Aang sighed and relaxed, leaning on the ship's rail as he felt his legs all but give in on him after such harsh adventure that zapped all of his strength… Yeah… Sokka was never driving again… that was Aang's final conclusion as he gave the boy a shaky smile and a thumbs-up.

In the end, even after Aang protested for a bit, Aang had to be the one who concluded the ceremony for everyone, something about Sokka choosing Aang to give him the marks, something given his Avatar's status seemed to be allowed, considering the fact that he wasn't from the Water Tribes and didn't know any of their traditions…

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…(…Unknowing to Aang and the kids, something that Bato didn't dare to point out. Only family, father/uncle/sworn brothers, were allowed to give the mark to the next generation, not an outsider even if the said outsider was the Avatar… but Sokka had chosen Aang to stand at the front in the place of his father, and even refused Bato -His father's Sworn Brother- the right… saying loud and clear to everyone in the Water Tribes -If they were here to witness this ceremony- that Sokka was considering himself part of the Avatar's family from this day forth while discarding his past ties with his father… Bato could only wince, and beg every God out there, that this was just a misunderstanding on the boy's part… yeah, it was possibly a misunderstanding or something, and when they would go to Hakoda later, Bato was sure another ice dodging ceremony would solve this problem…

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...Hopefully…)…

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So Aang dipped his fingers in the purple paint, remembering the script of the novel and continuing on with the ceremony. "The Spirits of water bear witness to these marks." Aang stood in front of Sokka, watching how eager the boy was, making Aang's lips twitch into a smile. "For Sokka, the Mark of the Wise. I knew you could do it, kid." Aang, with the help of the System, who showed him the mark needed to be painted, used his thumb to put an arc and a small dot on Sokka's forehead; Sokka's face broke into a happy smile after hearing it, and he looked at his sister and Bato with pride. "For Katara, the Mark of the Brave. Your courage inspires us." Katara all but pounced in her place happily when Aang drew a crescent moon mark on her forehead. 'And for System, good job, my faithful sidekick. You are the best thing that has ever happened to poor transmigrators like me.' Aang flattered the System, watching from the sidelines how that thing all but started squealing and fangirling then and there when a few false flattery words Aang gave. "And for Bato…" Aang started only to have the other man chuckle and shake his head before taking the paint from Aang and drawing an arch on Aang's forehead.

"For you, the Mark of the Trusted. You deserve this mark more than I for believing in them when I faltered." Bato nodded and smiled at Aang. "You are now an honorary member of the Water Tribe." Something that made the kids look at one another before cheering happily, and Aang could only glance at Bato nervously when the kids jumped Aang in a tight hug, chatting his ears away. Aang, knowing things were not going to be all sunshine and rainbows after Bato and Aang told the kids about their decision, let the kids be, knowing what he was going to be met with later that afternoon… in the end, Aang could only wince as he remembered how they parted…

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The kids looked at Aang like he betrayed them…

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…("We are getting close." June called out as Nyla ran through the forest to their destination, making Zuko's heart pound in his chest like mad because finally! They were finally getting close and would be able to capture the Avatar any minute now. After all the pain and grief and the years of searching for a legend believed dead, Zuko was going to capture the Avatar and return home! Nyla suddenly stopped in the middle of the road, causing Zuko to furrow his brows and almost demand to know what happened.

Before Zuko even uttered the first word, Nyla made a sharp turn and rushed deeper into the woods, making Zuko curse as he tightened his grip on the saddle. "What's wrong with this animal?!" Zuko snapped, tightening his grip even more when another sharp turn was made by the Shirshu, making Zuko curse internally, but he was thankful that he wasn't stupid enough to eat dinner yesterday and today.

"Your lover boy must be in the forest or something!" June answered him while snapping her whip, and Zuko, hearing this, could only feel his heart skip a few beats. The Avatar was in the forest? They were close! Close! Zuko prepared himself to attack, feeling the blood bumping in his veins because Zuko would end this charade once and for all!

Breaking through the trees, Zuko whirled around, ready to hop off the Shirshu and challenge the Avatar into a duel… only to freeze in his place when he saw the children accompanying the Avatar sitting in the middle of the roads (Well… the girl was sitting and crying, while the boy was standing up with arms crossed and his back to his sister, he too looked like he was going to cry any minute now), with no Avatar in sight. "Eh?" Zuko could only let out as he looked between the siblings, who didn't even seem to notice the giant monster not that far away from them.

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"It's your fault that Aang sent us away! If only you didn't go after Jet, then none of this-!"

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"-How is it my fault!? It was yours! If only you hadn't gotten sick that time and made Aang-!

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"-So, it's my fault now!? At least I wasn't the one who-!"

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Zuko cleared his throat loudly, snapping the kids out of their heated fight that looked like it would turn into a fist fight any minute now. Hearing his voice, the kids let out startled squeaks before they scrambled to run away, only to get hit by the Shirshu's paralyzing tongue. "June!" Zuko screeched when it finally registered in his mind that the kids were down.

"What? They were about to run away!" June protest, but Zuko didn't pay any attention to that menace, dismounting the giant monster and running to the kids, his heart all but dropping in the pit of his stomach at the thought of them dying or something because they couldn't handle the paralytic agent the Shirshu had in its saliva (Something that unfortunately, Zuko had witness once, an allergic reaction of sort that resulted in a runaway's death, a kid who decided to stowaway on his ship… trauma for years and was the reason it made him hyperalert every time he was near this death trap).

"They are children, you ass!" Zuko snarled, sending the woman a nasty glare, which only summoned an eye roll from her. Checking on the kids and seeing that they were awake and breathing, Zuko's shoulders slumped in relief… Thank Agni and Taiyou, Zuko, for a second thought, the kids were goners!

"They had the scent of our target, what does it matter?" June grumbled to herself before pouting and crossing her arms over her chest. "Are you getting on, or what? Your lover boy is near." June stated, making Zuko's eye twitch in annoyance, but nonetheless, he stood up and picked the brats, laying them on the saddle before mounting the beast and giving June a nod to continue on their way.

Not even a few steps forward, and the kids behind Zuko started bickering once more, both throwing the blame at one another, screeching and shouting and acting like a general nuisance (A kid's behavior, Zuko presumed, because Zuko definitely didn't dare act like this in his youth, and after his mother left, he was even more reserved as he had to grow up fast and take care of his baby sister who was still just a kid of five herself who needed Zuko to grow up and take care of her). Still, being the closest party to the kids who started sobbing and blaming one another, and all but thrashed and started a fist fight (Thankfully, the paralytic agent stopped them from doing just that), Zuko could only grimace slightly and gaze at the kids who were glaring at one another with tears in their eyes.

"Brats! If you don't shut up this second, I will gag you and leave you as a snack for Nyla!" June hissed and sent the kids a nasty look, causing the children to squeak in fear and for the boy to hiss at the woman. Zuko, hearing this, could only scowl harshly and bonk the woman on the head, ignoring the way she squeaked and sent him an even nastier look. "What was that for?!" June hissed, looking incensed and a step away from throwing Zuko overboard.

"They are children, stop trying to threaten them!" June, after hearing Zuko's reasoning, rolled her eyes and grumbled to herself about Zuko's 'Softy' heart, causing Zuko to bristle but hold what he wanted to say to the woman in. No need to broadcast to the whole world that Zuko had a soft side for kids, and Zuko knew if he dared to contradict the woman then and there, then he would only confirm his weakness to everyone with ears and eyes, so it was better to just leave things be as they were without attracting any more attention for defending these two.

Still, the sniffling from behind and the suppressed sobs were chipping at his resolve; Zuko couldn't help but glance back at the kids every now and then, part of him feeling helpless as he could only see flashes of his baby sister in the way the girl in front of her was hiding her face with her hair, or that stubborn scowl on the boy's face as he tried to stop his lips from trembling. Zuko shook his head and frowned, turning forward and trying to ignore the kids, even when the sniffling was getting to him.

I am so going to regret this… that perverted asshole is so going to owe me! …Zuko thought to himself as the last of his resolve finally broke down; curse his soft heart and his inability to be like Ozai when it came to children… in the end, Ozai was right, Zuko was and would always be a weak person that not even pain and disgrace could change his nature. "June… stop." Zuko finally ordered, feeling the words leaving him burning him with every letter that left his throat. "Just let me and the kids down here." Zuko put his hand on the woman's shoulder and squeezed it, causing the woman to turn to him and raise her eyebrow in confusion and shock.

"We are close," June stated in annoyance as she forced her Shirshu to stop, giving Zuko the side eye as she watched how he dismounted from the animal and then picked the children up, going to lean them on one of the trees far away from the monster and then turning to the woman. "If we stop now, you will lose him, and believe me, next time, I won't help." The woman threatened with narrowed eyes, and Zuko could only sigh tiredly and take out a small pouch filled with coins, throwing it at the woman.

"There will be no next time, take this and never tell anyone about what happened here," Zuko answered her back, knowing that next time, Zuko was never planning on coming near this menace, even at the threat of death. From his place near the kids, Zuko watched how the woman caught the pouch he threw at her and gave Zuko a surprised look before it was wiped away.

"You know what? Next time you want me to find someone, it's free of charge." June hummed softly, putting the money in her pocket before pausing. "Continue forward in that direction, and you will find your lover boy waiting." With that, June disappeared with her Shirshu, leaving Zuko with the kids who were glaring daggers at his back. Zuko could only sigh tiredly.

This was going to be a long, long day… "Alright, kids, talk, let's get this over with so I can return home by sunset," Zuko ordered the kids as he surrendered to the fact that he was going to try and solve this madness because of that damn softness he had for kids… this day couldn't get any worse than it already was…

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…Correction, it was more horrible than Zuko imagined it would be… That was Zuko's only thought as he looked between the kids with a horrified look on his face, wondering if the two were pulling his leg or something. From the way the kids refused to look at Zuko and then at one another, Zuko could only conclude that what those brats said and did was true to the bitter end. How did the Avatar even manage to survive until this moment with these two?! …Zuko could only think, blinking once, twice, three times while trying to make sense of what was said and done between these kids and the Avatar; Zuko's brain refused to process anything and was still stuck paces back trying to make sense.

Zuko, when he had told the kids to spill their trouble to him in the hope of solving this dilemma, he didn't even entertain the thought of the kids actually saying something to him. Glaring at him until the paralytic agent wears off? Sure. Spitting at him? Definitely. Screaming and begging for help in the hope of someone coming to save them? You got it! But looking at one another and then confessing to everything under the sun? Nope!

So, you could say that Zuko had frozen in shock when the girl ('Katara' as she introduced herself and her brother 'Sokka') started sniffling before she told him what happened, crying and sobbing as she told him how the Avatar had abandoned them (Which what? Zuko knew he hadn't known the Avatar at all, and had only spent what was equal to a few hours with the man, but abandoned the kids? That didn't add up, and didn't look like the man Zuko had talked to during the fiasco of the Pohuai Stronghold weeks ago).

Zuko, in his desperation to understand what the hell was going on (And also make the kids stop crying and weeping), asked them to tell him everything that happened since the start (…The worst decision made in his life), in the hope of putting his scattering thoughts into a line that would make sense… But boy, oh, boy, did the kids take his words literally and tell him everything that happened from the start?

Forced adoption cloaked as chasing one's destiny (Now Zuko realized what the Avatar meant by his words). One misshape adventure after another as the kids threw themselves headfirst into danger and counted on the Avatar to save them (How were they even alive!?). Katara's crazy crushes on older men, first Aang and then a deranged freedom fighter (…What?). Sokka being a misogynistic nuisance who always throws them into trouble (…Again, what?!). Then there was the fiasco with the Freedom Fighters a few weeks back (…How was the Avatar sane by this point?), and many more adventure that took place one more damning than the other, making Zuko gaze at the kids with horror.

By the end of this insane tale, the paralytic agent had already worn off, the kids were holding their sobs back and refusing to look at one another (Clearly holding the other as the reason why the Avatar left them), and Zuko was standing rooted in his place (Having a nervous breakdown because now, he could only think of his baby sister going through these derange adventures while having crushes on crazy old men who were a hazard to society and should be locked away!).

No wonder the Avatar was far out of the realm of sanity every time we met… Zuko concluded, feeling so faint that he had to lean on a tree behind him to stay up, after the kids told him how they had run away from their uncle to get back to the Avatar, but were terrified that he wouldn't take them with him, so they stayed in the forest and planned on following him behind in secret…. Yeah, no, the Avatar had every right to ship them back to their father… Zuko thought to himself in daze, wondering if his baby sister had dared to reach this level of derangement in Zuko's absence… Zuko begged the Gods above that this wasn't happening because Zuko's already tired heart wouldn't be able to handle that level of craziness.

"He… the Avatar did what he did to protect you." Zuko finally dared to open his mouth after what had equaled hours of silence, finally managing to think of something coherent after what felt like decades listening to this madness… Gods above! Even Zuko wasn't this crazy when he was these kids' ages! …Zuko knew how much of a menace he was during his young years, but even he wasn't this mad! "It wasn't because he didn't think you could take care of yourself; if that was the case, then he wouldn't have trusted you two in the ice dodging ceremony." Zuko retorted when he saw the kids open their mouths to protest (Yes, when Zuko said the kids told him everything… he meant everything…). "But sometimes, having the reassurance that your precious people are safe, away from any conflict, would give people the strength to continue… even if they had to make harsh choices to make that happen." Zuko tried to simplify his explanation, having once experienced the same things the kids went through when he was forced to leave home, and then later when he forced his baby sister to stay in Caldera when she had snuck into his ship in the hope of coming with him (That dummy kid, eight years old and already thinking of following Zuko on a fruitless chase, regardless of the danger awaiting them outside of Caldera's protective walls… it was stupid in a way, having the past repeat itself in a different ways, in different instances, for different reasons, but were all the same in the end)…

"…But we just want Aang…" Zuko didn't know which one of the kids said this, but still it was clear on the kids' faces that this sentiment rang true, and that the children from now on, considered the Avatar a pillar and a fixture in their lives more than their own father… Zuko's mind strayed to his uncle, and he knew that if Zuko was to lose the man who was like a parent to him more than his own parents, Zuko would have been worse than the kids who were sobbing and thinking of mad plans just to come closer the Avatar in any way they could and change his mind about keeping them.

Curse this soft, and stupid heart and his weakness for children he could never get rid of even after all these years… Zuko sighed tiredly, already feeling tired and drained for the day; he just wanted to return to his ship and sleep under his covers and forget this day ever happened. Still, Zuko just walked toward the brats, flicked their forehead before patting their heads. "Then come, you heard what the bounty hunter said; the Avatar is waiting there." Zuko reminded the kids, while pointing in the direction of the Avatar, watching how the kids looked at one another before nodding and following Zuko… Zuko could only let out another tired sigh…

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This wasn't what he had in mind when he started chasing the Avatar…

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…Curse this soft heart of his!)…

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Aang sighed tiredly as he finally packed everything that needed to be packed and prepared everything that needed to be prepared for his journey. Part of Aang was thinking of the kids, and were they were now, but at the same time he allowed himself to let out a breath of relief knowing that they were finally safe, and a few days from now, they would be with their father who would keep his eyes on his kids and refuse to allow any harm to come to them.

Aang hummed to himself as he watched the sun preparing to sit in the background, his eyes glancing toward the System every now and then, watching how that thing was still counting down until sunset. Aang could only roll his eyes at the strange System, wondering why the creature didn't just take his A Points and end things as they were; instead, the System issued an order for Aang to wait until the sunset, where Bato's arc would conclude, and with it, the System would take his A Points and accept the change of fates that would take place (Which then Aang's turn to race against time trying to scavenge as much A Points as he could to save Sokka from death would begin).

It wasn't like Bato's arc would be complete or anything, especially not after Aang not participating in that cliche pirate plot and allowing Prince Zuko to take Katara's necklace. This meant that Prince Zuko didn't have anything to track Aang and his kids down, allowing a safe passage for Bato and the kids, while leaving Aang free with nothing to do other than wait near the shore for the System's countdown to reach zero so he could leave for his next destination. "System, just finish this already, the kids will not-!" Aang stated tiredly, only to be cut off by familiar twin voices.

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"Aang!"

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"Aang!"

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"-Huh?" Aang could only choke out, watching how the System's counter froze at the number 99 before it vanished, causing Aang to feel dread as he turned around… only to be tackled by the two kids who latched onto Aang and refused to budge even after Aang tried to push them off him… damn it all! These two were stickier than a rice cake when they wanted to be! "kids? What the…? Shouldn't you be with Bato?!" Aang questioned, feeling his eye twitch at the thought of the kids leaving the man and running all the way back here when Aang had specifically warned Bato about the possibility of this happening.

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…(Unknowing to anyone but the kids, poor Bato was stuck to a tree, courtesy of the ice that Katara had bent at him to prevent him from following her and Sokka when they decided to make a run for it and return to Aang. Bato could only let out a tired sigh, grumbling to himself about the dark fate he was forced into because of Hakoda's kids… it was all Hakoda's fault, and I am the one paying for it… Bato lamented, feeling slightly annoyed at the dilemma he found himself in. Grumbling to himself, Bato leaned on the tree behind and hoped the ice would melt before the night fell and the scavengers in the forest woke up…

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He was so going to get Hakoda for this…)…

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"Avatar." An irritated voice demanded, causing Aang to curse seven ways in his head before he turned to see Zuko standing there, arms crossed over his chest with annoyance clear on his face. Glancing around, Aang was surprised to see that Zuko was alone, no General Iroh in sight, or the bounty hunter with her monster. "A moment with you." The Prince motioned to Aang to come, and part of Aang wanted to resist the order or something, but held back when he saw how the Prince narrowed his eyes. "Kids, let him go and get on the bison!" The Prince snapped, and to Aang's surprise, the kids complied and did what the Prince asked of them, even when there were harsh pouts on their faces.

"Sunshine, I didn't expect to see you here." Aang gave the other man a charming smile, watching how the Prince grimaced at the title but otherwise didn't do anything to attack or chase Aang. "So, what brings you to this nick of the wood?" Aang questioned after standing in front of Zuko, giving the Prince a happy smile, even when Aang was on full alert, waiting for the other man to attack or move a muscle in the wrong way.

Instead of doing what was expected, Aang saw Prince Zuko press his lips into a thin line before letting out a harsh sigh. "They ran away from their guardian and came for you. Fought all the way and blamed one another for being the reason you left, and later got caught and paralyzed. The paralytic agent worn off, but be alert to any late allergic reaction." Aang, hearing this, inhaled harshly, his smile slipping from his face as he watched the Prince, not knowing what to say or do after being told this by the Prince, who wasn't actively trying to capture him or fight.

"Is there a reason you are telling me this, Prince Zuko?" Aang questioned, feeling curiosity and apprehension as he continued studying the man standing in front of him, wondering if what was said and done during the Blue Spirit Arc had softened the man enough that Aang would be able to reason with him.

Prince Zuko, hearing this, snorted and turned to walk away while throwing over his shoulder. "Just because!" Before disappearing back into the forest, leaving Aang confused as he tilted his head and looked at where the Prince had disappeared… That was strange… Aang thought to himself, before sighing tiredly and turning to look up at the kids who were peeking from the saddle and looking between Prince Zuko and him. Aang, seeing this, could only raise his hand and pinch the bridge of his nose…

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This was going to be a long, long day…

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…(That night, after getting the scowling of their lives and being promised a punishment involving handstands for eternity, Katara and Sokka let out a relieved sighs when Aang finally relented and allowed them to come with him on his journey to the Northern Pole, while promising not to pull something like today and send them away, like he planned. Sokka and Katara prepared to sleep that night, both of them basking in the victory of convincing Aang to take them with him and never leave them again.

"You know…" Sokka, who was preparing his sleeping bag, couldn't help but look at Katara, who was already inside her sleeping bag, preparing to doze off. "It turned out that Prince Zuko wasn't a bad person after all…" Sokka couldn't help but say as he remembered that strange morning with Prince Zuko, when the man had listened to their side of the story, talked to them, and even brought them back to Aang, something that Sokka never thought the Fire Nation Prince would ever do, considering how obsessed he seemed to be about capturing Aang.

"…Of course, he isn't bad; he is a Princess after all… plus, Aang likes him…" Katara mumbled sleepily, snuggling into her sleeping bag; Sokka couldn't help the snort leaving him after the 'Princess' comment, his lips twitching into a smile as he got under the blankets, amusement took hold of him at his sister's description of the said Prince. Still, Sokka's smile couldn't help but slip a bit after thinking of today; unconsciously, Sokka's hand couldn't help but touch the place Prince Zuko had flicked in annoyance before ruffling their hair…

Mom used to do that… Sokka sighed, as he remembered years in the past when his Mom would always flick Sokka's forehead as a punishment for misbehaving. Katara may not remember that, being too young when their mother died, but Sokka did… he did remember, and it was a shock to have someone who was a stranger (An enemy by everyone's standards), flick his forehead in such a familiar manner, that it had automatically reminded him of his mother even when Sokka thought he had all but forgotten about her and her mischievous actions, he glimpse in his youth.

"Idiot, what madness are you thinking of…" Sokka mumbled to himself, shaking his head and then pulling the covers over his head, knowing that what he needed was just a good night of sleep to get rid of all the strangeness of today. Still, Sokka let out a hum as he drifted to sleep…

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Prince Zuko was nice when he wanted to be…)…

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So, what do you think?

Finally, an update, yay!

Ah yes, bonding moments between everyone, and the kids trauma-dumping Zuko and making the man sympathize with single parents and Aang…

The next chapter would be the start of the Water Tribe's arc!

Until next time, enjoy the Mini Theaters where a special guest made an appearance!

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Mini Theater 1:-

Bato: *Looking at the night sky, still stuck to the tree* Well, at least Kya would have approved of the kids' new father… as scary as he was.

Kya in the Spirit world: *Smiles evilly*

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Mini Theater 2:-

Zuko: *After listening to the kids' deranged adventure with Jet with the most shocked look on his face, because how did the Avatar manage to survive with these kids?!* So… you think the Avatar sent you to your father, because you were dumb enough to give a chance to a red-flagged obnoxious chimpanzee who had nothing to offer except for trust issues and a crooked pee-pee?

Sokka: *Holding back tears because this was the exact same thing Aang said to Han* See! Even Zuko saw Jet for who he was! This is all your fault!

Katara: *Sobbing* I want Aang!

Zuko: Yeah, no. I want no part of this. Let's bring you back to the Avatar, so I can leave.

Kya: *Behind Zuko, whispering* Not if I had anything to say about it~

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Mini Theater 3:

After the war ended.

Hakoda: Sokka, I know I wasn't the best father for you and Katara, and I wanted to make things right… What do you say about the two of us going ice dodging today?

Sokka: *Awkwardly* I already did it with Dad… I mean Aang!

Hakoda: *Shocked Pikachu Face*

Kya: *Giggles in Evil*

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Mini Theater 4:-

Years into the future, after everything was said and done.

Hakoda: Avatar! I challenge you for the rights to my kids!

Aang, an overworked, overtired, and on the verge of a mental breakdown Dad, who once more stopping a mini-villain from going after Katara, prevent Sokka's foolishness from destroying his life and happiness, and follow after his gaggle of brats from the shadows, because he knew they were planning something dangerous, all in the span of nine hours with no sleep for three nights straight: *Looks up from his fluffy pillow (Zuko's thighs), disoriented and sleepy* …Sorry but… who are you?

Hakoda: *Another Shocked Pikachu Face*

Zuko: *Sips tea calmly* No one, dear, just rest. *Petting Aang's head while glaring daggers at Hakoda, daring him to say something*

Kya: *Floating behind Hakoda while rolling her eyes* Just give up, already. You snooze, you lose, buddy.

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Read and Review

And tell me what you think…

Nazaki-Sama