Ian stared out of the window, dawn always intrigued him. How the pitch black sky would turn blue and pink. The clouds would lighten on their underside, and slowly an orb of orange would rise. He remembered the first time watching dawn with his parents,

 Min wasn’t born yet. But today, dawn offered no comfort to the young master. He had a big problem and he didn’t know what to do about it. Pushing himself off of the bed, Ian glanced at his wrist, his supposing future and it wasn’t what he thought. He was a monk, there is no way this can happen! But what confused him more was that secretly he was glad. Glad to have such a future. Ian threw on his robes and made the bed. He needed to think.

“Father, what would you do?” he whispered somberly.

After hearing no answer, Ian the knob and left the room. 

“Ian!” 

Ian turned to see Min following him, she was in a good mood today so that was a plus.

“Aren’t you coming for breakfast?”

Ian thought a moment, if he went to breakfast, he’d see her. Suddenly a huge weight fell down his stomach, she’d see right through him, and ask what’s wrong. He couldn’t lie, not to her, she was too good at reading people. 

“No,” he said trying his hardest to keep his calm, “I’m not hungry.”

“What’s wrong? You usually don’t skip meals, much less breakfast.” Min’s eyes narrowed.

“I’m just not hungry.” He tried to walk past her but she grabbed him on the wrist, his bracelet wrist.

“Ian,” she said threateningly, “You look like you haven’t slept at all…” 

Great, he thought, now she was going to press him.

“I’m absolutely fine!” Ian declared.

“Sure, and you aren’t acting extra grumpy which only happens when you have a lot on your mind. Wait let me guess. Is it something to do with Azula?” She smiled at him triumphantly.

Ian felt his face grow hot, “NO!  IT”S NOTHING TO DO WITH HER!” he shouted. He turned to run away from his prying sister.

“You know Azula looks like she hasn’t slept at all last night either. She was acting very weird this morning, she also tried to skip breakfast.” Min called after him.

Ian groaned, she was taunting him. Clutching his fists, he turned around once again and headed towards the dining room.  

Min’s yanked at a strand of her hair, what was this supposed to mean? What was going on in her brother’s head? She was determined to find out.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Katara watched with disgust as Sokka stuffed an entire duck into his mouth.

“How is it even physically possible to eat like that?” she whispered

“I have no idea.” muttered Aang bemusedly.

“What’s wrong?” 

“I don’t know but haven’t you noticed that Ian is acting very…

what’s the word? Peculiar?”

Katara glanced at Ian. He was sitting on his chair and poked at his food.

He kept glancing at something on his arm and then out of the window. Seemingly distracted, he didn’t notice the brief looks his friends sent his way. But Min was watching his every move. When Ian once again looked at his arm, her silver eyes widened as if she understood, but then she looked puzzled. 

“He is distressed by something.” Katara answered her fiancé.

Toph and Suki arrived snapping Katara and Aang from their trance,

“GOOD MORNING!” shouted Toph, Suki just waved.

“Morning.” 

“Mo..ng” Food poured out of Sokka’s mouth causing everyone to glare at him.

“SOKKA!” Katara and Suki scolded.

Azula barely looked up, she couldn’t bring herself to pick up her fork, even after years of training on keeping a confident and collective demeanor, she still couldn’t control her shaking hands.

“Jeez Arrowhead, Spit Bug, stop it with your heartbeats, I am going to get a headache at this rate!” Toph yelled clutching her ears. 

Ian and Azula froze, this wasn’t good.

Sokka leapt from his seat, “I KNEW IT! I KNEW THAT IAN AND AZULA HAD A THING FOR EACH OTHER!” Food poured out of his mouth as he pointed 

at the thunderstruck prodigies.

Ian’s ears and cheeks reddened and Azula nearly chocked on her tea.

“SOKKA!” Katara water whipped her idiot brother in the butt as hard as she could.

“YEOW!!! KATARA, WHY ELSE WOULD AZULA BE SO NICE TO IAN AND HE IN TURN PAY ATTENTION ONLY TO HER?”

Ian stood up from the table and left his arguing friends behind, while Azula stayed in her seat holding the bridge of her nose. Min slowly crept from the room and 

followed her brother. 

“The bracelet,” she mumbled, “Does his bracelet something to do with his behavior?”

She watched from afar as Ian paced and counted on his fingers. She only seen him do this once before, when he was deciding whether to accept the invitation to monastery. How can a simple bracelet make him so distracted? Ian stopped and opened the bracelet, his face remained straight. Min’s eyes widened, wait a minute, he never was able to open the bracelet and now he can? What was in the bracelet? She needed to find out but asking Ian was out of the question. He’d draw himself in and scold her for spying or act as if he doesn’t know what she was talking about. She needed to borrow it for a few minutes then she’ll return it. Easier said then done.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

The plan was simple, all she needed to do was to give him her sleeping pills and he’d sleep like a baby. Min looked through the pile of stuff looking for his canteen. 

“Found it!” Min smiled, this was almost too easy.

She popped a few pills inside and closed the canteen, he won’t suspect a thing. 

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Ian come out of the Beifong estate, she placed the canteen where she found it and jumped off Appa to find a place to hide. Ian climbed onto the saddle and looked through the stuff for his canteen. Min smiled evilly behind the bushes.

“IAN!” 

he turned, the mouth of the canteen just centimeters from his mouth.

“Can I borrow some water from a canteen please!” asked Sokka.

“Sure, here take mine.” 

OH NO! Min panicked as she watched her plan fall into shambles. Sokka took a swig from Ian’s canteen, as he gave it back, he froze. Then much to Min’s horror, collapsed onto the ground and began snoring. Ian’s eyes widened in surprise, he sniffed the canteen and his silver eyes narrowed, a dark aura surrounded him.

“MIN!” he shouted.

The master wanted to cry, her plan was perfect, only if that idiot didn’t get involved. Now Ian would be very watchful and cautious. Min watched sadly as Ian drained all the water out of his canteen onto the dry cracked ground. He shook his head, what was Min up too? His eyes fell onto his bracelet again, Should he tell her… No, he can’t, he couldn’t, it was against the rules. But he should, it involved her too, because…because…NO! He could not, he already chosen his path and would not back down from it. But doubt still remained, did he really want this?  Would he be happy as a monk? No! He doesn't deserve happiness. It was his fault his parents were dead and he has to pay the price. Would his parents want this? For him? Suddenly, the latch Ian was standing on snapped and he slipped, falling on top of an unlucky person below.

“Sorry!” He shouted as he air bent himself off the person and helped the person get up.

Azula rubbed her head. To her agitation, her topknot loosened causing her thick ebony hair to fall free. 

“Do you have a mirror?” she asked, her voice shaking slightly. 

“No sorry.” Ian felt extremely nervous around Azula, now or not?

“Great.” she muttered.

Azula began to gather her hair into a pony tail, it’ll have to do for now. Ian was petrified, this was same exact hairstyle as in the picture, he turned away feeling conflicted. If he didn’t do something soon, the secret would eat his insides out.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

“I forgotten how much I hate flying.” Toph blew at her bangs.

“Yesterday you were complaining how angry you were at Aang for forgetting to take you with us to the Hidden Air Temple. We flew a lot.” countered Sokka.

Toph slammed her fist into Sokka’s arm, 

“OUCH!”

“Maybe that will teach you to keep your mouth shut Snoozles.” 

Everyone giggled except Ian and Azula. Ian fiddled with his thumbs deep in thought. Azula was watching the ground below wandering her next move. She at the moment decided that talking to her mother would be the first step, then she’d figure out the rest. 

Min tapped impatiently, she needed another plan to get the bracelet. Then it hit her.

“Ian, did you bring your lute?” 

He didn’t answer.

“IAN!” she shouted into his ear.

Ian flinched and grabbed his ear.

“WHAT WAS THAT FOR, IT WAS PAINFUL!”

“Maybe you should start paying attention.”   

He growled at her.

“I was asking you, did you bring your lute?”

“So let me get this straight, you yelled into my ear just to get my attention to see if I brought my lute!?”

“That’s about right.” 

Ian dropped his head to his knees.

“Let me help,” Min offered.

Before Ian could protest, Min smacked him in the forehead as hard as she could.

“MIN!” he clutched his forehead clearly in pain. 

“Did that help?” 

“Help with what!”

“Your grumpiness.” 

Azula glanced at Ian, he was clearly at lost on a comeback.

“We could ask you the same thing.” she replied lazily.

Ian repressed a snort as Aang and Katara shared a look. Ian turned and began looking through the pile of stuff.

“What are you searching for?” asked Suki,

“My lute, Min had a good idea.” 

Min began probing with him. When Ian peeked elsewhere, Min loosened the fastening on his wrist and it popped off. She grabbed it along with her flute, hoping that her brother didn’t notice.

“What would you like to play?” she asked him.

He tapped his chin. “Sand Storm.”

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The melody began slowly, it was soft and comforting yet secretive. There was a small pang and the music sped up. Suddenly it became louder, the tune turned into a masterpiece, powerful yet bright, very quickly it ended. 

“Wow, amazing!” Suki, Aang, and Katara clapped.

“It was good.” Toph gently hit Min in the arm.

“Thanks.” she smiled sheepishly.

Azula nodded her head, she enjoyed the music, the Air Nomad siblings were 

very talented.

“Min, would you like to choose the next song?” 

“Why don’t you sing?”

“What? No!” 

“Come on, you’re amazing.” 

“Nope, in your dreams.” he refused

“Why do you have to be so modest?”

“Why do you have no shame?” he countered.

“Why are you so grumpy?”

“Why do you tease me?” 

They began shooting daggers with their eyes. Katara knew this wasn’t going to end well, she drained a near by cloud in attempt to water whip the quarreling pair but Ian and Min both moved and she accidentally bashed Toph and Momo. Momo squeaked rubbing its back. Toph lunged at Katara. She screamed in surprise as the Earth Bender crushed her.

“What’s going on!” Aang turned from his seat on Appa’s head. He nearly jumped off his bison. Ian and Min were yelling insults, Sokka was cheering them on. Azula held on her ears obviously annoyed. Suki watched everything fall out, holding her lips in a straight line, she was at lost on what to do. Katara and Toph were rolling and kicking each other. 

“Ahem.” the Avatar cleared his throat.

No one even blinked.

“AHEM!” He shouted louder.

No one payed any attention again. 

“ENOUGH!!!!!” He bellowed as his eyes and tattoos ignited in the familiar blue light.

Everyone froze and looked at the Avatar in fear. The intimidating glow vanished in a instance leaving behind a very pissed off Aang.

“If any of you let out a single peep for the rest of this ride, I will freeze your limbs and mouth! Is that understood!” scolded Aang.  

“Remind me to never piss Aang off.” Sokka whispered to his wife.

Aang glared at his friend and in one motion froze Sokka’s lips together with the water sucked out of a cloud nearby. 

“Did you forget what I said!” Rolling his eyes, Aang turned back and concentrated 

on navigating. The rest of the ride, the friends spent in peace. Ian and Min picked up their gliders and flew next to Appa. Katara was too scared to approach Aang.

“I’m sorry.” he whispered.

“Huh?” she replied cautiously.

“I’m sorry for yelling at everyone, it’s just that all of you were fighting and I didn’t like it one bit.” 

“That’s all right, we were behaving like children.”

“We are still children.”

Katara smiled as she sat next to Aang. He was starring at his fingers.

“I’m sure no one is mad at you.”

“Except Sokka.”

“Except Sokka of course but I think you did everyone a favor.” 

Aang grinned,

“OOGIES!”