"Kyoishi Island is only a few hours from here," Aang explained to the siblings, showing them a world map. "According to this, Avatar Kyoshi was the fiercest of warriors and a master of what they call the Avatar State. Maybe something in her shrine will help me control my power before-"

"You kill someone?" Sokka asked and Aya sent him a glare.

"Before it happens again," Aang hesitantly told him, before walking away.

"It's time to go home," Sokka told his sisters and both girls opposed this.

"What?" They both said in shock.

"We did our part. We saved him from the Firebenders. Now it's time to go home. My duty..." Katara and Aya gave him a look and Sokka corrected himself. "Our duty is to protect the village like Dad told us to."

"They can protect themselves," Katara reasoned. "Besides, what good is saving Wolf Cove if we don't save the world?"

"Katara, do you hear what you're saying?" Sokka asked her. "Save the world. Us."

"If the world is gonna have any chance, it's gonna need Aang," Aya told Sokka as her eyes found the Avatar. "He's the world's last hope."

"And you're right," Katara added on. "We do have a duty, and it's to protect the Avatar."

"Protect him? You wanna protect him?" Sokka asked the girls in disbelief. "The guy who nearly blew us off the top of this mountain."

"Can you blame him? He found out his whole home is gone," Aya reasoned. "You'd be pretty upset if all of Wolf Cove was destroyed too."

"It's about more than just helping Aang. Ever since he came into our lives, things have changed for me," Katara explained and Aya took her hand with a smile. "Before I met him, I couldn't bend enough water to fill a thimble. And now look what I can do! And that's after a single day! Look around. Look where we are now. I don't know about you, but I can't go back. I don't think Aya wants to either."

"We have so much to see and it's to help someone who can stop this war. If I know you Sokka, I know you want this war to end," Aya told Sokka, who was contemplating their words and mentally agreeing that he wanted this war to end.

Before Sokka would say anything, his sisters walked away to find Aang.

"Katara! Something's wrong with your bag!" Aang called out as he noticed movement coming from inside Katara's bag. The girls ran up to him and noticed strange movement and sounds coming from the bag. Aang crawled closer to bag, but before he could touch it it screeched and moved away.

Aya acted fast and managed to snatch the bag and empty it to reveal their food mostly eaten. Aya gasped at the sight of an adorable animal that landed at her feet.

"A lemur!" Aya beamed when she saw the animal.

"Hey! That's our food!" Sokka called as the lemur flew into the tree tops.

"Wait, Aya. What is that?" Katara asked her sister not hearing her at first.

"A winged lemur!" Aya informed and pulled out her book of all the animals in the world. "They are native to the Air Temples."

"She's right," Aang asked. "They used to be filled with them." Aang flew up and joined the lemur in the tree.

Aya smiled at the sight as she closed her animal book, putting it back in her bag.

Katara noticed something on the ground and picked it up, "what's this?"

She opened the scroll to reveal waterbending techniques and a message from Kanna.

Aya looked at the scroll and read it.

"My dear Katara, this scroll has been passed down among the Waterbenders of our tribe for generations. It contains everything you need to know to begin your bending education. You have no idea how hard it's been to keep this from you, but with the Fire Nation hunting for benders, it was just too dangerous for you to have. But now that you've gone out into the world, you should take what belongs to you. You are a Waterbender. That is who you have always been and always will be. Never forget that." Kanna's voice echoed in Aya's head as she read. "Please remind your sister to never give up hope. I believe she has bending abilities too. She will discover them one day."

Aya felt herself smile at that last part and looked at her hands, gentle squeezing them.

"See? This never would've happened if we hadn't left home," Katara reasoned with Sokka.

"Fine, we'll go to Kyoshi Island and see how it goes," Sokka reluctantly agreed.

Aya looked up at the Avatar and the lemur, "Aang, you ready to leave?"

Aang thought for a moment before replying, "there's something I have to do first."

——

Aang took the siblings over to the temple where Gyasto's skeleton laid. Aang placed the Airbender necklace on the skeleton and stood up with tears forming in his eyes.

"My whole life, you were there for me... and I wasn't there for you. Goodbye, Gyasto," Aang's voice cracked as he apologized. "I'm sorry..."

Aang turned to the siblings and walked past them without saying a word.

——

As the four were flying on Appa toward Kyoshi Island, the lemur they met met up with them and flew next to Appa.

"You wanna join us, Momo?" Aang asked, putting his arm out.

"Momo?" Sokka asked from the saddle.

"Yeah. He looks like a Momo, doesn't he?" Aang asked as Momo landed on his arm. Aya reached over and scratched his head, which made Momo purr. "Just like you look like a Sokka."

"Can't argue with that," Katara grinned as Sokka made a face of confusion.

"I bet you taste like chicken," Sokka snarled at the lemur and Momo screeched in fear.

"Don't worry, he won't eat you," Aya assured Momo, who leaped over to her shoulder and chirped.

——

The group approached Kyoshi Island not to long after flying. Aya leaned forward at the sight of the beautiful island below them and her eyes found the statue of Avatar Kyoshi.

"There she is," Sokka says. "Giant scary lady."

Aya rolled her eyes at his comment and smiled at the statue.

Appa landed near the statue and the group walked up to the statue of Kyoshi herself.

"Wow," Aya muttered in amazement as Sokka walked up to the door of the statue.

"Check this out," he gestured before opening the door and walked inside.

"Sokka, should you just go in there?" Katara asked, concerned of her brother going in the statue.

"He's going to get caught," Aya mumbled to Aang, before she heard rustling in the trees and before she could react Katara was grabbed by a woman in uniform and had fans.

"Aang! Aya!" She called as more woman with fans surrounded them and Aang did a backflip out of the way as Aya got out her daggers. Aang landed in the middle of them and Aya stood by him with her daggers in hand.

"Sokka!" Aya called.

"What? What's happening?" Sokka asked, walking out the door. "Hey!"

One of the warriors grabbed Sokka and threw him on his back.

"You are trespassing on sacred grounds!" The woman warned Sokka.

"Stop! You're making a mistake! He's the Avatar!" Aya exclaimed, before she was hit in the face by a fan and she stumbled back and fell into the arms of one of the warriors.

"Ridiculous. There would've been signs if he was the Avatar," One of the warriors replied and right on cue Avatar Kyoshi's statue's eyes began to glow on Aang.

"I think that might be a sign," One of the warriors told their leader.

——

"It's been a long time since we've had visitors, and for good reason. For one hundred years, Kyoshi Island has remained safe from the ravages of war by keeping to ourselves. We expect the outside world to do the same," The leader of the village informed the group.

The warriors brought the Gaang to the village on the island to meet their leader.

"We're not here to cause trouble. All I want is to learn more about Avatar Kyoshi. Isn't that what this place is about? Keeping her memory alive?" Aang asked her.

"We're not a threat," Katara said.

"Maybe not," The woman said. ""But the next visitors might be. We can't start making exceptions."

"We're not just any visitors. He's the Avatar," Aya reasoned with her.

"According to you and a few reflections off a statue," The woman deflected.

"I know you're scared. I don't know what life has been like here. To be honest, I don't know what life has been like anywhere. I've been away for a while, but where I'm from people help each other." Aang paused for second before continuing. "I know I don't belong here. That's something I've been feeling a lot lately. But if you can help me, if I can learn to be the Avatar, maybe I could bring the place I knew, a world where people were happier, back."

The leader of the warriors leaned down to the woman and whispered to her.

"What harm is there in letting him look through a few books?" She asked the leader of the villager.

"It's not about them," The woman replied.

"It's about who else may come. I know," The warrior told her. "But if he is the Avatar, how can we turn our back on him?"

"Such a fierce warrior," the woman told the warrior. "And yet such a kind heart."

"Mother," The warrior sighed at her mother.

"Suki, you're too young to know that there are many in this world who take advantage of that kind heart." Suki's mother told her

"I'm not too young," Suki deflected. "I just haven't seen the world."

Suki stood up after that and made eye contact with Sokka.

"I'm reminded that Kyoshi herself often benefited from the kindness of strangers," The woman informed the Gaang. "And as the Avatar, she believed in helping those who could not help themselves. So we will open our village to our guests for 48 hours. I trust that you will respect the limits of our generosity."

The Gaang smiled and nodded at her.

——

"I get it. I know why you wanted us off your island," Sokka told Suki, who was showing the Gaang around. "I'd have done the same thing. It's a big responsibility, all these people's lives in your hands. Personally, I take that responsibility very seriously. I, uh... I'm the guardian of my village, too, so..."

Suki stopped and looked at Sokka, "you?"

Aya snickered a chuckle, already liking Suki.

"Yep!" Sokka nodded.

"A guardian?" Suki questioned, "So, how are you protecting your village if you're here?"

"He's not," Aya interrupted which got a glare from Sokka.

"Don't listen to her, she doesn't know what she's talking about," Sokka dismissed Aya, who rolled her eyes at him.

"I think she does," Suki smiled softly and looked at Aya. "She seems intelligent."

Aya smiled at Suki and bowed her head, silently thanking her.

"Okay okay, I may not physically be there but still.. I am. That is, I'm... I have to save the world first," Sokka nervously stumbled over his words and looked at Katara. "Katara, how does it go again? I'm protecting Aang, so I'm protecting the village." Suki walked away and Sokka followed her. "Hey! Hey! Um... the point is we have a lot in common. We're both warriors, right?"

"Before she died, Avatar Kyoshi trained an elite force in her image. One ready to protect not only our homes, but our way of life. The tradition has been passed down through the generations, and it is now my honor to protect this community and to uphold the values of the Avatar. That is why I'm not just a warrior. I'm a Kyoshi Warrior"

Sokka stood speechless as Suki walked away and Aya let out a chuckle.

"She got you good," Aya laughed softly.

——

The next morning, Aya walked out of their small cabin in the village with a small yawn. Ahead of her, she saw Katara standing by the riverbank.

Aya didn't want to disrupt her sister's waterbending and sat close enough to be able to see her practice. Aya watched in amazement as her sister bended a small wave of water successfully before she brought up a small ball of water and launched it to a tree where it evaporated.

Aya's smile brightened at her sister's improvement and she felt genuine joy watching her succeed. She loves her sister, but at the same time, she envy's her ability to bend. Aya hopes of being a waterbender are getting lower every day. No matter how much others say she will be a bender, she believes she won't ever be one.

"I wish I was like my sister," Aya mumbled, before she got up and walked into the forest to practice her combat skills to her mind of everything.

——

Aya found a quiet spot in the forest and was practicing her combat skills. She was using her daggers on the trees around her and so far she hadn't missed a shot. Aya knows she gifted in fighting, but she wished she was gifted in bending too.

Aya focused on the tree before she did a kick flip and launched both her daggers at the tree. The daggers landed right in the tree almost colliding with one another.

Aya stood in her place for a few seconds before walking over to grab her daggers from the tree.

"Wow, that's impressive."

Aya quickly pulled out the daggers and launched one at the voice behind her. However, the person quickly deflected the dagger with her fan and the dagger landed in the ground below her.

Aya gasped at the sight of Suki and hastily apologized.

"I'm so sorry, Suki!" Aya apologized. "Force of habit."

"No, no," Suki shook her head and picked up the dagger. "No need to apologize. Warriors should always keep their guard up. Especially when you're alone. I'm impressed."

Aya smiled, putting her dagger away and walked closer to Suki.

"Thanks," Aya replied, feeling flattered someone like Suki liked her skills.

Suki examined the dagger she picked up. It was the dagger with the red handle and was fascinated by the beauty of the dagger.

"Your weapons are beautiful," Suki complimented. "May I see the other one?"

"Of course!" Aya beamed and pulled out the other dagger that had the blue handle, allowing Suki to take it. "My father gave me these daggers before he went off to fight in the war. He said he got them from their other female warrior in the tribe and wanted me to have them. I never met this other woman, but he told me I'm just like her and wanted me to have them in honor of her."

"I can tell they are very loved," Suki mentioned. "Do the red and blue colors have any significance

"I'm not sure," Aya shrugged. "I believe the blue is for Water Tribe, but never sure about the red."

Suki thought for a moment as she stared at the red dagger. She then glanced at Aya, who was smiling brightly and didn't say the thought that was in her mind.

Fire Nation

She did not want to break the spirits of this kind soul in front of her.

"Maybe one day you'll find out," Suki smiled, hands the daggers back to Aya. "But you are a very talented warrior. As I said before, you are intelligent."

"Thanks, Suki," Aya bashfully replied. "I've been told I'm gifted and I'm thankfully for all the training I got. From my dad and Sokka. But..." she paused and sighed. "In this world, a non-bender can't get very far. Especially as a woman."

"I wouldn't say that," Suki denied. "You have been surrounded by the idea that you need to be a bender in order to achieve greatness. But you don't. I live my life everyday as a non-bender and I believe I had achieved greatness." Suki took Aya's shoulders and Aya looked up at her. "You have a purpose and I believe one day you'll discover it."

"Don't tell Sokka this, but he's the fiercest warrior I've ever met. He risked his life to protect our village," Aya softly smiled. "I look up to him. But don't tell him I said this."

Suki cracked a grin, "Secret's safe with me."

Aya smiled at Suki, "Thank you, Suki."

Suki nodded, before walking away but she turned around to Aya. "There's food in the town hall."

Suki left after that and Aya smiled confidently to herself, before following Suki moments later.

——

Aya walked into the small village house where he and the Gaang was staying. Aang was first to notice her and beamed at her presence.

"Aya!" He got up and went up to her, which made Aya blush. "You have to try the food! It's delicious!"

He took her hand and lead her to the table where Katara and Sokka were at, eating the giant buffet they were given.

The two sat down at the head of the table and Aya admired the food in front of her, feel very hungry herself.

"Nice of you to join us," Katara joked. "I didn't see you at all this morning."

"I just went to practice my fighting. Ran into Suki-"

"You did?" Sokka interrupted with a mouth full of food. He paused and swallowed before continuing. "Did she mention me at all?"

Aya chuckled, "no she didn't." Sokka's face fell. "She complimented my fighting skills. Told me I'm gifted."

"You are," Katara smiled at her. "Believe her."

"I do," Aya softly replied and glanced at Aang, who was smiling bashfully at her.

Sokka noticed the two staring at one another and broke the silence, "not home cooking, but not bad."

Sokka picked up a kabob and Momo flew in, stealing it from his hands. Katara, Aang, and Aya laughed as Sokka glared at the lemur that now sat on the wooden beams above them.

"Just try that again, drumstick!"

A young girl in the village ran up to Aang, "are you really an Airbender?"

Aang stood up with a spoon in his hands and used his airbending to make it float a few inches above his hand and slowly land in her hand. There was a crowd of kids outside that gasped in amazement and the young girl chuckled, before rushing outside to her friends. Aya watched as Aang rushed outside to play with them and she shifted uncomfortably, brushing her hair back.

She liked when Aang's attention was on her. As selfish as it sounds, she wanted him to pay attention to her.

Katara and Sokka got up to watch Aang play with the kids in the village. Aya followed, staying a few feet behind her siblings.

"You gotta admit, he has a way with people. He knows how to connect to get through to people like he did last night. That's his real power. Connection. Building bridges. That's how he's gonna be the Avatar."

As Katara was talking, Aang formed an airball that he rode on and he accidentally ran into a small statue, falling off the airball. Aya winced at the impact and Sokka gestured to Aang.

"Right. There goes the savior of the world."

——

That's the end of part one of the episode "Warriors." Since the episodes are so long, I'm going to cut them up into 2 or 3 chapters. Makes it easier for me and more chapters for you all to read. I'm graduated from college!!! Wooo!

Thanks for being so patient! ❤️