Yin And Yang: Book 1.02

Yin and Yang: Book 1.02

Balance is a key aspect in the world, so why shouldn’t the Avatar have an opposite?

In a world where Raava and Vaatu merge with humans, the Avatar and the Daimon try to keep the peace between the four nations.

Aang and Hua are the current incarnations, but wake up 100 years in the future.

How will these two learn all four elements in one year and defeat the Fire Lord?

Book 1.02: The Avatar and Daimon return

Water. 

Earth. 

Fire. 

Air. 

Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. 

Then, everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked. Only the Avatar and Daimon, masters of all four elements, could stop them, but when the world needed them most, they vanished. 

A hundred years passed, and my brother and I discovered the new Avatar and Daimon, an airbender named Aang and an earthbender named Hua. 

And although his airbending and her earthbending skills are great they have a lot to learn before they’re ready to save anyone. 

But I believe Aang and Hua can save the world.

***

Jaiyi made a yipping sound as she entered the village of the Southern Water Tribe with her passengers.

Already the members of it were waiting for the return of Hua, Aang and Katara.

“Yay! Aang's back!”

The children ran up overjoyed to them as they all climbed down from the nine-tailed fox back, however, the adults wore more stern and offended expressions.

What Katara had told Hua on their way back to the village seemed to ring true. 

How the waterbender and Aang had entered the forbidden Fire Nation ship and set off some flare.

It was still lighting up the sky behind them.

Angry Sokka made his way over to them.

“I knew it!”, he shouts pointing an accusing finger at Aang. “You signalled the Fire Navy with that flare! You're leading them straight to us, aren't you?”

“Aang didn't do anything! It was an accident.”, protested Katara just as angry on behalf of her new friend.

“Yeah. We were on the ship and there was this booby trap, and, well we booby-ed right into it.”, admitted the airbender sheepish.

Now Sokka turns his anger to Hua and Jaiyi.

“What have you to say to your defence?! Weren’t you with them?! As someone from the Earth Kingdom, you should have stopped them!”

“Jaiyi and I just picked them up after the mess was done.”, explained Hua, raising her hands in defence, while her Kyuubi growled in warning. “We couldn’t do anything anymore.”

The watertribe boy just huffs, seemingly not caring how she wasn’t even on the ship to stop the mess.

Kanna aka. Gran-Gran joins them with a disappointed look in her granddaughter's direction: “Katara, you shouldn't have gone on that ship! Now we could all be in danger!”

“Don't blame Katara.”, begs Aang sorrowfully. “I brought her there. It's my fault.”

“Aha! The traitor confesses! Warriors, away from the enemy.”, commands Sokka and the children walk away sad.

“The foreigners are banished from our village.”

Hua blinks, then makes an offended face. “What did I do?!”

Jaiyi growls in agreement.

“You came with him and didn’t keep an eye on him, you are at fault here too.”, explains Sokka simply.

“I’m NOT his babysitter! We aren’t even friends just…traveling companions!”

Irritably, Katara clenched her fists. “Sokka, you're making a mistake.”

“No, I'm keeping my promise to Dad.”, rebucks Sokka, pointing at Aang and Hua. “I’m protecting you, from threats like them!”

“Aang and Hua are not our enemies! Don't you see? Aang's brought us something we haven't had in a long time: fun. And Hua didn’t even do anything. She was on a stroll with Jaiyi when Aang and me were on the ship.”

“Fun?!”, gasp Sokka offended. “We can't fight firebenders with fun!”

“You should try it sometime.” chimes in Aang optimistically.

For that Hua hits with her elbow the side of his stomach and Jaiyi hits him over the head with one of her tails.

“Not making the situation better!”, hisses the earthbender quietly, as Aang looks offended from her to Jaiyi.

“Get out of our village! Now!”, orders them Sokka.

“Grandmother, please.”, pleads Katara. “Don't let Sokka do this!”

“Katara, you knew going on that ship was forbidden. Sokka is right. I think it best if the airbender and earthbender leave.”

“Fine! Then I'm banished, too!”, proclaims Katara, she takes Hua and Aang's arms and drags them with her towards Appa. Jaiyi follows behind them. “Come on Aang, Hua let's go.”

Naturally, Sokka wants to know where Katara thinks she is going with them. The waterbender tells him how Aang will take her to a waterbender master, to the North Pole. 

Aang seems happy about it, while Hua mumbles: “Okay, no one asked my opinion, but whatever. Having another girl with us sounds good.”

Rightfully the water tribe boy asks his sister if she really would choose two strangers over them, over their tribe.

This makes Katara stop in her steps, unsure.

“Katara, I don't want to come between you and your family.”, tells her Aang.

“Stay with them, if you came with us, you only would get headaches from stopping Aang and me from strangling each other.”, adds Hua in an attempt to make the choice lighter for Katara. “If I could…I would still choose my family over anything. Don’t waste your time with them for us.”

The brunette girl looks with tears in her eyes in the equal tear-filled eyes of Hua.

How can she be so dismissive of her family, when Hua just realized how she never again would see her own? 

Katara bet Hua would give anything to be together with her family one last time.

“So, you're leaving the South Pole?”, sniffs Katara. “This is goodbye?”

Hua embraces Katara tightly and Jaiyi noses the waterbender cheek.

“Thanks for comforting me about my family. It meant a lot to me. You will always be my friend, Katara.”

Katara hugs her back just as tightly, and then the girls step away from each other, as Jaiyi joins her human side.

“Thanks for penguin sledding with me.”, thanks also Aang.

“Where will you go?”, ask Katara her two friends.

At the same time, Aang and Hua look at each other, seeming to talk wordlessly through their eyes. As much as they butt heads, no one can dismiss the fact of how attuned they are to the other.

It’s kinda funny in a sad way.

“I would join Aang and go back to the Southern Airtemple, I had people that I loved there too, then I will go to Ba Sing Se…looking if something remained from my family. Even just finding their graves.”

“You don’t have to do this alone.”, tells her Aang in compassion. “I will go with you to Ba Sing Se after we are at the Southern Airtemple.”

“Careful, people will think we are friends.”, jokes Hua halfheartedly.

Aang shakes his head and adminds. “I liked your parents, they were nice and Bai was a sweet little boy. It was fun to play with him.”

That’s when Hua realizes how Aang grieves for her parents, how she grieves for Monk Gyatsu. 

They may not like each other but have liked the family/guardian of the other just fine.

It was their right to grieve them too.

So she just nods in agreement.

Katara looks sadly on, how Jaiyi shrinks down to her fox cube size and gets picked up by Hua. She earthbends them up to Appa's saddle, while Aang jumps on his bison's head.

“Wait, I haven't cleaned my room in a hundred years. Not looking forward to that.”, remembers Aang suddenly which makes Hua snort.

“I think we have bigger problems.”, she reminds him and then turns to the people of the Southern Water Tribe. “Thanks for your hospitality, I’m sorry we caused such problems for you.”

“It was nice meeting everyone.”, adds Aang defeated.

With a smug look, Sokka crosses his arms mocking: “Let's see your bison fly now, air boy.”

“Come on Appa, you can do it. Yip-yip!”

Aang flicks the reins, but Appa merely rises and growls.

“Yeah, I thought so!”

A little girl runs up to them telling Aang how she will miss him, Aang admins he will miss them too and as if they agreed on Aang and Hua look sadly back at Katara, who looks just as devastated at them, her hair loopies swaying in the wind.

Appa turns and plods away, disappearing over the hill.

Hua waits a few minutes before she begins: “Aang, we need to talk.”

“About what?”, asks the airbender solemnly.

“After we go to the Southern Air Temple and Ba Sing Se, we need to go to the North Pole. It’s time we start learning waterbending.”

Surprised Aang turned around, seeing how determined Hua looked.

“What? Why should we do that, we agreed to not be them.”

The girl snorts and tears start to fall from her eyes, which makes Aang's chest squeeze uncomfortable.

Hua wasn’t a crier, but today she cried more than he had ever seen her do.

It felt wrong.

“Aang, we were selfish brats, who ran away from their responsibility .”, states Hua, while Jaiyi licks her tears away in comfort. “And look what happened. The airbenders are gone!-”

“-Just because they haven’t seen an airbender in 100, doesn’t mean that my people are gone-!”

“-Aang that’s a possibility we have to face. If there are still airbenders left, then none will be people, we know. Gyatsu is for sure death!”

This made Aang twitch like he was hit and rubbed his wet eyes.

“I know, you don’t need to tell me!”, he cried out. “I ran away because the elders wanted to take me away from Gyatsu and now I will never see him again.”

“And I will never see my parents and Bai again, because we didn’t want to accept our destinies!”, shouts Hua. “Look what mess we caused, the world is at war, and innocent people die! Maybe a whole Nation died because we didn’t want to be the Avatar and Daimon and be dumb kids! The least we can do is to fix this mess, meaning we need to learn all elements and then deal with the Fire Nation!”

Aang sniffles loudly, rubbing his eyes harder.

“I know, I know you are right, this is our fault, isn’t it…but do you think it will be that easy? We learn the elements and then ask the Fire Lord to stop the war?”

“We have to accept the possibility that we may have to end the war more drastically.”, started Hua slowly.

She knows how Aang, who grew up with the airbender philosophy about how all life is sacred will react to this possibility.

“What do you mean, Hua?”

“I mean…it’s possible we need to kill the Fire Lord, if he doesn’t see reason.”

As she expected, Aang gasped in outrage and angrily waved his hand around.

“This goes against all the teaching of the air nomads, all life is sacred! I won’t kill someone only because he disagrees with me!”

“Some people can’t be reason with and we have to think about this possibility.”, she argues back. “If you can’t do it, I will kill him. That’s why there are two of us in the world…so someone can make the hard decisions.”

It’s still between them for a few seconds, grey frustrated eyes look into green determined eyes.

Then Aang said quietly: “You really would do it, wouldn’t you? You would take a human life to end this war.”

“I would take 1000 lives if this is the price for peace.”

“What kind of peace is that, what about your soul?!”

Now a bitter little smirk formed on Hua rose lips.

“You forget, Avatar, light and order, I’m the Daimon, I’m darkness and chaos, it’s in my nature. Also…I can’t kill the Fire Lord responsible for this war, so I will take it up with the current one if he doesn’t see reason.”

“So that’s it!”, points Aang an accusing finger at her. “You want revenge! You want to feel better about that we left the world alone when it needed us!”

“So what if I want revenge too?! Monk Gyatso was dear to me and I’m technically a quarter Airbender, I was airbenders in my past lives, and I want some kind of retribution for the killing of the Air Nomads.”, shouts Hua back.

Couldn’t Aang not understand her point? Didn’t he feel the same?!

“Hua we can’t just kill people because we are the Avatar and Daimon! We can’t abuse this positions.”, reminds her Aang frustrated.

He doesn’t get why Hua was now on such a warpath. She must feel so guilty to have run away and then be frozen in the iceberg.

“Spirits, you are so ensnared in your air nomad philosophy, that you can’t even see that there might be not a peaceful ending to this war. It’s going on for 100 years. A 100 YEARS! There is a lot of hate on all sides, people want retribution for the pain the Fire Nation caused. I don’t see a way how we can fix this mess without some bloodshed.”

“There is ALWAYS another way, we just have to find it!”, rebukes Aang back. “We should calm down and look at what we can do right now. As you said we have to learn the elements, but Hua your next element is fire, where do we find a fire bender for you?”

The Daimon takes a deep breath to calm down. For now, she would let it be, but she knows Aang and her have to revisit this discussion again.

“We will skip fire for now.”, tells Hua. “After fire, air is my next element, so while we travel to the North Pole you teach my air bending and then there we learn together waterbending. Then I teach you what I know of earthbending and find a master who will teach us both. And then we pray to the spirits that there is somewhere a nice firebender, who will help us.”

Aang is quiet for a second before he says: “Is this really wise to just skip an element? The monks told us that we need to follow the Avatar and Diamon cycles.”

“You forget that I’m natural chaos, the monks themselves said the Daimon should follow their cycle, but they aren’t as bonded to it as the Avatar. I think the universe will forgive me if we skip fire and learn the elements where we surely find teachers. When it’s your turn to learn fire, we can go crazy.”

“It’s not like we have a choice.”, agrees Aang. They just have to hope for the best, that Hua's plan works. “So Southern Air Temple, then Ba Sing Se and then the North Pole?”

“You got it.”

“Can’t wait, how the whole world will react when we announce we are back.”, mubles Aang looking at the horizon, like it has the answer he seeks.

“I hope there will be cake.”, jokes Hua half-heartily.

This makes Aang's smile bittersweet. “Remember how Bumi always said the cake is a lie?”

“Of course. I wonder what happened to him and to Kuzon. Do you think Kuzon participated in the Fire Nation War?”

“Kuzon wouldn’t betray us…hey maybe he rebelled, hid somewhere, had kids and this are good firebenders who could teach us!”

“One can only hope.”

After that, they both fall silent. Each lost in their thoughts.

Appa grumbles gently like he wants to comfort both humans, as Jaiyi starts to growl.

“Huh, girl, what is it?”, ask Hua confused.

It’s Aang who answers her. “Look, Hua! A Fire Nation Ship! It goin' to the village!”

“We need to help them!”

The Avatar and Daimon tell their animal companions to wait for them and make fast their way back to the village.

***

Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation ignores the pathetic state of the Southern Water Tribe, as he ignores and defeats the Buffon water peasant who tried to attack him and looks at the blue-clothed people.

“Where are you hiding them?”, he growls angrily.

He surveys the crowd of villagers, who fall completely silent. 

Without warning, he extends his arm out into the crowd and grabs Kanna, holding her by the hood of her parka.

“They'll be about this age, masters of all elements?”

Forcefully he shoves Kanna back into the crowd. 

The elderly woman shudders in fear and embraces Katara, while Katara shoots an angry glare at Zuko. 

Receiving no response, the banished prince swings his arm out and releases an arc of fire that passes just over the heads of the people, causing them to cover their heads and cry out in fear.

“I know you're hiding them!”

Seeing that the firebender is not paying attention Sokka grabs his club again and lets out a battle cry as he charges towards him. 

However, Zuko swiftly turns around just as Sokka approaches. 

He ducks under Sokka's wide swing and hurls the warrior forward. 

Sokka lands on his rear in the snow and is quickly forced to dart from his spot when Zuko fires a blast at him. 

He spins to the side and tosses his boomerang at the enemy who barely manages to miss getting hit by the weapon. 

The banished prince growls and glares at Sokka in anger at the near hit; he follows the course of the weapon until it vanishes before looking back at Sokka in anger. 

One of the village boys tosses Sokka a spear.

“Show no fear!”

Sokka handily catches the weapon and charges at Zuko once more. Sadly Zuko breaks of pieces of the spear with his forearms, pulls the remains of the weapon out of Sokka's hands and pokes him thrice in the head with the blunt end. The water tribe boy falls to the ground as Zuko snaps the spear in two and tosses the pieces to the ground on both of his sides. 

Unnoticed by Zuko, Sokka's boomerang is spinning towards him. 

The weapon strikes Zuko on the back of his helmet with a loud cling; he is momentarily pushed forward by the unexpected blow. 

Pissed off Zuko rearranges his helmet and growls at Sokka. The boomerang has plummeted into the ground in front of Sokka's feet. 

Two fire daggers form from Zuko's hands, ready to teach the water peasant a lesson.

That’s when Aang and Hua, on the backs of penguins, slide back into the village.

They aim for the Fire Nation prince's legs and Aang takes his feet out from underneath him, tossing Zuko off his feet; speeding past, Aang and Hua soar into the air as the prince lands on his face, his legs in the air. 

Zuko spins around a few times before coming to a halt in front of his men, his helmet landing on his rear as they watch.

The villagers cheer, as Aang and Hua ride speedily toward them, still mounted on the penguins. 

They are showered in snow as Aang and Hua ride past, however, after giving each other silent, unamused looks for a few seconds, they begin cheering once again, shaking the snow off. 

Aang and Hua come to a halt before Katara, Kanna and Sokka. 

The penguin crawls out from under him, tossing him off. 

He falls on his rear, blinking stupidly, then smiles at the penguin when the animal quacks at him before waddling away.

Hua gently gets up from her penguin, who follows his friend, while the girl waves them goodbye.

“Thanks for the ride guys.”

“Hey, Katara. Hey, Sokka.”, greets Aang.

“Hi, Aang. Hi Hua. Thanks for coming.”, greets Sokka back moodily.

The Avatar and Daimon look back at the Fire Nation soldiers, where Zuko just got back on his feet again. 

Upon his signal, his men spread out, surrounding Aang and Hua while Zuko assumes a fighting stance. 

They follow suit, Aang holding his staff firmly in front of him as Hua get into her preferred bending stance.

Aang sweeps the ground side-to-side with his staff, showering the men with snow, and then Hua makes a punching forward move. Little earth columns appear under the feet of the firebender and make them all fall on the ground. 

Prince Zuko is the first who regains his footing and looks angrily at these two kids.

“Looking for us?”, asks Aang rhetorically.

“Sorry for being late, if we had known you needed a beating, we would have been here sooner.”, sasses Hua with a smirk.

“You're the airbender? You're the Avatar? And you are the Daimon?”, exclaims Zuko shocked.

Not only he is shocked, but the whole village is and the Avatar-Daimon duo can hear how in disbelief Katara and Sokka are.

Slowly Aang, Hua and Zuko move in a circle motion around, ready for their enemy's attack.

“I've spent years preparing for this encounter. Training, meditating. You're just children!”, growls Zuko offended. 

Now it’s Aang who sasses back: “Well, you're just a teenager.”

Hua nods in agreement.

Zuko launches a series of fire blasts at Aang in anger at the remark, who defends himself by twirling his staff, dissipating the flames. 

The Daimon raises her hands and makes the ground shake. Anyone has trouble staying on their feet, but Zuko is determined and just sends a huge fire blast in her direction, Aang can twirl it back with his staff again, however, both Avatar and Daimon see how the attack nearly reached the villager.

No, they can’t fight like that with civilians near them.

They could get hurt.

So Hua raises her hands in peace, while Aang holds his staff in front of him as an offer, making sure Zuko understands that they do not wish to continue fighting. 

“If we go with you will you promise to leave everyone alone?”, offers Aang the Fire Nation prince this deal.

After a brief moment of hesitation, Zuko nods in agreement. 

Hua and Aang are apprehended by Zuko's men, who take his staff. 

Katara runs forward as they lead the two kids away.

“No! Aang, Hua, don't do this!”

“Don't worry, Katara. It'll be okay.”, reassures Hua calmly, as she and Aang get shoved into the ship. “Please take care of Jaiyi and Appa, till we return.”

“Head a course for the Fire Nation. I'm going home.”, proclaims Zuko as the bow rises and closes.

A while later Hua and Aang have their hands bonded behind their backs, as they stand with Zuko and his man on deck.

“This staff will make an excellent gift for my father.”, musses Zuko, inspecting Aang staff. “I suppose you wouldn't know of fathers, being raised by monks. Maybe the Daimon knows. Some said you had a family, before living with the monks.”

The blackhaired girl just gives him an icy glare.

Zuko commands his man to bring the Avatar and Daimon to their prison cell, then turns to his uncle giving him the staff, and asking him to bring it into his quarters.

Slyl Iroh hands the staff to another firebender, who accepts the request.

The Avatar and Daimon get roughly shoved down into the ship, while Aang tries to see in which direction they take his staff.

As they reach the prison cells Aang casually says to their guards: “So, I guess you've never fought an airbender before. I bet I can take you both with my hands tied behind my back.”

Hua makes herself ready to give Aang space to get them a chance to escape.

As the guard in front of them begins to unlock the cell,  Hua turns fast her back to Aang and they grip each other hands tightly.

Then Aang inhales deeply and unleashes a powerful breath, stunning all of them. 

The firebender before Aang slams into the door subsequently knocked out from the impact. Hua and Aang are sent several feet back, the girl slamming with her feet to the guard behind them.

They all fly back even further, where they crash into the stairs. 

This soldier is also knocked out by the impact, while Hua lifts her legs up as Aang propels them onto the deck and then kicks open a door using airbending. 

They let go of each other and quickly ran down the hallway, panting heavily. He tosses a frightened look over his shoulder, afraid that they are being followed. 

“Aang stop for a second we need to get this bonds of us.”, reminds him, Hua.

“Do you have a knife with you or what?”

“...”

“You really have a knife? Why?!”

“No time for explanation, it’s in my left boot, can you reach it?”

Of course, this is not a problem for a nimble Airbender and soon they are free from their bonds.

“Okay, now let’s get my staff!”

They start running again and encounter several firebenders, however, Aang easily airbends them away now that his hands are free.

Soon they reach a hallway with doors and each of them opens one.

“No glider here Aang.”

Surprisingly she hears him whispering a sorry.

Confused Hua titles her head, but Aang already opens the next door.

“My glider!”, he exclaims happily and enters.

Before Hua can follow him, the door closes and she hears Zuko.

Uh-Oh.

Aang is now trapped with Zuko in the room!

She needs to help, but how without earth around her?!

“Hua!”, yells Aang from inside the room. “Get on deck, I will find a way!”

Realizing that she probably would be a hindrance for Aang she yells back. “You better! See you on the other side!”

Fast Hua runs hallways and stair up till she reaches the deck.

Dumbfounded a few firebenders stare at her in confusion and she back.

“He, he, aren’t the Souther Lights lovely?”, she blabs nervous.

You can practically her crickets chirp, before the firebenders attack her.

Since there is still no earth around her, Hua can only run away and dodge and pray Aang will turn up soon to help her.

Her prayers are answered as Aang crashes with Zuko as a passenger on her deck.

This makes all halt.

Aang and Zuko slowly get up, ready to fight each other, however, they don’t have to as a loud growl catches their attention.

“What is that?”, ask Zuko shocked seeing the flying bison.

Even more when suddenly a Kyuubi jumps from the saddle to the deck and swishes with his nine-tails his man over the deck.

“Awesome Jaiyi!”, cheers Hua for her beloved nine-tails and runs up to her.

Jaiyi grips Hua by her collar and with strength and precise hurls her to Appa's saddle.

The girl lands with a thud beside Sokka.

“Welcome back, I hope you enjoyed your flight.”, jokes Sokka.

“It was something.”, she laughs nervously and leans over the saddle. “Jaiyi, get Aang!”

The Kyuubi doesn’t need to be told twice and wants to reach the boy as more firebenders burst from the lower deck, attacking the mythical being.

Now she has to defeat herself, while Aang faces off with Zuko.

Aang turns around to  Zuko and manages to deflect a firebending attack by spinning his glider around like a baton. However, he propels himself by accident into the air and lands on the ledge of the deck. He leans precariously over the side, unsteadily balancing himself, but manages to regain his balance only for Zuko to fire another blast at him. 

The Avatar twirls his glider again to deflect the attack. Two more blasts are fired his way before he loses his grip on his glider and the object spins away. 

The staff falls several feet away. 

Aang ducks, spins and leaps out of the way of blasts and lands on the very ledge, struggling to keep his balance. 

Zuko hurls more fire blasts his way. 

Aang holds up his hands in defence, but the last blast seemingly knocks him out cold and he falls backwards off the ship into the water, where he slowly sinks. 

Katara screams for him and Hua is right with her, while poor Jaiyi whines as she avoids more fire blasts her way.

Suddenly the ship is being overshadowed by a waterspout. Riding it is Aang, his eyes in a white glow as his tattoos.

Aang lands on the deck beside Jaiyi, summoning the water behind him as he brings his hands around behind his head. 

The water swirls around them, forming a protective circle, before spreading outward, knocking Zuko and several soldiers off their feet.

“Did you see what he just did?!”, shouts Katara shocked.

“Now that was some waterbending!”, confirms Sokka.

“That’s the Avatar State for you, guys.”, adds Hua impressed.

The Airbender collapses onto the ground from exhaustion, his eyes and tattoos ceasing to glow. 

Jaiyi whines and licks his cheek to wake him up as Appa growls and lands on the deck. 

Katara, Hua and Sokka slide down and quickly run toward the unconscious Avatar and Kyuubi.

“Aang! Are you okay?”, asked him Katara worried.

Hua embraces her Kyuubi, which shifts back into her fox cub form, letting out a cute yawn.

“You did good, girl.”, praises Hua, giving her head a kiss. “Now relax.”

“Hey, Katara. Hey, Sokka. Thanks for coming.”, mumbles Aang outpowerd to them.

“Well, I couldn't let you have all the glory.”, musses Sokka.

“I dropped my staff.”

“Got it!”

Sokka runs over, grabs a hold of the glider and lifts it only to see Zuko's hand firmly gripping the other end. 

The water tribe boy appears horrified as Zuko attempts to pull himself upward onto the deck. 

The two struggle for a bit before Sokka pokes Zuko repeatedly in the head with the end of the staff the way Zuko did earlier with him. 

Zuko grunts and falls backwards as he lets go of the staff. He falls off the side of the ship, but manages to grasp the anchor chain.

“Ha! That's from the Water Tribe!”, shouts Sokka in triumph.

Katara and Hua got Aang on Appa's head and Jaiyi on the saddle.

Right, as Hua climbs the Bison they get approached by fire benders.

She may freeze Sokka's legs on her first try, but Katara manages to stop the incoming firebenders.

Hua helps her up into the saddle, as the girls yell for Sokka to hurry up.

He is chipping away the ice with his boomerang and retorts that he is just a guy with a boomerang and didn’t ask for flying and magic.  He manages to break free and races up Appa's tail.

“Yip-yip! Yip-yip!”

Sokka mounts Appa, who grunts and takes flight, flying past the cabin of the ship. 

Iroh emerges on deck, having just woken up from a nap. He looks very confused after them.

As they try to flee Zuko, who was brought back by his uncle on deck, commands his men to shoot them down.

Together, they synchronize a firebending move and fire a powerful blast at the bison. 

Hua, Sokka and Katara stare at the incoming attack in horror, Jaiyi yips in fright, while Aang leaps onto the saddle. 

He opens the small tail wing of his staff and swings his glider around, using a powerful swipe of air to redirect the fireball into a nearby cliffside. 

The impact causes an avalanche of snow and ice to begin falling. The front of the ship becomes buried in a mass of snow and ice, while Appa climbs higher and higher. 

The quartet and the Kyuubi all laugh as they escape successfully. 

Aang even waves goodbye as Appa disappears around the cliff.

For now, they are safe from the firebender.

***

The sun is beginning to set as Appa soars lazily in the sky. Aang is perched on the rim of the saddle, while Sokka, Katara and Hua sit at the back of it. Jaiyi is in her favourite spot, Hua lap.

“How did you do that?! With the water? It was the most amazing thing I've ever seen!”, ask Katara Aang bewildered.

“I don't know. I just sort of ... did it.”

“Why didn't any one of you tell us you were the Avatar and the Daimon?”, wants Katara to know.

She gives Hua and Aang a serious look.

The blackhaired girl signs, answering for them. “Neither Aang nor I wanted this destiny, this duty. We just wanted to be stupid kids. We didn’t realise, that it would have such an impact on the world. We were selfish brats.”

Hua frowns, while Aang nods in agreement.

“But Hua, Aang, the world's been waiting for the Avatar and the Daimon to return and finally put an end to this war.”, explains Katara.

“We talked about this earlier.”, tells Aang. “We were planning on going to the North Pole to find a master to teach us.”

“Isn’t the next element fire in the Daimon Cyle?”

“Yeah I don’t think we will find that fast a nice firebender who will teach me.”, reminds Hua. “The monks told me the Daimon is chaotic in nature, so we just hope I can skip this element for now and learn airbending from Aang, till we reach the North Pole for water. We will follow the Avatar Cycle.”

“So first master water, then earth, then fire, right?”

“Right on Katara.”

“Since we are going to the North Pole, you can learn with us Katara!”, uttered Aang happily.

That would be sure fun!

Katara smiles brightly, which makes both Aang and Hua blush, as she turns to her brother cheekily: “And Sokka, I'm sure you'll get to knock some firebender heads on the way.”

“I'd like that.”, mussed the older boy contends. “I'd really like that.”

“Then we're in this together!”

“All for one, and one for all!”, cheers Hua jokigly, while Jaiyi yips happy.

Smiling Aang sits down on the saddle and gets a map out.

“All right, but before we learn waterbending, we have some serious business to attend to. Here, here and here. ”

Curious Katara points at one location on the map: “What's there?”

“Here, we'll ride the hopping llamas.”, informs Aang, while the other three humans get surprised looks on their faces as he continues. “Then waaay over here, we'll surf on the backs of giant koi fish. Then back over here, we'll ride the hog monkeys. They don't like people riding them, but that's what makes it fun!”

For that Hua drills her pointer finger in his side and sneers: “Hey, don’t forget you have to start to teach me airbending with all these activities you have planned. I was so useless on the ship if I could airbend I would be a better help. Air is everywhere.”

“I will, I will, don’t worry.”, moans Aang, shoving her hand away. “Way to ruin someone's fun, Hua.”

“With fun, we won’t win this war Mr. Avatar.”

“Geez, you sound like Sokka, Miss Diamon.”

“Because I don’t forget that we have a big world problem to solve?! You need to take things more seriously.”

“And you need to light up more!”

The Avatar and Daimon start to bicker with each other, which just earns them unamused looks from the water tribe siblings and Jaiyi.

“Now I get what Hua meant, that if I go with them I would get headaches.”, mumbles Katara with a deadpan to her brother.

“Man, they are worse than a married couple.”, mumbles Sokka back to her.

“Don’t you know? The Avatar and the Daimon are Yin and Yang personified. Two halves of the same coin. They are soul mates and were in many of their lives a couple.”

“This two, a couple?”, says Sokka, pointing at the two kids who are arguing now about what food they should eat (how did they get there?). “Yeah, right, and the moon is in reality a beautiful and gentle lady.”

The boy laughs at his own joke, while his sister rolls her eyes.

This is going to be a loooonnnnnggggg journey with these three.

Previous

Next

Yin and Yang: Gallery

Here you will find all the pictures of the fanfiction.

I will make them as spoiler-free as possible.

Section: Daimon Hua

Outfit one: Winter

Outfit two: Winter without the jacket

Outfit three: Fire Nation Festival Disguise

Section: Hua's bonds

Hua's Family: From left to right: Haruka (mother, nonbender), Bai (younger brother, earthbender) and Kun (father, earthbender)

Jaiyi the ninetailed fox: Hua's animal guide and companion. Has the power to change sizes. Proabaly the last kyuubi.

Ai of Ba Sing Se: Hua's first kiss and first girlfriend. She was the beauty of the Lower Rings but her heart belonged only to Hua. She was devasted to never see Hua again. Later she married and had two children.

Veda the Freedom Fighter ( 13 years old, nonbender), a fling

Earth Sage De: One of the sages who told Hua her destiny as Daimon. He became her earthbending teacher and moved with her to the Southern Air Tempel. He dies in the Air Nomad Genocide, fighting the invading Fire Benders.

Previous Incarnations of the Daimon:

The Daimon Cyle, Fire-Air-Water-Earth

Daimon Qi, Water Lion Turtle, first Daimon, partner and married Avatar Wan and had a daughter with him.

Daimon Guo, Earth Kingdom/Omashu, creator of the Way of Enlightment, partner and husband of Avatar Yangchan. They had 10 children, 5 earthbenders and 5 airbenders.

Daimon Longmei, Fire Nation Capital, noblewoman, betrothed to Avatar Kuruk and Ummi. Died young in the quest to kill Koh the Facestealer for killing Ummi.

Daimon Tian Kuo, Northern Water Tribe/Northern Air Tempel, Avatar Kyoshi life long best friend and "brother". Never married or had children since he was aro/ace.

Daimon Lixue, Souther Water Tribe, Avatar Roku's partner and wife, grandmother of Ursa and great-grandmother of Zuko and Azula.

Daimon Tai, Hua's next life. Non-binary, goes by they/them, born on Ember Island. Omnisexual and polyamoures.  In a relantenship with Avatar Korra and Asami Sato.

Section Mainship: Huaang

Avatar Aang (18 years) and Daimon Hua (18 years) a moment in Book 4: Air

Coverart of Aang and Hua

Yin and Yang: Prologue

Balance is a key aspect in the world, so why shouldn’t the Avatar have an opposite?

In a world where Raava and Vaatu merge with humans, the Avatar and the Daimon try to keep the peace between the four nations.

Aang and Hua are the current incarnations, but wake up 100 years in the future.

How will these two learn all four elements in one year and defeat the Fire Lord?

Prologue

In the beginning, they were two spirits.

One of light and order.

The other of darkness and chaos.

Raava and Vaatu.

Looked into eternal combat.

Never a winner, only a short victory over the other.

No one, not even themselves, could imagine to exist in harmony together.

Then one day two humans touched the spirit's very essence.

A young man named Wan earned Raava's trust and loyalty, while a young woman named Qi saw more than evil in Vaatu, showing him kindness and compassion.

The Spirits fused with their chosen human, creating the first Avatar and Daimon.

Wan and Qi worked all their life to restore balance in the world.

They were Yin and Yang personified. 

When one pulled, the other pushed.

When one walked, the other followed.

When one lost their way, the other found them.

It was so simple to fall in love with each other.

The love born between Wan and Qi changed also the ancient spirits in them.

Something which seemed so impossible had come true.

No longer enemies, but allies, even friends.

In every lifetime after Wan and Qi, the Avatar and the Daimon were always the opposite of each other and often also lovers.

Each Avatar and Daimon together tried to bring balance between the Four Nations and the Spirit World.

It was their eternal quest, but they didn’t have to walk this way alone.

Because their other half would always be with them…

Frowning Aang looked at his mentor and guardian Monk Gyatso.

“What is it Aang?”, the elder man asked his young charge. “I know you aren’t happy with being the Avatar, but I hoped that you would feel better to know that there is another one like you. Someone who will understand you.”

Aang just frowned deeper, crossing his arms.

“I don’t like that I already have a supposed Soul Mate…It seems like I don’t have any control anymore over my life…It sucks being the Avatar.”

Gyatso tutted him gently, rubbing affectionately his bald head with the blue arrow.

“Oh my young pupil, it may be true that nearly all Avatars and Daimons were a couple, but there were a few who were just friends and completely happy with other people. You can decide if you like young Daimon Hua this way. Meet her and become her friend, more the Elders doesn’t want from you.”

The young Avatar nearly snorted at this. 

Yeah, right.

If it would go after the Elders he and the Daimon would be wed now.

At twelve years!

His childhood couldn’t end sooner for the Air Nomad elders.

He felt like crying.

He just wanted to play with his friends and goof off with Gyatso.

Was that too much?

Why did he have to be the Avatar?

“So her name is Hua, huh?”, he mumbled loudly enough, so his mentor could hear him. “Flower for an Earth Kingdom girl seems fitting. She is an Earthbender right?”

“Right, the Daimon Cyle is the opposite of the Avatar’s. Together you two will learn the four elements to become a fully realized Avatar and Daimon.”

The boy signed loudly and slouched down in his seat.

“I don’t think I will like someone who is my opposite, I mean, she probably doesn’t like to make jokes or play pranks.”

“Don’t be so sure Aang.”, said Gyatso amused. “You know opposites attract, but having things in common is good too. Just give her a chance, alright?”

***

In the Lower Ring of Ba Sing Se, the newly informed Daimon Hua hugs her mother, father and little brother tightly.

She wants to cry, to scream, to beg.

She wants to stay home.

She doesn’t want to be the Daimon.

All her life she and her family had struggled to make a living in Ba Sing Se.

Hua had used her Earthbending from a young age in any way to earn money for her family.

And now she would be stripped from them, brought before the Avatar of this era, and expected to work with him (even to fall in love with him!) and also to learn all the elements and somehow bring balance and peace to this world.

No, she doesn’t want to, but she knows it’s good for her family.

If in Ba Sing Se the Daimon or Avatar is born and comes from the Lower Rings their family then gets raised into the Upper Rings and becomes a noble family.

Something an Earth King some hundred years ago decided to make the city look good in the eyes of the other nations.

No peasant from Ba Sing Se should be a Daimon or Avatar. 

Yes, her family wouldn’t be anymore, hungry, cold or sick. They would be getting taken care of.

Only Hua had to pay with her freedom, with the power to decide her own faith.

It was unfair.

Why her?

She only ever wished for a simple good life.

She wasn’t greedy.

So why her?

Why her?

She kisses her brother's forehead, promising him to write as much as she can.

Somehow deep down Hua feels like this is the last time she will be with her family…

Water. 

Earth. 

Fire. 

Air. 

My grandmother used to tell me stories about the old days: a time of peace when the Avatar and the Daimon kept the balance between the Water Tribes, Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation and Air Nomads. 

But that all changed when the Fire Nation attacked. 

Only the Avatar and the Daimon mastered all four elements; only they could stop the ruthless firebenders. 

But when the world needed them most, they vanished. 

A hundred years have passed, and the Fire Nation is nearing victory in the war. 

Two years ago, my father and the men of my tribe journeyed to the Earth Kingdom to help fight against the Fire Nation, leaving me and my brother to look after our tribe. 

Some people believe that the Avatar was never reborn into the Air Nomads and that the Daimon was never reborn into the Earth Kingdom and the cycles are broken, but I haven't lost hope.

I still believe that, somehow, the Avatar and the Daimon will return to save the world.

Next

Yin and Yang: Book 1.04

Balance is a key aspect in the world, so why shouldn’t the Avatar have an opposite?

In a world where Raava and Vaatu merge with humans, the Avatar and the Daimon try to keep the peace between the four nations.

Aang and Hua are the current incarnations, but wake up 100 years in the future.

How will these two learn all four elements in one year and defeat the Fire Lord?

Book 1.04: The Warriors of Kyoshi

Water. 

Earth. 

Fire. 

Air. 

Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. 

Then, everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked. Only the Avatar and Daimon, masters of all four elements, could stop them, but when the world needed them most, they vanished. 

A hundred years passed, and my brother and I discovered the new Avatar and Daimon, an airbender named Aang and an earthbender named Hua. 

And although his airbending and her earthbending skills are great they have a lot to learn before they’re ready to save anyone. 

But I believe Aang and Hua can save the world.

Since they had left the Southern Air Temple some time has passed.

For a few days, Aang dragged them around from one place to another to ride different large animals.

If they keep this rhythm they would reach the Nothern Water Tribe at spring!

The only good thing was, how Aang finally had started to teach Hua airbending.

It was going…okayish.

Because it was her opposite element and she should actually first learn firebending, Hua didn’t make great signs of progress.

The most she could do was create a small breeze.

Aang wasn’t a great help either, since he wanted to shove the air nomad philosophy down her throat, then actually teach her airbending.

For this, they argued even more than normal, because Hua was sure she didn’t need to embrace this for airbending, but Aang insisted she needed to let go of earthly things and other stuff, which goes against her earthbending.

When you earthbend you...just do it!

No other angle, no other way... just move these rocks and be done with it!

Poor Katara had to keep them apart and play mediator since Hua was this close to burying Aang and his stuck-up-my-philosophy-is-better-then-yours-skit.

The moment of camaraderie and understanding they had shared in the Southern Air Temple was totally forgotten.

They were back on their normal I-hate-her/his-guts behaviour.

Anyway, currently they were flying over the waste ocean.

Hua and Katara were each patching up some of their clothes. They worked each one a pair of clothing from Sokka.

Jaiyi was leaning on Hua, letting out a cute yawn as she looked at how the girls sewed.

Aang, with Momo on his shoulder, guided Appa somewhere, while Sokka looked in frustration at their map.

Only with half an ear did the girls listen how Sokka questioning Aang's navigational skills and the airbender just cheerfully stating at least they were on the ocean.

Then the younger boy called out for Katara about something.

"That's great, Aang.", humoured Katara, still concreting on her sewing.

"You didn't even look.", whined Aang.

Katara looks over at Aang and attempts to show enthusiasm.

"That's great."

"But I'm not doing it now."

"Just let it go, your crush on her is embarrassing as hell.", mumbled Hua annoyed, only loud enough for Katara to hear, stitching up a hole in the shirt.

Her friend hit softly with her elbow her side in reprimand.

Okay, Hua got what Katara meant, but how couldn't she say nothing about Aang's crush on Katara?

You had to be blind as a badger-mole to not see it.

He was so not subtly about.

Hua bet even Momo and Appa knew!

It was just embarrassing and uncomfortable for anyone, not that Aang realised it. 

The black-haired girl had asked Katara over dinner a day or two ago how she could stand Aang's blunt ways to impress her.

If a guy she didn't like would act that way towards her, she would bury them alive.

Katara had explained to her, that it was just a puppy crush, Aang would eventually get over it, when he realized that Katara would never show any interest in him.

The waterbender wasn't into younger boys and it would be just plain creepy if a 14-year-old dated a 12-year-old.

No matter the gender!

Hua really doubted that Aang would be so self-reflecting.

As Sokka liked to call him, he was an airhead, he saw only what his narrative supported.

Never mind how the real world and people worked.

One of the reasons why Hua couldn't stand Aang's guts.

She was like her element, down to earth. She saw the things for what they were and didn't dream something up.

Oh well, as long as Katara didn't have a 180-grade change in personality, then Aang's crush would have to die.

You COULDN'T be this dismissive and blind to the feelings of another...or?

The Daimon was brought back from her musings as Sokka told Aang: "Stop bugging her, airhead. You need to give girls space when they do their sewing."

What the?!

Together the girls stopped sewing and looked with anger at the older male. Even Jaiyi stopped leaning on Hua, her hackles raised.

"What does me being a girl have to do with sewing?", asked Katara with an icy tone.

"Yes, please share your wisdom with us, I can't wait to hear it.", added Hua growling right along with Jaiyi.

"Simple. Girls are better at fixing pants than guys and guys are better at hunting and fighting and stuff like that.", explained Sokka calmly. "It's just the natural order of things."

Oh, he didn't just say this?!

As if they had agreed on the girls smiled at Sokka. 

"All done with your pants!"

"Your shirt is also done!"

They held up the clothing pieces which had still holes in them.

"And look what a great job we did!", shouted Katara.

At the same time, the girls threw angrily the clothes at Sokka.

The pants and shirt hit him in the face, which pleased Katara and Hua greatly.

The ninetails was also happy about it, making a mocking yip at Sokka.

Freacking prick!

"Wait! I was just kidding.", whined Sokka, picking up his clothes and showing how his pants had still holes. "I can't wear these! Katara, Hua please!"

The girls crossed their arms and raised their noses to the sky. Jaiyi was right behind them with her snout up.

Huffing Hua said to him: "I have five words for you: Die mad about it, sexist!"

"Oh come on!"

"DIE mad about it, sexist!"

"Agreed!"

"Katara, please!"

"Relax, Sokka.", calls Aang back enthusiastically. "Where we're going, you won't need any pants and shirts."

Aang yanks Appa's reins to the left, his tongue sticking out of the corner of his mouth. Appa picks up speed as he flies right to an island covered with mountains.

They land on a sandy beach and get down from Appa. 

The nine-tailed fox is playful chasing Momo around the shore, while Hua and the water tribe siblings stare at Aang, who is looking out the water with his hand held against his brow.

"We just made a pit stop yesterday. Shouldn't we get a little more flying done before we camp out?", argued Sokka.

"He's right.", agreed Katara. "At this rate, we won't get to the North Pole until spring."

The Avatar tries to convince them that Appa is tired, however the flying bison only plays along after Aang repeats himself.

"Yeah, really convincing.", states Hua annoyed. "What animal do you want to ride now. That's why we are here aren't we?"

In answer an elephant koi jumps out of the water and back in, creating a giant splash.

All besides the excited Aang stared at it in shock.

"That's why we're here.", tells them Aang starting to disrobe himself. "Elephant koi, and I'm gonna ride it. Katara, you've got to watch me!"

Full of joyful anticipation Aang, now only in his underwear, jumps into the water only to scream how cold it is.

The others exchange glances while Appa walks away, clearly taking interest in something else. 

Sokka makes a circular motion with his left hand around near his left temple, signalling to his sister and Hua that he thinks Aang is crazy. 

In agreement, the Daimon nods.

Meanwhile, Aang is swimming toward the deep waters of the bay where the koi fish are. He dives under and immediately appears again, now holding on to the back fin of one of these giant animals as it jumps out of the water before diving again. 

Katara smiles broadly and is impressed at the sight of Aang riding the koi fish while Sokka and Hua stare at the scene with an uninterested look on their faces and their arms crossed.

Momo is jumping excitedly up and down as Aang's koi fish reappears again, while Jaiyi sits beside him, her tails swinging around her.

Laughing Aang, atop the fish's back, waves at his friends.

Katara enthusiastically waves back.

"He looks pretty good out there.", tells them Katara.

"Are you kidding?", say's Sokka unimpressed. "The fish is doing all the work."

"I'm with Sokka. If I want I could do this too.", shares Hua her thoughts.

That's when Katara see how Appa is eating something which he isn't supposed to and runs up to the bison to stop him. Aang of course see how Katara leaves the shore and doesn't look at him anymore, which makes him sad.

Sokka and Hua share a look.

Of course, he wanted to impress Katara.

Of course!

Suddenly there is a large shadow in the water, who drags down one of the elephant koi.

This alarms Sokka and Hua. Katara joins them and the three try their best to warn the Avatar, however, he thinks their frantic waving and jumping up and down means they are cheering him on.

Then Aang's elephant koi gets dragged down the water, making him fly into it.

A large dorsal fin appears hunting the Avatar down and Aang makes it like a tree, running out of the water, then crashing into Sokka.

Hua helps Sokka to get up, while Aang and Katara wonder, what the heck was in the water.

Then out of nowhere, they get ambushed!

Hua only sees a pretty face with a somehow familiar war paint dressed in green robes, before it gets dark and she is bonded.

With a thud, she falls to the ground and hears how the others are also being taken prisoner, even Momo and Jaiyi!

Their ambushers drag them somewhere and then bind them to a pole.

The quartet hears the whispers of humans.

Are they in a village?

"You four have some explaining to do.", they hear a male voice addressing them.

"And if you don't answer all our questions, we're throwing you back in the water with the Unagi.", adds a female voice.

Sokka demands that they show themselves.

Suddenly Hua can see again.

Before them stand female warriors, the Daimon swerve she has seen this get-up somewhere, it's familiar, and behind them are people of all ages clothed in blue.

"Who are you? Where are the men who ambushed us?", wonders Sokka.

A warrior girl with auburn hair in a bob steps towards him her fist clenched.

"There were no men. We ambushed you. Now tell us, who are you and what are you doing here?"

"Wait a second, there's no way that a bunch of girls took us down.", laughs Sokka in disbelief.

For that the warrior girl grips him by the collar growling: "A bunch of girls, huh? The Unagi's gonna eat well tonight."

"No, don't hurt him! He didn't mean it. My brother is just an idiot sometimes.", explains Katara worried for Sokka's safety.

"It's my fault.", admins Aang sorrowful. "I'm sorry we came here. I wanted to ride the elephant koi."

The man who is the leader of the village asks them in distrust how they should know if they aren't Fire Nations Spies. That Kyoshi stayed out of the war for a hundred years and wants to keep on doing this.

Hearing Kyoshi, Aang and Hua both lookup.

A tingle of familiarity overcomes them.

For Aang, it's like someone called his name for Hua it's like talking about an old dear friend.

For a second she sees a beautiful woman with the make-up and green robes the warrior girls wear, who gives her a smile that speaks of deep trust and companionship before her inner eye.

Then Hua is back in the present and shouts together with Aang: "This island is named for Kyoshi? We know Kyoshi!"

"Ha!", laughs the male leader humorlessly. "How could you possibly know her? Avatar Kyoshi was born here four hundred years ago. She's been dead for centuries."

"I know her because I'm the Avatar.", reveals Aang.

"And I'm the Daimon.", adminds Hua.

All inhabitants of Kyoshi are in deep shock. You see it in their face and enraged whispers.

"That's impossible!", shouts the auburn-haired female warrior. "The last Avatar was an airbender who disappeared a hundred years ago with the Daimon from the Earth Kingdom."

"That's us.", confirms Aang sheepishly, as Hua nods embarrassed.

Not that the male leader of Kyoshi believes them. He tells the warrior girls to throw them all to the Unagi. The warriors immediately retract their metal fans from out of their belts and slide them open. Ready to counter any sudden attack, they threateningly start to move forward and surround the bound friends.

Katara pleads with Aang to do some airbending, to show he is the Avatar which he of course does.

He bends over before pushing himself off the ground. He leaves a large dust cloud as he shoots in the air, stretching out his ropes, and using one of the outstretched fans of the statue, where they other all still bound, to snap them in half. 

Now completely free of his bonds, he lands gently on the ground in front of the surprised crowd, his robes still fluttering in the air. 

Oyaji and the Kyoshi Warriors stare at him in shock. A lot more people have gathered around to see what is going on.

"It's true ... you are the Avatar!", shouts Oyaji in aww. The Avatar really returned he couldn't believe it! "Then the Earth Kingdom girl is truly the Daimon!"

"Yes, I am!", yells Hua back.

Hopefully, they will now be released.

Well, she and the water tribe siblings and Momo and Jaiyi how to wait, because Aang shows the whole crowd a trick.

Aang gets out his marbles letting them spin around really fast between his hands. 

Grinning and blinking like a fool, he looks at the crowd, hoping to impress them. 

Indeed the crowd cheers for him.

A young man in the front starts to emit a high-pitched squeal while widely tossing his hands up in the air in admiration. He gets so overexcited that he starts to foam out the mouth, falls toward and faints; the rest of the villagers just keep on cheering.

Sokka, Katara and Hua look at each other in disbelief, while Momo and Jaiyi chitter and yip away in confusion.

Hua sums up the situation perfectly.

"What the heck?!"

***

The next day finds the Team Avatar-Daimon inside a house enjoying the hospitality of Kyoshi Island.

The villagers brought them a lot of desserts for breakfast, which Aang, Hua, Momo and Jaiyi dug in cheerfully.

As she had grown up in poverty the Daimon was thankful for any meal, but these delicious desserts were a special treat for her.

"These people sure know how to treat an Avatar and Daimon!", musse Aang happily, munching on different desserts at the same time.

Hua, who is eating a tasty cake out of cherries with cherry blossoms, nods in agreement.

"I rarely agree with you, but when you are right you are right."

"Katara you've got to try these!", hands her Aang a dumpling-formed dessert.

"Well, maybe just a bite.", says the waterbender, before she enjoys the sweet.

Momo sneaks up to Aang snatches the dessert out of his other hand and quickly dashes away, who smiles at his pet. 

He does not let the theft bother him and quickly grabs another dessert in front of him while Katara munches down the piece of cake and reaches across the table for the same dessert Aang just took. 

Hua and Jaiyi are eating together a very tasty fruit tart as Aang glances to his left, over the hunched Katara to Sokka. 

The lemur appears between Aang and Katara and quickly snatches another cupcake from the table before vanishing underneath it.

"Sokka, what's your problem?", ask Aang confused. "Eat!"

However, Sokka is a hunched figure in a corner, staring out the windows solemnly.

"Not hungry."

"But you're always hungry!"

 "He's just upset because a bunch of girls kicked his butt yesterday.", explains Katara amused, which makes Hua and Jaiyi giggle.

"They snuck up on me!", protested Sokka.

"Right. And then they kicked your butt."

In a mocking salute, Hua raises her glass towards Sokka.

"And what a butt-kicking it was, I gonna ask them to teach me some tricks!"

Angry Sokka stands up.

"Sneak attacks don't count!", he tries to defeat himself, then muttering something about robes and showing them a thing or two. He walks away only to return, taking some dessert with him and then stepping out.

The watertribe boy was determind to show his superier manlieness over the Kyoshi Warrories.

Hua didn't need to be a fortune teller to see great pain and humiliation in Sokka's future.

Well, she was all for it.

He needed to stop being a sexist.

Time for a vibe check!

"What's he so angry about?", wonders Aang. "It's great here. They're giving us the royal treatment!"

"Hey, don't get too comfortable. It's risky for us to stay in one place for very long.", warns Katara.

Jaiyi eats a cupcake out of Hua's hand as the Daimon signs: "I like it here too. But Katara is right. We should soon be back on the road."

"Thanks, Hua."

"Of course."

"I'm sure we'll be fine, girls.", tells them Aang, always the optimist. "Besides, did you see how happy I'm making this town? How we make them happy, Hua? They're cleaning up that statue in my honour and the little shrine of the Daimon of Kyoshi's time. The airbender! What was his name?"

"Tian Kuo.", reminds Hua, petting a full and happy Jaiyi. "Not that I'm not flattered, but we shouldn't get this over our heads."

"I'm with Hua, it's nice to see you excited about being the Avatar. But stay with her on the ground.", advises Katara.

"Come on girls, you know me better than that. I'm just a simple monk."

Aang gets up and leans on the window sill so he can look better outside. As soon as he emerges, the villagers scream with delight and admiration for him. Surprised he looks down and sees a bunch of girls fangirling wildly over seeing him.

He lashes a broad smile at the girls while blushing. 

Katara and Hua stand behind him with their arms crossed in disapproval. They look at each other in agreement, roll their eyes and make a raspberry.

Jaiyi just yips in disapproval of Aang.

***

As it turns out Aang is all for girls swarming him.

Hua, Katara and even Jaiyi can just look on annoyed at how he tries to impress all his little fangirls.

Simple monk, their ass.

He was just like any other boy his age.

If girls showed interest in them, they started to act like proud peacocks.

Whatever, it wasn't their problem.

So Katara and Hua with Jaiyi shop at the marketplace for supplies.

Hua gets approached from time to time too. 

The people of Kyoshi had also a great respect for the late Daimon Tian Kuo, who had been Avatar Kyoshi's best friend and companion, not only showing in the little shrine they had for him but also giving Hua their respect.

Surprisingly the current Daimon has to give autographs.

A bit embarrassed she signs another autograph for a little boy, who runs up to his mother joyfully and turns to Katara.

"I feel all weird.", she said to the older girl. "I grow up in the Lower Rings of Ba Sing Se. People don't give you any kind of second glance if you aren't from the Higher Rings."

"When they told you, you were the Daimon, people didn't treat you differently?", wonders Katara curious.

They are standing at the vegetable stand, while Jaiyi is playful chasing butterflies.

"They did, but not in such an admiring way. Remember, I lived for a time surrounded by monks. The boys were more shocked to see a female among them, than me being the Daimon."

"Was it weird?"

"Super weird. It was like they never saw a girl, which was probably true. The Air Nomads had gender separation. The monks and nuns only meet up on special events.", explains Hua. 

Katara makes a little annoyed huff.

"This explains why Aang is so eager to be surrounded by girls."

"It's getting way over his head.", agrees Hua.

 Suddenly, like talking about him has summoned him, Aang joins the girls.

"Hey, you two!", he greets them with a smile.

"Oh looks it's the peacock.", mumbles Hua to Katara.

The older girl has to stop herself from laughing, but she agrees with Hua.

"Hey Aang, can you help us?", asked Katara. She points the the three pots full of vegetables. "We need to bring this back to our room."

Holding up his hands to fob off with the offered pot Aang has the gall to say: "Actually, I can't right now."

Immediately Katara and Hua get annoyed looks on their face and Jaiyi stops to play with the butterflies to judge Aang too.

"Why? Is this simple task beneath the great Avatar.", mocks Hua with crossed arms.

"If you wanna know Hua, I promised the girls I'd give them a ride on Appa.", he huffs at her before he turns excited to Katara. "Why don't you come with us, Katara? It'll be fun!"

"What about Hua?"

"Katara, I don't want to come along.", makes Hua clear.

Watching Aang be treated like some kind of deity was not her definition of fun.

Neither was it Katara's.

"Watching you show off for a bunch of girls does not sound like fun, even if Hua would tag along.", tells Katara drier than a desert.

"Well, neither does carrying your baskets.", rebukes the Avatar.

"It's not my baskets. These supplies are for our trip. I told you, we have to leave Kyoshi soon."

"I don't want to leave Kyoshi yet.", whines Aang. "I can't put my finger on it but there's something I really like about this place."

Out of nowhere one of Aang's little fangirls calls out: "What's taking you so long, Aangy?"

Aang, Hua and Katara turn around to face them; the former enthusiastically waves back at his awaiting fangirls, while the girls raise an eyebrow at the scene.

From Jaiyi comes a disapproving growl.

"Aangy ...", repeat mockingly the two girls of Team Avatar-Daimon together.

"Just a second, Koko!", calls Aang back to his fangirl.

""Simple monk", huh?", chorus Katara and Hua together again, crossing their arms, while Jaiyi makes an agreeing sound.

"I thought you promised me that this Avatar stuff wouldn't go to your head.", reminds him Katara.

"It didn't. You know what I think? You just don't want to come because you're jealous.", accuses Aang.

Okay, that was enough in Hua's eyes.

No one would accuse her best friend, because that's what Katara was, of untrue things before her.

"Oh for the love of the Spirits, no one is jealous of you!", shouts Hua, pointing a finger at Aang. "We are just annoyed! Simple monk, my behind, you act like the spirit’s gift to womanhood it's annoying as hell. Just for your information oh great Avatar, they only kiss the ground you walk on because you were once the great Kyoshi. You, right now, have to still earn this admiration. Get your stupid head out of the clouds!"

Dramatically Hua grips Katara's hands and takes a pot. The older girl managed somehow to pick up the other two and together with Jaiyi, they walked away from Aang.

The Avatar just blinks dumbfound, lost for words.

Hua really led on the smack on him this time. 

He...he really doesn't know what to think right now.

That's when his fangirls run up to him and drag him with them.

Ah, whatever, he doesn't care for Hua's opinion.

***

A while later Hua is training the airbending kata's Aang showed her, in the hope of finally getting it.

"What do you mean, Jaiyi? I'm getting close?", she asks her kyuubi.

Jaiyi barks.

Hua gets what she means.

"I know, I still suck.", groans Hua and crosses her arms. "If Aang wasn't thinking with his little head, he should teach and advise me. Stupid idiot."

The kyuubi whines in question.

"Why should I be jealous? The people treat me here with respect too."

Again a whine.

"Now, you are ridiculous! Also, I was protecting Katara's honour. Her jealousy because of Aang's little fan club is a stupid fantasy of his because of his crush on her."

The ninetails yip, which makes Hua blush.

"Okay, maybe I have a tiny crush on Katara. Who wouldn't? She is amazing and so pretty, but I know, other than Aang, that I never will have a chance. I'm happy with our friendship."

Jaiyi waves her tails around and tilts her head.

"Aww, don't look at me like that.", grumbles Hua and starts her kata's again.

This whole day was turning out to be a headache.

Maybe she pissed off the spirits in one of her past lives because she hears shouting and screaming and the unmistakable smell of burning wood in the air.

"Oh no!", she shouts, Jaiyi springing over her. "How much you gonna bet, that's Prince Zuko and his pose?"

In answer Jaiyi turns into her riding form, so Hua can mount her.

Fast they race back to the village, which is burning, thanks to the firebenders.

Hua sends as many rocks as she can at them before she finds Katara.

"There you are!", shouts Katara glad.

The Daimon jumps down from her kyuubi and embraces her friend.

"Aang, is getting Appa. We need to leave Kyoshi.", explains the older girl.

In understanding Hua nods.

Zuko would leave Kyoshi alone to follow them, it was the best way.

A few seconds later Aang appears with Appa and Momo and the girl and Jaiyi get up on the saddle.

Sokka reaches them too and they are ready to blast off.

As they fly higher and higher in the sky they can see, how the firebenders are retreating.

"I know it's hard, but you did the right thing.", tries Katara to lift up a solemn Aang. "Zuko would have destroyed the whole place if we had stayed. They're going to be okay, Aang."

Unexpected Aang let himself fall from Appa's head, which made all shout out in surprise. 

They watch how the water bubbles and suddenly Unagi shoots out of the water with Aang on top of his head, holding his whiskers. 

After swaying about a few times, he sturdies himself atop Unagi's head and pulls the creature's barbels. 

Unagi opens its mouth wide and begins gushing water which rains over the town. 

The house gets saved by the water, while Zuko and his men mounted on the rhinos are completely drenched.

The prince looks humiliated and his men look surprised. 

Unagi ceases to gush water and launches Aang into the air, who is subsequently caught by an overflying Appa.

As the Avatar climbs back on the saddle he says sheepishly: "I know, I know. That was stupid and dangerous."

"Yes, it was.", agreed Katara, before she embraced him, glad that he was okay.

Aang is of course in heaven and blushes up a storm.

The Daimon only rolls her eyes at the Avatar as she finally notes, what Sokka is wearing.

"Hey Sokka."

"Yes, Hua?"

"You rock the Kyoshi robes."

This flatters the older boy.

He blushes and playful shoves her away.

Hua grins, feeling lighter in her heart.

Kyoshi was an experience, hopefully, Aang learned his lesson.

Previous

Next

Yin and Yang: Book 1.01

Balance is a key aspect in the world, so why shouldn’t the Avatar have an opposite?

In a world where Raava and Vaatu merge with humans, the Avatar and the Daimon try to keep the peace between the four nations.

Aang and Hua are the current incarnations, but wake up 100 years in the future.

How will these two learn all four elements in one year and defeat the Fire Lord?

Wow, thanks to you all for the love you have given my little idea!

Please if you could comment, it would make me even happier. :D

A few words before we go into the first chapter of this book.

Hua's outfit was inspired by Toph's winter outfit from the comics and from Mao Mao clothes from the anime The Apothecary Diaries. It’s a great anime, you should totally watch it.

I made a pic of Hua so you can see how she looks. It’s on my DeviantArt Account: EmpressOfTheSun. ^^

Now happy reading ^^

Book 1.01: The Children in the Iceberg

“You are the most sexist, immature, nut-brained...! I'm embarrassed to be related to you!”, screams fourteen-year-old Katara of the Southern Water Tribe, the last waterbender and younger sister of sixteen-year-old, non-bender Sokka at him. 

She is so done with Sokka!

Blaming her bending,  even blaming her gender, for the situation they found themselves now in.

On a piece of ice in the middle of nowhere.

The young girl doesn’t realize how she bends and breaks, one bit for bit, an iceberg behind them.

Sokka who sees this, wants to warn his sister. 

This is surely not safe to bend in anger, they could get hurt!

However, Katara's anger is more powerful.

She continues to rant: “Ever since mom died, I've been doing all the work around camp while you've been off playing soldier!”

“Uh ... Katara …”

“I even wash all the clothes! Have you ever smelled your dirty socks? Let me tell you, not pleasant!”

“Katara, settle down!”

“NO! THAT’S IT!! I’m done helping you. From now on, you’re ON YOUR OWN!”

Her last movement is her most agitated and it creates a huge wave which, when it impacts the iceberg, sends several fissures to snake their way up the iceberg; one of them reaches the top of it, splitting it completely in half. 

Petrified, Sokka gasps for air, and it is only now that Katara turns to look behind her.

She gasps as the two halves begin to fall away from each other and collapse into the water. 

A wave larger than any Katara cast at it radiates outward toward them and they are thrown to the ice as it pushes their floe backwards.

Protective Sokka wraps an arm around Katara as they both look over the edge of the ice.

“Okay, you've gone from "weird" to "freakish", Katara.”, tells her Sokka drier than a desert.

Astonished the young girl mumbles: “You mean I did that?”

“Yep. Congratulations.”

Suddenly several small bubbles appear on the surface of the water directly in front of them and a small spot of water begins to glow with a bright bluish and orange hue. 

The two siblings scramble back in renewed terror from the edge, just as a large, roughly spherical iceberg breaks the surface of the water.

Mesmerized by the iceberg, Katara strays closer and stares at it; behind her, Sokka halfheartedly stretches out his hand, as if to hold her back.

In the iceberg, she can see three forms. 

One is big and represents nothing the waterbender knew.

Then there are two no doubt human bodies in lotus sit.

They seem to flow.

One is male and bluish.

The other female and orange.

Katara raises her eyebrow in confusion.

What was going on and who where this?

In answer the male and the female open their eyes, one a bright pair of white and the other a burning orange, elating shocked gasp from the siblings.

“They’re alive! We have to help!”

Before Sokka can grab it, Katara grabs his club out of its sheath on his back and pulls her hood over her head, heading in the direction of the mysterious pair.

Sokka again reaches out his hand in an attempt to hold Katara back, though she is already running across the ice.

“Katara, get back here!”, yells the older boy, picking his spear from the ice and running after Katara, who is already at the ice's edge.

The waterbender hops across the short distance between her floe and the iceberg on five tiny chinks of ice; Sokka, close behind her, does the same. 

Reaching the iceberg first, Katara repeatedly strikes it with the club. 

On her fifth strike, the club breaks through the surface and a great gust of wind, which escapes from within the iceberg, throws her and her brother back from the side of the dome. 

Fissures quickly snake their way over the whole iceberg and, in a massive outward explosion, the entire orb of ice destroys itself.

Two beams of light burst from the core of the iceberg and rocket into the sky.

Sokka hugs his sister protectively as the gale slowly settles.

Then he lets her go as he looks around. 

Lights still encircle the remains of the former mountain of ice, now reduced to a hollowed-out crater. 

The Watertribe teen looks at his sister and they both get to their feet, Katara holding onto her brother. 

He points his spear at the crater, ready to defend them, though lowers it in shock as two figures emerge slowly from the depression in the iceberg.

Quickly Sokka brandished his spear in defense once again.

“Stop!”

Now standing atop the crater, the figures slowly erect themselves and look down at Katara and Sokka.

The two siblings stare back in wonder and fear.

Finally, the circles of lights dissipate as the strange children stop glowing. 

The figures are revealed to be nothing more than a young boy and girl, who each moans in exhaustion and suddenly they faint. 

Katara gasps and runs forward to catch him before he hits the ground. Sokka follows behind to catch the girl.

How absurd and crazy the situation was, Sokka wouldn’t let a young girl get hurt.

Like his sister, Sokka puts his charge gently against the crater.

He looks for a moment at his sister with the boy. 

He is strange, decides the older.

What kind of clothes is he wearing and why does he have arrows as tattoos?

Shaking his head he looks down at the foreign girl.

Before his father and the man of his tribe left to join the war effort, a merchant from the Earth Kingdom would visit the South Pole four times a year to trade with them.

So it’s no problem for him to recognise her as a member of the Earth Kingdom.

He knows how Earth Kingdom habitants mostly look and what colours they wear.

The girl has dark black hair in a low-side ponytail, holding it together with a dark pink ribbon. 

She wears a fur jacket with white trims in a light yellowish-green and a green strip from her chest down the end of the jacket and a green strip on each sleeve. 

A small dark teal haori incircles her thin waist. 

Under the jacket, he sees a bit of a green kimono-styled tunic, he would bet and she wears wide pants in dark pink, which are stuffed in her brown fur boots.

The Earth Kingdom girl's eyes are still closed, however, Sokka bet she also has green eyes, which are common for the Earth Kingdom.

Earth Kingdom girl, is younger than Katara. 

Her face still possesses some baby fat, but the swing of her full rose lips is sad.

She looks like someone who hasn’t laughed much in her life.

It was kinda sad.

His mussing stops as he hears how the strange boy practically yells at Katara: “Will you go penguin sledging with me?”

“Uh, sure ... I-I guess.”, answered his sister awkwardly.

The shout must have woken up Earth Kingdom girl since her eyes flutter open and she stares like a deer-cat at Sokka's face.

Green, like he hypnotized, although why is she staring at him like that? Does he have something on his face?

A cute blush forms on her pale face, as she coughs: “Erm, hi?”

“Hua!”, yells again the strange boy. “You are okay! I thought you had flown off!”

With elegance, he swiftly raises to his feet, as Katara and Sokka look at this in shock. They never saw someone so light on their feet!

The now-known Hua seems not slightly impressed with the strange boy and just earthbends herself up.

Sokka can formally see how excited his sister is getting. Even if Hua isn’t a Waterbender, she is another bender and Katara has never met someone else like her.

“Not thanks to you.”, hisses Hua to her iceberg buddie. “Thanks for not saving my behind in the freaky storm.”

“Hey! I tried to grab you!”, protests the tattooed boy with a pout.

“Leave it! It’s not like we are friends. We only agreed to travel to Omashu together and then anyone would have been on their own. I shouldn’t expect and want anything from you!”

“Now you are being unfair! We may not be friends, but I promised to bring you to Omashu, if I could have grabbed you, I would have done it!”

Clearly, you can see and hear that these two, even if they were in a iceberg together, can’t stand each other and are ready to argue more.

Something they can do later decides Sokka, he and Katara needed answers.

“Hey you two!”, he calls for them and they turn towards him curious. Okay, this was a bit creepy how synchronously they had done it. “How did you get in the ice? And why aren't you frozen?”

He pokes the boy in his side with his spear.

Lazily the boy pushes the spear away, while Hua crosses her arms and tilts her head, thinking. 

“I'm not sure.”, answered the bald boy with the blue arrow on his head.

“I just remember the huge storm, SOMEBODY…”, angrily the Earthbender side eyes her companion. “...steered us in!”

“Give it a break, Hua. I don’t control the weather, you know it appeared too sudden for us.”, reminds her the boy, giving her a look.

Hua just huffs and looks away, which makes the boy roll his eyes.

Yeah, no love is lost between them.

A low, gruff noise suddenly fills the air, coming from within the crater of the iceberg. 

Quickly, the boy scrambles up the ridge of ice and happily jumps on the head of a large, furry creature that has the same arrow-shaped marking on his forehead as the boy.

“Appa! Are you all right?”, he asked. “Wake up, buddy.”

He opens an eyelid that immediately closes again once it is released. He jumps down to the front of the animal and tries to lift its enormous head. 

Hua, Sokka and Katara appear around the corner as Appa finally starts to react to his owner, opening his mouth and licking the boy with his giant tongue. 

“Jiayi, girl, where are you?”, calls Hua and looks worried around for something.

Suddenly something jumps down from the saddle and tackles Hua to the ground.

Sokka's and Katara's jaws drop upon seeing the beasts.

Especially, Hua’s who is licking her so joyfully.

It’s so tall that it can probably be ridden like an ostrich-horse. The fur is a beautiful red-orange and nine bushy tails swing around.

“Sokka, is this a real Kyuubi?!”, whisper-shouts Katara to him, seeming to grasp for air.

Her brother can only nod, still shocked. 

One of the legendary nine-tailed foxes!

Everybody thought they had died out, like the dragons.

Well, all but one as it seems.

Needless to say, Sokka was more worried about the giant fluff beast.

Legend said that Kyuubi’s were calm, wise and herbivore creatures, so no danger of getting eaten by Hua's furry friend.

So he asked Arrow Boy what Arrow Beast was.

“This is Appa, my flying bison.”

“Right, and this is Katara, my flying sister.”

This earned the Watertribe boy an annoyed look from his sister, a little giggle and blush from the now-standing Hua, who was petting her Kyuubi head and also a head title from the Kyuubi.

In its blue eyes, Sokka could see intelligence, it understood them, alright.

Arrow boy looks questioningly at Sokka for a moment, but his attention is diverted back toward his bison when Appa starts to inhale deeply. 

Realizing what is about to happen, he ducks before Appa sneezes, sending a large blast of green snot flying directly onto Sokka, who becomes completely covered in it. 

He squeals in disgust and begins to frantically try to clean it off, rubbing his face in the snow under the amused gaze of his sister, Hua and Jiayi.

“Don't worry, it'll wash out.”, reassured the bald boy. “So do you guys live around here?

Pointing his spear accusingly again at the boy who is surprised to see the thing, Sokka warns Katara: “Don't answer that! Did you see that crazy bolt of light?! He was probably trying to signal the Fire Navy! I bet Hua is his prisoner or something.”

“I’m the prisoner of who?”, repeats Hua astonished, while Jaiyi lets out a yip, which sounds in Sokka's ears like a mock.

Whose the Kyuubi mocking him?!

Sokka's spear gets pushed away again, this time by Katara who addresses him sarcastically: “Oh yeah, I'm sure he's a spy for the Fire Navy. You can tell by that evil look in his eye. Never mind that he travels with someone from the Earth Kingdom.”

Arrow head shoots the water tribe siblings an earnest grin, as Hua just deadpans and leans on her nine-tailed fox.

“The paranoid one is my brother, Sokka. You never told us your name.”

“I'm A ... a-a-a-Achoo!”

The boy sneezes, creating an air blast that sends him soaring into the air. He lands on the ground, unharmed.

“I'm Aang.”

“You just sneezed …”, uttered Sokka in disbelief. “...and flew ten feet in the air!”

“Really? It felt higher than that.”

“You're an Airbender!”, realizes Katara surprised.

 “Sure am!”

Hua and Jiayi look at each other, wondering why Katara and Sokka seem so shocked about Aang being an Airbender. 

How long did the Southern Water Tribe not see one? 

It can’t be that long.

Or?

“Giant light beams, flying bison, airbenders, kyubbi’s…”, laments Sokka walking away. “I think I got midnight sun madness. I'm going home to where stuff makes sense.”

He realizes, however, that he is stranded in the middle of the ocean with no way home.

Again he hears the mocking yip of Jiayi.

Now he was sure the Kyuubi was mocking him!

“Well, if you guys are stuck, Appa and I can give you a lift.”, offers Aang.

“Jiayi and I would help you out too, but she can’t swim for a long time. It’s probably the best if we go together.”, adds Hua.

“We'd love a ride! Thanks!”, says Katara runs to the side of the bison, where Aang is already sitting on Appa's head.

“Jaiyi, small, girl.”, commands Hua and, unbelievably, the Kyuubi shrinks down to the size of a fox cub!

Sokka and Katara had heard the legend that Kyuubi’s had a lot of mysterious powers, one was the ability to change size, crazy that it was true!

With a little hum, Hua picks Jaiyi up and earthbends them to Appa's saddle, while Aang helps Katara get on.

Getting over his shock to see one of the Kyuubi’s powers in action Sokka formally stomps his feet: “Oh no! I'm not getting on that fluffy snot monster!”

“Are you hoping some other kind of monster will come along and give you a ride home?”, challenges him Katara. “You know, before you freeze to death?”

Sokka opens his mouth in defiance and points at Katara, ready to retaliate, but he cannot think of anything. 

He sighs and bows his head in consent and defeat.

Now all, beside Aang, are sitting on the saddle, Sokka has his arms crossed in front of him with a sulking expression on his face, Hua sits cross-legend with Jaiyi in her lap, while Katara is full of excitement and anticipation.

“Okay, first-time flyers, hold on tight!”, warns them Aang. “Appa, yip-yip!”

Aang whips the reins and Appa growls in response. 

He moves his tail up and down and takes a huge jump into the air. He soars through the air for merely a few seconds, making it appear as though he would fly, before belly-flopping into the water with a splash. 

The bison begins trudging through the water slowly. 

“Okay…that’s new.”, mubles Hua. 

She has flown often enough with Aang or Monk Gyatso on Appa, he had never done this.

Jaiyi made an agreeing sound.

Katara crawls to the front of the saddle while Aang tries to get Appa flying, whipping the reins again.

“Come on, Appa. Yip-yip!”

“Wow, that was truly amazing …”, sasses Sokka, making Hua and Jaiyi giggle quietly.

Katara shoots her brother an angry glance, as Aang explains: “Appa's just a little tired. A little rest and he'll be soaring through the sky. You'll see.”

The water tribe girl smiles at Aang, who returns this gesture. When she wants to move back, she realizes that he is still smiling at her.

“Why are you smiling at me like that?”, she wonders in discomfort.

“Oh, I was smiling?”

Flattered, Katara smiles back.

Sokka throws his head back and sticks his tongue out in disgust while groaning loudly which makes Katara glare at him.

“Ain’t she a bit too old for him?”, whispers Hua to Jaiyi.

She may have reacted to Sokka a bit too, he was a handsome older boy, but it would be creepy if he would react to her.

He was at least sixteen and she was twelve. 

This would be just wrong for a lot of reasons.

Well, if Aang wanted to crush on an older girl, this was not Hua's problem.

She just hoped Katara was not a cradle snatcher.

Two years may not seem much, but when one was in puberty and the other was a pre-puberty it did raise some flags.

Clicking her tongue Hua petted Jaiyi between the ears, while Appa continued to make his way through the icy sea, flapping his tail in the water.

Some time passes and Hua starts to fall asleep. She has laid down with Jaiyi on the saddle, trying to catch some rest.

However, she hears Katara and Aang talking.

How the older girls ask him about the Avatar and the Daimon, if he knew them if she, Hua, knew them.

Thankfully Aang doesn’t blow their cover.

Hopefully they would be soon at the Water Tribe Village and then Aang and Appa could drop her and Jaiyi at Omashu.

The black-haired girl was done travelling with the monk.

***

Lightning splits the sky.

It is raining and Aang is sitting on Appa's head, holding the reigns and screaming at the top of his lungs in terror while they go down. Hua holds everything she got into the saddle, holding Jaiyi tight to her chest. A potent gale throws them off the saddle as Appa and Aang splash into the waters of the ocean. Appa resurfaces again, and growls, but is quickly subdued anew by another wave. 

Humans and animals fall unconscious into the water. 

As Aang releases the reigns and drifts off, his eyes and tattoos suddenly start to glow brightly. At the same moment, Hua's eyes start to glow orange.

They slam each of their fists together, creating a bluish-white, orange-dark sphere that encases all four of them. 

As the air sphere slowly solidifies into an icy globe, the young Earthbender hears a voice calling for her…

***

“Hua, good morning, it’s time to wake up.”

It’s Katara.

Slowly Hua blinks and looks around.

Ah right, they had reached the village in the middle of the night and then had just gone to bed.

“Morning Katara.”, she greets the older girl and gently strokes Jaiyi, still in her fox cub form, awake. “Come on, girl, time to rise and shine.”

“I will get Aang, go and make friends with the village.”, tells Katara enthusiastically.

Not like she has anything else to do.

So Hua picks Jaiyi up and walks out of the tent.

The Southern Water Tribe is really…something.

Hua is used to poverty in the Lower Rings of Ba Sing Se, however, the small pathetic size of the Water Tribe makes her heart twist uncomfortable.

“As Daimon it is your duty to help the people.”, she hears Monk Gyatsu's voice in her head.

The black-haired girl shakes her head to ban away that thought.

She didn’t ask to be the Daimon.

It was not her problem.

So she just waves back at the few Water Tribe women who greet her and smiles at the children who look in wonder at Jaiyi.

Hua sees Sokka beside a tent, sharping a boomerang and decides to talk to him.

She greets him with a smile, which he answers with a little manly huff.

It’s then that Katara steps out with Aang and presents him to the whole village.

“Aang, this is the entire village. Entire village, Aang.”

Aang bows respectfully toward the villagers, but they cower away in fear, bringing a surprised look to Katara, Aang's and Hua’s faces. Sokka just watches, while Jaiyi titles her head.

“Uh, why are they all looking at me like that? Did Appa sneeze on me?”

Confused Aang checks his clothing while an elderly woman steps forward out of the line of villagers.

“Well, no one has seen an airbender in a hundred years. We thought they were extinct until my granddaughter and grandson found you.”

“Extinct?”, repeat Aang and Hua shocked as Jaiyi makes a confused sound.

“What…did she say 100 years?”, wonders Hua quietly.

This must be a joke!

They were at the Souther Air Temple just a few days ago, which was full of airbenders.

Sokka heard her and told her: “You can thank the Fire Nation for that.”

This only confuses Hua and Jaiyi more.

What has the Fire Nation to do with this?

What is going on?

Meanwhile, the old lady turns out to be Katara and Sokka's grandma, called Gran-Gran, as Sokka walks up to the Airbender, demanding to know what his glider is.

Hua only halfheartedly pays attention to Aang's demonstration of his glider, which makes all besides Sokka ooh-ing and aah-ing and the eventual destruction of a Watchtower.

Even hearing that Katara is a waterbender, doesn’t make Hua move or say anything.

Her brain is in overdrive, trying to understand what is going on.

Gran-Gran says how the airbenders are extinct, how for 100 years no one has seen one and Sokka says it’s the Fire Nation's fault.

It couldn’t be that they had been in the iceberg for 100 years, she remembered with clarity how she and Aang had run away from the Southern Air Temple, so they didn’t have to be the Avatar and the Daimon.

Aang wanted to travel the world and she had wanted to go to Omashu to visit Bumi before going home to her family.

Aargh, she never should have allowed Aang to make a quick trip to the South Pole because he wanted to go Penguin sledging.

Look, what happened!

They freeze and the world turns crazy!

“Come, Jaiyi, let’s go for a run. I need to clear my head.”, states Hua, walking out of the village.

Her loyal nine-tailed fox jips in agreement and shifts to his larger, riding form.

The Earthbender climbs her mount, then they race along the icy tundra of the South Pole.

How long they just race and enjoy the beauty of the frozen land, Hua couldn’t say, she only knew that her thoughts weren’t getting quieter.

She doesn’t want to talk with Aang about Avatar and Daimon's business, they had agreed to forget this aspect of the other and what it meant because they wanted to be normal kids again.

Sadly it seemed, she had to talk with him.

Would she ever be free?

Deep in her thoughts she nearly misses Jaiyi growls.

“Hmm, what is it?”, she wants to now as the Kyuubi stops before a ship.

A Fire Nation Ship, lifted with ice.

“What the…?”, she stutters. “That looks like a war vessel!”

Out of nowhere, Aang with Katara in his arms jumps out of the ship and lands beside them.

“Hey Hua.”, greets her Aang solemnly, while Katara gets let down on the ground.

“Do I wanna know what is going on?”, she asks shaking, she has a bad feeling in her stomach.

“Hua, can you give us a lift? We should return as soon as we can to the village.”, begs Katara.

The Earthbender nods.

Jaiyi understands and gets larger so Katara and Aang can sit behind her.

It’s like Katara is hugging her as she quietly tells her what Aang and she realized on the Fire Nation Ship.

Tears flow done the green eyes of the black-haired girl as she absorbs anything.

They really had been in the iceberg for 100 years, the Fire Nation had turned evil and the world was at war.

However, Hua could only think about one thing.

Her family.

Her mother.

Her father.

Her little brother.

They were probably dead.

She was alone in the world…like Aang.

It would have been better if they had stayed in the iceberg!

Better than feeling this pain!

Softly a gloved hand wiped away her tears.

A little comfort in the terrible reality Hua finds herself now.

This… was her punishment for not accepting her faith as Daimon.

Hua was sure.

Yes, Yua has an animal companion and I thought why not a nine-tailed fox? If dragons exist, why not them?

The Avatar world has a lot of cool fusion animals, but none seemed fitting for Hua, so Kyuubi’s exist now in the Avatar World. :D

Jaiyi means Lucky One for everyone who is interested to know.

Thanks for reading and love a comment! <3

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Winter Break 2023

Hello, my loves! After long thinking and reflection, I decided to take a break from writing. I noted that again I don't find joy in my writing and I need a break to get it back, I suppose. Also, I want to enjoy Christmas Time and New Year without worrying about writing. So I'm going on Winter Break to regain inspiration and force. I will be back with writing in February 2024. I hope this gives me enough time to get my passion for writing back. I only have a favour to ask you, please, PLEASE, give my other fanfictions a chance. Please, I can't see anymore how Isekai'd as Chloe gets all the attention and my other writings get ignored. With this, I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! If something changes, check out my Tumblr for info! Cheers!