Book I : Reincarnation

Episode 7: Past Lives

-With james-

Aang stands in front of Roku's statue again. He stares intently at the stone visage of his former life.

"Everything's packed. You ready to go?"

Sokka asks as he, Katara, and I approach. The boy nods without looking away from the statue of Roku.

"How is Roku supposed to help me if I can't talk to him?"

Aang asks no one in particular.

"You'll find a way. Much sooner than you might think. Trust me."

I tell the avatar. Aang and Katara glance at each other as we hear something behind us. We turn around and see momo standing on his back legs in the middle of the doorway.

"What is that?"

Katara asks hesitantly.

"It's a flying lemur."

"It's a flying lemur!"

Aang and I say at the same time, him much more excitedly. Momo jumps to the right, toward where Sokka is standing. The animal reaches his feet and looks up at him.

"What is it, ya furball?"

Momo tilts his head to the left in curiosity. Then he scurries up Sokka's leg, up his back, and stops on the young mans shoulder.

"What the hell is it doing!"

Sokka yells, shuts his eyes, and stiffens his body. I can't help but laugh at him. Aang and Katara smile at Sokka.

"Looks like you made a new friend Sokka!"

Aang says happily. Sokka opens his eyes tentatively. Momo blinks and stares into Sokka's eyes.

"Oh... well hi little guy."

He holds up his hand, the lemur sniffs it for a moment, then holds his head out to allow Sokka to pet him.

"Can we keep him?"

Sokka asks the rest of us. The flying lemur jumps off Sokka's shoulder and climbs onto Aang and hides behind his head, his tail curled around Aang's neck.

"Hey, little guy!"

Aang pets the lemur.

"Of course we can!"

-with zuko-

Zuko was currently in a Fire Nation arena in an occupied Earth Kingdom harbor. Commander Zhao is squatting down just across from the young man. He is bare-chested and barefoot and wears a cape over his shoulders. Zuko is squatting the same way and dressed in the same attire.

"Remember your firebending basics, Prince Zuko. They are your greatest weapons."

Zuko's uncle, the once great general Iroh, says looking down at his nephew.

"I refuse to let him win."

Zuko says, determination written all over his face. He stands up and turns around, the cape drops from his shoulder, and he takes a fighting stance. Zhao also rises and takes his stance.

"This will be over quickly."

Zhao says calmly. A Fire Nation soldier standing on higher grounds sees that the duo has readied themselves for battle, so he rings a large gong. Zuko, who has his hands stretched out in front of him, glares at Zhao. He starts to lower his arms, leaving a trail of fire behind.

Zuko directs a strong fire blast at Zhao. Zhao dodges to the left, out of the way of the blast before sliding back to the right to avoid another blast. The prince launches two more strong blast at Zhao. The commander crosses his arms in fromt of him to gaurd against the incoming fire.

He throws one arm up and the other down, dissipating the flames, and smirks at Zuko. Zuko is panting heavily with his arm still stretched out from his last attack. He angrily grinds his teeth and jumps and spins into a roundhouse kick, spraying flames toward Zhao. Zhao creates his own flames to push away Zuko's attack.

Zuko grunts in frustration and squints his eyes. He directs another powerful flame kick in Zhao's direction. Zhao smiles and holds his own fire ready. He swings his arms over the ground, cutting through Zuko's next attack. Zhao, who seems unfazed by Zuko's attacks, confidently steps towards Zuko.

"Basics, Zuko! Break his root!"

Iroh yells. Zhao ferociously attacks Zuko with a strong blast of fire. Zuko is pushed back as he blocks the attack. Zhao takes another step forward and directs another powerful blast at the prince, using both his arms this time. Zuko is thrown back upon impact and slides back several meters over the ground.

He lifts his head while grunting in pain, his expression turns to one of shock as he sees that Zhao has jumped up and is soaring toward him. With a loud scream, Zhao lands at Zuko's feet, erects himself and thrusts his fist forward to deliver the final blow. Zuko's eyes open wide in fright as the fire approaches.

Zuko dodges at the last possible second, rolling out of the way, and swinging his feet around in a breakdance-like move. While getting up in this swirl, he swipes Zhao's legs from underneath him, and ends it back on his feet in one fluid motion. Zuko adjusts his footing and firmly plants them on the ground. He smiles.

Zuko steps forward, sliding fire at Zhao's feet, who steps back. Zhao is caught off balance and wobbles backward. Zuko repeats his attack, in an attempt to throw him off balance even further, and directs a powerful kick at his adversary. Zhao barely pushes it out of the way while staggering back ever further.

Zuko kicks once again and this time he succeeds in knocking the commander over. Zhao falls down with a thud and rolls over the ground, where he ends up on his back. Zuko runs up to him and threatens him with an outstretched arm, ready to deliver the final blow. Zhao brings his head up and looks at Zuko.

"Do it!"

Zuko grunts and thrusts his fist forward, throwing another fire blast. Zhao closes his eyes, anticipating the blow. But the blast only creates a blackened spot on the ground, next to Zhao's face. Zuko erects himself.

"That's it? The firelord raised a coward!"

Zuko growls in frustration and aims a powerful flaming kick at the prone man. Iroh, however, intervenes and grabs Zuko's foot, dissipating the fire. The two lock eyes and Iroh tries to calm his nephew.

"No, Prince Zuko. Do not taint your victory."

Zuko takes a deep breath, lets it go, and nods to his uncle. Iroh lets go of his nephew's leg, who slowly lowers said leg, and turns to Zhao.

"And you! Is this is how the great Commander Zhao acts in defeat? Taunting a young man into killing you? What, you cannot accept the shame of this defeat? Disgraceful."

Iroh turns back to his nephew but continues to speak to Zhao.

"Even in exile, my nephew is more honorable than you. But thanks again for the tea. It was delicious."

Zuko looks at his uncle for a moment before they turn and walk toward the gate of the arena. Zhao partially erects himself, with his left arm resting on his left knee, and grunts as he watches them go. As they make their way back to thier ship, Zukos speaks up,

"Did you really mean that, Uncle?"

Iroh gives a small smile as he glances at his nephew.

"Of course. I told you ginseng tea is my favorite."

Zuko smiles back. As the pair approach thier ship, a soldier comes running out to greet them. He stops and salutes before speaking.

"Sir, we have the maps you requested. They are in your quarters...but...well-"

The soldier stammers as he tries to speak. Iroh, now behind Zuko, tries to discreetly get the soldiers attention and tell him not to finish his sentence. Zuko turns around and sees Iroh, who tries to play it off. Zuko gives his uncle a strange look.

"Don't get too upset, Prince Zuko."

Zuko laughs and smiles at his uncle.

"Uncle, you taught me that keeping a level head is a sign of a great leader. Now, whatever he has to say, I'm sure I can take it."

Iroh and the soldier exchange glances before the former shrugs and motions for the latter to continue.

"Well, sir, its only been a day and a half since the avatar escaped us so we haven't heard anything, not even rumors. But-"

The soldier gives the prince a nervous look as he is cut off. Zuko turns to his right, breathes in deep, and breathes out a gout of flame in the form of an angry yell. Zuko looks at his uncle, smoke still pouring out his nostrils.

"How am I going to find him, Uncle!?"

The soldier clears his throat to get the Prince's attention. Zuko snaps to look at the man.

"What!?"

"umm, sir, if i may. We may actually have a lead."

Zuko raises an eyebrow at the man's statement.

"But you just said you hadn't heard anything."

The soldier licks his lips and gulps in fear.

"Yes, but during the escape I personally saw that there are three others with the avatar and that they flew on some kind of bison."

Zuko growls in irritation prompting the soldier to hurry up with his words.

"And the men who fought on the deck woke up a few hours ago. They're just now coherent enough to give reports on what happened. And... well sir, i think you should hear it for yourself."

-with James-

We were riding Appa, the siblings and I riding in his saddle while Aang sits atop his head, when sokka spoke up.

"You have no idea where you're going, do you?"

Aang fiddles with Appa's reins awkwardly while he answers.

"Well... I know it's near water."

Sokka wnd I exchange glances before the water tribe boy looks over the saddle. As he stares at the vast body of water below rush past us, he says,

"I guess we're getting close then."

I decide to chime in at this moment.

"Hey look, Aang, I think we should stop and talk about where we are headed a little more."

Aang thinks about it for a second and then says,

"Alright we can talk when we get to the spot i wanna go to. It's not far now!"

I sigh. I had wanted to talk to Aang before we got to kyoshi island, but it would have to wait until after suki and the warriors found us...if they even did. I notice Aang glancing over at Katara, Momo perched on his shoulder. As he looks at her I can't help but laugh.

"Yo!... Hey Charlie Brown, you good?"

Aang snaps out of his daze, blushing profusely, and says,

"Oh, ummm, what's up Ji?"

I smile knowingly at the young avatar. Sokka noticed Aang too and is giving him a stern look, but doesn't say anything.

"I was just saying that Appa looks like he needs a bath. But i see you couldn't hear me over the sound of you drooling over Katara."

Katara quickly looks up from the sewing she was busy with and blushes deep red.

"W-what!?"

I laugh at her questioning tone and bright red face before speaking.

"Yeah, he was lost for a second. I mean kid was transfixed on-"

I look at Aang and Katara's faces and instantly regret my words. Katara looks embarrassed and a little ticked off, and Aang looks like he's about to cry.

"Shit...Im sorry you two... I didn't mean to upset you, I was only teasing."

Aang turns away from us to hide his red glowing face. Katara puts her head down and goes back to sewing. Neither spoke a word. I move closer towards Appas head, lean over, and whisper to the avatar.

"Aang...my bad i was just teasing you...im not good with... social interaction. But something that might cheer you up is this,"

I sneak a glance at the water tribe siblings, who try to play off the fact they are watching and listening, before whispering again.

"Don't try so hard to impress Katara. Just be a friend and everything will work out..Trust me."

Aang's head snaps towards me. I wink at Aang and his eyes light up.

"Do you mean-"

Aang yells before i cover his mouth. We both look over at Sokka and Katara, who give us suspicious looks, before we look back at each other. I nod.

"What are you two whispering about?"

Sokka asks, obviously a little defensive. I lean back away from Aang and say,

"Nothing, just apologizing to Aang for embarrassing him."

Sokka doesn't seem satisfied with this answer however.

"Yeah, I don't think so. What were you really talking about?"

I go to answer but get beaten to it by Aang.

"He was answering a question i asked him. Before he said he wouldn't answer it until the time was right, but he went ahead and answered it as a sorry."

I just nod and go along with the avatar, saying,

"Yeah, its not really a big deal."

Katara decides to speak up at that moment.

"So...you can answer my question next, then?"

I sigh and nod to the girl. She quietly ponders for a moment before saying,

"Okay...What was Aang's question?"

I cock my eyes to the side, trying not to look at the girl, and say,

"Umm...well...you see...fuck...look he-"

Im cut off as Aang quickly interjects.

"Hey we're here! Hold onto something!"

He yanks appa's reins and we nose dive toward the crescent shaped island.

"Shit!"

I shout and try to hold onto the saddle as we plummet.

"Look!"

Aang is standing on the beach, pointing and looking at the water where an elephant koi jumps out of the water and back in, creating a giant splash. I try not to puke my guts out, as the two water tribe siblings stare in awe at the giant fish.

"That's a big ass fish."

I say and smile weekly.

"That's why we're here! Elephant koi, and I'm gonna ride it. Come on you've got to watch me!"

Aang Takes off his shirt and shoes awkwardly. Aang runs up to the water and dives in. I sigh.

'Three. Two. One.'

Aang comes up out of the water with a quickness, using his airbending to completely clear the surface.

"Cold!"

The boy shouts before falling back in. Katara and Sokka exchange glances while Appa walks away, clearly taking interest in something else. Sokka makes a circular motion with his left hand, signaling to his sister that Aang is crazy. I just shake my head before noticing no one was paying me any mind. I slip off into the tree line to observe the eyes i know watch us.

I hear Aang laughing in the distance as I quietly move through the trees, hands in my pockets.

'kid-'

I hear ragga start but i cut him off.

'I know ragga.'

I step into a small open area, look up into the canopy, and say,

"I know you're following me, so you can come on out."

No response, just birds chirping nervously above me, probably sensing the tension brewing. The air is thick with humidity, the earthy scent of sand mixing with the sharp tang of salt water.

"So that's how it's gonna be!? Fine."

I sigh and take my hands out of my pockets.

'Ragga, give me a hand.'

I hear the spirit grunt in response as I look up into the trees. The golden rays of the sun pierce through the dense canopy, illuminating the forest floor. Birds chirp nervously above me, probably sensing the tension brewing. The air is thick with humidity, the earthy scent of sand mixing with the sharp tang of salt water. My arm starts to glow bluish-white.

Time seems to slow around me as i watch as a shadowed figure tries to drop down on me. I quickly jump back, skidding to a stop a short distance away. I look to the figure as they rise, pulling a golden blade out of the ground, and my eyes grow wide.

'W-what the fuck! Since when did they go for the kill immediately!?'

I think to the spirits within me but get no response. Before me stands a woman clad in flowing green robes with a black samurai style armor over it. Her face painted like a geisha. She flicks her wrist and the blade opens to reveal a metal fan gleaming like polished gold.

"You shouldn't have come here,"

The woman says calmly, almost robotic like. I raise my eyebrow at her tone.

"Look, lady, I just wanna talk. We don't have to do this."

Her eyes narrow. She flicks her other wrist, and another fan snaps open with a metallic shing. The motion stirs the air around her, leaves swirling in a small vortex at her feet. I turn my head to the side in confusion.

"Are you-"

I don't get to finish my question. I lean back, barely dodging a swipe from her bladed fan. I smirk, then get smacked in the face with a gust of wind. I stagger a bit, but have to react quickly as she swings again. I jump back, far enough away, to dodge both the blade and the wind.

"Ok, so she's a fucking airbender!!"

I just stare at the woman. She smirks.

'I-it can't be,'

I hear Aangs spirit say in disbelief.

'She...is an airbender!'

I shake my head and hold my hand out to a small puddle to my left.

'Yeah well, we can talk about it later. Right now, it's fight time.'

The water shoots up, forming a jagged icicle in the shape of a spear. I grab it and break it off, give it a spin, before stopping in a fighting stance. I smile and say,

"Well, aint you just a breath of fresh air."

The woman's smirk turns into a frown and she blitzes me. Faster than i thought possible, she closes the distance between us, and slashes at me. I barely manage to bring the ice spear up in time to block. We lock weapons and stare at each other. I smirk once again.

"Was the joke that bad?"

The woman growls like a feral animal and slashes up with her other hand, breaking my ice spear in half. I stumble back a few steps. She tries to press onward but i jump back and, with a flick of my wrist, hurl half the spear at her. She pivots on one foot, her robes trailing like ribbons, her fan catching the edge of the spear. With a flick of her wrist, she deflects it into a nearby tree, where it lodges with a thunk, sending shards of ice flying.

"Are you even trying?"

The woman's words are punctuated by a sudden flurry of movement. She spins her fans in a rapid cyclone, conjuring a gust of wind that sends leaves, twigs, and dirt hurtling toward me. I raise my arms, summoning a curved wall of ice to form from the puddles around me, and shield myself from the storm of debris. I drop my hands and the ice melts away.

"I'd like to say no, but truth is, im barely surviving these attacks."

She laughs at my words. I smile as i flick my wrist, turning the ice shard in my hand into a sword, and take a deep breath. I exhale, my breath coming out in a cold mist. The woman rushes me once more, moving as if she was the wind itself. I flick my blade in her direction and spikes of ice shoot forward like bullets. The woman ducks and twirls, dodging with fluid grace.

"Fast,"

I mutter to myself as I continue to send small shards of ice at her. She dives forward, her fans slashing through the air. The force sends a razor-sharp blade of wind toward me. I dodge by spinning and send another wave of ice shards at her. The woman dodges the ice, leaping off the side of a tree and spinning mid-air, her fans arcing downward. A torrent of slicing gusts rains down on me.

I jump, roll out of the way, and slash at her again. Nothing happens. I look down at the ice in my hand and see that only the handle itself remains. I sigh.

"Fuck."

I throw the piece of ice to the ground.

"Okay, enough dickin' around."

I raise my hands in surrender,

"I don't wanna fight anymore. I know a losing battle when i see one."

The woman closes her eyes, seemingly pondering my statement.

"So you gonna take me to your leader, or what?"

A long tense moment passes before her eyes snap open, sharp and focused. Her fans move in perfect unison, creating a whirl of air around her.

'Haru now!'

The soft blue glow of my right arm fades and my left starts to glow redish-orange. The woman leaps right at me, twisting her body like a cyclone, fans spinning so fast that they blur. My eyes widen. I cross my arms, take deep breath, then push my arms out. A massive fwoosh and the crackle of fire fills my ear as I unleash a pulse of flame. The woman is blown backwards and lands, smoking and on her back, a few feet away.

"shit, we over did it!"

I rush to the womans side and kneel.

"Hey! Are you okay?"

I shake her lightly and almost instantly regret it. A cold metal is pressed against my neck, nicking it. I freeze, not moving a muscle.

"Up. Slowly."

She commands me in a cold tone. We slowly rise to our feet, her blade never leaving my neck.

"Who, or better, what are you?"

I say nothing for a moment, pondering the right response.

"You're an airbender? I thought they were all extinct."

She sneers and puts more pressure on the blade, forcing a small drip of blood to run down it's polished surface. I give no reaction, remaining still.

"I asked you a question! How were you able to bend water and fire!?"

I look into the woman's eyes before speaking.

"My name is Ji Do San. That is all im willing to tell you at this time,"

I smile before continuing,

"Now, you gonna take me to your leader or just kill me?"

She growls at my words and is about to speak when a loud, familiar voice fills my ears.

"Let us go!"

I turn my head in the direction the sound came from. In that split second, my vision starts to fade as im struck on the back of the neck. My last thoughts before the darkness takes hold of me are,

'Wait...that shit actually works!'

-a few minutes later-

I awake to a man shouting.

"How do we know you're not Fire Nation spies? Kyoshi stayed out of the war so far. And we intend to keep it that way!"

I try to move my hands but realize they are bound behind me. The binds feel cold, metallic, and...hole filled? Chains.

'They chained me up? Wtf!'

I think to myself.

"This island is named for Kyoshi? I know Kyoshi!"

I hear Aang say. I groan and sit up. Instantly, i feel the cold bite of metal against my neck. I look up and into the eyes of the woman i had fought. I hadn't gotten a good look at her before now, but her eyes were wicked. Her irises were the same shade of grey as the sky on a rainy day, but they had a faint blue ring surrounding them. Like a lightning storm.

"Woah! Violence isn't necessary."

I hear Aang, who is tied to a pole along with Katara and Sokka, say.

"There's no need for that!"

Katara chimes in. I just continue to mean mug the female warrior.

"Thats enough, Anisha."

Another female voice comes. I see a young kyoshi warrior come up behind the woman holding the blade to my throat. I shift my eyes to look at the other woman's face as she places her hand on, the now dubbed, Anisha. Anisha never takes her eyes off me.

"Well, well."

I mumble to myself upon realizing the woman is Suki. Anisha takes the blade away from my neck and steps back.

"Ok, now let's talk like civilized people."

Suki says. I raise an eyebrow and ask,

"So, what were we talking about?"

Aang looks pensively at a statue of kyoshi before looking at the ground in front of him. He then begins to speak in a soft, calm voice.

"Look I know kyoshi because, I'm the Avatar."

Suki and Anisha, with the other Kyoshi Warriors standing in the background, look shocked at Aang's revelation.

"That's impossible! The last Avatar was an airbender who disappeared a hundred years ago."

Suki says not convinced by Aang's statement, shaking her fist for emphasis.

"Besides if you are the Avatar, explain your friend there bending water and fire."

The kyoshi warrior points at me with her fan blade. I laugh and say,

"Well thats simple...im the Avatar's spirit guide."

I feel my body heat up and the chains binding my hands melt. I send a mental "thank you" to haru.

'You're welcome!'

The fox yips back. I immediately stand and say,

"im supposed to guide the Avatar... But to be honest, this is my very first spirit gig."

The warriors, Aang, and the watertribe siblings look at me funny, right before the warrior Anisha says,

"Or are you just trying to deflect? Is it not logical to assume you are the Avatar?"

i tilt my head in confusion and say,

"How so?"

Her facial expression never changes as she speaks in her monotone voice.

"The Avatar disappears and stays gone for a century, but now you, a man who can bend fire and water appears."

I sigh at her words.

"Ok i see how that could be the case. But I assure you im not the Avatar, Aang is. I mean, look at his tattoos, he's clearly a master airbender. Something only someone from the time of airbenders could have."

The woman shakes her head at my words before speaking.

"Do you honestly expect us to believe that this young boy-"

She looks in Aang's direction with a sneer,

"-is the Avatar. If the Avatar was still an airbender, he'd be over a hundred years old. It is far more likely that the Avatar was reborn into the water tribe, as per the cycle."

I sigh and shake my head.

"yes, but why would i need to lie to the kyoshi warriors? No, i have no reason to lie. Im not the Avatar, Aang is."

I say calmly. I slowly stand to my feet and continue.

"But regardless, if you believe that i'm the avatar or Aang is, know that we stand together. We won't ask you to join the war, we just request a few days to rest here. And I request training."

All the warriors(and Sokka) look at me skeptically for a moment.

"Throw the impostor to the Unagi!"

I hear one of the warriors shout. Suki and the rest of her warriors immediately retract their metal fans from out of their belts and slide them open.

"Good job, spirit boy."

Sokka says sarcastically right before the warriors threateningly start to move forward and surround us. I sigh.

'Haru... lets give em a demonstration.'

My arm starts to glow like magma before I create a small flame in my hand. The warriors all hesitate and recoil at the sight of the flame.

"Have you ever seen Eternal fire before?"

I ask as the fire in my hand grows in intensity and turns blue.

'umm...james i don't think your body could handle-'

i cut the fox spirit off with,

'I know Haru, just keep it small.'

The fire flickers for a moment, as if wavering in a non-existent wind, then turns a dark shade of Purple and black. All in attendance gasp and point.

"Behold! My eternal fla-"

Everthing starts to go black as i pass out once again. Before it all goes completely dark i hear Aang scream,

"Ji!"

-The next day-

"All right! Dessert for breakfast!"

I hear Aang shout as i awaken with my head ringing.

"Ughh not so loud...Wait,"

i jump to my feet, from a bed of pillows, and scan the room. I see Aang, Katara, and Sokka sitting by some windows in front of a table full of cakes and the like.

"Where are we?"

Aang smiles at me and says,

"We're being taken care of by the people of the warrior's village!"

I nod and flop back to the ground, think for a moment, then bolt right back up.

"What happened to me? ... And how'd we get to this point?"

Katara laughs at my question.

"You passed out after creating thet black fire. Aang used airbending to break our binds, jump over to you, and keep the warriors away. Also half of them think Aang is the Avatar and half seem to think you're the Avatar."

I raise an eyebrow at that.

"Oh, yeah? Hmmm...well it's probably for the best."

Katara tilts her head in confusion at my words.

"How so?"

She asks me. I walk over to the table, Aang and katara are seated at, and sit across from them.

"It's simple. See if the Fire Nation thinks im the Avatar, then Aang can finish his training even if they somehow manage to capture me. The longer it takes them to figure it out, the better.

Katara just continues to look at me confusedly.

"Okay, I guess."

Aang nods, starts to stuff his face with food, and says,

"Anyway, these people sure know how to treat an Avatar!"

Katara is not convinced about the deliciousness of the dessert she picked up and just glances at Aang.

"Katara you've got to try these!"

I shake my head and grab what i think is a cookie and take a bite. My eyes widen.

"Wow. That is good."

i see Momo sneak up to Aang and snatch a dessert out of his other hand and quickly dashes away. Aang just smiles at his pet, not letting the theft bother him. He quickly gabs another dessert while Katara munches on a piece of cake and reaches across the table for the same dessert Aang just took. Aang glances to his left, over the hunched Katara to Sokka, and says,

"Sokka, what's your problem? Eat!"

Sokka who is sitting in a corner, with his arms crossed while staring in front of him.

"Not hungry."

Aang almost falls over backwards, his eyes wide open in surprise.

"But you're always hungry!"

I snort out a laugh. Katara smiles at Aang knowingly and says,

"He's just upset because a bunch of girls kicked his butt yesterday."

Sokka growls and grits his teeth.

"They snuck up on me!"

Katara looks at her brother mockingly and says,

"Right. And then they kicked your butt."

I laugh again and say,

"Damn."

Sokka angrily stands up.

"Sneak attacks don't count!"

He stars to walk off, mumbling to himself. He then comes back to face Katara, Aang, and I.

"I'm not scared of any girls."

He snatches a handful of the deserts off the table. He shoves one of the deserts in his mouth and stalks off again.

"Mmm ... this is tasty."

I laugh and stand before calling after Sokka.

"Hey, wait up!"

I turn to Aang and Katara,

"I'm gonna take a walk with Sokka. When i get back, Aang, you and i need to speak."

The Avatar nods and shoves another cake into his face. I roll my eyes and go to catch up with Sokka

-With Zuko-

Zuko and his uncle sit inside thier ship at a table, being served fish and tea.

"What do you make of what the soldiers said, uncle?"

Iroh strokes his chin and grunts.

"I do not know, nephew. This makes things complicated. On the one hand, the one who said he is the Avatar would make sense. The Avatar would reincarnate into the water tribes. But the boy they described is most definitely an airbending monk."

Zuko grolws as a soldier comes up to him and whispers in his ear. Zuko angrily stands.

"The Avatar's on Kyoshi Island?"

Zuko addresses Iroh as he leaves the room. Iroh just looks at Zuko as he walks away.

"Uncle, ready the rhinos. He's not getting away from me this time!"

Iroh points at the smoking fish in front of him.

"Are you going to finish that?"

Zuko turns around and snatches the plate off the table aggressively.

"im going to save it for later!"

-With James-

Sokka and I walk up to a small house surrounded by trees. Sokka looks at me and sighs.

"Man, I just can't believe we got beat up by a bunch of girls."

I give him a side eye.

"We? Dude, I didn't get beat up."

Sokka growls at me like an angry dog before crossing his arms.

"Whatever."

Sokka walks up and peeks his head around the door. I follow suit. Inside the house, six Kyoshi Warriors stand training. They are performing with a fan in perfect unison. Sokka smiles smugly and enters and I follow behind him.

"Sorry ladies, didn't mean to interrupt your dance lesson."

The warriors stop their exercise and close their fans. They stare at Sokka with a serious look on their faces. I notice Suki up front, but can't seem to see the one i had fought before, Anisha. Sokka starts stretching and says,

"I was just looking for somewhere to get a little workout?"

Suki seems amused as she looks at how Sokka continues his warm up.

"Well, you're in the right place."

She then walks over to me and bows.

"Sorry about yesterday. I didn't know that we were in the presence of the Avatar."

I snort, cross my arms over my chest, and lean against the wall i was standing next to. I open my mouth to speak but Sokka, still stretching, says,

"It's all right. I mean, normally I'd hold a grudge, but seeing as you guys are a bunch of girls, I'll make an exception."

I roll my eyes and remain stoic on the outside, but on the inside, i smile wickedly.

'Aang you watching?'

I ask the spirit.

'Yes, why?'

I almost let my smile slip and think,

'You're not gonna want to miss this!'

Suki sighs and turns to Sokka.

"I should hope so. A big strong man like you? We wouldn't stand a chance."

She says sarcastically. Sokka obviously doesn't understand, or is just to stupid to realize, that she is being sarcastic because he continues.

"True. But don't feel bad. After all, I'm the best warrior in my village."

Suki tries not to grit her teeth as she responds with,

"Wow! Best warrior, huh? In your whole village? Maybe you'd be kind enough to give us a little demonstration."

Sokka's eyes widen upon hearing the unexpected request.

"Well...i...mean..."

I decide to give my two cents at this moment.

"I think its a great Idea. I mean i was hoping to get someone to train me anyway. This can be a good chance for me to see how a water tribe warrior fares against a kyoshi warrior. So go ahead Sokka."

Sokka looks at me dejected. Suki turns to the other warriors and says,

"Wouldn't you like him to show us some moves, girls?"

The other female warrior giggle and smile in agreement.

"I most certainly would."

I hear a silky monotone voice from my left. I turn my head and see a painted face, inches from mine. I recoil a bit but otherwise don't move.

"Umm... can i help you?"

The young woman just continues to stare at me. I get an uneasy feeling as i look into her strangely beautiful eyes.

"Um...okay."

I turn back to look at the action. Sokka takes on a fighting stance while Suki has not moved a muscle. Sokka bends his knees and attacks the female warrior by trying to hit her with a right hook. Suki does not move, but easily defends herself by bringing up her left arm and thrusting her closed fan against Sokka's shoulder.

"Aghh!"

Sokka cries out in pain and staggers backward.

"Umm... Good. But I was going easy on you."

Suki laughs and responds confidently with,

"Of course."

Sokka is clearly annoyed and angered by Suki's arrogant facial expression.

"Let's see if you can-"

Sokka spins and tries to hit Suki with a roundhouse.

"-handle this!"

Suki quickly dodges under Sokka's outstretched leg and pushes him off balance. When the Water Tribe warrior lands flat on his back with a loud thud, Suki lazily opens her fan and cools herself. Sokka loses his temper at the sight of Suki's defiant posture.

"That does it!"

Sokka gets up and madly charges her again. Suki quickly closes her fan and moves out of Sokka's way. She grabs him by the arm with her right hand, while she pushes against his shoulder with her left hand, quickly spinning him around. After two turns, she switches position and spins Sokka in the other direction.

Suki suddenly halts Sokka so he topples forward. Before falling down, Suki removes Sokka's belt and ties his left hand to his right foot behind his back in one swift movement. Sokka tries so maintain his balance for a while by jumping on one leg, but it is not long before he loses his footing and smacks down flat on his face.

"Anything else you want to teach us?"

I clap at the sheer majesty of the scene before me.

'So Aang, what ya think?'

I hear the spirit sigh and say,

'i always wondered how she straightened him out.'

I just smile and turn to the warrior, Anisha.

"So...can i get a rematch next?"

Anisha smiles brightly before speaking,

"I thought you'd never ask."

-Location Unknown-

"The weapon is proving difficult to locate."

A deep, forbodding, voice says from the shadows of the unlit room.

"Whoever stole it...is masking and moving it constantly. The signature, when we do see it, pops into existence in a seemingly random realm and then vanishes."

Another barely visible vaguely male figure sits behind a desk, fingers locked, humming in irritation.

"So...What you're telling me is, these people know our methods? They understand our magics and know its weaknesses? And on top of that you can't locate them?"

The first figure nervously shifts his weight before responding.

"Im afraid so, my lord."

The male figure unclasps his hands and sighs in irritation.

"That's too bad."

Without another word the figure snaps his fingers, there is a flash of blinding light, and the subordinate falls to the floor, burnt to a crisp. The figure growls and clenches his fist. He stands from his desk and chucks a ball of lightning at a wall, causing an explosion, crumbling the entire thing.

"Where is MY WEAPON!!! "

AN: Happy new year!!! Lol well thats another one. I don't have much to say this time round. So dueces.

-Sage