Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“It’s not getting away from me this time.” The young man declared, readying his spearhead at the fish lazily roaming in the water. “Watch and learn, Kya. This is how you catch a fish!” He said proudly, looking at her over his shoulder. Kya rolled her eyes, glancing at a passing fish as it swam out from under their canoe. She thought about something. Her hand moved to pull off her left glove, reaching her bare hand out of the boat and over the water as she took a deep breath of concentration.

Her hand moved in graceful, subtle waves as the polar water began to react to her movements. It slowly began to rise up with, amazingly, the fish still in it. The water morphed into a sphere as it departed from the ocean. “Hakoda, look!” Kya said excitedly. Hakoda shushed her, “Kya, you’re going to scare it away.” He whispered, licking his lips hungrily as he prepared to try and spear the fish before him.

“But Hakoda! I caught one!” She exclaimed excitedly, moving the ball of water over the boat. Though as soon as she was going to drop the fish, the butt of Hakoda’s spear jabbed into it, launching it out of the boat and causing the freezing water to splash down onto him. He yelped.

“Why is it-“ He gasped, “That every time- hhg- you play with magic water- hhg- I get soaked?!” He hissed, laying his spear down on the canoe before clenching his fists, squeezing the water out of his gloves. She scoffed, “It’s not magic, it’s Waterbending! And it’s-“ Hakoda cut her off, “Yeah, yeah, an ancient art, unique to our culture, blah blah blah- look, I’m just saying that if I had weird powers, I’d keep my weirdness to myself.” He stated simply.

“You're calling me weird? I’m not the one who makes muscles to myself every time I see my reflection in the water.” Kya grinned, noting how Hakoda’s parka sleeve has been rolled up to his shoulder as he flexes his bicep. He turned to her, probably about to say something as the side of the canoe bashed into a clump of ice, causing the two of them to grunt in surprise.

Hakoda began to violently row the oar back and forth in the water, trying his best to steer the vessel away from the labyrinth of ice. Two pillars of ice clashed behind them, which signified that if Hakoda hadn’t started rowing, the back of the canoe would’ve been crushed. He gasped as he struggled to guide the boat, unintentionally leading it to hit against a mass of ice. “Watch out!” Kya exclaimed too late. “Go left, go left!” She continued, being tossed around in the canoe as its sides banged against pillars and platforms of frozen water.

Two clumps of ice closed in, crushing the boat into shards of wood as both Kya and Hakoda were launched onto one of the ice masses; Kya landing on her stomach and Hakoda landing on his tailbone. The girl’s body slid to the edge of the platform as the sea of ice calmed, leaving the two of them stranded.

She shifted onto her backside. “You call that left?” She hissed. “If you don’t like my steering, well, maybe you should’ve Waterbended us- out of the ice.” He replied, moving his hands in a mocking fashion of water bending.

Kya stood, looking down at Hakoda. “So it’s my fault?” She yelled, watching as Hakoda brought his knees to his chest and tucked his head in. “I knew I should’ve left you home.” He said. “Leave it to a girl to screw things up!” Kya’s brows furrowed at that blatantly offensive statement, her fists and jaw clenching. “You are the most- sexist, immature, nut-brained, — eh — I’m embarrassed to be friends with you!” She exclaimed angrily, her arms waving back in a rageful motion. Unbeknownst to her, her anger enacted the humongous pillar of ice behind to crack at its side.

“Ever since your dad, the chief, left for the war, my mom and I have been doing all the work around camp, while you’ve been off playing soldier!” She continued, the water around them wafting. “Uhm, Kya-“ He warned meekly as he pointed behind her, she cut him off. “I even wash all the clothes! Have you ever smelled your dirty socks?” Let me tell you, not pleasant ! “ She screamed, the water further cutting through the thick ice.

“Kya! Settle down!” Hakoda pleaded, his heart skipping a beat. “No! That’s it, I’m done helping you! From now on, you’re on. your. own!” With a final motion of her arms, multiple, powerful streams of water shot through the pillar of ice - only then did Kya realize what she was doing behind her own back. The pillar began to crack into numerous pieces and fall, causing the water to form into large waves and force the platform of ice that they were standing on backwards.

“Okay. You’ve officially gone from weird to freakish, Kya.” Kya blinked, “You mean, I did that?” Hakoda pulled his arm off of her shoulder, “Yep. Congratulations.” He said sarcastically.

Kya was about to retort before the water below them suddenly began to glow. They watched as the mass of light grew, seemingly rising out of the water, the two of them both standing up off of their stomachs with a collective yelp. As soon as they stood, a massive, angular glacier of luminescent ice shot out of the water and knocked them both off balance.

As the waves calmed, the mass of ice stilled to a gentle float in the polar water, falling back into its flat-side. The pair stood with bent knees as they admired it, Hakoda desperately holding onto his spear which had been stabbed into the ice the entire time. Kya took a subtle step forward, the boy reaching out to her out of instinct due to the fact that it really wouldn’t be beneficial if she fell. Kya’s eyes narrowed when she noticed a faint silhouette in the luminescent ice.

The person’s eyes opened, and the two of them gasped; Hakoda’s resembling more of a scream. “He’s alive, we have to help.” Kya noted, reaching behind Hakoda’s back and grabbing the club out of his parka. He attempted to grab her as she began to run towards the mass of ice, “Kya! Get back here!” He called out, running after her. “We don’t know what that thing is!”

Kya hopped across the path of broken ice that conveniently led her to the giant, glowing iceberg with Hakoda in tow. When she reached the giant ball of ice, she brought the club back and then swung it forward, slamming it against the ice like a lumberman cutting down a tree. She grunted with every hit, the force of her swings ricocheting back onto her bones. Hakoda could only bring himself to watch as he grasped his hunting spear nervously.

With one final swing, the ice finally broke and a surge of polar air bursted out of it; sending the two of them back - they really have been tossed around a lot already. Hakoda hugged Kya to his chest as they both sat on the ground, their eyes clenched shut due to the cold, heavy wind blowing against them. As the air calmed, a deep, jarring crack ran up the front of the iceberg, tearing it in two. As the rift came to the very top, an explosion occurred and a massive beam of light shot up into the clouds.

–

Harsh, cold waves crashed against the metal hull of the warship whilst it moved through the water at a speed only known to the nation’s highest-class ingenuity, soot and ash pouring out of its high smoke stack as the light erupting from the iceberg illuminated the sharp, golden features of the ship’s bow. A young man, around fifteen, stood atop of the ship’s deck, staring at the beam of light in the sky in awe.

“Well, there’s an opportunity.” He whispered, straightening his posture as he turned to face the other man on the deck, who was sitting at a small, wooden table. “Admiral Jeong Jeong, do you realize what this means?” The boy questioned, gesturing towards the light. “..I won’t get to finish my game?” Jeong Jeong answered.

“It means our nation’s search is about to come to an end.” He corrected as he turned back to the sight in the sky. The admiral sighed. “That light came from an incredibly powerful source.” The boy said knowingly, fiddling with a few strands of hair. “It has to be him.” Jeong Jeong interjected, “-Perhaps it’s just the celestial lights. It’s an easy misconception, Prince Ozai. I don’t want you to get too relieved over nothing.” He said respectfully, guiding his air tile above his fire tile and placing it down.

“Please, sit your highness. You need to relax after training for so long.” The admiral gestured towards the spot in front of him. “..I do not need to sit, Admiral.” The prince hissed, looking at him over his shoulder with furrowed brows. “The Avatar is the priority.” Ozai turned and looked up at the main tower of the warship as he folded his arms behind his back neatly, “Helmsmen, head a course for the light!” He ordered, his voice loud enough so that the navigation crew could hear. Jeong Jeong sighed.

–

As the cold air finally dissipated, the two of them stood with Kya grasping Hakoda’s sleeve. He held out the pointed end of his spear at the now broken ice, soon lowering it when a young boy, around the age of twelve, emerged from the small crater. Seeing him as a threat, Hakoda lifted his spear back up at the figure. “Stop!” He warned as the boy stood to his full, yet small height.

The blue light around them faded and the boy collapsed, his luminescent eyes falling closed. Kya gasped, running towards him and catching him before he hit the snowy ground. As she cradled his bald head in the palm of her glove, the blunt end of Hakoda’s spear cautiously jabbed into it. After a few hits, Kya moved her hand to push Hakoda away. “Stop it!” She asserted as she moved the tattooed boy onto his back.

The boy groaned tiredly as his eyes slowly blinked open, which were not glowing now. “I need to ask you something.” He said weakly, tired. “What?” Kya responded. “..Please, come closer.” The boy pleaded. She moved a bit closer, “What is it?” He blinked tiredly before happily asking, “Will you go penguin-sledding with me?”

“..ah, sure- I guess.” Kya spoke, watching as the boy lifted himself off the snow excitedly - as if he were aided by the wind. “..What’s going on here?” He asked, and Hakoda responded with a yell, “You tell us! How did you get in the ice? And why aren’t you frozen?” He poked the boy with his spear. “I’m not sure.” He said as he pushed the blade away.

A tired growl erupted from the small ice crater, alerting the tattooed boy and which made him climb up the wall of ice and back into the hole. “Appa!” They heard him exclaim as he jumped on the furry behemoth that was apparently his friend. “Are you alright? Wake up buddy!” The boy tried to pry the giant animal’s eyelids open, but when he did, they simply just closed again. He jumped off and landed in front of the beast’s mouth, moving his hands beneath its upper lip and trying to pry its mouth open.

Kya and Hakoda came around the corner of the ice as their eyes fell upon the intimidating sight, their jaws going lax in utter shock and disbelief. After a few tugs, the beast’s mouth opened and lifted the boy off the ground with its massive tongue; yawning. The boy laughed gingerly, “You’re okay!” He exclaimed, turning and hugging the bison’s nose. As he stepped away, the beast began to get up on its four- no, six feet.

“What is that thing?” Hakoda interrogated, pointing its spear at it. “This is Appa,” He responded, “My flying bison!” The older boy didn’t believe that for a second. “Right. And this is Kya, my flying best friend.” He said sarcastically.

“So, do you guys live around here?” The boy asked- “Don’t answer that.” Hakoda urged, pointing his spear at the mysterious little kid. “Did you see that crazy bolt of light? He was probably trying to signal the Fire Navy!” - “Oh, yeah. I’m sure he’s a spy for the Fire Navy. You can tell by that evil look in his eye.”

The boy blinked and proceeded to put on the most purposefully suspicious little grin on the planet. “The paranoid one is my friend, Hakoda. You never told us your name.” Kya said, smiling. “I’m- ah-! Ah!- aH–” He seemed as though he was having an aneurysm before he finally sneezed, somehow shooting himself up into the air like a rocket. He came back down soon after, sliding on his heels and landing up-right. “I’m Aang!” He said happily, as if he didn’t just go flying.

“You just sneezed- and flew ten feet in the air!” Hakoda exclaimed. “Really? It felt higher than that.” Aang responded. Kya gasped in realization, “You’re an Airbender.” - “Sure am.” Aang confirmed. “Giant light beams, flying bison, Airbenders– I think I got the midnight sun madness.” Hakoda stated, walking away from the group. “I’m going home to where stuff makes sense-”

Then, Hakoda realized that there was no way home - they were stranded. “..Well, if you guys are stuck, Appa and I can give you a lift.” The Airbender suggested, flying up on the bison’s head. “We’d love a ride!” Kya thanked, running up to Appa’s side so she could get on. “Oh, no- I’m not getting on that fluffy monster.” Hakoda said. “Are you hoping some other kind of monster will come along and give you a ride home? You know, before you freeze to death.” He opened his mouth to speak, lifting his hand to point at her as he argued - but then, he realized that she did have a point. A really good point at that. He sighed and climbed onto the sky bison.

“Okay. First time flyers, hold on tight.” Aang instructed as he took the reins in his hands. “Appa, yip yip!” The bison roared and flapped its tail in response, proceeding to float off the ground and into the air ..before it flopped back down into the water. “Come on Appa, yip yip!” He said. “Wow, that was truly amazing.” Hakoda spoke with a copious amount of sarcasm, leaning against the back of the saddle.

“Appa’s just tired. A little rest and he’ll be soaring through the sky! You’ll see.” Aang claimed as he waved his hand in the air as to mimic Appa’s flying.

–

The prince stood on the upper deck of the warship’s tower, the smoke stack above him pouring out a cloud of soot and ash as he stared off into the distance. It was clear that he was thinking about the Avatar and his potential return - and how his potential capture could prove his worth to his father. He considered himself lucky, he had only been at sea for half a year and he had already found what he was searching for. He set off on his own accord of course, as much as his father would like to banish and discard him, it just wasn’t practical to. Ozai worked best as a substitute for his older brother; a stay-at-home prince , his brother handled the affairs of war whilst he handled the affairs of the country.

“I’m going to rest now.” The Admiral said, kneeling in respect to the Fire Lord’s second heir. “Prince Ozai, you need some sleep. If you are right and the Avatar is alive, there is a chance that you won’t find him. Not that I am undermining you or your family’s prowess, your father and grandfather all tried and failed.” Ozai crossed his arms, shifting his gaze to the ship’s deck. “You’re dismissed, Admiral Jeong Jeong.”

–

“Aang. Aang, wake up!” Kya insisted, gently nudging the boy’s arm with the toe of her snow boot. Aang gasped and pushed the animal-skin blanket off of himself as he shot up, his heart racing from the aftermath of a nightmare. In the nightmare, there was a storm harboring a murky red sky, it was hot; unbearably hot - as if he were training with Kuzon, but Kuzon’s flames were never this scolding. Lightning that seemed to be targeted at him and heavy rain hindered his view, Kuzon’s flames could never turn into lightning. The last thing he remembered from the dream was his hand slowly releasing Appa’s rein, and then it was cold, as if the flames had been put out permanently.

“It’s okay,” Kya said. “We’re in the village now. Come on, get ready- everyone’s waiting to meet you!” She stood and gestured towards the outside of the tent, moving to turn before she paused and looked back at Aang as he was putting his cloak back on. She noticed the prominent streaks of blue that were printed on his legs, arms and the back of his head, she had read about them before - Airbender tattoos. She smiled and grabbed him by the wrist just as he finished getting dressed, leading him out of the tent.

She brought him past Hakoda, who was currently sharpening his boomerang on the ground like a loser, and to the \crowd formed in a half circle. She started by introducing him, “Aang, this is the entire village -” Which was a medium-sized crowd of all different age groups, there was also a dog of some kind. “Entire village, Aang.” She said enthusiastically as the Airbender brought his hands together and bowed in a respectful gesture. They seemed weary of him for some reason.

“Uh.. why are they all looking at me like that?” Aang whispered, worried that he may have given the wrong impression. Did he do the wrong greeting gesture? Or- “Did Appa sneeze on me?” He looked himself over, trying to find where the snot was as a woman in her early fifties from the crowd approached them. “Well, no one has seen an Airbender in seventy years. We thought they were extinct, until my daughter and her friend found you.” She said. “Extinct?” Aang questioned, his thoughts beginning to fill with immense worry. The Air Nomads were extinct ?

“Aang, this is my mother.” Kya said happily, gesturing towards the woman in front of them. “Call me Gran-Gran.” She said as she noticed her daughter’s friend walk up and snatch the boy’s staff. “What is this, a weapon? You can’t stab anything with this.” Hakoda slandered, shifting it from one glove to another. “It’s not for stabbing.” He responded, forcing the wooden pole out of the other’s hand with a sharp gust of wind. “It’s for Airbending.” To emphasize his point, fan-like wings shot out of the sides of the staff to resemble a kite or a glider.

“Observe.” Aang announced, grabbing the sticks of the wings and moving the glider behind his back. After a moment to resituate his footing, the Airbender suddenly shot up into the air with a sharp woosh. A few of the villagers gasped in amazement as he flew around in the air like a fish in water. He swooped to the ground and flew directly past the group playfully, wanting to further entertain the children. Without distraction, he swirled around the strange snow tower that was Hakoda’s and flew high into the air before landing with a few fumbling steps.

“That was amazing!” Kya exclaimed, walking up to him as he twirled the staff to close it. “Great. You’re an Airbender, Kya’s a Waterbender- together you can just waste time all day long.” Hakoda muttered, rolling his eyes to hide that he was in fact impressed by Aang’s display. “You’re a Waterbender!” Aang exclaimed, turning to Kya. “Well, sort of. Not yet.” She responded. ‘Gran-Gran’ was heard behind her, “Alright, enough playing. Come on, Kya. You have chores.”

She turned and walked towards her mom, the woman moving to gently grab her hand and walk her along. As they left, Kya spoke up excitedly - “I told you. He’s the real thing, mom! I finally found a bender to teach me.” She was referring to Aang of course, and while yes, he was a bender, her mother wasn’t exactly confident in him.

“Kya, try not to put all your hopes in this boy.” She warned, stopping in her steps. “But he’s special, I can tell! I sense he’s filled with much wisdom.” Kya urged, turning her head to look at Aang who she was expecting to be doing something smart, but instead he had his tongue stuck to his staff in a circle of children.

–

The prince took a deep, wakening breath, drawing his hands up in front of himself as he shifted his left heel backwards; an offensive stance. A defensive stance on the other hand, is something that he surmised that he would never use, who would he have to defend himself from? In his viewpoint, there are only five or so benders in total that could oppose him: his father, brother, potentially a master Waterbender, potentially a master Earthbender, and the Avatar. Though, it is a fact that fire is the strongest of all elements, so he could probably scratch off two on that list. Maybe three if his brother was finally shot down.

He narrowed his eyes, studying the two soldier’s in front of him; two lieutenants that were hand-picked to train with him. The admiral was off to the side, observing with hands folded behind his back formally. “Again.” He announced sternly, and Ozai took the initiative to release scolding flames out of his fingertips, noting how the two soldiers lifted their hands to deflect the fire. He turned into a crouch as the one on the left moved to shoot flames out of his fist, ducking expertly before leaping into the air as the one on the right attempted to ignite his feet. He shifted in the air and guided his fist towards the first attacker, the bright flames flowing out of his fist like a whip.

The lieutenant stretched his arms out, attempting to warp the fire before being knocked back onto his heels. He fumbled with his footing as he really did not want to fall, but alas, he did. Simultaneously as fire left his fist, the prince conjured flames out of the toe of his boot, trailing it through the air as an attack intended for the other lieutenant. He managed to turn just in time to land on his feet, his right knee sinking to the ground just a slight before he straightened out. Only one soldier was left standing, one hair hung in front of his eyes.

Jeong Jeong bowed his head approvingly, unfolding his hands as he walked towards the prince. “Very good, my prince, power in Firebending comes from the breath, not the muscle.” He spoke, forcing his hand out to punctuate his point. “The breath becomes energy in the body, the energy extends past your limbs and becomes fire. You have remembered this time - just one hair out of place.

The prince grit his teeth, his brows furrowing as he fumbled to fix the strand that had fallen away from his usually perfect, sharp bangs. “I wish to do it again, this time, perfectly.” He seethed. Jeong Jeong sighed, he was even more impatient than his other student who shall not be named, but we all know who. “I urge you to stop for now and rest, you’ve been drilling this sequence all morning.”

Ozai turned to him, his fists clenching as he took a step forward. “The sages tell us that the Avatar is the very and entirely last Airbender. He must be over eighty years old by now, he’s had almost a century to master the four elements. I’ll need to be more than perfect to defeat him. I will do the sequence again.” It was somewhat heart-breaking to the Admiral that a boy of his age, fifteen, was already so obsessed with perfection. Though, he had no right to question the Fire Lord’s way of raising his children. “Very well,” He said, “Perfection.”

–

There were… so many penguins- a sea of them even. A group of them dived into the water off in the distance, while the others lingered on the snow, occasionally flapping their four little paddle-like arms.

“Aang!” Kya called out amongst the penguins, he had run off chasing one so this was a good place to start in finding him. Faintly, she could hear him laughing, “Come on, little guy!” He said as he slowly chased after a small group of penguins, moving to try and grab one when the others fled. “Wanna go sledding?” As he tried to wrap his arms around one, the penguin swiftly jumped away which led him to flop onto his stomach.

As Kya walked up, he got up to his feet with the use of his Airbending. “I have a way with animals.” He declared sheepishly, before loudly imitating a penguin. “Yack! Yack! Yack!” He mimicked, stiffening his arms to portray a penguin’s. Kya laughed whole-heartedly at that, “Aang, I’ll help you catch a penguin if you teach me Waterbending.” She proposed as Aang had already attached himself to a penguin’s tail, letting himself get dragged in the snow. “You’ve got a deal!” He exclaimed as he let go, “ Just one little problem- I’m an Airbender, not a Waterbender.” He said, emphasizing himself with a gust of wind to lift himself onto his knees. “Isn’t there someone in your tribe who can teach you?” He asked.

“No, you’re looking at the only Waterbender in the whole South Pole.” She dipped her head, thinking about the raids that had been inflicted on her tribe in previous years. “This isn’t right- a Waterbender needs to master water… What about the North Pole? There’s another water tribe up there, right? Maybe they have Waterbenders who could teach you!” He suggested happily, gesturing towards the north.

“Maybe, but we haven’t had contact with our sister tribe in a long time. It’s not exactly ‘turn right at the second glacier’- it’s on the other side of the world.” Aang interjected, “But you forget, I have a flying bison. Appa and I can personally fly you to the North Pole! Kya, we’re gonna find you a master!” While she was grateful and happy about the offer, she was worried, “ That’s– I mean… I don’t know, I’ve never left home before.”

“Well, you think about it.” Aang suggested. “But in the meantime, can you teach me to catch one of these penguins?” He asked, clenching his fists in excitement. “Okay. listen closely, my young pupil. Catching penguins is an ancient and sacred art. Observe.” Out of nowhere, she pulled out a small fish and threw it to him. As he caught it, the penguins began to swarm around him for the fish. Being out-numbered, Aang toppled to the ground with a childish laugh as the penguins began to completely dog-pile him.

~

A couple moments later, after they managed to catch two different penguins and hopped on, they launched themselves off the edge of a short cliff with a synchronized, excited yell. They both landed neatly without harm to the penguins and kept on sliding down the snowy hill-side, Aang taking a short detour by guiding his penguin up a naturally-made ramp. With the lift, he managed to fly over Kya and her penguin, quickly landing in front of her and down a sharp dip in the hill that acted sort of as a slide.

Despite being a few feet apart, she managed to catch up to Aang by using that same slide as her own ramp due to her momentum. The two of them erupted into more childish, happy laughter. “I haven’t done this since I was a kid!” She exclaimed, turning her head to look at him. “You still are a kid!” He responded, leading her into an ice cavern filled with different tunnels.

They slipped and slid along the walls of the tunnel, light peeking from the natural holes in the ice illuminating their path. Nearing the exit, Aang took it upon himself to not lose - practically cheating as he used his Airbending to push himself forward and past Kya. As they came to a stop, they climbed off the two penguins and let them waddle back to the rest of the colony.

Just as he was about to turn to Kya, something caught his eye - something large, imposing, and metal. Definitely something he hadn’t ever seen before. He marveled in amazement, staring up at the iron vessel which was being supported off the snowy ground by pillars and obelisks of man-made ice. “What is that?” He questioned, completely enthralled by the thing before him.

“A Fire Navy ship… and a very bad memory for my people.“ Aang stared up at the torn, waving flag of the ironclad ship, studying its dark insignia as she responded. Kya could remember the numerous raids the Fire Nation inflicted on the South, slaughtering countless amounts of innocents and subjugating countless amounts of Waterbenders; including her mother’s best friend, Hama. They had stopped for now, but there still is the reality of them continuing.

Aang began to walk towards the ship. “Aang, stop!” Kya yelled, reaching out to him. “We’re not allowed to go near it. The ship could be booby-trapped!” Aang looked back and smiled calmly, “If you want to be a bender, you have to let go of fear.” He said, quoting something the monks use to tell him all the time in order to sound smarter. Kya winced, soon slowly letting herself follow him into the abandoned ship. They both stared up in awe at the ship’s massive size and height as they walked up, there was something unbearably intimidating about it.

Aang helped her climb up onto the clumps of ice and into the hole in the ship’s side, leading her into the frozen, old corridors that smelled of metal and dust. They looked at all of the vents and pipes and couldn’t help but wonder how the ship managed to stay afloat with all the weight it probably had. Passing a few rooms and a ladder that led up to the deck, they soon entered a medium-sized room that seemed to act as a weaponry.

“This ship had haunted my tribe since my mother was a little girl- it was part of the Fire Nation’s first attacks.” She said it as if he knew about what the Fire Nation did, and honestly, he was confused. From what he knew, there were no attacks; and the Fire Nation was peaceful. “..Okay, back up.” The boy responded, walking up to a spear-like weapon and grabbing a hold of it. “I have friends all over the world, even in the Fire Nation. I’ve never seen any war!” He asserted, his brows furrowed in confusion.

Okay, now Kya was confused. “Aang, how long were you in that iceberg?” She questioned, worried. “..I don’t know, a few days maybe?” A good guess, but no. “I think it was more like seventy years.” She implied. “What? That’s impossible! Do I look like an eighty two year old man to you?”

“Think about it- The war is seventy years old, you don’t know about it, because… somehow you were in there the whole time. It’s the only explanation.” She elaborated, Aang’s eyes widened in shock and understanding. Slowly, he moved down to the floor, “Seventy years.” He muttered as Kya moved to crouch down beside him. “I can’t believe it.” – “I’m sorry Aang. Maybe, somehow, there’s a bright side to all this.” Kya said, placing a hand on his shoulder to comfort him. “I did get to meet you.” He responded optimistically, they both smiled.

“Come on, let's get out of here.” She grabbed a hold of his hand and brought him to his feet. The two of them walked out of the weaponry and into the hall, continuing to pass different rooms and separate compartments. After a few minutes, it was clear that the eerie, haunting place was getting to Kya- but obviously not Aang. He kept on wanting to explore the ship, maybe because he was an Air Nomad; they have a thing for searching new places to go.

“Aang, let’s head back. This place is creepy.” She said as Aang led both of them into another room. Aang seemed oblivious to everything other than the walls of the room while he shifted his foot into a random pile of snow, which was concealing a trip-wire. Curse you, Kya, you were right about the booby-traps. The activation of the trip-wire triggered a barred door to fall behind them, trapping the pair inside the room.

“What’s that you said about booby-traps?” He quizzed, rhetorically, he obviously remembered what she said because now he was cursing himself for not listening to her. Around them, the pipes began to rattle and clank as the needles on the manometers fidgeted and twitched. Something was being sent through the pipes. And due to the ship being around seventy years old, air in the different pipelines began to seep out. Then, it stopped. That was… bad. The pause surely meant something had happened, and it did. Out of the window, they watched as a burning flare was launched into the sky; notifying anyone, primarily the Fire Nation, of their presence in that Tui-forsaken ship. “Uh oh.” Aang said bluntly, and uh oh is correct! Ding ding ding!

He turned and spotted a hole in the room’s roof that led to the outside, oh how convenient is that. “Hold on tight!” He exclaimed, moving to grab Kya. He brought her into his arms and lifted himself out of the hole with his Airbending.

Off in the far distance, the prince observed the flare intently through his spyglass, trailing it downwards to catch the sight of his target; the Avatar. He kept the instrument trained on him as the supposed old man quickly floated down the different sections of the old warship’s tower in a haste, attempting to escape with, from what he could see, a person in his arms. “The Last Airbender. Quite agile for his old age.” He noted, narrowing his eyes attentively.

He turned away from the spyglass, facing the two privates stationed by the doorway. “Wake the Admiral.” He ordered, his tone on the verge of a yell as he gripped the wrist of his arm guard, rolling his hand around in its socket. As one of the soldiers quickly saluted and ran into the lower levels of the deck, he turned back and lowered his voice into a quiet, subtle mutter, “Tell him I found the Avatar.” His eyes trailed to the west, to the village.

“As well as his hiding place.”

Chapter Text

       Aang and Kya came running back to the village after their situation in the abandoned ship. He followed behind her as he struggled running in the snow in his pulu shoes, her snow boots offering a better advantage. They came up to a small pathway between the village wall, where a small entryway had been carved out from the ice and densely packed snow, supported open with whalebone posts. 

She grabbed Aang by his wrist and pulled him next to her, turning to him in a nervous manner. “Okay, if anyone asks anything, even my mom, tell them we were just out feeding penguins.” 

He looked at her weirdly. “We can’t lie! We should just say the truth; we were out exploring an abandoned Fire Nation ship. I even roped you into it.” 

“It doesn’t matter!” Kya said, “If my mother finds out, she’ll murder me!” She released his wrist then and walked through the passageway in the village wall, leaving him there to fumble over the moral predicament. He followed her soon after. She quickly strode past the other people in the village, practically leaving Aang in the snowy dust as she hung her head low to avoid eye contact with anyone. 

She halted in her tracks when she heard the sound of her name, and slowly turned to face the speaker. Her mother motioned for her to come over as she held open the flap of their tent. Kya glanced over at Aang, who was beside her at that point, with an uncomfortable expression. He returned the look. 

“Do you need us, mom?” She asked, shifting in her stance. Kanna held a worried, downcast demeanor, her lips pursed together and her brows furrowed. She shook her head, “No, just you. We need to talk about something.” She said, turning and walking into the large tent, indicating that she should follow. 

“Uhm, bye, Aang.” Kya said and she raised her hand in a waving gesture. He waved back as she hesitantly walked into the tent to talk to her mother. He was left on his own then and just sort of stood there for a moment, looking around and taking in the new scenery he hasn't exactly looked at yet. After a few minutes, he figured that he should go and find Appa, catch up on lost time he guessed, since they had been frozen for seventy years. 

₊˚.༄

Aang lounged in an ice formation that sort of looked like a lopsided bear head, he laid in the top circle that resembled the right ear and Appa was curled up in the bottom circle that resembled the face. His bison yawned roaringly. 

“Yeah, I like her too.” Aang sighed, tapping the edge of his staff against the ice as his eyes shifted place to place. Once he looked far enough to the right, he sat up with a gasp - there was a small fleet of three large ships pushing through the water right towards the village. 

“The village!” He exclaimed, turning and hopping off of the ice and sliding downwards to the ground. “Appa, wait here!” He said, scrambling to open his glider and take off into flight. 

₊˚.༄

His heart was pounding - danger and potentially death was only moments away. As he slipped the leather arm coverings on, straightening out the finger holes, he questioned why he was perfecting it. There was no reason to, was the enemy really going to examine his handiwork of dressing himself as they’re incinerating him? 

He tied strings around his wrists and slipped on his boots along with the other warriors of the tribe, thankfully, he wasn’t alone. He steadied his hand as he applied his face paint, dipping his index and middle finger into the black ink and drawing it beneath his eye. 

When he was done, he slipped his boomerang in its sheath and looked at his other warriors. All of them were older than him, around two to ten years. Despite the difference in ages, they all harbored the same thoughts in mind. In the past, the Fire Nation was ruthless to their tribe - who says, after ten years of terrifying peace, that this’ll be different?

.ೃ࿐𖤓

The prince positioned his arms outwards as the servants pressed the black steel of his chest-plate against his body, clicking the two pieces of armor together and binding them beneath his shoulders. They tied together the strings of his boots, securing them to the greaves of his armor. 

The neck guard was set down onto his shoulders, settling onto his shoulder pauldrons neatly. As the servants moved to secure the strings beneath his arms, he brought his hands together behind his hair, drawing it up from his collar and letting it drop down to his back. 

He dismissed the helmet that was offered, he didn’t need it.  If the Southern Tribe even had any warriors left to defend itself, they were inadequate. The bottom of the blasting jelly barrel. They had practically been beaten into a corner during the raids. Which he found ironic, they were defeated while surrounded by their own element. 

₊˚.༄

A cold wind swept through the opening of Hakoda’s tent, nearly extinguishing the flame held in his tent’s lantern. He took a deep breath and grabbed his whalebone blade, running out from his tent and joining with the other warriors.

The small group stood in front of the makeshift gate of densely packed snow and ice surrounding the village, weapons like spears, bows and arrows, blades, and clubs in hand. Collectively, they stared off into the sea of fog that would hide the approaching enemy until they got into a twenty-yard radius; which made it even more terrifying. They had little to no preparation, they were practically taken off guard by the whole thing, and they had no idea when or where the Fire Navy was going to attack. 

“Do you see anything?”

 “No.” 

Then, finally, an explosion was heard.

It was akin to the sound of a large flat of ice being split in half but much, much louder. The children along with their parents came to a halt, stopping their chores and activities. Kanna stood and gasped, she knew that sound.

The initial explosion was followed by a deep, loud rumbling that seemingly got closer and closer. The ground beneath the village shook and trembled, knocking off loose snow from Wolf Cove’s wall. Villagers scrambled to grab their and others’ children and run to any nearby hiding place or escape route such as their tents; there were no capable benders to protect them - the Fire Nation took care of that long ago - and most were unsure if the tribe’s defenders could protect them. All they had were weapons after all. 

Kya found herself running into the clearing. And, with what she could see, she knew the warriors were seeing something much, much more terrifying. Three, three silhouettes, three warships broke through the fog, towering over the small group like a great, three-headed hydra. 

There was one ship in the middle, and with or without perspective it seemed to be the largest one. Hakoda stumbled; he had never seen something as large as this before, apparently, the Fire Navy had improved both the size and speed of its vessels. The sound of the violent cracking and breaking of ice shot through his spine as the main warship pressed forward, the others staying behind and halting around the perimeter. 

“Mom, get inside!” Kya yelled over the noise,  running over to her mother. A large crack in the ice formed from the force of the warship’s bow dashed and shot through the ground, making its way past the tribe’s wall.. 

Then, it stopped. The ship, the rumbling, they both stopped – and the ice wall protecting the village remained intact. It was eerily silent for a moment as the warriors gazed at the gigantic vessel before them: the most prominent distinction was the red, triangular-shaped flag flying above the warship akin to some type of blood-stained crown. There was a black sea raven woven into the flag; the insignia of the Southern Raiders. 

The flag was clean- or it seemed to be. It was as if it was specifically designed to hide the blood spilled in the name of what that insignia stood for, red can fade into red - yet red soaks into snow, and cannot be drained. 

It stayed quiet until the ship’s bow suddenly detached from the rest of the vessel, dropping to the ground slowly with a metallic creak. The tip of the bow landed neatly on the flat of ice before the village’s wall. Steam, presumably from the engines, wafted out of the ship’s opening, concealing the three figures standing atop the staircase who stood at unequal heights. As the steam dissipated, the individual standing in the middle walked forward.

He was young, probably as old as Hakoda, if not younger by a year or two. His hands were folded behind his back diplomatically and calmly, and his expression held no ill-intent or spite usually seen from Fire Nation leaders. There was something golden along the lines of a headpiece seated in his top knot; a crown, the distinction between Fire Nation royalty and “peasants”. In some perspectives, it might have looked like a leaf that had been riddled by the effects of autumn, leaving it gold in pigment. In other perspectives though, it resembled a flame, not of life, but of destruction. 

Hakoda had to restrain himself from immediately attacking him, and he was sure the other warriors wished to do the same.  

The prince had made his way off of the staircase and stopped in front of the warriors, who had already formed a defensive position in front of the village gates. He kept his regal composure as he then unexpectedly bowed to the warriors’ acting leader, an older man by the name of Igaluk - whom the chief had personally appointed before he left, to stay behind and protect the village with a few other men. 

“Greetings and respects,” He said, his hands forming into the traditional Fire Nation hand gesture. “I am Prince Ozai of the Fire Nation, and on its behalf, I am searching for someone that your tribe may have.” He lifted his head and straightened himself, expecting an answer that didn’t come. No one responded, so he continued: “He’d be about that age, master of all elements.” He gestured to Igaluk. “… probably older.” 

No response, again. He blinked, staring blankly back at them in frustration. He was halfway considering just burning the entire village to the ground when Aang came gliding past him, the tip of the glider’s wing missing him by a mere fraction. 

Aang quickly landed and fumbled a bit, struggling to gain his footing due to how fast he was going on his glider. As he turned towards Ozai, he quickly closed his staff and moved it out in front of him, wielding it like a weapon despite saying it wasn’t one earlier.

Ozai stood there, utterly stunned by what just happened. His hair had been messed up due to the force of the wind that blew past him, nothing could’ve prepared him for that. He looked to Aang, still processing what just happened. It took him a few moments before he had finally processed it all and spoke again. 

“You’re the airbender? You’re the Avatar ?” He questioned, looking him up and down skeptically. Ozai then suddenly broke into a snickering, boyish laughter, “I was thinking you were going to be an old man, Avatar, but it turns out you’re just a mere child.” Aang relaxed his staff in his hands, tilting his head in confusion. “..But you’re just a teenager.” He said, perplexed with the irony of the statement. 

“...Yes,” Ozai muttered, his voice still discordant from laughing. “Anyways, Avatar. I have been instructed to bring you back to the Fire Nation with me, as commanded by the Fire Lord himself.” Aang blinked, confused - and somewhat honored in a weird way. “You have?” Ozai nodded. “There’s usually a process to this, but you’ve been gone for way over half a century, you know.” 

“Please, you’re from the Fire Nation, the enemy. Why should we trust you?” Igaluk hissed, the grip he had on his weapon tightening.  The look in Ozai’s eyes flashed from annoyance to faked surprise, something that Aang missed. “Oh! You, you people don’t know… Well, that explains the aversion.” Igaluk frowned, “Know what?” 

“The war’s… over. It has been for  the past several years, and my father, Fire Lord Azulon, wishes for the Avatar’s presence in the reconstruction. Even if he’s only a child, I’m sure he’d have some type of useful input. He’s the only one here who knows of an era of peace.” Hesitantly, Aang stepped forward and let his staff fall to his side. “How do I know you’re telling the truth? How do I know you’re not tricking me?” 

Ozai crossed his arms, letting a pensive expression fall upon his face. “Well, for one there hasn’t been an attack on this tribe for ten years, and there have been absolutely zero Imperial Fire Navy ships in these waters since then. I’m sure your friends here can confirm that. Besides, why would I even try to be this diplomatic and calm if my main objective was to destroy you? Just sounds like an unnecessary effort to me.”

Aang stopped to think for a moment, no one was denying that there weren’t any Fire Nation raids, nor that there hadn’t been any Fire Nation ships since ten years ago. Though, the other claim seemed bold. He couldn’t explain it, but there was some type of coldness in the boy’s eyes despite being a firebender. But, he was just a guy; a teenager. Why would someone as young as him have a reason to lie?

His eyes darted from place to place as he thought all of this out, he had never really been given a choice as important as this. He was afraid that he would make the wrong decision, and there was some type of feeling in his gut that told him to not trust anything Ozai said. Then again, his gut was also responsible for getting him encased in ice for seventy years. Ignoring the hunch, he started walking towards him. 

“Aang!” Hakoda yelled, the sudden change in tone straining his voice as he pushed in front of Igaluk. Aang turned his head to face him. “Come on, are you sure about this?” He pleaded, and Aang nodded, giving him a reassuring smile. Ozai let his arms fall to his sides as Aang passed by him. He took a moment to bow his head to the villagers before turning and following the other boy up the stairs. 

When he reached the top of the staircase, Aang turned and gave a happy little wave to all of them, specifically Kya and Hakoda, even if Kya couldn't see him behind the gate. “Please, take care of Appa for me!” He exclaimed as Ozai steadily passed by him, his hand raised in a gesture for the ship’s bow to be drawn in and closed. 

₊˚.༄

“We should go after those ships, Hakoda.” She said bluntly. “He was lying, I’m sure of it.” A few feet behind her, Hakoda was carrying something looking like a bundled-up blanket – which could maybe be holding something in it, and it most likely was.  They were both standing on the shore line where the fishermen typically went out to sea from, their ships all docked with rope tied to bone stakes. 

Fluidly, he sat the object down somewhere and turned to her, lifting his hand as he prepared to speak. “Kya, I-” She interrupted, “Why can’t you just realize he’s on our side? We both know how horrible the Fire Nation is, imagine what they’ll do to Aang! I know you don’t really like him, but we as people owe him and-” 

 “..ohmyspirits- , Kya! Are you going to yell all day or are you coming with me?” He shouted, gesturing to a stolen fishing canoe, which was already packed with supplies they would need to get Aang back. She turned, blinking with a surprised look on her face. “Oh, Hakoda, I-''  –  “Yeah, yeah, get in the canoe.” He muttered abruptly, turning his head away. 

“What do you two think you’re doing?” Kanna appeared behind them, catching them in the act of basically running away. They both turned with equally guilty looks on their faces. “You’ll need these, you have a long journey ahead of you.” She added warmly, holding out a bundle of blankets. After Aang had been formally banished from the village and Kya stormed off in an angered, emotional haze, she had forced herself to think. 

Her daughter was talented, extremely talented. She was smart, perceptive, and strong; she was a waterbender in a world where the Southern style hadn’t been seen for far more than a decade. And with Hakoda, and possibly Aang, she would be safe. 

“It’s been… long, since I’ve been hopeful,” Kanna said, walking up to the two of them, “but you brought it back to life, my little waterbender.” She leaned in and hugged Kya, who tenderly reciprocated it. “And you, Hakoda, be nice to my daughter.” She added as she released her. “Yes ma’am.” He responded, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. 

“Aang is the Avatar; he’s the world’s only chance. You both found him for a reason,  your destinies are now intertwined with his.” They looked at each other, unsure. Kya turned and gestured to the small little boat with an outstretched hand, “There’s no way we’re going to catch a literal warship with a canoe.” She said.

As if prompted, Appa slowly came into view atop a small hill, roaringly loudly as if to announce his arrival. “Appa?” Kya asked excitedly, eagerly running up to the large animal. Hakoda stayed put along with Kanna, standing there with a somewhat unnerved expression. “This is gonna be so uncomfortable.” He muttered, he wasn't exactly used to the unnecessary size of Appa. Slowly, he gathered his wits and began collecting some of the supplies that he had packed inside the canoe.

.ೃ࿐𖤓

It was far different from what he had seen in the other warship, which made sense - that ship was probably over thirty years old, whilst this one seemed brand new. The metal used for the multiple decks, piping, and the interior walls and flooring were much shinier and less rusted. It was strange for Aang, to be honest. He had never been in a room like this before, surrounded by metal in a room full of unfamiliar people with unfamiliar attire and accents. At least the chairs were comfortable though. 

“Cedar?” He heard the boy sitting next to him ask something, practically ripping him from his inner narrative. He looked at him, he was holding his staff. He watched as the boy’s nail slowly traced the lines and imperfections in the wood, occasionally skipping over a line or two embedded in the staff. He was holding it delicately as if it were some ancient artifact -  and really, it was. 

“Yeah, my Airbending mentor handcrafted it for me,” Aang responded, stretching a hand out for the staff. Ozai looked at him, and then handed it back. He took the staff with a smile and brought it to the opposite side of his seat. 

“So, where are we going again? I know you said the Fire Nation, but where specifically?” He asked. Ozai brought a leg over the other, crossing his arms casually. “The Capital. You would know it as Hi-no-Kagut, but in more or less previous years the general name was changed to Hari Bulcan.”  He turned his head to one of the navigators , “Right?” 

The man seemed to hesitate before responding. “Partially, yes. Hari Bulcan is actually the name of the noble residential district, not the entire capital. I’m not sure if it has an official name.”  Ozai shifted in his seat, switching which leg he had propped up on the other. “You’re right. I think it’s just the Imperial Capital or something.” 

“Huh, I like the previous name better- no offense though,” Aang said in earnest. Ozai looked at him, and smirked; his smile reminding Aang that even in all of that armor, he was a kid. “I can understand,” Ozai responded, moving up from his seat and standing. “You can explore the ship if you wish. It’s quite big though, so try to not get lost.” He said as he turned to the large, circular table in the middle of the room where an elaborate game of Pai Sho was being held. Aang noticed the player on the left side of the table seemed to favor the white lotus tile. 

Aang nodded and nearly bolted out of the doorway, venturing off into the interior workings of the ship with his glider staff. He used his memories of the other ship to try and navigate the different hallways and floors of this one. He’ll admit though, it wasn’t the best tactic. For some reason, he expected that every single ship’s layout would be the same. In truth, he was wrong about that. 

While being lost like a kid in a vegetable market, he noticed that there was an abnormal amount of weaponry and people in armor for a ship not expecting to be attacked. Cause, there wasn’t a war going on. At least, that’s what he was told by Ozai, whom he had just met. And who seemed to be exactly not the most trustworthy person on the planet.

After a bit of some aimless wandering, he found himself walking down a regular-looking hallway. Regular, as in just like the rest of the ship; metal. The walls were plainly decorated with two red and black banners on each side, much like the hallway leading to the ship’s bridge. It looked like an exact carbon copy, except for one, small thing. A map – a map was displayed on the wall with the label “70 A.G.” in the bottom right-hand corner. It caught Aang’s attention, and he looked at it. 

It was a world map. Thankfully, he could read the label, but he didn’t quite understand it. What did A.G. mean? That wasn’t what they used seventy years ago before he had been encased in ice. Had something happened back then to change the date? Something that Ozai hadn’t told him?

₊˚.༄

Kya huffed. At the rate of Appa’s swimming, those ships would probably already be docked in a Fire Nation harbor before they even left the South Pole. She racked her brain for verbs that she could use to tell Appa to fly, “Fly, uhm. Soar.” Those aren’t working. “Ascend, maybe? Elevate?” Those aren’t working either, and Hakoda sure wasn’t helping. “Look, Kya, fish.” He said, pointing out the school of salmon carp that was swimming beside them. 

“Hakoda shut up, I’m trying to be productive over here.” She said, gripping the reins in her hands tighter. “Jeez, sorry, just pointing out some fish.” He muttered. There was a long, drawn-out silence after that. It was so quiet that you could probably hear a pin drop if it weren’t for the constant swishing of Appa’s legs in the water. 

“You know, there was something the kid said. Yee-haw? Hup-hup? … uh, yip yip?” As soon as the words left his mouth, the Avatar’s bison began rapidly picking up his pace, forcing Kya back against the front of the saddle. The reins were released from her grip as she fell back with a soft grunt, her hands landing on the soft surface of Appa’s fur.  Soft gusts of sudden wind blew past them, the bison’s jaw rising from the water followed by his front legs. 

With a flap of his tail and a final rush of wind, the bison’s body soared high up into the air like a dragon hawk taking flight.  Kya quickly went and grabbed onto the reins as Hakoda shrieked in utter fear. 

ೃ࿐𖤓

There was something else off about the map, the borders were wrong. The lines defining the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom had been warped; the Earth Kingdom’s west coast had been bathed in red. Gangkou had been relabeled to Garsai, Huaning had been changed to Gakaiyo, and the merchant city of Bin-Er had been renamed to Xishan. There was a tightness present in Aang’s chest; why were all these Earth Kingdom cities and towns, among others, marked as Fire Nation colonies? 

Aang clutched his staff in his hand tightly and ran down the hallway, desperately searching for doors or exits that led to the uppermost deck of the ship. He bolted past mariners and mechanics dressed in their armor, hauling cargo and fixing parts of the piping. He ran even faster when he saw one of the mariners run in the opposite direction after eyeing him, correctly assuming that he was making a run for it.

Passing through several hallways at this point, he decided that he should start trying doors. The first door he reached, he opened, and it turned out to be some type of living quarters. There was a bed situated horizontally against the wall, and it was positioned in a way that allowed the sunlight from the window to shine down onto it.

On the right side of the bed, there was a bookshelf. It lacked more books than most, but the book-less spaces were filled with small, but intricate models, which seemed to be of machines and paraphernalia now that he had walked a bit closer.  A few places down from the specific figure he had his eye on, there was a medium-length scroll that was sectioned off by a thin piece of bamboo wood. 

Being curious, Aang grabbed the scroll and carefully opened it. What it turned out to be was a map. A pretty specific one at that, the owner had written little ink notations here and there, labeling places that the actual map didn’t. At that moment, he remembered the promise he made to Kya about taking her to the North Pole. He would need a map to do that, and so he decided to take this one. It probably wouldn’t hurt, given that the ship had another, much larger one hung right up on the wall. 

There was an anxiety building up in his chest. He knew if he stayed in one spot for more than necessary, he would risk getting caught. Silently, he crept up to the door and pressed his ear up against it. The door was unnecessarily cold and he quickly pulled away, wincing from the frigid sensation. He slowly eased himself back against the door after a pause, trying to see if he could hear any approaching footsteps. 

He heard nothing, so that was good. He opened the steel door and hastily slipped out of the room with the map in hand, looking left and then right to make sure no one was coming. Going off to the latter, he continued his search for an exit up a flight of stairs. As if it were a miracle performed by the air spirits themselves, there was a door at the top of the stairwell. Sunlight shined through the gap between the steel flooring and the door itself. He mumbled a quick prayer under his breath as he approached the door; he looked forward to reciting a much prouder one when he got back home. It would be strange though, all of his friends would probably be old men by now. 

Aang figured that since there were ship workers below deck, there were some above deck in all likelihood. He slowly eased the steel door open with the side of his arm and peeked through the opening at the outside. The door was open enough to the point that he could catch a glimpse of a soldier moving past, which confirmed what he had thought earlier. And while he could tell that it was still daytime, he could see that the sun was beginning to set by the sky’s darkened colors.

Up in the ship’s bridge, the mariner that had spotted Aang came into the navigation room slower than he himself had expected, and he internally cursed himself for it - the Avatar could’ve easily fled by now. In the presence of the Fire Lord’s son, he dropped to his knees and bowed after he had taken off his helmet. The prince, pulled from his focus on the Admiral’s Pai Sho game, looked at him with a remote expression. “...Lieutenant.” He muttered, calling upon him to speak. 

“Your Highness, the Avatar, I fear he’s trying to escape.” He imparted, his tone heavy with urgency. Jeong-Jeong looked up from the board to Ozai, he could practically see the gears spiraling inside his head. Then the gears stopped, grinding to a halt. “What are you... what?!” He exclaimed, his voice cracking like a squeaking rat-squirrel. As the boy ran out to the balcony, Jeong-Jeong stood and followed after him. 

“When did you last see him?” He asked, looking back and forth between the lieutenant and the kid that he was supposed to keep from dying. As Ozai peered over the metal balustrade, the mariner responded with, “About… ten minutes ago. He wouldn’t know the structure of this ship, so he could still be here trying to find his way out.” Jeong-Jeong nodded. While he didn’t want to assume the worst, it’d be safe to do so.

 He turned back to Ozai, who was still examining the lower ship deck like a falcon. And then there it was, the sudden widening of his eyes. He quickly then walked to his side and joined him on the balcony, trying to figure out what he had seen. It was the Avatar with his glider; he was still on the ship. Like ‘true’ Air Nomad fashion, he was hiding, or rather avoiding being seen by hiding behind a large shipment crate. They both saw him flick his glider-staff open and quickly stand from a crouch, taking off in a fluid, sudden motion.

Out of the corner of his eye, Jeong-Jeong spotted Ozai, the boy with the same self-preservation instincts as an urban pigeon, with his foot propped up on the railing. And before he could even react, he had already hurled himself over the steel-barred railing like a fool. 

Only an idiot would try to grab onto someone mid-air, and yet, he managed to do it. He had latched onto his ankle, nails digging into the thick cloth of his shoes, and brought him down with him. They tumbled downwards to the ship with Ozai hitting the ground first. He had landed awkwardly on his leg and crumpled onto his side, the impact to his armor shuddering through his hurt body. On the other hand, Aang’s fall was softer compared to Ozai’s tumble, due to how he had manipulated the wind to act as a cushion.

Ozai, wallowing in his stupidity, was still crumpled on the ground as Aang scrambled to pick up his glider. It had fallen a few feet away, and by the time he had run over to get it, the other had managed to rise to his knees. A flame ignited in the depth of his palm and he hurled it at his feet, despite initially aiming for his head. The only damage that had been done was done to the ship, the impact of the fire leaving only a scorch mark as Aang had managed to jump out of the way before it hit him. He ran at that point and he followed after him. 

Across the deck, they ran towards the front of the ship, both running for their lives in some twisted sense. Being taller and faster, Ozai was naturally able to catch up, but the injury to his leg lagged him and it was already too late. He witnessed Aang jump off the front of the ship, and this time he was smart enough to not jump right after him, he had seen warship propellers before. 

Expectedly, the avatar didn’t get caught in the instrument of the ship’s propulsion. He saw him open his glider and drift over the waves into flight, and he wished the wings of his glider would've melted right then and there. Just so he could see him plummet. There was a longbow and steel arrows to his side and he quickly grabbed them out of desperation, shifting a foot behind the other and drawing the string back. He would rather die than let an opportunity like this escape from his hands. 

“Prince-” Someone said, but he couldn't care less about listening. He tracked the shades of orange and yellow with intent, and right before he released the arrow he spotted something in the air. Something large and furry, and so ungodly non-aerodynamic to the point it made him tilt his bow down and just stare as the avatar got farther and farther away. 

“Appa!” Aang exclaimed and his companion roared in response; a happy roar that held the same feeling as a dog barking when their friend comes back from work. As he got closer, he noticed that Hakoda and Kya were actually riding on him, with the latter having the reins grasped in her hands. Hakoda, on the other hand, was more or less crumbled up in the far end of the saddle. 

Kya called out to him while waving her hand ecstatically, glad he managed to get out safely. He swiftly landed in Appa’s saddle and dropped to his knees, his kneecaps still tender from the previous fall. He panted; forcing air in and out of his lungs as he calmed down from what just happened. Hakoda was already at his side, “Are you good?” He asked. Aang nodded. 

“We should get out of here.” Kya said, turning to the two of them. Appa, without needing guidance, took the initiative to turn and fly away. 

Ozai simply watched as they fled, his bow still half drawn in his hands. He could’ve easily called for canon fire, but subconsciously he preferred sabotaging himself like the teenage boy he was. He eventually turned to the person who was beside him, who was Jeong Jeong, and just stared at him for a solid moment. “I’m gonna kill myself.” He finally said, and the man next him didn’t dare to admit that it would make his life easier if he actually did. 

₊˚.༄

The bison ride following the escape from the ship was uneventful and awkward. All three of them were a bit too shaken up to talk about anything just yet. Aang and Kya had switched places on Appa’s back, the former taking up the reins and the latter sitting back with her friend. 

Aang meddled on what he had seen while in the ship’s internal; the red-ridden map, the weapon and gunpowder container infested halls, with the unceasing stench of oil and gas on top of it all. 

In the back of his thoughts, he remembered the annotated map he had stuffed somewhere in his robes. Keeping one hand on the reins, he reached back and searched for the scroll made of washi paper. When he found the scroll, he grabbed it and pulled it from the fabric tied around his waist. 

Now not in a life threatening situation, he had enough time to actually look at the map he took. He felt bad about stealing it, as he would with anything, but he didn’t feel so guilty when he remembered that the owner of said map probably wants him dead. 

He opened the map and studied its contents, tracing a finger from the South Pole up to the nearest Air Temple out of a reminiscing curiosity. When his finger landed on the Southern Temple his face lit up with happiness. He had forgotten how close the mountain range was to the Southern Water Tribe, now he could share his home with Hakoda and Kya just how they had shared their home with him. 

Aang would be able to play them in a game of airball, treat them to vegetarian cuisine, and introduce them to the rest of his friends. The temple was only a few hours away from what he assumed their location was, and even in his uncertainty he could feel his excitement growing. He folded the map back up and stuffed it beneath his leg to keep it from flying off. 

First though, he felt he should ask if his new friends would want to actually visit the Southern Temple. He didn’t want to drag them to some place they would have no interest in.

He turned to them and quickly asked, “Do you two want to go back to the South Pole?” The question was fast and to-the-point. “I was thinking about flying over to the Southern Air Temple, it’s only a couple hours away.” He added happily.

Kya turned to him from her place on the saddle, having been looking at the ocean beneath them for the past moments. Before answering, she looked to Hakoda, who was sitting in the basin of the saddle. His eyes were closed, but he wasn't asleep, more like resting his eyes. Informal meditation, he would call it. Kya proceeded to nudge him with her foot. 

His eyes zipped open, and he gazed off into space with the annoyed expression of someone who had just been woken up, but definitely did not want to be. Taking a deep breath, he shifted his weight onto his heels and brought his knees to his chest. Kanna’s words still hung heavy in his mind, but they conflicted with his inward want to go back home, where it was familiar, where it was safer. He’d never openly say it, but he feared the outside world. 

“It’s really up to you, Kya. I’m down for… mostly anything.” He let his friend make the final decision, figuring that she could make a better choice than he ever could. 

“Oh, well um, we’ll come with you to the Southern Air Temple, Aang.” Kya replied, turning her body around to face forward. She hated it when Hakoda put the verdict on her shoulders, she was just as indecisive as he was. The urge to smack him was real, but in this modern society, assaulting someone was looked down upon. 

“That’s great!” Aang exclaimed, his voice two pitches higher than normal. He turned away from them and brought the reins wrapped around Appa’s horns closer to his lap; he couldn’t wait to get back home.

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