CHAPTER THREE:
THE ICE DOES NOT FORGIVE
SET IT:
EPISODE TWO: THE AVATAR RETURNS

▬▬ ☀︎︎ ▬▬

  THE FEELING OF SHOCK WORE OFF QUICK. Eyes still glued to her hands, Avina's head began to throb as it racked the pure intensity of what had just occurred. Of what she had just done.

I am a firebender.

The thought felt so strangely satisfying that Avi nearly threw up in shame. She shouldn't feel like this. She had just done the unthinkable—the unbearable. So why did it feel so good?

Because it's the truth. The thought echoed as if she was in a large, empty room. A truth that, deep down, you always knew.

Avina did not want to admit it, but her thoughts were true. She'd always known there was something wrong with her. Something that separated her from her family—from her people.

However, she'd never thought about it too closely, in fear that she would have to acknowledge the painful truth: That she didn't belong here. That the fire that scorched through her was never meant to live among the ice of the Southern Water Tribe. That she was not just Water Tribe, but Fire Nation.

Her stomach lurched at the notion.

I am a firebender.

I am not just Water Tribe.

I am Fire Nation.

She was the very thing she had always been taught to hate. She was the same kind that killed her aunt—the same kind that forced her father and uncle to have to go to war—the same kind that caused so much unnecessary pain and suffering in their stupid war.

Avina was one of them.

  She found herself unable to remove her eyes from her hands. Fear wound within her, twisting into an inferno of anxiety. Her family would never trust her again. She'd already seen it in Katara. The way she'd looked at her was horrifying. The pain and confusion and betrayal in her baby cousin's blue eyes was like a stab right through the heart. Avi began to breathe frantically, breaths feeling as though they were caught within her chest.

  "You're the airbender? You're the Avatar?"

  After what seemed like hours of dead silence ringing in her ears, the only sound being what she could make out of the searing thoughts roaring in her own head, a voice had broken through. Head snapping up, Avina momentarily made eye contact with the Fire Nation soldier from earlier, still utterly confused by the look glaring in his eyes when they met hers. Forcing her gaze away, finally, her mind was able to refocus onto her surroundings.

  Aang had taken to a defensive stance with his staff pointed forwards, standing bravely in front of the tribe to protect them from the soldiers. As her eyes trailed on the determined airbender boy, the soldier's words began to seep into her mind. He was talking to Aang. She realized with a small gasp. Aang is the Avatar.

  If the circumstances were not what they were, Avi might have turned to Sokka and bragged in his face about the fact she was right about Aang being special. However, she could not take the additional pain that looking back at him would cause. Thinking about that made her realize just how separated she was from the rest of the tribe. There was nearly three inches of space between her and her tribe, but that was enough space for Avi to get the message.

  They are scared of me. The thought itself hurt. They think me just the same as them.

  Time was so slow for Avina, that the gasps and words of shock at the revelation of Aang's identity were seemingly delayed. Though despite hearing them, she did not turn around to look.

The soldier and Aang had suddenly started circling and pacing around each other, still careful to keep their distance, but both clearly preparing for a fight. The soldier seemed more livid than Avi had seen him in the last few minutes, which seemed impossible. All he ever looked was angry. Well, other than when he met her eyes, but then he just looked extremely conflicted.

"I've spend years preparing for this encounter—training, meditating. You're just a child!" The soldier snapped, narrowing his eyes and adjusting his stance.

Aang stopped, raising a brow and looking skeptically toward him. "Well, you're just a teenager."

Aang's words seemed to have pushed the wrong button, as immediately afterward, the soldier growled and began attacking him at a fast pace, circles of fire flying threateningly towards Aang. Luckily, Aang was able to swat them out, spinning his staff around and airbending a current.

The two engaged in some sort of odd dance of fire and air, with the Fire Nation soldier on the offensive, and Aang mostly on the defensive. Avi gulped as she noticed the strain in Aang's face, which showed her that he was definitely not used to dealing with firebenders. The soldier, on the other hand, only looked fed up; no sign of weariness in his form.

Screams and yells erupted from the tribe behind him and Avina, and Aang looked backward with a face full of worry. In his eyes, she saw the beginnings of an idea forming. However, she did not expect exactly what his idea was.

"If I go with you, will you promise to leave everyone alone?"

Avi stilled at this, opening her mouth to try to say something, but finding no words able to come out.

The soldier simply nodded, and within seconds, Aang was being taken up the incline of the Fire Natiom ship. Katara rushed out to try and stop him, voice teetering on the edge of broken, but it was no use. However, Aang did try to offer some comfort to her, and probably everyone else, too.

"Don't worry, Katara. It'll be okay," he said, with an odd confidence. "Take care of Appa for me until I get back."

While Aang was being dragged up, the boy soldier didn't immediately follow. His gaze rested on Avina, looking at her as if he was debating saying something or doing something. He merely settled for six words.

"I will come back for you."

Avi's eyes widened, glaring up at him. Still, she found herself unable to reply. She hoped maybe it was an empty promise, that maybe he would be so overwhelmed with the fact that he had the Avatar that he would forget her. Though, she knew from the vow in his blazing eyes that he would go through with his words.

  After his words to Avina, he finally left them. Marching up the steel hill, Avi caught, just barely, the last thing he uttered before the incline began to curve back into the front of the ship.

  "Head a course to the Fire Nation. I'm going home."

  ▬▬ ☀︎︎ ▬▬

  SOMEONE HAD STEPPED INTO THE TIPI. Avina's head snapped up, eyes squinting and blinking rapidly as she tried to clear her tears. Swiping a hand across her face, she wiped off the dried tears, taking one big breath before she realized who stood before her.

  Gran Gran was standing in the middle of the tipi, still allowing Avi to stay tucked into the corner. Her face was nearly unreadable. In her eyes, however, all Avina saw was remorse.

  "Avina..." Gran Gran started and subsequently ended, her voice becoming too soft for Avi to hear.

  Avina stared up at her grandmother, watching in horror as a tear raced down her cheek. Never had she seen Gran Gran cry. She must have known, then. The thought came to her far too easily. Why else would she look guilty? Avi did not want to ask the question brimming in her mind, but she had no choice.

  "Gran Gran, I have one question for you."

  "What is it, my dear?"

  "Did you know?"

  Gran Gran stilled, taking in a harsh breath before she met her granddaughter's eyes.

  "Yes, I did."

  Avi nearly threw up again. Looking down at her glove-less hands, she glared back up at her grandmother.

  "Why didn't you tell me?"

  "It was for your own good. Both me and your father agreed to keep your past a secret when he returned with you. We had no other choice, Avina," Gran Gran attempted to explain. "The tribe wouldn't have accepted you if we didn't."

  "Returned with me? What do you mean, Gran Gran? I was always told I was born here," Avi questioned aggressively, standing upright and stepping towards her grandmother. "Or is that another secret you kept from me?"

  "Avina, calm down. You know not what you say. Your father did what he had to do in the face of the consequences of his own actions. This, in turn, is one of the consequences. And unfairly, you had to be the one to pay it," Gran Gran reasoned, trying to get Avina's steadily growing anger to burn out. However, it only fueled the fire.

  "Consequences? What are you talking about? Stop dancing around the truth. I want answers. I deserve answers," Avina said sharply, her voice sounding like a hiss. "I have been in the dark for too long. I want to know the light."

Gran Gran sighed. "I will tell you what we have time for. Then, we must go find your cousins. I know they have plans to leave and try to save the Avatar. And, no matter how betrayed they may feel by you, you must go with them."

"Why? You saw the look Katara gave me. The way she reacted when I touched her. They don't trust me anymore." Avi's voice nearly broke. "And they have good reason for it. I wouldn't trust me either." Now, it broke. "I don't think I even trust myself now."

"Avina, this is not your fault. You should not be ashamed. We will speak with them. They will understand. Sokka and Katara will understand," Gran Gran said firmly. "Now, just breathe. I need you calm."

  Avina hesitantly listened to her grandmother, forcing herself to try to take a deep breath, before she just huffed and shook her head. "This is all the calm you'll get."

  Gran Gran took a deep breath. "Avina, you are both Water Tribe and Fire Nation. Your mother was a firebender. You are a firebender."

  "I don't understand. I was always told—"

  "You were told what you were told in order to protect you. If you had known, it would have been too much for you."

  "It's too much for me now!"

  "Avina—"

  "No! I said I wanted answers!" Avi was now fuming. She could feel her palms heating. "Tell me the full story!"

  Gran Gran placed her hands on Avi's shoulders. "Avina, I can not. Even I was never told the full story."

  "But... if you don't know..."

  "When you meet your father again, you will be able to ask him. He is the only one who will be able to tell you," Gran Gran insisted, another tear falling down her elder cheek.

  No. Avina thought. My mother. I need to find my mother.

  "Do you know anything else of my mother?"

  Gran Gran met her eyes. They were still full of remorse, but now a layer of pity could be seen. Avi had always hated pity.

  "Your father believes she's alive."

  Then Avina would find her.

  "You must not go looking for her, Avina. You were taken here for a reason. The reason, I do not know. But what I do know, is that the Fire Nation is not safe for you," Gran Gran rationalized. "I saw how that boy soldier looked at you. He recognized you, Avina."

   "I don't care. If she's alive, I will find her. If I am allowed any right, then my right to seek my own mother should be respected. I deserve to know the truth," Avina argued. "I deserve to know my truth."

"Avina, of course you do, but—"

"No, Gran Gran. I will not argue anymore. You said it yourself. We need to go find Sokka and Katara." Avina cut her off, walking past her to the flap of the tipi. "Did you pack us a bag?"

  She nodded, sighing. Though Avi was waiting for her to move, she didn't. "Before we leave, Avina, I must tell you something."

  Avina turned around. "Yes, Gran Gran?"

  "Above all else, when you three leave, focus on finding yourself."

  "Gran Gran—"

  "I've known for a long time that eventually you would leave the Southern Water Tribe. It was inevitable. I could always see it—especially in you. Always so restless, so tired of holding yourself back. Now, you can let go, Avina." Gran Gran smiled. It was a wistful smile, one of both sadness and joy.

  Avina teared up again. She felt the heat in her palms increasing, and she looked down to see the flickering of a small flame waving in her right hand. However happy she was to have her grandmother's blessing, she still could not bring herself to smile at it.

  "I will try, Gran Gran."

▬▬ ☀︎︎ ▬▬

THEY FOUND SOKKA AND KATARA QUITE EASILY. When Avina and Gran Gran arrived, they found the two stood by a boat, loaded with very minimal supplies. Katara was further away from Sokka, standing right by the icy edge of the river. She seemed to be in deep thought.

"We have to go after that ship, Sokka. Aang saved our tribe. Now we have to save him. No matter what—no matter what just happened," Katara tried to convince him. Avina did not miss the indication in the last sentence.

"—Katara, I—"

"Why can't you realize that's he's on our side? If we don't help him, no one will! I know you don't like Aang, but we owe him and—"

"Katara, are you going to talk all day or are you coming with me?" Sokka interrupted her, motioning towards the boat docked beside him.

Katara exclaimed in glee and ran over to hug her older brother. Avi's heart sank. She didn't know if Katara would ever hug her like that again.

"Get in. We're going to save your boyfriend."

"He's not my—"

"Whatever."

Just then, Avina and Gran Gran decided to make their presence known.

"What do you two think you're doing?" Gran Gran asked, raising a brow to the two. "You're forgetting someone. Oh, and these, too. You three have a long journey ahead of you." She gave Katara the roll of supplies.

When Sokka and Katara turned and their both eyes found Avina, they looked at her as though she was a just like the Fire Nation soldiers from earlier. Katara had her eyes narrowed, and Sokka had crossed his arms tight against his chest. For some reason, even though she had readily prepared herself for their reaction, it still hurt. And it, oddly enough, angered her.

Katara was the first to speak. "You brought her with you?"

The way she said her irked Avi. It was as though her own cousin couldn't even say her name. Avina sucked in a harsh breath.

"Katara, let them talk," Sokka defended them—defended her. "At least give them that."

"Why? She lied to us—she lied everyone!" Katara suddenly vindicated, glaring daggers at Avina. "She may not even truly be our cousin."

  "Katara, do not let your anger speak for you," Gran Gran Gran cut in harshly. "Avina is your cousin just as much as I am your grandmother. And she never lied to you. She was the one who was lied to."

  "No firebender is family of mine," Katara said in malice, shaking her head. "Not after what they did to my mother."

  Something in Avina snapped at those words. "You think I wanted this?" Avina asked, raising her hand, which was filled with fire, in between the four of them. "No, I didn't. I had no idea I could do this. I thought just the same as you. That I was just a normal, Southern Water Tribe girl." The fire in her palm grew. Katara backed up. "Now, I know I'm not. Am I proud of it? No, of course not. But I refuse to be blamed for something I can't control."

  Katara stood still, eyes wide. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out.

  "I—I believe you, Avi," Sokka spoke up, nodding towards his older cousin with resolve. "Even if I'll have to get—uh—used to the whole firebender thing."

Avi mustered the best half-smile she could for him.

"Katara, you must realize that Avina is not like them. She is still half Water Tribe, and even if the other half of her is Fire Nation, she is not the enemy. She is family," Gran Gran said vigorously, placing her hand over Katara's.

Katara sighed and looked back at Avi. She'd let the fire die out, and now her hand was back at her side. Katara stepped forward, and grabbed the hand that had just been ignited. Avina's gem-like eyes met Katara's stern blue.

"I'm sorry, Avi. I let my anger with the Fire Nation get the best of me. I'm sorry I questioned you," she apologized, and even if Avina still felt the slight sting of injustice, she pushed it aside as she could tell Katara's apology was genuine.

"I accept your apology, Tara."

Katara grinned, pulling her in for a hug. Avina beamed, wrapping her arms tightly around her baby cousin. She was wrong. Katara would always hug her like that.

Gran Gran smiled contentedly, eyes glancing between all her grandchildren, but ultimately landing on Katara. "It's been so long since I've had hope, but you brought it back to life, my little waterbender." The two shared a hug, before Gran Gran moved on to Sokka.

"And you, my brave warrior, be nice to your sister and your older cousin," she told with a fond smile, bringing him in for a hug as well.

"Yeah, okay, Gran," Sokka replied awkwardly, patting his grandmother on the back.

Avi rolled her eyes at him.

Gran Gran then turned to her. "I already said my piece to you, my dearest flame. But I will say it again. Find yourself, and let go."

Avina nodded, eyes brimming with tears, and hugged Gran Gran tighter than she'd ever hugged anyone else. Out of all the people in her life, Gran Gran would always know her best. It hurt her deeply to bid her farewell, but deep down, Avi knew she would see her again.

When Gran Gran was able to pull away from Avi, she turned to address all three of them. "Aang is the Avatar. He's the world's only chance. You three found him for a reason. Now your destinies are intertwined with his."

Avina took in the weight of Gran Gran's words. The journey the three of them were about to embark on would be something out of legend. Children of all the nations grow up hearing stories about the Avatars and their companions, and the many different adventures and experiences each Avatar has had. Now, they would be apart of those stories. If they actually managed to save Aang from the Fire Nation ship, of course.

Katara raised a brow and looked back at their tiny boat. "There's no way we're going to catch a warship with a canoe."

Just on time, in the near distance, Appa appeared upon a small, icy hill. Katara and Avi locked eyes, and then ran off to meet the flying bison.

"You two just love taking me out of my comfort zone, don't you?" Sokka complained, before evidently following after them.

▬▬ ☀︎︎ ▬▬

  STILL, AFTER ABOUT A MILLION TRIES, APPA WOULD NOT FLY. Sat at the front of the large saddle, in between Katara, who was steering Appa, and Sokka, who was sat at the back, Avi's patience quickly wore thin. She's never had the most patience, but after finding out that she was a firebender, maybe it had just gotten even worse.

  "Go."

  "Fly."

  "Soar."

  Sokka tried, to no avail, to get Appa to fly. Apparently, Appa was picky about what word was used to call him into flight.

  "Please, Appa, we need your help," Katara pleaded with the bison. "Aang needs your help."

  "Up," Sokka tried again, sounding very unenthusiastic. "Ascend. Elevate."

  "Sokka, saying different variations of the same word is not going to do anything, so shut up," Avi demanded, growing agitated with his annoying voice.

  "Wow, seems like you're really embracing the firebender spirit already! I'm so happy for you," Sokka grumbled, looking completely disinterested and disappointed with their current predicament.

  Avina barely reframed from spitting back at him, deciding to just roll her eyes and focus on Appa.

  "Sokka doesn't believe you can fly, but I do, Appa," Katara attempted to encourage the flying bison.

  Avina joined in. "I do too, Appa."

  Katara grinned back at her. "Come on, don't you want to save Aang?"

Appa merely roared, causing Avi to groan. Why did it have to be so hard to get a flying bison to fly?

"What was it that kid said?" Sokka thought out loud. "Yee-ha? Hup-hup? Wa-hoo? Uh, Yip Yip?"

It seemed, Sokka's impeccable ability to think aloud finally payed off, as Appa growled and leaped into the air. Cheering proudly, Avina held on as they climbed higher and higher above the sea. Turning back around, for once, Avi flashed Sokka a grin.

"You did it, Sokka!" Katara exclaimed, also throughly impressed.

"He's flying!" Sokka yelled out multiple times, clearly very stunned by the fact that they had finally gotten the flying bison to fly. "Katara, Avi, he's—"

Sokka must have spotted the smug look Katara had plastered on her face, as he immediately began backtracking.

"I mean, big deal. He's flying."

▬▬ ☀︎︎ ▬▬

AFTER ABOUT TWENTY MINUTES OF FLYING, AVINA SPOTTED THE FIRE NAVY SHIP. It was at least a mile or two in front of them, but on the back of Appa, a mile was nothing.

"There it is!" Avina said, pointing downwards at the red and black warship. "Can Appa go just a little faster?"

"Well, since it took him so long to fly, maybe he only listens to people when he wants to," Sokka suggested.

"You and Appa have that in common."

"Shut up, Avi."

"Alright, you two. Focus. Aang is down there somewhere—"

Right as Katara uttered those words, a burst of fire erupted from the deck of the ship. When Avina actually focused in on the ship, she was able to, faintly, see another fight between Aang and the ponytail-wearing, scarred soldier from earlier in full force.

From the sky, it just looked like two specs flipping and shouting and throwing fire and air at each other. However, despite that, Avi could tell Aang was losing. The soldier had, miraculously, backed Aang up and onto the edge of the boat with his firebending. He struggled to stay upright, almost tipping, before one large blast of fire came rushing at him. Then, Aang fell into the sea.

Katara yelled in anguish, her voice echoing around the wide open clearing. Avi held her screams back, allowing her mind to console her before she assumed anything. Aang was the Avatar. He would survive. He had to. Not just for their sake, but for the world's.

Within seconds of falling, Aang rose back up. He rose up cocooned in a whirlwind of water, his eyes the same white they were when Avi and her cousins first found him. The spiral of water delivered him back into the deck of the ship, and then he began to waterbend a huge whip of water, sending the scarred soldier, and the rest of them, into the water.

"Did you see what he just did?" Katara said in pure awe, eyes wider than Avi had ever seen them.

"Now that was some waterbending," Sokka commented, mouth wide open.

Appa flew them down to the deck, where Aang had slumped over, exhausted by whatever had just occurred. Katara was the first to jump off, practically sprinting over to where he laid. Sokka and Avina followed suite swiftly afterwards, both instantly sitting down beside him as Katara held the Avatar in her arms.

"Aang, are you okay?" Katara asked worriedly, eyes raking over him in search of injuries.

"Hey, Katara. Hey, Sokka. Hi, Avi." He murmured in response, voice scratchy. "Thanks for coming."

"Well, I couldn't let you have all the glory," Sokka joked, smirking.

"I dropped my staff," Aang said, glancing over towards where it resided.

Sokka sprang up. "Got it!"

Avina followed him, just to make sure the area was as clear as it looked. However, when Sokka grabbed the staff and another hand also grabbed on, Avi concluded that the area was, definitely, not clear. Standing to the side, she watched as Sokka struggled to get the staff, before he was finally able to pry it free. Walking over to look down and see who it was, she was not surprised when her eyes met that of the scarred soldier's.

"That's from the Water Tribe!" Sokka taunted, and Avi just shook her head.

Turning back around, she looked and saw that Aang was now on Appa's head, sprawled out as though he could take a nap right then and there. Stepping to the side of the water soaking the deck, she blinked and the next and second, it was ice. Head snapping back up, Avi noticed the Fire Nation soldiers had recovered and were standing up to defend their ship.

Katara was stood before them, hands placed in a loose waterbending position. Glancing to her left, she was met with the sight of Sokka's feet frozen to the deck. Avi slapped her own forehead. For all things good. She thought. Why can't something just go right for once?

The soldiers rushed at Katara. Avi had nearly broke into a run before they were all completely frozen. Stopping beside her cousin, she gawked at the damage Katara had inflicted. A smirk spread on Avina's face.

Katara, for a second, matched her expression; before she focused back in on the situation at hand. Katara grabbed Avi's hand and the two quickly climbed back on Appa's back.

"Hurry up, Sokka!" Katara urged him. Sokka was busy with attempting to free himself from the shackles of the ice with his boomerang. Avi would have offered to melt the ice, but she wouldn't risk wasting anymore time.

"I'm just a guy with a boomerang," Sokka ranted, chopping at the ice. "I didn't ask for all this flying and magic!" Thankfully, he quickly broke through, and raced up Appa's tail.

Appa roared and they were in the air again, hightailing it away from the Fire Nation ship. Appa flew faster than Avina thought possible. The chilly winds nipped at her as she held on, and she couldn't help but look backwards. Avi squinted to make out the ship, but what she saw forced her from her spot.

The scarred soldier and another firebender, one that looked considerably older, were attempting to shot them down with their flames. The torpedo of fire was hurling right towards them, and Avi found herself stood at the edge of Appa's saddle, hands raised as the glare of the sun glistened on her skin. Pointing her arms at the fire, she felt her palms heat at an excessive rate, before a thick, burning beam of light and fire erupted from her hands and into the air, meeting their torpedo before it reached Appa.

What resulted was a mild explosion of sun and flame, before it all quelled into a cloud of smoke. In the smoke, she could no longer see the ship. However, she could still hear it.

"I WILL FIND YOU! BOTH OF YOU!"

She recognized the voice immediately. It was him.

What did he mean by both of you? She thought for a second, before it dawned on her. The words came back to her: I will come back for you. A chill, for once not from the cold air, rippled across her body.

He isn't just hunting the Avatar.

Avina's eyes narrowed in on the billowing smoke.

He's hunting me.

▬▬ ☀︎︎ ▬▬

SETTLED BESIDE SOKKA ON APPA'S BACK, AVINA LISTENED IN AS HER BABY COUSIN TACKLED AANG WITH QUESTIONS. Chuckling to herself, she watched as Katara tried to pry an explanation for Aang's magnificent waterbending on the deck out of him.

"How did you do that with the water? It was the most amazing thing I've ever seen!"

Aang's answer was lackluster. "I don't know. I just sort of did it."

Katara sighed, clearly not satisfied by his answer, but choosing to move on nonetheless. "Why didn't you tell us you were the Avatar?"

Aang looked ashamed as her words washed over him. "Because... I never wanted to be."

A calm silence set in for a moment. The clouds to which they soared under parted, and the sun pokes through once again. Avi found herself grinning, leaning back and letting the sun soak her. That feeling of the sun on her skin, was one of the best feelings Avina had ever felt. It felt natural. It felt free.

Gran Gran's words echoed in her mind.

Find yourself, and let go.

Avina grinned brighter.

I'm trying, Gran Gran.

Her thoughts were drowned out when Katara broke the silence. "But, Aang, the world's been waiting for the Avatar to return and finally out an end to this war."

"And how I am going to do that?" Aang asked, his tone serious. It was so far from his usual voice, Avi began to worry.

"According to legend, you need to first master water, then earth, then fire, right?"

"That's what the monks told me."

Katara looked like she was onto something. "Well, if we go to the North Pole, you can master waterbending."

"We could learn it together!" Aang exclaimed.

Avina suddenly snapped up. Her gaze immediately found Katara and Aang, who were both bright with newfound purpose. Avi couldn't help but beam as well.

"And, Avi, I'm sure you'll be able to work on your firebending along the way. And last but not least, Sokka, I'm sure you'll get to knock some firebender heads on the way," Katara continued, cringing after she realized what she had said. "No offense, Avi."

"Uh, none taken?"

The group burst into giggles.

"Then we're in this together," Katara declared with a tone of finality.

"All right, but before I learn waterbending, we have some serious business to attend to," Aang began, pulling out their map and slapped down into the middle of the group. "Here, here, and here." He pointed to a few different spots on the map, and Katara asked what was in the spots he was talking about. "Here we'll ride the Hopping Llamas. Then way over here we'll surf on the backs of giant Koi fish. Then back over here we'll ride the Hog Monkeys. They don't like people riding them, but that's what makes it fun!"

Avi just chuckled and took the map from his hands.

"Maybe you're just a tad bit too ambitious with the whole riding animals thing, Aang."

▬▬ ☀︎︎ ▬▬

Hello hello! I'm actually really surprised at how quickly I managed to finish this chapter! I honestly don't have much to say on it, but what I can say is this: ITS FINALLY STARTING!! The gaang is finally ready to go and try to safe the world! Next chapter will be set in the Southern Air Temple episode and possibly the beginnings of the Warriors of Kyoshi—we'll see. But anyways, I'm extremely excited to write this fic, and hopefully I will actually be able to finish it 😀

But anyways, thanks for reading, love y'all!!