Sorry about the long wait, but I spent a lot of time thinking about where I want to go with the story and how I want to change things. I really wanted it to be more original than the previous version and I didn't want to update until I was certain where I was going to be taking things. As always, please review with criticism and thanks for reading!

"Aang, wake up," Katara lightly shook him and he jolted awake. She blushed and pulled back, "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, I tried waking you up a couple of times and I know you're probably still tired but I think we're getting close to the temple."

He rubbed his eyes and sat up. The air was still cool and the sun was just peaking above the clouds. Appa was grunting and shaking his head, obviously also anticipating their arrival. Aang smiled, even Appa knew their home was close. His grin dropped almost immediately when he remembered that the temple would be empty and most likely in some state of ruin. "Thank you for waking me up, I hope you weren't too bored staying up alone." Sokka was snoring and drooling a few feet over.

"I've never had a chance to leave the tribe, honestly seeing new things is captivating. It was really peaceful sitting with Appa and just taking everything in," Katara knew today would be hard for Aang, and she figured keeping things light was for the best. She didn't want to distress him in any sort of way. She couldn't imagine carrying the weight of being the Avatar much less losing your entire nation.

"Well I hope the temple survived the attack. Not many outsiders got to see where we lived. I wish you could've seen it when I was a kid, it was really amazing," Katara could see the sadness behind Aang's eyes. His smile didn't hold the same warmth she came to recognize.

"Whatever we find here, Aang, I hope you know we're behind you," she wasn't sure what else to say in this kind of situation. She's never had to comfort someone this way. What exactly are you supposed to say to the sole survivor of an entire nation's genocide? "I know this may seem overwhelming, but we just have to take it one step at a time. I know you probably want to confront this alone, but please don't hesitate to ask us for anything. I'm here for you, Aang."

He couldn't help but smile at Katara's compassion. It felt nice to have a true friend again. He was worried he would be alone in this journey since leaving the temple. The people who guarded him were very nice and attentive, but clearly doing their "duty" to the Avatar. Aang could immediately tell she was a kind person, but he was impressed with her level of sincerity. He couldn't be any happier with his companions, even if Sokka was a really loud snorer.

Without warning, Appa lurched upwards and they began to scale the side of the mountain leading up to the temple. Katara quickly grabbed a hold of Sokka, convinced the jolt wouldn't stir his slumber and he would most definitely find himself falling off the saddle. A moment later, they were in view of the most beautiful place Katara had ever seen. The temple had many tall towers, with blue tops, and though faded, still mesmerizing. Some snow still lingered around the winding paths leading up to the main temple and bare trees were reaching out from the dirt paths. Katara didn't know what to expect but it was truly a wonder to see compared to the small igloos they crawled into every night.

"Wow," Katara was completely speechless. Sokka had woken up at some point during their ascent and echoed his sister's awe. Definitely not something two Southern Water Tribe kids would see every day.

"We're home, buddy," Aang patted Appa's head gently. As they landed on the abandoned temple path, Aang hopped down from the saddle and looked up at his old home. It used to be so full of life, so vibrant and comforting. It felt so foreign. He missed the smell of food cooking from the common area, and the sound of wind chimes resonating off the mountain side. A tear escaped from his eye but he quickly wiped it away as Katara and Sokka made their way down Appa.

"We'll be camped out here with Appa until you come back. I'm sure he could use a good sleep as well," Katara put her hand on Aang's shoulder. She only knew him a couple days now, but it felt so familiar being around him. "Looks like Sokka has the right idea," he was already curled up in his sleeping bag and snoring beside a very drowsy bison.

"I shouldn't be long. There's just a few things I have to see for myself. Maybe after you guys get some rest, we can go on a tour of the temple. I know Appa will want to visit his old stable for sure," Aang tried to do his best to sound chipper.

Katara bit the inside of her cheek. She wanted more than anything to go alongside Aang and help him get through what was most certainly one of the hardest things he would have to face. But that would be incredibly intrusive and she didn't know him well enough to just insist he take her along. So she offered a small smile in return and replied, "I'd like that very much, Aang. If you need anything when you get back please wake one of us up." Katara glanced over at Sokka who was snoring louder than before, "Okay maybe just try and wake me up."

They both shared a quiet laugh and she squeezed his arm before turning to grab her own sleeping bag. Aang sighed and turned back towards his home. Every part of him was screaming to avoid this at all costs, but he had to see this, what should've happened to him. Aang knew he couldn't control being the Avatar but it felt so wrong running away from the destruction, and felt even worse when he was relieved to be alive.

The guilt was the hardest thing for Aang to cope with. To leave his friends behind, to leave Gyatso, to face certain death, it was traumatizing. He wished every day he wasn't the Avatar but it unfortunately never changed anything. He still woke up the same person with the same dreadful memories of smoke and fire and screaming.

He shook his head. He couldn't already let this consume him. Aang airbent the snow from the pathway and walked to the recreation area. The first thing he noticed was a Fire Nation soldier helmet. He bent down and grabbed it to examine it but was immediately overcome with anger. The Air nomads didn't even have an army. Didn't even believe in violence. But these men marched in and killed every last person because they could. Cowards.

Aang threw the helmet and used airbending to send it flying off the mountain. It shouldn't rest here where all his good memories were buried.

He realized he was holding his breath and slowly let it out. He couldn't let his anger get the better of him. He shook his arms and legs one by one and tried to release the tension he was holding. But it didn't help settle the ache in his stomach. Aang decided to make his way to the meditation area. Maybe a few quiet moments would help him clear his mind.

The air was crisp and the wind was blowing through the open hall. It brought Aang back to all the times he walked this same path during the icy winters. At least he could control the air around him to warm him up.

The walk took longer than usual. He couldn't help but look around at the chaos that was so out of place here. Burn marks singed several parts of the temple and items were broken and strewn around. The meditation area was thankfully untouched. The open room was still and peaceful, a stark contrast to the other areas around his home. He bent the snow from the stone floor and sat cross legged on the smooth surface. Though spring was still a ways off, the bare trees still felt alive. Aang felt comfort for the first time since being back home. He closed his eyes, steadied his breathing, and let his mind ease for the first time in days.

…...

After he spent some time clearing his mind, he decided to set out and do what he came here for. He stood up and his feet mechanically drew him to where he needed to go. He knew what he would find, but he just needed to make peace. It wore him down for years while on the run. There wasn't a day that passed that he didn't think about his mentor.

He knew airbenders weren't supposed to have attachments, but Gyatso was the most important part of his life, a father if he ever knew one. He knew where he would find him. But each step brought him more and more dread.

Before he even came to realize it, he was down the corridor he last saw him.

"Aang we have to hurry," Gyatso's voice was low but more urgent than he had ever heard. Aang was already running as fast as he could. Smoke was filling his lungs and screams were reverberating off the stone walls around him. He couldn't believe they were being attacked. They had never even planned for this, ever even spoke about the possibility of being in danger from someone else. And now he didn't know what to do besides follow Gyatso as fast as he possibly could.

"There isn't much time for explanation, but we are meeting some people who will get you to safety. Don't ask questions, don't defy them, just be quiet and do whatever they tell you to do. This is really important, Aang, you have to make it out of here, and you have to finish your training. The balance of the world will be in your hands. They will help you. Do you understand?"

Aang couldn't keep up. Everything was happening so quickly. Who was he sending him away with? Why were firebenders attacking them? What would happen to everyone else. When Aang didn't answer Gyatso repeated more forcefully this time, "Do you understand, Aang?"

They finally came to a stop at the end of the hallway, to a door Aang never paid attention to before, "Yes." He had so much to ask but he knew he wouldn't get the answers he needed right now. "Are you coming with me?"

Gyatso smiled sadly, "I love you dearly, Aang. But you have to go now. Be safe." Before he knew what was happening Gyatso opened the door and shoved Aang in. The door immediately slammed shut behind him and a pair of hands grabbed him by the arms.

Aang found himself sighing again. He missed his friend. And he came to realize Gyatso sacrificed everything to keep him safe and he would be forever grateful, but still heavyhearted. His feet felt heavier than stone as he walked down the corridor. The memory still alive in his mind. There were many bones at rest along the hall. The soldiers must've been close behind them. Aang wondered how he managed to escape so narrowly.

He stopped his tracks when he caught sight of Gyatso's meditation beads around a skeleton neck. The tears fell freely now and he dropped to his knees beside his old friend. It hurt more that Gyatso may have been able to save himself but instead chose to help Aang escape. He didn't even tell him thank you.

Aang sobbed. There wasn't another way to say it. It felt like his heart was being pulled from his body. He was numb for so long after leaving the temple. The other men tried to cheer him up but there was only so much you could do while running island to island trying to stay undetected from the largest army in the world.

He felt so useless. He was the Avatar but couldn't even save the people who mattered the most. He could only even bend air for spirits sake. Any other airbender in the temple could've been him. Could've made it out alive. But instead he was here, beside the snow covered bones of his oldest and dearest friend. How could he have let him down so badly? Gyatso sacrificed his life only for Aang to get stuck in a block of ice for a century.

Suddenly, a series of chirps and squeaks shook Aang from his grieving. A flying lemur was sitting on an open window ledge and looking at Aang quizzically. Aang wiped his tears away with his sleeve and gave the lemur a shaky smile, "Hey little guy, I can't believe I'm seeing you right now."

The lemur spread its arms and glided effortlessly onto Aang's lap and offered his head for pets. "It's really good to meet you too. I bet you've been pretty lonely here," the lemur chirped a reply and Aang found himself feeling more at peace than he imagined.

Now that he had purged the tears and grief, he was feeling a weight off his shoulders. He put the lemur on his shoulder and stood up, "If you wanna join me, we can travel with my flying bison. I think you guys would get along."

The furry lemur blinked his large green eyes and Aang smiled in return. With a prayer of peace and a soft goodbye, Aang left his old friend and made his way back to where everyone was camped. Today wasn't easy by any means but Aang was glad he decided to face this. He knew the feelings of guilt would probably linger for a lifetime, but he was prepared to leave here today with a sense of urgency to learn everything he could and do everything in his power to bring justice to the evil people who did this to his nation.

When he got back to their campsite, Katara was sound asleep in her sleeping bag but Sokka was awake and munching on some jerky. Aang didn't know what was louder, his snoring or his chewing. It was a miracle Katara got any sleep at all.

Upon seeing Appa, the lemur flew from Aang's shoulder and over to where the bison was sleeping. He landed directly in front of him and Appa awoke with a grunt. The lemur tilted his head and Appa sat up. The small lemur starting chirping away and bouncing up and down enthusiastically and Aang smiled at the exchange.

"Where'd you find the monkey?" Sokka asked with a full mouth.

"He found me while I was in the temple, I think he's going to be following us around for a while, he likes Appa," the two were having what seemed like a conversation. And Aang was amused by every moment. "I think I'm going to name it Momo."

Sokka nodded. He could tell Aang had been crying but he didn't comment on it. He wasn't a stranger to sleepless nights and long days of crying since the loss of his mother. And he also knew sometimes you just didn't want to talk about it. He knew this was one of those times. "We should probably let Katara sleep in. It's still pretty early and she stayed up all night with Appa."

Aang nodded and took a seat around the small fire Sokka made. He didn't necessarily need it to stay warm but it helped ward off the chills he'd been getting all morning. "So tell me, what's life been like for the past hundred years? I mean there's obviously been a war but I never would've imagined the Southern Tribe would be so small. Were you guys also attacked or?"

Sokka put down his jerky and took a drink from his water canteen, "We've been raided by the Fire Nation more than once. We actually lost our mother to them. They took or killed all our benders and she sacrificed herself to save Katara. It's why she's the only one with bending in our tribe. Gran Gran said it's a gift to receive bending but honestly it felt like a curse. The rest of the world isn't much better. The Norther Tribe is still strong, but from what Dad sends in his letters, the Earth Kingdom isn't doing well. We don't really have much contact with the rest of the world, so we only hear what our families tell us while away at war."
Aang drew in a long breath. He couldn't believe the world had fallen into chaos, or that it ever could've happened. He never knew anything other than peace and happiness while younger. And for things to be this bad, it was disheartening. "I'm sorry to hear about your mom. I can imagine how hard that must've been for your family."

"We're strong, and we're all fighting for justice," Sokka said. Aang would've never guessed Sokka could be so serious. It was such a change from his usual sarcastic tone. "I'm sorry about the other airbenders. I hope you found what you needed here."

Aang nodded and they seemed to reach an understanding. Aang heard Katara rustle in her sleeping bag and she slowly made her way out and over to them. "Good morning, pass me the seal jerky, Sokka."

She took a seat between Sokka and Aang and they discussed his morning in the temple. Aang was honestly relieved they'd all gotten so close so quickly. They really did already feel like family. He eventually led them around a brief tour of his old home, making sure to steer away from the parts he knew were war torn. They discussed what life was like during his time here and the nostalgia washed away his sadness for a while.

But as they all set up to leave the temple that night, Aang felt the grief creeping back in. He wished they could stay here forever and fix his home, bring life back to the old stone walls and bare gardens. But he knew they had to make it to Kyoshi Island and await a reply from their father. The reality of his situation sank back in and he tried to keep his anxieties at bay.

Momo landed in his lap and he took his seat on Appa's head. With one hand on the little lemur and the other holding the reigns, he looked one last time at his home, and everything he lost. A few tears fell and he didn't have the urge to brush them away, just let it happen. He smiled sadly and said a quiet, "Yip, yip,"