(BOOK 2: EARTH)

The day after the failed siege on the Northern Water Tribe, everything seemed to fall into an air of mixed emotions. There was a sense of relief, but with a sense of great loss. There had been casualties on both sides of the fight. While the Waterbenders were mostly unscathed, there were still a few small burns and broken bones they had received during their moment of spiritual weakness. Some Firebenders had been encased in ice and had been left behind when Zhao's fleet retreated. I had been asked to see if I identified any of the soldiers who were in Water Tribe custody. The only two that I had recognized were a Fire Nation marshall that had been aboard Zuko's ship, and Lieutenant Jee. After days of arguing and begging that they be released, Chief Arnook finally relented and said that they would be sent back home. I had asked the Firebenders if they knew what had happened to Zhao. One of them answered cryptically; when Zhao saw the moon had been restored, he had been startled into a vulnerable position and was pulled underwater by the Ocean Spirit. He was never recovered during the search for Fire Nation soldiers. The only pity I felt for Zhao in that moment was that I hadn't been the one to push him to the spirits that awaited their revenge for mortally wounding one of their own. When I asked about Zuko and Iroh's whereabouts, no one had a clear answer for me. If they weren't locked up in the cells, then they somehow escaped. Where they were going, it was hard to say.

Then there was the well being of my little brother. Aang, on the surface, seemed like himself. Yet, there were several times where I could see sadness in his eyes. Whenever Katara, Sokka, or myself, would try to address it, he forced a smile and told us not to worry. Despite this, I still felt worried.

One evening, the sky was painted vibrant purples and greens as an aurora borealis fluttered across the sky, as if it, too, was celebrating the new face of the Moon Spirit. The full moon had become a crescent, looking like a wide smile. I had been making blueberry cookies from a recipe that Katara shared with me, looking up to see Aang slumped by one of the totem poles. Momo was on his shoulder.

I closed the oven door and approached him. He looked over at me, and he offered a soft smile before looking back up at the northern lights.

"Remember when you and I saw these during one trip?" he asked.

"Yeah? What are you so nostalgic about?"

Aang chuckled quietly. "You called it a sky fire."

A warmth spread through my chest and I chuckled. "I mean it did at that moment!" I glanced upwards at the flitting colors. "And it still does, sometimes. You know, if the Firebenders made rainbow flames, they wouldn't be so scary." I imitated a Firebender stance and punched forward with an exhale; Iroh and Zuko would have been proud of my technique. "Bam! Rainbow!" Aang managed a laugh, and I joined in.

Aang's laughter quieted and he looked out to the horizon. "So much has changed…I've learned so much, yet it just doesn't feel like enough time…and who knows what the Fire Nation will do next…"

"Aang, we don't need to worry about that right now," I said.

He looked over at me. "Yes, we do! I don't even know where to go to find teachers for the other elements."

"Hey, one thing at a time, little brother." I went back over to the oven, and very carefully pulled out the tray of blueberry cookies. They steamed in the cool air, their fragrance wafting in a curl. I set them on the icy support beam below us, the ice hissing quietly. My eyes drifted to the curtains of light above. "What about Bumi? He's the King of Omashu now, right? You'll be protected by your friends and be able to get a handle on Earthbending before the comet comes."

Aang's gray eyes widened. "Gitan, that's a genius idea!" He picked up a blueberry cookie, chomping into it and offering bits to Momo. "But…what about Firebenders? Didn't you say you knew a Firebender aboard Zuko's ship?"

"Jee? He's a little stiff. At least Sokka can crack jokes, Jee is more…" I searched for the right word, "militaristic. Yes, he was nice to me, but I didn't interact much with them. Besides, he has a family to go home to. He's been at sea for two, coming up on three years. I'd feel horrible separating him from his family longer than necessary."

He nodded. For a moment, we just sat in comfortable silence, chewing on blueberry cookies and looking up at the sky fire. It didn't feel like we were in a world torn apart by war. Nor had we been apart for several months with me constantly redirecting people that wanted to hurt Aang. We were a brother and sister, sharing a snack under a winter night sky. I imitated the punch again, making a soft "pew" sound, and Aang giggled. I laughed with him and looked over. Suddenly, a pang of longing hit my chest. The last time we had done this had been on one of the terraces of the Southern Air Temple.

"I should go seek a teacher myself," I said with resolve.

Aang looked at me. "Huh?"

"You're the Avatar! You have all these great masters. And you're a smart kid. Me? I'm just a girl with a staff that needs to be saved all the time."

"Gitan…" Aang put a hand to stop me. "Don't talk about yourself like that. You've done a lot, even without bending. You helped evacuate an entire town before Jet destroyed it! You helped us get away from the pirates! And you told me that you used your staff to hold up a Fire Nation ship's damage during a storm. Don't sell yourself short!"

"But Aang," A soft smile crossed my lips that didn't quite reach my eyes "there are nonbenders with incredible skills. Look at the Kyoshi Warriors! I can't even hold a candle to their style! And then there's June. Heck, even Sokka is a brilliant strategist and warrior without his bending." Momo tried to steal some of my cookie, but I gently tapped his little paw with my staff, which made him retreat. To compensate, I scratched behind his large, fluffy ears, making him purr. "I just want to be helpful not just for you, Aang, but for myself. Besides, you need to focus on Earthbending. Bumi's a great teacher, and when I meet up with you guys back in Omashu, you can fling a rock at my head for being late," I punctuated my words with a playfully shove to his shoulder.

He chuckled and righted himself, but his brow was still furrowed. "But what if you get attacked?"

'Then I'll fight. I may have a broken staff, but I can easily get supplies and money some other way." My mind drifted to tracking down June, and possibly begging her to teach me some self defense tricks. Perhaps even agreeing to split half the money on some of her jobs. Her shirshu Nyla, despite its horrifying trick, seemed to like me, too. But I took my head. Take your own advice. One step at a time. One cookie at a time.

After relaying our idea to Katara and Sokka, they were ecstatic about getting back on track to mastering the elements. The only thing that made them sad was that I wouldn't be coming with them, I reassured them that I would be fine. I would perhaps find a job in the Earth Kingdom, and when I had saved up enough, I could catch up with them in Omashu.

We stayed at the Northern Water Tribe for another week to prepare. The plan was for Aang, Katara, and Sokka to seek refuge at the Earth Kingdom base before being safely escorted to Omashu. As we boarded the Water Tribe's massive boats, which had been at the request of Sokka, I could feel a sense of relief. Staying in the frigid cold had been unkind to me. Now that we were sailing back down to the warmer Earth Kingdom climates, I was ready to no longer feel like I was frozen.

A few nights away from our destination, Aang had awoken from an intense nightmare. Katara had been there to give him comfort. She confided in me that he was having nightmares of the Avatar State, the term that we decided to use to describe when he tapped into the raw power that he had. I had only seen it used three times; once on the deck in the South Pole, the second in the Fire Sages' temple, and then when he tapped into the Ocean Spirit's power to literally turn the tide in the Waterbenders' favor. She had asked me if he had similar nightmares growing up. I confided that while Aang did have nightmares, none were to that intense of a degree. I taught her the lullaby that I sang for him, and she smiled gratefully when I heard her finally get the melody.

The next morning, we were awoken by Master Pakku, the Waterbending teacher who had taught Aang and Katara. He had parting gifts for his former students. For Katara, he had an amulet filled with water from the spirit oasis with special properties. He didn't say what the properties were, but the severity of his tone left no further questions. Aang was given a box of Waterbending scrolls to keep up with his teachings. When he saw me, he ushered me forward.

"Gitan," he handed me a small wallet filled with several pieces of money and a map, "these funds will help you on your journey to this Bamboo Seeds place. Also, as a thank you for aiding in defending the Water Tribe, Chief Arnook wanted me to give you this. You may be a nonbender, but you're resourceful enough to find use in it."

My eyes widened as Master Pakku presented me with a slender knife. The main shaft was made from an intricately carved piece of either bone or ivory, and instead of a whale's tooth, the blade had been carved of obsidian. It was lightweight but felt surprisingly sturdy in my hands. I ran my fingers over the smooth surface. "Master Pakku, I... I don't know what to say."

A gentle smile touched his lips. "Think of it as an extension of yourself, Gitan. A tool for balance and support. Even without bending, one can find strength and grace."

I clutched the knife to my chest, a wave of gratitude washing over me, and trying not to cry as his words reminded me of Sister Wei. "Thank you. Truly." This unexpected gift felt more valuable than any amount of money. It may not have been a replacement for my broken Airbender staff, but the thought was considerate, and a sign that I was welcomed and a respected member of the Water Tribe.

Saying goodbye to Aang, Katara and Sokka felt bittersweet. I was excited for their journey and Aang's progress, but a pang of loneliness tugged at my heart.

"You be careful out there, Gitan," Katara said, pulling me into a tight hug. "And don't hesitate to find us if you need anything."

"Yeah," Sokka chimed in, giving me a sincere nod. "Try not to get into too much trouble without us."

I laughed, a smile finally breaking through. "I'll try my best. You two take care of Aang, and Aang," I turned to my little brother, wagging a finger, "you listen to Katara and Master Bumi."

Aang giggled, his gray eyes shining with a mix of sadness and excitement. "I won't. And you be safe, Gitan. I'll miss you."

With a final wave, they turned to climb aboard Appa. I readied the kayak that was set for me, settling in as Master Pakku sent me adrift with a simple motion that rose the water to catch me and dropped me as I started to paddle towards the stretch of green that lay before me. It was going to be a long journey, but for the first time in a long time, I felt a flicker of anticipation. I was on my own path now, and even without bending, I would find my own way to help.