"Sometimes I wonder what they're all thinking. Back home," Aang confessed. The fire maintained a steady heat in front of him, as it always seemed to do when this particular visitor came to him. "I just left. Too cowardly to even see what all this 'training' they want me to do is about." He pulled his knees up to his chest, resting his head on them. "I wanna go home so bad but I know when I do things are gonna change and I don't want that."

The Blue Spirit said nothing, as he usually did. The mask he wore stayed still too. No judgement, no emotion, just there, listening to Aang as he complained about whatever it was this week that had him upset.

He sighed, stretching his legs out in front of him. They were starting to ache again, he didn't know if that was a good or a bad thing. Last time they'd ached it was because he'd gotten something lodged in one of them. But, the time before that he'd grown a few inches so, really, who knew.

Aang for one would prefer the growing. The Blue Spirit was still taller than him and when he'd envisioned himself at seventeen Aang had always imagined he would be tall. Or, at least, taller than the man in front of him who wasn't all that tall to begin with.

Then again, Aang didn't know old the Blue Spirit was. Sure, he sounded older than a kid, but considering he was of a height with Aang last year it begged the question how old someone got before they stopped growing.

"Would you go back?" Aang asked.

There was silence, Aang not really expecting an answer anyway. Then the Blue Spirit's head started to shake slowly.

It could mean anything, that shake. It could be no to Aang going home. To forgetting about this year of finding himself before trudging back with his tail between his legs to start his Avatar training. Or it could be about himself. Aang knew nothing about this guy, it wasn't so far fetched to think he wasn't the only one here, by this fire, by choice. The guy was alone. He had swords. He wore a mask. He seemed to enjoy keeping a low profile when he wasn't helping Aang escape this wide world gone mad. Who knew what life this guy had lived and what was keeping him tethered to Aang like a shadow.

"A few more months then," Aang said, the weight growing heavier on his chest as he lay down. Maybe they'd go to Ba Sing Se. He had a friend there that was always up for an adventure, and Aang trusted him enough not to rat him out to the monks. Or maybe to one of the poles and go penguin sledding.

Somehow Aang didn't think the Blue Spirit would like the cold very much, but both of them needed to enjoy this freedom they had while they had it. The guy needed to smile. To laugh, and there was no better place to do it than on the back of a penguin hurtling towards the sea.

Maybe even just a swim. Or a bath which would be more accurate. One for Appa too. So yeah, a bath, a swim, penguin sledding then Ba Sing Se for a few weeks of sneaking around. Fun.

He woke in the morning to find the Blue Spirit sharpening one of his swords. It was a familiar sight, one Aang knew was intentional. The guy woke with the sun, and for someone who had been trained to do so since birth he knew how hard that was. Yet somehow the Blue Spirit did, Aang knew because he'd woke more than once to breakfast being turned on a spit over their fire. Or, the Blue Spirit's breakfast, Aang wasn't so fond of meat, especially meat that still looked like the poor fuzzy thing it had been when it had been living.

So the guy woke early, yet whenever Aang was awake he'd be sharpening his swords. The ones he actually sharpened properly when they were safe in the air on Appa's back. He was doing something else in those few hours before Aang woke, he just knew it. The question was what.

Aang himself could think of a few things, but none having the guy needing to be awake hours before Aang.

He'd find out one day. For now he grabbed the bread he'd bought at the last village they'd been to, before they got run out of it that was, and set about foraging for berries.

The stream, when he flew them to it, was a good idea. Definitely a good idea, "Urgh!" he could feel his nose trying to retreat into his face. Just hopping off Appa gave him a whiff of something that should never be smelled by anyone ever. "Okay buddy, saddle off then straight under the falls. You too Blue, don't take this the wrong way but I think we all need a bath day."

Blue, naturally, had nothing to say to that, just stood there a few moments before storming off somewhere out of sight. Aang didn't worry, the guy was probably just finding somewhere private to strip off. He wouldn't actually leave Aang over something so trivial as a bath. At least, Aang didn't think he would.

"He'll be back soon," Aang told himself, turning to his task. Pinching his nose he edged around Appa until he could get to the saddle straps, taking one deep breath through his mouth before working as fast as he could to undo it.

Appa stomped his feet the whole time, a little bit in excitement, mostly because he knew that if Aang so much as exhaled he'd be getting an even stronger whiff of whatever Appa had been rolling in. He loved Appa like nothing else, but the pair of them knew he liked to get his kicks in when he could. His favourite was licking Blue whenever the guy ventured too close. Which was often. Hence the bath since Appa's breath wasn't exactly fresh either.

"Okay buddy," Aang said, letting the saddle slide loose. With one large gust he stripped himself and started running to the water, "Let's have fun!"

The water was pleasantly cool in the early sun. Just the right temperature for the cloying air that surrounded the Earth Kingdom. After thoroughly scrubbing himself Aang let himself enjoy it, floating on his back as the water edged up and down across his skin.

Appa announced himself before floating over, his loud snort lathering Aang in something unpleasant as his nose came to sniff at his newly washed Airbender. "You bored buddy?"

Appa let out another noise.

Taking that as a yes Aang started their usual game of tag, chasing Appa around the lake until Appa was, once more, retreating to the waterfall for another dunk.

Rustling behind him told him he hadn't been abandoned. Blue was back but instead of his usual black clothes there was nothing but his mask. It started begging questions again about how old this guy was. He looked around Aang's age, and Aang was kind of praying for that as his eyes lingered on arms that had definitely been doing their sword drills.

"You coming in?" Aang asked. A rather stupid question for someone that doesn't actually talk but sometimes the quiet started to get to him.

Blue set his clothes next to Aang's, seeming to have a hard time doing so, but nevertheless that was where they stayed. With a few glances back, Blue was toeing the water, foot rising like he was going to jump then thinking better of it and sliding in, the rest of him following slowly.

It was the mask, Aang realised. He didn't want it to slip off underwater if he jumped. Which it might have, and without that dark hood the guy wore Aang would certainly see his face. Which wasn't a bad thing. But the guy was wearing a mask for a reason, and Aang wasn't going to question it.

He waited until Blue was a little closer before asking, "Wanna help me chase Appa around?" Waiting a little longer as Blue came within arms reach before grabbing the guys hand and towing him over to where Appa was trying to catch the waterfall spray, "Come on, he needs a little fun." More like Blue did, but putting the blame on Appa for the guy having fun had worked in the past and Aang watched it work now as, with only a few more coaxes, he got Blue jumping about in no time.

He moved like a bender. Aang had always thought so, and thought so even more now. Blue moved in a way that showed he'd been paying attention to Aang. How he moved, how he fought. The guy had been practicing it, somehow, and adapting it enough that it wasn't overly obvious, if Aang didn't know what he was looking for he wouldn't have even guessed it.

That natural flexibility he'd shown the first time he'd sprung Aang was even more honed now he'd taught himself to be light on his feet. It was honestly impressive and made Aang wonder if the guy had any benders in his family.

Regardless, the prospect of being allowed to run freely had them all in good spirits as they dried out on the bank. The grin wouldn't stay off Aang's face as he fetched their last provisions and handed them out to Blue and Appa.

"I say we hit a village tonight, do a little hustling and then make for Ba Sing Se tomorrow. I have friends there, it'll be fun."

That didn't seem to be a good idea according to Blue. If he wasn't so committed to keeping quiet Aang thought he would have been screaming at that being a bad idea. As it was, he did his own approximation of that by shaking his head vigorously.

The question of why only really had one answer. That being Blue had probably run away from Ba Sing Se. The urge to go and see why was stronger now, but, Aang wanted fun not a fight so as much as it pained him to do so he let it go and suggested penguin sledding instead.

Blue didn't like that idea either, but unlike the flat out no for Ba Sing Se he merely fell back to his slouch with a well worn sigh. He didn't want to, but he wouldn't stop Aang from taking them there and probably hopping on a penguin himself when Aang forced him to.

"It's gonna be great," Aang promised.

They relaxed by the lake a while longer. Then when they couldn't put off hustling any longer Aang saddled Appa back up. Blue disappeared as Aang finished with the last strap, his clothes tucked tightly underneath his arms. His pale, human, arms.

"I know it's strange but half of me expected him to be green or something." But Blue wasn't, and what's more Aang now knew he had dark hair as well. Dark hair, good arms and definition that spoke of hard training. The only problem was how thin he was. Aang half hoped it was a puberty thing, he himself was like a beanpole on the best of days. But he'd seen Blue when they first met, how his clothes hung off him. A little fatter he might be now, but neither of them had enough money or were good enough at foraging to eat what they needed every day. If they went to Ba Sing Se…

But they weren't, and hey, maybe the water tribes would be more welcoming than the Earth Kingdom.

Amusing the next village they came across was, as always, easy. It was practically part of their routine now that they were met with jovial faces and many coins. The few simple sleight of hand tricks could be excused away as just that to these people, nothing more nothing less. Surprisingly, it was only when they found out Aang was a bender that things went downhill. Something he was still trying to muster out. Had the air nomads done something while he was away travelling? Regardless, as the sun set Aang had a few more coins in his purse. As did Blue. enough for both of them to grab whatever was left at the market before high tailing it back to Appa.

They had enough supplies to see them to the start of the polar region. There would be another village between here and there however, so Aang wasn't too worried, and it wasn't like either of them liked to gorge themselves. Much.

Aang alternated their travelling days between flying Appa and having one sided conversations in the saddle with Blue. The usual.

The conversations weren't always one sided. Sometimes Blue would give Aang a nod or shake or, when Aang had said something that may have tread on Blue's nerves he'd get that careful breath. The slow inhale and exhale that spoke of taming a temper Aang knew Blue had. If Blue hadn't kept up this vow of silence, or whatever it was, Aang bet he would be getting tirade after tirade the number of times Blue breathed carefully in one day. It wasn't even what Aang had said, most of the time, just Blue's frustration with, well, everything.

He didn't seem a very happy guy.

The air grew frigid as they travelled farther south. More often than not Appa had two people curled into his furry feet when it came time to land. Not a waterbender then, Aang decided. He himself wasn't feeling too cold. He didn't know whether it was down to living in an airy temple in the mountains or his whole Avatar-ness, and at this point was a little afraid to dwell on it.

When they landed the second week on their adventure Aang dared to toe his boots off, letting dewy grass wrap around his toes. "Best make the best of it," Aang said to both Blue and Appa, "This'll be the last patch of earth we'll see for some time."

Blue didn't appear all too happy about that, attaching his swords to his back with a snappiness that only spoke of a bad mood. Appa on the other hand didn't really care. Finding a nice place to sit he let out one large yawn that told Aang to wake him when it was morning.

"Okay," he clapped his hands together, "Plan of action. You're going to need warmer clothes," he told Blue since there was no way he was going to listen to the guys teeth chatter while they were trying to have fun. "Then we need food, water skins and something for Appa. Ooh, and if we find one, I really need some new cloth to fix the saddle." It was a bit worn in places. Well loved, Aang thought, but, it would start deteriorating if they didn't fix it at some point.

With no complaints from Blue, they gathered together the last of their money, wrapped Aang's tattoos and started towards the village.

Before they got to the lip Blue took off in his own direction. Sometimes Aang wished the guy would actually stay by his side when they went to towns together, but Aang supposed a guy in a mask would garner more suspicion when he was with someone else, and if there was one thing they didn't need here, it was suspicion.

Checking his coin purse a few more times, Aang prayed no one recognised his not even entirely hidden clothes and tried to barter in the market.

Luck was on his side as no one recognised him. No shouts, no calls for soldiers, they'd either forgotten what Aang looked like or his disguise was really that good. Aang was betting the former, it had been a year, after all, since he'd been here. More than enough time for his face to be forgotten in the minds that lived here.

Which was nice. It meant he got back to Appa without any trouble. It also meant he didn't have to work out somewhere else to sleep in case the villagers followed him back. Like last time.

He had a fire going and Appa fed by the time Blue returned, his usual light clothes switched out for a furred hood and thicker boots. "You er, got clothes," they probably should have coordinated this a bit better. "That's good. I er, may have also got you some. Don't know if they'll fit but, I'll have them if you don't want them." He tossed another fur hood Blue's way, alongside some thicker pants that would definitely stop certain things from freezing off.

Blue fingered them for a minute before carefully folding them into his bag.

"I also got you something else," he handed over a plate of sweets. "You know, for our anniversary," he joked.

Blue just stared back at him from that mask, Aang not really sure what was going on under there.

"You know, since, this is where we met and you saved me and… you were stealing sweets, remember." Aang certainly did. He'd been suspended from a roof when he spotted a masked figure swiping at least twenty sweet treats into his bag. He'd thought it in poor taste, but forgave the Blue Spirit when, minutes after as one of the few benders in the village tried to wrap him in an earth prison, saved, only by the Blue Spirit distracting the bender long enough for Aang to get away.

The start of a glorious friendship Aang thought. He still wasn't too sure whether Blue agreed with him or not. But Blue took the treats, which was a good sign, and turned away as he usually did to eat them.

Aang bedded down with a few for himself, relaxing into Appa's fur and thinking of all the penguins they'd soon be sledding on.