Who missed me? Well, I know at least one person who's still waiting for a PM from me. :/

I was very busy with the Probending Circuit. That's a writing competition for Avatar, and one can rack up bonus points with writing stuff outside the competition prompts. I already wrote a fluffy little Kainora AU. And I'm going to submit this chapter too, apologies for possible inconveniences.

Team: Laogai Lion Vultures/firebender

Equipment: Weights

Word count: 2,928 (excluding A/N)

There is a bonus for using your own element in the text. Kinda ironic that it showed up AFTER the point where firebending turned into a mostly non-issue. I would have gotten at least twenty bonus points. Kami spans a lot, then there's Mimi, then Aang, then Judai. So many people with firebending issues! Yeah, well, maybe this chapter still counts.

While it's nice to see Judai happily chatting away with his grandmother, I quickly start to feel like a third wheel. I hear names I can't place, terms out of context, an apparent in-joke that goes right over my head. If I just up and left, how long until they'd notice?

I'm actually relieved when the rest of the gang appears, I almost fall over myself getting out of my chair.

"Hey guys!"

Sokka is carrying his backpack again. And I'm not the only one to notice: "You look ready to leave," Judai remarks.

"We'll check in with the guards first, to make sure we're not needed anymore. But we have a schedule to keep."

"And so do we," Fen cuts in. She, too, gets up and bows. "Thank you for returning my grandson safely to my side."

That's where Aang takes over. He returns the bow and flashes a beaming smile. "No need to thank us. We did what everybody would have done."

"Except for the slavers," Judai bitterly objects, and his grandmother squeezes his hand. Pretty much my first inclination, too, but... I kinda surplus the requirement now.

I shake my head. Act now, feel useless later. "Please, Ju. I know this won't go away overnight, but you need to snap out of it. For your own sake. If you let the what-ifs infect your mind, it'll ruin you."

"Cheerful," Toph comments from the side. "You really have a way with words, Fireflake."

The statement is definitely worth an eye-roll, but okay. I admit it's not the most encouraging thing I've ever said.

"Cheerful indeed," Judai sighs. "But you're right. I should forget this whole mess as soon as possible."

Not the way I'd put it, but I said enough. No need to point out that the way such incidences shape us is irreversible. He'll get over it eventually, but he'll never be the same.

Judai finally climbs to his feet. The smile on his lips is a forced one, but a smile nonetheless. I wonder what kind of person I missed out on.

"Looks like we're all better be going, huh? I can't wait to see my room again."

My room... Agni, I left it in a mess. I wonder if my mum... No, no, stop it! I'll see them again, no worries. But they're worried. If I could just let them know... Wait, I can! I can!

"Uh, Kami?" Judai pipes up, sounding very skeptic indeed. "Are you okay? You seem a little..."

"Loopy?"

"...Out of sorts."

I nearly laugh out loud, but that would only serve to underscore my new status. "Yeah, I guess grinning like an idiot during a farewell is not exactly the way to go. Nah, I just remembered something I should do before we leave. Don't worry, I won't be long."

The last part is addressed at Sokka, who looks curious. "And what would that be?"

"Write a letter to my family. It's the first time I'm out like this, and you know how parents can be. I think they could use word that I'm okay."

"You should do that." Fen's melancholic voice compels me to turn forward again. "Parents always worry about their children, even if they know where they are. You never know what might happen to them."

She ruffles Judai's hair, and I half expect him to object to this embarrassing treatment. What I don't expect him to do is just submit. However, Toph has something to say.

"Parents also need to learn to let their children go. They can't worry about them forever."

"Very true, young lady. But they worry anyway. It's their job."

Judging from Toph's tension, the conversation has struck a nerve. The rest of the gang seems concerned, too. And yet another mystery to add to my list...

"Anyway..." Judai cuts through the heavy atmosphere. "Grandma, if you would... Thank you." Obligatory ruffle repelling – check. "Alright, I'm not sure what's going on here, but it's probably none of my business. And speaking of business..." He gestures at the door, and I sigh. As much as I wish to stave off this moment, I can't keep him forever.

"So this is goodbye?"

"You act like it's the end of the world."

It certainly feels like it. But I force a smile. I've burdened Judai with too much already. Time to woman up and let go. But I guess a little hug is still in the cards.

"Take care."

"You too. Write me?"

"I thought you hate reading?"

"I don't hate it. But I'm all for inventing long-distance speakers."

I chuckle in spite of myself. "You're impossible."

"I like the idea," Sokka chips in. "Imagine you have a box, and you talk into it, and someone else with the same box can hear it."

"Sora, boxes don't work that way," Katara points out.

"Let him dream, Sweetness."

Even Aang laughs. "If anyone can make boxes talk, it's Sora."

"Well then," I snicker. People and their overactive imagination... "You boys make boxes talk. I'll write letters in the meantime."

The rest happens in a daze. Aang bows, Sokka grins, Toph punches, Katara advises. They didn't bond with Judai the way I did. Though something's telling me he and Sokka could be best bros if they tried. Best bros building babbling boxes. Bah...

A last bow at Fen, and then my new friend is leaving for good. I resist the urge to follow them outside and drop into the nearest chair instead. Whatever semblance of normalcy I had until now... it's gone. And with the letter to my family, it feels like cutting another tie.

I'm fine. The next time you see my face, it'll probably be on a wanted poster. But don't worry. I'm fine.

I can't even convince myself. How do I even begin to explain this mess?

"I'm afraid we do need the room still. Well, at least I do. Sokka, can you spare some paper and ink? I won't write anything incriminating, promise."

Sokka nods and shrugs off his backpack. Shortly after, I'm armed with a brush, inkstone, inkstick and a piece of parchment plus some string. Not exactly paper, but well, never look a gift ostrich horse in the mouth.

"Thanks. If you're looking for me, I'll be upstairs."

"And if we aren't looking for you?" Toph retorts, and I almost smile.

"I'll be there anyway."

On the way up, my head is already busy trying to come up with things to say. But I can't seem to find anything. By the time the parchment is flattened on the table and the ink mixed, I realized there is nothing right to say. Only the least wrong.

With a sigh, I dip the brush into the ink start writing.

Dear Mum and Dad, hey Mimi,

I hope this letter finds you well. Or at least as well as can be.

There is not much I can say, I'm not entirely sure what's happening myself. But I want you to know that I'm okay. This letter is from Rubona, a village at the banks of the Kagio Channel, but please don't come looking for me. I'll be gone an hour from now. I'm traveling with a group of four other teens. One of them can help me with my problem, as unbelievable as it seems. I can't tell when I'll be back, but I will. In the meantime, I wish for you to carry on without worrying about me. And whatever happens, whatever you may hear about your rogue daughter and big sister, whatever I might end up doing... I love you. I love you all so much.

It's barely readable. My hand is trembling, the ink is smudged, the parchment tear-stained. What in the name of everything right and just am I doing? I'm practically warning my family about my turning traitor, as if it were a given. I should paint over the words. It would be so easy.

But they deserve this information. If it happens, I don't want them to hear it from someone else.

Still... What if my parents disown me? They wouldn't. Right? What would I do if I learned that Mimi joined forces with the Avatar?

We busted a slave ring yesterday. I finally got a chance to put my abilities to good use. Don't worry, no one saw it. I can hardly believe I could be a hero, but I did it. I even made a friend.

I'm scared. But I can't write that down. I put the brush aside and bury my face in my hands, not even trying to control the sobs. I have no idea what I would do if I learned that Mimi was a traitor. I'd deny it so hard, but what if the evidence practically screamed into my face? Deny it even harder?

I don't want to think about it.

It takes a while for me to calm down. How much of the allotted time did I spend crying my eyes out? I bet the others are waiting impatiently.

I sign the letter, then roll up the parchment and tie it with the string. Such a hassle, and for what? Protecting the freaking Avatar! And learning how to airbend properly... I guess I should be thankful. In a way, protecting the Avatar also means protecting myself. And, by extension, my family. Weird how everything loops back on itself.

Anyway, a trip to the washroom is in order. Splashing some water on my face should freshen me up a little...

If only I got that far. I almost jump through the roof when I get up and spot Aang meditating on the bed Judai and me used last night.

"Whoa! What are you doing here?!"

The little Avatar's eyes slowly blink open. I think... I think he was pretty far away with his senses. Maybe even on purpose?

Aang relaxes his posture, slouching and leaning back on his hands. "I thought you may want some company."

"Where are the others?" I ask, avoiding the implied question. Some company would be nice indeed, but the Avatar of all people?

"They went ahead to the guard station. Katara said she wants to check on the kids, Sokka wants to be efficient, and Toph has had enough of the wooden floor."

"Makes sense." I perch on the edge of the bed, balancing precariously in an attempt to sit as far away from Aang as possible. If he notices, he doesn't let it show. "So... Now that's only the two of us, I have a few questions."

"Ask away."

"So, first off: What are airbenders capable of? Yesterday, it hit me that every living creature breathes air. Does that mean we can... hypothetically speaking..."

"Yes." Aang shifts uncomfortably. He doesn't like the question at all. "We can do that. But we don't. It's unnatural and cruel. And you must promise me to never use your airbending for that purpose."

I don't think I've seen him so dead serious before. I turn away, get annoyed, and force myself to hold Aang's gaze. "I promise. I never intended to do it anyway. I was just wondering how it's possible that the Air Nomads were wiped out when they have such a power at their disposal."

Aang's face falls and he looks away. "Chances are it didn't cross their minds. Certainly never crossed mine. And even if it did, I don't think they would have used it."

"Why not?"

"Because the Air Nomads believe that all life is sacred and..."

"And you don't simply take it away." I hug my knees to my chest. That seems familiar. "I believe that too. Granted, not to the extend that I would go vegetarian, but... Life is a precious gift. Just killing people seems so... wrong."

Aang nods. "I figured as much."

I raise a brow. What gave him that idea? Me Fire Nation? Militaristic country? "What do you mean?"

"I've been thinking... You don't know of any other airbenders, right? So what generation are you? Third, fourth?"

"My great-great-grandfather was an Air Nomad, so..." I do a quick calculation. "Fifth generation. No airbending powers in three generations. That's quite a jump, isn't it?"

Aang nods again. "You don't happen to be an autumn child?"

"I am. My birthday is the twenty-third of Tenthmonth." I'm not surprised he figured that out. Most benders are born during the season that corresponds with their element. Waterbenders in winter, earthbenders in spring, firebenders in summer... and airbenders in autumn. Nobody knows exactly why that is, but it's probably got to do with spiritual shenanigans.

I wonder idly if Judai is a summer child. I know Mimi is. We freed roughly twenty firebenders... Kinda saddening to think one of them might have spent their birthday hurt and alone in a cave.

"For the record though, my mum's an autumn child too. And she can't airbend."

Aang snickers. "I'm not saying that's all it needs. It just makes sense. I think you can airbend because you have the heart of an Air Nomad. And no, don't snap!"

He holds up a hand all panicky while I draw breath for... a temper tantrum, I guess. Me, an Air Nomad at heart? But Aang's reaction causes said breath to catch in my throat. "I'm Fire Nation, thank you very much," I say without snapping, and Aang knits his brows.

"Let me rephrase that: You're not an Air Nomad, but you have the spirit of one. That doesn't mean you're not Fire Nation. You can be both! You're not the first one with mixed ancestry, you know?"

"Maybe not, but this isn't me, Aang!" Agni, how blinded by naivety can an Avatar be?! "This world doesn't allow me to exist. We're at war. I can't simply be both."

"You can! But you need to stop convincing yourself you can't!"

Great, now I got him riled up. And what's he saying, I need to stop? "Don't make me laugh. You have no idea what I've been through because of this curse! I've been shunned, looked down upon, misused as a punching bag, and overall treated like an infectious disease. Every day I woke up, and I was scared . Scared of going to school, scared someone might find out. Blazes, I'm so scared of waking up that I can't even sleep! Because of something that is not my fault! What are you thinking, I can be both?!"

My own ears hurt from the sound of my voice, but Aang... actually seems calmer. Dang it, I feel calmer! Those words were so overdue. Venting them in front of Aang may not have been the smartest thing to do, but what's done is done. And I'm kind of okay with it.

Aang sighs and draws up his knees. "You know what happened when I found out about being the Avatar?"

My first inclination is huffing You were probably worshipped, your lucky Avatariness!, but the whole situation says otherwise. "Not what I'm expecting, I assume."

Aang shakes his head dejectedly. "I was shunned, too. So to speak. Everyone started treating me differently, like something... untouchable. No one wanted to play with me, saying I had an unfair advantage because I'm the Avatar. And then everyone started expecting me to save the world. I wasn't allowed any free time, because someone always wanted something from me. Monk Gyatso... my father, if you want, he tried to keep me away from it, so the head monk decided to send me away. I was so upset, I needed to get away from it all. And then..." He trails off. I wait for him to calm down, whatever he's trying to tell me, it's eating at him. Finally, he breathes deeply and stretches his legs.

"I'm here now because Appa and me were caught in a storm out at sea. We almost died, and I went into the Avatar State to keep us from drowning. It sealed us inside an iceberg, until Katara and Sokka broke it. I wasn't there when my people were attacked... And now everyone's expecting me to end this war. I try not to think about it too much, because I know I'd go crazy if I did."

Hug him or run away as far as I can? That's the question. Hmm, never seen such an interesting wall before.

"'I'd go crazy if I did'... Tell me about it..." I sigh. "Thank you for sharing. And... I'm sorry I yelled."

"That's okay. So long as it makes you feel better. Besides..." A small grin lightens up Aang's features. "It was a very Fire Nation-y thing to do. I'm not comfortable with being a firebender myself, so let's help each other out. Deal?"

He lifts a hand and a smile tugs at my lips. The smack of the high-five cuts through the tension in the air, dispersing it. "Deal!"

It's a good feeling. Aang is offering me a place I can truly be myself. And yet, when I go to pick up the letter to my family, it seems too heavy. I got carried away by the moment. We're only pushing the problem aside, we're not solving it. We had a breakthrough when Aang promised to protect the Fire Nation from the wrath of the other nations, but will that be enough?

Only one way to find out. With new determination, I unroll the parchment one last time, take Sokka's brush and dip it into the drying ink.

PS: I'll learn the truth. Just you wait. This airbender is going to be a hero.