"WHY ARE WE ON A FIRE NATION SHIP?" Aang asks. "Why is everyone dressed that way? And why am I the only one who's completely out of it?"

"Back in Ba Sing Se, you got hurt pretty bad," Kida explains as she places a blanket around Aang's shoulders. "Katara managed to heal you."

Katara walks over and brings Aang into a tight hug. "I like your hair," she comments with a small smile.

Aang widens his eyes. "I have hair?" Panicked, Aang runs his hands through his hair. "How long have I been out?

"We'll explain everything," Kida assures. She guides Aang to where Toph, Sokka, and Hakoda are eating noodles. Kida puts together a bowl for Aang and hands it to him, while the others explain everything, from their time in Chameleon Bay, to Kida's plan of disguising themselves as Fire Nation soldiers, to the modified version of Sokka's invasion plan.

"Just a ragtag team of our friends and allies from around the Earth Kingdom," Sokka explains. "And the best part is, the eclipse isn't even our biggest advantage. We have a secret." Sokka looks around, then leans in closer. "You."

"Me?" Aang repeats, confused.

"Yup, the whole world thinks you're dead," Sokka notes, cheerily. Kida glares at Sokka when she notices Aang starting to freak out.

"No, no, no, you have no idea!" Aang shouts in a rush. "This is so messed up!" From a distance, the sound of another Fire Nation ship can be heard, to which Aang pulls out his glider, ready for battle. "I'll handle this. The Avatar is back."

"They don't know we're not Fire Nation," Kida points out. "If we play it cool, we can just sail by. "

"Everyone just stay calm," Hakoda interrupts. "Bato and I will take care of this."

"I hate not being able to do anything," Aang grumbles. Kida drags him behind the door frame to the engine room. Katara, Toph and Sokka hide elsewhere.

"Hopefully, we won't need to," Kida whispers. When a fight does break out — the soldiers somehow realize that their disguise is just that — Kida has to hold him back. "Aang, no! "

"What? I can't just stand by and do nothing!"

"Aang, come on!" Kida protests. "You're still hurt and, yeah, I hate to admit it, but Sokka is right. You have to stay a secret."

Aang groans, and Kida completely understands his frustration: the desire to do something, anything to help out, but not being able to for the greater good. That feeling of failing, and needing to redeem yourself. "Fine."

»»---------------------►

WHEN THE SHIP DOCKS AT A PORT, KIDA, SOKKA, KATARA, AND TOPH GO VISIT AANG IN HIS ROOM.

"Hey, Aang, we're going into town for dinner, want to come?" Toph offers.

Aang, who is laying on his bed, clutching his stomach. "Well, I am pretty hungry. Maybe dinner is a good idea."

Everyone smiles as Aang gets up. "Here," Sokka says. He offers Aang a Fire Nation headband. "Tie this around your head. It'll cover your arrow."

"I'm not going out if I can't wear my arrow proudly!" Aang lays back down.

"Aang, come on," Sokka insists. "Be reasonable."

When Aang turns away, Kida sighs. "You guys go ahead." After the rest of the group leaves, Kida sits on the edge of the bed next to Aang. "Look, I know that this can't be easy for you. You think that you failed, but —"

"I did fail!" Aang exclaims, getting up in frustration. "I was in Ba Sing Se and couldn't stop the Fire Nation. Now the Earth Kingdom is gone for good."

"The war isn't over, Aang," Kida reasons, placing a hand on his shoulder. "We have the invasion plan —"

"I hate the invasion plan!" Aang interrupts once more. Angry, he rips down the Fire Nation plan on the wall. "I don't want you or anyone else risking your lives to fix my mistakes! I've always known that I would have to face the Fire Lord. But now, I know I need to do it alone."

"Well, I know that you might think that's true, but it's not," Kida counters. "I get that you're upset. But, you don't need to be alone to do good in the world. We're all here to help you, Aang. Spirits, I stayed because I believe in you. We all believe in you, and you're not alone."

"Then you stayed for nothing. Kida, just go," Aang demands. "I need to redeem myself. I need my honor back. If you don't understand that, then .....then just go."

Kida sighs, frustrated, but leaves nonetheless.

»»---------------------►

TO PASS THE TIME, KIDA DECIDES TO CUT HER HAIR. It was either that, or stare at that stupid Fire Nation banner on the wall and contemplate whether she made the right choice to rejoin the team. But she can't give up on Aang, or leave Katara again, and Toph seems pretty cool, too. She can't stop fighting now, not after everything and everyone she's lost. Kida needs to do this, for them. But, right now, what she really needs to do is keep a steady hand.

Suddenly, someone barges in, causing Kida to lose focus. The knife slips and falls, somehow cutting across her right hand.

"Fuck!" she yells. Kida turns her head. "Sokka!"

"I didn't mean to!" he defends, kneeling down next to Kida. Groaning, Kida starts to rip her shirt to use as a bandage. The cut isn't that deep, but still needs direct pressure until the bleeding stops. "You know, you can go to Katara and she can heal you."

"I know, but I wouldn't want to be selfish," Kida quips. "So, are you here to unintentionally injure me or did you actually come to yell at me a bit more?"

Sokka chuckles awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Actually, about that —"

"Look," Kida interrupts after she's finished wrapping her hand. She picks the knife back up. "I don't actually want to do this right now. I'm in the middle of something." She goes back to cutting her hair, even though Sokka stays where he is.

"Do you, um, want help with that?" Sokka asks softly.

"I don't think so," Kida replies. "Part of me thinks that you would cut my head off."

"I wouldn't," Sokka promises. "Come on, you know I'm a hair expert."

Before, Kida would just refuse, but there's something about that hopeful twinkle in Sokka's eyes that makes her melt. "Fine," she says. "But if you try to cut my head off, you're dead."

Sokka smiles a bit before gently taking the knife from her. He moves to sit behind her, and he finishes cutting her hair, a comfortable silence between them that Kida didn't want to admit she missed.

Once he's done, Sokka gives Kida her knife back to check out her reflection. Her hair is back to a length she prefers: falling in line with her chin instead of past her shoulders. Then, Sokka moves to sit in front of Kida.

"What are you doing?" she asks.

"I'm braiding your hair," he explains. Sokka braids the white strands of her hair together with some blue string, fully concentrated, biting his lip. Kida has to bite her own lip to keep from smiling. "Done," Sokka states. "See? I told you that I wouldn't cut your head off."

"Thanks," Kida says, laughing. "I hate to admit it, but you are a hair expert. I don't know what I would do without you."

Sokka blushes and clears his throat. "Kida, I just want to....you should know that I, uh....I mean, when you were gone, I, um —"

"Guys!" Katara yells through tears. She appears in the doorway. "Aang is gone."

»»---------------------►

THROUGH THE STORM, THE TEAM FLIES IN SEARCH OF AANG. They decided to leave the rest of the invasion force and meet up with them on the day of the eclipse. The group flies all night, looking down at the rough waters below. There's no sign of Aang.

As day breaks, they spot a crescent island where Aang had washed up on the shore.

"You're okay!" Katara declares as she and the team run towards Aang. She hugs him, tightly, and everyone joins in.

"I have so much to do," Aang sighs.

"Like I said, kid." Kida places a hand on his shoulder. "You're not alone.

"You didn't think you could get out of training just by coming to the Fire Nation, did you?" Toph teases. She reaches behind her. "Hey, what's this?" It's Aang's glider. Toph hands it to him.

Aang stares at it for a second before closing his eyes and sighing. "If someone saw this, it would give away my identity. It's better for now that no one knows I'm alive."

Aang flies up, to the top of the volcano, and places his glider there. As the team flies away on Appa, Aang's glider catches fire.

"The Fire Nation better watch out," Toph declares.

»»---------------------►

author's note!

thanks for reading/voting/commenting. it means the world :)

this is (probably) the last chapter i will publish until after new year's eve, so happy new year, my dear readers! this year was really ~something~ and you are so strong to have gotten through it all. wishing you a better, brighter 2021 <3