A shrill scream pierced the calm air, the octaves echoing off the walls and bouncing back.

 Aang was the first to stand and run, hoping to find Asha (She was the one who screamed) before whatever it was hurt her. He could feel the fear and shock coursing through her and did not like it. The others were quickly behind him, the same worry on their face, however it was diminished as they turned a corner.  Aang quickly being tackled by his girlfriend, the girl latching to his neck as he struggles to remain balanced. 

"Make them go away!"  The girl whines, clutching her eyes tightly.  The boy furrows a brow as Raiko quickly bursts out in laughter. He seems to be the only one that gets why she's so upset, the other four looking to each other.  That is, until they hear a small quack. Asha lets out another screech, clutching Aang tighter if possible. as she tries to get onto his shoulders. 

Looking over Asha, Aang bites down a chuckle at the four turtle ducklings below Asha, awaiting her to come down.  

"I see you made some friends there, Ash." Sokka snorts, using his hand to cover his mouth; laughter threatening to spill out. 

"It's not funny!" Asha shrieks, looking down momentarily at the ducks. The quack happily at the attention, Asha only sticking her tongue out childishly. 

"Are you sure?" Raiko is now wiping tears from his eyes, crouching down to shoo the ducks. 

"That may not work, I think they may have imprinted on her." Zuko crouches beside Raiko, a smile playing at his features as he holds a hand to a duck; the duckling nuzzling into it momentarily.   

With a small chuckle, Aang sets down his girlfriend slowly, the girl hesitant to put her feet down. "I think your over reacting just a little- Ash?" Aang only watches as the ducks take to charging Asha, the girl running quickly. Bending a large column, she sits at the top, leaning over, watching as the ducks jump at her.  

The group watches as she sits back, only to be thrown backwards and off the column, the ducklings taking flight to get to their 'mother'. 

She gently pushes them away, getting up and running again with a scream of, "I'm not ready to be a mother!" 

Behind her the group burst out laughing, yes, even Zuko, and watch as they continue chasing the poor girl. 

"You know what this means, twinkle toes." Toph nudges Aang, both calming down from their laughing fit. This abruptly stops him as he makes the connection, grabbing onto Toph with sparkling eyes and a bright smile. 

"I'm a dad!" 

___

Night had befallen on the group, Asha eventually succumbing to the ducklings, allowing them to run and crawl over her and Aang, the girl taking refuge in the smiling air bender. He had been more than happy to let the ducklings roam over him.  However, as of right now, everyone and everything was fast asleep (Zulu staying far away from the ducklings, being the salty raptor she is, she hid in Gumi's wings).  

Something however, wakes Aang as he rubs an eye. Looking down, he smiles at the sight of Asha, four ducklings tucked under her arm, between their chests.  He then scans the room, becoming fully awake as he jumps up, startling Asha awake, twirling his glider as he deflects a projectile launched at them.  It hits a cliff, exploding and awaking everyone else up as well. 

"Seriously, again?!" Asha whines, taking position, the ducklings at her feet. She groans fairly loudly and picks them up, placing them in Appa's saddle, and then burrito blanketing them so they can't escape. It works, their heads peaking out, just as the ceiling begins to crumble and shake, throwing Asha off the saddle.   

She lands on her feet however, twirling her staff quickly. More ceiling falls, this time above Katara, but Zuko saves her before the air benders can, Asha mockingly cooing as she takes a battle stance. However, the crumbling of rock and a pull at her arm (Aang grabbing it lightly) has her ditching that idea, Toph and Haru creating a tunnel for them to escape through.  They evacuate quickly, the air benders grabbing the pets' reigns before they leave, leading them carefully.  Appa lets out a low groan, Gumi giving him a gentle head nudge for comfort as the air benders whisper apologies. 

(When the pets have a better love story than the main character- sorryi'llleave.)  

Asha turns, Zuko standing still in front of the tunnel. "What are you doing?!" 

"Go ahead, I'll hold them off. I think this is a family visit." Zuko looks to her before running off to an airship. 

"Zuko, no!" She goes to run, but Aang and Sokka hold her back. "We gotta go!" 

She reluctantly leaves, pulling Gumi's reigns with her. A bad feeling settling in her gut-- which is normally always justified with these losers (Lovingly).

They then face three tunnels, Toph trying to support them and keep them from crumbling like stale cookies. 

"We gotta go boy-" Asha gently tugs the reigns, turning to yank as her feet slide, her dragon -nor Aang's bison- moving.

"We can't get them to go in there. They hate tunnels." Aang seems to be having the same difficulty. 

"Well, there's no way to fly out of here." Raiko yells, running over to help Asha, but it's not use.  Zulu and Momo watch from Gumi's saddle, the ducklings in Appa's , all seemingly quiet. 

"Well, I guess we'll have to find a way." Asha growls back, finally slipping with a thud. 

"We need to split up. Take the tunnel and get to the stolen air ship." Sokka runs to them, barking orders. 

"No, the fire nation can't separate our family again." Katara turns to her dad (Also enforcing reason #7493 as to why Asha doesn't like Katara all too much; she fails to see the bigger picture-), who places his hands on her shoulders. "It'll be okay, it's not forever."

She gives her dad a hug before running to Appa, Sokka doing the same, but grabbing Suki along the way. Hakoda takes Teo and others with him, the originals staying behind. 

"I can clear that away and we out through there." Toph grunts, Aang and Asha taking their rightful places at the helm.  The earth bender uses a column to get herself to Appa's Saddle, careful of the ducks in Katara's arms. 

"Umm, there's an awful lot of fire in that general direction." Suki sits in Appa's saddle as well, the surroundings crumbling around them, causing them to cringe.

"We'll get through it. Let's go."  Aang pats Appa as he speaks, the bison preparing for take-off.

___

Azula had fire bent at the two animals, but with quick thinking and Earth shields, it does nothing. Of course, now the ducklings were free, picking at Asha and Zulu (the poor raptor hiding in the girls lap as Raiko drives), the girl having to stop the raptor from eating the poor ducklings. 

It was beginning to look more and more tempting though.

Turning Asha watches as Zuko and Azula exchange shots, Raiko weaving threw belts of fire that aren't deflected.  

"Raiko, switch with me." Asha starts standing, the ducklings squawking. 

"I don't want to be on baby sitting duty-" 

"Switch me!" Raiko eventually does, taking the ducklings in his arms. They squeak and struggle for a few seconds before laying limp.  Asha quickly takes the reigns, pulling Gumi around to watch the fight a little better.  The two fire benders' fists collide as she does, an explosions ringing out with a big puff of black smoke.

Zuko tumbles across the surface, Asha quickly pulling Gumi's reigns as Zuko's eyes widen in fear.  He falls, but not very far as Raiko gabs him, pulling him onto the obsidian dragon.  The boys look over as Azula continues to fall, Zuko crawling closer to Asha. 

"She's not going to make it." Zuko watches as his biological sister furrows her brows, his step-sister turning the same way he was.

"Bet." Asha watches as well, neither looking at the other.  They can't say they're surprised, watching as Azula tugs a hairpiece of her head, fire bending from her feet to the nearby cliff, digging her hairpiece into the rocks. She eventually comes to a complete stop, glaring at the dragon riders. 

"Of course, she did." Zuko groans.

"Told you." Asha groans as well catching up with Appa and the others.

___

"Wow, camping. It really seems like old times again, doesn't it." Aang smiles, leaning on his hands behind him. Asha sits beside him, knees to her chest, ducklings asleep on her feet. 

"Yeah, if you don't count these annoying birds." Asha snorts, Aang laughing with the others. 

Gumi and Appa are asleep behind them, Zulu asleep under Gumi's wings, still avoiding the ducks.  

"If you really want to feel like old times, I could ugh... Chase you around a while and try to capture you."  Zuko breaks a cookie in half, handing some to Asha, who takes it with a smile. He munches his portion, the group laughing with him. All but Katara who remains a brat (Reason #8729 as to why Asha doesn't like-).

"To Zuko." Sokka begins, raising his cup up high. "Who knew after all those times he tried to snuff us out, today, he'd be our here." Everyone raises their cups, except Katara once more. 

"Here, here." The others cheering.  

"I'm touched. I don't deserve this."  Zuko smiles warmly, looking to the smiling faces, stopping as Katara glared coldly at him. 

"Yeah, no kidding." She snarls, standing up and leaving. 

"What's with her?" Sokka raises a brow, watching as Zuko stands as well.

"I wish I knew."  The fire prince follows Katara. 

"What's with him?"  Sokka changes his question, watching as Asha leans back, shouting "Use protection!" 

___

"I'm sorry, you want to what now?" Asha momentarily stops feeding Gumi (The ducklings squawking at her feet) as she looks to the two other teens facing her and Aang. 

"We need to borrow Appa or Gumi." Katara explains, Zuko behind her. 

"Why? Is it your turn to take a little field trip with Zuko?" Aang feeds Appa some hay as he, too, looks at them.

"Yes, it is." This shocks the air benders as they send a look to each other.  

'You deal with this.' 

'What? Why me?!'

'I have ducks to deal with.' 

"Uh. What's going on?" After a short exchange, Aang takes the lead (not really getting a choice). To be completely fair, Asha was certain if she talked to Zuko she'd be forced to go on yet another one of these life changing adventures. 

Not today and not with Katara. 

"We're going to find the man who took my Mother from me." Katara snaps, Sokka quickly standing.

"Sokka told me the story of what happened. I know who did it. And I know how to find him."  Zuko adds, standing behind Katara.

"Uh huh. And what do you expect to accomplish with this?" Asha strokes Gumi's horns as she speaks to them, the dragon glaring at them, his bright blue arrows reflecting the sun above them. 

"I knew you wouldn't understand." Katara sighs, shaking her head, walking away.

"How does that question insinuate I don't understand?!" Asha nearly shrieks, Gumi nuzzling her slightly. 

"Wait, stop, I do understand. Asha does too." Aang stops Katara and an inevitable fight. "You're feeling unbelievable pain and rage. How do you think we felt about the sand benders when they stole Appa and Gumi? How do you think we felt about the Fire Nation when we found out what happened to our people?"

"If anything, Aang and I understand the most." Asha backs up Aang, trying not to make an already extensive list longer.

"She need this, Aang, Asha." Zuko looks to the others, who look back. "This is about closure and justice."

"Really? Because I think it's about getting revenge." Asha shifts her weight to one foot, her hip jutting out. She's been there. Done things she wasn't proud of. 

"Fine! Maybe it is. Maybe that's what I need. Maybe that's what he deserves." Katara growls, frustrated and angry.

"Katara, you sound like Jet." Aang tries to defuse the situation, but he's a little too late; Katara takes an defensive tone.

"It's not the same. Jet attacked the innocent. This man, he's a monster!" Asha rolls her eyes at Katara.

"Katara, she was my mother too. But I think Aang and Asha might be right."  Sokka stands, backing up the multi-benders.

"Then you didn't love her the way I did." Katara growls, shocking Sokka and Asha into silence at her. 

Mentally, Asha did another tally (Reason #9820-)

"The monks used to say that revenge is like a two header rat-viper. While you watch your enemy go down, you're being poisoned yourself." Aang looks to the two, calm. Much calmer than anyone else.

"That's cute. But this isn't air temple preschool. It's the real world." Zuko rolls his eyes, Asha growling slightly. 

"Now that I know he's out there, not that I know we could find him, I feel like I have no choice." Katara tries to explain better, but the damage is done. 

"Katara, you do have a choice. Forgiveness." Aang tries to continue with his pacifist route. 

"That's the same as doing nothing." Zuko snorts, Asha shaking her head before Aang can answer. 

"It really isn't. Doing nothing is easy. Forgiving, especially something like this, is hard." Asha keeps her eyes trained on her feet, the ducklings curled around them. 

"It's not just hard. It's impossible." Katara looks to the air bender with a dark expression, Asha's eyes remaining on the turtle ducklings. 

___

Climbing over the rock, Asha watches Zuko and Katara with a satisfied smirk, Aang and Sokka beside her. The two being caught red handed, trying to steal Appa- since Gumi wouldn't have left without Asha, not again. 

"So you were just going to take Appa anyway?" Aang snaps, the two whipping around. 

"Yes." Katara sounds like a child caught with their hand in the cookie jar.

"It's okay, because I forgive you." Aang smiles hopefully, looking to the two, but the smile can't fool Asha as his, justified, anger continues growing. "That give you any ideas?" 

"Don't try to stop us." Katara doesn't stop from walking to Appa, wearing a dark black outfit. 

"I wasn't planning to. This is a journey you need to take. You need to face this man. But when you do, please don't choose revenge. Let your anger out and then let it go. Forgive him." Aang continues to try. Asha was certain it was because one more pushing point from Katara would've had him snapping.

"Okay, we'll be sure to do that guru-goody-goody." Zuko looks tired, climbing aboard Appa. 

"Watch it, princey." Asha growls, glaring at the prince who glares back. He breaks first.

"Thanks for understanding Aang." Katara takes off, the three watching. 

"You know, you're pretty wise for a kid, Aang." Sokka smiles at Aang, who returns it. Asha simply huffs, sliding off the rock as she stretches, the small patter of flippers alerting her. 

"Thanks Sokka." 

"Usually it's annoying but right now, I'm just impressed." Aang narrows his eyes, Asha giggling ever so slightly.

"So...Can I borrow Momo for a week?" Sokka smiles brightly. 

"Wait, why do you need Momo?" Asha turns around quickly, furrowing a brow. 

___

"Oh, domesticity. Something I thought I would never accomplish until I was at least in my earliy twenties." Asha groans, two of the ducks jumping on her shoulders and head. The other two were currently in Aang's arms, said boy laughing at her. 

'I mean, I suppose I can wait that long.'

'Aang I swear to god-'

"Come on, the pond is close by and then your a free girl again." Raiko leads them through woods and trees, having explored earlier, ignoring Asha's bright red cheeks.

"Fantastic." 

"Don't say that, Ash!" Aang whines, the girl rolling her eyes, but nonetheless, smiling. 

They clamber through the forest with soft conversation, the ducks quacking occasionally. Until they reach the pond. From there, they go nuts, quacking despite how much the benders shush them. Placing them on the ground, Asha and Aang watch as they quickly run away, disappearing into a bush. The pond is not too far, but the group follows any way. 

There they find a mama duck nuzzling the smallest duck (Sokka nicknamed it Toph Jr.). She looks up with a squawk before flying to the pond, the four ducklings following. The trio watches as they swim off, one turning shortly after and returning to the benders. Asha quickly crouches, allowing it to lightly nip her hand before watching it turn once more and catch up to it's mother. 

Asha has a small smile on her features, which is quickly wiped off by Aang hanging off her shoulder with small tears in his eyes. 

"They grow up so fast!" 

"Aang." 

"I miss them already!" 

___

"Katara!" 

Asha watches as Aang runs up to the, obviously upset girl; the Onsra trailing behind with Zuko. 

"You did the right thing, Zuko." Asha says, without looking to the ex-prince, only continuing after a verbal instigation. "Taking her. She'll remember that more than she'll remember the anger she felt facing the man. She'll remember the lengths you went to to help her."

Without waiting for a response, Asha continues to walk up the dock, placing a hand on Aang's shoulder as he talks to Katara.

"Zuko told us what you did. Or what you didn't do, I guess. I'm proud." 

"I wanted to do it. I wanted to take out all my anger at him but, I couldn't. I don't know if it's because I'm too weak to do it or if it's because I'm strong enough not to." Katara closes her eyes, a frown on her face. 

"You did the right thing. Forgiveness is the first step you have to take to begin healing." 

"But I didn't forgive him. I'll never forgive him." Katara pauses, her face softening. She turns to Zuko with a look Asha can easily identify, as she had the same one, whenever she talked to Aang face to face before they were together. "But I am ready to forgive you."

Katara hugs Zuko tightly before walking off with her brother, the prince left with the two multi-benders.

"You were right about what Katara needed. Violence wasn't the answer." Zuko turns to the benders, who look to each other momentarily. 

"It never is." Aang smiles to Zuko, Asha nodding along, placing her chin on his shoulder.

"Then I have a question for you. What are you going to do when you face my Father?" Zuko shocks Aang and Asha with the question, the two looking to each other once again, this time unsure and confused.

What were they going to do?