Chapter Text
I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender or the Avatar Series, which both belong to Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko
"..." Character P.O.V.
'...' Character Thoughts
“...” Letters, Languages, or any other languages
Water. Earth. Fire. Air.
My grandmother used to tell me stories about the old days. A time of peace when the avatar kept peace between the Water Tribes, Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation, and Air Nomads. But that all changed when the Fire Nation attacked.
Only the Avatar mastered all elements. Only he could stop the ruthless firebenders. But when the world needed him most, he vanished.
A hundred years have passed, and the Fire Nation is nearing victory in the war. Two years ago, my father and the men of my tribe journeyed to the Earth Kingdom to help fight against the Fire Nation, leaving me and my brother to look after our tribe.
Some people believe that the Avatar was never reborn into the Air Nomads and that the cycle is broken. But I haven’t lost hope.
I still believe that, somehow, the Avatar will return to save the world.
- House of the Melodious Wind, Light of the World in Darkness -
- Book One: Water -
- Chapter One: The Man and His Companions in the Iceberg: An Awakening 100 Years in the Making -
“All right, listen up. We’ve been manning the wall in three-hour shifts, but it seems some of you can’t be trusted to stay at your posts. So from now on, two people at all times, meaning twice as many shifts.” Sokka announced, much to the groan of the younger children of the village.
Katara had an almost amused expression as she watched this and as her brother Sokka looked around.
“Is there a problem?” He asked, not liking their distaste as no one said anything. “Didn’t think so. Okay, back to your duties.” Sokka said further with a wave of his hand, dismissing them.
The children fled immediately, running or walking off as Sokka approached her.
“Come on, let’s go,” Sokka said firmly as he walked away, leaving his sister confused as she hurried to catch up.
“Where are we going?” Katara inquired.
“The fishing boats came back empty,” Sokka answered with a sigh as he continued his pace. “Just proves that if you want something done right, gotta do it yourself,” He added further with a measure of irritation.
‘Great…he’s in a mood again today.’ Katara thought with a roll of her eyes as she followed.
Their walk was short, and they both got in the canoe, with Sokka rowing them out into open water. This persisted for a time as Sokka took them out further into open water to the fishing grounds, where there was an abundance of fish to be caught. Unlike the others who went out to fish, only her brother could come out this far since he was older and knew the way back to their home. Furthermore, the others were prohibited from venturing this far out due to their small numbers, as most of the tribe had set sail for war alongside her father. Soon enough, Sokka stopped rowing with the paddle, eventually putting it down in the canoe and allowing the water to guide them as he reached for his spear.
The echoing winds bounced against the air of the waters and icebergs surrounding them, creating a calm yet encroaching silence beyond the howling wind and the movement of water as the canoe cut through it.
“It’s not getting away from me this time,” Sokka said suddenly, gaining Katara’s attention as she turned her head toward him. “Watch and learn, Katara. This is how you catch a fish.” He voiced cockily.
She did not respond and simply looked on, her eyebrows raised, until she noticed something moving in the water beside her. Upon closer inspection, she saw a fish swimming and passing her by, which caught her off guard, leading her to hastily take off one of her mittens. After doing this, with a nervous look and a lack of surety, it was with a deep breath that she waved her hand with a motion.
Nothing happened for a moment, and the water remained still until a ball of water rose from the rest of the body, carrying the fish she saw swimming inside it. This surprised her, and she used her other hand to bend the water more effectively.
“Sokka, look!”
“Shh, Katara. You’re gonna scare it away,” Her brother whispered, moaning with hungry satisfaction as he spoke. “Mmm. I can already smell it cooking,” He added with glee.
“But, Sokka, I caught one!” She said, bending the water to bring the fish closer to their canoe.
The closer it got, the more Katara turned her body to face the basket where they contained the fish. She was so close to making her first catch with waterbending…
“Hey!”
…until the butt of Sokka’s spear raised itself too far. Disrupting her work and the bubble of water around the fish…
“Aah!”
…allowing for it to fall back into the water while soaking Sokka with flinch.
Quietness returned to them both as she and her brother sat there until Sokka decided to break the silence.
“Why is it that every time you play with magic water, I get soaked?” Sokka asked with frustration in his tone, making her sigh.
“It’s not magic. It’s waterbending.” She began lecturing him as if she had said this a thousand times. “And its-”
“Yeah, yeah. An ancient art unique to our culture. Blah, blah, blah…” Sokka said, cutting her off and dismissing what she was about to say as he reached for his hair. “Look, I’m just saying that if I had weird powers, I’d keep my weirdness to myself,” Sokka said, pulling and squeezing his hair to wring free of the water.
“You're calling me weird?” Katara asked doubtfully, her arms crossed and her brow raised. “I’m not the one who makes muscles at myself every time I see my reflection in the water,” She remarked playfully, smirking amusement at seeing what her brother was doing.
Who, at that present moment, stopped flexing with a smile as he put down his sleeve to look at his sister with a calmly offended look.
He was about to retort when the canoe made them lurch where they sat, hitting something before it turned course and began moving quickly. This caught their attention as they looked forward to see their canoe moving through a swift current, passing by large chunks of ice bigger than their vessel.
Sokka was quick in his response to grab the paddle he used earlier to make the canoe move quicker so that the ice chunks didn’t hit them. Narrowly dodging two that would have crushed both them and their ship, he continued to paddle at the water with a fury whilst grunting to avoid crashing or being hit by the ice as the canoe followed the current. Sokka ignored the strain stemming from his determination to escape the current and the dangerous ice surrounding them, but larger chunks, albeit smaller than before, closed in on them. The sight of them started to worry Katara as they crashed into the canoe, shaking the path that their canoe was following.
“Watch out!” Katara shouted as she saw large ice chunks in front of them begin to close in and block their path.
Sokka changed the side with which he paddled at the water to change course.
“Aah!”
“Go left, go left!” She shouted, but it was too late.
The strength of the current proved too strong as the canoe followed it effortlessly, causing their canoe to crash against ice chunks with large bumps that jolted them. A chunk of ice in front of them blocked their canoe’s path, and two larger ones on either side closed in, worrying them both to the point that they shared the same idea to jump onto the chunk of ice to their right. This turned out to be the best idea as the ice crushed and broke the canoe apart with a creak as it sank. Katara nearly fell into the water after landing on the ice but managed to stop herself with a breath. Only after getting her bearings atop the ice chunk where she and Sokka had landed did she finally notice that their canoe was gone, with only her brother’s spear saved from it.
She backed off the edge to sit beside her brother, frowning at their new dilemma of being stranded.
“You call that left?” Katara asked with a light pique.
“You don’t like my steering,” Sokka candidly replied, his head momentarily turned away. “Well, maybe you should have waterbended us out of the ice,” Sokka said sarcastically with closed eyes, gesturing dramatically with a flourish of his hands.
“So it's my fault?” Katara asked accusingly as she stood to her feet.
“I knew I should have left you home,” Sokka said, angrily regretting that he hadn't done so. “Leave it to a girl to screw things up,” He added with closed eyes.
Katara hadn’t said a word upon hearing this, but anger was palpable in the air, and her eyes shook and burned with outrage.
“You are the most sexist, immature, nutbrained—” Katara roared, never noticing the water swishing with violent movement behind her. “Ah! I’m embarrassed to be related to you!” She continued, shouting.
Once again, without noticing that the water continued to surge violently, it struck the iceberg closest to them, creating deep cracks across and beyond its frozen icy surface.
Sokka looked on ahead of him before attempting to close his eyes, only to hear the audible cracks of ice, which made them open and look to where they came from behind Katara with fear.
“Ever since mom died, I’ve been doing all the work around camp while you’ve been off playing soldier.” Katara continued her tirade, either failing to hear the cracking ice from her anger or deliberately ignoring it.
“Ah… Katara…” Sokka said with palpable worry as he pointed behind her.
“I even wash all the clothes!” She shouted before gritting her teeth. “Have you ever smelled your dirty socks? Let me tell you. Not pleasant!” She roared louder with her arms stretched wide, causing more cracks to form in the iceberg behind her and forcing a more wide-eyed, fearful expression out of Sokka.
“Katara! Settle down!” He yelled.
“No!” She replied. “That’s it. I’m done helping you. From now on, you’re on your own!” Katara roared, stretching her arms out in a determined gesture, causing the water behind her to explode upward with a fury.
Her actions and anger caused the water to strike the ice once more, cracking it upward to its peak. Sokka gasped with worry, and Katara was confused for a moment. Then, she turned and reacted similarly, only to realize it was too late.
The ice split in all directions, enormous chunks falling into the water all around, creating a snap that sent the slap of ice that Sokka and Katara were on drifting away, forcing them to hang on to remain atop it. The wind hit them so hard that it forced them to close their eyes as the water eventually calmed around them, and their slab of ice did so with it.
“Okay. You’ve gone from weird to freakish, Katara.” Sokka said with a frown.
“You mean I did that?” she asked, her face filled with awe and surprise.
“Yep. Congratulations.” He declared.
Sokka’s matter-of-fact tone and sarcastic congratulations, accompanied by his smirk, were short-lived as a humming sound came to their ears as the water beneath their slab of ice bubbled and glowed. The slight blue glow continued to grow and grow with the bubbles, making them gasp and back away to their feet as it ascended upward towards them until it eventually hit the surface with a tremor in the water. Revealing itself to be the bummock of the iceberg that was circular and glowed with light within. It shook for a few moments before steadying itself on the surface.
Shaking somewhat before settling to float peacefully, Katara stepped forward to get a better look, expressing awe at the unknown before her, while Sokka looked on with suspicion.
The more she looked at it, the more she saw figures within it, yet at the center was one that captured her full attention. The figure sat with legs crossed inward, and what appeared to be arms were in front of them, with fists touching each other. Arrows could be seen on their hands and head that glowed like the light around them and those within. This sight left Katara confused; she didn’t know what to make of it as she continued to look at the spherical structure. That was until the figure inside opened its eyes, allowing the glow to reveal some of the figure’s face to reveal the features of a male.
The sight of this made her and Sokka jump back in fright at the suddenness of the act, but with the young woman of the two speaking.
“He’s alive. They’re alive,” Katara said in awe. “We have to help them,” She determined, reaching into her brother’s parka for his club.
The suddenness caught Sokka off guard for a moment. She ran forward with the weapon and put up the hood of her parka, and her brother chased after her.
“Katara! Get back here!” Sokka shouted at her, fervently rejecting this course of action as he grabbed his spear. “We don’t know what that thing is!” he added.
With Sokka trailing behind her, Katara hopped across the ice chunks that formed a path. When she reached the end, she ran up to the glowing sphere, beginning to strike at it, with Sokka standing not far away.
The first strike left an indent. She struck again with a grunt, but it didn’t move. She hit it once more, still without luck in breaking it, grunting as she raised it again and struck again. At that moment, with the fifth strike, airy steam emerged, escaping with enough force to push her back into her brother, which made them both fall on their backside. Yet, the work was done.
Steam continued to escape, forcing cracks to emerge throughout the glowing sphere until it broke entirely with a resounding boom. A magnificent bolting pillar of blue light ascended into the sky, generating waves in the air that resembled the celestial lights observed at the deep South Pole. After a while, it became too much, to the point that she had to close her eyes and turn away. An unseen force radiated from it, sending goosebumps across Katara's skin as she felt it and heard the distant roars of tiger seals.
With that said, all she could think about as she felt this and the power radiating from it was one thing…
...what had they released from its confines and unleashed?
- Far Off In the Distance Away from the Light -
He had been standing at the bow of his ship, quietly contemplating past events as it cut through the water, when the light shot up like a lightning bolt into the sky, and the roaring of tiger seals came with it in the distance.
His wide eyes were accompanied by the one thing he could feel from it as he looked on: hope.
Hope at a chance of redemption and to come home to his nation and people in victory.
“Finally,” he said at the sight with the surprise on his face morphing into a frowning expression of resolute determination as he turned. “Uncle, do you realize what this means?” the young man asked.
“I won’t get to finish my game?” the older man asked, glancing up from the table holding his cards, steaming teapot, and teacup.
He was a gray-haired man with light skin and amber-colored eyes dressed in light fire nation attire.
His name was Iroh, and he was the uncle of the young man standing at the bow of the ship.
“It means my search is about to come to an end,” the young man said with conviction.
Iroh let out a heavy sigh, his eyes closed as if this had happened before.
“That light came from an incredibly powerful source,” the young man said, pointing toward it as it finally died out. “It has to be him,” he added as he looked back in that direction.
“Or it’s just the celestial lights,” Iroh softly countered, gesturing to their surroundings where this phenomenon was a constant. “We’ve been down this road before, Prince Zuko,” Iroh insisted. ‘Many times at that…’ he thought, glancing at his cards. “I don’t want you to get too excited over nothing,” Iroh said as he placed the air card in front of the fire card before looking up. “Please, sit. Why don’t you enjoy a cup of calming jasmine tea?” Iroh asked, offering this with a pleasant and peaceful expression.
“I don’t need any calming tea!” Zuko roared, lashing out in anger as he turned toward his uncle. “I need to capture the Avatar!” he continued before looking upward. “Helmsman, head a course for the light!” Zuko commanded, pointing.
Iroh said nothing in response to this outburst from his nephew. He merely looked on in silence as his nephew was now in that mood of his once more.
He observed for a moment before glancing at the air card in his hand, frowning slightly as he set it behind the earlier air card, which he had placed behind the fire card.
As Iroh did this, the air began to blow harshly, shaking his cards slightly—almost as if it was an aftereffect of the light.
He didn’t want to voice anything yet, fearing this might turn out to be another dead-end quest. However, he sensed something familiar about it—the light and energy surrounding it—something he had felt many years ago during his travels.
- At the Sight of the Pillar of Light -
The steam had begun to die down around Katara and Sokka. The celestial light from the broken iceberg still reigned above, but it was slowly starting to dissipate.
Here, both siblings separated to examine the cracked-open sphere when the light dimmed to a manageable level for their eyes. They glanced at the broken sphere and then at each other for a moment with worried expressions, with Sokka being the more suspicious of the two. The siblings stood up and waited in anticipation for the unknown that could conceivably emerge from whatever they had released. It was Sokka who raised his spear immediately and waited.
For a moment, Sokka hesitated with the spear as he gazed at the blue celestial energy near the upward crest of the broken iceberg. He and Katara heard slow movements on the fractured ice before the figure they had seen rose toward the crest and stood tall. His eyes and tattoos glowed with a power that inspired awe, wonder, and fear. The last of the emotions was the one of the three that prevailed for Sokka, who raised his spear once more, determination returning to him.
“Stop!” Sokka commanded.
Yet the figure of the man did not as he finally stood tall above with them beneath…
…but regardless, this did not last long.
The glow around the area, around them, and in the young man’s eyes and tattoos soon disappeared. The young man in question collapsed forward with a groan, possibly due to exertion and exhaustion, much to the gasp and worry of Katara, who ran forward to catch him before he could sustain any injuries.
She caught him without much effort, but not that he was somewhat heavy. Though that didn’t bother Katara as she tried to get a better look at him with an inspecting expression, her attempt was interrupted by Sokka poking the young man with the butt of his spear. This made her look at him with calm irritation as he continued to do it beyond what she would permit.
“Stop it!” Katara told him, her expression stern as she swatted the spear shaft away, causing Sokka to halt with a blank but embarrassed look.
She turned afterward to the young man against the ice wall as she began inspecting his features.
The young man had light skin and stood at 6’4"; he appeared in her arms to be much taller than her. Katara also noted that he felt strongly built in the arms and looked muscled and lean in his clothes. Additionally, his beautifully and elaborately designed blue arrow tattoos, which she found mesmerizing to the eyes, were captivating and made her cheeks flush with color.
The sight of him begged the question of who this young man was.
- In the Mind of a Wayward Soul -
He lay on his front, eyes closed, and could not hear or feel the cold environment around him.
Those around him looked at him with sadness and worry as a woman amongst them spoke.
“We have to leave you and your siblings behind, Aang. I’m so sorry we won’t be there for you,” the woman said, her voice soft, caring, and loving, filled with the warmth that could only come from a mother. “Look after your older sister and younger siblings, as well as those you regard as your brothers and sisters. They’ll need you as much as you need them now,” the woman added, kissing him on the forehead.
She stood up and turned to the one next to her.
“Will you guide him?” she asked.
“Always,” the other woman answered softly, her voice filled with the conviction to see this through. “All of us will in your stead. He and I are connected not just by blood but by this burden and power we share, my dear.”
“Thank you,” said the woman with a motherly voice, turning to another. “It’s almost time. Say what you will to him,” she said.
There was a moment of silence before another stepped forward. Kneeling now, he placed a caressing hand on the boy’s head as he spoke.
“You will travel far, my little Aang. But we will never leave you. Even in the face of our passing. You will make our strength your own. You will see our life through your eyes as your life will be seen through ours. The child becomes the guiding wind that is his father and mother, and the father and mother, the - The child.” he finished with choked emotions, tears running down his face as one came to fall on the head of the young man on the ground.
And then black. There was nothing after that.
- The Young Man From the Iceberg -
“Mmm…”
He began groaning as he awoke, wondering what he had heard and what it meant.
He would have thought about it further when his eyes finally opened, but that faded with what he had seen before him, which made him quietly gasp.
A young woman of a slim, healthy build with beautiful blue eyes, a fair complexion of tan skin, and long dark brown hair styled in the manner of tied-back sections. By the look of her breathtaking appearance and her clothing, his initial thought was that she had been of the Southern Water Tribe.
“I need to ask you something,” he said to her.
“What?” she asked in turn.
“Please, come closer.”
“What is it?” she asked, waiting to hear him make his request.
He was silent for a moment or two, still looking tired. Blinking a couple of times, which proved this…
…before his energy came back with a fury.
“Will you go penguin sledding with me?” he asked with a smile, looking wide awake now.
The severe air surrounding their conversation vanished instantly. The young woman looked at him in confusion as if she thought he was a bit touched in the head.
“Uh… sure. I guess,” she answered hesitantly.
He offered no words in response as she accepted the offer, and he hovered off the ice to stand. Shocking the young man with her to stand to attention with his spear as he looked around.
“What’s going on here?” he asked as he noticed the cold air and icebergs around them. ‘How strange. I could have sworn the storm wasn’t strong enough to push us this far south, even though this is where we intended to be… How in the world did we get this far…?’ he thought.
“You tell us! How did you get in the ice? And why aren’t you frozen?” the Water Tribe boy asked inquisitively.
“I’m not sure,” he answered honestly, gently swatting away the boy’s spear near his waist. ‘It’s a good question, though, because I can’t remember as of this moment…’ he thought, maintaining a calm expression much to the sound of growling coming to his ear.
The sound of it made him go rigid and come to a state of alert with a gasp before he ran up the part of the ice wall with a few grunts. He crested its peak before sliding down to the sound of more groans and moans from those who came with him on the journey before sliding down quickly to hop up and jump on his furry friend.
“Appa, are you all right?” he asked with a smile.
“Oh yeah, Aang...we're doing just FINE. No need to ask us how WE’RE doing!” another said sarcastically, emphasizing her tone.
“Yeah, Aang… real smooth,” said another person next to the woman who spoke. “Similar to how you mentioned the storm wouldn’t be severe,” he added.
The voices of the two made the young man look over at them sheepishly, accompanied by a slight chuckle that emphasized his hesitation before he spoke.
“Sorry, guys,” Aang apologized. “Are you both alright, Davaa? Kuzon?” he asked.
“Peachy,” Kuzon replied irritably, rubbing his forehead with his eyes closed.
“Yeah, I’m in agreement with Kuzon, Aang. Next time you want to get a head start on getting to my home, make sure you don’t fly us into another storm later.” Another person groaned as he stood up to help, and Aang realized it was Jaw Long. “Davaa, Heng, Kuzon, wake your friends up too; we'll need them both,” he said, causing both to groan in confirmation as they moved to stand.
Aang watched for a few more moments before turning back to Appa.
“Come on, wake up, buddy,” Aang said, messing with his friend’s eye before sliding in front of him.
He moved to turn around and began trying to lift his furry companion while straining as he did so.
As he did this, the Water Tribe woman and her male companion approached the opening to see what he was doing. This sight of what they saw surprised the man, causing him to yelp as his jaw dropped while the woman remained frozen in a much more calm manner.
He ignored both of them as he tended to Appa, and before long, he heard the growl of his friend, who lifted his head at the same time to lick him, much to Aang’s delight.
“Ha ha! Alright, you’re okay!” he said with a smile before hugging his head.
Not long after this embrace, Aang heard the serene screech of the companions belonging to both Kuzon and Davaa, which gave Aang an even bigger smile as he let go of Appa.
“What are those things?” the Water Tribe boy asked.
“This is Appa and Ginseng, mine and Heng’s flying bisons,” Aang replied, motioning to his companion as large shadows swept over him and Appa, causing the eyes of the two Water Tribe locals to widen. “As for those two, they are Fuzanglong and Longmu, dragons that belong to my friends Kuzon and Davaa, respectively,” he added proudly.
“Right… of course. And this is Katara, my flying sister,” Katara's brother said, much to the girl’s unamused expression.
Aang might have given an amused look himself until he heard something from Appa.
His sky bison began growling while curling his nose inward, a sight that Aang noted immediately as he dropped to the ground in a duck.
“Look out!” he shouted, but it was too late as Appa let out a loud sneeze.
When it was over, Aang looked up at Appa and then at the boy and girl he had met. He saw the boy covered in Appa’s green snot, which greatly disgusted him. The boy began exclaiming in utter disgust, trying to wipe it off, even dropping to the ground to rub himself on the ice. This brought amusement to Katara and Aang’s other friends, who came over, saw the situation, and laughed at the sight.
“Don’t worry. It’ll wash out.” Aang said, trying to uplift the boy’s spirit as he removed his hand from his face.
“Ugh!” was his only response as he looked at the green snot sticking to him like honey.
The sight disgusted not only Katara, who covered her mouth and her brother, who was covered in it and exclaimed his disgust, but also Aang’s friend, Hanna, who came over and saw it herself with a gag.
She couldn’t stand the sight of it and was determined to solve the problem immediately. In this regard, Hanna raised her hand toward the open water to send a large stream at and onto Sokka easily before removing it from him, leaving him dry, and sending it back into the cold, frigid waters.
“You’re welcome, by the way," Hanna said calmly, her arms crossed.
“Hmm,” the boy said in acknowledgment as he checked himself over carefully.
At this juncture, Aang walked toward them and began speaking again.
“So, do you guys live around here?” Aang asked in a friendly tone as Katara began to open her mouth.
“Don’t answer that.” her brother said, raising his spear toward Aang, much to his confusion. “Did you see that crazy bolt of light? He was probably trying to signal the Fire Navy,” he said further as he stood to his feet, much to the confusion of Aang and his companions.
“Fire Na-” Davaa started but was interrupted by Hanna, who placed her hand over her mouth to silence her with a narrowed glance.
“Oh, yeah. I’m sure he’s a spy for the Fire Navy. You can tell by the evil look in his eyes,” Katara said, her hands on her hips and her voice dripping with sarcasm that revealed her doubts.
At the same time she said this, Aang glanced out of the corner of his eye and noticed that these words forced Kuzon’s eyes to narrow as he looked at the others with a silent message they understood.
However, when Katara turned to him, Aang offered an innocent smile.
“The paranoid one is my brother, Sokka,” Katara continued, introducing her brother.
The taller boy raised a hand in quiet greeting.
“You never told us your name,” she noted while looking at him.
“I’m—” he began before something came onto his nose. “Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah-choo!”
The air around him blew harshly as Aang was sent flying, with those on the ground looking upward.
“Huh, that’s much higher than the last time it happened,” another voice said as he approached, holding a pouch in his hand and pulling out a pistachio to pop it into his mouth with a bite.
“Yep,” said another female voice as she watched Aang descend.
He gradually descended to slide on the ice and stand not far from where he previously was.
“I’m Aang,” he said, answering Katara’s question with a sniff, much to their shock, as he turned. “These are my siblings: my older sister Idha, my younger sister Yeshe, my younger brothers Toofan and Tenzin, and my baby sister Ikki,” he said, introducing them as the five of them waved.
Idha was a tall woman with gray eyes, standing at least two inches shorter than Aang. Her hairstyle featured a head shaved bald in the front, with long, untouched hair at the crown flowing toward the back, giving her a resemblance to Avatar Yangchen. However, her hair was dark brown, similar to how Aang’s would have looked had he let it grow out. She also sported intricately designed Airbender tattoos like his.
Regarding Yeshe, she was at least an inch shorter than Idha, with gray eyes and long, dark brown hair that flowed and curled. She also had similar Airbender tattoos. She was as wise as Aang was.
As for his brother Toofan, he was the same height as Yeshe. He also had gray eyes and, like Aang, kept his head completely shaved. Of all of them, he was the most muscularly built but remained just as agile, flexible, balanced, and nimble and evasive as the rest. He, too, earned his Airbender tattoos.
Tenzin, however, was the same height as Aang. He had gray eyes, a clean-shaven head, and a body in perfect physical shape. He tended to resemble their father more than their mother, being calm and stern, but sometimes, he would join in on the craziness with Aang and their siblings. He also earned his Airbender tattoos.
As for Ikki, she was the youngest of them. She possessed gray eyes and dark brown hair tied into two buns on both sides of her head, while the rest remained loose, flowing, and wild. Extremely curious and hyperactive, she resembled Aang in personality more than any of her siblings and had earned her Airbender tattoos.
“And as for the rest of these fine individuals who make up our grand band, we have Woong, Dae, Ganzaya, Hanna, Heng, Sameera, and Sanani.” Aang continued, allowing them to wave, bow, or offer vocal greetings.
First was Woong, he was a young man with jade-green eyes and long black hair. He had a handsome face with sharp features. His physique was solid, and his hands were adorned with elaborate green tattoos that resembled flowing veins of earth.
Then, second, came Dae after him. She was a great beauty of a woman with tanned skin, fern-green eyes, and curling black hair accented by two beauty marks beneath her eyes. She stood tall beside Woong, both measuring 6'3", and wore robes that were both tight and loose-fitting, suited for a desert, accompanied by a head wrap, all of which were colored to resemble the traditional Earth Kingdom green rather than the typical brown and tan colors of the desert.
As for Ganzaya, she was a young woman with striking orange-red eyes and flowing dark auburn hair that curled like flames. She stood at the same height as his sister Idha and had blue and red dragon tattoos that extended from her legs to her thighs and along her hands to her shoulders and collarbone.
Then, fourth came the next, Hanna. She was extraordinarily beautiful, with striking features and long black hair that complemented her pale blue eyes. Tall and flowing like the water she bent while walking, she exhibited an otherworldly grace when she fought; it was an art form made manifest by the spirits' grace. Dressed in Northern Water Tribe attire and donning a polar bear hat, she displayed blue and white tattoos that adorned her arms from the elbows to the shoulders, intricately designed to evoke both flowing water and koi fish scales.
Following after her in this came Heng, a young Airbender woman who was Aang’s distant cousin. She was of light skin and built physically strong like his brother Tenzin but in a feminine way that suited her physique. She stood above average height, with a voice that flowed like honey, calming to the ears. Her amber-colored eyes sparkled brilliantly with her beautifully elaborate Airbender tattoos, and she wore an Airbender necklace above her layered clothing, complemented by a long cape and shawl, both in a vivid shade of scarlet. Heng also sported a full head of hair tied into a long braid that fell to her upper back, with strands at the front that hung loosely around her face, while the sides of her head remained shaved bald.
The sixth person after Heng was Sameera. She was also an airbender, characterized by her tan skin, lithe appearance, and piercing golden eyes. Dressed in traditional airbender attire, she bore intricately designed airbender tattoos. Attached to her sash at her waist was a golden two-sided charm with a door that opened to reveal the teachings of the Air Nomad guru and poet Laghima, along with two blade hilts that fell at her hip and were used to form wind blades.
Next came Sanani, a young man with light skin, pale green eyes, and black hair. Though modified, he wore attire reminiscent of the legendary and fabled Dai Li created by Avatar Kyoshi. He paired dark pants with a court robe, the color of which differed from the Dai Li's. His robe was adorned with the Mandarin square that displayed the Earth Kingdom emblem, but its symbol, colors, and edges were shaded in dark silver. The edges that fell to his knees were shaped like petals, resembling blood drops. This look was enhanced by a modified official black summer hat crafted from metal sourced from a meteorite that fell from the night sky, gloves and shoes constructed from earthen materials, and the sole war hammer he had attached to him, hanging at his hip.
“Wangmo, Kuzon, Kyung, Nuan, Davaa, Ya-Ting, Meng Shou.” Aang continued, introducing more of his friends who made their greetings.
Wangmo was the second tallest person of their group next to Kyung, with freckled skin and dark green eyes, standing at seven feet in height, and was powerfully built. She wore airbender robes that belied the solidness of her body; her arms and back were well-defined and firm from years of training, showcasing her dedication to other pursuits outside of her airbending training. Her form-fitting airbender robes were red and gold, which complemented her long brown hair, which resembled that of his older sister Idha and highlighted her Airbender tattoos.
Then there was Kuzon, who stood with his arms crossed and a calm smirk. He had bronze-colored eyes, black hair, and light brown skin. He stood tall at Aang’s height while wearing black and bronze form-fitting armor without sleeves that highlighted the definition of his muscled arms. Added alongside this came a katana that was secured and strapped to his back.
Standing next to him was Kyung, the Kyoshi Warrior of the group. She matched Wangmo in height and wore an ornate metal headdress and a heavily armored green kimono. Her face paint, resembling that of Avatar Kyoshi, concealed her tanned skin and intimidated her opponents. This striking appearance was complemented by her dark green eyes and brown hair. She ranked among the fiercest in the group, rivaling Kuzon when he was truly provoked.
After the Kyoshi Warrior came Nuan, a woman from the Fire Nation with Bhanti and Sun Warrior heritage. She had light tan skin and dark reddish-gold eyes and wore garments of red and gold like all Sun Warriors, but with some layers of black. She also had red markings on her face and various other markings stretching across her cheeks, nose, and more. At the center of her forehead was an intricate third-eye tattoo featuring three pinkish horizontal lines surrounding it, which were more refined and curvilinear.
Next was Davaa, the Chieftess of the Sun Warriors and elder sister of Nuan. She had tanned skin, black hair, and dark reddish-gold eyes. Her body was adorned with intricate body paint, signifying her rank: red war paint encircled her eyes and extended to her forehead, complemented by a white stripe of face paint below her eyes and across the bridge of her nose. In addition, she adorned herself with a headdress and attire featuring red and gold jewelry, highlighting her position as a chief alongside a staff created especially for her based on specific instructions for its crafting.
Following her was Ya-Ting, a woman from the Southern Water Tribe. In appearance, she was the tallest among them, standing at roughly 8’4” with a striking face, teal blue eyes, brown skin, and white hair. Dressed in Southern Water Tribe garments with the pelt of a Snow Leopard Caribou draped over her head and tied around her waist, she had only one arm, and her right leg was missing up to her knee. However, she possessed a metal prosthetic right arm and leg that she could maneuver freely, as if they had always been a part of her body.
Then, there was Meng Shou. He had long black hair, pure amber gold eyes, hollow cheeks, and an athletic build. He wore a pai sho white lotus piece as a pendant around his neck and a cowl featuring a small white lotus insignia at the front. He paired this with an indigo-colored outfit with white details, a similarly colored cape, and a lotus-patterned mantle draped over his shoulders.
“As for the last of my glorious friends, we have Kilat, Jaw Long, Zixin, Raizo, Rakshasi, Noodin, Mayu Yuyan, Rabten, and last but not least, Hei-Ran.” Aang finished.
Kilat was lean yet muscular, hailing from the Lambak Clan on Lambak Island. He had tanned skin, brown hair, and blue eyes, keeping his black hair short yet flowing. He wore a streamlined black and bronze outfit, which he paired with his wanoh, modified to be tied around his waist. Although he was a nonbender, he was among the swiftest Aang had ever seen, as his name suggested. A master of hand-to-hand combat, he was a chi-blocker who carried a jian sword and four sai daggers—two sheathed at his legs and two at his waist.
As for Jaw Long, who came next, he was from the Southern Water Tribe, specifically Grey Wolf Village, but he had a Fire Nation father, which is why his name reflects the land he originated from. He was a young man with black hair, brown skin, and tangerine eyes, strong yet slim in build, and his face had a graceful quality despite his attire. Jaw Long wore the warrior's Water Tribe wolf armor, crafted from finely trimmed animal fur and consisting of several elements. The torso exhibited lunar motifs intricately woven into the fabric that covered his shoulders and chest. In contrast, the chest plate depicted a crest featuring all eight lunar phases culminating in a single waning crescent. The navy blue armor was enhanced with white trim along his metal shoulder guards, forearms, and feet for added protection.
His helmet, resembling a wolf’s head, served as a valued symbol for both Water Tribes but held even more profound significance for him as a native of Grey Wolf Village. This black helmet featured four foxtails on top, symbolizing his status as the village chieftain. Accompanying Jaw Long's attire was a black cloak and a metal shield securely strapped to his back, reinforced with bone and emblazoned with a lunar crest. Lastly, on both sides of his waist, he carried a katana and a bone club, which were fastened to his belt, completing his formidable appearance.
Following him was Zixin, another young man with light skin, lean and tall, with a thick black hair head, a calm face, and keen gray eyes. He hailed from the Lower Ring of Ba Sing Se. Like some of his companions, he was a non-bender but was quite spiritual due to having an Air Nomad mother and an Earth Kingdom father. He wore light green robes with gold trim, gifted by a lover from the Inner Ring of the Earth Kingdom’s capital. He also carried a scimitar strapped to his back, a short butterfly blade attached at the back of his belt, and a pearl-handled dagger secured at his hip that belonged to his father.
Next was Raizo, another of Aang's friends. He was a lean man with light skin, olive green eyes, and black hair that fell loosely to his neck. His attire consisted of loose black robes trimmed with dark blue, and he carried a katana alongside a kyoketsu-shoge. He was a waterbender by inheritance from his mother of the Southern Water Tribe despite his father being a firebender from the Fire Nation Capital. He was the more relaxed member of the group, often serving as a silent observer when he wasn't engaged. He was also a constant snacker, evidenced by the pouch of pistachios in his hand—a habit he adopted to keep his hands occupied and steer clear of other destructive habits.
Following him was Rakshasi, who had an otherworldly shade of snow-white hair, porcelain pale skin, and light green eyes. Although she came from the Fire Nation and wore fine, noble robes of white, gold, red, and black adorned with gold dragon designs flowing across her beautiful silks, she was an airbender—a skilled one—who chose not to receive the airbender tattoos after visiting and staying at the Western Air Temple for a time. She wore a gold necklace shaped like a dragon, set with emeralds gifted to her by her mother on her fifteenth birthday, and carried a light banana leaf fan, supposedly made from wood from the Spirit World long ago and reinforced with iron.
Then there was the fourth from last, Noodin, a young waterbender from the Foggy Swamp Tribe in the Southwestern Earth Kingdom. He didn't wear his people's traditional attire, except for his hat, and instead chose the lighter, more modest clothing of the Earth Kingdom, which complemented his light skin, black hair, and light green eyes.
The third to last was Mayu Yuyan. She was a non-bender from the Fire Nation who happened to once be a part of the Yuyan Archers as its former and dangerous commander. Mayu was a striking woman with light skin, raven black hair, dark-red lipstick, and keen, farseeing golden eyes. Her dark red tattoos ran in a strip across her eyes, flaring out over her forehead and cheeks while narrowing over the bridge of her nose. Her primary weapon was a bow and arrow, complemented by a large quiver and dual long knives for close combat if necessary.
Second to last was Rabten. He was an airbender like himself from the Northern Air Temple who had earned his airbender tattoos. Physically, he was well-built for a man his age, with a handsome face, brown-gray eyes, and a trimmed black beard. He wore air monk robes that allowed unrestricted movement and speed, complemented by a wooden necklace featuring the Air Nomad emblem and tassels.
The last among them was a woman named Hei-Ran. She had a porcelain-doll face, pitch-black hair, and piercing eyes tending toward a darker bronze than the typical Fire Nation gold. Gyatso had introduced her to him on his fourteenth birthday, and she had remained close to him ever since.
With this all being said, he turned his attention back toward those before him and only found shock in their place.
“You just sneezed and flew ten feet in the air,” Sokka said, reminding him of this beyond all he had said.
“Really? Huh, it felt higher than that.” Aang voiced nonchalantly as he turned and looked up.
He heard the boy’s sister gasp, which made him turn back to her.
“You’re an airbender,” Katara said, coming to a realization.
“Sure am, and so are my siblings and some of my friends,” Aang said, smiling with his hands out.
“Giant light beams, flying bisons, two beasts that look like dragons, airbenders- I think I got midnight sun madness,” Sokka said as he turned and walked away. “I’m going home to where stuff makes sense,” he added.
“And how exactly are you planning to do that? From what I’ve seen so far, you don’t have a canoe,” Jaw Long said, deciding to weigh in as this stopped Sokka in his tracks.
A stillness enveloped the airy expanse, where the wind howled and distant animal sounds echoed. Nevertheless, Jaw Long’s words struck deeply, confirming his correctness.
“And unless you can waterbend or swim back, the latter of which you can’t even do in these southern conditions without freezing to death, you’re practically stranded, my Water Tribe friend,” Jaw Long said further.
“Well, if they're stuck, we can give them a lift.” Aang chimed in before using airbending to lift himself in the air and onto Appa’s head. “We’re heading to the Southern Water Tribe anyway to stay with Jaw Long in his village, and it wouldn’t be much trouble to get you home and then head there.” Aang disclosed while offering much to the joy of Sokka’s sister.
“We’d love a ride! Thank you!” Katara said, quickly accepting and expressing her gratitude as she ran to get on Appa.
“Oh, no! I am not getting on that fluffy snot monster or those overgrown lizards you all have.” Sokka refused as he turned around.
“Are you hoping some other kind of monster or lizard will come along and ride you home? You know, before you freeze to death, as Aang’s friend already pointed out.” Katara said sarcastically with a smirk, waiting for him to respond.
Her brother immediately tried to do so but froze in place upon realizing he found nothing to refute what was said. He dropped his head a moment later, with a heavy sigh of defeat escaping his lips.
After letting this sink in, he silently walked over and began climbing onto Appa to sit securely in the large saddle with the others beside his excited sister with a pouty frown. Kuzon and Davaa also gave rides to some members of their groups on their mounts to ease the burden on Appa, even though he could carry all of them comfortably in the saddle.
At this moment, Wangmo leaped up to sit beside Aang, smiling with closed lips as he talked.
“Okay! First-time flyers, hold on tight. The first flight can be a little thrilling,” Aang warned calmly. “Appa, yip yip,” he called to his friend.
The sky bison grumbled before launching into the air. He soared upward with a tail flap before plummeting into the open water.
Ginseng, Fuzanglong, and Longmu had done the same; instead of flying, the two dragons and female sky bison chose to swim alongside Appa, warming the water around them as they moved through it, much to Aang's surprise as he turned back to his sky bison.
“Come on, buddy, yip yip,” Aang said, waving his reins.
“Wow, that was truly amazing,” Sokka said, his arms crossed and a hint of irony in his tone.
Katara was not amused as she looked back at him with a frown alongside Kyung and Sameera. Only in this regard was the former so unamused that she decided to act with one of her opened fans.
Kyung had waved one lightly in Sokka's direction, creating a strong gust of wind that flipped his jacket over his head, much to his shock and surprise. This elicited a chuckle from Kilat and Raizo as Aang spoke.
“Appa is just tired, and so are Fuzanglong, Ginseng, and Longmu,” Aang replied calmly. “All they need is rest, just a day at most before all three of them are soaring in the sky again. You’ll see,” Aang added with a smile.
Katara nodded toward him as Raizo quietly offered her pistachios from his pouch. She smiled and reached for some but was halted by the sensation of someone watching her. This compelled her to glance at Aang again, only to find him calmly staring back with a serene smile, almost as if he were studying her.
“Why are you smiling at me like that?” she asked him with concern.
“Oh. I was smiling?” he asked hesitantly, almost as if he were frozen a moment before.
Katara offered an amused smile as she was about to speak, but Sokka loudly groaned and laid his head back with his mouth open. This sight compelled Raizo to toss a pistachio into the Water Tribe boy’s mouth, making him jump in surprise at the unexpected act and causing everyone around him in the saddle to laugh. At the same time, Hei-Ran sighed with mild disapproval at the scene.
As they laughed, Aang smiled at the fun of it all while Wangmo took his arm and leaned close to him with a sigh.
Throughout it all, Aang never bothered to notice Kuzon’s narrowed eyes as he looked at the two Southern Water Tribe siblings, quietly assessing and reflecting on what he heard from them both.
- Iroh -
The sun was almost set to sink beneath the waves as he walked onto the bridge’s balcony far above the lower deck below. He could smell the coal coming from the silo as the ship cut through the cold waters of the south, yet that wasn’t what he was here for.
Zuko was currently at the far end, gazing into the distance. His mind was still preoccupied with the bolt of light from earlier in the day, and Iroh believed it was best to speak to him in an attempt to calm his nephew’s troubled thoughts and mind deadset on his quest that he took to with an obsession beyond that of a hunter.
“I’m going to bed now.” Iroh voiced with a yawn to emphasize this. “Yep. A man needs his rest.” Iroh voiced further, only to be met with silence.
No words were exchanged as his nephew didn’t acknowledge him, much to his dismay as he spoke again.
“Prince Zuko, you need some sleep,” Iroh told his nephew softly but firmly. “Even if you're right, and the Avatar is alive, you won’t find him,” Iroh continued. “Your father, grandfather, and great-grandfather all tried and failed,” he added, reminding his nephew of this fact.
“Because their honor didn’t hinge on the Avatar’s capture,” his nephew began. “Mind does,” Zuko emphasized with a bite in his tone. “This coward’s hundred years in hiding are over,” he said.
Iroh sighed at that as he mentioned that…
…their honor.
What honor was there in allowing Roku to die so his grandfather, Sozin, could begin this long hundred-year war?
What honor was there in his grandfather annihilating a peaceful culture of monks, consisting of men, women, and children, that in itself wiped out a civilization much older than the time of the Avatars?
And what of his father Azulon? What honor was there in his raids on the Southern Water Tribe that depleted them to near extinction?
What honor was there in his father concerning himself if the rumors were true about the command he gave Ozai concerning his nephew with whom he was standing now?
And then there was his younger brother. There was none in him, not after all he had done.
Iroh sighed once more at it all before leaving the deck to seek the comfort of his bed in his quarters. Better to rest now and try again tomorrow, and every day after that, until he could make headway with his nephew.
- Aang -
The night sky had softly settled overhead as their companions continued their trek across the icy open water. His siblings, most of his friends, and one of their new acquaintances were asleep, while Wangmo remained at his side, quietly enjoying the sight of the stars above next to him.
His mind lingered on what he had heard before waking up in Katara’s arms. What did it mean? Moreover, what did Sokka and Katara's words indicate regarding the Fire Nation? He knew tensions were rising with the westernmost nation, but what he had heard from Katara and Sokka left an uneasy pit in his gut.
He would have dwelled on it further had it not been for Katara moving up to the front of the saddle.
“Hey,” she said, greeting him.
“Hey,” he said gently.
“Katara,” Wangmo said, nodding her head. “Enjoying the night stars above us tonight?” she asked.
“I am, but I have a question for both of you about something,” Katara said.
“Okay, what is it? What’s on your mind?” Aang asked calmly.
“I guess I was wondering, since most of you being airbenders and all…if you guys had any idea what happened to the Avatar?” she asked.
The question struck a chord in Aang as his eyes widened a measure before he answered.
“Uh… no. I didn’t know him. I mean, we knew people who knew him, but we didn’t.” Aang replied, his heart jumping inwardly.
“Oh…” Katara said, her voice trailing off in disappointment.
“Yeah, same here. Sorry, Katara.” Wangmo answered slowly.
“Okay, just curious,” Katara began, moving away. “Good night to you both,” she said.
“Night.”
“Pleasant dreams, Katara.”
When the young Water Tribe woman was away, Aang allowed his mind to wander with questions concerning what he had just been asked. What did she mean by what happened to the Avatar? Just how long were they all in that Iceberg?
He looked at Wangmo with uncertainty as she wore a confused expression regarding the question they had been asked. He eventually looked away but felt as if he was being observed. Turning to his right, he spotted Kuzon, whose eyes were wide open. His friend undoubtedly heard the conversation; Kuzon always had keen ears, and the look he gave him communicated that a discussion was necessary later when they reached solid ground. Aang nodded at him before turning back to the stars and soon enough closed his eyes.
His mind soon drifted off into the realm of sleep…