Rubbing his aching shoulder, Ian stumbled through the hallways to the meeting room. He along with Min were called to a hearing by Monk Hive. Ian tripped and fell face first onto the floor. He felt so exhausted that he could sleep right here right now. Reluctantly, Ian picked himself up and continued his way through the long decorated corridor. In the battle, he lost quite a bit of blood. Katara warned him that he shouldn't bend for the rest of the day or he might overexert himself. 

"Welcome Monk Ian, we are so glad you came." smiled Monk Hive as he chiseled a small sized staff. 

Min stood on the side leaning against a pillar playing with her dagger, her silver eyes dull from boredom. Ian sighed heavily and sat crosslegged onto the ground.

"Have you had enough sleep last night?" Nun Deo asked, she looked concerned.

"No, I couldn't sleep." 

Out of the corner of his eye, Ian noticed Min's eyes narrow suspiciously. Monk Jigsaw signaled her to keep quiet.

"Well, we have a proposal for you two," Monk Hive continued," We'd like you two to accompany the Avatar to represent the Hidden Air Temple."

Min dropped her knife and Ian stiffened. 

"Do you accept this proposal?"

"Obviously!" accepted Min, she beamed.

Ian balked, should he? 

"Yes." Ian answered, surprised at his own words.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

"I can't believe we are leaving." Katara sighed sadly as she looked longingly 

at the Temple.

Aang stroked her thick chocolate colored hair. 

"Me too, but we'll visit. I'm happy you liked it here."

"AHHH!"

Aang and Katara whirled around.

"Would you stop giving me the oogies!"

Katara clutched her fists, her face turning red from anger. Aang looked like he wanted to strangle his future brother-in-law.

"Leave the idiots alone." 

Azula walked out of the shadows, she looked overly volatile. Her golden eyes contracted into thin lines that sent chills down everyone's spine.

"You just defended them?" Sokka carefully said.

She glared at him and Sokka paled under her stare.

"Sokka, you peed yourself." Aang pointed out.

The warrior shot a glance at his pants and to his horror, they were wet. 

"Agh, men don't pee themselves!" he snatched his suitcase and ran inside to change.

Katara and Aang snickered, even Azula smiled.

"What happened?" Suki asked as she walked out of the Temple carrying her own supplies.

"Sokka peed himself." Aang burst out laughing.

"Why?" 

"I guess I scared him." Azula impassibly contemplated her finger nails. 

The Kyoshi Warrior snorted loudly as she shook her head in disbelief. 

"Guys wait up!" called Min as she ran towards them in great speed. 

"What is it?" 

"Ian and I are coming with you."

Aang smiled, "That's great…"

"Why?" Azula cut him off.

"The Monks asked us to represent the Hidden Air Temple." cocking an eyebrow 

Min replied.

"You know what, that's a great idea but where is Ian?" 

"He's coming, he's not allowed to Air Bend for a day."

"Since he won?" asked the confused Azula.

"No, I won. When you left, his concentration slipped and he lost."

Azula's eyes widened. He noticed her leave? But why did it matter that she left? Min stated her response as if Azula was the deciding factor in their duel. Suddenly, she remembered something. She had the weirdest dream last, everyone she knew called her a monster but someone shushed them. This someone held her hand and repeated to her that she was not a monster. She was just hurt and lost and he wanted to help her. The voice was gentle, warm and deep. It seemed oddly familiar. 

"AZULA!" shouted Min into her ear. 

Taken by surprise, Azula shot out her fist sending sapphire flames the direction the shout came from. There was a shriek and she felt someone grab her fist.

"I'd rather you not burn my sister." 

Azula turned her head to see Ian towering over her, he held onto her arm in a gentle but firm grip. 

"Sorry." she muttered, "She caught me by surprise." 

Everyone but Ian and Min gasped.

"She apologized?" Aang's jaw dropped.

"Why is that a big deal?" questioned Min.

"It is a big deal, she never regrets anything," Suki said astounded,

"Much-less apologizes." 

"Well, maybe she can apologize to me." huffed Sokka.

"It's not my fault you wet yourself." 

Sokka's cheeks turned pink as everyone laughed at him.

"Let's go already, we don't have all day. It will take three days to pick up Toph from Gaoling and then we have to travel to the Fire Nation which will take two days so let's go." grumbled Sokka.

"Fine, just stop whining." Azula rolled her eyes in disgust.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

"So, what would you like to talk about?" Min asked as they exited the tunnels.

"Why are you and Ian considered prodigies?" questioned the fire bender.

"Well, I invented three sub-bending branches; generating lighting, indirect air bending, and atom bending." 

She received confused looks, Ian clarified,

"She creates lighting by causing friction between two air currents, then she absorbs the charge into her finger tips and it comes out as lighting. For indirect air bending, which is technically a technique, involves controlling the air without it directly coming out of your limbs. Like she kept swiping at me in the battle, she was indirectly air bending. But the atom bending really is two moves that involve water. You either make it or destroy it. Water is made of the same atoms as air, if you separate the bond between the air molecules, the water dissipates. To create water, you take the same air elements, combine them and you get water."

"Wow…" trailed off Aang, "I have a lot to learn."

"I'd be more then glad to teach you pupil Aang." Min teased.

Aang glanced at Ian but he shook his head.

"It may not seem so but Min is a very good teacher, I can't explain how it is done."

"You just did."

"I described it to you, there is a difference."

"Oh."

"What about you Ian?" Azula asked.

Ian ignored her and removed a book from his bag.

Min groaned,

"Ian learned all 40 levels of air bending by age 13, and he has an extremely strong chi giving him stronger bursts than me. I'm on level 39 right now but I got my tattoos at age 11, at the same time as my brother."

"There are 40!" Aang cried out.

"Yeah, why?"

"I only know of 36"

"That was 100 years ago. Like technology, bending evolves." scoffed Min.

"Min." threatened Ian.

Sokka yawned,

"Can we land to get some food?"

"You just ate!" 

"I'm a growing man, I need meat." 

"You are 21, you already stopped growing." his wife scolded.

"Let's wait another few hours, then we'll land to make camp." offered Aang.

"Can we play a game?" asked Katara trying to change the subject.

"TRUTH OR DARE!" Min bounced in excitement, " I'll go first. Ian!"

Ian looked up from his book.

"Truth or dare."

"Truth."

"Scaredy cat."

"That wasn't a question."

"If you had to marry someone here right now, who'd it be and why?"

"Yes." Ian said absentmindedly.

"YOU HAVEN"T EVEN ANSWERED MY QUESTION!" Min shouted at him.

"Can I read?" 

"Are you avoiding my question?"

"No, I want to read." 

Azula smirked, the bickering between Ian and Min was amusing. They were opposing forces that reminded her so much of her relationship with her brother.

"Argh, fine. I'll skip you. Sokka!"

"What?"

"Truth or dare?"

"Dare."

"You are setting up my tent."

Sokka stared at her in disbelief.

"That's it."

"And you can't eat meat for a week."

"WHAT!"

Azula stifled a laugh at the comical performance.

"Sokka, your turn."

"Aang." Sokka recovered from his shock.

"Yeah?"

"Truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"Do you fancy any girl other then my sister?"

"Are you serious!"

"Answer the question Cue Ball!" 

"I AM NOT A CUE BALL!"

"JUST ANSWER THE QUESTION!"

Aang's entire face reddened from anger. Katara immediately came to her fiancé's defense. She slapped Sokka across the face leaving a mark.

"Don't you dare call my to-be-husband a Cue Ball!"

"He hasn't even answered the question." Sokka complained.

"I don't!" Aang hissed, Katara's cheeks speckled with pink.

Ian and Azula barely repressed their giggles.