"Something's wrong," called Sokka, "They're taking way too long."

From where he sat atop Appa's head, he looked down to the watery cavern where a waterfall poured into. Per the Earth King's instruction, who was with them on Appa's back, the waterfall led to the crystal caverns below, and that this was one of the surest exits out of the dungeons that didn't involve running back into the palace.

"Do you think they were stopped?" asked Toph, not far behind him, gripping onto Appa's fur for dear life.

"I don't know…" his eyes scanned the darkness of the cavern below for any sign of movement. It was weak, but he could just see light and shadows dancing across the rocky surface.

"I'm gonna take us closer," he said, and wiped the reigns. Appa floated gently down, and even from their height they could hear sounds of explosions and fire.

"Sounds like it to me," said Toph. "We should go down and help them."

"We can't," said Sokka. "Appa can't fit, only Katara and Aang would be able to escape with their waterbending, and they've already got Iroh and Zuko to worry about."

The waiting was agony, especially as they heard the battle rage on, until suddenly there was the sound of lightning cracking. Even from where they sat they could feel the static in the air. Sokka held his breath as everything went suddenly and horribly quiet.

A minute of dreadful silence passed, before he noticed the water moving in a completely unnatural way. He knew waterbending when he saw it, and he had Appa dive closer.

The water was propelling Katara upward, who held an unconscious Aang. Then, at the height of her launch, just as she was starting to fall back, Appa swung by and Sokka grabbed his sister's arm, pulling them both up strongly.

She struggled to get on, and they both pulled at Aang, who was completely unconscious. Tears were streaked down his sister's face, and as Sokka pulled on Aang's body. The boy didn't make a sound, and he dreaded the worst.

"What happened?" Sokka demanded, "Where the others?"

"Give me space," was all she said, laying Aang's body down against Appa's soft fur. Despite his worry, healing Aang was a priority. So, grabbing the reins, he pulled at Appa so that the bison got the hint to rise up higher into the sky.

Now high enough in the night sky to not be spotted by anyone below, he got out of his sister's way as she began her work on Aang. Pulling out the vial from the Spirit Oasis, she bended it out of the vial, and then it spun and shone like pure moonlight. She lifted Aang's upper body up and had his head lay against her shoulder. The sight of the wound made Sokka freeze, a quiet gaze escaping him. The spirit water entered into Aang's body through said wound, and for a moment, nothing happened. Then his tattoos glowed a white light, and he gasped in a breath, as if it were his first in a while, and he opened his eyes. He'd survived.

Relieved, his sister laid him back down, happy to see his eyes open, before they closed once more. She checked his pulse, and now that the emergency had passed, she took up Aang's hand against her cheek and began to sob.

Carefully, Sokka slid down next to his sister, holding her and putting a hand on the unconscious boy's head, then shoulder.

"I don't understand," breathed Sokka. "What happened? Weren't Iroh and Zuko there to help you?"

"Iroh helped us escape," she said, taking in a shuddered breath, then her gaze turned to a seething glare, "but only after Zuko turned on us."

Sokka's eyes widened.

"He...he didn't...he wouldn't!" he said suddenly, and thus caused his sister to look at him, shocked.

"What are you saying-? Of course he would!" she snapped, "Of course he would- and after he lied- after he said he'd changed."

To know everything that happened and understand every detail of the betrayal, brought to Sokka's heart a kind of numbness he never knew a person could feel. A quiet anguish that tore at his heart as he listened to his sister recount with the raging temper of a storm everything that had happened. How Zuko had lied to her about wanting to change, how he'd joined their side only to start aiding the princess in the fight, and how just when Aang accessed his Avatar state, Azula had taken the opportunity to strike him down.

Now Aang lay before him unconscious, his wound just fixed up enough where he was no longer in immediate danger. His sister was at the reigns. He hadn't spoken since suggesting their route to their father's troops. They were headed to Chameleon Bay, where the men of the Southern Water Tribe were still stationed. The ride was mournfully quiet.

As he looked to Aang, he remembered the promise he'd made him near the very beginning of their journey, as the Southern Air Temple.

"Katara and I aren't gonna let anything happen to you, promise."

A rather futile thing to promise now that he was on the other side of it. And in no small way did he help but to blame himself for what had happened. His tether, Zuko, had joined Azula, and while she had been the one to make the final strike, she would not have had the chance were it not for the aid of her brother.

Zuko shot up from bed, his hand clutching his chest in shock. Late afternoon light sunk into his room from the shuttered window, casting it in deep oranges and reds; night was on the horizon. His body was horribly sore from last night's fight and brutal victory over Ba Sing Se. It was a kind of pain that sunk deep into his muscles, threatening to reach the bone. Within the walls of the former Earth King's palace, Zuko was supposed to be resting after what his sister called a glorious victory and eradication of the Avatar. After such an intense fight, he was sure he could do no such thing. She was perhaps sleeping soundly. People could be screaming bloody murder and he was sure she'd find it to be as relaxing as any lullaby. Why should having just killed the Avatar disturb the princess?

The idea sent shivers down his spine as he held his arms and leaned forward in bed, wrapping his arms around his legs. He had not meant for the Avatar to die. That wasn't his decision, wasn't his fault, he told himself. His sister was lethal, but he didn't know just how. Yet, was the Avatar truly dead? His thoughts wandered back to the Spirit Oasis water Katara had offered to use to heal his scar. His eyes lowered to the bed sheets at his feet in thought as he contemplated just how potent the water was. Was it enough to save anybody after just a terrible strike? Lightning was lethal if not redirected. If the Avatar was alive, there was the question of what to do next. Tell his sister of the water? He bit his lip as he considered the idea.

His hands trembled as they gripped the sheets that covered his knees. It really would be murder then, wouldn't it? But this was war, and he was the prince of his nation who was destined to rule the…he dropped the thought with a tiered sigh.

He ran a hand through his hair, noting the sweat that rolled off his locks and onto his fingers. He stood, throwing off the covers and went to the wash basin to throw water on his face.

The cold water ran down his hot skin. It truly felt as though summer was setting in. He gripped the basin and took in a few breathes, hoping to settle his sick stomach, which churned with every thought.

The Avatar.

Home.

His honor.

The Spirit Water.

Murder.

He gripped his abdomen and doubled over, struggling to keep standing. With a resounding "no" that echoed in his mind, he decided he would not inform his sister. He could do Sokka the dignity of at least possibly saving his young friend, and if they were smart, allow them to run away and disappear all together. If they were smart, he reasoned again, they'd never show their face in front of them, never chance another encounter with his sister, who clearly showed no problem in obtaining victory at any cost.

This settled his stomach enough to the point where he noticed the strain on his chest. He gripped at the air in front of it, expected to feel the taught threads of destiny, but his hand passed through unobstructed.

A strange noise caught his attention then, like the slithering of scales against the marble flooring of the room. He turned, shocked.

"Who's there?" he demanded, looking about in the shadows of late afternoon. He trained his ears to the silence. From outside the washroom he could hear the noise again, and the old wood of the bed creak. He held his breath and crept to the doorway, his gaze looking about. He swore he could smell smoke, though he saw no trace of it. Footsteps outside the bedroom door paused just in front of it. He held his breath and slipped over to it, he could see the shadow of someone just beyond from where the light bleed in. Quickly he seized the door and swung it open with a loud crash- but stopped suddenly when he saw that it was a palace servant, who'd fallen to their knees and were trembling with their hands held up in defense.

"I'm so sorry!" they squeaked, the tassels on their head board clacking together as they shook. The sight turned his blood cold, but he glowered down at them angrily, impatient with their fear

"What are you doing here? What do you want?" he demanded.

"I-I came to-to inform you of dinner!" they said, kowtowing to him for mercy.

"I'm not hungry."

"The...the princess was inis-"

"I said I'm not hungry!" he yelled, and slammed the door in their face.

He leaned against it, looking to the dusky light that flooded his room, the shadows somehow deeper. He heard her sniffle and get to her feet and hurry away, and only then did he feel his breathing ease. As he stared into the darkness, he was sure, something was staring back at him.

It had been weeks since Ba Sing Se was first overthrown, and in that time the Earth King had bravely set out on his own to see the world, and the Southern Water Tribe commandeered a Fire Nation boat. Aang was still unconscious, but Katara assured them that he would wake up when his body was properly healed. They had come incredibly close to losing him, they would have to be patient if they wanted him to wake up mostly healed and still able to fight.

The ship they'd commandeered was now heading East. They'd be making their way to the Fire Nation for the invasion. The Eclipse would not wait for the affairs of earth to sort itself out, and Sokka refused to allow them to miss their chance at the one day firebenders couldn't bend. They no longer had the Earth King's army, but he was sure that even with a small battalion they could do it. He wanted this invasion plan to be like the very ice storms that would sometimes blow through the southern wastes; unstoppable and unforgiving to those caught in it. They just needed careful planning. He would be calm, calculated, and shrewd.

To make sure they weren't suspected by passing Fire Nation ships, the men had taken to wearing the Fire Nation armor, Sokka along with them. It was as he was fitting the final straps of the shoulder armor that he heard a knock at the door. He was in a private room, having wanted to observe the armor, get to know its weak points and study it as he put them on.

"Yeah," he called, and the door opened. He turned to see his sister, her gaze dreading in one moment, and masked in the next with stoic indifference the next. The way his sister had looked at him made him feel bitter for having to don the colors, even if it was for the sake of subterfuge. She approached him, bravely tamping down whatever emotion that played just behind her eyes.

"Dad's at the helm," she said, "he thinks it's time to go over the invasion plans with you."

"Oh, yeah, I'll be there in a sec. Just need to fasten these…" he tried to grab at the strap, but as he lifted his other arm out of the way, this would comically yank the straps away from his grasps, and the armor wasn't so flexible as to allow him his normal range. So he played this game back and forth with himself of trying to grab the strap, only to have it out of his grasp no matter which way he turned. Katara snorted in laughter and finally stepped forward to alleviate her brother of the burden.

"You can sometimes be simultaneously the smartest and dumbest person I know," she said.

He scoffed and shook his head, his eyes rolled up to the ceiling.

"You try to put these on by yourself," he argued.

"No thanks," she said simply. She remained stoic as she helped tighten the shoulder plates.

Katara had been offered armor, it wasn't as though there was any shortage, but she'd outright objected to wearing it. No one dared to push it, least of all Sokka, who knew his sister had been there to witness a fire nation soldier, clad in this very armor, to enter their home and threaten their mother before she ran to get her father. There was no way she'd allow it on her body, and she was showing great restraint in her distaste of even having to touch it by helping Sokka. So he remained still as she tugged the straps tight, only slightly being set off balance once or twice.

"...I understand the reason for doing this," she whispered so that only he may hear. "I just...hate seeing you in this."

"It's pretty weird for me too," he admitted, "I'm sure it's weird for everyone."

He could feel his sister was strongly holding back her words as she finished adjusting the straps.

"I have to admit though," he said after she finished. He turned to her, holding the fire Nation helmet under his arm. "They do know how to keep a guy covered. This is some serious gear. I could always use what I learn from their stuff to enhance our own armor for the invasion."

She nodded, half-listening. He dropped it and cleared his throat.

"How's Aang?" he asked.

"The same. His body is healing, but I don't know when he'll wake up."

Her eyes were cast to the ground. Sokka watched a flicker of anger cross her face that she tamed into a single twitch.

"...You really hate this, don't you?" he asked quietly.

"I know it's childish," she snapped, folding her arms and casting her gaze fully away. "And I know this is necessary. I understand, and I won't object."

"Katara…" he put a hand on his sister's shoulder. "You're...really brave, you know that?"

"I do. But what do you mean?" she asked, turning back.

"This can't be easy for you, seeing us in Fire Nation armor, healing Aang all by yourself. I just want you to know that, I know it's not easy. And...and thanks."

A tear slid down her face and she gave a nod in return.

"I just...ever since what happened to mom…"

"I know," he nodded.

She bit at her bottom lip, pulling her mouth into a tight lipped frown before she spoke.

"...This is all my fault," she whispered at last, putting a hand to her necklace.

"What?" he balked, "What about any of this makes you think that?"

"I should never have trusted Zuko. I should have...I don't know, stopped him, earlier, somehow. I should've never trusted he'd do the right thing. I was so blind...but it'll never happen again."

Sokka's stomach fell as he heard her words. He could not tell her the bitter anger he felt at his own tether having manipulated his sister in such a way. His gaze hardened as he stared, seeing Zuko in his mind's eye. The boy had wanted an enemy in him for so long. And now, he'd finally get it, he thought. He pulled his sister into a hug, and despite the armor she didn't object.

"None of this is your fault. You saved Aang," he said, quietly.

"Still…"

"No," he said. "He lied. He lied, and I promise, I will never let him hurt us again."

"You're ridiculous. You can't promise that."

"Maybe not...but I can make sure the next time I see him, I will show him what happens when he messes with us like that."

She allowed a short laugh to escape from her nose, a huff, before gently pushing away from her brother.

"We'll show him together," she said.

"Right," Sokka nodded.

She wiped a tear away from her cheeks and let out a breath, composing herself once more. "Dad's waiting. I'll meet you there."

"See you in a sec," he nodded.

She walked out.

He turned his gaze to the floor length mirror he'd been avoiding the entire time. Now fully dressed, he took in the red color against his dark complexion, forcing his breath to be even. He stomped down whatever vengeful thought he had about the sight before it really budded into consciousness, and simply turned and walked out.

When next Sokka dreamed, it a was a few days after the discussion he'd had with his sister. He'd thought long and hard about what it meant to do what he could to keep everyone safe. With a terrible ache, he could not deny the grief he felt from Zuko's decision. It truly felt like he'd lost the boy he knew all that time ago, or that he'd let him slip from his grasp. He replayed everything that had happened over and again in his mind, trying to figure out what he could have done better, what lie he could have told, or not told. Where had he gone wrong? What could he have done better? And if he had done everything right, then had that been their destiny this whole time? What was their destiny? Did it matter?

When he'd surfaced in his dreams, he found he was not in the void as he'd expected himself to be, but instead, the arctic neutral ground. Instead of fresh soft snow, the ground was frozen over. A thin sheet of ice coated the trees, the grass, and hung in the air like a bitter chill. He shivered, knelt on the ground, his hands on his lap as he waited for the approach of the light-footed traveler. The giant spirit showed up as it normally did, quiet as snowfall. It trotted out from behind and looked at him with quiet inquiry.

"Iwei…" he started, but lost his voice in the next moment. "Iwei, I failed, didn't I?"

The wolf made no move to acknowledge him.

"When it came down to it, I couldn't convince my tether to do the right thing. I...I feel like I only made things worse," he said, looking to the stoic creature. "So...because of this..." He put his hand in front of his chest and willed the little golden strand into view. He had not been sure if it would work, but instinct had been his guide in the moment. Looking at it now, he noticed how taught and strained it seemed, like it was on the verge of breaking. It was frayed along the edge, like it was weathered and aged, it's golden glow dim and faded. "I want you to sever us," he said.

He didn't expect an answer, he knew Iwei never really did anything he asked of the spirit. But in that moment, as the great spirit's head turned away, he felt frustrated at them. He defiantly gripped the tether in his hand, just able to wrap it around his fist once, and pulled at himself. The sensation was entirely unpleasant, and made him feel as if he'd be wrenched from his skin.

Iwei's head snapped back to him, alarmed.

The sensation scared Sokka, and he took in sharp breaths of surprise as his vision around the edge of his view slowly returned to him. He lifted his gaze to the un-moving spirit.

"Did you hear me?" he asked, his anger slowly rising. "Listen, I've got an entire invasion to plan. The Avatar's been hurt, badly...and it's all my fault," he breathed, holding his arms. "I don't know what you wanted by tethering us, but whatever you were hoping for failed. So, let me end it. Sever us!"

But it did not move, made no motion to comfort or dissuade. It watched him, as if interested.

"...why are you looking at me like that?" asked Sokka. "Why are you staring at me like there's something you know? Why don't you tell me anything? If you'd told me maybe then-!" he gripped his tether, unable to speak the betrayal, and bowed his head. "Just...tell me," he insisted. "Tell me what I was supposed to do!"

It turned its head away. He slammed his fist suddenly into the cold earth, the ice cracked from the strength of his swing.

"Talk to me!" he demanded, his voice filled with desperate pain. His breath escaped him in angry plumes from the cold around them. Some noise caught his attention then, like an explosion from far below, deep within the frozen earth he sat on. The cracks suddenly spread, spidering out across the valley and thrumming in the air as they grew deeper and split the very earth itself.

"...Oops…" he said, watching as everything began to shatter.

From the cracks there spouted white plumes of what Sokka at first thought was smoke or steam, but a chill to them told him it was fog. The world around him was splitting from all these deep cracks he'd made, and becoming quickly shrouded in the white clouds.

"Wha-what is this place made of glass? What's happening?" he called over the thunderous noise.

Iwei lifted their head and howled up to the sky. In the night sky, the moon appeared, and cast a beam of light down on Sokka that the great spirit quickly took refuge in as well. The mists closed in on them, completely whiting out the view of the rest of the forest and valley. The sky too seemed to be swallowed by the fog. The mists were stopped at the edge of the harsh moonlight, and came no closer. Iwei was standing over Sokka, Their head lowered protectively just inches above him as they growled. Sokka could see the spirit's fur was standing on end. Had he really caused something so catastrophic?

"They're coming…" said a voice that almost made Sokka's heart stop.

"Yue?" he gasped, turning his gaze up. The moon hung above him, but not her.

From somewhere deep within the cold fog he could hear something slither about, drawing his attention back in front of him. He could just see long-bodied shapes weaving in and out of sight. There were two creatures, possibly. Their growls reverberated in the air, disturbing the mists here and there in small plumes, as if they'd draw near to Sokka before backing away. Alarmed, he fought to keep track of them, listening for one growl and then turning his head in the direction of another. They were indiscernible from one another, no way to tell them apart.

"...Iwei?!" he breathed, frightened. "What's happening?"

The creatures in the shadows drew closer, just enough for the spare moonlight to make out their outline, their shape unmistakable.

Dragons.

One blue. One red.

They sat on opposite sides of Sokka, their great heads big enough to swallow him whole should one dare to dart into the clearing of moonlight that seemed to hold them at bay. Their eyes were a dangerous yellow color that had their own deadly glow to them.

"You did well...Sokka of the Water Tribe," the blue one on his right spoke, causing Sokka's heart to leap into his throat.

"You talk?" the teen balked. The skin around the eyes of the blue dragon crinkled, as if amused, but did not acknowledge him.

"It was only thanks to your efforts that our prince could be returned to us."

"...my efforts…?" breathed Sokka.

"All of your lies…" it hissed sweetly, turning Sokka's blood cold, "secrets…it drove him away."

"You're...you're lying!" he yelled back, grabbing at the space above his chest.

"Lying? I'm thanking you," it purred, "and I'm here to offer my help."

"...help?" he asked, his voice quiet and meek.

"We heard you, heard your sad call from the dark recesses of your heart, and we wish to take pity on you," the blue dragon turned, like a fish in water, and sailed smoothly in front of Sokka. "You want answers, don't you? Answers Iwei selfishly won't speak?"

This drew a deep, dangerous growl from the Spirit, the reverberations of which Sokka could feel just from sitting under it.

"Who are you two?" he asked.

"Patience, child," said the blue dragon, "All will be revealed in time. Such is destiny, is it not?"

"You said "our prince". You know Zuko?"

"Oh yes," the blue dragon continued, floating into Sokka's view. "We know all of his darkness, and all his desires."

He looked from the blue dragon, to the red one, who simply remained staring at him.

"...and what about you?" he asked. "You talk at all or…?"

"You are not ready for what I have to say." said the red dragon. The biting comment forced him to take a sharp breath of air in and turn his wide-eyed gaze away.

"What the red dragon has to say is of no importance anyway!" the blue dragon hissed quietly. It's aggravation at being ignored, even for a moment, was obvious. Black smoke emanated from its maw and flared nostrils. The black mixed with white mists, swirling in and out of each other from the force of its agitated breath "Besides," it said, snapping back to it's persuasive tone, "this isn't about us. But what we can do for you, what Iwei won't do for you."

"And that is…?" he asked, staring back incredulously.

"The reason for your tethering."

Iwei snarled then, giving a vicious bark and snapped it's jaws at the dragon, who shrunk away from the sudden action. Sokka knelt up, putting his hand on Iwei's leg to stop the great spirit, his gaze trained on the dragon.

"Our destiny? You know our destiny?" he asked.

"Would you like me to show you?" it asked, it's voice slow, sweet, like honey coating a rotten fruit that turned his stomach. He considered their words a moment, turning his gaze up to his protector, his silent, un-answering guide.

"...yes," he said, looking back to the mists with determination.

The blue dragon laughed softly, and sailed around to the other side of him, it's body now curled completely around the clearing, it's head reared up and looking down at him. The red dragon was gone.

"Are you sure? You may not like what you see…"

"Do you want to tell me or not?" Sokka yelled, angrily. He didn't like the way this giant creature was toying with him.

"Oh-ho, eager, aren't we? Well if you are so eager to meet your destiny, then come," it lifted it's large serpentine body up and away, like lifting a curtain to a scene in a play. "See for yourself."

Sokka stood, ducking out from under Iwei's head, ignoring the small whine that escaped the celestial wolf, and took a step closer to look. Someone stood a good distance off, their back to him and surrounded in fire. Their dark hair was pulled up into a neat top knot, held together by gold hair pins. Their robes were made of fine deep red silks, lined in black and embroidered in bright gold. Sokka stared at this unfamiliar person, dread held in his heart.

"Who...who is that…?" he asked, clutching at his tether.

"Would you like to know? Step closer…"

Sokka took a smaller cautious step closer, his eyes locked onto the figure, watching as the fire seemed to bow to this person, only to roar back up. He stood at the edge of the moonlight, peering at the person. They turned their head slightly, as if they could hear him. He froze and stared at the profile of the figure. The shadows danced along their features just enough to obscure them and their expression. They were familiar though, and he swore he knew this person.

"Closer…" bid the dragon, and Sokka could not help but obey. His foot lifted to take a step, but he felt himself pulled back from the edge in the next moment. "Hey!" he called, and pushed off from Iwei, who'd been gently biting the back of his parka. "Stop that!" he said, turning on the spirit, angrily. "What's with you!" he demanded. "You lead me here and there- you never tell me why, or what to do! Why? You've wanted me to accept my destiny for so long, and now when I'm finally going to get some answers you're stopping me?"

The wolf looked down at him, with its ears turned back, a whine escaping it.

"This is your fault!" he yelled. "So just...stay away from me! I'm done following you!"

And with that he stepped out of the protective ring. Instantly the light of the moon vanished, along with Iwei, casting him and the dragons in utter darkness, save for the angry orange and red light of the flames, whose heat Sokka could now feel just beginning to burn along his skin.

At once the figure turned, and with horror Sokka realized that he was staring at himself. His own blue eyes stared back at him, his body adorned in red Fire Nation robes of royalty. That which held his hair together was a golden hair ornament, a blazing emblem of the Fire Nation that signified royalty.

His blood ran cold from the sight, his stomach plummeting as his royal robed double stared at him.

"What? Oh no...no, no, no!" he said, shaking his head.

"What's wrong, child?" said the blue dragon from somewhere in the darkness. "I thought you wanted answers."

"What is this? Why do I look like that?"

"Like royalty? Because you are-or, you will be."

"You're lying!" he demanded, peering around in the darkness, doing anything he could to avoid the terrible image before him. "You're just trying to scare me! How is this even possible? It's crazy! There's no way-"

Another person walked out from the shadows then, or the image of one, rather, as they passed right through Sokka like a new person joined Sokka's double, their back to him. They too wore the royal reds and gold colors, their hair done up in mostly the same fashion. They gently, tenderly, caught the chin of the other before them, and tilted it up to their face. Sokka's double smiled as their hand gently slid from his chin, to his cheek. This person, roughly the same height as Sokka also wore a crown that adorned his smooth, black, top knot. This person turned, the right side of their face looking over their shoulder and to the Sokka that watched these images with dread. Their scar was unmistakable, as well as the golden-colored gaze that peered out from under it.

"You asked who we were," said the blue dragon, their voice circling around him from within the darkness.

"And we shall tell you," said the red dragon, circling in the opposite direction. They emerged from the darkness, into the light of the fire that glinted and danced along the polished dark hall they stood in. Their great forms towered over the figures.

"We are the servants of the Fire royalty," said the blue dragon,

"The Fates within the bloodline," said the blue dragon.

"And through your tether,"

"One day,"

"We will serve you too," they said, "Fire Prince Sokka."

He looked to the scene before him, shaking his head and stepping back. His double looked back at him, the image of Zuko's arm around his shoulder as he stared back at himself, coldly. He couldn't believe it, they were lying, he thought, they must be.

The scene before him suddenly became engulfed in fire. The laughter of the blue dragon roared out over the roar of the flames, and then disappeared. Sokka felt suddenly very heavy, very tired. He knew himself already to be asleep, but some darkness called to him and forced his eyes closed, and he fell back, the ground beneath him disappeared, and he fell back into dreamless sleep.

Zuko woke up in a terrible sweat, bolting upright, his hands shaking as they gripped the covers and turned his knuckles white. He fought to catch his breath, his mind raced to figure out what was wrong. He felt his chest tighten, but with a few deep breaths it loosened. He looked about him, but the room was dark.

He was in his own private ship's quarters, en route home to the Fire Nation. He threw off the covers of the bed he'd been sleeping in and held his head. He tried to recall what it was that woke him, that sent him into such a driving panic, but nothing came to mind. Maybe it was the food at dinner; it had been so rich, and there had been so much. He was not used to the banquets he'd once grown up with anymore.

Whatever the cause, he was awake now, and found he was too unnerved to go back to sleep. He stood, and grabbing his cloak, decided he would get fresh air on the deck of the ship.

He stepped out, feeling the cool night wind against his skin. The salty breeze was refreshing compared to how stifling his room had seemed in that moment. The quarter deck was empty, perfect for him to stand, think, and try to become tired once more. He went to the ship's railing and looked over it, to the ocean below.

It had years since he'd been home. Years trying to hunt and capture the Avatar, only to return home empty handed. The Avatar's defeat was his sister's accomplishment, of which he was sure she'd get all the praise for. What did he have to show, other than his last minute loyalty to the cause? Would that be enough for his father? His hands gripped the railing of the ship as he steadied himself, lately the thought of returning home and seeing him turned his stomach. He in no small way denied the fear he held for his father- but if only because he feared he had not proven himself a worthy son, he reasoned. Was he deserving? Had it been enough?

"You can't go back to him. Not after what he's done. He's not the one you should be seeking forgiveness from-"

"What are you saying?"

"He should be apologizing to you," Sokka said, furious. "He's the one who should be on his knees, begging for your forgiveness."

His hands gripped the rail as he fought against his own mind, swatting away at any thoughts about Sokka, about the past. What did he care what the boy thought- Sokka was his enemy. They'd lost themselves in Ba Sing Se, given into fantasies in times of hopelessness when it seemed like there was no way out, but this was the real world. He was not Li front he Tea Shop, and Sokka wasn't just some tea-loving . He was the Fire Prince, and Sokka...

"Aren't you cold?" came a voice.

Mai, Azula's friend, and now, his girlfriend. Her leveled stare was gazing at him with a hint of warmth he couldn't quite feel. He opened his mouth to reply that he was a bit chilly.

"I've got a lot on my mind. It's been so long. Over three years since I was home. I wonder what's changed. I wonder how I've changed…" he queited himself. He had not meant to say any of that, but the words spilled out nonetheless.

He heard her give a mock yawn.

"I asked if you were cold, I didn't ask for your life's story," she teased. Her tone was flat, but her mannerism told him that it was all in jest, some light poke in hopes he might pull himself out of his sour mood. He said nothing in response, batting away the slight wound to his pride. She approached him, and slinging an arm over his shoulder, guided his face to hers and whispered, "Stop worrying," and pulled him into a kiss.

She was his first, though this was not the first instance.

She'd been up front about her feelings for him at the beginning of the voyage home weeks ago. It had been after dinner, their first together after the fall of Ba Sing Se and the secured occupation of its palace.

"To Zuko," Azula had said, lifting her glass, "who chose his redemption over false fantasies instilled in him by our crazed Uncle."

Her friends had lifted their glasses as well, and he'd done the same in going through the motions. He ignored the fact that his Uncle was currently being fed slop in the brig.

He'd said very little during dinner, his sister and Ty Lee had done much of the talking, and there were a great many congratulations that the captain of the ship and the guard accompanying them had offered for their glorious victory. Zuko had felt sick through every bite of lobster, koalalamb, and komodochicken, but had swallowed every bit down. He'd noticed Mai peering over at him from time to time, and thought perhaps she was simply trying to get a better look at his scar. Last time he'd seen her was several years ago, before his banishment, and he understood to some degree the terrifying transformation that had taken over the right side of his face.

She'd approached him after dinner, when everyone was retiring to their rooms, and had asked for a word with him. There on the deck of the ship she'd offered that they join into a relationship. Such was how Mai operated, few words, but her meanings clear. He had asked her why, and she had simply told him that she liked him. She'd asked if there was anyone in his life he'd rather go out with at the moment. He lied. So, she'd shrugged and said then there wasn't an excuse not to be together, to which he had no argument. He was the Fire Prince, having a girlfriend was a given, and one as deadly and precise as Mai was the logical choice. She had an upstanding background, her family was currently overlooking a colony in Omashu and was held in high favor in the court of the royal family. Their daughter being a potential future Fire Lady by dating the prince was a logical and tactical next step to securing themselves in lifelong wealth, legacy, and happiness. More than that, it seemed Mai genuinely smiled when he'd agreed at last.

Their lips parted, and she smiled at him again, before withdrawing without a word and leaving him alone with his thoughts. He wondered quietly why her touch did not linger in the same way it had with Sokka. Perhaps it was the shock of going home. He did have a lot on his mind.

Sokka had been awake the past few nights, unable to sleep after the terrible nightmare he had. The image of him married to Zuko was...well it was alarming to say the least. Though deeply saddened and hurt, there had been some security in deciding that Zuko was now the enemy instead of this confused blurred line. He knew what side he stood on with him, at least. Now, he just felt confusion, and shock. He'd been so out of it the past few days, that even other's had taken notice. It was in the quiet moments, when he'd simply be walking between decks, or eating, that his mind would drift back to that terrible fiery image.

He was taking a nightly walk around the ship, too unnerved by the dragons to think about sleep. So he'd walk, and exhaust himself, before passing out in bed.

"Hello, earth to Sokka!" shouted Toph.

In the hallways of the ship, Sokka bumped directly into Toph before he'd even realized she was there. She pushed him off, and he stepped back, fighting to catch his footing.

"Jeeze, what's with you, space-case?"

"Sorry," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I, erm, didn't' see you there."

"Given that I'm the blind one of the two of us, I find that hard to believe," she said, folding her arms.

"I wasn't thinking, alright?"

"Sounds to me like you were thinking too much," she snorted. "So what's up?"

"It's nothing," he said, resolving to his normal comment he used to brush everyone off as he walked around her. She was not someone to so easily brush off, though. She reached out and grabbed his wrist, yanking him back.

"Ack- hey!" he said.

"Not gonna fly," she said. "Not this time."

"Toph…" he whined. "It's nothing, seriously."

"It's not nothing," she said. "You always say it's nothing, but the last time it was nothing was when you had me covered for your contact in Ba Sing Se who didn't even meet up with us."

He stifled a small noise in his throat, staring at her with guilt.

"I know you're tethered, and I'm pretty sure that whenever you're in a funk, it's because of that."

"Oh yeah? How d'ya figure?" he asked, putting his hands on his hips.

"Because, ponytail, it's always after you've spent the whole night pacing in your room and muttering to yourself."

He stared back, feeling his right eye twitch as he struggled to maintain composure form benign caught.

"You know...I am also planning an invasion here. I could be stressed about that."

"Oh, you're right," she said in mock apology, "planning an invasion on Fire Nation soil, where your tether's fro-mm!"

He'd quickly gone to her side and covered her mouth.

"Shh! You want the whole ship to hear you?" he whispered frantically. She laughed and took his hand, which had only been gently cupping the front of her face, off her mouth.

"You mean Katara?"

"Equally as bad if not worse," he said. "Alright, if I talk to you about it will you then drop it?"

"Whose to say, but I won't drop it now, so what other option do ya got?"

"...fair enough."

They traveled up to the quarter deck, as per Sokka's request. The wind would carry away their conversation, and the presence of the moon comforted him.

"So, spill," said Toph, who leaned her back against the railing while Sokka faced out to the open ocean.

"...I honestly don't know how to start," he said, sadly.

"Whatever's on your mind," she shrugged. "Something's been bothering you about this person. I mean, you wouldn't introduce us to them. Why?"

"I...I thought if you guys met him, you wouldn't like him."

"Why? If you're tethered to him, why wouldn't we like him? Just because he's Fire Nation?"

"You probably know how Katara feels about Fire nation, especially after what just happened with Aang. It's the same reason she won't wear the armor."

"Oh...right, she mentioned once about her mother, but didn't go into it. So, you're scared of introducing him to Katara?"

"Yeah," he sighed. "But lately...I think it's been more that I've felt like a traitor to her."

"But you can't help it. Being tethered, I mean."

"Does it matter? She'd be furious anyway, and maybe even suspicious of me."

"Why?"

"Because he's Fire Nation."

"Is that the only reason?"

He remained quiet, watching the waves lap against the hull of the ship, breathing in the salty air. She sighed.

"When are you gonna learn?" she asked, folding her arms.

"Huh?"

"That maybe keeping secrets isn't the best way to go about this?"

"Oh, sorry, yeah, let me just go up to my sister who's currently healing the Avatar from nearly dying by the hands of our enemy that her brother is tethered to the Pri- people...! Person, from...said Nation…" he lost momentum, inwardly scolding him for the slip up.

"I'm not saying it'll be easy, I'm just saying the truth's gonna come out at some point," she shrugged.

"It'll never come out," he said, with bitter determination.

"Why not? Don't you two want to be together?"

"...no," he said, coldly. "In fact...I hope I never see him again."

Toph paused.

"Yikes. Something happen between you two?"

"He chose his side. That's all."

They were quiet for a few moments more. Toph moved as if she were about to say something, but turned, her attention caught by something else. Sokka, noticing her attention caught, also turned. His father was walking toward them.

"Good talk, ponytail," she said, swiftly knocking her fist into his arm, which thankfully was covered in Fire Nation armor. For being only twelve, she was incredibly strong and often accidentally bruised her friends when showing her affection. She walked past his father, her hands behind her head as he walked away. Sokka wasn't exactly sure why she'd left, but looked over to his father.

"Erm, am I interrupting something?" he asked, also curious about the abrupt exit.

"Not really," shrugged Sokka. "What's up?"

"I just came to remind you that if you're above deck you should probably have a helmet on," he said, handing over the pointy metal helmet. "We finally found one that will probably fit you better than the others.

Sokka snorted as he looked it over.

"Man, they really love evil spikes on their stuff, don't they?"

"Not a fan myself. Your uncle already pricked himself several times on the visor before he just took the thing off completely. He's thinking he'll swap out for the white face plates."

"How does anyone wear this stuff and not know they're the bad guy?" he scoffed.

"War has a way of warping perspective," said his father, seriously. "What a soldier is told is to follow orders, not think unless it aids the war. It's the responsibility of the top of command to have the wisdom not to squander their power on conquest."

Sokka gently tapped his finger on the spike, and it seemed to Hakkoda that his son wasn't listening. He cleared his throat and the other lifted his gaze.

"Oh...sorry, yeah. I heard you," said Sokka.

"Even the part about the purple elephant koi?"

"Oh yeah, definet- the what?" he asked. His father laughed.

"Sokka, what are you doing up? We have men on watch, and you should be asleep."

"I...can't," he admitted.

"Well, fair enough," sighed his father. "Try on the helmet."

He did so, and found that it did fit. His father handed him the face place that he struggled to put on for a moment, before he found how to hook it on.

"There! How do I look?"

"Like a regular fire-starter," said his father, crossing his arms with a smirk.

Sokka slid the face plate off just far enough for him to wink up to his dad.

"Haha! The truth is I'm a fire-stopper in disguise!"

His father chuckled and shook his head, and Sokka smiled for the first time in days.

Momo flew up to Sokka, landing on his shoulder and inspecting the shiny helmet, rapping their little knuckles on the shiny surface before licking their reflection.

"Ack! Momo!" said Sokka's taking the little creature under the arms and putting him down. His father laughed again.

"Guess you can't fool those who know you best," said the man, putting on his own helmet.

"He probably just smells the seal jerky I've got in my pocket. Don't you boy?"

Momo got off Sokka and went to the ground as he pulled out the little jerky, waving it in front of the lemurs face.

"The little guy likes jerky?"

"No, he likes to lick the salt off it. It's really annoying to see an opened bag of wet, licked, jerky," he said, and his father once more laughed.

Movement to his left caused him to pause, and he turned to see Aang, awake! Aang was looking back at him with a fearful gaze that confused Sokka for a moment, before he realized they were all still disguised.

"Uh-oh! Someone catch him, he's gonna-!" called Toph from behind Aang, but too late, Aang fainted. Sokka and Hakkoda caught him by the shoulders, and helped him to the quarter deck.

"Well...that could have gone better," said Hakkoda.

Aang had woken up at last! The joy at having seen his friend awake and above deck turned swiftly to alarm when Aang fainted once more. The poor boy had been in shock from his friends having been dressed in Fire Nation colors and armaments. Sokka couldn't blame him, and when the Avatar next woke up, he explained everything that had happened since he'd been unconscious.

The most shocking piece of news to the young Avatar was not that they'd escaped, nor was it that they were still able to go through with the invasion, but that the world had thought he was dead. Aang did not take the news well, despite the obvious tactical advantage it had over the Fire Nation.

"The world thinks I'm dead!" Aang exclaimed, panicked. "How is that good news? That's terrible!"

"No, it's great," Sokka tried to assure him with a smile. "It means the Fire Nation won't be hunting us anymore. And even better," he said, drawing closer to Aang, who stood next to the ship's railing, "they won't be expecting you on the day of Black Sun."

This was an incredible advantage, thought Sokka. To have the Fire Lord's greatest fear just show up at his front door to take him down filled Sokka with a somewhat childish giddiness and assured him of victory alone. But Aang, for whatever reason, was still taking the news with unabashed shock and apprehension.

"No, no, no, no!" he said, holding out his hands, "You have no idea, this is so messed up!"

Their discussion was cut short by the appearance of a Fire nation ship.

"I'll handle this. The Avatar's back." said Aang, much to Sokka's disappointment. It seemed he still didn't understand. The boy had only managed to grab his glider staff when pain suddenly made him body recoil in a wince.

"Aang, wait," said Katara, perhaps she'd be able to convince the boy better than he had. "Remember, they don't know we're not Fire Nation. If we keep our cover, we can get out of this without altercation."

The idea of a pacifist alternative calmed Aang, and he put his glider away, though with obvious dislike.

So, the children hid below deck, their heads peeking over the quarter deck just enough to hear and see the exchange. Hakkoda and Bato did their best at playing Fire Nation soldiers. Next to him, he could feel Aang tense, obviously aggravated at having to hide. Sokka cast a glance to the boy's back, remembering the terrible wound that lay beneath the bandages and loose robe he'd been given to cover up. He put a gentle, cautious hand on Aang's shoulder, and very steadily, forced Aang further down as he'd begun to rise slightly to get a better look.

"I hate this…" Aang muttered.

"You should be relieved that you're not fighting while injured," corrected Sokka. This only earned him a disgruntled noise from Aang.

Their ship was boarded, and everything seemed to go smoothly. He couldn't quite hear the conversation, but their tones had remained even and friendly. Before the real Fire Nation navy had left Toph could just hear their suspicious whispers while they walked across the gangway.

"They know!" Toph exclaimed.

So much for subterfuge.

A fight ensued, and Sokka was left to watch Aang, dragging him up and away from the quarter deck and into the shelter of the helm entrance.

They pressed themselves against the metal doorway, and Sokka kept and ear out as his friends and family did their best to fight. The Avatar, knowing his friends were in danger, was fidgeting, peeking out every now and then, his eyes scanning the battle scene with worry. The other ship was trying their best to sink them, using a trebuchet with flaming oil-covered boulders to take them down. His tribesmen ran out of the way of these flaming rocks, unable to do anything to stop them from crashing onto the deck and the sides. Aang could not sit still a moment longer and ran out from within the cover of the ship.

"Aang, no!" Sokka called, running after him. Smoke brimmed from the surface of their ship where flaming boulders had been launched at them by the enemy. Sokka had just managed to catch up to him, even with the dark smokey cover. He grabbed Aang's glider to stop him, causing him to turn back as he strongly held onto his staff. "Aang, you're still hurt,"

"That doesn't matter," he yelled back. "I need to help them- I know I can."

"No, Aang, you have to stay a secret," he said, sternly. "If word gets out that you're alive it endangers the entire invasion. Just let us handle this."

"Fine!" he said angrily and wrenched his glider away. He walked back inside, fuming. Sokka watched him, wondering what the sour mood was for- afterall, didn't Aang understand the advantage they posed over the Fire Nation? He didn't have much time to think as the ship was suddenly hit again, forcing everyone above to regain their footing as the boat swayed. Katara was already making quick work of the fire that caught the ship's deck with the use of her waterbending.

"How we lookin'?" called Toph, who'd also been busy defending the ship.

From the way Katara seemed to have to work double time, defending the ship as well as going on the offense, and the lack on onboard weaponry to help her with, Sokka admitted,

"Things couldn't get much worse!"

A sudden wave of ocean water reared up, tilting the ship from its force. A great sea serpent, the one from the Serpent's Pass, rose it's great green head, it's maw opening to a high-piched roar that screeched out overhead. It looked down at their ship with wild eyes, bent on destruction. Sokka's shoulders went slack.

"The universe just loves proving me wrong, doesn't it?" he asked.

"You make it too easy!" Toph yelled back.

It reared itself up, ready to strike a massive blow on the ship, but a boulder from the enemy's trebuchet knocked into its face, and by some luck, drew the serpent's attention away from the ship it was ready to sink, to the actively attacking one. It sunk down, only to reemerge in front of everyone at the other ship, wrapping it's long, powerful body around the metal ship and immediately warping it and bending it out of shape. This of course stopped the attacking Fire Nation ship dead in its tracks, and Sokka was much relieved, even going so far as to gaze up and say,

"Thank you, the universe!" with relief.

He let out a breath as their ship safely sailed away from danger.

"What happened?" asked Toph, running over.

"The giant serpent that rose out of the water started attacking the other ship," smiled Sokka.

"...huh, what are the odds?" she asked, folding her arms. "You're not pulling my leg, are you?"

"Naw."

"Then maybe the universe favors you more than you think," she said with a snort, and walked away.

His smile fell and he turned his gaze back to the sinking ship.

They eventually docked at a nearby town, currently under Fire Nation occupation. Disguised as they were, they'd be fine to step out and grab food while everyone else aboard gathered supplies. The gang wanted to step out as well and off the ship, but Aang's foul mood had lasted long after the attack. They left Katara to speak with him, as she was the only one that seemed to really understand how to drive him out of his bad moods. Sokka and Toph walked away without her.

"Should we wait for her?" asked Sokka, turning back to the ship.

"She'll catch up," Toph waved off. "If I know twinkle toes, he'll probably be talking her ear off about how he feels responsible for all the bad things happening and blah, blah, blah."

He offered no argument, realizing she was right, and followed after her.

Like Katara, she too had refused the armor. When asked why, there were several good reasons presented. One, they didn't have armor in her size; two, the armor was uncomfortable even if she didn't wear the parts that covered her feet; and three, a Fire Nation soldier on deck or just walking about with bare feet was utterly suspicious, so what would be the point if she'd drag attention to herself anyway?

The two found a small noodle stand offering hot udon for an incredibly cheap price. The two sat and were quickly served.

"You know," Toph started, half way through her meal, "you and twinkle toes are like that, I guess."

"Li'e wha'?" he asked, his mouth stuffed with noodles. She laughed.

"You both blame yourself for things you didn't do."

He swallowed his mouth full quickly to answer.

"I do not," he said.

"Oh phu-leeees," she said, catching her face in her hand. "You're the biggest culprit of that. You've been mopey ever since we left Ba Sing Se."

"A lot happened to be mopey about," he muttered, turning his attention back to his food.

"Mm, I guess," she sighed, "but there's something that's been bugging me ever since we first got out. Just before everything went south."

"Yeah?" he asked with a sigh, suddenly disinterested in the conversation entirely.

"When we learned Zuko was captured, your heart beat went nuts. Like you were afraid."

He had been slurping up the thick noodles until she'd said that, before prompt choking in surprise. He bit down, letting the rest rudely fall back in the bowl as he struggled to swallow and breath, coughing loudly.

"I-*cough cough*- I don't know what you're- *cough*-talking about!"

"After we talked last night, it all kinda clicked. He was your contact, wasn't he?"

He stared back at her with an offended glare, which served no purpose given that she was blind.

"...that's...ridiculous," he muttered, which wasn't technically a lie, but it also wasn't an answer either.

She hummed at this, and picked up her chopsticks and began to eat again.

"What?" he asked, irritated.

"Nothing…" she shrugged. "Absolutely nothing."

The rest of their meal was eaten in tense silence. They'd finished relatively quickly and were heading back when Toph broke the silence.

"You know," she stared, and Sokka groaned, "I get that Katara and Aang have a history with the guy, and that's why you feel like you can't tell them."

His eye twitched.

"But...you know, if you ever wanted to talk…"

"I never want to talk about him again," he said with an air of finality. "And since when are you the talking type anyway?

She laughed with a snort.

"I'm not," she shrugged, holding up her hands in defense, "but what are you going to do the next time you see him? I mean, we're invading his home- odds are he's gonna be there to defend it, right?"

"Are you worried I won't be able to fight him? Don't worry, I'm just looking for an excuse to give him the enemy he finally wants."

"Hey, is it true you guys can talk in dreams if you're tethered?"

He made a disgruntled noise in his throat, wanting to lie, but knowing full well how useless that was.

"...yes," he muttered.

"You haven't talked to him since, have you?"

"Of course not."

"So why don't you talk to him about it?"

"What, the invasion?"

"No! You're break up."

"We weren't- it wasn't- why would I do that!?"

She shrugged.

"I dunno, figure out why he did it? Why he turned his back on you?"

"No thanks. I know why. It's because he's evil. He's an evil guy I should have never trusted."

"Well, even if that's the case maybe you should hear it from him so that you can stop blaming yourself for what happened."

"I-I don't," he defended weakly.

"I know that's why you've been stopping in on Aang so much when he was still asleep, why you've been up so late that you barely sleep, why you've been obsessing over the invasion plan and changing small details to make sure it's perfect."

"There's nothing wrong with doing everything I can to make sure everything goes well."

"Yeah...except for the part where you lose sleep over it. You think everything that goes wrong is your fault, like you're even in charge of that sort of thing- and don't bother arguing," she said, holding up a hand to him, "you know I'm right."

"...if you know so much then you know there's no way I'm gonna do that," He said, using a finger to gently push her hand out of his face.

"Yeah, probably, but all I'm sayin' is that talking to him, realizing he's not worth your time, might make it easier to let him go."

Sokka hesitated. The thought was entirely outlandish, facing Zuko, after he'd done something so horrible, he couldn't fathom it. Yet, there was a deeper fear, a fear surrounded in fire and royal red robes that made it almost nightmarish to face him. He wanted to stay as far away from Zuko as he could, make sure that nothing like what he saw would ever be a possibility.

Toph allowed him a quiet pause to consider her words. He was ready to head back to his room, when his sister suddenly ran up to him and Toph.

"There you are," she said, alarm clear in her voice. "We have to go, we have to leave right now!"

"Woah- woah, Katara, what happened?" Sokka asked.

"It's Aang, he left!"

"Left!?" Sokka exclaimed, his shoulders slumping. "Wh-where? Where did he- oh of course!" he exclaimed, throwing his hands up. "He's gonna try not to drag us into his fight with the Fire Lord, isn't he?"

"Of course he is. He'll be headed to the Fire Nation on his own."

"Wow. How irresponsible," said Toph, her arms folded, her inflection flat. "Taking on the whole world's problems without help is completely dumb."

Sokka stared at her, which, despite her blindness, he was sure she could feel his glowering gaze. Katara looked between the two of them, before shaking her head.

"Hello? We have to catch up to him before he gets himself killed, let's go!" she said, and led the way to Appa.

They'd pushed through the night on Appa, searching the skies and seas for any sign of Aang. Sokka remained at the reigns as Katara kept an eye out for any sign of him. They sat together on Appa's head while Toph lay in the saddle with Momo.

"Just...I don't understand why anyone thinks they can just take on these things by themselves," Katara muttered in a huff.

"Aang has a lot of pressure on him," shrugged Sokka, "he's always felt like the world's on his back alone, I guess. I mean, he's the Avatar. Hard not to feel responsible."

"He's hurt. He hasn't fully recovered- just who does he think he can help if he can barely help himself?"

"You said that he feels like he failed the world, right?"

"That's what he said, but he hasn't, and I don't know why he can't just see that," she said, folding her legs into herself.

"That's just how it is," he sighed, "when you have people you want to protect, you don't want to feel like you've let them down by forcing them to protect you too."

"That's ridiculous. That's what a family does. They protect each other and look out for each other no matter what!"

"...no matter what?" he asked, looking at her. She looked back at him surprised. "Even...even if…"

She looked at him, waiting with some confusion. Now was perhaps not the best time, he thought.

"Never mind," he said.

"No, say it. Even if what?"

"Even...even if they're...awkward as heck?" he lied.

"Uh...yeah, I guess?" she said, eyeing him, before she turned her gaze back out to the ocean. He let out a breath, resolving that, no , now was not the right time. For now, find Aang. They could talk about it later.

In the very early hours of the morning, they'd noticed smoke billowing from a crescent shaped island. The land mass was small, a newly forming volcano, and the nearest bit of land to be found. They flew down closer, seeing a small body washed up on the shore of the newly forming island.

"It's Aang!" called Sokka.

They'd flown down and as soon as Appa touched ground, they all leapt off and ran to the boy's side. He was unconscious, but just starting to wake up as they approached.

"He's okay!" Katara cried, throwing her arms around him. Sokka was next, hugging both Katara and Aang, and even Toph joined them. They all seemed to breath a collective sigh at their reunion.

"You really scared us there, pal," said Sokka, trying to hide the slight tremor in his voice.

"I know," said Aang, "I'm sorry, everyone," he pulled back, looking down and away. "I have...so much to do."

"I know, but you'll have our help," Katara smiled at him.

"You didn't think you could get out of training just by coming to the Fire Nation, did you?" asked Toph. Aang gave her a weathered smile, before a thought seemed to strike him.

"What about the invasion?" he asked.

"We'll join with my dad and the invasion force on the day of the eclipse," said Sokka.

Something washed up behind them, nudging Toph in the foot.

"Hey, what's...oh."

She held up Aang's staff. It was damaged beyond repair, having been split in the middle and the wings of it punctured and torn. Aang gently took it from her, looking over the last relic of his people.

"It's alright," he said, "If people saw it, it would give away my identity. It's better for now that no one knows I'm alive."

He looked over at Sokka when he'd said this, and the boy had offered him an apologetic but thankful smile. Aang hopped away in the next moment, and with a definite act, sunk the staff into the lava rock where hot streams of lava poured round it. The heat alone dried the wood quickly, causing it to catch on fire, and burn away. Aang didn't stay to watch, and merely turned back to his friends.

"Alright," smiled Toph, "Team Avatar is back, baby!"

"I have to admit, I did miss riding around on Appa," nodded Sokka, putting a hand to his chin.

"It's like old times," smiled Katara, perhaps thankful that things were going back to normal.

"Except this time, we'll finish this," Aang said. "The Fire Lord won't know what hit him."

Sokka laughed, thankful that Aang finally accepted the mission. The group hugged one more time, and Sokka was so relieved to have everyone he cared about around him, and ready to fight.