Zuko held out his hand, offering to help me up after he had knocked me down, winning our sparring match.
I glared at him, but took his hand, and he hoisted me up onto my feet.
"I win again, (Y/N)."
"Whatever," I rolled my eyes, dusting myself off, "One day, you won't stand a chance."
He laughed, "Oh, really?"
"Yes," I dropped back into a fighting stance, "Now, let's do it again," I said, smiling.
He smiled back, "Gladly."
"Hey, look," Aang called out, holding up a sword, "A sword made out of a whale's tooth."
This peaked Sokka's attention, as he walked over to Aang and snatched the weapon from him, "Let me see that," he examined it for a moment, "This is a Water Tribe weapon," he turned to Aang and I, his expression the most serious I had ever seen it, "See if you can find anything else."
The three of us starting searching the ground, trees, bushes for something that pointed to the Water Tribe.
Katara approached us, confused, "Did someone lose something?"
"My honor," I muttered under my breath, giggling to myself. The joke went unnoticed, but I find myself awfully amusing.
"No," Aang exclaimed cheerfully, "We found something!"
Sokka picked up a burned spearhead, "It's burned," he noted, looking around, "There was a battle! Water Tribe warriors ambushed a group of firebenders," he started walking down a hill, and we all followed, "The firebenders fought back, but the warriors drove them down this hill."
We walked down the hill to reveal a sandy beach. Whatever trail Sokka was following went cold.
"So, then what happened?" Aang asked, intrigued.
"I don't know," Sokka's voice oozed with disappointment, "The trail ends here."
I looked around and spotted a boat by the water. I pointed to it, "Is that helpful?"
Sokka looked excited, "It's one of our boats!"
We all ran to the boat.
"Is it dad's boat?" Katara asked.
"No, but it's from his fleet," Sokka responded, "Dad was here."
***
Katara and Aang were asleep, while Sokka and I sat up by the fire, wide awake. We both seemed to be deep in thought.
When everyone was asleep was when I did most of my thinking. When it was quiet, and the only thing I could hear was my own internal monologue.
And that was why I didn't do much sleeping.
My father and I had this thing where every time I called out asking for him, he would respond with: "Right here, little turtleduck."
He had said that to me every time I stepped foot in our home after being gone for some time.
"Don't call me that," I would always complain, seething about how much I hated it. But, he wouldn't stop, and maybe I didn't hate it as much as I said I did.
My mother, upon my arrival back to the house, whether I was gone for thirty seconds, or an hour, would always run to me when she realized I was back and pretended to scold me for being gone too long.
"I can't be away from you for too long," she would say, ruffling my hair, "I get lonely."
"Mom!" I would reply, running, "Stop it!"
"Never!" She would laugh and run after me.
So when I opened the door to my home one day and called out to my parents, and there was no greeting from either of them, anxiety started to grow within me. I had called out a few more times, and still, nothing. The last time I called out, I heard coughing from the kitchen, and I ran there as fast as I could, only to slip and fall the second I entered. I looked at what I slipped on, and stared in horror when I realized it was blood.
My blood-stained hands were shaking as I looked down at them.
And then, I looked up, to see my parents bodies. I crawled over to them desperately. First, my mother, as she was closer. Her eyes were open, but glazed over. Her wrist and hand was disconnected from her body, only a few inches away, my dad's hand still intertwined with hers. Blood continued to spill from her chest, head, and the part of her arm that remained attached to her body. I had brought a shaky hand to her hair, where her head piece was, and cried out.
"L-little turtle duck," I remember hearing my dad cough out, struggling.
I remembered the surge of hope when I realized he was still alive. I crawled over to him, and he used his free hand to move hair out of my face. His blood smudged my cheek when he did so.
"D-dad," I sputtered, "You're going to be okay, I can heal you."
"Shhhh," He had said, coughing again, but this time, he coughed up blood. I glanced down to his body, and realized the growing pool of blood under him. The burn marks on his neck, "I'm sorry my little Firebender."
"Dad, please. Don't go. You can't leave me. Please."
"But," he lifted his head up to me, trying to laugh, but he just spilled blood onto my lap, "Your mother will be lonely."
"Dad-"
"I love you, (Y/N)."
"I lo-"
But, before I could finish that sentence, the life drained from his body and his head fell onto my lap with a sickening thud.
The sounds of my own screams rang through my ears.
I remembered the events of that day clearly. I remembered it every second of every day. It would constantly haunt me. I cried over my parents bodies for hours that day. I sat in the pool of their blood, unmoving, desperately trying to heal what was already gone.
"I'm so sorry," Zuko would say, holding my head in his lap, "I'll make sure you never have to feel that pain again."
I heard rustling, causing me to snap out of my thoughts. I got up, preparing to attack. Sokka did the same.
"Who's there?!" Sokka called out.
"Take one more step and I'll turn you into an icicle," I gritted my teeth.
A man dressed in Water Tribe garb emerged from the shadows, clearly shocked, "Sokka?"
I lowered my hands, unsure.
Sokka raised an eyebrow, "Bato?!"
By now, Katara and Aang had gotten up.
"Who the what now?" Aang asked.
"Bato!" Katara was cheerful.
***
We were all sitting down in a makeshift Water Tribe-style hut. This delighted Sokka and Katara, for obvious reasons.
"No way!" Katara gasped, "Stewed sea prunes!"
"Help yourself!" Bato said.
Sokka handed me a bowl, "Dad could eat a whole barrel of these things!"
I looked at the bowl in disgust. My mother would make Water Tribe dishes for me every once in a while, and the only one I couldn't stand were stewed sea prunes. She would make it every time I was sick, and I dreaded it.
I put the bowl down, pretending it wasn't there.
"Bato, is it true that you and dad lassoed an arctic hippo?" Katara asked.
"It was your father's idea, he just dragged me along. Well, the hippo did the dragging," Bato laughed.
I watched Momo gag out the sea prunes. I laughed.
Aang was getting restless, "Hey, I ride animals, too! There was this one time when I rode a giant eel and I-"
"So, who was it that came up with the Great Blubber Fiasco?" Sokka cut Aang off.
"You knew about that?" Bato asked, chuckling to himself.
"Everyone does!" Katara exclaimed.
"What's that story?" Aang asked, curiously.
Sokka waved his hand dismissively, "It's a long one Aang, some other time."
I realized that this was obviously hurting Aang's feelings. Of course, the conversation was filled with inside jokes and stories with deep roots that Aang and I couldn't understand. I didn't blame Katara and Sokka though. Who knows how long it had been since they last saw their father? We had been traveling together for so long now, this was the first taste of home they've had in forever. I didn't mind letting them enjoy it, even if I didn't quite understand what was happening.
But, no matter how wise he is, Aang was still a kid.
"You and Dad had so many hilarious adventures," Katara said.
I noticed that Aang had snuck away, probably to explore the tent. I chose to try and listen for a bit, fantasize about the childhood I could have had. The childhood my mother had.
"Not all of which were hilarious at the time, but everything's funny in hindsight," Bato chuckled, then he looked behind us, "Hey, Aang! Please put that down," I turned to see Aang with a fur pelt on his head. I mentally face palmed.
"It's ceremonial and very fragile," Bato continued.
"Was it you or Dad that put an octopus on your head and convinced Gran-Gran you were a water spirit?" Sokka asked.
"Hey!" I yelled in recognition, delighted to hear something I understood, "I know this story. My mother told me about it."
Bato seemed to notice me for the first time, "Your mother?"
"Yes!" Katara exclaimed in excitement, "(Y/N) is Katya's daughter."
Bato looked shocked, "Katya lived to have children?! After the Fire Nation... I thought she had died?! Where is she now?"
I looked at him grimly, shaking my head.
"Oh," he caught on, "I'm sorry."
I shrugged, "It's the circle of life. I try not to let it affect me."
Lie.
"But," he smiled, "Your mother was quite the troublemaker."
"Oh?" I asked, "This is news to me. Tell me everything."
"Well, there was this one time with a fish and a spear..."
***
I had fun talking with Bato, Sokka, and Katara. It made me feel closer to my mother, and I liked that. I missed feeling close to her. I was so caught up in it, I hadn't realize that Aang had drifted away from us, sitting near the exit.
"There's something I should tell you two," Bato shifted towards Katara and Sokka, "I'm expecting a message from your father."
I glanced back at Aang, who looked extremely worried.
"It's been over two years since we've seen Dad. That would be so incredible! Katara!"
"I do really miss him, it would be great to see Dad," Katara mused.
I frowned, "But, what about—"
"It's been far too long, hasn't it? I'm not sure when word will arrive, but when it does—"
"It would be great, but we can't," Sokka said, "We have to take Aang to the North Pole first."
I let out a sigh of relief. I should have known they wouldn't leave him like that.
"Even if we do have time to wait for the message, who knows how far we'd have to travel. We don't have time for a long detour," Katara added.
I glanced back to look at Aang, hoping his spirits would be lifted, but he was gone. I frowned and excused myself, searching for Aang.
When I found him, he was pacing nervously.
"Hey, Aang!" I called out.
He snapped his head to me in shock, "Oh... uhhhh, hey (Y/N)! What a lovely night, right?"
He was acting weird.
"Huh? Yeah I guess..."
Was he trying to act like his feelings weren't hurt, or he wasn't feeling excluded? I understand not wanting people to think anything is wrong, so I dismissed his behavior.
"Let's go back to the hut! I could use some delicious sea prunes!" Aang exclaimed.
"I thought you didn't like-"
He sped past me, running for the hut. I shrugged, "Okay, I guess."
***
The next day, Sokka, Katara, Aang, and Bato were off to the beach where the ship was. I told them I'd catch up with them later, as I had had the first good night of sleep in weeks, and wasn't ready to get up just yet.
I think feeling closer to my mom somehow helped the nightmares.
"Hey guys!" I called, waving them down.
Katara waved back, a crescent moon shape on her head, "Hey, (Y/N)!"
I ran a bit to catch up to them, "What'd I miss?"
"I was awarding them with traditional marks for their actions during ice dodging," Bato replied, warmly.
"Oh yeah," I nodded, pretending to understand, "Of course. Ice dodging, very nice."
He nodded then turned to Aang, placing a curved mark on his head, "And for Aang, the Mark of the Trusted. You are now an honorary member of the Water Tribe."
I clapped, hoping this would make Aang feel more included. Aang, however, looked like he wanted to die on the spot. I stopped clapping and raised an eyebrow at him.
"I can't," He looked down.
"What?" I said, trying to comfort him, "Of course you can, Aang!"
"No," Aang rubbed the mark away, "You can't trust me."
Katara looked concerned, "Aang, what are you talking about?"
Aang took a crumpled piece of paper out from his sleeve, "A messenger gave this to me for Bato," Katara took the paper from Aang as he continued to speak, "You have to understand. I was afraid you would-"
"This is the map to our father! You had it the whole time? How could you?" Sokka screamed at the young boy.
I stood in between Sokka and Aang, "Sokka, I'm not defending his actions, just try and hear him ou-"
"No!" He yelled angrily, "Aang can go to the North Pole on his own. I'm going to find Dad."
"Sokka," I tried to say, "Please-"
Sokka turned to his sister, "Katara, are you with me?"
Katara looked at Aang before closing her eyes, "I'm with you, Sokka."
I felt my heart drop.
"(Y/N)?" Sokka asked me.
I shook my head, "No! Aang was wrong, he shouldn't have hid it from you guys, I won't defend his actions, but he was hurt! We can't just abandon him," I tried to reason with him.
Sokka laughed dryly, "I haven't seen my father in two years. You will never understand what it's like. Having your father leave for war before you were even old enough to do the things you wanted to do with him. You told us your father was a general! You grew up in a cushy Fire Nation mansion without a care in the world. Don't act like you understand true hardship," He snarled.
I could feel the anger rising up within me, "I understand you're angry, Sokka. You're allowed to be angry," I said calmly, "But you shouldn't talk about things you don't understand."
"What's there to understand? Your mother disappeared in a Fire Nation raid. Your father stole her."
"You don't know anything about my parents. He saved her."
"So it's just a coincidence that your mother died on Fire Nation soil? I bet your father—"
"Sokka," I said gritting my teeth, "Leave before I do something I regret."
"Oh, that's rich. Let's see what you learned from your father—"
"Leave."
Katara urged her brother to turn and walk away, and with one more glare in my direction, he turned and walked away.
***
Aang, Momo, and I were sitting on top of Appa on the beach.
Aang sighed, "You didn't have to stay with me, (Y/N)."
I laughed, "This is no burden, Aang. Trust me. Besides," I sighed, "There was no way I was going with Sokka after what he said about my father."
Aang looked at me curiously, "If it's not too much to ask, where is your father?"
I blinked, "Aang, both my parents are dead."
Aang looked surprised, "I'm sorry, I didn't know."
"How could you?" I laughed, "I don't really talk about it. Don't worry about it too much. Anyways," I looked around, "What are we waiting for?"
"Nothing," he sighed, "looks like we're going alone."
I shot him a look of concern, "Sorry, Aang."
"It's oka-"
"Avatar!" I glanced to the side to see the Mother Superior frantically running towards us, "You must leave!"
Aang looked at her, annoyed, "Okay, I get it. Everybody wants me gone."
"Yeah, lady," I said, "No need to rub it in."
"A group of people came to the abbey looking for you," she said.
"Who?" I asked.
"A fierce looking woman with a horrible monster, and a young man with a scar," Mother Superior answered.
I looked at Aang, "It's Zuko."
"The beast was using the scent of a necklace to follow you," she continued.
"A necklace?" I asked.
Aang gasped, "Katara!"
My eyes widened, "We need to go. Now."
***
Aang flew in on his glider, while I took Appa. From above I noticed an attractive young woman with dark hair and a red tattoo on her shoulder. She, Zuko, Iroh, and what looked like an unconscious Sokka and Katara rode a very large mole.
Aang swooped down, causing the mole to try and grab him, lose its balance, and topple over, throwing everyone off its back. Here I noticed that Sokka and Katara weren't unconscious, instead they seemed to be paralyzed.
The woman quickly got back on her mole, and charged for Aang.
"Appa," I coaxed the bison, "Come on."
Appa seemed to understand because he body slammed the mole, throwing its owner off of its back again.
"Yes, Appa!" I yelled, hopping off of the bison. I noticed that Aang and Zuko were engaged in a duel. I let them fight and ran to Katara and Sokka.
"What's going on?" I asked as a loud crash sounded from behind me.
"That things tongue paralyzed us," Katara replied.
"So, steer clear of the tongue?"
Sokka and Katara nodded.
I turned around and saw the woman on her mole charging for Appa again. I shifted my stance and side kicked a stream of fire in between them, stopping the mole in its track. Appa went to fly away, but the mole flicked its long tongue, skimming Appa, who fell back to the ground.
I ran to Appa, "Hey," I whispered, "Are you okay, boy?"
Appa grunted and got back up, signaling he was okay. I let out a sigh of relief, before turning to glare at the woman. She smiled triumphantly back at me. I stuck out my tongue, then turned my attention to Aang and Zuko. Aang was laying on the roof, with Zuko charging at him. In a moment I sprinted to them, using water to shield Zuko's blast.
My heart was beating through my chest as my eyes met Zuko's.
"Aang," I said my eyes still on Zuko, "I can handle this."
"Are you sure? I can-"
"I'm sure."
"Okay..."
I heard Aang dart away.
Zuko stepped forward, the gap between us being only a few inches. He said nothing, and made no attempt to attack me. I stepped back and used my front leg to do a high side kick, aiming to kick his chin up. He dodged, but didn't counter.
I frowned.
I blasted fire at him, but again, he dodged, no counter. I attacked him more and more, growing frustrated with each missed blow. I went to kick him again, motioning that I was going to kick with my right foot, but changing it at the last second, landing a hit, knocking Zuko off his feet. As he got up, I got ready for him to attack.
He never did.
"What is wrong with you?!" I yelled at him.
"Nothing," he responded.
"Then," I blasted him, "Why aren't you fighting back?!"
He was silent.
I used waterbending to wrap a long stream of water around his waist, then throw him off the roof. He crashed into the woman from before, and they both went hurting towards a wall. I jumped down from the roof, landing next to Aang.
"Nice one, (Y/N)," Aang beamed.
"You think so?" I smiled.
Just then, I saw the moles tongue reach for Aang. My eyes widened. I grabbed Aang and pushed him out of the way, causing the mole's tongue to nick me instead. Immediately, I couldn't feel my body and I crashed to the ground.
"(Y/N)!" Both Zuko and Aang called out. Aang looked at Zuko like he was crazy.
Zuko turned to the lady, "Our target is the Avatar! You should learn to control your pest."
"Excuse me?" She said, "What is wrong with you?! She's the Avatar's friend, and the biggest problem here. You should be thanking me."
Zuko glared at her, but said nothing.
What was going on in his head?
Then, Zuko, The woman, and the mole turned their attention to Aang, cornering him. I couldn't move at all. I watched helplessly as Zuko blasted the Avatar, until suddenly a strong scent of perfume overflowed me. The perfume must have confused the mole, because it started going crazy, flicking its tongue around and hitting it's owner, as well as Zuko.
Then, Sokka picked me up, and he, Katara, and Aang ran onto Appa.
***
Aang had returned Katara's necklace to her, which, of course, made her ecstatic.
I started wiggling my fingers, "I can kind of move again."
"Thanks again, (Y/N)," Aang said, "If it wasn't for you I would have been a goner."
"Don't thank me," I said, doing a half shrug, "Thank whoever's idea it was to use the perfume to confuse the mole."
"That would be me," Sokka said.
I sighed, "Never mind."
"(Y/N)," Sokka said, "I'm sorry for saying all that about your father."
"If you said it, you probably meant it."
"No!" Sokka said, "I was just angry."
"It's fine, I get it, Sokka. It's just a sore topic."
"Why?" Katara asked curiously.
"You guys really wanna know?" I asked.
Everyone nodded.
I sighed, "It happened one day while I was out for a walk..."
And by telling that story to my new friends, I felt another weight get lifted off my shoulders.