After Rein and Katara finished helping Gram Gram with cleaning up, Katara went to hunt penguins to sled on with Aang while Rein remained in the village. She found herself cozied up with Appa, watching the sun set overhead. Kireina was trying her best not to have a mental breakdown after hearing that her entire kind is wiped out. But at the hands of the Fire Nation? Where did everything go wrong?
Rein sat up and scanned the village from her spot. She was looking for one person in particular. Finally, emerging from his tent, Sokka appeared. He stretched his arms over his head, a yawn escaping his mouth.
"Sokka!" Kireina called. She waved him over.
He pointed to himself, "Me?"
She rolled her eyes and laughed, "Is there another Sokka here?" Sokka shrugged and strolled over to Rein.
"What's up?"
"Do you want to hang out with me for a bit? I'm lonely with Aang being gone." Rein asked, patting the spot next to her on Appa's tail. Sokka complied, planting himself next to her. She didn't have to ask him twice. "I think Aang and I were in that iceberg longer than we thought, Sok."
Sokka's heart jumped when she gave him a nickname. "What makes you think that?"
"When we left the Temple, it was untouched. All the nations lived in harmony." Rein sighed, "There wasn't a war..."
"Uh... are you saying you're over a hundred years old? Am I hearing you right?" He was in disbelief. "But I don't understand how you two and Appa survived that long."
Oh, easy my brother is the Avatar.
Rein shrugged, pretending she had no clue. A bright burst of light lit up the sky followed by smoke. Sokka shot up from his spot, pulling Rein up with him.
"What is that?" Kireina asked.
"Your brother just signaled the Fire Navy! The whole time you two were leading them to us, I knew it!" Sokka yelled, pointing his finger in her face.
Rein slapped his hand away. "Did you forget everything we just talked about or are you just stupid?" Sokka frowned and rubbed his hand. "You and Katara were the ones that woke us, where did Aang and I communicate with the Fire Navy during this, Sokka? I have been with you this whole time you idiot!"
"Okay, so you didn't purposely call the Fire Navy but you still did it!" He barked, glaring at Rein.
"You know what Sokka? You're right, from here beside you I triggered a Fire Navy signal, I am just that talented at airbending. Did you even see me do it or am I that good?"
"Well there's no need for the sarcasm.." Sokka huffed, turning away childishly. Rein shoved past him when she saw her younger brother walking towards the village.
"Aang, what did you do?" Rein questioned anxiously. Aang looked up at her with a sheepish smile.
"I may or may not have fell into a boobie trap..." Kireina face palmed after hearing her brother's response. "It's my fault, I should have been more careful."
"Hah! The traitor confesses!" Sokka shouted. "The foreigners are banished from our village."
Rein's eyes bug out. "Sokka are you kidding me?!"
He refused to look at her, keeping his eyes trained on Aang.
"Sokka you're making a mistake." Katara came to the defense.
"You know what? Katara, it's fine. Aang and I will leave." Rein snapped, putting her arm around Aang. "Thank you for the hospitality, everyone. We will forever appreciate it."
"Let's see your bison fly now!" Sokka retaliated. Rein flicked her hand to the side, causing Sokka to tumble over face first.
"Eat your words, Sokka, eat your words." Rein shook her head and bended onto Appa's saddle. "Let's go Aang." He exchanged a few words with Katara before boarding on the bison to leave.
☼☼☼
"I really liked her, Rein." Aang sighed sadly.
"I know you did Aang but it was smart of us to get out of there since you signaled the Fire Navy. If they find out you're the Avatar, they'll kill you." Rein spoke, rubbing her brother's back comfortingly.
Aang sighed again, turning his head to look longingly into the ocean. "Uh, Rein?"
She turned her attention to what Aang was looking at and her heart dropped. "The village." She gasped. They exchanged glances before they both hopped onto Aang's glider. From above they could see the ship crashing onto shore. They could even faintly see Sokka trying to fight a soldier and it was not going well. The closer they got, more of the scene unfolded. Suddenly fire erupted and Kireina was alarmed.
"What are we gonna do?" Aang panicked.
Rein brainstormed for a minute. "When we get close enough I'm going to jump off the glider and airbend him into the rest of his soldiers."
"That'll be fantastic!" Aang cheered, pushing the glider to go faster. Once above the soldier, Kireina dove off and swung her arms around to create and ball of wind, throwing it at him. She had caught him extremely off guard and sure enough, he was shoved backwards into the rest of his army. As Rein neared the ground she quickly bended some more air to cushion the fall, causing her to stop inches before the hard surface.
"Did you eat your words yet Sokka?" Rein shouted cockily, putting her hands on her hips.
"Hi, Rein, thanks for coming." He deadpanned. She smirked and turned back around to face the navy. The soldier was standing again, now without his helmet and his anger was rising by the second.
Rein jumped eight feet into the air and slammed back down on the ground, conjuring up enough air to send snow tackling into the men. "Oops, sorry."
"You're the airbender?" He questioned. "You're the Avatar?"
Kireina's head spun with lies she could possibly create to save Aang and the village. Before responding, she turned to face her brother and gave him a certain look that he knew good and well. It was the "Let me take care of it and you stay quiet." Look.
"Rein?" Katara gasped, followed by Sokka mumbling in shock. Aang was stuck in his spot, forcing himself to let his sister take care of it, like she always did. He tried to have complete confidence in her.
"I've spent years preparing for this encounter, training, meditating." The soldier circled Rein as she stood her ground. "You're just a girl!"
"And you're just a misogynistic teenage jerk who terrorizes innocent women and children!" She countered. No one noticed but Sokka swooned over Rein, adoring her witty comeback. The teenage firebender growled before unleashing a medley of flames. Rein instinctively avoided the attack by launching herself into the air and landing behind him, swiftly kicking his legs out from under him. He rapidly flung himself back up, blasting more fire towards her but almost hitting the villagers in the process. "If I go with you, will you leave these people alone?"
"Rein, no!" Aang begged but it was too late, the soldiers were already pushing her onto the ship.
"Can I at least say goodbye to my brother?" She asked, staring directly into the bender's eyes. He glared at her but then nodded, allowing Aang to run up and hug his sister. "Master the elements and come get me when you're done." She whispered into the real Avatar's ear.
"Don't kill him, Kireina." He joked, "And don't get killed."
"I'll do my best with both."
"Alright, let's go. I want to be back in the Fire Nation as soon as possible." The teenager barked, grabbing Rein himself this time and yanking her to the ramp.
"I said I'd come with you willingly, you don't have to treat me like a prisoner." Rein snapped at him, trying to tug away from his strong grip.
"I don't trust you."
"Well that makes two of us." She muttered.