Xiaodan tapped her fingers lightly against the table as she stared at the Pai Sho board in front of her intently, her cheek resting against her fist. She was trying to ignore the smug, close-eyed smile on Iroh's face as she thought which tile to move in order to win the current game they were playing. She was also ignoring the crewmen standing behind them who were whispering and placing bets on who was going to win this round.

The white-haired girl's eyes narrowed for a moment then an impish smile quirked one corner of her mouth and she pushed one tile forward three spaces. Iroh gave a low chuckle and shook his head slowly.

"An interesting move, young one, but I'm afraid it..." Iroh started to say as he looked at the board smugly before doing a double take, "What? How?"

Xiaodan smiled smugly at the old man as he moved around the board in an attempt to find out how he had just lost a game he thought he was sure to win. Her smug smile grew when she heard some of the crewmembers grumbling behind her and the sound of money being exchanged.

"Looks like you lose again, old man." The pale-haired girl drawled as she leaned back on the hands only to squeal quietly and fall backwards when the door to the bridge was thrown open and Zuko stormed inside, startling everyone except Iroh.

"Uncle!" Zuko shouted, not even giving the white-haired girl sprawled out on the floor a glance.

"Yes, Prince Zuko?" Iroh questioned as he began to reset the Pai Sho board for a new game.

"You're supposed to be helping me train, Uncle!" Zuko retorted harshly, "And you're sitting here playing Pai Sho?!"

"More like losing at Pai Sho..." Xiaodan snickered behind her hand as she sat up and re-crossed her legs underneath her body.

"Silence!" The prince barked, whirling around to point a finger at the white-haired girl's face, "You're the reason he's even distracted!"

"I am not!" Xiaodan yelped indignantly as she jumped to her feet to glare up at the slightly taller teen with her hands on her hips.

"Yes, you are!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not, you fire-shooting insect!"

"Why you little-"

"Enough!" Iroh shouted as he stepped between the two arguing teens, who had ended up practically nose-to-nose as they continued to shout at each other, and he pushed them apart, "Instead of shouting at each other, why don't you two take your argument to the main deck and spar?"

Zuko and Xiaodan glared at each other over Iroh's head as they thought about Iroh's suggestion. After a moment, Xiaodan sniffed primly and took a step back, flicking her wrist dismissively.

"No, thank you." She stated coolly, "I think I'll go meditate instead."

Zuko growled lowly as he glared at her back then he smirked and crossed his arms over his chest., "What? Are you too scared, Airbender?"

"Of course not." Xiaodan stated as she paused at the entrance to the bridge and glanced over her shoulder at the triumphant expression on the prince's face with a condescending smile, "But I doubt Iroh would approve of me launching your steaming butt into the ocean."

Zuko's arms dropped to his sides and he sputtered with furious indignation as the white-haired girl practically flounced down the hall towards the stairs that would take her to her quarters.

Iroh hid an amused smile behind his hand as he watched steam escape his nephew's nose before the scarred teenage prince stomped out of the room, most likely towards the deck to practice his Firebending.

"Now, who wants to play this round?" The old man asked, looking expectantly at the crewmembers still in the room, all of which groaned and slapped their faces with their hands.

"Look!" Katara exclaimed excitedly, pointing at the lake they had decided to camp the night before just as a large fish jumped and landed in the water with a splash.

Sokka sat up and watched as the fish leapt into the air again and faced the group in mid-air then landed back in the water with a splash.

"Oh, he is taunting us!" Sokka grumbled as he jumped up and pointed at the fish as it jumped out of the water again, "You are so gonna be dinner!"

The Water Tribe boy ran to the fishing pole leaning against a log beside their tent and grabbed it, rushing back over to the edge of the lake and tried to cast the line, only for nothing to happen.

Sokka stopped swinging the fishing pole and brought it closer to his face to inspect it, "Hey, where's the fishing line?"

"Oh...I didn't think you would need it, Sokka." Aang said sheepishly from behind the older boy and he held up the intricately woven necklace with a red flower in the middle that he had made with the fishing line.

Sokka walked over and examined the necklace, then slapped his forehead and gestured to the necklace as he whined.

"Aw, it's all tangled!"

"Not tangled. Woven!" Aang protested slightly as he got to his feet with Airbending and faced Katara, "I made you a necklace. I thought since you lost your other one..."

He trailed off and held the necklace up between his hands, flashing a toothy grin at the dark-haired girl.

Katara smiled and walked over to him, taking the necklace as he handed it to her, "Thanks, Aang. I love it."

"Great, Aang." Sokka commented sarcastically as he rolled his eyes, "Maybe instead of saving the world, you can go into the jewelry-making business."

"I don't see why I can't do both." Aang said with a shrug and a grin, oblivious to the fact that Katara was putting on the necklace behind him.

Sokka scowled slightly and turned back to the lake just as the se tu fish jumped out of the water to continue its acrobatic display. The Water Tribe boy growled and hurled his useless fishing pole into the water in an attempt to spear the fish.

"Stop taunting me!" Sokka shouted angrily as the se tu jumped out of the water completely unharmed and Sokka charged into the lake after unsheathing his jawbone dagger, stabbing the water.

"So, how do I look?"

Aang turned around to face Katara, his bored expression instantly morphing into one of awe and amazement as he stared at the dark-haired. A blush appeared on the young Airbender's face as he looked at Katara who was smiling sweetly at him, blushing slightly with one hand behind her back while the other was touching the necklace Aang had made her. Aang tugged nervously at his collar and smiled nervously.

"You mean, all of your or just your neck?" He asked nervously then rubbed the back of his in embarrassment, "I mean, because both look great!"

Sokka emerged from the water with the se tu in his arms and he looked over at his sister and friend with a slight smirk.

"Smoochie, smoochie, someone's in love!" He sang and made kissing noises until the fish broke free from his grasp and slapped him in the face with its tail then dove back into the water.

"I...well, uh..." A blush appeared on Aang's face and he stuttered in embarrassment as Momo jumped onto his shoulder.

"Stop teasing him, Sokka. Aang's just a good friend." Katara snapped in an annoyed tone as she glowered at her brother and walked over to stand beside Aang with a smile and patted his head, "A sweet, little guy! Just like Momo."

"Thanks..." Aang muttered in dismay as he looked at the ground while Sokka walked out of the lake soaking wet and irritated.

Momo suddenly flew off Aang's shoulder when a loud growling roar came from a short distance away. The lemur landed on a rock with Aang landed beside him a moment later, his gray eyes going wide.

"Someone's being attacked by a platypus bear!" He said urgently as he pointed at the scene.

The platypus bear roared and rose onto its hind legs, swinging its claw-tipped paws at a man clad in blue. The man dodged to the side, smiling merrily as if nothing was wrong as he dodged another swipe of the platypus bear's claws.

"Well, hello there!" The man called out when he saw Aang land on a rock right behind the angry platypus bear and dodged another claw swipe, "Nice day, isn't it?"

"Make noise!" Aang shouted in reply, cupping his hand around his mouth, "He'll run off!"

"No!" Sokka refuted as he and Katara stop by the rock Aang was standing on, "Play dead! He'll lose interest!"

The platypus bear swung again and the man ducked, the sharp claws passing through the air where the man's head had been a moment ago.

"Whoa, close one!" The man said with a happy laugh as he continued to sidestep the angry hybrid animal's attacks.

Katara cupped one hand around her mouth and gestured with the other as she shouted, "Run downhill then climb a tree!"

"No, punch him in the bill!" Sokka suggested instead, punching his fist upward for emphasis.

"And then run in zigzags!" Aang added helpfully.

"No need," The man called out cheerily as he backed away, "It's going to be fine."

The platypus bear roared and swung both his paws one right after the other, but the man simple twisted around until he was sitting cross-legged on the ground and the claws passed harmless over his head and cut deeply into the tree behind him instead.

Aang jumped into the air and flipped over the enraged creature, sending up a wave of air as he landing in front of it with his hands raised defensively.

"Whoa there!" He shouted, hands held up in preparation to attack.

The platypus bear reared up further onto its hind legs and roared loudly at Aang when Appa suddenly appeared behind the smaller creature and bellowed, which caused the platypus bear's fur to bristle with fear and lay a large spotted egg before escaping into the water and swimming down river.

"Mmm, lunch!" Sokka exclaimed joyfully as he picked up the egg and sniffed it then turned to the man still sitting on the ground, "Lucky for you, we came along."

"Thanks, but everything was already under control. Not to worry." The man stated as he rose to his feet and walked closer to the trio, "Aunt Wu predicted I'd have a safe journey."

"Aunt who?" Aang asked in confusion, quirking an eyebrow at the strange man.

"No, Aunt Wu." The man clarified then explained, "She's the fortuneteller from my village. Awful nice knowing your future."

"Wow, it must be." Katara mused thoughtful as she looked off to the side then back to the man with a bright expression, "That explains why you were so calm!"

"But the fortuneteller was wrong!" Sokka protested loudly in exasperation, "You didn't have a safe journey, you were almost killed!"

"But I wasn't!" The man said cheerfully as he began to walk away, "Alright, have a good one!"

The trio watch him walk a few steps then turn back around as if just remembering something.

"Oh, and Aunt Wu said if I met any travelers to give them this." He stated and pulled a long, wrapped parcel from his back, handed it to Aang then continued on his journey.

Sokka eyed the man suspiciously, still clutching the platypus bear egg in his arms.

"Maybe we should go see Aunt Wu and learn our fortunes." Katara suggested excitedly, "It could be fun."

"Oh, come on." Sokka groaned in exasperation while Aang began to unwrap the parcel, "Fortune telling is nonsense!"

Aang blinked in surprise when an umbrella was revealed then opened the umbrella.

"What do you know? An umbrella." He said with a small smile as he lifted it above his head just as the sky darkened, low rumble of thunder filling the air as it began pouring rain.

Katara quickly Waterbended an arched shield over her head to keep herself from getting wet as she hurried over to huddle under the umbrella with Aang.

"That proves it!" She stated happily with a smug look at Sokka who was using the egg in an attempt to shield himself from the rain.

"No, it doesn't!" He protested vehemently, "You can'treally tell the future!"

"I guess you're not really getting wet then." His sister retorted smugly.

The Water Tribe boy suddenly lost his grip on the egg and Sokka tried to catch it as it flew a few inches into the air but he missed it and it landed on his head with splat. A scowl formed on his face as he glared at the space in front of him.

"Oh, Iroh look at this!" Xiaodan called out excitedly to the old man as she stood in front of small merchant stall selling tea sets and held out a beautiful dark brown clay teapot with an intricate gold dragon painted on it.

"That is lovely." Iroh practically cooed as he took the delicate teapot from the white-haired girl's hands and began to inspecting it carefully, "Very good eye, my dear. This is finely crafted indeed."

Zuko groaned and palmed his face as he scowled at both of them in annoyance. They had stopped at this harbor to pick restock on some supplies only but somehow his conniving prisoner had managed to convince his uncle to let her come with them to the market. Iroh had naturally agreed, ignoring Zuko's vehement protests that she should stay aboard the ship and locked in her room where she couldn't try and escape. Clearly, he had lost that argument since he had been trailing Iroh and Xiaodan around the market for the better part of two hours.

"Ooh and look at the little matching teacups!" Xiaodan stated as she bent down to inspect the delicate clay cup that had a smaller version of the dragon that was on the teapot, "They have little dragons painted on them too!"

Iroh smiled at her and set the teapot down, turning to face the merchant, "I'll take this set, if you please."

The merchant bowed his head and picked up the tea set and began to carefully wrap them in cloth then set them in a small box which he passed to Iroh. The old man passed the box to Xiaodan to hold while he paid the merchant.

"Thank you." Xiaodan chirped politely and clutched the small box to her chest as she and Iroh continued to walk around the market, with a glowering Zuko stomping behind them angrily.

"I can't believe you wasted money on another tea set, Uncle." Zuko grouched quietly to Iroh when he had stopped to look at another stall while keeping a careful eye on the white-haired Airbender who was inspecting something curiously a few stalls down.

"It is a finally crafted piece, Prince Zuko." Iroh stated calmly as he picked up a fan from the stall and flicked it open then closed, smiling serenely at his nephew, "Besides, I think it would make a nice gift for Miss Xia."

"Ugh!" Zuko groaned and smacked his forehead, running his hand down his face in exasperation, "You're not supposed to give prisoners gifts, Uncle!"

Iroh just shrugged his shoulders and ambled over to where Xiaodan was inspecting some herbs and tea leaves interestedly, leaving Zuko fuming at the fan merchant's stall with steam practically coming out of his ears.

"Of course she predicted it was going to rain." Sokka grumbled as he walked down the path to the village in the rain next to Katara and Aang who were under the umbrella, "The sky's been gray all day!"

"Just admit you might be wrong and you can come under the umbrella." Katara stated with a slight smile as she kept in step with Aang.

"Look, I'm going to predict the future now." Sokka stated sarcastically, then hopped from foot-to-foot and waved his hands in an exaggerated way, "It's going to keep drizzling."

The rain continued to fall steadily and Sokka gave Katara and Aang a smug look.

"See?"

Suddenly the rain stopped and the sky became lighter, a bird chirping happily from the woods on either side of the path. Aang tilted the umbrella back slightly so he and Katara could look at the surprisingly clear sky.

"Not everyone has the gift, Sokka." Aang stated in amusement, "If it makes you feel better, Xia couldn't predict the future either."

Sokka scowled at the bald boy as the other two continued walking under the umbrella at a leisurely pace ahead of him. Appa plodded after them then paused beside the Water Tribe boy briefly to shake the water from his wet fur, soaking Sokka in the process.

"Agh!" Sokka groaned in disgust, throwing his hands in the air.

Katara and Aang walked through the village with Sokka trailing behind them slightly, giving the quacking turkey-ducks a suspicious look as he walked by them.

"Aunt Wu is expecting you." A strange man dressed in black robes stated suddenly as the group was about to pass by a round doorway.

"Really?" Katara asked excitedly and Sokka scoffed as the man opened the door for them.

The trio slipped off their shoes as they entered the building and looked around curiously just as a young girl in a pink robe with her hair in two braids that stuck out from the sides of her head entered from the back area.

"My name is Meng and I'm Aunt Wu's assistant." The girl stated as she looked up at the trio, her eyes going wide as she stared at Aang.

Her expression became dreamy as she looked at him, but Aang had a bored expression on his face as he slumped his shoulders slightly.

"Well, hello there." Meng stated with a please smile.

Aang rubbed his nose disinterest, "Hello."

"Can I get you some tea or some of Aunt Wu's special bean curd puffs?" Meng asked sweetly as she gestured to the three pillows on one side of the room and Katara and Aang sat themselves on the two pillows furthest from the entrance.

"I'll try a curd puff." Sokka said brightly before he sat down but Meng held up her index finger at him, her eyes never leaving Aang.

"Just a second." She said then crouched down slightly so her face was level with the bald boy's, "So what's your name?"

"Aang."

"That rhymes with Meng!" The young girl said delightedly as she beamed at Aang, "And you've got some pretty big ears, don't you?"

"Er, I guess?" Aang replied awkwardly as he shifted on the pillow.

"Don't be modest!" Sokka teased as he sat down on the last pillow and spread his arms out wide for emphasis, "They're huge!"

Aang glared at Sokka and covered his ears with his hands in embarrassment as Meng began to back away.

"Well, Aang, it's very nice to meet you." She said as she turned away and smiled slyly to herself, "Verynice."

"Likewise." Aang called out as Meng disappeared into the backroom of building.

"I can't believe we're here in the house of nonsense." Sokka complained as he wiggled the toes of his outstretched foot.

"Try to keep an open mind, Sokka." Katara chided gently before her tone became excited, "There are things in this world that just can't be explained. Wouldn't it be nice to have some insight to your future?"

"It would be nice to have some bean curd puffs." The older Water Tribe sibling stated nonchalantly.

Meng walked back towards the front room with a tray in her hands when a woman in green robes stepped out of a door in the hallway and hurried over to the younger girl.

"Oh Meng!" The woman exclaimed excitedly as she stood in front of Meng with her hands clasped to her chest, "Aunt Wu says I'm going to meet my true love. He's going to give me a rate panda lily!"

"That's so romantic!" Meng gushed dreamily and cast a flirtatious look over her shoulder Aang, "I wonder if my true love will give me a rare flower."

"Good luck with that." Aang called out breezily with a grin.

The woman giggled and looked at Aang briefly then back at Meng, "Is that the big-eared guy who Aunt Wu predicted you'd marry?"

Meng blushed brightly and pushed the woman aside then continued on her way into the front room with the tray of bean curd puffs and tea. She kept her eyes on Aang, who was staring blankly into space and completely unaware of her presence, as she walked towards the trio when she suddenly tripped forward. Aang quickly reached out and caught her hands underneath the tray in an attempt to help and the two looked at each other for a moment then Meng blushed brightly.

"Enjoy your snack!" She squeaked nervously and hurriedly backed away.

As soon as she left the room, Sokka snatched the tray of bean curd puffs from Aang and was about to shove one in his mouth when an middle-aged woman in yellow robes entered the room.

"Welcome, young travelers." Aunt Wu greeted the trio with a small smile, "Now, who's next? Don't be shy."

Sokka looked away uninterestedly and Aang looked away from him towards Katara with a quirked brow.

"I guess that's me." The dark-haired girl said with anticipation as she got to her feet and followed Aunt Wu into the back room, leaving Aang and Sokka sitting idly on the floor in the front room.

Sokka grabbed one of the bean curd puffs and shoved it in his mouth, his expression becoming delighted.

"Mm, not bad, not bad!" He stated through a mouthful of curd puffs then held the bowl out to Aang, "Mhm?"

"I'm good on puffs." Aang said as he gently pushed the bowl away and Sokka shrugged, continuing to shovel the curd puffs into his mouth while Aang tried to act casually, "So... What do you think they're talking about back there?"

"Boring stuff I'm sure." Sokka stated casually as he held up one of the teacups, "Love, who's she gonna marry, how many babies she's gonna have."

"Yeah...Dumb stuff like that..." Aang agreed tensely then began to bite his fingers before jumping to his feet, "Well, I've got to find a bathroom!"

He rushed out of the front room and Sokka stretched out across the now vacated pillows, keeping himself propped up on his elbow with his head on his hand and eats another bean curd puff. While he's eating, Momo sneakily snatched the bowl and rushed away to hide with it. Unaware that the bowl is gone, Sokka reached to grab another puff then snapped his eyes open and groaned when he realized the bowl was gone.

Aang glanced down the hallway then quietly tiptoed to the door Aunt Wu had lead Katara too, crouching down so he could press his ear to the door.

"You're palms are so smooth." Aunt Wu's voice filtered through the door, "Do you use moisturizer?"

"Actually, I have this special seaweed lotion. I can get you some if you want." Katara's voice sounded and Aang made a face, sticking his tongue out then froze when Katara started talking again.

"So, do you see anything in my love line?"

Aang perked up instantly and pressed his ear closer to the door.

"I feel a great romance for you." Aunt Wu predicted dramatically, "The man you are going to marry..."

"Tell me more!" Aang heard Katara exclaim excitedly and he tried not to breathe so he could hear what the fortuneteller said next.

"I can see that he is a very powerful bender."

Aang grinned mischievously when he heard Aunt Wu say this and he jumped into the air in delight as he gently lowered himself back to the ground and hurried back to the front room, where Sokka was picking his teeth.

"Looks like someone had a pretty good bathroom break." Sokka stated as he watched Aang strut into the room with a goof y grin on his face.

"Yeah..." Aang said quickly in an attempt to explain as he gestured over his shoulder with his thumb, "When I was in there-"

Sokka looked away in disgust and held his hand up to stop Aang from finishing, "I don't even want to know!"

"Who's next?" Aunt Wu asked as she reentered the room with Katara and Sokka got to his feet with an exasperated sigh.

"Okay, let's get this over with."

"Your future is full of struggle and anguish." Aunt Wu stated drily, "Most of it self-inflicted."

"But you didn't even read my palms or anything!" Sokka protested, holding up his hands in confusion.

"I don't need to. It's written all over your face." The fortuneteller deadpanned and Sokka resumed picking his teeth in disgust while Aunt Wu gestured to Aang, "You there, come with me."

Aang followed Aunt Wu out of the front room and into a large, dimly lit room that had four support pillars and there were four cushions situated around a small fire in the center of the room and off to the side sat a jug of bones.

"This is the most reliable method of telling your fortune. The bones never lie." Aunt Wu stated as she and Aang approached the jug, then gestured for Aang to take one, "Go on, pick one."

Aang grabbed a random bone and the two sat down on two of the pillows.

"Now throw it on the fire." Aunt Wu instructed and Aang did as she said, "The heat makes cracks in the bone and I read the bone cracks to tell your destiny."

A large crack suddenly splintered down the side of the bone, causing Aunt Wu and Aang to look at in surprise.

"Wow, that's a big crack." Aang commented, watching as more cracks began to appear on the bone.

"I've never seen this before!" Aunt Wu stated in shock as the bone began to crack even more until it exploded, sending a bust of flames up to the ceiling.

"Oh my!" Aunt Wu gasped as she and Aang looked at the shattered bone pieces lying in the fire, "Your destiny! This is incredible. You will be involved in a great battle, an awesome conflict between the forces of good and evil. A battle whose outcome will determine the fate of the world!"

"Yeah, yeah, I knew that already!" Aang groaned in exasperation then leaned forward to look at the fortuneteller eager, "But did it say anything about a girl?"

"A girl?" Aunt Wu asked in surprise, "You want to know about love?"

"Yes!"

"I'm sorry," The woman apologized, "But I didn't see anything."

Aang looked down at his lap in disappointment, causing Aunt Wu's face to soften with compassion.

"Well, look!" She exclaimed suddenly, holding her hand to her face in forgetfulness, "I must have missed something."

Aang watched as she picked up a particularly large and sharp bone fragment from the floor.

"Right here." She stated as she began to examine the fragment, "It says 'trust your heart and you will be with the one you love.'"

"Really?" Aang asked excitedly and jumped to his feet joyfully, "Thank you, Aunt Wu."

He made to run out of the room then paused and turned back.

"Can I ask you one more question?"

Aunt Wu gave him a surprised look then smiled and nodded her head, gesturing for him to retake his seat which he did, "Of course. What would you like to know?"

"Can you tell me if I'll ever meet up with my sister again?" Aang asked quietly as he sat down, his hands folded in her lap, "Her name is Xiaodan and she was captured by the Fire Nation. I want to-no, I need to know if I'll ever see her again."

"Let me see your hand." Aunt Wu said, holding her hand to Aang.

The young Airbender put his hand in the elderly fortuneteller's and waited somewhat impatiently as she inspected it, occasionally tracing certain lines with the tip of her finger. Finally, she released his hand and gave him a soft smile.

"The one you seek will soon join you on your journey, but in at a time you least expect it."

Aang gave her a wide smile, his gray eyes hopefully as he jumped to his feet again, "Thank you again, Aunt Wu!"

Aunt Wu shook her head and put her hand to her forehead in exasperation as the young boy raced out of the room gleefully.

Xiaodan stood on the main deck and tested the balance of the makeshift glider she was crafting from a lightweight but sturdy staff she had gotten at the small market at the harbor the ship had just left. She had bought the staff on an impulse and the crazy idea that she could make another glider for herself since her other one was hopefully still strapped to Appa's saddle.

"What do you think you're doing?"

The white-haired girl held the staff defensively in front of her as she whirled around to face Prince Grumpy-Pants. The prince's unscarred eye narrowed slightly as he looked from the girl to the staff then back again then he raised his eyebrow as if to dare her to attack him.

"Well?" He demanded after a moment when she did nothing but stare silently at him with the staff held protectively in front of her.

Xiaodan stared at him quietly for another moment then twirled the staff around a few times before resting one end on the deck and leaning against it nonchalantly.

"You are very demanding, did you know that?" She quipped casually and quirked a dark brow at him, a small mischievous smirk tugging at the corner of her lips while her orange eyes glittered with mirth.

Zuko's eye twitched slightly and he clenched his fists then spoke through gritted teeth, "What are you doing, girl?"

Xiaodan heaved a dramatic sigh and straightened up, twirling her staff so it rested against her shoulders and her arms hung off it.

"What does it look like I'm doing, Oh Prince of the Glowbugs?" She drawled then she tilted her head to the side slightly when all Zuko did was glare heatedly at her, "I'm trying to build another glider."

"Why?" He barked, instantly on alert as he moved to snatch the staff from her but Xiaodan dance away on light feet, "Going to try and escape?"

"If I was going to try and escape, I wouldn't tell you, you idiot." She snapped as she ducked away from his again, swinging the staff off her shoulders and holding it defensively in front of her again, "Besides, a lot of good a glider will do me when I'm in the middle of theocean."

The banished prince stopped trying to take the staff away and glowered at her through dangerously narrowed eyes.

"You better not try to escape, peasant. Or else." He snarled aggressively and pointed a finger at her face then he turned and stalked back into the command tower, leaving Xiaodan on the deck with her staff.

"You better not try to escape, peasant." She mocked in a spot on impression of the firebug, "Or else. Pfft...Stupid boy."

The pale-haired Airbender rolled her eyes and continued testing the staff's balance, strength, and flexibility. She was completely unaware of the gold eyes that watched her from the observation deck of the command tower.

"Well, now you got to see for yourselves how fortune telling is just a big, stupid hoax." Sokka stated as the three walked down the street and away from Aunt Wu's building with Appa tromping behind them.

"You're just saying that because you're going to make yourself unhappy your whole life." Katara retorted smugly, crossing her arms over chest as she looked over at her brother.

"That woman is crazy!" Sokka said angrily as his voice rose, "My life will be calm and happy and joyful!"

He kicked a nearby stone roughly which soared through the air them ricocheted off a hanging metal sign and flew back at him, hitting Sokka in the head where he had been standing breezily with his arms crossed. Sokka wrapped his arms around his head in pain and fell to the ground with a groan.

"That doesn't prove anything!" He shouted in protest, lifting his arm to emphasis his point.

"Well, I liked my predictions." Katara said happily then clapped her hands together with anxious anticipation, "Certain things are going to turn out very well."

Aang grinned slyly and crossed his arms, leaning towards the dark-haired girl slightly, "They sure are..."

"Why?" Katara asked, turning to look at him curiously, "What did she tell you?"

"Some stuff." Aang said vaguely as he straightened and smiled, "You'll find out."

Katara smiled and turned to continue walking down the street with Aang following after her, folding his hands behind his head in contentment. The trio walked towards the center of the village where a bunch of the villagers stood looking at the sky.

"What's with the sky?" Katara asked as the three stopped beside the man that had given them the umbrella earlier in day.

"We're waiting for Aunt Wu to come and read the clouds to predict the fate of the whole village." The man explained calmly as he continued to stare at the blue sky.

"That cloud kinda looks like a fluffy bunny." Aang stated as he pointed at one of the clouds and the calm man turned to look at him seriously.

"You better hope that's not a bunny!" The man said slightly worried as he looked back up at the sky, "The fluffy bunny cloud forecasts doom and destruction."

Sokka gave the man a disgusted look, "Do you even hear yourself?"

"The cloud reading will tell is if Mount Makapu will remain dormant for another year or if it will erupt." A village woman said and pointed to the mountain in the distance.

"We used to have a tradition once a year of going up to the mountain to check on the volcano ourselves." The calm man stated then smiled, "But ever since Aunt Wu moved to the village twenty years ago, we have a tradition of not doing that."

"I can't believe you would trust your lives to that crazy, old woman's superstition!" Sokka exclaimed in disbelief as he put his hands on his hips.

Katara glanced behind her and put a hand on Sokka's shoulder, "Shh! She's coming!"

Sokka groaned and palmed his face at his sister's words, watching through his fingers as Aunt Wu walked up the stairs to the center of the village with her guard, the villagers forming an aisle for the two pass as they clapped and cheered.

"Hey, Aang." Meng said suddenly as she appeared beside the Airbender and pointed to the sky, "Don't you think that cloud looks like a flower?"

"Huh? Sure, I guess..." Aang agreed awkwardly then he nudged the girl away and turned to Katara, pointing to the same cloud, "Hey, Katara, don't you think that cloud looks like a flower?"

"Shh!" Katara shushed him in annoyance as she looked at Aunt Wu excitedly, her hands clasped in front of her chest so she didn't see the disappointed look on Aang's face at being shushed.

The crowd watched as Aunt Wu stepped onto the pagoda and spread her arms out dramatically then pulled a small book from her sleeve and looked up at the sky.

"Bending arrow cloud..." She said thoughtfully as she looked at the book, "Good crops this year. Nice big harvest."

"Darn good news!" A farmer exclaimed with a smile as he hugged his wife to him happily.

"Wavy, moon-shaped cloud...Let's see." Aunt Wu flipped a few pages of her book then smiled and nodded her head, "Gonna be a great year for twins!"

The two twin boys in the village, Poi and Ping high-fived and cheered, "Yes!"

Aunt Wu looked up at the sky thoughtfully then down at her book, "And a cumulus cloud with a twisted nob coming off the end of it..."

Her lips pursed then she spread her arms out grandly with a smile, "The village will not be destroyed by the volcano this year!"

The crowd of villagers cheered ecstatically with Aang and Katara standing amongst the villagers.

"Since I got you here, uh, there's something I want to tell you." Aang said slightly nervously and he looked up at Katara, "I like you, but more than normal."

Katara didn't seem to hear him as she ran off to follow the fortuneteller, completely enthralled with the woman and her predictions. Aang watched Katara run off with a crestfallen face.

"Never mind..." He muttered sadly as he scuffed his foot against the ground.

Katara gently knocked on the thin wooden door that lead into Aunt Wu's chamber then stepped back with her hands clasped behind her back.

"Hi, Aunt Wu!" the dark-haired girl greeted happily when the fortuneteller slid the door open, "Sorry to bother you."

"Any time." Aunt Wu replied with a slight smile.

"About this man I'm supposed to marry..." Katara started to say somewhat awkwardly as she blushed, "Is he going to be handsome? Oh, I hope he's tall!"

"Ah..." Aunt Wu said when she realized why the young Water Tribe girl was here, "You want another reading?"

"Yes, please!"

Aunt Wu stepped aside and gestured for Katara to come inside. The dark-haired girl hurried into the room and sat down, looking eagerly at the fortune teller.

"I can't believe all these saps!" Sokka exclaimed as he stomped through the village angrily with Aang following close behind, "Someone really needs to scream some sense into them."

"They seem happy, Sokka." Aang stated matter-of-factly.

"Not for long. I'm going to prove Aunt Wu' predictions are nonsense." The cynical teenage boy stated then grabbed a man wearing bright red shoes, "Hey you, I bet Aunt Wu told you to wear those red shoes, didn't she?"

"Yeah." The man replied with a bright smile as he looked at his shoes, "She said I'd be wearing red shoes when I met my true love."

"Uh huh... And how many times have you worn those shoes since you got that fortune?"

"Everyday." The man answered sheepishly.

"Then of course it's gonna come true!" Sokka shouted in angry exasperation at the man.

"Really? You think so?" The man asked in delight as he began to walk away, "I'm so excited!"

Sokka's eye twitched and in a fit of anger he kicked a nearby stone which flew through the air and hit a turkey duck. Sokka yelped and waved his arms around his face when the turkey duck flew at him and began to peck his head, it even began flying after him when he tried to run away. Aang watched scene with a quirked brow and shook his head.

"And then you will have your third great-grandchild before quietly passing away in your sleep." Aunt Wu stated as she traced her finger along Katara's palm then left the dark-haired girl's hand go, "Is that enough information for you?"

"Wow, thanks, Aunt Wu." Katara said as she looked at her palm in amazement then got to her feet to leave, but paused and turned back to face the fortuneteller, "Oh wait, one more thing. How warmly should I dress tomorrow?'

"You want me to do a reading for that?" Aunt Wu asked in exasperation, her shoulders slumped slightly.

Katara nodded enthusiastically, with an almost manic grin spreading across her face.

"I don't care what Aunt Wu told you!" Sokka screamed at the filthy old man standing in front of him, clutching his head in frustration, "You have to bath sometime!"

The dirt and grime covered man shrugged, grunted, and walked away with a happy smile on his filthy face.

"So, Sokka, you know some stuff about ladies, right?" Aang asked, trying to be casually as he looked at the older boy in slight nervousness.

"Some stuff?" Sokka asked with a pleased look, then he placed his arm around Aang's shoulders, "You've come to the right place. What can I do for you?"

"Well, there's this girl..."

"I think I know who you mean." Sokka stated with a smirk as he caught sight of Aunt Wu's assistant hiding behind a barrel a few feet away.

"You do?" Aang asked, surprised that Sokka might know about his crush on his sister, "And you're okay with it?"

"Of course I am!" Sokka said, still thinking the younger boy was talking about Meng, "And to tell you the truth, I've been picking up a subtle vibe that she likes you, too."

"She does?" Aang asked, growing slightly anxious and excited as he looked at Sokka, complete unaware of Meng trying to get his attention from behind him.

"Oh yeah, she's crazy about you." Sokka reaffirmed with a grin as he tried not to stare directly at Meng, "All you have to do now is not mess it up."

"Well, how do I do that?"

"The number one mistake nice guys like you make," Sokka explained matter-of-factly, "Is being too nice."

"You can be too nice?" Aang questioned in naïve confusion.

"Yep." Sokka said with a nod, "If you want to keep her interested, you have to act aloof, like you don't really care one way or the other."

"Well...okay." Aang said unsurely just as Meng began to approach him.

"Hey, Aang, I was wondering..."

"See you later..." Aang called out as he breezed past Meng with a casual wave over his shoulder at Sokka.

Meng sighed and her shoulders dropped in disappointment as she watched the bald boy walk away.

"Wow, that kid is good." Sokka muttered, crossing his arms with an impressed expression on his face as he looked at Aang.

"And you'll be fine as long as you've got a scarf." Aunt Wu snapped impatiently as she pushed the dark-haired Water Tribe girl out of her building, "Bye-bye now!"

"Okay, okay," Katara said, catching on to the fortuneteller's impatience then she held up a finger, "But one more thing."

Aunt Wu gave Katara a horrified look, then sighed and leaned forward in surrender, "Alright, what is it?"

Katara tapped her chin thoughtfully then her expression brightened, "Should I eat a mango or a papaya for breakfast tomorrow?"

"Papaya!" Aunt Wu snapped angrily then slammed the door shut.

"Aww, I hate papaya..." Katara muttered with a pout as she kicked at the ground.

"Oh, hey, Katara." Aang said suddenly as he leaned casually against the wall of Aunt Wu's building, "I didn't see you there."

"Hey, Aang." Katara greeted half-heartedly as she walked away, towards the village market to pick up a papaya.

"That's okay. I'm busy with my own stuff." Aang called out to the girl's retreating back as watched her walk away.

A turkey duck landed beside him and he looked at it for moment, then it quacked loudly at him.

Katara frowned as she stood at the fruit stand in the village, her nose scrunched up in distaste, "Ugh, papaya please."

The fruit merchant handed her the green fruit and Katara turned slightly, blinking in surprise when she saw Aang leaning against the stall with Momo perched on his shoulder.

"So...papaya..." He drawled in an aloof voice and Katara gave him a strange look.

"Uh huh." Katara confirmed with a quirked brow, "Would you like some?"

"You know me." Aang stated as he casually picked up an apple from the stand, tossing it in the air, "I don't really care what I eat."

"Okay then." Katara said as she started walking away, "See you later."

Aang took a bite of the apple as she walked away only to spit it out a moment later in disgust.

"Maybe aloof isn't my style..." Aang muttered as he looked at the ground sadly, "I wonder what kind of advice Xia would give me?"

Aang paused in his musings when he saw a man and the woman he'd seen in Aunt Wu's building earlier standing across the street from him. He watched curiously as the man handed the woman a black and white flower, and the woman's expression turned delighted.

"Oh, a panda lily!" The woman exclaimed happily as she took the flower, then embraced the man.

"Did you see that?" Aang asked Momo, looking at impressed as he looked at the couple.

Aang hurried over to the couple and popped up between them, pointing to the flower in the woman's hand.

"Excuse me," He said with a slight grin as he gestured to the flower, "Where can a guy find one of those things?"

Xiaodan hummed quietly to herself as she continued the tedious task of hollowing out the staff she had bought from the market while leaning against the outside of the command tower while listening to Iroh bark out instructions to Zuko as he practiced Firebending with Lieutenant Jee.

"Again!" Iroh barked sternly, his hands folded inside his sleeves as he watched his nephew critically, "Remember you basics, Prince Zuko!"

Xiaodan looked away from her task to observe the grumpy prince for a moment, quite curious as to how Firebending techniques had changed in the last hundred years. Her eyebrows rose as she watched Zuko punch and kick fire at Zuko in an almost sporadic way.

"Apparently, Firebending has changed a lot in a hundred years..." She murmured quietly and went back to hollowing out her staff, not really paying attention to the bending practice taking place a few feet in front of her as she reminisced about making her first glider with Monk Gyatso's help.

"I can't believe you're dragging me all the way up here for a stupid flower." Sokka complained as he followed Aang up Mount Makapu, huffing in annoyance when the younger boy used Airbending to jump upward along the rocky outcroppings.

"Not just any flower, a panda lily." Aang stated he paused on one of the rocks and looked down at Sokka, "I've seen it in action and boy, does it work."

"Flowers are fine once your married, but at this early stage, it's critical that you maintain maximum aloofness." Sokka retorted as he scaled the mountain, panting slightly.

"But my heart is telling me to get this flower," Aang explained to Sokka as he looked up at the rim of the mountain, "And Aunt Wu said if I trusted in my heart, I will be with the one I love."

Aang glanced down at Sokka again with a slight grin, "Besides when I saw that man give that lady the panda lily, it reminded me of the time when one of the boys at the temple gave Xia a flower. She was giddy for days afterwards."

Sokka quirked an eyebrow at that but shook his head and asked in an irritated voice, "What? Don't tell me you believe in that stuff, too."

Aang perched on a boulder not too far from the rim of the mountain and waited for Sokka to climb up to him as he replied, "Well, Aunt Wu hasn't been wrong yet. Why should she be wrong about love?"

Aang jumped upward and pointed happily at the rim of the mountain where a bunch of panda lilies were growing, "There! On the rim!"

Aang jumped from rock to rock until he reached the rim then he picked on of the panda lilies and brought it to his nose, smiling at the sweet fragrance. He opened his eyes and then stared in shock when he saw the volcano was full of lava and ready to erupt.

"Oh no..." Aang whispered in shock as Sokka joined him on the rim and stared at the lava, "Aunt Wu was wrong."

The panda lily slipped from Aang's hand and fell into the bubbling lava, bursting into flames before it even made contact.

"Those people all think they're safe!" Sokka shouted urgently as he turned to Aang, "We've got to warn them!"

"There's no time to walk!" Aang stated and whipped out his glider, snapping it open, "Grab on!"

Aang yanked Sokka forward, causing him to shout in surprise as the Aang took off into the air, leaving the about to erupt behind them as they flew towards the village.

"Hey, Katara." Aang greeted the dark-haired girl shyly as he and Sokka landed beside her where she was standing in front of Aunt Wu's closed door.

"Can you believe she won't let me in?" Katara demanded in irritation, "And after all the business I've given her?"

"But she doesn't even charge." Aang stated in confusion as he looked at the girl with a quirked brow.

"I know, but still..." Katara huffed and Sokka quickly broke in, his tone urgent.

"Well, we have other things to worry about." He said quickly, "Aunt Wu was wrong about the volcano."

Katara pointed accusingly at her brother, irked at his instance that fortune telling wasn't real, "Sokka, you tried to convince me she was wrong before. It's going to take an awful lot to change my mind-"

Katara was cut off mid-rant as she lurched forward when the volcano rumbled violently from behind her. She turned to look at the volcano with wide eyes along with Aang and Sokka, where smoke was beginning to plume above the mountain's peak.

"Oh no..." Katara whispered worriedly, one hand covering her mouth in surprise.

The trio hurried towards the village courtyard where the villagers were mingling about and talking quietly to each other.

"Everyone, that volcano is gonna blow any second!" Sokka shouted as he tried to warn the villagers, "Aunt Wu was wrong!"

A village woman rolled her eyes in amusement, "Yeah, yeah, we know you don't believe in Aunt Wu, Mr. Science and Reason Lover."

Katara stepped forward then and looked at the villagers pleadingly, "If you won't listen to him, maybe you'll listen to me. I want to believe Aunt Wu and her predictions as much as you do, but my brother and Aang saw the lava with their own eyes."

"Well, I heard Aunt Wu's prediction with my own ears." The calm man from before stated firmly.

"Please listen to us!" Aang shouted this time as he jumped onto the awning of a nearby building, "You are all in danger! And we have to get out of here! You can't rely on Aunt Wu's prediction, you have to take fate into your own hands!"

The volcano rumbled violently again and more smoke began to appear, this time the villagers looking at it with mild alarm.

"Look!" Sokka exclaimed, pointing at the smoke, "Can your fortune telling explain that?"

The man in the red shoes gave Sokka an amused look, "Can you science explain why it rains?"

"Yes!" Sokka yelled angrily as he turned to face the man, "Yes, it can!"

The villagers just shook their head and began to walk away, unbothered by the danger they didn't think they were in.

"They won't listen to reason." Katara said in dismay as Aang jumped down from the awning and landed beside her.

Aang's expression suddenly brightened when an idea came to him, "But they will listen to Aunt Wu!"

"I know that's the problem." Sokka stated drily, crossing his arms over his chest in irritation.

"Well, it's about to become the solution." Aang stated with a grin, "We're taking fate into our own hands. First, I need to borrow Aunt Wu's cloud reading book."

Aang raced back to Aunt Wu's building and the Water Tribe siblings looked at each other briefly then followed after him.

Katara and Sokka stood in front of Aunt Wu's building, trying to appear casually as they kept a look out while Aang snuck into the building using the window above the balcony on the highest story of the building.

Aang slipped into the building with Momo and quickly began to rummage around various drawers in search of the cloud reading book. Momo chirped suddenly and Aang gave him chiding look.

"Shh!" Aang shushed the lemur quietly, "We don't want anyone to hear us."

Aang went back to snooping through the drawers above a vanity mirror when Aunt Wu's assistant, Meng's reflection suddenly appeared in the mirror. Aang jumped and spun around, completely startled by the girl's sudden appearance. The bald boy quickly straightened and cleared his throat nervously while Momo hid behind his back.

"Oh, I didn't see you there." Aang said awkwardly as he tried to act like he hadn't been snooping a moment ago.

"You don't like me do you?" Meng asked sadly, her ears dropping slightly marginally.

"But not the way I like you."

"Oh..." Aang muttered, rubbing the back of his head when he realized what she meant, "I guess not."

"It's okay." Meng said with a small, sad smile, "It's just really hard when you like someone, but they don't think of you that way."

Aang glanced sadly to the side, "I know what you mean."

"She's beautiful, by the way."

The bald boy started and he looked at Meng in surprise with a blush staining his cheeks, "Huh?"

"The Water Tribe girl. I can see why you like her so much." Meng explained then began counting on her fingers, "She's sweet, she's a bender, and her hair seems so manageable."

Meng attempted to smooth her braids down at the last part but they merely stuck right back up again, much to her chagrin.

"Don't worry." Aang said as he walked closer to the girl and put his hands on her shoulders comfortingly, "You're going to meet a great guy who's going to completely fall for you. I know it."

"Thanks." Meng said gratefully if not a little sadly then she held her hands up in alarm when Aang was about to leave, "Wait! Don't you want this?"

Aang turned back to look at her in surprise and Meng handed him the cloud reading book, with a sheepish expression on her face.

"How did you know?" Aang questioned in confusion as he took the book.

Meng nervously tapped her fingers together and smiled sheepishly, "I've kind of been stalking you...Heh..."

"Oh, thanks..." Aang said with an awkward blush as he rubbed the back of his head, "I guess..."

Meng smiled again and Aang hurried out of the building, towards where Sokka and Katara were waiting for him. The trio rushed away from Aunt Wu's building as quickly and casually as they could as they went to find Appa so that they could put Aang's plan into action.

"Clouds are made of water and air," Aang explained as he sat on Appa's head while Katara sat at the front of the saddle, "So between the two of us, we ought to be able to bend them into any shape we want."

"I found it!" Katara said triumphantly when she found the cloud shape they were need to warn the village. "The symbol for volcanic doom."

Aang quickly dropped Appa's reins and climbed into the saddle with Katara. The two stood in the center of the saddle, facing each other as they both took a bending stance and began to bend the clouds around them using Airbending and Waterbending while Appa flew them slowly around.

"Aunt Wu, look!" Sokka said urgently as he lead the fortuneteller to the pagoda in the village courtyard and pointed at the sky, "Something's happening in the clouds!"

"That's very strange. It shouldn't..." Aunt Wu said as she looked at the clouds quizzically then gasped in horror when the sky darkened, "Oh my!"

She and the villagers stared in horror at the skull-shaped cloud as the volcano spewed more ash and smoke into the air. The villagers didn't notice when Aang landed Appa at the base of the courtyard and he and Katara raced up the steps towards the pagoda.

"We can still save the village if we act fast!" Aang addressed the worried villagers with a serious expression then he gestured to Sokka who was standing on the pagoda, "Sokka has a plan."

"Lava is gonna flow downhill to this spot." Sokka explained as he gestured with his arms, "If we can dig a deep enough trench we can channel all the lava away from the village to the river."

"If any of you are Earthbenders, come with me." Aang instructed quickly after Sokka had finished talking.

"I'm an Earthbender!" Poi called out from the front of the crowd, raising his hand with a grin.

His twin brother, Ping grinned and raised his hand as well, "I'm not!"

Sokka shook his head and held up the shovel he had leaning against one of the pagoda's pillars.

"Everybody else grab a shovel!" He ordered and flinched slightly when an explosion came from the volcano, "Come on! We gotta hurry!"

The crowd dispersed quickly, the Earthbenders quickly following Aang while the non-benders grabbed shovels. Several cries of urgency filled the air as the villagers moved as fast as possible to put Sokka's plan into action.

Soon a deep trench is formed as the Earthbenders, non-benders, Sokka, Katara, and Aang all labored together to get the trench deep enough and to open it out to the nearby river before the volcano erupted, with Appa flying overhead as he transported loose boulders with a net strapped to his body.

Another loud explosion filled the air, this time sending up lava instead of smoke and ash.

"Dig faster! Dig faster!" Sokka ordered loudly and the villagers quickly did as he commanded.

Poi quickly ran from where he had been deepening the trench and he leapt into the air, sweeping his arms forward and clearing a torrent of boulders is cleared and sent in to the river which created a channel towards the river.

"Everyone needs to evacuate!" Aang shouted as he leapt to the edge of the trench, "We'll come for you when it's safe!"

The villagers quickly ran from the trench and away from the village, getting to safety just as the lava began to flow down the mountain side and towards the village. The molten lava destroyed the village gate as it passed then it flowed through the village cemetery, destroying the headstones as well. The lava reached the trench and it's progress was stopped temporarily but the lava was rising to rapidly

"It's too much!" Katara shouted from her spot with Aang and Sokka on the safe side of the trench as they watched the lava continue to rise dangerous, "It's gonna overflow!"

Another explosion rocked the village and burning rocks and ash began to rain down from the sky. Katara and Sokka began to run to safety but both stopped when they realized Aang hadn't moved from the side of the trench. They watched as a huge flaming boulder fell from the sky and landed in the lava-filled trench, exploding a moment later and sending a huge wave of lava into the air.

Aang pursed his lips in determination and rushed towards the lava, using Airbending to propel himself faster as he leapt up and air began to swirl around his fists as he Airbended the air from the clouds around him. He gathered the massive amount of air into a vortex and swung it at the overflowing lava, blowing the molten rock straight up which prevented it from advancing on the village. Next, Aang sucked in a mighty intake of breath and expelled forcefully, Airbending it as he exhaled and cooling all the lava into stone that curved above the trench like a protective wall. The bald boy inhaled through his nose as he straightened, bringing his arms up then down in front of his body as he relaxed with his next exhale.

"Man..." Sokka muttered as he and Katara stared at Aang in utter surprise and awe, "Sometimes I forget what a powerful bender that kid is."

Katara's awed expression changed to one of shock as she remembered Aunt Wu's prediction about her future marriage and she looked at her brother.

"Wait, what did you just say?" She demanded.

"Nothing," Sokka replied casually, oblivious to his sister's tone, "Just that Aang is one powerful bender."

Katara looked back at Aang and her eyes slowly widened as she had an epiphany.

"I...suppose he is." She murmured softly.

"By the way, we kind of borrowed your book." Aang said sheepishly as he handed Aunt Wu her cloud reading book after the entire village had been brought back to the their intact town.

"So you messed with the clouds, did you?" Aunt Wu questioned rhetorically as she snatched the book from Aang in apparent Aang while Katara gave her a guilty look and Sokka pointed at her with a smile on his face.

"Very clever!" the fortuneteller said with an amused laugh as she tucked the book into her sleeve.

"No offense, but I hope this taught everyone a lesson about not relying too much on fortune telling." Sokka stated as he looked around at the villagers sternly.

"But Aunt Wu predicted the village wouldn't be destroyed and it wasn't." The calm man said with a cheerful smile on his face, "She was right, after all."

Sokka's eye twitched and he moved closer to the man so they were nose and nose, speaking through gritted teeth, "I hate you."

"It's okay, Sokka." Katara soothed as she took her brother by the shoulders and lead him away, "Everything's going to be alright."

Aang watched his friends for a moment then looked up at Aunt Wu uncertainly.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Of course, honey." Aunt Wu replied with a gentle smile.

"You didn't really see love in my fortune, did you?" he asked disappointedly as he shuffled his feet slightly, "You just told me what I wanted to hear."

"I'll tell you a little secret, young Airbender." Aunt Wu stated and gestured to the sky, "Just as you reshaped those clouds, you have the power to shape your own destiny."

Aang smiled widely at her and bowed slightly in gratitude then hurried over to where Katara and Sokka were waiting, the dark-haired girl holding Appa's reins while Sokka sat in the saddle. Aang quickly jumped into the saddle and sat down beside the irritated Water Tribe boy with smile on his face.

"Goodbye everyone! It was so nice to meet you!" Katara called out brightly then she addressed Meng, who was standing at the front of the crowd, "Take care, Meng."

"Take care!" Meng said as she waved with a bright smile on her face, which disappeared as soon as Appa turned away and was replaced with an annoyed frown, "Floozy..."

Zuko watched the white-haired Airbender from the observation deck as she twirled her staff around her body and in the air intricately after spending most of the day hollowing it out. His eyes narrowed slightly when he heard her laugh as she tossed the staff into the air then back-flipped a couple time before catching the lightweight staff in her hands.

"She has remarkable talent, doesn't she?" Iroh mused as he stood beside his nephew and watched the girl practically dance across the main deck with the staff twirling and swinging around her form rapidly, "It is as if the staff is an extension of her body."

Zuko merely grunted in reply and folded his arms over the observation deck railing as he continued to observe the girl below, his sharp eyes missing nothing as he filed the information Xiaodan was unwittingly providing him with into the back of his mind.

Iroh flicked out his fan and used it the hide the small smile on his face as he watched his nephew from the corner of his eye with an amusing mischievous glint in his eye.