Xiaodan bit her lip and clutched her staff tightly in her hand as she bounced on her heels beside Appa outside the Southern Water Tribe village, ember colored eyes restlessly flickering towards the gathered villagers then to the bright flare that was still in the sky. She shifted uncomfortably, her grip unconciously tightened as she watched Aang and Katara walk towards the village where the entire tribe was waiting just outside.

"Yay!" The children cheered as some of them raced towards Aang and Katara, "Aang's back!"

Aang smiled and happily greeted the children that had come to meet him, though his cheer was rather short lived as Sokka broke through the crowd of villagers to stand at the front.

"I knew it! You signaled the Fire Navy with that flare!" He shouted accusingly, pointing a gloved finger as Katara and Aang drew closer with the gaggle of children.

Xiaodan shuffled towards Aang as he and Katara stopped yard or so away from the villagers, the children bouncing around them. She reached out and grasped the back of his shirt in a light grip, smiling weakly at him when he cast her a concerned glance.

Sokka stepped forward and pointed an accusing finger at Aang as the three benders came to a stop in front of him, "You're leading them right to us, aren't you!"

"Aang didn't do anything!" Katara protested with a scowl, stepping in front of her brother and putting her hands on her hips, "It was an accident."

"Yeah," Aang agreed sheepishly from behind the Water Tribe girl, "We were on the ship and there was this booby trap, and well..." He awkwardly rubbed his head and winced slightly, "We boobied right into it."

Xiaodan stepped closer to him, letting go of his shirt to grasp his shoulder in a gently, but reassuring grip. Gran-Gran stepped forward and looked at Katara with a worried frown, "Katara, you shouldn't have gone on that ship! Now we could all be in danger!"

"Don't blame, Katara. I brought her there." Aang pleaded sorrowfully and he placed his hands on his chest then let them fall to his sides and hung his head, "It's my fault."

"Aha! The traitor confesses!" Sokka snapped triumphantly and he pointed at the children, gesturing them towards the other villagers, "Warriors, away from the enemy!" He turned to glare at Xiaodan and Aang as the children sadly shuffled away from them, "The foreigners are banished from our village!"

"Sokka," Katara growled irritably as she clenched her fists at her sides and glared at her brother, "You're making a mistake."

"No, I'm keeping my promise to Dad." Sokka retorted stubbornly and he pointed at the two Airbenders, "I'm protecting you from threats like him! From them!"

"They're not our enemy!" Katara snapped back before taking a deep breath and continuing in a calm, soothing voice, "Don't you see? Aang and Xia have brought us something we haven't had in a long time...Fun."

"Fun?" Sokka gaped at her in annoyanceand his eyebrow twitched, "Fun!? We can't fight Firebenders with fun!"

Aang smiled cheerfully at the older boy and said optomistically, "You should try it sometime."

Xiaodan winced comically and patted her brother's shoulder, "Not helping, little brother..."

"Get out of our village, both of you!" Sokka snapped at the two Airbenders, apparently agreeing with the white-haired girl, "Now!"

Xiaodan cringed away from the Water Tribe boy and she grasped the back of Aang's shirt again, tugging at it gently when she took a step back towards Appa. Katara turned towards her grandmother with a pleading expression, "Grandmother, please. Don't let Sokka do this!"

"Katara, you knew going on that ship was forbidden." Gran-Gran replied gravely and she furrowed her brows sternly, "Sokka is right. I think it best if the Airbenders leave."

"Fine! Then, I'm banished too!" Katara shouted in outrage and she grabbed Xiaodan's and Aang's hands, dragging them towards Appa, "C'mon Aang, Xia, let's go."

Sokka stared at his sister's retreated back in shock then he scowled and shouted after her demandingly, "Where do you think you're going, Katara?!"

"To find a Waterbender." She shouted back over her shoulder angrily as she continued to pull the two Airbenders towards the sky bison, "Aang is taking meto the North Pole!"

"He is?" Xiaodan mumbled confusedly at the same time Aang questioned, "I am?" The two Airbenders exchanged befuddled looks which brightened a moment later into a wide grin and they chirped simultaneously, "Great!"

"Katara! Would you really chose him over your tribe? Your own family?" Sokka yelled after his sister and she stopped in her tracks, letting go of Aang and Xiaodan's hands as she bowed her head slightly and stared at the ground with sad eyes.

Aang glanced up at his sister for a moment hten approached Katara with a sad expression, "Katara," The younger Airbender murmured in an understanding tone, "I don't want to come between you and your family."

"Yeah," Xiaodan agreed softly as she moved to stand on the younger girl's other side after casting a glance at the Southern Water Tribe villagers. She placed a hand on Katara's shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze, "We wouldn't want you to make a decision like that." She gestured towards Aang and together, they closed the short distance between them and Appa, where Xiaodan airbended herself onto the sky bison's head.

"So, you're leaving the South Pole?" Katara blurted out, causing Aang to pause just as he was about to join his sister on Appa's head. She continued in a quieter, more subdued tone when he turned to look at her, "This is goodbye?"

Aang smiled as she took a few steps closer to him, "Thanks for penguin sledding with me."

"Where will you go?"

"Guess we'll go back home and look for the other Airbenders." Aang replied as he placed a hand on Appa's cheek, unaware of the way his sister cringed slightly. His eyes suddenly widened in realization and he looked up at Xiaodan with a mildly panicked expression, "Oh no...I haven't cleaned my room in a hundred years!" He chuckled nervously, "Not looking to that."

Xiaodan gave a watery chuckle as she leaned forward slightly, "What are you talking about, little brother? Myroom was always way messier than yours was. Can't imagine a hundred years did it much good!"

"You're probably right." Aang snickered then airbended himself onto Appa's head beside Xiaodan. He glanced over at the villagers and smiled at them, "It was nice meeting everyone." Xiaodan waved sadly, "Bye everyone."

Sokka, who had been watching the exchange between the two Airbenders and his sister apathetically crossed his arms over his chest and sneered slightly, "Let's see your bison fly now, Airboy."

Xiaodan stuck her tongue out at the Water Tribe boy then sullenly looked away, folding her arms over her chest. Aang just smiled goodnaturedly and addressed his sky bison in an encouraging tone, "C'mon Appa, you can do it! Yip-yip!"

He flicked the reins gently, but Appa merely growled lowly and lumbered to his feet. Sokka smirked truimphantly and called out mockingly, "Yeah, I thought so!" Xiaodan jerked her head around to give him another look, her brows pinched in slight irritation.

"Ahhhh!"

At the loud wail of despair, the white-haired Airbender stopped giving Sokka the stink-eye and watched incredulously as the young girl she recognized as Kari ran from the crowd of villagers towards Katara, standing beside the older girl and peering up at the two Airbenders with tears in her big blue eyes.

"Aang, Xia, don't go!" Kari pleaded desperately, oblivious to the surprised looks Sokka and the other villagers were giving her as she clasped her hands under her chin, "I'll miss you!"

"We'll miss you too, Shui." Xiaodan replied, brushing a stray tear from her lashes with the back of her hand and she smiled sadly at the little girl, "Be good, okay?"

Kari sniffled and nodded, her bottom lip trembling as she looked down at the ground. Aang patted his sister on the back and smiled sadly at the little girl before looking at Katara, who frowned back with dejected blue eyes. Aang looked away first as he turned around and gently tugged on Appa's reins, "Come on, boy."

Appa rumbled deep in chest as he turned and trudged away, Xiaodan crawling into the saddle to stare at the village until they'd crossed over a hill and it disappeared from sight.

Katara stood in the same place even after the sky bison along with the two Airbenders had disappeared from sight. Beside her, Kari sighed despondently and shuffled back to the villagers with her head bowed. Kanna gently patted the young girl-child's head as she walked passed her.

"Katara," Gran-Gran said consolingly as she stopped just behind her granddaughter, "You'll feel better after you-" Katara whirled around and cut her grandmother off with a scowl.

"You happy now?!" She snapped angrily as she flung an arm in the direction Aang and Xiaodan took off in, "There goes my one chance at becoming a Waterbender!" She pursed her lips and stomped away, leaving her grandmother to stare after her with a disappointed expression.

Meanwhile, Sokka stood at the entrance to the village, coaching the young boys to prepare for battle, "Alright, ready our defenses!" He instructed as the boys ran passed him, "The Fire Nation couldbe on our shores any moment now!"

One of the boys, Akiak, stopped in front of Sokka and began dancing around with his hands between his legs, "But I gotta-"

"And no potty breaks!" Sokka cut the boy off with an annoyed look as he pointed inside the walls. Akiak's eyes widened and he quickly rushed inside the walls of the village, racing after the other boys with Sokka behind him.

Xiaodan rolled onto her back and folded an arm behind her head as she rested on Appa's belly, amusing herself by making several small ice crystals dance in the air with her bending. The sky bison suddenly stretched out his six legs and let out a low, rumbling yawn before relaxing in the curved ice formation the trio were lounging in. In a small curve above her and Appa, Aang sighed despondently.

"Yeah, I liked her too." He muttered sadly and Xiaodan glanced up with a small frown, ready to go up there and comfort him when the sound of a horn distracted her. She straightened up and gaped in disbelief at the large metal ship cutting through the icy water. Her gaze slid away from the ship and her eyes widened when she saw it was on a direct path towards the Southern Water Tribe vilalge.

"The village!" Aang gasped, having noticed the ship at the same time his sister had, "We have to help them!"

Xiaodan leapt off Appa's belly while Aang slid down the ice formation to land beside her. She snapped her glider open with a quick twirl, "I'll go ahead and see what I can do!"

"Alright!" Aang agreed then he addressed Appa, "Appa, wait here!" He rushed towards a flock of otter-penguins while Xiaodan leapt into the air behind him, flying towards the village they'd left not too long ago.

Back in the village, Sokka sat in his tent preparing for battle. He pulled on his gloves and bindings around his wrists and forarms then he donned his boots. After adjusting his clothes, he kneeled in front of a table with several bowls on it and began applying his war paint and once that was done, he slipped his boomerang into its sheath on his back.

Taking a deep, steadying breath, Sokka grabbed his club from the floor of the tent and straightened from his kneeling position. He glanced at the torch in the tent when it flickered then he slipped out of the tent, heading towards the wall surrounding the village to wait.

Meanwhile, Prince Zuko stood proudly in his room on his ship as it made its way towards the little village he suspected was hiding the Avatar. He held his arms out to the sides as several servants fitted his chest plate into place then they slipped his shoulderguards over his head and tied them. His golden gaze never wavered from the Fire Nation tapestry in front of him as the sevants secured his boots to his feet before they slipped his red helmet onto his head.

Breathing slowly, Sokka stared out at the foggy horizon from his position atop the low-stooping wall that surrounded the village, his black-rimmed gaze searching intently. Behind him, a mother kneeling in front of her child suddenly lurched to her feet when a loud cracking noise split through the air. Her son gasped while the other villagers all whirled around to face the direction the noise came from, their eyes wide with terror. Kanna, who had been sitting on a log by the village camp fire rose to her feet and stared at her grandson's back with trepidation.

Suddenly the ground began to quake and a deep rumbling noise shattered the eerie silence that had fallen on the village, causing Kanna to gasp again as her expression became horrified.

Sokka stood tensely on the wall, watching as several bits cracked and broke off around his feet. He glanced over to his watchtower and his shoulders slumped in disappointment as it completely collapsed. Behind him, the villagers began grabbing the children and running towards their homes for safetly.

"Oh man." He whined in disappointment, unaware of Katara running up to the wall and peering up at him, a look of horror appearing on her face. Sokka's attention was pulled away from his destoryed watchtower when he caught something approaching from the corner of his eye. His eyes widened in horror as an enormous shadow appeared through the fog, heading straight towards him, "Oh maaan..."

Kanna stood frozen, unable to move as she stared in terror at the rapidly approaching vessel while the other women and elderly race passed her in their haste to get to the safetly. She trembled as the shadow of the large ship descended over her, incapable of tearing her eyes away from the metal monstrosity.

Sokka watched the ship's bow plow through the snowy shores, splittering the ground with terrified eyes. A large crack suddenly split the ground towards the village, zig-zagging over the wall.

Katara quickly grabbed her petrified grandmother and ushered her into one of the tents farthest from where the ship was approaching. A frightened scream suddenly reached her ears and she spun around. She gasped in terror when she saw Kari's younger brother kneeling on the ground, the fissure the ship caused rapidly approaching him.

Rushing forward, the Waterbender scooped the young boy up into her arms before the icy ground splintered beneath him then she rushed towards the tent her grandmother was in, placing the young boy down in front of it. He quickly rushed inside and Katara whirled around to look at her brother, who was still standing on the wall.

"Sokka!" Katara screamed hystically at her brother, "Get out of the way!"

"Move you idiot!" Xiaodan shouted over the rushing wind when she saw Sokka standing on the wall, with his club raised defensively, as the metal ship plowed through snow towards him. Her heart threatened to burst from her chest when the ship's bow struck the wall, crumbling it into large snowy ruins. The crumbled snow slid downwards back towards the inner part of the village, pushing Sokka back several feet before the snow stopped sliding.

The ship came to a halt with a burst of steam and the female Airbender propelled herself faster, trepidation knotting her stomach tightly when she saw the villagers slowly coming out of the tents they'd hidden in, curiosity getting the better of them.

With another burst of speed, Xiaodan accidently shot past the village and with a growl of annoyance at herself, she shifted to the side to turn her glider around. Her mouth dropped open in shock as the bow of the ship opened and creaked forward in a burst of steam, creating a walkway.

Sokka, who'd been to shocked to move until then, quickly backed up when the bow hit the ground where he'd been standing. He stumbled back further, tripping over his feet and falling onto his backside as he stared up at the yawning darkness that was revealed.

Xiaodan observed the scene quickly as she unhooked her legs from the stabilizing spars and landed nimbly behind the crowd of villagers. After snapping her glider shut, she quickly began making her way through the crowd towards the front, ignoring the surprised looks she received from the villagers as she went. She had almost reached Katara's side when a loud shout reached her ears. Xiaodan froze and watched with wide eyes as Sokka charged up the ramp towards the three men that had descended from the ship with his club raised.

Her eyes widened further when the man in the middle easily kicked the club to the left then, without lowering his leg, kicked Sokka over to the right, sending him into the snow where his head got stuck. In front of her, Katara gasped and covered her mouth in shock at her brother's quick defeat. Xiaodan's eyes narrowed as she watched the man in the eleborate armor walk in front of the villagers, apparently searching for someone.

"Where are you hiding him?" The man in the middle demanded after looking intently at the villagers and he came to a stop in front of Katara and Gran-Gran, who were clutching each other, "Where?!" When the villagers did nothing but remain silent, he reached out and grabbed Kana by the hood of her parka, yanking her away from Katara's arms, "He'd be about this age, master of all elements?"

Xiaodan sucked in a quiet breath, 'Aang. He's after Aang.'

Her moment of realization was abuptly cut short when the man shoved Gran-Gran back towards Katara, who embraced the trembling woman and glared angrily at the man. The man ignored her and swung his arm out, releasing an arc of fire that passed just over the heads of the villagers when he received no response.

"I know you're hiding him!" He shouted as the villagers covered their heads and cried out in fear, cringing away from him.

"Hey!"

Golden eyes met molten orange as Xiaodan pushed her way to the front of the crowd, standing in front of Katara and Kana with her arms outstretched protectively with her staff resting in the sheath sown into the back of her ao dai tunic. She narrowed her eyes at the man, "Why don't you pick on someone your own size?"

Before the man could retort, Sokka let out another battle cry and charged towards the man, grabbing his club from the ground as he ran passed. The man turned and ducked under the Water Tribe boy's wide swing then he hurled Sokka forward. Sokka grunted as he landed on his backside, dropping his club in the process. Xiaodan ran a hand down her face in exasperation at the scene.

"Ah!" Sokka yelped in a girlish manner and quickly rolled out of the way a moment later when the man shot a fire blast at him. He quickly spun on his knee and whipped out his boomerang, tossing it at the man, who barely managed to dodge the weapon aimed at his head.

The man growled furiously, his gold eyes flashing dangerously as his gaze followed the boomerang's course until it disappeared then he turned to glare dangerously at Sokka.

"Show no fear!" Akiak shouted as he tossed a spear to Sokka.

"No!" Xiaodan exclaimed as Sokka easily caught the spear and lunged at the man again. Her breath left her in a whoosh when the man broke pieces of the spear with his forearms then yanked the remaining piece from Sokka's hands and proceeded to poke him in the forehead several times, causing Sokka to fall to the ground. The man snapped the remaining piece of the spear in half and tossed them to the ground, his eyes narrowed dangerously as he took a threatening step towards Sokka, who was clutching his head in pain.

"Hey, you! The dork in the ridiculous helmet!" Xiaodan shouted furiously, catching the man's and Sokka's attention, and she pulled down her eyelid and stuck her tongue out at the man, "Nya-nyah! Looking for something in particular? Or should I say someone?"

"You're the Avatar?" The man demanded in disbelief, eying the white haired teen girl up and down.

Katara and Sokka gaped at her, but Xiaodan merely shrugged innocently and rocked back on her heels with a small smirk, her gaze moving to stare at a point over his shoulder. Her smirk widened just as Sokka's boomerang spun into view and slammed into the back of the man's head with a loud cling, causing him to stumble forward slightly from the unexpected blow. Sokka's eyes went wide as his boomerang landed at his feet and he glanced between it, the man and Xiaodan.

"Ouch. That had to hurt." Xiaodan quipped cheerfully as she moved to stand beside Sokka's still sitting form while the man rearranged his helmet. Subtly, she shifted to stand in front of the Water Tribe boy then she glanced down at him, "You okay?"

Before Sokka could reply, the man straightened and fixed his helmet with a growl. He took a threatening step towards Xiaodan and Sokka, twin fire daggers appearing in his clenched fists.

Xiaodan glanced to the man's left briefly then she looked back at him with an impish grin, "I think this is gonna hurt more." She let out a whoop of laughter when Aang, riding on the back of an otter-penguin with his staff held out horizontally, suddenly collided with the man.

The man soared backwards as Aang sped past him, landing several feet away on his face with his legs in the air. He spun around a few times before finally coming to a halt in front of his men, his helmet landing on his backside as they watched in stunned silence.

The villagers and Xiaodan cheered as Aang rode towards them, still mounted on the otter-penguin. The children, who were cheering the loudest along with his sister, were showered in snow as Aang rode past them, but after giving each other silent, unamused looks for a few seconds, they shook off the snow and began cheering loudly again.

Xiaodan smiled as Aang came to a halt in front of her and Sokka, as well as Kana and Katara, who had come up behind Sokka. The otter-penguin made a disgruntled noise as it tossed Aang off its back and crawled to its feet. Xiaodan laughed lightly as her brother fell on his rear and blinked at the otter-penguin stupidly for a moment before smiling when it quawked at him and waddled away.

"Hey, Xia. Hey, Katara. Hey, Sokka. Hey, Gran-Gran." Aang greeted the four cheerfully with a bright smile as he crossed his legs and held his glider in his lap.

"Hi, Aang, Xia." Sokka muttered sullenly, "Thanks for coming."

"You're welcome, Sokka." Xiaodan chirped happily, placing an affectionate hand on his head with a cheeky grin. Her smile disappeared and was replaced by a look of determination when the man angrily got to his feet and whirled around to glare at them, "Oh, look, Sparky is up..."

Aang looked over at the Fire Nation soldiers just as the man snarled and made a sharp gesture with one hand. At his signal the six men spread out, surrounding Aang and Xiaodan while their leader assumed a fighting stance.

Rising to his feet, Aang shifted into his own fighting stance with his staff held firmly in front of him while Xiaodan took her a protective stance in front of the villagers, her staff now in hand. Abruptly, Aang swept his staff across the ground, showering the three men on either side of him with snow then he slammed the ground in front of him, sending a rush of snow at the man. The man's eyes narrowed and the snow covering him began to melt and turn into steam as he glared angrily.

"Looking for me?" Aang asked calmly as he straightened, his gaze never wavering from the man in front of him as he resumed his fighting stance.

"You're the Airbender?" The man demanded sharply in disbelief, "You're the Avatar?"

Katara looked at Xiaodan, who merely shrugged and smiled. Jaw dropping in surprise the Waterbender looked back at the younger Airbender, "Aang?"

"No way..." Sokka muttered dubiously.

The man ignored the two Water Tribe siblings as he and Aang began to slowly circle each other, "I've spent years preparing for this encounter. Training, meditating." He snarled angrily, "You're just a child!"

"Well," Aang regarded the man calmly, tilting his head slightly with a somewhat confused expression, "You're just a teenager. You can't be any older than Xia."

Xiaodan snickered quietly and smirked when the man looked over at her angrily. His golden eyes ran over her from head-to-toe; taking in her long, messy white hair, ember colored eyes, tanned skin, and the dark brown tattoos on her face. She stood in a relaxed, easy manner that belied the alert way her eyes flickered from him to his men and the way she clutched her staff readily. He looked over at the young, bald boy in front of him then back at the girl, his eyes narrowing further.

Without warning, the man thrust his fist towards the the white-haired girl. Xiaodan yelped quietly and spun her glider to deflect the flames. She pivoted on the toes of her left foot and swung her right leg up in a spinning kick, sending a small crescent of air at the man.

"Xia!" Aang shouted as the man leapt over her attack and he moved to help her, only to have the man send a fire blast at him in retaliation. He quickly leapt back and twirled his glider to keep the flames at bay, the villagers crying out in fear behind him as the fire arced over his head.

Aang's eyes widened in horror when he saw the frightened villagers and he immediately stopped defending himself. He met Xiaodan's eyes and, even though her lips turned down at the corners in a frown, she nodded once in understanding, silently telling him that she had his back.

He turned to look at the man with a serious expression and he held his staff out as an offer, "If I go with you, will you promise to leave everyone alone?"

The man narrowed his eyes and looked the two Airbenders contemplatively, clearly uncertain which one was the Avatar. He considered the offer for another moment then straightened from his bending stance, nodding sharply in agreement.

Xiaodan tensed and resisted the urge to attack the soldiers that grabbed her brother and took his staff. Aang smiled reassuringly at her as he was the Fire Nation led him towards the ship.

"No!" Katara suddenly shouted as she rushed forward with one hand outstretched, "Aang, don't do this!"

"Don't worry, Katara." Aang said in a surprisingly calm voice and he glanced over at Xiaodan, who narrowed her eyes and inclined her head slightly, "It'll be okay." One of the soldiers abruptly shoved him onto the walkway and he gasped quietly in surprise, before quickly schooling his expression into one of reassurance when he saw Katara's fightenened expression, "Take care of Appa and Xia for me until I get back!"

"Set a course for the Fire Nation." The man growled as he entered the ship in front of hte others, "I'm heading home."

Aang met Xiaodan's eyes once more as the ramp began to close, the two silently communicating with each other before she snapped her glider open and leapt into the air. As she disappeared from sight he sent once last reassuring smile in Katara's direction before the ramp closed completely, trapping him inside the ship with the Fire Nation soldiers.

"We have to go after that ship, Sokka." Katara stated determinedly as she stood on the Southern shores, staring out at the endless water, "Aang saved our tribe, and now we have to save him."

Unknown to her, Sokka was busily packing a canoe with supplies as he tried to reply, "Katara, I-"

Katara cut him off, gesturing emphatically with her arms as she spoke without turning around, "Why can't you realize that he and Xia are on our side? Xia won't be able to save him on her own! If we don't help them, no one else will! I know you don't like Aang, but we owe him!"

"Katara!" Sokka exclaimed in annoyance and he put his hands on his hips, "Are you gonna talk all day, or are you comin' with me?" She turned towards him and he gestured towards the canoe floating in the water beside him with a quirked brow, "Well?"

"Sokka!" Katara cried out happily as she rushed over to her brother and threw her arms around him, "Thank you, thank you!"

"Get in," He instructed with a smirk, "We're going to save your boyfriend."

Katara instantly jerked away from her brother with an annoyed scowl, "He's not my-"

"Whatever." Sokka cut her off and shrugged dismissively, impatiently gesturing towards the canoe again, "Are we gonna do this or what?"

"What do you think you're doing?"

The two siblings jumped and turned around, looking at their grandmother with wide eyes as they tried to act as innocently as possible. Gran-Gran smiled warmly at the two, proud that they would go save the Airbender boy, especially since the Airbender girl had disappeared shortly after Aang had been taken by the Fire Nation soldiers.

"You'll need these." The elderly woman said as she held out two sleeping rolls filled with supplies, "You have a long journey ahead of you."

Katara and Sokka looked at each other with surprised expression then they looked back at their grandmother when she stepped closer to them, holding out the rolls insistently. She smiled softly, "It's been so long since I had hope." She commented quietly and she handed Katara the bedrolls then hugged her tightly, "But you brought it back to life, my little Waterbender."

She released her granddaughter and turned to look at Sokka with a fond smile as she pulled him into a tight hug as well, "And you my brave warrior, be nice to your sister."

"Yeah, okay, Gran-Gran." Sokka groaned in feigned exasperation as he patted his grandmother's back. Gran-Gran pulled away and looked at her two grandchilden seriously, "Aang is the Avatar. He's the world's only chance, you both found him for a reason. Now your destinies are intertwined with his. And with his sister's."

Katara and Sokka looked at each other then the young Waterbender gestured towards the canoe, commenting drily, "There's no way we're going to catch a warship with a canoe."

"I think I might be able to help you with that."

Sokka, Katara, and Gran-Gran turned simultaneously and stared in surprised amazement as Xiaodan landed on the ice across from the small flow of water the canoe was floating in. Twirling her glider shut, she grinned at them and gestured over her shoulder just as Appa stopped on a small hill of snow several feet behind her.

"Xia! Appa!" Katara exclaimed excitedly, watching as Appa lumbered forward and came to a stop behind the white-haired Airbender, "You're here!"

Xiaodan smirked and propped on hand on her cocked hip, "What? Did you really think I'd let that uppity jerk kidnap my little brother?"

"Well..." Sokka trailed off and the female Airbender rolled her eyes, flicking her wrist at him dismissively.

"I'm going to ignore that." She snarked blandly then she grinned and clapped her hands together enthusiastically, "Now come on! We've got Fire Nation butt to kick and an Avatar to save!"

Sokka and Katara shared stunned looks then they quickly turned around to hug their grandmother one last time before they left with the female Airbender. Grinning widely, Katara scrambled to grab some of the supplies in the canoe then raced over to Xiaodan and Appa.

"You just love taking me outta my comfort zone, don't you?" Sokka grumbled as he grabbed the rest of the supplies and followed his sister, who was already sitting in Appa's saddle with Xiaodan perched on his head.

Xiaodan laughed at the Water Tribe boy as he scrambled into the saddle then she glanced over her shoulder at them with a grin, "Now hang on tight, first time fliers! Appa, yip-yip!"

The sky bison rumbled deep in his chest and began moving his tail up and down then he launched himself upward, soaring high into the air. Sokka screamed girlishly and clutched at the saddle, peering over the side at the rapidly disappearing ground with wide eyes.

"He's flying! He's flying!" He screamed ecstatically and he whirled aorund to stare at his sister, "Katara, he's-" He paused and cleared his throat when he saw the amused smirks Katara and Xiaodan were giving him, "I mean, big deal." He flicked his hand dismissively, trying to play it cool, "He's flying."

Katara rolled her eyes while Xiaodan laughed and steered Appa in the direction the ship had taken.

Aang watched the teenage boy, who really didn't look any older than Xia, as he looked over his glider. His hands had been bound behind his back with rope almost immediately after the warship had started sailing away from the village then the young Avatar had been brought up to the top deck of the ship.

"This staff will make an excellent gift for my father." The teenager stated idly, lifting the glider up and continuing to look it over, then he looked over at Aang with a condescending expression on his scarred face, "I suppose you wouldn't know of fathers, being raised by monks."

Aang frowned at the young man, feeling slightly insulted. After all Monk Gyatso had been a father to both him and Xiaodan, not that the older boy knew that. Instead of commenting, he remained silent as he stared up at the scarred teen.

"Take the Avatar to the prison hold." The teenager barked and two of his soldiers grabbed Aang by his arms and began leading him away, "And take this to my quarters." The teen demanded, thrusting the staff into the hands of the old man by his side then turned and walked away.

"Hey, you mind taking this to his quarters for me?" The old man asked rhetorically as he passed the staff to the soldier standing next to him and following after the young man.

Craning his neck to peer around the soldier behind him, Aang watched as the teen, the old man, and the soldier with his staff walk into the ship's command tower. Abruptly, the soldier behind him shoved him down a set of stairs leading below deck and Aang grunted quietly as he stumbled slightly. He quickly regained his balance before he collided with the soldier in front of him, glancing over his shoulder at the soldier behind him with an annoyed expression.

Keeping him in between them, Aang allowed the two Fire Nation troopers lead him through a narrow metal corridor in silence for several minutes. He glanced around the soldier in front of him and narrowed his eyes when he saw they were rapidly approaching a metal door at the end of the hall. Thinking quickly, Aang looked between his two guards then smirked slightly.

"Soooo..." He drawled slyly, mimicking his sister's sometimes snarky attitude as he and the guards walked closer to the metal door, "I quess you guys have never fought an Airbender before." Adopting a smug expression, Aang leaned forward slightly, "I bet I can take you both with my hands tied behind my back."

"Silence." The guard in front of him growled lowly in an unamused tone as he came to a stop in front of the metal door at the end of the metal corridor. Aang watched as the guard produced a key from somewhere and inserted it into the metal door.

The young Airbender waited until the soldier began turning the key in the lock before he inhaled deeply then he blew the air out of his mouth, unleashing a powerful breath that sent him flying backwards into the guard behind him while slamming the other guard into the metal door, knocking him out on impact.

The guard behind Aang grunted when he slammed into the stairs that led below deck, his body slumping as he lost conciousness. Quickly using airbending, Aang used the unconcious guard's body as a springboard and propelled himself onto the deck. He took a short, running start then leapt forward slightly and kicked his foot out, knocking the door to the command tower down with blast of airbending.

"The Avatar has escaped!"

Panting heavily, Aang glanced over his shoulder fearfully as he rushed down the hallway leading into the command tower. His eyes widened and he ran even faster when he heard a voice shout loudly from behind him. He rounded the corner and skidded to a stop with a small yelp when he saw three Fire Nation soldiers armed with swords standing in the hallway in front of him.

"You haven't seen my staff around, have you?" Aang asked as he peered up the at guard closest to him with wide, innocent eyes. When the guards merely lifted their swords higher and remained silent, Aang frowned slightly then he used airbending to run up the wall, across the ceiling, under the second guard's legs, back up the wall and ceiling again before finally landing on the floor behind the last guard.

"Thanks anyway!" The young Airbender shouted over his shoulder as he continued running down the metal corridor.

Once he reached the end of the corridor, Aang leapt up to the second level, bypassing the ladder that was there. He straightened from his crouch and tilted his head slightly, pursing his lips in determination when he caught sight of the masked Firebender standing in his way.

Taking a single step back, Aang rushed forward and leapt into the air just as the Firebender sent a blast of fire at him. He practically flew over the flames before somersaulting over the Firebender's head, using the sharp tip of the soldier's helmet to cut the rope binding his hands together behind his back. The soldier fell to the ground with a loud clatter and Aang grinned to himself as he proceeded down the hall, his hands now free.

Jumping up onto the next level, Aang ran down another corridor and began throwing open the various doors lining the metal hall. He frowned slightly as the first two doors revealed an armory then an empty sleeping cabin. He rushed down the hall to another door and opened it carefully, peering inside cautiously. He reared back slightly when he saw the old man snoring peacefully.

"Sorry." Aang whispered as he carefully and quietly shut the door before continuing down the hall in search of his staff. He rushed passed an open door before skidding to a halt and rapidly backtracking his eyes widening when he saw his staff leaning innocuously against the wall.

"My staff!" He exclaimed happily as he rushed into the room only to freeze in surprise when the door slammed shut behind him.

"Looks like I underestimated you."

Aang turned around slowly, his excited expression falling with disbelief as he stared at the scared teen, "Not you again..."

The scarred teen narrowed his eyes dangerously then he shifted into a bending stance and fired a blast at Aang, who yelled wordlessly as he narrowly avoided being roasted like turkey-duck. The teen fired another blast which forced Aang into a corner.

Panting heavily, Aang stared at the young Firebender with wide grey eyes just as two more firebalsl was hurled at him. He quickly spun around out of the corner and pressed against the back wall to avoid the attacks before ducking into somersault and rolling between the teenager's legs then back to his feet. Deftly twisting his body around, Aang managed to stay behind the scarred young man while utilizing the technique circle-walking to avoid the fireballs the teen was desperately throwing at him as he spun around.

Aang grunted when the scarred teen finally managed to trip him and he stumbled backwards, his eyes widening as the teen lunged and punched at him with a flaming fist. Aang quickly brought his hands up, using airbending to try and deter the attack by catching the teen's flaming fist in a current of air which extinguished the fire. Grasping the teen's wrist, Aang ducked under his arm and walked up his chest, briefly using the teen's head as a springboard to launch himself into the air.

Swinging his legs up, Aang created an air scooter in mid-air then he proceeded to ride around the room; zooming over the walls and ceiling as the young Firebender resumed attacking him ferociously. Aang gasped when the young man changed tactics and instead of hurling fireballs at him, he unleashed a steady stream of flames from his fingertips.

"Aah!" Aang shouted as the young man managed to dissipate his air scooter by shattering it with a arc of fire after the young Airbender had tried to zoom past him. Aang groaned in pain as he slammed against the wall underneath a hanging tapestry, dazedly staring at the older teen from his upside down position.

Quickly pressing his hands against the floor on either side of his head, Aang propelled himself up underneath the tapestry to avoid another fire blast. As he emerged at the top, he yanked the tapestry off its hooks and began wrapping it around the young man's body, momentarily tangling him up in the fabric which allowed Aang to grab his glider.

Spinning around on his heel, Aang pointing the end of his staff at the young man just as he destroyed the tapestry with firebending. The young Airbender looked on in alarm as the young man snarled and assumed a bending stance, his gold eyes burning with fury.

Aang glanced around hurriedly then swung his staff, propelling the mattress lying in the corner of the room at the teenager. The mattress collided with the young Firebender, throwing him into the wall before it fell to the floor and he fell on top of it.

With an upward thrust of his staff, Aang used airbending to slam the mattress with the young man still on it into the ceiling then he darted out of the room before the mattress touched the ground again.

Xiaodan clenched her jaw tightly as she steered Appa over the icy ocean of the South Pole while Katara and Sokka sat behind her in the saddle, peering over the edge in search of the Fire Nation warship.

"There it is!" Sokka suddenly shouted and he pointed at the large metal ship that was cutting through the water roughly a kilometer away. Xiaodan quickly jerked the reins to the left, "Left Appa, left!"

The sky bison let out a thunderous growl as he veered sharply to the left, slapping his tail against the air and propelling himself towards the warship.

Aang raced up to the top of the command tower where he used airbending to open the entrance to the warship's main control room. The hatch flew open with a small tornado of air and Aang poked his head up through the opening, his expression brightening when he saw the opening doorway leading to the observation deck. Aang leapt from the hatch and ran across the room, agilely leaping over a table and past the stunned helmsman as he slid onto the observation deck's metal platform.

Spreading his arms out happily, Aang took a moment to breath in the fresh air as he ran towards the end of the deck before throwing his staff over the balcony. The glider wings snapped open with the movement and he leapt after it, grasping the front spars with a small shout of triumph. He was about to hook his feet over the spars at the tail end of the glider when the scarred teen suddenly leapt off the ramp behind him and grabbed one of his ankles.

"Aahh!" Aang screamed as he struggled to remain in the air with the weight of the extra, unexpected person. He screamed again as they plummeted down to the deck of the ship, hitting the unforgiving metal with a resounding crash and bouncing several times before skidding to a halt.

Growling furiously, the young man glanced over his shoulder at Aang's sprawled out form with narrowed eyes before he struggled to his feet. The two managed to rise almost simultaneously, and Aang held his staff defensively in front of his, eying the older teen unsurely.

A deep, growling roar cut through the air and distracted the young Airbender and his attacker. Aang jerked his head around and smiled widely when he caught of Appa heading towards the ship, his sister no doubt at the reins.

The young man stared at the flying creature in shock, "What is that?!"

"Appa! Xia!" Aang exclaimed excitedly then he whirled back around to face the teen with a smug grin, "My sister's gonna kick your butt."

The teen snarled and fired a blast the younger boy in retaliation. Aang yelped quietly, just managing to deflect the attack by spinning his staff around. However, he also accidently propelled himself backwards through the air where he landed at the edge of the deck. Tilting back precariously, he almost fell over the side of the ship before he managed to regain his balance. He turned to look at the young man just in time to twirl his glider and deflect another fireball.

Aang continued to twirl his glider as the young Firebender fired two more blasts at him, but he lost his grip on his staff and it spun out of his hands, skittering across the deck several feet away. Grey eyes wide, Aang ducked and spun to avoid the fireballs the young man was hurling his way. He quickly leapt backwards into the air to avoid another blast and landed on the ship's ledge, pinwheeling his arms in an attempt to keep his precarious balance.

Aang cried out and threw his arms up to protect his face as the young man punched and kicked several more blasts at him. He groaned lowly as his eyes drifted shut and he tumbled backwards off the ship and into the water.

"No!" Katara screamed in horror as they were forced to watch Aang fall off the side of the ship and into the icy water, "Aang!"

"No! Little brother!" The scream was ripped from Xiaodan's throat and she dropped Appa's reins then leapt off his head. She thrust her hands out to the side and airbending two funnels of wind from her palms, propelling herself towards ship.

"Xia!" Katara and Sokka shouted in shock from the saddle before Katara scrambled onto Appa's head and took up the reins.

Just as she was about to crash into the ship, Xiaodan swung her arms and twisted her body around, creating a massive sphere of around herself. The spherical air shield slammed into ship deck with concussive force, knocking several of the Fire Nation soldiers that had appeared off their feet.

Unconcious, Aang slowly sank deeper into the icy water.

"No! Little brother!"

His sister's familiar voice cut through the darkness and Aang's eyes snapped open, the gray orbs glowing a brilliant bluish white along with his arrow tattoos. His mouth turned down in an angry frown and he steadied himself in the water then he began twisting his body around, bending a waterspout around himself. Thrusting his hands down, he rocketed upwards and erupted from the surface.

Xiaodan watched in awe as her little brother rode the humongous spinning water vortex towards the ship before he landed on the deck across from her, easily waterbending the vortex into a wave. She quickly whipped her glider from her back and leapt into the air just as Aang brought his hands around behind his head, the water swirling around him in a protective circle before spreading outward. The wave of water plowed into the soldiers Xiaodan's had knocked down previously, sending them sprawling off their feet once again while the young man that had order Aang's kidnapping fell over the edge of the ship with a shout of surprise.

On Appa's head, Katara and Sokka stared down at Aang in shock and disbelief. Katara turned to look at her brother with wide eyes, "Did you see what he just did?!"

Sokka nodded dumbly and replied in an impressed tone, "Now that is some waterbending!"

"Aang!" Xiaodan cried out as she dropped back down onto the deck and rushed towards her brother, dropping her staff and catching him in her arms just as he collasped forward. She cradled him protectively in against her as his arrow tattoos ceased glow then she gently patted his cheek, "Aang? C'mon, wake up little brother."

She glanced up as Appa landed on the deck with a low growl, Sokka and Katara sliding off his back before they ran towards the two Airbenders.

"Aang!" Katara called out worriedly as she kneeled beside Aang with Sokka following close behind, "Is he okay?" Xiaodan nodded as Aang's eyes fluttered open and he groaned quietly. He glanced around himself and smiled weakly, "Hey Xia, hey Katara, hey Sokka. Thanks for coming."

"Well," Sokka drawled with a smirk, "I couldn't let you have all the glory."

Aang smiled weakly at the older boy then looked towards his staff resting a few feet away, "I dropped my staff." Sokka rose to his feet and smiled reassuringly, "Don't worry, I got it!"

While Katara and Xiaodan fussed over Aang, Sokka ran over and grabbed the staff then lifted it from the ground. He made a high pitched noise of surprise when he saw the scarred teen's hand firmly gripping the other end as he attempted to pull himself onto the deck. The two young men struggled for a moment before Sokka poked the scarred teen repeatedly in the head until he let go of the staff and fell backwards with a grunt of surprise. The teen gasped as he fell off the side of the ship, just barely managing to catch himself on the anchor chain.

"Ha!" Sokka laughed truimphantly and he pointed smugly at the scarred teen, "That's from the Water Tribe!"

"Sokka, c'mon!" Xiaodan shouted as she and Katara manuevered Aang over to where Appa was lying down in the puddle of water left over from Aang's waterbending attack. She quickly airbended herself onto the sky bison's head then turned around and grasped her younger brother's hands, pulling him up beside her where he flopped down on his stomach tiredly.

The pale haired teen glanced up and her eyes widened when she caught sight of the Fire Nation soldiers rising to their feet. She called out to Katara and pointed at the soldiers, "Get 'em, Katara!"

Katara whirled around on her heel and pursed her lips in concentration as she faced the Fire Nation soldiers as they approached her menacingly. She took a small step back then slowly and precariously bending a stream of water from the puddle and causing the men in front of her to slow down with surprised gasps. Exhaling swiftly, she swung her arms around in an attempt to whip the soldiers with the water, however she only succeeded in freezing a channel of water behind on the deck, accidently encasing Sokka's legs in ice in the process.

"Katara!" Sokka whined loudly in exasperation as he glared over at his sister. Katara winced and glanced over at the men, who had resumed their approach with their spears pointed at her. Xiaodan leapt off Appa's head and swung her staff down low as she landed beside the younger teen, knocking the advancing soldiers off their feet.

"Now Katara!"

Katara squeaked with mild panic and whirled around so her back was to the fallen soldiers then she quickly pulled up another stream of water, closing her eyes tightly. Taking a deep breath, she swung her arms behind her. Xiaodan gave a loud whoop and the young Waterbender turned around, staring in surprise at the soldiers that were sprawled out on the deck and now completely frozen in a casing of ice.

"That was great, Katara." Xiaodan praised as she grabbed the stunned girl by the hood of her parka and yanked her away frozen guards, "But, we gotta go. Like yesterday!"

"Right!" Katara gasped and together the two girls rushed over to Appa, allowing the older girl to help her onto Appa's back so she could climb into the saddle. The young Waterbender glanced over at her brother, who was wacking at the ice around his ankles with his boomerang, "Hurry up, Sokka!"

"I'm just a guy, with a boomerang." Sokka grumbled quietly to himself as he freed his left foot from the ice, "I didn't ask for all this flying and magic!" He grunted as he freed his other foot then he raised up Appa's tail with Aang's staff clutched in his hand, "Yip-yip! Yip-yip!"

Appa slapped his tail against the ship's deck and took flight with a grunt, Sokka scrambling into the saddle just as the sky bison flew past the command tower. Xiaodan crowed with delight as she steered Appa from the Fire Nation warship, Aang leaning heavily against her side.

The young man grunted angrily with effort as his uncle helped him back onto the deck. He lurched to his feet and glowered furiously at the sky bison flying away, "Shoot them down!"

"Fireball!" Sokka screamed as he and Katara stared at the powerful fire blast that was heading straight towards them in horror. Grunting quietly, Aang rose to his feet and leapt onto the saddle then he opened the small tail-wing of his glider, swinging the staff around in a half-circle. The powerful crescent of air he created redirected the fireball into the side of a nearby glacier and the impacted caused an avalanche of snow and ice to fall towards the ship.

Leaping onto the saddle beside Aang as Appa continued to fly high, Xiaodan thrust her staff in the air and let out a loud cry of victory as the avalanche buried the front of the ship in a mass of snow and ice and blocked its passage. Sokka, Katara, and Aang laughed along with her as Appa flew farther away, Aang even go so far as to wave goodbye to the ship that they were leaving behind.

"Good news for the Fire Lord." Iroh commented calmly as he slowly rose to his feet behind his nephew, "The Fire Nation's greatest threat is just a little kid."

Zuko gritted his teeth as he straightened from his position on his hands and knees and turned to face his uncle, "That 'kid', Uncle, just did this." He swung his arm out to encompass the massive mound of snow and ice covering the front of his ship, "I won't underestimate him again." He raised his voice to a yell and gestured at the piles of snow again, "Dig the ship out and follow them!"

He glanced over his shoulder and faltered when he saw three of his Firebenders using their bending to melt the ice encasing three other soldiers. He cleared his throat with embarrassedly and looked up at the sky with angry determination, "As soon as you're done with that."

Appa soared lazily through the sky as the sun began to set, Xiaodan was perched calmly at the front of the saddle while Aang sat on the rim behind her, his legs drawn up to his chest and his chin resting on his knees.

"How did you do that?!" Katara suddenly asked in, breaking the silence that had encompassed the four teens, and she stared at Aang in bewilderment and awe, "With the water? That was the most amazingthing I've ever seen!"

"I don't know." Aang replied quietly without looking at the two Water Tribe siblings sitting at the back of the saddle, "I just sort of...did it."

"That was your Avatar State." Xiaodan commented matter-of-factly as crossed her legs and rested her elbow on her thigh, cupping her chin in her hand, "It's sort of an instinctual thing right now. You'll need to learn to control it."

"Oh..." Aang mumbled, looking dejectedly at his lap.

Katara looked between the two Airbenders then asked hesitantly, "Why did you tell us you were the Avatar?"

"Because..." The younger Airbender sighed and looked out at the clouds, "Because I never wanted to be the Avatar."

Straightening from her slightly slouched position, Xiaodan gently placed her hand on her brother's knee and gave it a reassuring squeeze. She glanced up at the sky as a dark cloud passed over them, shadowing the silent foursome for a brief moment before golden sunlight broke through the clouds again.

"But Aang, the world's been waiting for the Avatar to return and finally put an end to this war." Katara stated gently, wincing slightly at the look Xiaodan sent her way.

"How am I supposed to do that?" Aang questioned despondently as he crossed his legs and folded his arms on top of them.

"Well," Katara began thoughtfully and she tapped her chin, "According to the legend, you need to first master water, then earth, then fire, right?"

Aang glanced over Xiaodan head to stare at the dark haired girl, "That's what the monks told me."

"But who's going to teach him?" Xiaodan mused, her brow furrowing pensively as she thought. Katara's expression brightened and she smiled, "If we go to the North Pole, we can find a teacher there and Aang can master waterbending!"

Aang smiled brightly as he turned to face the young Waterbender excitedly, "We can learn together!" Katara nodded happily then she turned to look at her brother with a cheerful smile, "And Sokka, I'm sure you'll get to know some Firebender heads on the way."

"I'd like that."Sokka replied in contentment as he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against the saddle with a small smile, "I'd really like that."

"Then it's settled!" Xiaodan clapped her hands together and she looked at the other three with a cheerful smile, "We're headed to the North Pole to find you two a master Waterbender."

"Yeah, we're in this together!" Katara added with an optimistic smile on her face.

Aang grinned and pulled a rolled up scroll from his pocket, "All right, but before I learn waterbending, we have some serious business to attend to." He airbended himself onto the saddle beside Xiaodan and unrolled the scoll to reveal a map of the world then he pointed to three different spots on the map, "Here, here, and here."

Katara leaned forward and pointed at one of the first spot curiously, "What's there."

"Here, we'll ride the hopping llamas." Aang explained then he moved to the other two, "Then waaaay over here, we'll surf on the backs of giant koi fish. Then back over here, we'll ride the hog monkeys." Xiaodan smiled indulgently at her brother while Katara and Sokka exchanged bemused looks as Aang continued to ramble happily, "They don't like people riding them, but that's what makes it fun!"

Xiaodan laughed lightly as her brother smiled enthusiastically at the stunned Water Tribe siblings, his gray eyes wide with excitement. She wrapped her arm around his shoulder and affectionately rubbed the top of his bald head, chortling in amusement when he playfully pushed her away.