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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: Index

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?

Gallery

Prologue

Book 1.01

Book 1.02

Book 1.03

Book 1.04

Book 1.05

Book 1.06

Book 1.07

Book 1.08

Book 1.09

Book 1.10

Book 1.11

Book 1.12

Book 1.13

Book 1.14

Book 1.15

Book 1.16

Book 1.17

Book 1.18

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

Previous

Next

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: Book 1.03

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 1.03: The Southern Air Temple

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.

A few days had passed since Aang and Hua were broken free from the iceberg, which had been their prison for 100 of years.

Together with the water tribe siblings Katara and Sokka the Avatar and Daimon had begun their journey to master all four elements to end the long war the Fire Nation had started.

The first main goal was to reach the North Pole to find a waterbend master.

However, it didn’t mean they couldn’t make some stops.

Aang and Hua had been gone from the world for so long, anything had changed, they needed to see and learn how to move in this new world.

Also, they had important things to check.

So their first stop was the Southern Air Temple, Aang's birthplace, to look for other airbenders and maybe find out what had happened.

The quartetett one flying bison and a Kyuubi had camped yesterday on this tiny piece of island and were making anything ready for their journey to their destination for today.

Hua had a bad feeling in her stomach, as she helped Katara put their luggage in Appa's saddle.

She remembered with clarity how Gran-Gran, Katara and Sokka's grandma, had told them how no one had seen airbenders for 100 years.

She knew it was nearly impossible to meet up again with old friends and mentors, like Monk Gyatso, they were for sure dead, but Kanna's information and its implication, worried Hua.

Deep down she had a feeling if airbenders were still around, they wouldn’t be open about it and the other possibility…how Aang and her (even if she was only a quarter airbender) were the only airbenders left gave her a bitter taste in her mouth.

Other than Aang who was so sure to find his old home full of living airbenders, Hua had a strong feeling they would only find one thing there.

Death.

The black-haired girl shuddered.

It felt like yesterday as Monk Gyatso explained to her some only Daimon-related quirks.

Her Daimon spirit was born out of chaos and darkness, it meant she had a kind of radar for darker things more than Aang as Avatar, who flourished in order and light.

Destruction, pain, and even death gave her a thrill but also made her feel sick.

When she heard how no airbender had been seen for 100 years, a voice inside her said: they are dead.

Call it instinct or her weird Daimon Darkness-Radar, she knew it was true.

Hua had tried to warn Aang, to not get his hopes up, but sadly he didn’t listen to her.

He was too optimistic.

Typical Avatar.

“Wait 'til you see it, Katara!”, Hua heard Aang talk, returning her from her dark thoughts. “The Air Temple is one of the most beautiful places in the world!”

“Aang, I know you're excited, but it's been a hundred years since you've been home.”, reminds him Katara cautiously.

The waterbender looked at Hua, who gave her a tiny nod. 

Other than her counterpart, Hua didn't get her hopes up.

"That's why I'm so excited!", told Aang giddy.

"It's just that ... a lot can change in all that time."

"Katara is right Aang.", agreed Hua. "I have a really bad feeling about this. You shouldn't get your hopes up."

This made Aang roll his eyes and jump down from Appa's head.

"You and your bad feelings. You need to be more optimistic.", tutted Aang, which angered the Daimon.

She was not a little child!

"It would help you to be more realistic, Mr. Avatar. You can't live with your head in the clouds all the time!"

"I'm an airbender, it's in my nature."

"Yeah, that's your excuse for anything!"

"Children!", got Katara between them. 

She had a tired and annoyed look on her face. 

No wonder, since she and Sokka joined them, she had to stop the Avatar and Daimon regular from arguing.

"Not this early in the morning, please."

"Sorry, Katara.", they chorused together.

How synchronic they could be, when they didn't want to smash heads with each other, would astonish Katara forever.

Since neither Aang nor Hua wanted to give Katara any grief, they decided to drop the matter, for now.

Hua called for Jaiyi, who had been playing with the waves.

While her Kyuubi joined her and Katara on the saddle, Aang got Sokka out of his sleeping back, pretending there was a prickle snake in it.

They were ready now!

***

Serenly Appa was flying through the Patola Mountain range.

It's a great day for flying, musses Hua, as she sits beside Sokka and Katara on Appa's saddle, having Jaiyi in her lap.

Her nine-tails currently getting pats from her and Katara, as Sokka's stomach growls loudly.

The three females look at him in a deadpan.

Really?

He was hungry again?

They had breakfast about an hour and a half ago.

How was this possible?

"Hey, stomach? Be quiet, all right? I'm trying to find us some food.", grips Sokka with one hand his growling stomach and with the other reaches for their food bag.

His tongue out of his mouth full of anticipation, as he starts to go through it. 

He looks surprised for a moment, but quickly turns the bag upside down to pour the contents into his hand. 

Only a few crumbs land on his glove.

"Hey!", the water tribe warrior shouts, pointing an accusing finger in the direction of his companions. " Who ate all of my blubbered seal jerky?!"

"Oh. That was food? I used it to start the campfire last night. Sorry.", tells him Aang happily.

Hua makes a facepalm, Jaiyi just deadpans more and Katara can only shake her head.

Meanwhile Sokka nearly cries and whines about why the flames smelled so good last night.

"The Patola Mountain range! We're almost there!", announces Aang with excitement.

Katara and Hua look at each other, silently agreeing and they crawl towards Aang.

"Aang, we need to talk.", begins Hua.

"About what?"

"About the airbenders."

"What about 'em?"

"Well, we just want you to be prepared for what you might see. The Fire Nation is ruthless.", tells him Katara. Sadly her hand goes to her chocker. "They killed my mother, and they could have done the same to your people."

In compassion the earthbender wraps an arm around Katara's shoulder, giving her a squeeze.

The older girl had told her this a few days ago, when they had bathed in a hot spring together, enjoying some time away from the males. Both had cried together for their dead family and comforted the other.

Still, Hua would always comfort Katara when she needed to, like Katara did with her.

However, this does not have the wished effect on Aang, because he just cheerfully says how the airbender probably escaped and how you can reach only one of the temples with a flying bison and he doubts the Fire Nation had.

So no worries.

For that Hua flicks the back of his head.

"Hey! What was that for?!"

"You are an unsensible brat, you know that?", hisses Hua. "Katara tells you her mother was killed and not even some condolences from you! What a great friend you are."

This makes Aang blush in embarrassment.

"Katara I-"

"Aang, Hua, it's okay, don't start to argue again, alright?"

"But-?"

Suddenly Jaiyi lets out a warning yip, as Appa starts to climb higher and higher the mountain. The only one who isn't screaming in surprise and tightly holding onto the saddle is Aang since he sits on Appa's head and holds the reins tightly.

After a few seconds, they break the cloud and there is it...the Southern Air Temple in its glory.

"Aang, it's amazing!", shouts Katara.

"Ha, I forgot the bumpy ride, but for this visual it's all worth it!", musses Hua, still holding Jaiyi tightly to her chest, as the nine-tails make an agreening sound.

"We're home, buddy! We're home.", says Aang with happy tears in his eyes to Appa.

A while later Appa lands them on one of the landing platforms of the temple and the humans with Jaiyi make their way towards it.

Of course, Aang was in the lead, Hua and Jaiyi behind him, making Katara and Sokka take up the rear.

With only a half ear Hua hears how Sokka wants food and Katara scolds him for it, reminding him how they are the first outsiders at the temple.

Since they touched down, the Daimon feels sick to the stomach. 

It's like she can taste the decay in the air.

Hearing screams of pain and plaids of mercy.

This is a graveyard and nothing more.

How she feels bad to think this about the temple.

Her point is only proven when Aang tells the others where he played airball with his friends, where the bison slept and trails off to admit how everything changed and only weed is remaining.

They quickly approach Aang. 

To lift his spirits Sokka plays with him airball and gets absulty demolished.

At least the Avatar is again in a good mood.

But poor Sokka who landed hard in the snow.

Hua has Jaiyi in her arms, looking at how Aang lets the airball twirl in his hands, wondering when she will be apply to do this, as Katara calls for them.

The younger ones walk towards them, only to see how Katara buries Sokka with snow.

"What's up?", ask Hua confused.

"Uh ... Just a new waterbending move I learned."

"Nice one! But enough practising.", exclaims Aang. "We have a whole temple to see!"

The airbender walks away and Hua follows after a second.

She has a feeling about what Katara and Sokka found and wants them to see, Hua tastes and feels it in the air, but maybe, just for a few minutes more, she can lie to herself.

Even if it was for a short time, the Southern Air Temple had been her home, it's already breaking her heart to see it so empty.

Hah, she is such a hypocrite!

Telling Aang he needs to face the truth when she is here trying to ignore it.

Jaiyi licks her cheek, trying to lift her spirits. In thanks, she gives her a kiss on the head.

For a few more minutes she will be just a girl, who returns home, then she will face the truth, she promises herself.

They reach the courtyard where Monk  Gyatso statue stands. 

"Hey guys!", Aang calls back to the water tribe siblings. "I want you to meet somebody!"

"Who's that?", asked Sokka.

"Monk Gyatso.", answers Hua, a tear slipping down her eye. "When I was brought to the Southern Air Temple he became my guardian. He was already Aang teacher and mentor, so I was his charge also."

"He was also the greatest airbender in the world and taught me anything I know.", adds Aang.

Together Aang and Hua bow before the monk both loved like a father/grandfather, remembering times long ago…

***

Hua is swinging all alone on a swing in a beautiful courtyard of the Southern Air Temple. She can see some bison calves eating grass and a few flying lemurs are sitting on the tree, where the swing is tied.

Her heart is heavy, but she refuses to cry.

“Of course, you are here.”, she hears the gentle voice of Monk Gyatso behind. “You want to tell what happened, Hua?”

She turns her head to the monk, stopping her swinging.

“Aang is an idiot and nothing more. I can’t believe he is supposed to be my other half.”, she grumbles.

Monk Gyatso frowns, stepping beside her. 

He pats her gently on the head.

It helps a little to feel better.

“Talk with me Hua, what happened?”

“I don't even remember anymore, we always are at each other throats for stupid things.", she admits quietly. "The Avatar and the Daimon are supposed to be a team, but Aang and I hate each other guts. It makes me feel like a failure. I'm more and more sure that the monks and the earth priests were wrong about us."

"Now, Hua, the only thing that they did wrong was telling you both your destiny and making you meet now and not at sixteen. But we can't concern ourselves with what was. We must act on what is.", Gyatso tells her calmy.

"I try, but I'm not really good at this. Will I be ever ready? Can Aang and I become friends or are we doomed to hate each other?"

"Your questions will be answered when you're old enough to enter the air temple sanctuary. Inside, you will meet someone who will guide you on your journey. Normally you would be brought to an Earth Temple Sanctuary, but the elders and our priests had to mix up anything.", was the last thing the monk huffed irritated.

A little smile forms on Hua's lips.

"I hope you are right because if not, I will bury Aang alive."

This makes both of them laugh.

"Give it time, little flower.", reassured her Gyatso. "You both were always friends in any of your lifetimes. You will find a common ground."

"Well, if you say so."

"Now, how about a hug? I can see that you need one.", smiles Gyatso grandfatherly at her.

The young girl grins and falls in the comforting embrace of the monk, who was more like a grandfather, than a teacher to her.

***

Aang and Hua are still bowing before the statue of their shared guardian, as Katara puts a hand on each of their shoulder. On the floor between them is Jaiyi, who snuggles the Avatar and Daimon to her best abilities.

"You must miss him.", says Katara in understanding to her two friends.

They confirm and start walking.

"Where are you going?"

"The air temple sanctuary.", begins Aang and Hua ends the sentence with:  "There's someone we are ready to meet."

Aang and Hua enter the hallway, Jaiyi following after them. 

Katara looks questioningly at Sokka, who just shrugs. 

They both start walking after the Avatar and Diamon.

The round symbol of intertwined air currents, the national symbol of the Air Nomads is largely embedded in the floor, surrounded by two square shapes that form some sort of sun together.

The quartet and nine-tailed fox have reached the entrance of the air temple sanctuary. 

The door supports a combination of metal-coloured pipes and three, blue, rolled-up, pipes that are similar looking and arranged like the symbol for airbending. 

The large wooden door is framed by the branches of an old tree standing on the left of it and the hallway is illuminated by sunlight that falls through little, round windows.

"But Aang, Hua no one could have survived in there for a hundred years.", protested Katara sceptically.

"It's not impossible. We survived in the iceberg for that long.", reminds Aang.

"Good point."

"Whoever is in there, will help us to become a fully realized Daimon and Avatar.", explains Hua.

Eagerly Sokka steps forward, with a hungry look in his eyes.

"And whoever's in there might have a medley of delicious cured meats!"

Full of anticipation and longing, Sokka charges at the door, but it will not budge and he simply smacks into it, head first. 

Hua, Katara and Jaiyi try not to laugh, but tiny giggles escape them.

The water tribe warrior quickly turns around and puts his back on it, trying to push the giant door open. 

When the door does not move, he sighs, slides down to the floor, disappointed, and rests against it.

"I don't suppose you have a key?", he ask towards Aang and Hua.

"The key, Sokka, is airbending.", simply states Aang.

Aang gets in position as he takes a deep breath. 

He spreads his arms and thrusts them forward, sending an air current into both of the tubes on the door. 

The air follows the path of the right air current as it travels through the pipe. The wind makes one of the blue curled tubes turn around. 

When it does, the tube changes colors to purple and the wind blows out like a horn. 

The process is repeated for the other two blue tubes as well. 

When the three blue tubes have turned and become purple, the door unlocks and it slowly starts to open.

Light penetrates the dark room. 

The doors sway open.

"Hello?", calls Aang into the room. Slowly stepping in. "Anyone home?"

The others follow behind him.

Inside the room there are a large amount of statues of people, lined up in a circular pattern.

It's always two statues beside each other, nearly every one of them holds hands, but there are a few who just stand beside each other.

"Statues? That's it? Where's the meat?", groans Sokka in disappointment.

"Who are all these people?", wonders Katara.

Aang and Hua look pensive at the statues around them.

"I'm not sure. But it feels like I know them somehow. ", states Aang.

The Dsimon nods.

"I have the same feeling, hey look!", she points at a female statue. "This one is an earthbender."

"That one's beside the earthbender is an airbender.", says Aang.

"And this one's a waterbender, who holds hands with a firebender. Never thought I would see that.", musses Katara before she realizes. "They're lined up in a pattern: air and earth, water and fire, earth and air, and fire and water!"

"These are the Avatar and Daimon Cycles!", shout Aang and Hua together.

"Of course. They're Avatars and Daimons. All these people are your past lives, Aang and Hua."

"Wow! There are so many!", exclaims Aang.

"They go till the highest point of the room!", notes Hua. "I wonder why some hold hands and others not."

Katara lets out a hum, then snaps her fingers.

"I bet the ones who are holding hands were couples and the ones who don't were friends."

"Huh...makes sense.", mumbled Aang, looking like he bite into a lemon. 

He feels deep down that Katara is right.

He so does not like this!

Hua is right behind him making a yucky sound, stating: "I can't believe we were that often a couple! I can see maybe ten or so who were only friends."

However, both start to follow along the circle, looking at the statues.

Meanwhile Sokka of course doesn't believe this reincarnation bullshit and Katara has to make clear how every Avatar and Daimon after they die gets reincarnation in the next nation in their cycle.

Transfixed the Avatar and Diamon stand before the last two statues in the room.

A male Fire Nation Avatar holding hands with a female Water Tribe Daimon.

It's strange, but Hua has a feeling the beautiful aged elderly lady statue is calling for her.

Like she had met an old, dear friend, the presence is calm and comforting.

She hears the whisper of crashing waves, the soft and cold touch of snow ...

"Aang! Hua! Snap out of it!"

Abruptly Hua and Aang get shaken from their daze by a worried Katara.

"Huh?", both chorused intelligently.

"Who are they?", wants Katara to know.

"That's Avatar Roku, the Avatar before me."

"And she is Daimon Lixue, my predecessor."

Sokka joins them jokily stating: "Aang was a firebender? No wonder I didn't trust you when we first met."

"I think I heard about Lixue.", mubles Katara. "Just I can't remember all about her."

"She was from the Southern Water Tribe, no wonder you heard about her.", explains Hua.

"You were one of our tribesmen? Really?", say Sokka in disbelief. "Way to return back home and lead firebenders to us."

"Sokka!"

"What Katara?!"

"You know what I mean! Don't play dumb!"

Her brother just gave Katara a big grin. 

The waterbender huffs, before she notices something.

"There's no writing. How do you know their names?"

Automatically the current Avatar and Daimon look at each other and shrug their shoulders.

"We just know.", they chorus.

"You two just couldn't get any weirder.", bemoans Sokka with crossed arms.

All this Avatar/Daimon mumbo-jumbo was so not his thing. 

He liked a scientific explanation for the world.

The quartet and Jaiyi startle and stare with big eyes in front of them when they hear something. 

They turn around. 

A blue light on the floor comes in through the door. A long-eared shadow of another being that is approaching moves over it. 

Hua hides with Jaiyi behind the statue of Lixue, as the others scatter to a hiding place.

She sees Sokka, who is holding his club ready for everything

The shadow is creeping closer. 

"Firebender.", whisper Sokka. "Nobody makes a sound."

"You're making a sound!", grumbles Katara irritated.

For that, all shush her, even Jaiyi!

The shadow has reached the bases of the statues and reveals a small figure standing in the doorway; it chitters.

Eh, what?

Confused Hua and Jaiyi look around their statue, like Aang and Katara, while Sokka has still his club raised, but doesn't use it.

Before them sits a flying lemur.

The animal moves his large ear and blinks at them.

"Lemur!", shouts Aang excitedly.

"Dinner!", shouts Sokka hungrily.

"Don't listen to him. You're going to be my new pet."

"Not if I get him first!"

Sokka stretches his hand while he excitedly lunges himself at the animal from behind the statue. 

Aang runs up at the lemur as well. 

The lemur arcs his back in fright, his ears, hair and tail standing upright as the snatching hands of the boys draw closer. It startles, quickly turns around and makes a break for it. 

The water tribe boy misses the animal and falls down, while Aang nimbly avoids tripping as well by using Sokka's head as a stepping stone. Quickly Sokka gets up and runs behind Aang and the lemur as they exit the sanctuary.

Now only the girls and the kyuubi remain.

Katara and Hua find each other eyes.

"Boys.", they both exclaim tired, as Jaiyi makes an agreeing sound.

"I'm not running after them.", makes Katara clear and steps to Hua and Jaiyi.

"Me neither. Shall we look around more, maybe we find something interesting."

"Sure."

So the girls and Jaiyi look around the room and the statues. 

Only a few minutes pass, and as the girls and Jaiyi stand again before Avatar Roku and Daimon Lixue Roku's eyes begin to shine!

"What the?!", shouts Hua surprised.

They look around the room and see how all Avatar statues light up.

"Spirits, this isn't good!"

"Hua, we need to find Aang!"

Immediately Hua lets Jaiyi down and the floor and commands: "Girl, find Aang, fast!"

The kyuubi doesn't need to be told and follow Aang's smell.

Behind her Hua and Katara follow her through the whole temple, as they see a large tornado.

"That must be Aang!", yells the Daimon.

Soon they reach the tornado that Aang has become and Sokka who is holding on to a rock.

"What happened?", yells Katra over the wind, trying to not get blown away.

"He found out firebenders killed Gyatso!", explains Sokka.

"Oh no! It's his Avatar Spirit. He must have triggered it! I'm going to try and calm him down!"

However, she can't even make a step forward as Hua's hand stops her.

"Hua, what?!"

Whatever Katara wants to say, she forgets it the moment she looks back at Hua.

The Daimon's eyes are shining in a burning orange as she speaks with a thousand voices: "Stay down. It's too dangerous. I will calm my other half."

So Hua has entered Daimon State, it was maybe better if she talked to Aang. 

Sokka thinks the same and grips his sister and Jaiyi, holding them protective to his side.

"Well, do it! Before he blows us off the mountain!"

From the Daimon comes only a nod, as she makes her way over to the enraged Avatar.

With ease, she bends away the currents and flying debris.

When she reaches finally Aang she takes his hands in hers.

The Avatar looks full of anger and pain to the Daimon.

"My Yin, don't lose yourself in the pain. I know how you feel. I loved Gyatso and the other airbenders too. They became my family far from home. Your pain is mine. You are not alone. You have me, I will always be by your side!"

"Always, my Yang?", asks the Avatar also with a thousand voices in one.

"Till the last star in the universe dies out. This is our eternal promise."

"I remember."

"We have a family. Katara and Sokka are our family. The loved ones we lost, get reborn in new loved ones."

Finally, the winds calm down and the Avatar descends back to Earth. The two half embrace each other tight and kneel down on the ground.

Slowly their eyes return back to normal, however, they don't let go of each other.

Right now, only their other half can understand their pain and anguish.

The water tribe siblings and Jaiyi join them.

Katara embraces the two young children like a loving mother, while Jaiyi licks their cheeks and Sokka puts each a hand on their shoulder.

"You both are not alone, me and Sokka are your family now.", reassured Katara.

"Katara and I aren't going to let anything happen to you two. Promise.", swerves Sokka.

"I'm sorry.", sniffles Aang.

"It's okay. Don't worry.", mumbles Hua back, rubbing his back in comfort.

"It wasn't your fault.", adds Katara.

"But you girls were right. And if the firebenders found this temple, that means they found the other ones, too. I really am the last airbender."

"Don't forget me.", reminds him Hua gently. "I'm just a quarter airbender, but it still counts."

A little wet laugh escapes Aang and he buries his head deeper into the Daimon shoulder.

For now, the storm was over.

***

They, Aang and Hua, are back again in the sanctuary, looking one last time at Avatar Roku and Daimon Lixue.

Katara joins them, saying: "Everything's packed. Are you two ready to go?"

"How are Roku and Lixue supposed to help us if we can't talk to them?", wonders Aang.

"No idea.", admins Hua, picking up Jaiyi, and cuddling her to her chest.

"Maybe you'll find a way.", stays Katara optimistic.

They glance at each other when they hear something behind them. 

Turning around they see the flying lemur standing on its back legs in the middle of the doorway. 

The animal reaches Sokka's feet and drops the load he is carrying: a variety of fruits. 

The lemur quickly dashes away as Sokka sits down and starts to stuff his face with the fruit, taking large bites of two different pieces of fruit. 

Amused Hua, Jaiyi, Aang and Katara smile at Sokka.

"Looks like you made a new friend Sokka!", tell him Aang smiling.

"Can't talk! Must eat!"

The flying lemur climbs onto Aang and hides behind his head, his tail curled around Aang's neck. 

Seems like someone wants to go with them.

The group makes their way back to Appa, with their new lemur friend.

Aang has a hand on Appa, while the lemur is sitting on his arm, as they look back at the Southern Air Temple in the distance.

"You, me and Appa; we're all that's left of this place. We have to stick together.", tells them Aang, before he turns to the others. "Katara, Sokka, Hua and Jaiyi say hello to the newest member of our family."

"What are you going to name him?", asked Katara curious.

Sokka is about to take another bite of the peach he is eating when the lemur jumps to him, stealing the fruit and returning to Aang.

He starts to nibble it with gusto.

Well, this gives Aang an idea for a name.

"Momo!"

Sokka still stands there, mouth open and hand in front of his mouth, ready to take a bite, however, he has no peach anymore. 

The others start to laugh upon seeing Sokka's expression.

After that, they mount Appa and fly away from the Southern Air Temple.

Dusk is settling as Aang looks with Momo at how his old home become tinier and tinier.

In silence, Hua with Jaiyi joins them.

The girl pats his shoulder, giving him a little smile, which he returns.

And so the Avatar and Daimon look together at how the Southern Air Temple vanishes behind clouds.

A silent sentinel of a chapter in their lives.

Previous

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 1.05

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 1.05: The King of Omashu

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.

Hua felt her heart fill with joy, as she saw the familiar pyramide-like city of Omashu!

Oh, how she had longed to visit it again and see Bumi!

Sadly, she was 100 years too late.

Who knows what had happened to her, and Aang's, dear friend?

Of course, Jaiyi noted the solemn aura around her girl, so the nine-tailed fox snuggled against her legs, like a cat.

Thankful Hua reached down to give her trusty kyuubi a good rub between her ears.

Meanwhile, Aang presented the other Omashu in all her glory.

The Watertribe siblings were in awe since they had nothing similar in the South Pole.

"Wait, Aang!", calls Katara out to him, who was ready to just run into the city. "It could be dangerous if people find out you're the Avatar."

"You need a disguise.", added Sokka seriously.

"Why does Hua not need one?", the Avatar wondered.

"Maybe because I'm clearly Earth Kingdom and not an air nomad?", said Hua with a raised eyebrow. "No one would look at me and go: Aah, it's the legendary Daimon!"

Aang raised his finger as if he wanted to argue, then he frowned and put it down.

"Okay I see your point, but what I'm supposed to do? Grow a moustache?"

Oh, this gives Sokka an idea!

A few moments later Aang stands before them, wearing a wig and a large moustache made out of Appa fur.

Irretaited the last airbender scratches his head under the wig.

"Ugh. This is so itchy. How do you live in this stuff?", asked Aang his flying bison.

Appa slowly turns his head toward Aang and snorts at him as if he were scoffing.

"Great! Now you look just like my grandfather.", praises Sokka, happy how his idea worked.

"Technically, Aang is 112 years old.", reminds Katara.

"Just like me.", nods Hua in agreement and fixes her low-side ponytail. "I'm just glad I still look young. Would be really traumatic to wake up one day and be turned into an old lady."

Nimbly Aang kicks up his staff and spins it rapidly around before placing it upright on the ground to be used as a walking stick. 

He hunches his back and leans heavily on his staff like an old person.

"Now let's get to skippin', young whipper-snappers.", he says to them in his best grandfather voice. "The big city awaits!"

The Avatar shuffles towards Omashu, while the others stare at him.

At least he played his role.

So they followed behind him.

Appa and Jaiyi stayed behind. 

Since kyuubi’s seemed to be extinct and people know the Daimon had one, it was for now better to leave her with Appa.

As they are nearly at the gates of Omashu Aang tells the new visitors: "You guys are going to love Omashu. The people here are the friendliest in the world."

It's like the universe wants to prove him wrong because a guard doesn't let a cabbage saler into the city, telling the poor man, how his products are rotten and earthbends the cart off the bridge.

Team Avatar-Daimon just looks on in shock.

Exspecially Aang and Hua.

They didn't remember Omashu being so strict!

"Just keep smiling.", advises Aang his friends nervously.

"Smile and wave, guys, smile and wave!", mubles Hua, as they walk towards the entrance.

The earthbender guard steps to the front and raises a boulder out of the ground before Aang and levitates it above his head.

"State your business!", he growls aggressively.

Quickly the disguised Avatar runs from underneath the boulder and toward the guard; he halts right in front of the surprised man.

"My business is my business, young man!", scolds Aang the earthbender in his grandfather voice, poking his chest. "And none of yours!"

This surprises the guard so much, that he lets the boulder drop beside the water tribe siblings and Hua, who just look on in total disbelief at what Aang is doing.

He is either really brave or utterly stupid!

"I've got half a mind to bend you over my knee and paddle your backside!", continues Aang his spiel.

Strangely it works on the guard, who pleads the fake old man to calm down and just tell him who he is.

"Name's Bonzu Pippinpaddleopsicopolis, the Third, and these are my grandkids."

Smiling and waving, Katara and Hua step beside their "grandfather".

"Hi. June Pippinpaddleopsicopolis.", introduces Katara herself.

"And I'm April Pippinpaddleopsicopolis.", says Hua.

"Nice to meet you.", choruse the girls together.

Pensively rubbing his beard, the guard eyed the two children and one old man before him, before he pointed at Katara and Hua.

Or June and April apparently.

"You seem like responsible young ladies. See that your grandfather stays out of trouble. Enjoy Omashu!"

The guard steps aside and motions at the city's entrance.

"We will!", promises Katara, while Hua nods.

"Of course, sir."

Team Avatar-Daimon starts to pass the gate to Omashu, before nearly having a heart attack because the guard seems mistrusting of Sokka, only to reveal that he thinks Sokka should show his "grandfather" some respect and carry his bag.

Bonzu aka. Aang doesn't waste a moment and throws his bag at Sokka. The bag bounces off his head to drop into his arms. 

Sokka shoots Aang an annoyed glare over his shoulder.

The quartet stands before a big Earth Kingdom emblem on the wall before them. 

Then the giant earthen wall splits open in the middle of the emblem, opening up to let any passengers through. 

The guard opens up the gate walls. 

As the first wall slides open, a second and third are bent aside as well. 

Katara and Sokka watch in awe at the spectacle while Aang and Hua are smiling behind them. 

They walk through as the walls already start to move again to close right after them. 

100 years may have passed, but Omashu was still as beautiful as Hua remembers.

It was comforting.

"This is the Omashu delivery system.", explains Aang in his normal voice to Sokka and Katara the intricate system of chutes. "Miles and miles of tubes and chutes."

They watch as four earthbenders stand beside a platform where one earthen cart slides out and another one filled with vegetables comes into view. 

As the cart passes one earthbender, he uses his bending to change the cart's direction and pushes it to the front, where another earthbender bends it up a tube to two other earthbenders standing at the ready to receive it. 

One earthbender quickly bends stone lintels underneath the cart so it would not fall down again, while the other one thrusts it off the platform, where it slides down a chute at high speed.

"Earthbending brings the packages up, and gravity brings them down."

Unimpressed Sokka states: "Great, so they get their mail on time."

"They do get their mail on time, but my friend Bumi found a better use for these chutes.", tells them Aang with mischief in his eyes.

Hua can't help but laugh as she remembers.

"Oh, this was an adventure."

***

Hua was so glad that the monks allowed them to leave the Southern Air Temple for a while to visit Aang's friend Bumi in Omashu.

It was her first time in Omashu and the Daimon was enthralled by the beauty of the city.

She loved Ba Sing Se, it was her home, but Omashu had something special about her.

So while Monk Gyatsu enjoyed some tea with Bumi's parents, the three kids were walking around the city.

Since it was Hua's first time here, Bumi wanted to give her a sightseeing tour.

The young girl had to admit, that even if Bumi had a crazy look in his eyes, he was super nice to her and threatened her like she was an old friend.

Their friendly earthbending spare had helped also. 

Bumi had shown her some new cool bending moves, which she was thankful for.

Currently, they were on one of the many panoramic views points of Omashu, looking down at the city and her mail system.

"Look around you! What do you see?", asked Bumi with excitement in his voice.

"Um ... The mail system?", answered Aang unsure.

"Instead of seeing what they want you to see, you got to open your brain to the possibilities.", lectured the redhead.

 "A package-sending system?", tried Hua her luck.

What was Bumi getting at?

"The world's greatest superslide!", revealed Bumi cheerfully.

For a few seconds, Hua and Aang stared at their friend, before realizing, he was indeed right!

"Bumi, you're a mad genius!", declared Aang.

Bumi made his odd snort-laugh and the three friends rode the mail system like a crazy rollercoaster.

It was one of the funniest afternoons Hua had in her entire life!

***

Now, 100 years back in the present, find Aang and Hua with the water tribe siblings sitting in a mail cart, ready to again enjoy the wild ride the mail system has to offer.

The Avatar and Daimon are full-out excited, while the siblings look around them, unsure and slightly frightened.

"One ride. Then we're off to the North Pole. Airbender's honor."

"And earthbender's honour.", adds Hua.

Katara is telling them their second thoughts about all this, but it's already too late as Aang and Hua lean forward, making the mailcart race down the slope at a tremendous speed!

Momo, who has been hiding in Aang's wig the entire time, hold on tight to his master's head, chittering away.

Aang and Hua shout happily, Hua even raises her arms up in the air!

Sokka and Katara just pray that this ride is over soon, both are seeing their life pass before their eyes!

The chute they are riding pulls up next to a parallel one, where a cart with a rack of six spears is racing down. 

They pull up next to the cart with the spears and they all stare at it, no one making a sound. 

They race past it and both tracks join together. 

Sokka and Katara scream as the two chutes merge into one chute with the spear-cart behind them, but quickly gaining. 

Sokka hears it coming and turns around. He gasps and ducks just in time to avoid being skewered by the spears. 

Katara turns around and screams in fear as she sees the weapons so close. 

Aang, smiling excitedly, and Hua turns as well to see what the commotion is all about.

"I'm on it!", yells Aang.

The Avatar begins to rock the cart. 

Hitting each side once, the cart flies out of the chute and onto a roof, where it continues its descent.

They smash into what seems to be the middle of soldiers and warriors going off to war, which shocked the Omashu forces before they descended down further.

The cart with the quartet and one lemure breaks through the railing closing off the other chute and crosses the track, knocking over one of the supply carts, spilling a load of pumpkins all over the ground. 

The knocked-over cart lies on the track, where another incoming cart crashes into it.

The waterbender yells at Aang to use his airbending to avoid a crash, however, he thinks it's about to make the cart faster.

Whatever, he uses his airbending and they pass by a restaurant, where a couple is eating together. 

The couple looks up in surprise at the kids flashing by while the waiter dashes over to see what is going on. 

An earthbender soldier is waiting for the arrival of the next cart. As a cart of scrolls stops in front of him, the cart with the Team Avatar-Daimon flies down an incredibly steep slope. 

As the slope flattens out, the kids cry out in alarm as they are moments from colliding with the motionless cart in front of the bender. 

The earthbender on duty at that station sends it on its way, briefly relieving the quartet of the speeding cart. 

Much to the riders' horror, another cart instantly pops up from the tube below the bender. 

Before it can be moved, the kids' cart crashes into it, catapulting them and their cart into the air, high above a lower level of the city. 

Aang airbends the cart in front of them as they fall, making them drop back into the cart. 

The kids ride down several roofs, leaving damaged tiles in their wake. The cart flies through one window, ricochets off of the floor where a big vase is, smashing it and making the riders grunt, and flying out the window opposite. 

The craftsman peers out the ruined window as a dust cloud emerges, revealing that the cart has crashed against something else.

They land on a balcony and slide through another house. 

Emerging on the other side, a bearded cat chases Momo around Aang's wig until the lemur pushes it off. 

The cart smashes through a parapet and drops vertically out of sight. 

Their ride ends drastically as they smash against a cabbage cart.

Aang, Hua, Katara, and Sokka are in a tangled heap by the remains, while Momo elegantly floats down.

"My cabbages!", screams the cabbage merchant in outrage. "You're gonna pay for this!"

Guards walk up, surrounding the still-dazed kids. 

Aang is the first to sit up, his disguise pretty much gone, revealing his youthful face and airbending arrow.

"Two cabbages please.", says Aang sheepish, to make light of the situation.

Yeah, it doesn't help at all.

They get dragged to the ruler/king of Omashu, to be the judge about their property destruction.

The cabbage merchant demands that they get beheaded for his precious cabbages!

If Hua did not try her hardest to look apologetic and sweet to the king, she would ask the cabbage merchant if he was right in the head.

No cabbages destruction justifies a beheading.

The king of Omashu stares at them, he has a kind of crazy aura around him before he declares that they should throw a feast for Team Avatar-Daimon.

Not only are the kids shocked, but everyone from the guard to the cabbage merchant is.

This is how Team Avatar-Daimon finds themselves sitting on a rich table, filled with a lot of tasty food and the king of Omashu as their host.

It was so crazy, that Hua thought, she hit her head during their impro rollercoaster ride and was dreaming this all up.

But pinching herself didn't wake her up, so it was all real.

"The people in my city have gotten fat from too many feasts.", tells the King, leaning over Aang's chair, grabbing the chicken leg that is on his plate, holding it in front of him. "So I hope you like your chicken with no skin."

"Thanks, but I don't eat meat.", explains Aang.

 "How about you? I bet you like meat.", asks the king, who stuffs the chicken into Sokka's mouth, who eats it appreciatively and walks over to his own seat.

"Is it just me, or is this guy's crown a little crooked?", whisper-shouts Katara to Hua and Aang.

"No I'm with you.", agrees Hua. "I noted it too."

"So tell me, young bald one, where are you from?", wants the king to know.

"I'm from ... Kangaroo Island!"

"Oh, Kangaroo Island, eh? I hear that place is really hopping!"

A moment of silence occurs, and someone coughs. 

The four children looked straight at the king with blank faces.

Suddenly Sokka bursts out laughing. 

Katara, Hua and Aang look at him, still with a blank expression.

"What? It was pretty funny.", mumbles Sokka defensively.

"Well, all these good jokes are making me tired. Guess it's time to hit the hay.", yawns the king tired.

The king eyes them with a weird expression as he leans to the left on his chair. 

Out of nowhere, he hurls a chicken leg at them. 

The meat flies through the air as Aang nearly tumbles off his chair in reflex of catching the chicken leg in a small airball. 

The guards gasped in surprise. 

Uh-Oh!

"There's an airbender in our presence, and not just any airbender. The Avatar! And the Earth Kingdom girl is surely the Daimon!", announced the King in triumph.

Oh spirits!

"Now, what do you have to say for yourself, Mr. and Miss Pippinpaddleopsicopolis?"

What should they do now?

Aang and Hua looked at each other, hoping the other had an idea of what to do.

The Avatar mouthed: Follow my lead, before he stood up from his chair, raising his hands into the air.

Hua mimics him.

She hoped he knew what to do.

"Okay, you caught me.", said Aang. " I'm the Avatar and she is the Daimon."

If they had discussed this spiel before Hau continued: "Yeah, you know Doing our Daimon/Avatar thing, keeping the world safe. Everything checks out."

"No firebenders here."

"None there."

"So, good work, everybody!", chorused the Avatar-Daimon due together.

Each wrapped an arm around one of the water tribe siblings, Aang with Sokka and Hue with Katara.

Slowly they all walked backwards, in hopes they could just leave.

"Love each other.", told Hua.

"Respect all life.", advised Aang.

"And don't run with your spears. We'll see you next time!", they said as one again.

As they near the guards at the exit door, the two men cross their spears, effectively blocking their paths.

Of course, it wouldn't be that easy!

Damn it!

"You can't keep us here!", shouted Katara. "Let us leave!"

Unimpressed the king waved around with a lettuce leaf.

"Lettuce leaf?"

Then he took a bite out of it.

"We're in serious trouble. This guy is nuts.", whisper-shouted Sokka to the others.

"Tomorrow, the Avatar and Daimon will each face a deadly challenge and then together a final one.", decided the king for them. "But for now, the guards will show you to your chamber."

One of his guards leaned towards the mad king and asked him in which chamber they should put Team Avatar-Daimon.

They got a bit back in forth because the bad chamber was newly renovated before it was made clear that the king wanted them there.

Not having a choice the kids followed the guards and were brought into the chapter.

It was a nice room, with four comfy-looking beds, only no windows and doors.

"This is a prison cell? But it's so nice.", said Katara astonished.

Momo was the first to jump in one of the beds before the others each chose one to sit down.

"He did say it was newly refurbished.", reminds Aang.

"Nice or not, we're prisoners!", pointed Sokka out.

"I wonder what these challenges are going to be.", though Hua out loud worried. "That guy is so crooked, it could be anything."

Katara stated that they shouldn't stay put to wait it out. 

She asked Hua if she just could earthbend them out of the room, but the Daimon was pretty sure there were guards around them. Even if they got out, they would sure get apprehended.

Aang had then the idea of using the air vents, showing Momo into it and asking him to get Appa and Jaiyi.

Sokka wondered what this should bring them, as Aang explained how Appa was ten-ton flying bison and Jaiyi could turn into a big, fighting Kyuubi, they surely would break them out somehow.

Sadly Momo seems stuck.

Well, so much for that.

The waterbender advises all to go to sleep, especially Aang and Hua since they have to face these challenges of the king.

It's not like they had another choice.

So all called it a night and got to sleep.

***

The next morning Hua gets woken up, by Aang who is shaking her awake.

"Huh, what? What's up?", mumbles the Daimon sleepy, rubbing her eyes.

"Hua, wake up! Katara and Sokka are gone!", shouts Aang worried.

This wakes Hua up fully.

Frantically she scans the room.

Indeed!

Their friends are gone!

"What's going on?", she aks Aang.

He shrugs his shoulder, being lost too.

"I don't know."

"If you two are ready now.", calls a guard over from a created passage. "The king will free your friends if you complete your challenges."

Together Aang and Hua face the guard.

Rightfully Aang ask what happens if they fail. The guard has no idea and asks in turn for Aang staff.

Reluctantly the Avatar hands it over.

With a tiny escort of guards Hua and Aang are brought into the throne room, where the mad king is already waiting for them.

"First, Avatar and Daimon, what do you think of my new outfit? I want your honest opinions.", this is the first thing the kings say to them.

Erm, what?

Hua blinks blankly, while Aang just stares blankly.

Someone coughs again.

"I'm waiting."

"I ... guess it's fine.", tells him Aang, scratching his head.

"It's a nice colour.", adds Hua, crossing her arms.

"Excellent! You passed your first tests."

"Really?", choruse the Avatar and Daimon together.

"Well, not one of the deadly tests.", the mad king waves his finger from side to side, emphasizing his words. "The real challenges are much more, uh, challenging."

Having enough of this crazy king's mind games Aang and Hua run up to him, demanding that he hand over Katara and Sokka since they are leaving.

To the misfortune of Team Avatar-Daimon, the king is much more cunning. He expected that they wouldn't cooperate, so he "gifted" the water tribe siblings each with a jennamite ring, also known as creeping crystal. 

It's a crystal that grows remarkably fast.

By nightfall, their friends will be completely covered in it.

The king could stop it, but would only do so if Aang and Hua played his games.

Left with no choice, they agreed.

All to save their friends.

So they followed the king to Aang's first task, a cave filled with stalagmites and stalactites and a waterfall.

A key hangs from the ceiling and a ladder is also there.

Aang's task seems simple, fetch the king the key to his lunchbox, however, the waterfall is so strong that he doesn't have a chance to grab it just.

After he cut with his airbending a stalactite and used it as a spear to fetch the key, he can give it to the king.

Now it's Hua's turn.

They are now a large sunken enclosure in a new room.

The kings ask Hua to fetch him his pet Flopsie.

So Hua looks around and finds a cute lop-eared bunny.

"I found him.", she calls over to the king.

"Bring him to me. Daddy wants a kiss from Flopsie!"

Slowly to not startle the bunny Hua walks towards him, when suddenly something lands behind her, scaring the bunny away.

"Flopsie, wait!", she calls to the bunny, as she hears the loud huff of an animal.

She turns around and sees a huge goat gorilla.

"Oh spirits!"

Goat Gorilla chases now her, while she tries to get Flopsie.

After a few minutes of running around, the Daimon notes, how the goat gorilla seems always to stop when she calls for Flopsie.

Could it be...?

Testing her theory she turns to the goat gorilla addressing him with Flopsie.

It seems she was indeed right.

Flopsie turns out to be the goat gorilla, who picks her up and licks her cheek, before running to the mad king, getting a belly rub.

So she passed her test also and now it's the final one, Aang and her have to take it together.

They are now in an earthbending arena on a balcony, while the nearly fully enclosed water tribe siblings are on another with a guard.

"Your final test is a duel. You fight together as a team. And as a special treat, you may choose your opponent.", explains the mad king.

Two tough-looking men come out, standing next to the king. Aang and Hua look at them uncertainly.

"Point and choose."

"So ... you're saying whoever we point to, that's the person we get to fight?", wants Aang to make sure.

"Choose wisely!"

Hua and Aang look for a second and each other before they point at the mad king.

"We choose you!"

This makes the mad king cackel.

"Wrong choice!"

The king straightens up and removes his outer robe, proving himself to be a powerfully built old man!

Oh no, this was just their luck!

He earthbends Aang and Hua off of the balcony, making them fly into the arena. 

The king jumps down right in front of them and still laughing.

"You thought I was a frail old man, but I'm the most powerful earthbender you'll ever see."

"Can we fight the guy with the axe instead?", pleads Aang with Hua rapidly nodding in agreement.

"There are no take-backsies in my kingdom.", makes the king clear, before telling the guard, who has Aang staff, to throw it to the Avatar.

The fight is on!

Hua bends a stone wall before her, while Aang avoids the rocks the king launches at them.

"Typical airbender tactic: avoid and evade. And typical earthbender: endure and not back down.", musses the king. "I hoped the Avatar and Daimon would be less predictable."

He keeps attacking them with flying rocks, as the two young benders stay with their tactics.

It was going nowhere like this.

"Aang!", calls Hua over. "Let's try to attack together, we can't just avoid."

"Finally trying something new, he?", musses the mad king, still happily throwing big boulders at them.

Hua bends a huge earth avalanche and surfs on top of it towards Aang.

"What is your idea?", shouts Aang, jumping away from a boulder, that would have knocked him down.

"I will attack with my earthbending when you see an opening strike!"

"At least you kids seem to work together.", chuckles the king.

He sends a huge earth plate towards Hua, who counters with her own, then she twirls around like she had Katara see with water and sends a stream of rocks towards him.

A bit surprised the king stops the rocks, while Aang jumps over Hua and his head to be behind him.

The Avatar raises his staff and air blasts him towards Hua.

She sends a huge boulder towards the king.

He can break it, but now is surrendered by Hua and Aang. 

The avatar holding his staff against the back of the neck, while the Daimon is ready to smack his face in with a boulder.

This makes the king chuckle again, but this time it's quite friendly.

"Nice teamwork, like an Avatar and Daimon should have."

He bends up to the balcony where the two water tribe siblings are almost completely encased. 

Aang and Hua join him.

"You've passed all my tests. Now, you must answer one question.", says the king.

The Avatar and Daimon protest, reminding him that he promised to release Katara and Sokka when they passed their test.

He just tells them what are tests if they don't learn anything.

So he asks them a simple question.

What is his name?

Leaving the Avatar and Daimon with their friends, the mad king would wait for them in the throne room, when they had the answer.

Frantically Team Avatar-Daimon brainstorms his name.

Sokka bets his name is Rocky, because earthbender=rocks.

Katara says they will keep it in mind and ask Aang and Hua what they learned during their task.

The answer was there.

Both admin how it wasn't what it seemed at first and they had to think differently than normal.

Like lightning struck them, they have the answer!

***

They are all back in the Throne Room, as Hua begins: "We solved the question the same way we solved the challenges."

"As you said a long time ago, we had to open our brains to the possibilities.", continues Aang.

The king lets out a familiar weird snort-laugh, which brings happy tears to Aang and Hua's eyes.

"Bumi, you're a mad genius.", choruse the Avatar and Daimon together.

With tears and happy shouts, they ran up to their old dear friend, who was now an old man.

The three hug each other tightly.

Happy to be finally reunited.

"Oh Aang, Hua, it's good to see you two. You haven't changed a bit. Literally.", states Bumi and you hear the emotions in his voice.

He had thought long ago, that he had lost both his dearest friends at the same time.

Never in his long life, he guessed he would see them again.

Their happy reunion has to stop because Katara and Sokka are nearly engulfed by the crystal. Bumi breaks the crystals using earthbending, making pieces fly everywhere. 

He catches one of them.

"Jennamite is made of rock candy. Delicious!"

"So this crazy king is your old friend Bumi?", ask Katara to be sure.

This guy had a weird way to welcome back his old friends in his life.

"Who are you calling old?", grumbles Bumi. All just stare at him. "Okay, I'm old."

"Why did you do all of this instead of just telling Aang and Hua who you were?", wonders Sokka.

"First of all, it's pretty fun messing with people.", snorts Bumi before he turns serious to Aang and Hua. "But I do have a reason. Aang and Hua, you have a difficult task ahead. The world has changed in the hundred years that you've been gone. It's the Avatar and Daimon's duty to restore balance to the world by defeating Fire Lord Ozai. You have much to learn. You must master the four elements and confront the Fire Lord. And when you do, I hope you will think like a mad genius. And it looks like you're in good hands. You'll need your friends to help you defeat the Fire Nation."

Momo joins them, by climbing Aang's shoulder.

Bumi laughs.

"And you'll need Momo, too."

"Thank you for your wisdom.", exclaim Aang and Hua together.

"But before we leave, I have a challenge for you."

"I think, I know what Aang is getting at and I'm fully supporting it."

The king blinks.

Sometime later the habitats of Omashu see their beloved and crazy king Bumi ride the mail system with the Avatar and Daimon.

The three having fun, just like old times.

Time may have passed, but the three would always be friends.

They knew it in their hearts.

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Yin and Yang: Book 1.06

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 1.06: Imprisoned

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.

***

"Yeah that's it, keep holding it!"

"I never knew air could be....so rebellious!"

"Don't lose your concentration, Hua, spin the air ball, and make it bigger!"

"Make it bigger?", repeated Hua astonished.

She wanted to send a glare at Aang, but all her concentration was fixed on the little air sphere she had created.

Team Avatar-Daimon had left Omashu a few days ago and were on the road again.

While they waited for Sokka to bring them dinner, Hua and Aang trained in airbending.

Katara had Jaiyi on her lap watching them and Appa was relaxing beside her.

"You are doing great, Hua!", cheered her Katara on. "You can do it!"

Jaiyi yipped in agreement and Appa made an encouraging grumbling noise.

Biting her lip in concentration the Daimon tried her best to bend more air into the airball.

It failed spectacularly!

She lost control of the ball and got hit in the face with the air current.

Autsch!

From all around her she heard sympathetic whines as tears shot in her eyes.

"I'm the worst airbender, EVER!", cried Hua, rubbing her hurting face.

Fast Katara was at her side, hugging her, while Jaiyi snuggled up her legs.

"Now, now, Hua, you can do it. It just takes time.", tutted Katara gently. "No master fell from heaven. Aang tell her she isn't the worst."

The Avatar joined them and petted Hua's shoulder awkwardly.

 "A few days ago you couldn't even form an airball, now you can do it, even if it's tiny."

"Thanks, Aang."

Yeah, since being reunited with Bumi and then leaving him, the air between the Avatar and Daimon was weird.

Hua wouldn't say they were friends per se, however, they didn't argue as much as before and Aang finally started to teach her better airbending.

Oh, they still had different opinions on a lot of things, Katara and even Sokka a few times, had to stop them from really starting a big fight, but as she was saying seeing Bumi again had made them both think.

They remember Bumi as this crazy redheaded young boy with even crazier ideas, seeing him as an old man, made it real what had happened to them.

How they had been imprisoned in ice for over a hundred years, how anything has changed but them.

Technical they were both 112 years old, however, their bodies and minds were still the ones of young children.

No one could understand what a situation they were in.

No one, besides their other half.

So, they had formed a kind of truce.

It was...comforting to talk with another how everything was so different, how they missed their old lives and have the person understand it fully because they were right along with them.

Yeah, so not as much hating as before and a bit of camaraderie had forward between Aang and Hua.

Maybe with time they even would call each other friends!

Something a week ago both had thought impossible.

Anyway, for today the airbening lesson stopped, decide Katara.

She put a cold wet cloth on Hua's face to help the light swelling which was forming.

The Daimon gave her her thanks, Katara was so awesome, as Aang welcomed back Sokka and Momo.

The lemur sat beside Jaiyi and Appa chittering away, maybe telling them what Sokka and he found for food.

The humans were eagerly sitting before Sokka as he dug through his back to show them, what he had found.

"We've got a few options.", told them Sokka. "First; round nuts. And some kind of oval-shaped nuts? And some rock-shaped nuts, that might just be rocks. Dig in!" 

They all stared at him.

"Seriously ... what else you got?", asked Katara for the rest of their group.

This couldn't just be it?

How should they get a full stomach with only nuts?

Suddenly the entire earth quakes, surprising the group.

Sokka wonders what this was, as the earth again shudders. Somehow Aang managed to pin-point the direction it came from and all beside Sokka started curious running towards it.

"Shouldn't we run away from huge booms? Not toward them?", calls the oldeste, before he joins them.

As it turns out it's a young boy who is practising his earthbending making all these noises and tiny earthquakes.

The Daimon feels happy to see another earthbender and was all for approaching him, maybe they could share some moves, but as Katara speaks to him, he runs away.

Huh?

Weird.

The waterbender was disappointed she just wanted to say hi, as Aang says that the boy probably ran to a town, which means they could buy food there which wasn't nuts.

The girls were all for a nut-free dinner and followed Aang.

Poor Sokka laments how hard he worked to find these nuts, only to have Momo chittering at him and he admins, yeah he didn't like nuts either.

The town they find is a small mining town, in typical Earth Kingdom colours.

Aang got himself a hat, which he puts on, while Hua frowns.

Her Daimon-Rader was on, making her shiver. She tasted the melancholy and despair in this small town.

What was going on here?

It seemed like a nice cute mining town.

The Daimon couldn't pinpoint, why her Rader was on.

Still wondering what was going on she followed behind Sokka and Aang into a shop, where Katara already was.

Their waterbender had found the earthbender from before!

In the shop was also a woman, probably his mother.

"Hey. You're that kid. Why did you run away before?", asks Katara curious.

The earthbender boy was sweating from his nerves, you could see.

"Uh, you must have me confused with some other kid."

"No, she doesn't.", disagrees Aang. "We saw you earthbending."

The earthbender and his mother gasp in horror and both the door and window to the small shop are promptly slammed shut.

"They saw you doing what?!", asks the mother in a mix of anger and worry.

"They're crazy, Mom! I mean, look at how they're dressed."

This makes the whole Team Avatar unsure about their appearance.

Aang gazes at his conical hat, shifting it about in confusion. Katara awkwardly grasps at her dress, looking with astonishment at herself. Sokka quirks an eyebrow and smooths out his sleeve and Hua fixes the sleeve of her green kimono tunic with a frown.

They all thought they looked fine.

"You know how dangerous that is!", reminds the earthbender mom her son. "You know what would happen if they caught you earthbending!"

Surprisingly someone knocks on the shop door, demanding to open up.

Stealthy Sokka peeks through the window's blinds.

"Fire Nation! Act natural!"

Fast the kids run around the shop to act natural, while Haru's mother opens the door.

The Fire Nation tax collector stares awkwardly at the five children in front of him. 

Haru grasps his chin and stares at an apple in Sokka's hand, which the watertribe boy presents to him like he wants to sell it.

Katara embraced a bowl of berries and stuffed her mouth full of them. 

Hua stands before a shelf on her tippy toes like she is a ballerina, trying to reach a large jar and Aang has his hand atop a barrel, beaming an immense toothy smile. 

His pose is short-lived as the barrel's lid spins, dunking Aang's hand into the barrel of water and causing him to fall down.

Angry Haru's mother demands to know what the tax collector wants since she already paid them this week.

Gleeful the tax collector informs her how the taxes have risen and if she doesn't want her shop to get burned down, she better pay up.

Not having a choice Haru's mom hands him the small money she has in her cash register.

Like he was doing her a great favour the tax collector throws the copper one on the floor and leaves the shop.

"Nice guy.", says Sokka full of sarcasm. "How long has the Fire Nation been here?"

"Five years. Fire Lord Ozai uses our town's coal mines to fuel his ships.", explains Haru's mom.

"They're thugs. They steal from us. And everyone here's too much of a coward to do anything about it.", adds Haru in rightful anger.

His mother shushes him. He shouldn't talk like that.

Katara wonders why Haru shouldn't help this town since he was an earthbender.

Tired his mom tells her how earthbending was forbidden and brought them only misery. Haru never should use his bending.

This makes Katara angry on Haru's behalf, he has a gift and he shouldn't use it? It would be like to tell her not waterbend.

She asks what could the Fire Nation do to them, which they already haven't.

Defeated Haru's mom replies they could take him away like his father.

You can collectively hear how the hearts of Team Avatar-Daimon break hearing this.

***

A while later Team Avatar-Daimon followed Haru and his mother home.

They offered them a sleeping place in their barn.

It was super nice of them.

"My mom said you can sleep here tonight. But you should leave in the morning.", tells them Haru.

"Thanks.", says Aang to the group. "I'll make sure Appa doesn't eat all your hay."

Appa engulfs a mouthful of hay. The flying bison pauses, turning to stare dubiously toward Aang before continuing to chew hay. 

Jaiyi jumps happily into the hay rolling around, while Momo flies around the barn.

Sokka and Aang enter the barn, so Hua is the only one who notices how Katara and Haru walk away together.

A small smile forms on the female earthbender lips, Haru is really cute, and Katara deserves the attention of a cute guy, even if she feels a tiny bit jealous.

Hua had never preferred one gender over the other, her first kiss had been with a neighbourhood girl when she still lived in Ba Sing Se. It was a cute little romance, which didn't get further after it was revealed she was the Daimon.

As she had told Jaiyi in Kyoshi, she had a tiny crush on Katara, but she knew she had zero changes with the other girl.

Her friendship was enough, even if she would feel a tiny bit jealous of how someone else could be close to the beautiful waterbender.

Other than Aang, the airhead.

His crush on Katara was still going strong.

At least Hua could distract Aang and Sokka to give Katara as much time with Haru as possible.

So she stepped into the barn and proclaimed: "Aang, do you think your marble trick is a good trick for me to learn?"

This started a long discussion between all three because Sokka said they couldn't just start airbending in a barn in a town full of firebenders, Aang mussed and explained how the trick seemed simple, but was actually quite complex and Hua playing her part at being stubborn.

Katara returned to the barn, when the moon was up, and found her friends and brother discussing with each other about who would win a race between Jaiyi, Appa and Momo.

How in the name of Tui and La did they get to this point?

The waterbender raised an eyebrow and saw how Hua winked at her.

Oh...!

Her best friend, because that's what Hua has become in these long weeks they have travelled together, must have noticed how she had taken a walk with Haru and made sure that Aang and Sokka were none the wiser.

Hua thought probably, they would share a kiss with each other, not that Katara would have minden, Haru was cute and nice, but they had just talked and then saved the poor old man from the collapsed mine.

It made her feel warm in the heart that she had someone in the corner, who would have her back.

She would do the same for Hua too.

When all were on their haystack beds, beside Aang who slept on Appa with Momo, Katara told them all about how Haru had saved the old man.

"You must have really inspired him.", mussed Aang, as Katara finished her story.

"I guess so."

"You are great, Katara, you know that?", adds Hua, cuddling with Jaiyi under her blankets.

"That's sweet of you, Hua."

"Everyone should get some sleep.", advised Sokka. "We're leaving at dawn."

This made the others unhappy.

"Not so early again!", moaned Hua in despair and Jaiyi yipped in agreement.

"Dawn?! Can't we sleep in for once?", demands Katara an explanation.

"Absolutely not! This village is crawling with Fire Nation troops. If they discover you're here, Aang and Hua, we'll be eating fireballs for breakfast. Goodnight."

"I'd rather eat fireballs than nuts.", sasses Katara, making Aang and Hua laugh.

"Good one!", praises Hua.

Huffing Sokka turns around, giving them all literally the cold shoulder and a goodnight.

The other three share some more giggles, before Katara blows out their lamplight.

Time to sleep!

***

Sokka really made them stand up at dawn!

Aang and Hua shoot unhappy and tired looks at the older boy, while they help him to back their things.

Katara had stepped out to fill their water pots.

The three were nearly done with packing as Katara stormed back in and shouted that Haru was taken.

The Avatar and Daimon shouted in surprise and worry for their new friend, as Sokka tried to calm his sister down to get an explanation.

Turns out the old man Haru saved yesterday sold him out to the Fire Nation and Katara felt so guilty since she practically encouraged Haru to use his earthbending, it was all her fault!

"It wasn't your fault Katara. You couldn't know the old man was a backstabbing traitor.", tried Hua to make her best friend feel better.

However, Katara was determined to fix this mess by any means.

She would get herself arrested for earthbending and then break out Haru from where he was held prisoner.

A big discussion broke out between all of them.

First how Katara shouldn't enter the belly of the beast alone or not at all, then that Hua said she should go look for Haru since she is the only real earthbender they have.

This was shot down because Sokka and Katara made clear that the Daimon in Fire Nation's hand was bad.

They couldn't lose her when the world needed her and Aang.

So, Katara had to pretend to earthbend.

The plan was actually really simple.

They needed to find a Fire Nation patrol and Katara and Sokka would start a fake fight, where Katara would treat him then with her "earthbending".

Hua and Aang would stay out of sight and Hua would earthbend the boulder for Katara when she heard her que.

Team Avatar-Daimon got themselves ready and didn't have to wait long for a Fire Nation patrol.

As the group of spear-wielding guards approach, Katara and Sokka made a show of walking into one another by their stomachs before emphatically shouting.

"Get out of my way, pipsqueak!", growls Sokka, pointing at Katara in anger.

"How dare you call me pipsqueak, you giant-eared cretin!", shouts Katara back, waving her fist around.

"What did you call me?!"

"A giant-eared cretin! Look at those things! Do herds of animals use them for shade?!"

"You better back off!", then Sokka mumbles to Katara: "Seriously, back off."

But Katara was so in her role that she just yelled: "I will not back off! I bet elephants get together and make fun of how large your ears are!"

"That's it! You're going down!"

"I'll show you who's boss! Earthbending style!"

That was Hua's cue.

From behind the boulder she hides with Aang, she bends the boulder up at the same time Katara over-dramatically leaps toward the boulder, clenching her fist upward.

It should now look and be clear that Katara "earthbends". 

However, Momo had been hiding behind that boulder and had his arms raised, licking himself.

This shows how dumb some people are because one of the guards points at Momo surprised and gasps: "That lemur! He's earthbending!"

Sokka can't believe it.

"No, you idiot, it's the girl!", corrects Sokka waving his arms towards Katara.

Blushing shameful the guard agrees.

So the rest of Team Avatar-Daimon watches how Katara gets into custody and is hopefully brought to the same prison Haru was.

They need to follow them, but before Sokka tells Momo that he has big ears, maybe to feel better about all the comments Katara made about his, which makes the poor lemur coo in protest.

***

Following Katara leads them to a prison island made completely out of metal.

Smart.

Ocean around them and no earth or rock to bend.

The Fire Nation did their homework.

Hopefully, Katara finds Haru and then they can leave.

Well, this is what Aang and Sokka thought, Hua was nervously playing with her hands as they waited for Katara twelve hours passed.

It was again her Daimon-Rader who let her feel and taste the sadness and hopelessness of the prison.

Could they really just take Katara and Haru and leave the other earthbenders<?

This were Hua's people.

As the Daimon she had to protect her people too.

The young girl thought about what they could do to save the other earthbender.

She couldn't let them be.

When it was finally time to fetch Katara, Hua decided to tell the others how they had to save the prisoners.

Aang returned with Katara to her and Sokka and her best friend made clear that she wouldn't leave these prisoners.

Sokka protested loudly.

"I'm with Katara.", she told them. "We can't just leave these people her suffering if we can change it."

For this Katara gave her a bright smile, while Sokka declared them both crazy.

They gave him unamused looks.

Aang was swayed too and Sokka gave up to change their minds.

So they got on the Prison Island, while Appa with Jaiyi in his saddle, would hide in the clouds, tile they needed them.

Team Avatar-Daimon hide behind some wooden boxes.

"We don't have much time. What are we gonna do?", asked Sokka.

"I wish I knew how to make a hurricane!"

The others stared blankly at Aang.

"The warden would run away and we'd steal his keys!", explains the Avatar.

"Wouldn't he just take his keys with him?", points Sokka out.

"I'm just tossing ideas around."

"I tried talking the earthbenders into fighting back but, it didn't work! If there was just a way to help them help themselves.", signed Katara.

"I may have an idea.", starts Hua slowly.

"Well out with it.", motivates her Sokka, while Katara and Aang look couriose at her.

"I have tried to think of a solution to help the earthbenders. What they need is some kind of earth or rock to fight with. So where do we get this on this metal island?", Hua turns to the large chimneys pointing at them. "From there. Coal is earth too."

"That's brilliant, Hua!", praises her Katara, which makes the younger girl blush.

"Mmh, it could work...", trailed Sokka off, gripping with a hand his chin, thinking. "I may even have an idea how to get the coal!"

Sokka explains his plan to them and after Aang sneakily checks out if it is possible, they get to work.

Morning arrives, Sokka Katara and Hua are alone by an air duct. 

Sokka is peering down into it, while Katara and Hua kneel beside it with their hands on its rim.

"It's almost dawn. We're running out of time! You sure this is gonna work?", asked Katara worried.

They only had this chance.

Her brother reassured her that he thought it well through. There are vents everywhere, where the smoke the coal produces goes out. Aang closed all vents beside the one that leads to them and when he airbends all the coals will pop out.

And boom!

Something to earthbend for the earthbenders.

"There are the intruders!", suddenly shouts a guard.

Not even a few seconds later the girls and Sokka are in circled by them. The prisoners have gathered a safe distance away from this spectacle, observing what is happening.

Sokka gets his boomerang ready, while Haru's father, Tyro, calls out to Katara that she can't win this fight. The warden was also there, telling her how utterly hopeless this all was.

A sudden rush of air fills their ears as the facility shakes. 

The ventilation shaft bursts off its hinges as an immense blast of coal soars into the air, crashing down into a gathered pile. 

Everyone present is silent, staring in stark surprise at this turn of events. 

Lastly, Aang leaps out from the barren ventilation shaft, landing atop the coal pile and coughing, covered in soot and dirt. 

Momo follows him and Katara runs up to the coal, turning to face the earthbenders.

"Here's your chance, earthbenders! Take it!", encouraged Katara them, holding a piece of coal high in the air. "Your fate is in your own hands!"

Haru bolts ahead without hesitation, prepared to bend the waiting coal as a weapon. 

Tyro throws his hand up, bracing his son's chest to halt his advance.

No one makes a move.

Katara looks unsure at the prisoners.

The warden starts to laugh at her: "Foolish girl. You thought a few inspirational words and some coal would change these people? Look at these blank, hopeless faces. Their spirits were broken a long time ago. Oh, but you still believe in them. How sweet. They're a waste of your energy little girl. You failed."

The warden finishes his speech by turning to take leave of the facility. 

As he does so, a single piece of coal sails through the air and pelts the back of his head.

Outraged, the warden spins back to see who dared to attack him. 

Haru stands defiantly levitating three pieces of coal above his hand. 

The warden sends a blast of fire toward Haru, but the fire is blocked, as the newly invigorated Tyro raises a wall of coal in his defence.

The Guards line up and prepare for battle.

"Show no mercy!", commands the Warden and they attack a blast of fire as one toward the rebelling prisoners.

The earthbenders work together to haul a sizable mass of coal to block the fire.

"For the Earth Kingdom, attack!", shouts Tyro.

Slamming the coal to the ground; chunks of rock assault the guards. 

The battle immediately flares, prisoners ducking blasts of fire and countering with fists of coal. 

Katara, Hua and Aang chase after Sokka as he snaps soldiers' spears in two with his boomerang, tossing the broken shafts to Momo overhead. Momo continues to collect other pieces of broken spears that are thrown up at him.

Tyro and Haru work in unison to compress gathered coal into one lump, slinging this through the doors to make way for their escape. 

The guards on top fall down.

Some of the earthbender race out of the hole, while others stay to give them time to reach the ship, like Tyro and Haru.

Aang and Hua help the remaining earthbenders against the warden.

The Avatar generates an air funnel and holds it between his hands which Katara and Sokka fill with coal. 

Then he fired the material rapidly at the warden and his fellow benders, knocking them to the ground. 

Following this, Tyro, Hua and another earthbender work together to lift coal beneath these adversaries, moving them away from the rig and over the ocean.

"No, please! I can't swim!", begs the Warden.

"Don't worry. I hear cowards float.", tells him Tyro.

They drop their enemies into the ocean.

Now they can all leave!

The earthbenders take the little ships of the firebender to sail away, while Aang, Hua and Sokka ride Appa beside them.

Katara was on one of the ships with Tyro and Haru.

Both thank her for her help and for giving them back their courage.

Tyro calls out how they will take back his village and every village in the Earth Kingdom the Fire Nation took.

All the earthbenders shout in agreement.

"Come with us.", asked Haru Katara softly.

He may have known her for a short time, but she was one in a million...maybe they could...?

The waterbender blushes and her heart flatters a bit. There were no boys her age in the Southern Water Tribe, besides her brother, and she did like Haru, however...it was not enough.

"I can't. Your mission is to take back your home. Ours is to get Aang and Hua to the North Pole.", explains Katara.

They both look over to them.

Aang was sitting on Appa's head, playing with Momo and coal, while Hua was beside Sokka on the saddle cuddling Jaiyi, her trusty ninetails licking her cheeks.

"That's them, isn't it? The Avatar and Daimon.", guesses Haru correct. "Katara, thank you for bringing my father back to me. I never thought I'd see him again. I only wish there was some way ..."

"I know."

Like always she wants to touch her mother's necklace, but to her horror, it's not anymore on her neck.

Oh no!

Where did she lose it?

Back on the prison rig, Katara's necklace was lying amid coal sparsely on the deck until someone picked it up.

None other than Prince Zuko stares at it grimly as he stands alone facing the sunset.

This time he was too late, however, next time the Avatar and Daimon wouldn't slip away from him!

Previous

Next

Yin and Yang: Book 1.07

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 1.07: Winter Solstice, Part 1

I used Bing AI Creator to show you how Hua and Lixue could look in the Avatar-style.

Check out my DeviantArt, Wattpad Or Tumblr to see them. ^^

Hua

Lixue

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.

Serenly Appa was flying over a forest, while his passengers enjoyed the warm rays of the sun on their skin.

Aang was sitting lazily atop his bisons heads a little twig in his mouth, Katara and Hua lay on their stomaches, looking at the clouds and Sokka was carving something out of wood.

Jaiyi and Momo were snuggled up together, enjoying a nice nap.

Yes, this was travelling at its finest.

No, grumpy Fire Nation Prince after them.

Just them and the endless sky.

"Those clouds look so soft, don't they?", mussed Katra dreamly. "Like you could just jump down and you'd land in a big, soft, cottony heap?"

Hua let out an agreeing hmm, trying to find forms in the clouds.

"Maybe you should give it a try.", joked Sokka sarcastic to his sister.

Both girls looked annoyed at Sokka, and Katara answered back also sarcastic: "You're hilarious."

 "I'll try it!", yelled Aang excitedly.

Surprised and curious his friends looked at how the Avatar with his staff jumped down from Appa's head towards the clouds. 

Katara, Hua and Sokka popped their heads over the rim of the saddle, looking down in the direction Aang went.

The Avatar vanishes in a cloud.

Katara looks somewhat worried, Hua has an eyebrow raised, while Sokka gazes wide-eyed at the point where Aang vanished. 

When he leans over to search the sky, Aang comes back up from behind them on his glider. 

The siblings and Hua turn around as they hear the snapping noise of Aang's glider being closed, and they watch how the airbender plops down on the saddle, his legs spread apart and a big smile on his face. 

He was dripping wet.

"Turns out, clouds are made of water.", tells them Aang happily, before he breaths in deeply and slams his balled, right fist against his stretched left hand, creating an expanding air ball around him in the process, drying himself off. 

As Aang leans back to rest on both his hands, he contently looks at Momo and Jaiyi, whose furs got all fluffed by Aang's airbending.

"Cute.", chirps Hua to the two animals.

The Kyuubi yips offended, she wasn't cute, she was a force of nature, while Momo chitters away shy.

It's then that Katara calls for their attention, all look where she is pointing.

The Daimon feels sick to her stomach as she sees the black land before them.

It was like a huge ugly scar in the forest.

They let Appa land so they could examine it better.

Aang and Hua look devasted at the destruction before them, neither hearing Katara and Sokka talk.

The Avatar and Daimon have to fight tears.

Who would do this?

Why would they do this?

What was the reason for this senseless act of violence against nature?

How many trees and animals died?

Hua is the first who falls to her knees, gripping the burned earth between her palms.

It's like she hears the earth scream, the cries of the trees, the pleas of the animals.

Tears fall from her green eyes, wetting the ground before her.

Aang was right beside her on his knees.

He knows that as Daimon, she feels the negative emotions of this place more strongly than he does. However, that doesn't mean he doesn't feel and understands. 

Carefully, he puts his hand beside her to comfort her and himself, letting her know that he understands what she feels and that he is there for her.

This little skin contact was like a balm for Hua's anguished soul. Aang was the only one who truly understood what was going through her head because the same thoughts were in his.

"Why would anyone do this?", speaks Hua their thoughts aloud. "How could we let this happen?"

"Hua, you didn't let this happen. Neither Aang. It has nothing to do with you.", tries Katara to comfort them.

However, Aang and Hua shake their heads.

"Yes, it does. It's the Avatar's and Daimon's job to protect nature. But neither of us knows how to do our job.", tells Aang.

The Daimon wipes away her tears, nodding in agreement.

"That's why we're going to the North Pole.", reminded them Katara. "To find you guys a teacher."

"Yes, a waterbending teacher.", huffed Hua. "But there's no one who can teach me how to be the Daimon and Aang to be the Avatar. Monk Gyatso said that Daimon Lixue and Avatar Roku would help us."

"The Avatar and Daimon before you? They died over a hundred years ago; how are you supposed to talk to them?", wonders Sokka.

"We don't know.", chorused the current Avatar and Daimon together.

This was more than a big mess, it was a complicated chaos!

Momo snuggled up on Aang's lap, while Jaiyi licked Hua's cheek, they felt that their master's needed comfort.

They pet their animal companions in thanks, but it doesn't help them from feeling bad.

If they hadn't run away so long ago, maybe all this didn't need to happen?

They are at fault for what the world is going through.

Katara notes how the two children were sinking and sinking deeper into their desperation.

She needed something to help them.

So she looked around, till she found something.

The waterbender calls out to them asking if they are ready to get cheered up.

They disagree and get for that each an acorn smacked against their heads.

Naturally, Hua asks her best friend offended how this should cheer them up?! This was the opposite of it.

Of course, Sokka finds it funny, but he gets an acorn to the head too. He admits he deserved it.

With a smile, Katara kneels down beside Hua and Aang and shows them her hand full of acorns.

She tells them how any acorn here will one day be a big tree, so the forest will return to its former glory. Making all animals return.

The waterbend gives each child an acorn.

Thoughtful the Avatar and Daimon look at the acorns in their hands. 

Katara was right. 

One day it would be again a forest full of life.

They shouldn't lose hope.

The Avatar and Daimon thank their friend, who gives them a smile. Her smile fell as she saw a man approaching.

"Hey, who are you?", ask him Sokka distrustful.

"When I saw the flying bison and the Kyuubi, I thought it was impossible! But, those markings ... are you the Avatar and the Daimon, children?", ask the man in a desperate tone.

Aang and Hua look to Katara, who nods. 

They nod.

"My village desperately needs your help!"

The man's name was Kay-fon and he led them urgently to Senlin Village. They arrived at sunset and saw that the village had suffered some damage. 

It was clear that the village had been partially destroyed, but who was responsible for it? 

Kay-fon led them to the central building where the villagers had gathered, and the village elder stepped forward to greet them.

"So, the rumours of your return are true! It is the greatest honour of a lifetime to be in your presences."

Hua and Aang bowed in greeting.

"Nice to meet you too!", says Aang.

"How can we be of assistance?", adds Hua.

The village elder seemed unsure, but Kay-fon reminded him that the Avatar and Daimon were their only hope. He explains to them how for a few days by sunset a spirit monster attacked the village.

It was Hei Bai, the black and white spirit.

Sokka wants to know if they have an idea, why Hei Bai is attacking them.

"We do not know, but each of the last three nights, he has abducted one of our own.", explains the village elder. "We are especially fearful because the winter solstice draws near."

"What happens then?", wonders Katara.

It's Kay-fon who answers: "As the solstice approaches, the natural world and the Spirit World grow closer and closer until the line between them is blurred completely."

"Hei Bai is already causing devastation and destruction. Once the solstice is here, there's no telling what will happen.", tells the village elder fearful.

Rightfully Aang and Hua want to know what they should do. They never have handle spirits.

Kay-fon just says since Avatar and Daimon are together the great bridge between man and spirits they can surely handle the problem.

Side-eyeing each other Aang and Hua wonder how to explain they have no idea what to do..

Thankfully Katara grasped them by the hands to talk with them over a window.

"Hua, Aang, you seem a little unsure about all of this."

"We have zero ideas what to do, Katara.", admins Hua, while Aang nods along. "There was and is none who could us teach this Spirit World Mambo-Jumbo!"

"What do you plan on doing?", ask Katara her best friend.

"I don't know, something. Aang help me here!"

"Erm...Maybe whatever we have to do will just ... come to us?"

"Really reassuring.", sasses Sokka.

Katara hits his side with her elbow for that. Her brother whines a bit and looks at her in betrayal.

"I think you can do it, Hua and Aang.", gives them Katara a kind and reassuring smile.

Sokka has the same face and agrees.

A short pause and then he declared: "We're all going to get eaten by a spirit monster."

Again Katara elbow meets his side.

***

Sunset approaches fast.

Unsure Aang and Hua walk out of the central building, looking around the small village.

"Hello, Spirit? Can you hear me?", calls Aang out. "This is the Avatar speaking and the Daimon is here too. We're here to try to help stuff."

"Yes, would you like to tell us your problem with this village? I'm sure we can resolve this without violence.", adds Hua, scratching her head.

They feel both so clueless.

Were they doing the right thing?

The sun sets and night falls.

"The sun has set. Where are you, Hei Bai?", wonders Aang.

He looks at Hua, who shrugs.

They mumbled to each other what they should now do and say, till they agreed on something.

"Spirit Hei Bai, as Daimon and Avatar, we hereby ask you to please leave this village in peace.", calls Hua out in the night.

No answer.

Aang spins his staff and sticks it down, in apparent authority, while Hua stands as straight as she can, trying to look authority.

They wait a few seconds, then look at each other.

"Think it worked?", mumbles Aang.

"Seems like it.", mumbles Hua back. "Let's go back to the central building."

Together they walk away. 

Behind them, however, the Hei Bai fades into the real world. 

He walks right behind Aang and Hua, who sense him and turn around.

Damn, the spirit looks like something out of a nightmare!

Hua has to gulp down in fear, while Aang tries to speak to Hei Bai.

The spirit doesn't even let him finish and releases a burst of energy at them.

Hai Bai moves past them, starting to wreak havoc, smashing buildings and destroying a tower with energy.

Dumbfound the Avatar and Daimon look at this before they move towards Hei Bai.

"Mister Hei Bai, spirit, please let's talk!", begs Hua. "I'm sure we can resolve this without property destruction!"

"Please, would you stop destroying things and listen? We are trying to do our job as a spirit bridge! Excuse me, would you please turn around?", ask him Aang.

They get ignored by the spirit, who just happily destroys another building.

"Okay that's it!", growls Hua. With the help of her earthbending, she positions herself between Hei Bai and the next house on his must-destroy-anything list.

"Stop!", shouts Hua loud as Aang joins her on her platform.

He raises his staff and she gets into a bending stance.

"We command you to stop!", yell the Avatar and Daimon together.

For a second Hua swerves Hei Bai just deadpans at them in utter boredom, before he hits them and sends them flying to the roof of another building.

They land in a heap.

Autsch this hurts!

That's when Sokka joins them, attacking Hei Bai with his boomerang.

It doesn't even scratch the spirit.

Hua and Aang call out to Sokka to leave, but the older boy tells them they will fight together against the spirit.

Before anyone can say anything Hei Bai grips Sokka in one of his hands and races out of the village.

"Sokka!", shout Aang and Hua together in fear and worry for their friend.

Fast Aang opens his glider, holding a hand out to Hua. She understands and wraps her amr around his shoulder, while his goes around her hips. Their free hands grip each a side of the glider.

Together they push the glider off the ground and fly after Hei Bai and his prisoner.

Flying together on a glider wasn't new to Aang and Hua. 

When Aang was little Monk Gyatsu took him with him and Gyatsu took Hua often on a flight too.

Just, they two together have never done it.

It was way too much physical contact for them since they couldn't stand each other.

However now that they had a sort of truce and also a friend to rescue they flawlessly flow the glider together.

Strangely it was like they had done this a 1000 times. They needed no words from the other to know what do to.

Maybe they have done this kind of partner flight in a lot of their former lives.

It was an explanation.

Whatever, they had more important things do to than wonder, how they could fly together without problems.

They needed to rescue Sokka!

"Aang! Hua! Over here! Help!", shouted the older boy for them.

"Hang on, Sokka!", called Aang back.

"We are here!", added Hua.

Hua pulls out one of her hands, trying to free Sokka. 

Sokka grunts, trying to reach her. 

However, before she can grab him, the spirit fades away, taking Sokka with it. 

Suprised Hua and Aang shout and fall in front of a bear-like statue, getting knocked out.

A while later Avatar and Daimon awake with a groan.

They look around for Hei Bai and Sokka, but sadly they are nowhere to be seen.

"We failed.", states Aang disappointed in them.

Hua signs loudly and rubs her face.

She can't cry right now.

"Aang, let's go back. Staying here will not help anyone.", reminds the Daimon.

Well, he can't disagree with that.

Defeat the two children and try to fly the glider together, but nothing.

Huh?

What was going on?

That's when the sun finally rises behind them and they see they have turned blue!

Astonished Hua looks at her blue ghostly hands, while Aang shouts they are in the spirit world.

Yeah, this does make sense.

"What are we supposed to do?", wonders Aang. "Avatar Roku and Daimon Lixue, how can we talk to you?"

Hua stops looking at her hands and shouts to the sky too: "Please if you hear us, help us Lixue and Roku!"

Out of nowhere, they hear the cry of a bird followed by a loud huff.

Surprised they turned in that direction and saw a phoenix and dragon flying towards them!

If they weren't in the spirit world they would wonder how this was possible.

Phoenixes and dragons were extinct!

"That's definitely not Sokka.", says Aang and tries to get Hua to run away with him, but she shakes his hand off. "Hua, what?"

"Aang, they seem familiar.", she tells him. "Don't you feel it too?"

The phoenix and dragon land before them.

When she was little her mother told her that once phoenixes came in all sizes, this one was big enough to carry at least two people on his back.

"You two don't know where Sokka is, do you?", ask them Hua.

She knows she can trust these two sacred animals.

The phoenix touches his forehead with hers, while the dragon reaches out with a whisker to Aang's forehead.

Both see different but similar things. A beautiful elderly water tribe woman flying on the back of the phoenix and an elder fire nation man on the back of the dragon.

They know these people!

"You're Avatar Roku's animal guide!"

"And you are Daimon Lixue one!"

"Just like Appa and Jaiyi are for us!", the humans choruse together.

"We need to save our friend and we don't know how!", explains Aang. "Is there some way for us to talk to Roku and Lixue?" 

Fang, the dragon and Qinyan, the phoenix understand them and lower themselves so they can be riding.

Hua gets on Qinyan and Aang on Fang.

Together with their passengers, they fly to the only place, where the current Avatar and Daimon can talk to their predecessors.

Qinyan and Fang take them to a temple on an unknown crescent-shaped island. 

They fly into the temple and toward the roof.

"Hey, what are you doing?", screams Aang worried at Fang.

"Aang calm down, we are spirits, I highly doubt walls are a problem now!", reminds Hua.

And she was right as they flew right through the roof and into a mysterious room.

The interior was a beautiful mix of Fire Nation and Water Tribe, reflecting the perfect harmony which could exist between the two elements and nations.

Within is a celestial calendar and there are statues of Roku and Lixue holding hands.

Confused Aang and Hua dismount the sacred animals.

"I don't understand, this is just a statue of Roku and Lixue.", tells Aang Fang and Qinyan.

Both animals again reach for the children showing them a vision of a coment.

"Is that what Lixue and Roku want to talk to us about? A comet? When can we talk to them?", asks Hua.

She has a bad feeling about this comet.

Fang moves his head, allowing a light beam to appear. This is just to the right of Roku and Lixue's statue. 

With another feeler press and a forehead touch, the current Avatar and Daimon see a vision of the sun setting and rising repeatedly, and the light closing in on Roku and Lixue.

"It's a calendar, and the light will reach Roku and Lixue on the solstice! So, that's when we'll be able to speak them?", wants Aang to know if they understood right.

The dragon breathes an apparent yes, while the phoenix chirps in agreement.

Aang and Hua tell the mythical beings that they can't wait that long and need to save Sokka now.

Understanding this the sacred beasts let the kids mount them again and fly with them away from the temple.

They bring them to the bear statue from before.

Aang and Hua see their bodies in meditation on top of the bear statue, as Fang and Qinyan fly through the statue and the Avatar and Daimon are back in their bodies.

"Okay, now that was some trip.", groans Hua, holding her head.

She feels a bit dizzy.

The Avatar agrees with her and both decide to fly back to Senlin Village.

It's nearly night, so that means Hei Bai will appear soon.

Maybe now they can stop him and get somehow Sokka back.

Katara stands outside the center building and notices their return. They land and Katara runs up to them.

"You're back!", relieved she hugs the younger ones. "Where's Sokka?"

"I'm not sure ...", admins Aang.

***

The evening gives way to night.

Hua and Aang await at the entrance for the Hei Bai. 

After some time, they give up and return to the center building. 

Just as they exit, however, the spirit appears to their left. 

Aang throws up an air shield and Hua an earth wall to stop its attack.

Worried Katara shouts for them to run away, but calm Aang and Hua touch Hei Bai's head, seeing a panda lurking behind the nightmarish form.

Now they understand.

Hei Bai is the spirit of this forest and is angry because of its distraction. They tell him, they understand, and they feel the same, but Katara has given them hope again that the forest will regrow.

Aang shows Hei Bai an acorn and leaves it at his feet. 

The spirit picks it up and reverts to the panda form. 

He walks away peacefully. 

As Hei Bai exits, a series of bamboo branches grow, and three villagers and Sokka emerge from it.

Katara runs to her brother and embraces him, while other villagers embrace their loved ones.

"What happened?", wonders Sokka confused.

"You were trapped in the Spirit World for 24 hours!", explains his sister. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I seriously need to use the bathroom!"

Sokka waddles away, displaying a nauseated look. She gives him an unsure gaze.

The village elder thanked Aang and Hua for their assistance and asked how they could repay them. 

Upon returning from his bathroom break, Sokka suggested that they could use more supplies and money. 

Katara scolded him, but Sokka reminded her that they really needed these resources. 

The village elder had no issue with their request and felt honoured to help them on their journey.

"I'm so proud of you, Hua and Aang.", smiles Katara at them like a proud mom. "You figured out what to do, all on your own."

"We had actually some help.", corrects Hua.

Aang nods in agreement.

"And there's something else."

"What is it?", asks Sokka.

"We need to talk to Roku and Lixue and I think we found a way to contact their spirits."

"That's great!", states Katara happy.

Her best friend and Aang had really struggled to find a way to talk to their predecessors.

"Creepy, but great.", can't Sokka help himself but add.

He may have been in the Spirit World or whatever, however this whole Avatar-Daimon Mambo-Jumbo was not his thing.

"There's a temple on a crescent-shaped island and if we go there on the solstice, Hua and I will be able to speak with them.", explains Aang.

"But the solstice is tomorrow!", reminds Katara.

"That's right, but there is a bigger problem. The island is in the Fire Nation!", tells them Hua.

The siblings grow fearful, while the Avatar and Daimon just seem determined.

Whatever may be, they needed to go there by any means!

Previous

Next

Yin and Yang: Book 1.08

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?

I couldn’t wait to post Part 2 of Winter Solstice so here you go!

Enjoy and please comment, please, please, please!

Book 1.08: Winter Solstice, Part 2

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.

In the early morning hours in Senlin Village, you could see four figures trying to leave the village.

Well, it was two humans, Aang and Hua with Appa, the flying bison and Jaiyi, the kyuubi, trying their best to get their animal companions moving.

“Let's go, Appa! Come on, boy!”, whisper-shouted Aang, pulling the reins.

“Jaiyi, be a good girl, shrink!”, begged Hua, trying to get her ninetails to turn into her fox cub form and not stay in her big fighting form. Like this, she couldn’t fit on Appa’s saddle.

Nonetheless, none of the two animals listen to their masters. 

They refused to obey since they didn’t like to leave people behind.

This realized the two children at the same time.

“Look, I'm sorry, but Katara and Sokka aren't coming to the Fire Nation with us.”, told Aang sadly.

Hua frowned, giving Appa and Jaiyi a pet.

“We don’t like it either, but if anything happened to them, we would never forgive ourselves.”

“So get your big butt off the ground, Appa!”

“And you Jaiyi shrink!”

“And then let’s go!”, chorused the Avatar and Daimon together.

This earned them unimpressed looks from Appa and Jaiyi. Both sit down on their butts, refusing to move.

“Thanks for nothing your useless fluff balls.”, groaned Hua.

Why did they have to be so stubborn?!

Suddenly Sokka called out to them, his voice full of sass: “I think the useless fluff balls are trying to tell ya something.”

Surprised and startled Hua and Aang turned towards the right to reveal a collection of Senlin villagers, with Katara and Sokka standing in the front.

“Please don't go, Hua and Aang. The world can't afford to lose you two to the Fire Nation. Neither can I.”, plead Katara desperate to them.

These two were her rays of hope. 

Hope was the only thing which had kept Katara going on for years in the cold lonely nights when she missed her mother and worried for her father.

Now the world had a chance for peace if Hua and Aang ended the war and the waterbender would be damned if she let anything happen to them!

Guilty Hua and Aang look at Katara before they look at each other. 

They see the vision of the comet Fang and Qinyan showed them clearly before their eyes.

Neither of them wanted to hurt their precious people, especially Katara, however…

“But we have to talk to Avatar Roku and Daimon Lixue to find out what our vision means!”, argued Aang back.

“We need to get to the Fire Temple before the sun sets on the solstice. That's today!”, added Hua.

Aang airbends himself atop Appa's head, while Hua earthbend herself on the saddle.

If Jaiyi wouldn’t come, she wouldn’t force her anymore, but she needed to go.

As Appa stands up, Jaiyi, Katara and Sokka run to stand before the bison, preventing him from moving any further.

“We're not letting you two go into the Fire Nation, Hua and Aang.”, scolded Katara.

“At least, not without your friends.”, told them Sokka grinning. “We got your back.”

Jaiyi yips in agreement.

Aang and Hua can clearly see how their friends won’t take no for an answer, that’s why they tried to leave in secret in the first place.

“This will probably be the most dangerous thing we ever did!”, reminded them Hua.

However, the water tribe siblings just grinned, saying danger was their second name.

This made the Avatar and Daimon laugh.

Well, if their friends were so stubborn, they would probably follow them somehow.

Better they stayed together then.

So Hua earthbended the water tribe siblings and Jaiyi, who finally was in her fox cub form, to Appa's saddle, while Momo made himself cosy on Aang's shoulder.

The Senlin Village leader hands Aang some supplies reminding them how long their trip to Crescent Island was and wishes them good luck in their quest.

Aang wants to thank him for their hospitality and help, but the man just yells for them to go, go, go!

And that’s what they do.

Appa soars up into the sky, next destination: Crescent Island!

***

Daylight has come. 

The flying bison flies over the ocean, while his passengers all watch the ocean fearfully.

“Come on, boy, we've got a long way to go. Faster!”, encourages Aang his bison.

Appa lets out a growl and does as Aang said.

Katara, Hua and Jaiyi huddle together, to comfort each other, but Hua can’t stop herself from letting out her thoughts: “Oh spirits, this is so bad. If a Fire Nations ship sees us we will get roasted nicely!”

“Hey, I’m the pessimist here.”, says Sokka, petting her head to calm her down. “Don’t steal my job.”

A nervous laugh escapes Hua.

Katara kisses her cheek, normally Hua would blush up a storm, but her nerves prevent her from doing so.

“It will be okay. We will manage.”, reassured Katara.

It’s like the universe wants to prove her wrong since Hua sees how a Fire Nation ship is now on their tail.

“What about that?!”, she shouts.

“Aang. We've got trouble!”, calls Katara back to him.

She tried her hardest not to freak out since Hua needed her, yet it was difficult.

“Yeah! And it's gaining, fast!”, adds Sokka.

The next minutes in their lifes were nerve-wracking for Team Avatar-Daimon.

Not only did Prince Zuko shoot stinky fireballs at them, also a barricade was before them and attacking them too.

Aang had trouble manoeuvre Appa around all the flying fireballs.

At one point the passengers had to put out small embers from Appa fur.

It was pure and utter chaos!

Their wild ride ends finally when Aang airbends forward off of Appa's head. He uses a powerful airbending kick, and the flaming boulder, which was coming towards them, explodes in a large smoky blast. 

The Avatar falls back to Appa's head, Katara, Hua and Sokka grabbing him. 

Now Appa soars safely over the blockade, passing them.

“We made it!”, celebrates Aang.

Meanwhile, the Daimon and water tribe siblings look onward in horror.

They were really in the Fire Nation.

Oh Spirits!

At least the rest of their flight was calm.

And boring.

For hours and hours, they flow over the ocean.

Hua was sure if people could die of boredom, they all would be dead right now.

She lays like a starfish on the saddle, Sokka and Katara copy her, while Jaiyi has fallen asleep on her stomach.

Aang and Momo were slouched on Appa's head and the poor bison seemed to get more tired every second.

“Aang, are we there yet?”, calls Hua out to him.

“No, not now.”

A few seconds pass.

“How about now?”

“No, still no Crescent Island in sight.”

Again a few seconds pass.

“Now?”

“No, Hua.”

She lets out a huff and dramatically drapes an arm over her eyes.

“That’s how I’m going to die….from utter boredom. What a way to go.”, mumbled Hua, but everyone heard her. Agreeing groans from all around. That’s when she realizes something important. “Wait if I die now I get reincarnated into the Fire Nation!”

“Yeah, don’t do that.”, deadpans Sokka at her.

“You got it boss.”, she answered jokily back.

At least it made Katara and Aang snort.

Silence again comes over the group.

Somehow she must have fallen asleep because the next thing she knew it was sunset and Aang shouted: “There it is! The island where Roku's dragon took me.”

Finally!

Appa lands at the base of a stone bridge leading up to the island's mountain. 

The bridge ends at an elegant, multi-story Fire Temple mixed with Water Tribe decorations. 

Lava is flowing beneath the bridge and the air is thick with steam. 

Aang stands by Appa's head, and Katara and Hua stand at the bison's side. 

Sokka is stretching further away.

Aang praises Appa for getting them all safely there, while Katara and Hua rub his belly.

Katara cooes at Appa how he must be tired, strangely Sokka thinks she was talking to him and tells her he was ready to beat up some firebenders.

When her realizes with whom his sister was talking, Sokka lies and says he was talking to Momo.

The lemur critters in confusion.

Since the temple was way too small for Appa, he would wait for them and Team Avatar-Daimon with Momo and Jaiyi made their way over to it.

Soon they stand before the temple and hide behind a wall. You could never be too careful.

Better look for hostile firebenders.

“I don't see any guards.”, whispered Sokka.

“The Fire Nation must have abandoned the temple when Avatar Roku and Daimon Lixue died.”, was Katara's guess.

“Let’s get inside, it’s almost sundown.”, murmured Hua.

Aang nodded.

“Yes, we better hurry!”

The group leaps over the wall and charges for the front door. After they are inside the temple they tip-toed through an enormous chamber with fire and water-decor columns.

“Wait.”, stops Sokka the group. “I think I heard something.”

Turning around, they see five men standing in the hallway dressed in red, with a blue sash around their waists and tall hats.

“We are the Fire Sages.”, announced the Sage in the middle, the Great Fire Sage. “Guardians of the temple of the Avatar and Daimon.”

“Great! I am the Avatar and she here is the Daimon!”

“We know.”

Without a warning, the sages attack them with fire blasts!

What?!

What was going on?!

Thankful Aang can reflect the fiery attack with his airbending. He yells at his friends to run, he would hold them off.

They didn’t need to be told twice.

So they run around the temple hallways in the hope of losing the Fire Sages, Aang joins back up with them and then they reach a dead-end.

Awesome!

A Fire Sage was coming towards them.

Even better.

“I don't want to fight you! I am a friend.”, promised the Fire Sage.

Angry Sokka tells him that firebenders aren’t their friends.

Jaiyi jumps forward to protect them, growing into an adult fox. Her hackles are raised and her nine tails wander around aggressively.

Aang and Hua stand beside her, getting into bending stances.

The Fire Sages wanted them, not Katara and Sokka, they would protect their friends!

This Fire Sage steps toward the Avatar and Daimon, before dropping to his knees and pressing his palms to the floor in submission. 

This startles the children and Jaiyi.

“I know why you're here, Avatar and Daimon.”

“You do?”, chorus Aang and Hua together in disbelief.

“Yes.” The Fire Sage rises from the floor to stand again. “You wish to speak to Avatar Roku and Daimon Lixue. I can take you to them.”

Sceptically Aang asks how.

In answer, the Fire Sage slides back a lamplight on the wall. He places his palm on the wall and focuses firebending into this location to open a secret passage.

“This way.”

That’s when they hear the Great Fire Sage hollering to the others to find them and their ally Fire Sage begs them to hurry inside the secret passage.

Hua and Aang exchange a look with one another, asserting each other's belief to trust this firebender.

Well, they don’t have really a choice, do they?

They enter first, Jaiyi and Momo right behind them, then Katara and Sokka and lastly the Fire Sage who closes the secret passage.

They are now in a cave, lava flowing down under them and follow the Fire Sage who tells him his name, Shyu.

“Avatar Roku and Daimon Lixue once called this temple their home. Together they formed these secret passages out of the magma.”, explained Shyu to the group as they made their way through the caverns.

“Did you know them?”, asks Aang curious.

“No. But my grandfather knew them. Many generations of Fire Sages guarded this temple long before me. We all have a strong spiritual connection to this place.”

“Is that how you knew we were coming?”

“A few weeks ago, an amazing thing occurred. The statue of Avatar Roku; its eyes began to glow! Then moments later the eyes of Daimon Lixue.”

Katara reminds them how Roku's eyes had glowed too, when they were in the Southern Air Temple as Aang had entered Avatar State. Then Hua got into Daimon State to calm him down, it was only logical that the Daimon Statues light up just like the Avatar’s.

Shyu agreed and said that’s how they knew how Aang and Hua had returned.

“I just don’t get it.”, began Hua. “If you Sages are devoted to this temple and to the Avatar and Daimon, then why did the others attack us?”

“Things have changed. In the past, the sages were loyal only to the Avatar and Daimon. When Roku and Lixue died, the sages eagerly awaited for the next Avatar and Daimon to return. But they never came.”

Immediately the old feelings of guilt arose in Aang and Hua.

They had let down people again.

Sokka mocked them humorously that they only were 100 years too late.

For that, he got twin scowls and Jaiyi who growled at him.

Shyu continues to explain how the Sage lost hope that the Avatar and Daimon would return. Then when Fire Lord Sozin began the war, they were forced to follow him.

“I never wanted to serve the Fire Lord.”, confessed Shyu. “When I learned you two were coming, I knew I would have to betray the other sages.”

“Thank you for helping us.”, chirps Aang happily, while Hua bows in gratitude. “We won’t forget this.”

The Fire Sage smiles at them, leading the group to a set of stairs. Following them they would reach the sanctuary and when the light reached the statues of Roku and Lixue they could talk to them.

Shyu slides back a secret tile and they climb into the outer sanctuary. 

Massive columns with dragon and phoenix statues atop them line the room. 

An immense door is before them with a device holding five open-mouthed dragons, over them a phoenix with spread wings and waves artfully encircled them.

“No!”, gasped Shyu.

“Shyu, what's wrong?”, asks Aang.

“The sanctuary doors, they're closed!”

“Can't you just open them with firebending?”, wonders Katara. “Like you opened that other door?”

“No. Only a fully realized Avatar or Daimon is powerful enough to open this door alone. Otherwise, the sages must open this door together, with five simultaneous fire blasts.”

Unsure what to do now, they all looked around.

There had to be another way!

That’s when Sokka had an idea.

It’s a trick he had learned from his dad.

They need to seal the lamp oil inside five animal skin casings, Shyu lights the oil-soaked twine and ta-da! 

Fake firebending!

Katara and Hua are impressed with Sokka and Shyu agrees that it might actually work.

The children, Sokka with Jaiyi and Katara with Momo, hide behind the columns, as Shyu gets ready to light the twine.

He reminds the Avatar and Daimon how the other Sage would hear the explosion, so they had to hurry and enter the sanctuary.

“It's almost sunset.”, notes Katara. “Are you two ready?”

“Definitely.”, reassured Aang.

“Ready as I ever will be!”, vowed Hua.

Shyu thrusts his finger forward, sending a small flare racing across the door to light all five bags at once. 

He hurries to take cover. 

There is an intense explosion, producing a lot of smoke. Aang and Hua burst forward and ran for the door. 

The Avatar and Daimon strain to open the door, which has not budged by an inch.

“They're still locked!”, they shout disappointed.

The water tribe teen was right with them, as all stepped from their columns.

Pissed off Aang airbends currents at the door, hollering: “Why, won't, it, open?!”

“Aang, calm down!”, demanded Hua, holding his shoulders. “Airbending at it won’t work. Seems like we came here for nothing.”

A groan leaves the Avatar’s mouth.

“I don't get it. That firebending looked as strong as any firebending I've seen.”, thought Sokka aloud.

Suddenly Katara declared him a genius.

All were more than confused.

Smiling Katara told them it didn’t work but it looked like it!

Now she had a plan.

A few minutes later the other Fire Sages reached the sanctuary where Shyu was waiting for them.

He tells them that somehow the Avatar and Daimon entered it, pointing even at two shadows you can see from the crack in the door.

Immediately the Great Fire Sage commands his fellow Sages to open the door, they couldn’t risk the current Avatar and Daimon contacting Roku and Lixue.

Hua and Aang slide into position behind nearby columns as the five sages firebend the door locks open. 

As the door opens, a sooty Momo and Jaiyi are revealed sitting on the floor. 

Jaiyi shakes herself free from the soot, while Momo sneezes, blowing the soot off himself.

“It's the Avatar's lemur and the Daimon’s Kyuubi. They must have crawled through the pipes! We've been tricked!”, shouts the Great Fire Sage, but too late.

The kyuubi turns big enough to sit on him and Momo leaps atop the Great Fire Sage's head and clings to his hat. Katara charged forward, pulling a nearby sage's tunic over his head to blind him. 

Sokka grabs the lower skirt of a sage's outfit, lifting it completely over his body to cover his face.

Shyu grabs the last free sage and hauls him into his grip, pinning him.

“Now, Aang! Hua!”, shouted Shyu.

A moment of silence.

Now Katara calls for them to hurry.

But to the shook of Aang and Hua's friends and allies, Prince Zuko comes forth from behind a column.

He somehow manages to pin with one arm each of Hua and Aang's arms behind their backs.

“The Avatar and Daimon are coming with me!”

More he can’t say, because Jaiyi turns into her fighting Kyuubi form and knocks with all her tails the enemy sages down.

Then she tackles Zuko to the ground, growling in his face.

So she freed Hua and Aang, who didn’t waste time and raced into the sanctuary.

Everyone looks away as the door seals with a blinding flash of white and orange light. 

Inside, Aang and Hua stand around and look up at the tall statues of Avatar Roku and Daimon Lixue. 

A beam of red sunlight enters the room and strikes a glistening red jewel held by the statues.

Both children look confused around.

“And now?”, asked Hua.

“I don’t know.”, admins Aang. “The light hits the statues and we talk to Roku and Lixue.”

“But nothing is happening!”

“Please Avatar Roku and Diamon Lixue talk to us!”, beg Aang and Hua together.

Roku's statue turns red and Lixue’s blue as sunlight engulfs them. 

His eyes glow white and hers orange.

Smoke fills the room. 

When the white smoke dissipated Avatar Roku and Daimon Lixue walked up to them arm in arm.

They aren’t any more in the sanctuary but on a mountaintop with clouds around them.

“Welcome Hua and Aang.”, greets them Lixue with a kind smile. “It’s wonderful to meet you finally.”

She is a beautiful aged lady and looks younger than Roku, even if they are the same age. Her clothes are in the classic blue of the Water Tribe with some red accents for the Fire Nation.

“What took you so long?”, adds Roku also with a smile.

He wears typical Fire Nation clothes, but a necklace made out of a shark tooth, clearly Water Tribe, hangs from his throat.

It was nice to see how this married couple integrated the nation of their spouse in their clothing.

Respectfully the current Avatar and Daimon place a fist into a palm, bowing their head to the Avatar and Daimon before them.

“We have something very important to tell you, Aang and Hua.”, begins Roku. “That is why, when you were in the Spirit World, we sent my dragon and Lixue phoenix to find you.”

“Is it about that vision we had? The one of the comet?”, guesses Aang.

“Yes indeed, young Avatar.”, confirmed Lixue.

“What does it mean?”, wanted Hua to know.

Roku explains to the young ones: “One hundred years ago, Fire Lord Sozin used that comet to begin the War. He and his firebending army harnessed its incredible power and dealt a deadly first strike against the other nations.”

“The Air Nomads.”, mumbled Hua and Daimon Lixue nodded.

“So the comet made them stronger?”, summarized Aang.

Avatar Roku confirmed it, even saying it made them stronger than they could imagine.

“But that happened a hundred years ago. What does the comet have to do with the War now?”

Now Lixue took over to explain: “Listen carefully, young ones. Sozin's Comet will return by the end of this summer, and Fire Lord Ozai will use its power to finish the War, once and for all. If he succeeds, even the Avatar and Daimon won't be able to restore balance to the world. Hua and Aang. You must defeat the Fire Lord before the comet arrives.”

That they were shocked was the understatement of the century.

They panic!

“But, but, Lixue I may have started learning airbending, but I don’t make the progress I should, because I should learn fire first! How should I get down water too like this?!”

“Yeah, and I haven't even started learning waterbending! Not to mention earth and fire!”

“Mastering the elements takes years of discipline and practice.”, told them Roku calmly. “But if the world is to survive, you two must do it by summer's end.”

“What if we can't master all the elements in time? What if we fail?”, argues Aang back with Hua rapidly nodding along.

“We have faith in you Hua and Aang because you two mastered it already once and you can do it again.”, reassured Lixue.

This makes the children smile.

“The solstice is ending.”, declares Roku. “We must go our separate ways, for now.”

“But we won't be able to come back to the temple. What if we have questions? How will we talk to you two?”, asked Aang and Hua as one.

Roku and Lixue answer them together: “We are a part of you. When you need to talk to us again, you will find a way.”

The late Avatar and Daimon closed their eyes, showing the current ones what was going on outside the sanctuary.

Firebender, ready to burn them to crisp.

“A great danger awaits you two at the temple. We can help you face the threat. But only if you are ready.”

Hua and Aang who had also closed their eyes open them together.

His a brightly white and his arrows in the same light and hers in a burning orange.

“We are ready!”

The people outside saw how the door glowed bright white-orange once again. 

Smoke streams come through into the room. 

The door unlocks itself, beginning to open. 

As it opens, a blinding white and orange light forces all present to look away.

Admiral Zhao commands his man to attack, while Katara cries out to her friends terrified.

The wall of fire amasses, circling its new hosts as Avatar Roku and Daimon Lixue, eyes aglow, are revealed behind the flames, untouched.

In perfect harmony, Avatar Roku and Daimon Lixue draw the circling fire together in one motion. 

They send it forward in one powerful wave that sears the room, blasting the offenders off their feet and melting the chains binding Katara, Sokka, Shyu, Jaiyi and Zuko with precision. 

Daimon Lixue and Avatar Roku, turn their glowing glare upon the offending sages. 

The sages panic, all turning to run from their wrath.

“Avatar Roku and Daimon Lixue are going to destroy the temple! We have to get out of here!”, implores Shyu the water tribe siblings.

“Not without Hua and Aang!”, countered Katara.

Never would she leave her friends!

Roku and Lixue kneel into a forward strike, melting the floor with a molten firebending trail. 

They steadily lift a hand each, causing the stream of lava below to erupt into maddened explosions. 

The lava soars through the temple, tearing it apart. 

Katara and Sokka huddle together, arm-in-arm, behind a column. 

The destruction ceases momentarily as Roku and Lixue lower their hands, exhaling soundly. 

The solstice's beam of sunlight leaves their statues; their eyes no longer glow. 

As this happens all smoke in the room draws in upon Avatar Roku and Daimon Lixue, their forms disappearing to leaving behind a weary Aang and Hua.

Both fall to their knee, however, Katara catches Aang and Sokka catches Hua before their faces meet the floor.

“We got your backs.”, tells them Sokka.

“Thanks. Where's Shyu?”, wonder the Avatar and Daimon together.

“I don't know.”, admins Katara.

Jaiyi licks Hua's cheek and then Aang’’s before she yips urgently.

They need to leave!

Hua, Aang, Katara and Sokka stare in horror upon seeing the stairwell leading to the exit filled with lava. 

They quickly turn to the only exit; the hole in the wall Roku and Lixue had created. 

There is no escaping, as they are on the top level of the temple.

All four humans gasp and the Kyuubi yips in surprise as they notice Appa and Momo swiftly closing in. 

They run out of the temple, leaping into Appa's saddle.

Time to leave the Fire Nation!

***

The full moon shines down on them, as Aang and Hua, who are sitting side by side on Appa's saddle, look both in desperation at nothing in particular.

What Roku and Lixue told them…

How could they do it?

They were just two dumb kids. 

Two dumb kids who had to save the world before the end of the summer.

At least…they wouldn’t have to do it alone.

Like if they agreed on, their hands find the one of the other and they squeeze.

They needed some reassurance.

That they really weren’t alone in this whole mess.

That their other half would walk the same path as them.

For the first time, both were thankful that they had each other.

How the burden of saving the world in less than a year could change your perspective on things.

Katara and Sokka looked at each other worried for their young friends.

They kneel down behind them and Katara puts a hand on a shoulder each.

Whatever the young Avatar and Daimon had learned, which troubled them so much, the water tribe siblings would support and help them.

Previous

Next

Yin and Yang: Book 1.09

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?

Hello guys, sorry for the long wait. 

This chapter is probably not my best, but I don’t know anymore what to write, so there.

Also, I want to inform you, that if this fanfic doesn’t get any comments I will abandon it.

Would not be the first one I do so.

I see you reading it, I just want some feedback.

I know it’s probably a bit boring because Hua is just added in the episode but I can promise you we will have a big canon divergent soon.

I’m just saying wait till The Blue Spirit then things will change. :D

So please be patient, comment, motivate me and we can arrive at this point in the story.

Now have fun with the chapter.

Book 1.09: The Two Scrolls

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.

***

The day for our young heroes started with two panic attacks from the Avatar and Daimon.

Aang was pacing around on Appa's saddle, breathing heavily, while Hua had wrapped her arms around her knees and was swinging back and forth.

You could hear her mumbling something about the world being so doomed.

Katara looked worried at her young friends as Sokka called out from his place on Appa's head: “Would you sit down, Aang? If we hit a bump, you'll go flying off. What's bugging you two anyway? Hua looks like she is ready to fall over.”

“It's what Avatar Roku and Daimon Lixue said.”, answered Aang worried.” We are supposed to master all four elements before that comet arrives.”

Jokingly Sokka told them that they only needed 112 years to learn air- and earthbending, he was sure they would master the other ones by next summer.

This was when Hua stopped her manic back and forth swinging to glare at Sokka: “I don’t know if you noticed, I’m not exactly a master earthbender. What I can do I learned while helping construct buildings in the Lower Rings of Ba Sing Se, from Bumi and inventing moves I copied from other bending. I still need a master for earthbending too.”

“You never told us this.”, said Katara softly. 

She saw in Hua's twisted face how she disliked talking about it.

“That my family was poor. Poorer than poor? Yeah, I don’t like to think about that.”, grumbled Hua.

The Daimon looked at her knees to not see the pitiful glances of the others. They could never understand how it was to grow up never being full, wearing clothes which didn’t fit and working the whole day to help bring money home.

If she had looked at her friends she would have seen that they didn’t look at pity at her. They looked sad for her, that she had such a hard start in life.

No wonder she didn’t like to talk about it.

“Hua at least started learning airbending with me.”, tried Aang to change the subject. It was the least he could do. “But we haven’t started waterbending and we're still weeks away from the North Pole. What are we gonna do?”

“Die.”, proclaimed Hua drier than the dessert.

“You know, not even I feel optimistic enough to talk back.”, admitted Aang.

He sat down beside Hua and together they swayed back and forth.

Not that Sokka didn’t understand that these two had a huge responsibility, however, reducing themselves like this was not the way.

So he called out to his sister, in hopes she could cheer them up. 

This was Katara's thing, not his.

“Calm down, it's going to be okay, Hua and Aang.”, told Katara. She kneeled before them, taking a hand each. “If you want, I can try to teach you some of the stuff I know.”

“You'd do that?”, chorused the Avatar and Daimon with hope in their voices.

Their friend agreed and told them they needed to find a good source of water for practice.

Always the jokester Sokka said they could probably find a puddle for them to splash.

The puddle turned out to be a huge waterfall with a river.

The girls and Aang made ecstatic faces, as Sokka frowned and murmured: “Nice puddle.”

How the universe loved to prove him wrong!

Appa flies down into the river and creates a huge splash that soaks and almost knocks Momo off the rock he is standing on, turns over, and floats on his back. Jaiyi, who had hidden behind Hua, made a fox laugh at her lemur friend. Momo was just cooing embarrassed.

Aang wanted to take a bad with Appa too, but was reminded by Katara and Hua why they were here.

It was time to practice waterbending.

Sheepish he dressed himself.

Meanwhile, Sokka wonders what he should do, while they practice and Aang tells him he could clean the dirt from Appa's toes.

Strangely Sokka agreed.

Maybe he was that utterly bored.

Whatever, like good students, Aang and Hua sat down beside the shore and looked up at their teacher Katara as she explained their first lesson.

”This is a pretty basic move, but it still took me months to perfect. So don't get frustrated if you don't get it right away.”, reassured Katara, while the younger ones nodded. She moves her hands back and forth and makes small waves in the water.“Just push and pull the water like this. The key is getting the wrist movement right.”

Hua and Aang stand up and copy what Katara is doing.

“Like this?”, asks Aang.

“That's almost right. If you keep practicing I'm sure eventually—”

Katara can’t finish even her sentences as Aang calls out that he is doing it. 

His waves were even bigger than Katara’s!

“I got it too!”, chirps Hua happy. Her waves were higher than Katara’s, but tinier than Aangs. “This feels a bit better than airbending.”

“Wow, I can't believe you two got that so quickly. It took me two months to learn that move.”, tells Katara surprised.

It’s…a bit weird to see both Aang and Hua having success on a move she worked so long on.

“Well, you had to figure it all on your own.”, begins Aang.

“We are lucky enough to have a great teacher.”, ends Hua with a smile.

Touched Katara thanks them.

“What now Sifu Katara?”, questioned Hua her best friend, as Aang nodded along.

Aww, this made Katara feel all fluffy inside being called Sifu. She hardly was a master but Hua and Aang saw her as one.

Precious darlings!

“This is a more difficult move. I call it streaming the water.” She moves her hands and raises a stream of water from the river into the air and moves it around. “It's harder than it looks, so don't be disappointed if-”

The waterbender stops talking as she sees how flawlessly and fast Aang executed this move, even Hua was faster and more elegant than her. Both children let the water flow back into the river, while Katara's orb splashed down the ground.

She felt…annoyance rise in her.

How could Hua and Aang get this so fast?!

“Nice work.”, she praises them and then frowns at Aang. “Though the over-the-head flare was unnecessary.”

Aang says sorry but begs for more move, Hua is right along with him giving Katara the best puppy-seal eyes.

A bit unsure she shows them the move she was still working on. The idea was to create a powerful wave. Sadly Katara fails.

Curious Aang and Hua copy her, a big wave and a medium-sized wave, form, mesh together and race down the river. 

Poor Sokka falls victim to it.

Excited Avatar and Daimon ask for more moves, but Katara annoyed about their success tells them practice is over.

Sokka agreed since their merged wave managed to make their bags with supplies float down the river.

Both kids say sorry, they didn’t mean to, but Aang was sure they could find somewhere to replace their supplies.

Defeated Sokka murmurs how his life was hard enough when they were just airbender and earthbender and sank down the river.

***

Luck was on their side.

They found a little harbour with market stands not that far away from their camp.

The only problem was the folks who wandered around.

A lot of armed men staring at the quartet. 

Hua, Sokka and Katara looked nervous while Aang looked around in wonder.

The Daimon was glad that she left Jaiyi with Appa. She had a feeling these friendly people would do anything to get the pelt of a ninetails.

Currently, they were waiting for Sokka to return with their supplies.

He comes out of the shop and signs: “We've got exactly three copper pieces left from the money that King Bumi gave us. Let's spend it wisely.”

Sadly this advice came too late since Aang bought a bison whistle, which even didn’t work.

All gave him annoyed looks and Katara told Aang she would hold into the money now.

Our quartet started walking again and passed where a man was talking in front of his boat docked in the water.

“Earth Nation! Fire Nation! Water Nation! So long as bargains are your inclination, you're welcome here! Don't be shy, come on by!”, advertise he for his shop aka. boat. The man wearing an earring zero in on them and runs up to them. “Oh! You there, I can see from your clothing that you're the world-travelling type. Perhaps I can interest you in some exotic curios?”

“Sure! What are curios?”, ask Aang innocent.

The earring guy blinks confused.

“I'm not entirely sure. But we got 'em!”

He puts his hand on Aang's shoulder and smiles, walking him into the ship. The others follow them.

Inside the ship they spread out, to look around.

Hua was looking at some pretty hair ornaments, only listing with half an ear how someone wants to buy Momo, when she wanders over a shelf.

There already was Katara browsing it as she let out a gasp: “Hua look!”

“Is this a waterbending scroll and firebending scroll?!”, said Hua surprised.

Neither expected to find something like this here.

Katara picks up the water scroll, while Hua the fire scroll.

“Look at this, Aang. It's a waterbending and firebending scroll!”, calls Katara for the Avatar, who joins the girls. “Check out these crazy moves.”

Aang turns to the captain, excited, wondering where he got these two scrolls.

The captain takes the scrolls from the girls, putting them back in their places and tells them he found the water one up north and the fire one, and gave them a nice firebender.

For free.

That’s when Sokka realizes: “Wait a minute ... Sea-loving traders, with suspiciously acquired merchandise and pet reptile birds? You guys are pirates!”

“We prefer to think of ourselves as "high-risk traders."”, tells him earring pirate, friendly an arm around Sokka's terrified form.

Meanwhile, the other three wander over to the counter, where the captain stands behind.

“So, how much for the, uh, traded scroll?”, asks Katara.

“I've already got a buyer, a nobleman in the Earth Kingdom. Unless of course, you kids have four hundred gold pieces on you right now.”

Oh by the spirits no, they would never get the scrolls like this.

So Hua did something she hadn’t done in a long time.

Casual she walked over to the shelf and faster than lighting put the scrolls in her bag.

That’s when Katara walks over and looks stupefied at the missing scrolls on the shelf.

She looks at Hua as her friend nods and pats her bag. Katara smiles, giving her a thumbs-up and calls for Aang to leave the pirate ship.

The boys follow the girls out back into the street, wondering why all of a sudden they wanted to leave the ship.

Neither Hua nor Katara gives them a clear answer about just how they felt weird on the ship.

They were still too close to tell the boys what they did.

Luck again wasn’t on their side, because the pirates noticed the theft and chased them all over the harbour.

The bender used their elements to slow them down, but in the end, they fled all together on Aang's glider.

It was a wonder how this was possible.

Soon they reached their campsite.

They were now safe.

“I used to kind of look up to pirates, but those guys are terrible.”, said Aang putting his glider away.

“Yeah, that’s why we did this!”

Excited Hua and Katara show the scrolls to the boys.

“No way!”

“Aren’t they great?”, asks Katara rhetoric.

“No wonder they were trying to hack us up! You stole their waterbending and firebending scroll!”, scolds Sokka.

“Actually it was me!”, admins Hua. “Not the first time I stole something.”

“What really?!”

“Sokka, if you grow up so poor as I am then sometimes you have to steal to get food for your little brother.”

“Also if Hua hadn’t grabbed them, I would have done it.”, tells Katara. “I prefer to think of it as high-risk trading.”

Aang laughs: “Good one, Katara.”

Seeing how Sokka still wasn’t happy with them Katara asked him where he thought the pirates got the scrolls from.

They probably stole it from a waterbender master and a firebender one.

“It doesn't matter.”, makes Sokka clear. “Hua, and you put all of our lives in danger just so you could learn some stupid, fancy splashes and some fiery, sparkly flames.”

“These are real waterbending and firebending forms. You know how crucial it is for Aang and Hua to learn waterbending! Also, Hua needs to learn firebending like yesterday, where else should we find help for her to do it?!”, challenges him Katara.

The oldest boy just waves it away with a whatever turning his back on them.

“Well, what's done is done. We have them, we might as well learn from them.”, told Aang.

The three benders decide how Hua should have a go first with her firebending scroll.

Katara holds it open for her, as she examines the forms.

“Okay, the first one.”, the Daimon mumbles. “A simple Fire Punch. Seems good enough.”

Nervous Hua faces the water, while all her friends look equally nervous on.

Would she bend fire and get it out of control?

Or would she master it?

With a deep breath, Hua goes through the steps and then…flame shoots out of her fist!

All exclaim in surprise.

“I did it!”, shouts Hua happy. “I firebenden!”

“How does it feel?”, asks Katara.

“Good, better, like how it’s supposed to. Oh let me try the next form.”

The next hour or so they watch how Hua performs the firebending forms flawlessly and with elegance.

Aang was reminded of when Kuzon would bend for them and Katara and Sokka saw for the first time how fire can be pretty.

Hua herself feels at complete ease.

It was how it should have been, first learn fire then the next elements in her Daimon Cyle.

She has a feeling she will now learn air and water better.

After Hua finished her set again, Katara called out for a break.

She sees how her best friend was breathing heavily and was sweaty. So she gives her one of their water bags and Hua gulps it down.

They decided now it was Aang and Katara's turn to use the waterbender scroll.

It works…not well.

Katara was so determined to get the water whip down, that she shouted at Aang as he tried to help her.

Seeing how she hurt the feelings of her friend, she apologises and gives him the scroll.

She doesn’t want to do anything with it more if it turns her into this jealous bitch.

In comfort, Hua pats the back of her best friend.

The Daimon can understand her feelings well. If Aang starts one day to learn earthbending and he is better than her, she would be angry too.

What was done was done, for today's practice was over.

They all needed to calm down.

***

Hua was currently dreaming about eating the biggest mochi of her life when she was rudely woke up.

“Huh, guys what's wrong?”, she yawned, then frowned.

Where was Katara?

“She took the scroll!”, answered Sokka her unspoken question. “She's obsessed with that thing. It's just a matter of time before she gets us all in deep-”

More he can’t say as a pirate throws a rope around his arms and drags him forward. He rolls away and charges at the pirate while another two pirates capture Aang and Hua in a net each and drag them away.

Offended Sokka asks if he is not good enough to be kidnapped and gets as a reward kidnapped.

A while later, Aang, Hua and Sokka, bond by their wrists, and stand with the pirate on one side of the shore, while Prince Zuko and his man are on the other. Katara was bonded on a tree.

Prince Zuko praises the pirates, while Katara says sorry to Aang and Hua. 

All was her fault.

The Avatar and Daimon try to reassure her that it is okay, but Zuko's uncle just says to Katara that it was indeed her fault.

Now the pirates and Prince Zuko argue about who should hand over their bargain chip first.

This uses Sokka to his advance, telling the pirates how Aang and Hua were the Avatar and Daimon and how the Fire Lord would pay them more gold, than the two scrolls together.

The deal was off and fighting started.

Prince Zuko and two of his soldiers send a blast of fire at the pirates. 

The pirates jump back and Earring Pirate runs out, throwing smoke bombs and jumping into the cloud as the fight ensues. Some of the soldiers run out to Hua, Sokka and Aang, who are struggling with their ropes, but are stopped by several pirates, who also throw smoke bombs down. 

“Okay, let’s try this!”, Hua mumbles to herself.

She concretes and burns her robes off.

“Nice! Sokka, Aang, where are you?!”

“I’m here Hua!”, she hears Aang from somewhere on the left.

“I don’t know where I am.”, comes from Sokka, somewhere on the right.

“Let’s just get out!”, advises Hua.

After a few seconds, she was out of the smoke, followed by Sokka and then Aang.

They run the shoreline down and find Katara who was trying to push the pirate ship into the water.

The three join her in trying to push the boat, but can't.

“We'd need a team of rhinos to budge this ship.”, bemoans Sokka their fate.

“A team of rhinos, or three waterbenders.”, corrected him Aang.

Katara looks touched at the Avatar, while Hua gets in position.

“Let’s do it guys, push and pull!”

Hua, Aang and Katara push and pull the water until the boat rises up.

They board the ship and sail through the river.

The Avatar sees how the pirates are following them in Zuko's ship and begs Sokka to go faster.

He admits he doesn’t know how, since the boat isn’t Watertribe.

Several of the pirates jump onto the ship but are quickly swept away by Aang's waterbending. 

Two pirates go after Hua but she spins herself around and sends a fire whip after them. This shocks the pirates so much that they fall over the ship.

Determined, Katara performs a perfect water whip to throw the last pirate off.

Aang and Hua congratulated her on her water whip, and Katara admits she wouldn’t have got it down without Aang's help.

Sokka meanwhile was being held in place by two pirates and begs them to stop congratulating each other and help him.

This time Hua water whips at the Pirates, who let go of Sokka, and one goes even overboard.

Earring Pirate turn to Aang who whistles in his Bison whistle.

The pirate was more than confused, but this gave Sokka the chance to throw him off the ship.

Then Katara calls out to them.

They are nearing a waterfall!

Thankful the watertribe girl has an idea and together with Aang and Hua they push and pull the water again, creating a vortex which stops the ship.

Their triumph was short-lived since the enemy boat rammed them and all four fell off the ship and down the waterfall.

However, they are lucky as Appa, with Jaiyi and Momo, appears and catches them on his saddle.

Fast they flew away.

***

Safe and sound Team Avatar-Daimon flies throw the clouds.

What a day they had and it just started!

“Aang, I still owe you an apology.”, begins Katara. “You were just so good at waterbending without really trying. I got so competitive that I put us all in danger, I'm sorry.”

“That's okay Katara.”

“Besides, who needs that stupid scroll anyway?”

“Is that really how you feel?”, asked Sokka sarcastically holding the water scroll up.

“The scroll!”

Her brother puts his hand in front to keep Katara from grabbing it.

“First, what did you learn? Hua, you listen too, alright.”

“Stealing is wrong.”, chorus the girls together.

Katara takes the scroll back and adds cheeky: “Unless it's from pirates.”

This makes Aang and Hua laugh.

“Good one, Katara.”

Previous

Next

Yin and Yang: Book 1.10

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?

Who is Veda? You can read the story, and you will know if you want to see her look at my Deviantart Account. ^^

Book 1.10: Jet and Veda

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.

After a nice breakfast, it was time for team Avatar-Daimon to hit the road again.

Only someone was missing…

“Where's Momo?”, asked Aang his friends, hoping they had seen where the lemur had flown off.

It was like he heard them since Momo’s screeches echoed through the forest.

“Jaiyi, girl, find Momo!”, command Hua her ninetails.

Not wasting time Jaiyi did as she was told, finding Momo's smell and leading the humans.

They found the poor lemur and two hog monkeys in cage traps hanging by rope on tree limbs.

Aang uses his airbending to fly to the top of the tree, jumping from trunk to trunk to get higher. He finds the traps' mechanisms, undoes them, and carefully lowers Momo to the ground where Hua, Katara and Sokka are waiting. They open the trap together and the lemur runs out with one of the lychee nuts in his mouth. 

The watertribe siblings and the Daimon look on as Momo gets on his hind legs and eats it as though nothing has happened. 

Jaiyi sist down beside him and licks his head, which makes Momo purr.

Sokka grunts in frustration and facepalms. 

When Aang lands, he looks up to see the other two animals seemingly crying out to him for help.

So he jumps up to them, but Sokka say how this will take forever and just uses his boomerang to cut the hog monkey free.

While the free animals run off into the forest, Team Avatar-Daimon study the trap together.

“These are Fire Nation traps.”, concludes Sokka. “You can tell from the metalwork. We'd better pack up camp and get moving.”

They return to their camp. Gathering their things they begin to pack them onto Appa's saddle.

Suddenly Sokka proclaims: “Uh-uh! No flying this time.”

The others are confused.

“What? Why wouldn't we fly?”, wonders Aang.

“Think about it: Somehow Prince Zuko and the Fire Nation keep finding us. It's because they spot Appa, he's just too noticeable.”

“What? Appa's not too noticeable!”, comes Katara to the bison defense.

“He's a gigantic fluffy monster with an arrow on his head! It's kinda hard to miss him!”

Appa seems offended, which makes Aang coo at him how Sokka was just jealous he doesn’t have an arrow.

“Well, then we can all ride on Jaiyi. Four humans and our supplies are nothing for her.”, offers Hua, as her Kyuubi yips in agreement.

But Sokka shakes his head.

“No, same problem with Appa. When Jaiyi is in her big form you can’t miss her, when she is little you could confuse her for a normal fox cub…I mean till you see the tails.”

This makes everyone deadpan at Sokka. He really doesn’t want to make their journey comfortable for them.

“I know you all wanna fly or ride, but my instincts tell me we should play it safe this time and walk.”, explains Sokka.

“Instincts?”, mumbles Hua confused, while Katara leans forward to her brother: “Who made you the boss?”

“I'm not the boss, I'm the leader.”

“Since when and where was I when this was decided?”, questions Hua, getting more confused by the second.

What’s up with Sokka all of a sudden?

“I agree with Hua, you're the leader? But your voice still cracks!”, sass Katara her brother.

“I'm the oldest, and I'm a warrior!”, retorts Sokka. “So I'm the leader!”

“If anyone's are our leaders, it's Aang and Hua. I mean, he is the Avatar and she is the Daimon.”

“Are you kidding? He's just a goofy kid! And she is just a little girl.”

“I’m not that little!”, mumbles Hua angrily, while Aang proves Sokka's point hanging upside-down from Appa's right horn with feet sticking out in the air and agreeing.

“Why do boys always think someone has to be the leader?”, ponders Katara. “I bet you wouldn't be so bossy if you kissed a girl.”

This makes Hua snort, which in turn makes Sokka blush embarrassed.

Great, even the youngest laughs at him!

“I've kissed a girl, you just haven't met her.”, defends the water tribe boy his manly honour.

“Who? Gran-Gran? I've met Gran-Gran.”, roasts his sister further.

Now Hua has picked up Jaiyi and hides her laughing face in the pelt of her ninetails.

She can’t!

Katara was just too good at dishing out!

Angry Sokka throws his arms into the air. Katara's sass and Hua's laughter go on his nerves and hurt his manly ego.

“No! Besides Gran-Gran. Look, my instincts tell me we have a better chance of slipping through on foot, and a leader has to trust his instincts.”

“Okay, we'll try it your way, oh wise leader.”, says Katara sarcastically.

“Oh guide us, wise leader.”, can’t Hua help herself to add.

The girls laugh together, as Sokka sends them an offended look.

Why were girls such smart-asses?

Now Aang steps over, wearing a backpack. Momo is sitting on the top.

Always the optimist he says that walking might be fun.

Words he would soon regret.

“Walking stinks!”, decides the Avatar. “How do people go anywhere without a flying bison or a kyuubi?”

“Well I don't know, Aang.”, answer him Katara “Why don't you ask Sokka's instincts? They seem to know everything.”

“Yes, our wise leader will lead us to the holy land of the Nothern Water Tribe on foot.”, adds Hua cheeky.

Jaiyi, who walks beside her, laughs her fox laugh.

“Ha ha, very funny, guys.”, deadpans Sokka.

Ungrateful brats! He was just looking out for them and this was the thanks?!

“I'm tired of carrying this pack.”, complains the Avatar.

“You know who you should ask to carry it for a while?”, begins Katara.

“Oh, oh, let me guess!”, calls Hua, raising her hand like in school. “Sokka’s instincts?”

“Right on, Hua!”

“That's a great idea.”, agrees Aang. “Hey, Sokka's instincts, would you mind–”

Annoyed Sokka calls out: “Okay, okay, I get it! Look, guys, I'm tired too. But the important thing is that we're safe from the Fire ... Nation.”

He trails off because they stepped right into a big camp of Fire Nations Soldiers.

“Sokka, your instincts, suck!”, hisses Hua.

The oldest tells them all to run, but a Fire Nation soldier blocks them off by setting the bushes behind them on fire.

The four go into battle positions.

Seems like the only way to get out of this mess was by fighting.

“If you let us pass, we promise not to hurt you.”, tells Sokka the soldiers with fake bravado.

His sister asked what he was doing and admitted he was just bluffing. 

A Firebender with an eyepatch laughs at them.

“You, promise not to hurt us?”

A whooshing sound was heard and the soldier was knocked out by an unseen tranquillizer dart on his back.

“Nice work, Sokka!”, praises Aang. “How'd you do that?”

“Uh, instinct?”

That’s when Katara draws their attention to a nearby tree. On it, a young man tosses his blowpipe and unsheathes two hook swords. He jumps and takes down two soldiers on landing. He runs forward and takes down two more using his hook swords.

“Down you go.”

Katara looks amazed, Hua admiring, Aang shocked, and Sokka confused.

Another soldier charges at Jet, but he is defeated. Then a soldier points out how more people are in the tree, but it’s too late.

A young boy lands on top of the soldier and turns his helmet around to blind him, before riding him around while laughing. Another boy launches arrows at the soldiers while more boys and girls come out of the trees. 

Hua, Aang and Katara aid them in fighting the soldiers with their primary bendings. 

Sokka holds up his boomerang and yells as one approaches him, but stops when the young man with the hook swords takes him down first.

The watertribe boy bemoans that he was his, but the young man just says he has to be faster next time.

Sokka looks dismayed and a huge boy falls out of the trees and easily takes down two soldiers as the hook sword boy skilfully takes down one more, causing this soldier's spear to hit another soldier, who was going to battle Sokka, in the head, making that soldier also fall down.

Again no points for Sokka.

Currently, Hua was launching rocks at two soldiers, as she felt that someone was approaching.

Another Soldier!

Before she can react, a pretty girl, not older than herself, attacks the soldier with her whip. She bonds him in it and throws him against a tree, knocking him out cold.

The Daimon's mouth claps open and a hot blush forms on her cheeks.

This was one of the hottest things she had ever seen!

She feels all tingly inside, it only gets worse as the pretty girls walk over to her.

“Hi.”, the pretty girl greets. She has beautiful grey eyes, and mid-length black hair and wears a green kimono-styled top with bandages, brown pants and black boots. 

“Hello.”, croaks Hua nervous out.

“Your earthbending is amazing.”, praises her pretty girl. “I’m Veda and who are you cutie?”

Being called cutie by this beautiful Veda makes Hua's brain short-circuit.

The last time she felt this way was 100 years ago when she had a crush on her neighbor Ai. The one who had also stolen her first kiss.

So she does something, which will make her wish to die on the spot.

Babbling nonsense.

“Me, me, Hua, I mean-I’m Hua. Hua, like, like flower. Only flower, just flower not any specific kind of flower, I don’t know why my parents didn’t specify. Sakura or Sayuri would have been nice, they are specify flowers. You know? Sakura is cherry blossom and Sayuri Lily. But, but, I think you know that…”

Amused Veda wipes away some ash from her cheek and Hua swerves she will melt.

“You are a cutie pie, Hua. Don’t be nervous, I don’t bite…unless you want me to.”

Then Veda winks.

And Hua makes a sound like a dying whale.

Oh Spirits, kill her now!

“Veda, are you done flirting?”, calls over the hook sword boy, who was standing beside an equally besotted Katara. 

“Sure, Jet.”, calls Veda back, but stays beside Hua, winking at her again.

The now-known Jet shakes bemused his head and then starts to introduce himself and his friends: “My name is Jet, and these are my Freedom Fighters. Sneers, Longshot, Smellerbee, Veda, The Duke, and Pipsqueak.”

The Daimon has trouble following along with how Aang tells Pipsqueak how his name is funny, only to be revealed that the biggest boy was named so and not the little one. It seems like Aang will get hit, but Pipssqueak laughs and pats him friendly on the back though the hit is hard enough to knock Aang flat on the ground. 

The Duke stops laughing and looks down at Aang sprawled on the ground before his feet, face flat in the dirt, though when Aang raises his head and continues laughing, so does The Duke.

The Freedom Fighters ransack the camp, while Sokka looks on a little uncomfortable.

Katara thanks Jet for his help and Hua and Veda are talking with each other.

Well, Veda talks and Hua babbles nonsense, however, the other girl doesn’t seem to mind.

Aang watches how both his female friends seem cosy with their new friends and…well…he feels strangely strange.

Does it make sense?

Seeing Katara with Jet was not making him feel funny, but Hua and Veda made his stomach twist.

He didn’t get it.

What was up with him?

Why was there a voice in his head, who practically growled mine, stay away.

Aang doesn’t have this kind of feeling for Hua, they were friends, also he liked Katara.

But this strange voice in him or let’s say a thousand voices in him hissed and snarled.

Mine!

Soulmate!

My Yang!

Stay away from them!

To think he shakes fast his head. This was all so confusing.

Were these voices of his past lives, where he and Hua were couples?

It made the most sense.

Nonetheless, he never reacted like that…

Maybe because someone was showing interest in Hua and he saw it?

And his past lives didn’t like that?

Well, he would ignore it!

He liked Katara, he knew she was his forever girl, and his past lives should get used to the Daimon having another partner.

There!

That’s when Aang hears how The Duke tells Jet how they will bring the things from the ransacked camp to their hide-out.

So his little episode was forgotten as he asked excitedly if they had a hideout.

Jet offers them to show it and both Katara and Hua yell how they want to see it.

So they follow the Freedom Fighter for a while through the forest, till they stop.

“We're here.”, proclaims Jet.

Confused Sokka says that nothing is there, so Jet gives him a rope and the watertribe boy pulled up into the branches.

Jet offers one to Aang, but he uses his airbending to climb the tree.

“Now you Hua.”, calls her Jet.

A bit nervous the Daimon steps forward, as she feels a hand on her shoulder.

Veda.

“The first time can be a bit wild, want to travel with me?”, she asked with a pretty smile.

Not trusting her voice, Hua nods.

So Veda wraps an arm around her hips, while Hua wraps her arms around the other girl's shoulder, as the Freedom Fighter girl grips the rope.

They get pulled up and all seems to go in slow motion.

Romantic light shines down on them, making Veda look like a goddess, which turns Hua into a pepperoni.

When she feels Veda's hand and where she is holding on, Hua swerves it burning her.

She never wants to let go of the other girl.

Sadly they land on a wooden platform.

For a second Hua admired the awesome hideout of the Freedom Fighter, which was a couple of treehouses, connected with zip lines as Veda whispered in her air: “Hey, you wanna ditch the other till dinner? I want to show you my favourite place.”

Butterflies are in Hua's stomach and she nods in agreement.

Giving her a pretty smile Veda takes her hand, Hua may or not may make again a dying whale sound, and leads her to her favourite place.

On the way there they talk.

Veda tells her how she came to the Freedom Fighter. She and Jet were neighbour, as one day the Fire Nation burned down the village, killing their parents. She would be dead too, if Jet hadn’t saved her that night.

He was eight and she was six.

“I’m so sorry, Veda.”, tells her Hua, squeezing her hand. “I wish I could do more to help you with your pain.”

“It’s okay Hua. Even if I miss my family I have a new family in Jet and the Freedom Fighter. Jet is like my big brother, I would do anything for him.”

Suddenly Hua Daimon-Radar goes off. How Veda said she would do anything for Jet…it has a dark note in it.

Hua can’t think anymore as Veda leads her to a platform, from where you can see all the forest.

“It’s so beautiful!”, shouts Hua.

“I love it here.”, confesses Veda, sitting down. “You can see anything from her and when the stars are out it's quite romantic.”

This makes Hua blush again, as she sits down beside Veda. The other girl grips her hand caressing it.

“It’s even better when you share it with someone.”, whispered the Freedom Fighter in her ear, making Hua shiver.

Then she feels a little kiss on her cheek.

Surprised she gasp and looks with wide eyes at Veda.

The other girl has a cheeky smile, which makes Hua's stomach do somersaults.

“I know we just met, but you are so sweet Hua, I could eat you up.”

“Then do it.”, whispers Hua back, she feels the attraction too and wants to bathe in it.

With another grin, Veda kisses her on the mouth.

And for a long time, both girls don’t say anything, getting lost in each other.

***

It’s now dinner time in the Freedom Fighter hide-out. 

Hua sits beside Veda and Katara as she enjoys her meal with her friends, new friends and…girlfriend?

She and Veda didn’t really specify what they were after their romantic escape, they just enjoyed each other.

Maybe they didn’t need a label.

Just being together was nice.

For however long it may be.

Jet stands on the table raising his glass and starts his speech: “Today, we struck another blow against the Fire Nation swine.”

Everyone cheers. 

Katara, Hua and Aang smile while Sokka cops an attitude and a scowling face.

“I got a special joy from the look on one soldier's face when The Duke dropped down on his helmet and rode him like a wild hog monkey.”

The Duke, without his helmet, climbs up the table. He marches on the table with his arms in the air.

“Now, the Fire Nation thinks they don't have to worry about a couple of kids hiding in the trees. Maybe they're right.”

A very loud and long boo is heard all around. 

“Or maybe ... they're dead wrong.”

Loud and long cheering happens.

“Hey, Jet, nice speech.”, praise Katara with twinkling eyes.

“Thanks.”, says Jet as he sits down beside her. “By the way, I was really impressed with you, Hua and Aang. That was some great bending I saw out there today.”

“Well, they are great. He's the Avatar and she’s the Daimon. I could use some more training.”, admins Katara blushing.

“Avatar, Daimon huh? Very nice.”

“Thanks, Jet.”, chorus Aang and Hua together.

“So I might know a way that you, Hua and Aang can help in our struggle.”

That’s when Sokka states: “Unfortunately, we have to leave tonight.”

Both Katara and Hua looked devastated, they didn’t want to leave Jet and Veda already and Aang pounts, he liked it here!

Fortunately for them, Jet has a mission for Sokka, which makes him curious.

They will stay another day.

Puh, thank the spirits.

After dinner and dishes were finished, Veda showed the girls of Team Avatar-Daimon where they could get cleaned up.

With a blown kiss to Hua the Freedom Fighter girl left them.

Like a besotted fool, Hua waved at her till she was away.

“Ah is someone in love?”, cooed Katara at her best friend, as she started to undress.

Hua follows her and blushes to her breast.

“Not love, but hard crushing. I love girls who can kick my ass.”, she confesses. “Also what is with you and Jet?”

With a washcloth, Katara starts to clean herself and starts blushing too.

“I like him, alright, but we only talked. That hickey on your breast tells me another story.”, says Katara with a grin.

Shocked Hua looked down and there it was.

A hickey.

Okay, she and Veda got a bit wild.

“We may have gotten carried away.”, she admins to her best friend and starts to clean herself too.

This makes Katara frown a bit.

“Hua, please don’t take this bad, but aren’t you both only twelve? I don’t think you should be doing that already.”

It takes the Daimon a second before she understands what Katara is implying. She turns crimson red.

“No, no, Katara, we didn’t do anything like that, we are just a bit handsy, Nothing more.”

“Oh.”, makes Katara the sound long and then grins cheeky. “So like did you touch her breasts or something?!”

For that Hua throws a towel at her face.

“None of your business.”

“So you did cup a feel!”

“I never knew you could be this pervy!”

“I’m not pervy, just couriers and worried for my best friend.”

Together the girls laugh and change the subject.

After they were done washing, it was time for bed.

***

The next day Katara and Hua made presents for their crushes, while they waited for them to return with Sokka from their mission.

Katara made Jet a hat and Hua made for Veda a necklace.

Aang was somewhere goofing off with The Duke if they understood correctly.

They hear how Aang talks to Sokka and little explosion.

Ah, so they probably returned.

The girls walk up to Sokka and Aang.

“Hey, Sokka.”, greets Katara. “Are Jet and Veda back?”

Her brother was sitting with his back to the trunk and staring at the ground, glaring.

Whatever happened now?

“Yeah, they’re back. But we're leaving.”, decides Sokka.

“What?”, shouts Aang disappointed.

The girls are right with him.

“But I made him this hat.”, whines Katara.

Hua whines too: “I made Veda this necklace.”

“Your boyfriend Jet and your girlfriend Veda are thugs.”, makes Sokka clear.

Of course, Katara and Hua are shocked and won’t believe it.

Sokka insists that the Freedom Fighters are messed up, while Aang takes partei for them and says to Sokka they just have a different kind of life.

“They beat and robbed a harmless old man!”, shouts Sokka angrily.

Why won’t they understand?

Stupid Jet and stupid Veda with their stupid charming personalities.

Katara and Hua felt for it, hook, line and sinker!

His sister crosses her arms and demands that they talk with Jet and Veda about it, she wants to hear their side of the story.

Meanwhile, Hua’s bad feelings about Veda from yesterday's return.

Could she really misunderstand Veda's true self?

Her Daimon-Radar had tried to warn her…but she couldn’t believe how the girl who was so sweet to her, had such a side on her.

Her stomach in a twist she followed the other to Jet cabin.

To their luck, Veda was there too.

Both seemed to talk in secret.

This didn’t help the doubt which was forming in Hua.

Not wasting time Katara asked them about the mission they had with Sokka and what happened. Did they really beat up and robbed an old man?

“Sokka, you told them what happened, but you didn't mention that the guy was Fire Nation?”, asked Jet back.

Veda stood beside him, emotionless, even as Hua tried to look into her grey eyes.

It was like the other girl closed her off.

The Daimon didn’t like it.

“No, he conveniently left that part out.”, huffed Katara at her brother.

He groaned. “Fine! But even if he was Fire Nation, he was a harmless civilian!”

“He was an assassin, Sokka.”, corrected him Jet.

The leader of the Freedom Fighter pulls out a knife and thrusts it into a nearby stump. It is a sinister-looking curved blade. There are four spikes evenly spaced along the grip, with enough space for fingers to go between them. There is a ring on the butt of the knife.

“See? There's a compartment for poison in the knife.”

He pulls on the ring and removes a small glass tube filled with red liquid.

“He was sent to eliminate me. You helped save my life, Sokka.”

Relieved Katara says she knows there was an explanation, but Sokka insists that he didn’t see a knife.

Jet rebukes that the man hid it and Katara agrees.

The watertribe boy makes clear how he was sure there was no knife and they would go now!

Dramatically he leaves Jet cabin.

“Tell me you guys aren't leaving yet.”, turns Jet to the remaining three. “I really need your help.”

Aang asks what they can do.

Jet explains how the Fire Nation plans to burn down the whole forest and them with it, however, if the three use their waterbending to fill the reservoir they could put the fire out.

“Please, you would do us a great favour.”, begs them Veda and bows.

Still, she won’t look at Hua.

She doesn’t like it.

“We will talk with Sokka and then tell you what we decide.”, the Daimon tells Jet and Veda.

She takes Katara and Aang by the hands and walks with them to their cabin.

Sokka was already packing their things.

“We can't leave now with the Fire Nation about to burn down a forest!”, was the first thing Katara said to her brother.

“I'm sorry, Katara. Jet's very smooth and his lackey like Veda do anything for him, we can't trust them.”, answered Sokka calmly.

“You know what I think? You're jealous that he's a better warrior and a better leader!”, accuses him Katara.

“Katara, I'm not jealous of Jet. It's just that my instinct–”

“Well, my instincts tell me we need to stay here a little longer and help Jet. Come on, Aang and Hua.”

The Avatar say sorry and leaves with Katara.

Hua stays a moment longer, unsure and then tells Sokka: “Find evidence.”

Surprised Sokka looks up.

“I don’t want to believe that Veda is so heartless, but my instincts, my Daimon ones are haywire, but without proof, it’s only a feeling. So look for one. I hope you are wrong though, I really like Veda.”

With that, she follows after Katara and Aang.

***

The next day Jet leads the three benders to the damn upriver along its west bank. Geysires are everywhere.

“Jet, I'm sorry about how Sokka's been acting.”, apologies Katara.

“No worries, he already apologized.”, says Jet.

This shocks the other three and they look at each other.

Sokka?

Apologizing?

“Yeah, I was surprised too.”, admins the Freedom Fighter. “I got the sense that maybe you talked to him or something.”

“Yeah, I did.”, confirms the watertribe girl.

“I guess something you said got through to him. Anyhow, he went out on a scouting mission with Pipsqueak, Veda and Smellerbee.”

“I'm glad he cooled off. He's so stubborn sometimes.”

Meanwhile, Hua can’t help but bite her lips nervous. Her Daimon-Radar was going crazy, something was wrong, but she couldn’t pinpoint what.

Also, she said to Sokka he should look for proof, maybe he found nothing and that’s why he said sorry.

Or…she doesn’t want to think about the other possibility.

They are now walking in the gully, beside the 'river'. Aang pauses after noticing something strange and is launched into the air by a blast from the geyser he is standing on.

“All right, we're here. Underground water's trying to escape through these vents. I need you guys to help it along.”, explains Jet.

Unsure Katara tells him she never benden water she can’t see and doesn’t know if she can do it. 

However Jet was right behind her putting his hands on her shoulder and encouraging her.

A bit sad he was left out Aang asks what about him.

“I know the Avatar can do this, just like the Daimon.”

Jet sends Hua a smile and she has trouble copying him.

Her brain tells her to listen to her instincts, but her heart wants to believe that Jet and mostly of course Veda are good people.

With a heavy heart, she joins Aang and Katara at one of many Geysir in the gully. While Jet looks on, they bend the water up. After a few minutes, a stream of water emerges from the hole. They pull it to their height and send it toward the river where it continues to flow like a waterfall. The water quickly joins the river.

Jet congratulated them on a job well done and informed them with another few more Geysir the reservoir would be full.

Excited Aang points at the next Geysier.

The benders walk up to it, as Jet tells them he has some business to attend to and will see them later.

Katara says they would join in at the reservoir, but Jet says it’s better to meet up in the hide-out.

So he leaves them at their bending.

Since they are three waterbenders they finish pretty soon.

“I bet that's enough, and I'm not just saying that to be lazy.”, states Aang, as the three look at all the streaming water fountains.

“Let's catch up with Jet at the reservoir.”, announced Katara.

“Didn’t he say we should meet at the hide-out?”, points Hua out.

“Well, we finished early. I'm sure he'll be happy to see us.”

Well, nothing to say against it.

So they make their way over.

They reach the edge of the cliff. 

At the base of the dam, they see, four of Jet's people unloading barrels from the wagon and arranging them.

“What are they doing?”, wonders Katara.

Surprised Aang notes that these are the blasting jelly barrels the Freedom Fighter got from the Fire Nation.

Before Katara can say anything Hua lets out such a dirty curse, that both she and Aang gasp surprised.

They didn’t know Hua could curse like that.

“They gonna blow up the dam!”, screams Hua, tears springing into her eyes. “Oh, why didn’t I listen to my Daimon Instincts? I felt the darkness in both Jet and Veda, I’m the worst Daimon ever!”

“No, Jet wouldn’t do it, calm down Hua.”, said Katara, wrapping an arm around the distressed girl.

“He would and he is! Katara stop lying to yourself.”

“I've gotta stop him.”, tells them Aang.

The Avatar opens his glider but before he can reach the edge, Jet crosses his path from behind and snatches the glider. Aang is left wobbling precariously on the edge and uses airbending to get himself back on stable footing.

“Yes, I would.”, confessed Jet the true.

Now Hua has to hold Katara by her shoulders.

“Jet, why?”

“Katara, you would too if you just stopped to think. Think about what the Fire Nation did to your mother. We can't let them do that to anyone else ever again.”

“This isn't the answer!”

“I want you to understand me, Katara. I thought your brother would understand, but–”

“Where's Sokka?”

Tears fall from her eyes, as Jet reaches out and touches her face.

“Katara.”

She lowers her head, and with an angry shout, sends Jet flying with the water from her waterskin. She draws it back into the skin when she's done.

Faster then he can react, Jet gets enclosed into a coffin of stone plates, only his face free.

Hua looks at him in anger, her eyes switch from her natural green to her bright orange ones in Daimon State.

“You disgust me!”, she shouts with a thousand voices. “You and Veda are terrible people who act like heroes! You would-be murderers!”

A birdcall is heard. 

Katara and Aang are startled, Hua gets out of Daimon State and looks to the valley beyond where it's coming from. 

Jet gives an answering birdcall.

“What are you doing?”, demands Katara to know.

“You're too late.”, the leader of the Freedom Fighter simply states.

Horrified Katara and Hua shout No.

The centre of the dam explodes in a cloud of smoke and fire. 

Katara, Hua and Aang watch a massive wall of water go to the town the water rushes through the open gate, as a cresting wave dwarfs it. The wall and gate are swallowed as the wave strikes the town.

“All those people …”, cries Katara and turns full hatred towards Jet. “Jet, you monster!”

“This was a victory, Katara. Remember that. The Fire Nation is gone and this valley will be safe.”

“It will be safe, without you.”, they hear suddenly Sokka's voice.

He appears on Appa, with Jaiyi and Momo on the saddle.

His sister and friends are so glad to see him.

Sokka explains how he managed to warn the village in time, so no one died.

Of course, Jet was angry.

This was his chance to ride and free the valley from the Fire Nation and Sokka thwarted him.

Hua shakes her head in disgust at Jet's madness and earthbends herself on Appa's saddle. Jaiyi jumps in her arms, licking her cheeks. She hugs her ninetails tight.

“Who would be free?”, asked Sokka rhetoric “Everyone would be dead.”

“You traitor!”

“No, Jet. You became the traitor when you stopped protecting innocent people.”

Jet begs Katara to help him, but she just says goodbye to him.

Hua earthbends her best friend into the saddle and Jaiyi gives now Katara licks.

Both girls smile at the ninetails in thanks.

With a Yip-Yip from Sokka, Appa flies away from Jet.

They are soaring through the sky for a while till Aang says to Sokka: “We hoped you were going to the dam. How come you went to the town instead?”

“Let me guess, your instincts told you.”, speculated Katara.

“Hey, sometimes they're right.”, says Sokka with a shoulder shrug.

“Mmh, you do know we are flying in the wrong direction?”, asks Hua with a little smile.

“And sometimes they're wrong.”, admits Sokka and stears them back on the right course.

***

Late at night while anyone was sleeping Hua looked at the moon and cried silent tears.

She didn’t see Veda, so she couldn’t tell her how disgusted and disappointed she was in her.

Veda seemed so good, so perfect…in the future Hua decided to listen to her instincts more.

For Sokka, it worked as it showed.

That’s when she hears how someone stands up and walks over to her.

Without a word a warm hand grips her and she squeezes back.

The black-haired girl lays her head on Katara's shoulder and the older girl her over the younger.

The two don’t need words to understand each other.

They have both crushed on people who in the end were terrible.

In the future, they will be more careful with their hearts.

But for now, they were happy they had each other.

And this was enough.

Previous

Next

Yin and Yang: Book 1.11

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?

This is an episode I really struggled with since I hate it.

I think most of the fandom isn’t a fan of it XD

I just wanted to get it over, so there you have it now :D

Enjoy it!

Also another chapter The Storm and we will reach The Blue Spirit…

I wonder what will happen ;D

Book 1.11: The Great Divide

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.

Concentrate Hua performed the steps to bend water into their pots as Jaiyi caught the fish in the river.

Already a nice pile of fish the ninetails had gathered.

Going into the bending end pose, the Daimon smiled happily.

“Nice work, Jaiyi.”, she praised her kyuubi. “I think this is enough fish for us.”

Jaiyi yipped in agreement and stepped out of the water. She shook herself free from the water, making her fur fluffy.

Hua cooed at her, giving Jaiyi a nice rub between the ears, which the ninetails enjoyed.

Then the Kyuubi turned into her riding form, as Hua took the pots and fish and then mounted her.

Together they raced back to their camp.

“Hey guys, we are back!”, Hua called out to her friends.

Only Sokka and Katara were angrily staring at each other.

Confused Hua slide down from Jaiyi.

What was going on?

That’s when Aang with Momo joined up with them.

“Okay, I got the grub if you guys got the-”, the Avatar didn’t even finish his sentence as he stared bamboozled at siblings turning away from each other in anger with their arms folded and the unfinished campsite. “Hey, where's the campfire? And what happened to the tent?”

“Beats me, I just turned up now.”, answers Hua with a shrug.

“Why don't you guys ask Miss Know-It-All, Queen of the Twigs.”, growled Sokka angrily.

“Oh yeah? Well, you're Mister Lazy Bum, King of the Tents!”, hissed Katara and threw a twig at Sokka's head.

Pissed he turned to his sister.

The Avatar and the Daimon looked at each other out of the corners of their eyes.

“You wanna take this.”, began Hua, waving at their friends. “Or shall I?”

“Nah, I got it.”, told her Aang before he turned the word to Katara and Sokka. “Okay, listen, guys, harsh words won't solve problems, action will. Why don't you just switch jobs?”

After a moment the siblings agreed.

“You see that? Settling feuds and making peace, all in a day's work for the Avatar.”

Notable Hua coughed.

“And of course, the Daimon would have solved the problem without breaking a sweat too.”

This earned Aang a smile from Hua, which he returned.

It was nice how they were friends now.

Of course, they butted heads sometimes, but it was so much better than a few weeks ago.

Hearing suddenly how Momo, Jaiyi and Appa made noise, Aang turned his head to see the three animals fighting over a watermelon. Momo continuously tries to fly away with it, Jaiyi has bitten down on it, while Appa pins it down. 

The Avatar takes the melon and uses airbending to slice it. Momo and Jaiyi seem to be complaining about how they got the much smaller halves and Appa got the bigger half.

“Come on, Momo and Jaiyi, that's fair. Appa's got five stomachs.”

Appa eats his half of the melon.

Amused Hua shakes her head and proclaims how she will start cooking the fish.

***

The next day Team Avatar-Daimon stands before one of the wonders of nature in their world.

“There it is, guys, The Great Divide.”, presents Aang his friends the biggest canyon in the world.

Hua makes a long Wow sound, while Katara states how she could stare at it forever.

Of course, Sokka has to ruin the magical moment.

“Okay, I've seen enough.”

“How can you not be fascinated Sokka? This is the largest canyon in the entire world.”, wondered Katara.

“Then I'm sure we'll be able to see it very clearly from the air while we fly away.”

Suddenly Sokka gets roughly shown away by a young man in fine white clothing.

“If you're looking for the canyon guide, I was here first!”

This pans Katara's interest.

“Ooh, canyon guide? Sounds informative.”

“Believe me, he's more than a tour guide, he's an earthbender.”, explains the finely dressed young man, totally not seeing how Sokka was mocking him behind his back. Hua has to bite down on her fist to not laugh out loud. “And the only way in and out of the canyon is with his help, and he's taking my tribe across next.”

“Calm down, we know you're next.”, muttered Sokka done with this guy.

The fine-dressed young man heard him anyway.

“You wouldn't be so calm if the Fire Nation destroyed your home and forced you to flee! My whole tribe has to walk thousands of miles to the capital city of Ba Sing Se.”

“You're a refugee!”, exclaimed Katara.

“Huh, tell me something I don't know.”

A large group of poorly dressed people was walking toward them.

Katara asks if this is the tribe of the young man, to which he reacts with disgust.

That’s the Zhang tribe, a bunch of low-life thieves. They've been the enemies of his tribe for a hundred years.

“Hey, Zhangs!”, calls out the young man to them. “I'm saving a spot for my tribe so don't even think about stealing it!”

A chubby woman in a bear pelt with two little buns on her head answers him: “Where are the rest of the Gan Jin? Still tidying up their campsite?”

“Yes, but they sent me ahead of them to hold a spot.”

“I didn't know the canyon guide took reservations.”

“Ha, of course, you didn't! That's the ignorance I'd expect from a messy Zhang. So unorganized and ill-prepared for a journey.”

The Zhang tribe members yell out in protest behind them. Katara, Hua and Aang look at each other worriedly but turn around to see a large pile of rocks being levitated up and thrown away. 

The canyon guide stands behind where the rocks used to be.

“Sorry about the wait, youngsters.”, greets them the Canyon Guide. “Who's ready to cross this here canyon?”

Helpful Katara points at the Gan Jin scout and the Zhang, telling him one of them is it.

The Gan Jin scout races over to the Guide demanding: “I was here first, my party's on their way.”

“I can't guide people who aren't here.”, makes the Guide clear.

Hearing this the Zhang filed past the four kids and the fuming Gan Jin scout.

“Guess you guys will have to make the trip tomorrow.”, mocks the Zhang woman in the bear pelt.

The scout's eyes twitch in anger, however, he sees a group of finely dressed people arrive.

His tribe!

“Wait, here they come!”

This angers the Zhang woman, who was the leader, telling the Guide he can’t consider taking the Gan Jin, also they have sick people!

The Guide was lost for words.

A Gan Jin tribesman with a long elegant beard, the leader steps to them.

“We've got old people who are weary from travelling.”

“Sick people get priority over old people.”, tells the Zhang leader.

“Maybe you Zhangs wouldn't have so many sick people if you weren't such slobs.”

“If you Gan Jins weren't so clean, you wouldn't live to be so old.”

Now all members of the two tribes shout insults at each other.

“Well Aang and Hua ready to put your peace-making skills to the test?”, asked Katara her friends over the loud voices.

“I don't know, a fight over chores is one thing, but these people have been feuding for a hundred years.”, says Aang truthful.

“We don’t have a choice.”, reminds Hua. “First it is our job and second these two tribes seem ready to slaughter each other and making people slaughter each other goes against anything we stand for.”

After a short moment, Aang nods.

Hua was right.

“Everybody listen up!”, shouts Katara and points to Aang and Hua. “These are the Avatar and Daimon, and if you give them a chance, I'm sure they can come up with a compromise that will make everyone happy.”

Expectant the two tribes looked at Aang and Hua.

Both twelve-year-olds started to sweat a bit.

Well, they have to get this over with.

So they mumble to each other what they could do.

“Uh, you could share the earthbender and travel together?”, shares Aang their first idea.

It crashes and burns faster than a cheap firework. 

No Zhang and none Gan Jin want that.

Annoyed Hua bends herself up in a high earth pillar and shouts: “Alright, alright! Here's the deal, you're all going down together and Appa, our bison, here will fly your sick and elderly across! Jaiyi, our ninetails, will protect them if something dares to attack. Can you live with that?!”

After a moment the two leaders nod.

So the sick and elderly get on on Appa with Jaiyi as their guard.

“Sorry, Appa, you'll have to do this on your own.”, said Aang to him, while Hua whispered to Jaiyi: “You make sure that they don’t kill each other alright?”

Her ninetails yip in agreement.

This was the main reason why Hua let Jaiyi travel with Appa and the sick and old. 

She had a feeling the two tribes would start a fight if someone didn’t have an eye on them.

“Aang, Hua, this feuding tribe stuff is serious business. Are you sure it's a good idea to get involved in this?”, asks Sokka.

The Avatar grinned broadly.”To tell you the truth, I'm not sure. But when have I ever been?”

“This was the best we came up with in the short time, hopeful it won’t bite us in the behind.”, added Hua.

“He's the Avatar, and she is the Daimon Sokka, making peace between people is their job.”, reminds Katara.

“Their job is gonna make us cross this whole thing on foot, isn't it?”, bemoans Sokka his destiny.

Why him?

Why always him?

He never asked for all this!

They hear then how the Guide tells them that no food is allowed in the canyon since it lures in dangerous predators.

This makes both tribes whine like babies.

The Guide mocks them telling them how they can’t stay a day without food like babies. They better eat now or throw it into the garbage, because they would move in ten minutes.

So the Zhang eat like hungry wolfs and the Gan Jin like some sort of royalty with chopsticks and all.

Team Avatar-Daimon eats also what they have, then with a yip yip from Aang Appa flow away.

After ten minutes the big group makes their way down the canyon, the Guide with Aang and Hua at the forefront.

The tour guide earthbends to form a bridge in a gap in the path.

“Nice bending!”, complimentes Aang, while Hua studied the move carefully.

She can’t wait to try it too!

“The job's much more than bending, kid. Folks want information.”, explains the Guide and then turns to the big group. “Many of you are probably wondering how canyons are formed. Experts tell us this canyon was most likely carved into the ground by earth spirits who were angry at local farmers for not offering them a proper sacrifice.”

Katara and Sokka look up in fear as an avalanche of rocks comes falling toward them, and the canyon guide earthbends it away from them.

“He he he, guess the spirits are still angry! Hope you all brought sacrifices.”

No one found this funny.

After a few minutes, they reached the canyon floor.

The guide stands in front of the two tribes and the kids beside a huge boulder.

“Okay, everyone stands clear of the wall.”, warns the Guide before he throws the boulder and destroys the bridge he had made earlier.

Aang wonders why he did this.

It’s Hua who answers him: “Think about it Aang. These tribes are fleeing from the Fire Nation. Like this, they can’t follow us.”

“The little lady is right.”, confirmed the Guide. “We'll be safe now.”

Out of nowhere, he is picked up by a huge animal. Aang blows away the dust to reveal a canyon crawler.

“We gotta help him!”, shouts Sokka throwing his boomerang at the crawler, which drops the canyon guide and comes after him instead. “Okay, now we gotta help me!”

Katara comes to his aid and does a water whip on the crawler, but she is quickly thrown aside.

The Hua runs up to the crawler and bends a platform under it. She throws it with the crawler as far away as she can.

It’s only a little point in the distance now.

“What was that?”, asks Aang the Guide.

The poor man lay on the ground, beside him Katara and Hua, who check for injuries.

“Canyon crawler. And there's sure to be more!”

“Your arms, they're broken!”, tells him Katara worried.

“Without my arms, I got no bending. In other words-”

“Calm down Mister Guide.”, replied Hua calmly. “I’m an earthbender. I can get us out of the Canyon. Just explain the moves to me and we will be out in no time.”

The Guide, who was ready to freak out, calmed down.

“Oh thank the Spirits.”

“I thought the whole point of ditching our food was so we wouldn't have to deal with things like canyon crawlers.”, thought Sokka out loud.

With Hua, they had still a way out, but it didn’t mean that the crawler wouldn’t attack them again.

“It's the Zhangs!”, accused the Gan Jin leader. “They took food down here even after the canyon guide told them not to.”

“What?”, screeched the Zhang leader offended. “If there's anyone who can't go without food for a day, it's you pampered Gan Jins!”

“I hope you're happy. We could get attacked by this canyon crawler again, without warning!”

“Why don't you thank yourself, food hider?”

The Avatar calls in between: “Look, sticking together is the only way to-”

“I'm not walking another step with the likes of them!”, shouts the Zhang leader.

“Now there's something we can agree on.”, murmurs the Gan Jin leader.

“Any ideas?”, ask Aang Hua.

“They are not gonna work together that’s clear.”, states the Daimon. “I have a solution.”

“By all means, Hua, tell us. I’m starting to get a headache.”, he mumbles the last part to her.

Friendly she pats his shoulder before she bends herself on a huge stone pillar so anybody can hear her.

“Alright, Zhang’s and Gan Jins since you are incapable of cooperating we will split up, till we reach the end of the canyon. Gan Jins on this side and Zhangs on that side. Is this alright with you?”

The two leaders nod at each other and start walking. Hua jumps down to Aang, Sokka and Katara.

“Sokka, you go with the Zhangs and Katara, you go with the Gan Jins. See if you can find out why they hate each other so much. Aang and I will stay with the canyon guide. If we choose a side I fear the tribes will kill each other in seconds.”

All nod in agreement with Hua's plan.

***

Nightfalls over the canyon.

In the distance, the Avatar and Daimon can see the two camps of the tribes.

Hua was petting Momo, while Aang mused out loud: “Sure would be nice to be sitting around one of those campfires, telling stories and laughing. It's okay Momo and Hua, we'll be out of here soon enough, and then we can eat our weight in leechi nuts!”

Momo jumps out of Hua's arms and up. He snatches a bug out of the air, he eats part of it before offering the rest to two kids.

Hua makes a face.

“Thanks, Momo, I’m still not desperate enough for bugs.”

“Nah, I'll wait for the leechi nuts.”, says Aang.

The Guide, with both his arms and a leg bandage, limps towards the little campfire Hua and Aang made.

It was practical how good Hua had become in firebending.

“Lonely isn't it, being impartial?”, the Guide musses.

The Daimon nods, as the Avatar says for them: “We wish we could help these people get along, but it just seems impossible.”

“At least tomorrow they won’t be our problem anymore.”, adds Hua dry.

Aang tutts at her, while the Guide laughs.

“Get some rest, kids, you will need it.”

With this, the Guide lays down and not even a few seconds later he has fallen asleep.

Astonished Aang and Hua stare at him.

“Wow, I wish I could sleep like this.”, confesses Hua.

Momo chirps and makes himself comfy on Hua's lap. She starts to pet the lemur.

“I hope Appa and Jaiyi are okay.”, muttered Aang.

“Yeah, I hope Jaiyi didn’t need to kill someone of the Zhnag or the Gan Jin.”

“You are joking, Jaiyi wouldn’t do it.”

“Meh.”

It’s still between the two, only Momo's purr interrupts the silence.

“So.”, begins Aang arkweird. “You wanna talk?”

Hua shrugs her shoulder.

“Sure, we can talk a bit. We don’t have much time to talk only we two when we train in airbending and earthbending.”

This makes Aang groan and Hua hits him friendly on the shoulder.

“You will get earthbending. Don’t forget, be the rock!”

“That’s simple for you to say.”, whines Aang. “After you learned firebending it seems like you got airbending.”

“Did you forget, last time, I threw myself against a stone wall?”

“Oh, right.”

Again it is still between them.

“So… your favourite food?”, asks now Hua.

This makes Aang smile.

“We are really doing this friendship thing, heh?”

“Mah, don’t get me wrong, sometimes I still wanna bury you, but it’s stupid to act like I hate you still when we grow out of it.”

In agreement, Aang nods.

“I rather have us be friends too.”

This makes Hua smile before she frowns.

“Why didn’t you like me before?”, wondered Hua. “I hated your guts because after being told how Avatar and Daimon end up mostly together, I felt like I couldn’t choose anymore over my life. Also, you are an airhead.”

A short snort comes from Aang before he answers: “My reasons were similar. When I looked at you I was reminded how I was the Avatar and how the world expected us to fall in love like we did it a thousand and more times. I felt trapped too. Also, you can be really stubborn.”

Now Hua snorts.

“It seems so silly now. Like we are the only ones left of time of peace. We understand each other like no one can understand us.”

“I agree. Also, we are the Avatar and Daimon, our job is the restore peace and keep it then. Working together is better than fighting each other.”

“Aang, let’s make a promise.”, began Hua with a smile. “We will never fall in love with each other but be best friends like Kyoshi and Tian Kuo.”

“I promise!”

He holds his hand out to her and she shakes it.

“I promised too.”

Both ignored the voices inside them who cried out in outrage.

“Also my favourite food is Egg custard tart.”, told Aang.

“Nice! I love Mochi’s. In the Lower Ring where I lived in Ba Sing Se, there was this little bakery owned by an old lady we kids only called Granny. Granny sometimes gave us free mochi’s.”

“Aww, that’s so sweet. What was it like in the Lower Rings? I met your family after you had moved to the Upper Rings.”

So Hua told him about her hard childhood consisting of working, going hungry for days, never having fitting clothes and sometimes not being sure to survive the next day.

But she told also how her parents loved her and Bai so deeply and would always make sure they got what they needed.

When it really wasn't possible, her parents seemed to suffer more than them.

She had heard one time how her mother had said to her father what a failure they were since they couldn’t provide for their children and Hua had to work already.

“I never blamed my parents. It’s difficult to raise in ranks in Ba Sing Se.”, explained Hua. “I know they did anything for us. I wonder if Ba Sing Se is still the same?”

“I’m sure after we have learned waterbending at the North Pole, we can go to Ba Sing Se. I’m sure Bumi has nothing against it if we visit it for a few days.”

“Heh, I can’t wait to learn more crazy moves from Bumi!”

They two giggled quietly and then signed.

“I wish Kuzon was still alive.”, said Aang sadly. “I miss him and he could teach us firebending  .”

“I miss Kuzon too. I love Katara and Sokka, but the hole of our old friends in my chest hurts sometimes when I think about it.”

“This makes two of us.”

“Okay, now tell me some things about Airnomad culture I don’t know!”

And Aang just did this.

“Wait, wait, wait, you are telling me your people were fine with same-sex relationships and even support transgender and non-binary people?!”, whisper-shouted Hua. “How did I never notice it?!”

This made Aang laugh.

“I think you were more occupied to hate my guts than to learn.”

“Touche Avatar.”

They talked about a lot of random things till they got so tired they fell asleep.

In their sleep, they rolled over facing each other and cuddling.

Both children felt closer than ever and felt how their relationship changed again.

It becomes a deeper friendship.

Maybe falling in love with each other would be a promise they couldn’t hold, which one Daimon Lixue in the Spirit World took bets from her follow Daimons and Avatars at when Aang and Hua would realise they were made for each other.

Roku just shook amused his head at his wife.

Oh, how he loved this little gambling side of her.

***

Morning came and they would soon reach the other side of the canyon.

Aang and Hua meet up with Katara and Sokka, to see if they found out something.

“Katara, Sokka, will these people cooperate long enough to get out of the canyon?”, asks Aang.

“I don't think so, Aang, the Zhangs really wronged the Gan Jins. They ambushed Jin Wei and stole the sacred orb.”, explains Katara.

Erm, what?

“What are you talking about?”, wondered Hua.

“Yeah Katara, what are you talking about?”, agreed Sokka. “Wei Jin didn't steal the orb, he was returning it to their village gate and was wrongfully punished by the Gan Jin.”

“Not punished enough if you ask me.”

The Avatar and Daimon find each other eyes, both totally lost about what was going on.

“You know what, we can talk about this later.”, decides Hua and makes her way over to the canyon wall. “I have to earthbend us a way out of here now.”

The Guide was already waiting for her to give her the first instruction.

So she doesn’t get why suddenly the Zhangs and Gan Jin’s beginning to fight again.

Aang tells them how harsh words won't solve problems, action will!

This was the wrong thing to say because both leaders drew their swords to combat each other.

“You know, I take it back. Harsh words aren't so bad!”,

yells Aang.

The two leaders ignore him as they begin to fight. They are evenly matched and continue until Aang blows them apart with a strong gust of air. The two tribes go flying backwards, revealing a large amount of hidden food.

“Is that ... food? Everyone smuggled food down here? Unbelievable! You guys put our lives in danger because you couldn't go without a snack for a day? You're all awful!”, scolds Aang, while Hua makes a facepalm in the background. She fully heartily agrees with Aang and can’t take this stupidity anymore. Suddenly Aang whippers: “So hungry. Is that an egg custard in that tart?”

That’s when everyone notes how the canyon crawlers are back!

First, they fight them, but Aang notes how the canyon crawlers eat the food backs and shows anyone how to capture this the creepy animals.

Zhang and Gan Jin work together and all ride on the backs of the Canyon Crawler out of the Canyon.

As soon as all the people have made it up the cliff, Aang throws the bag, which he used to lure the crawler upwards, and back down, and the crawlers follow.

“I never thought a Gan Jin could get his hands dirty like that.”, compliments the Zhang leader.

“And I never knew you Zhangs were so reliable in a pinch.”, compliments the Gan Jin leader back.

“Perhaps we're not so different after all.”

They both smile at each other and Aang and Hua sigh in relief.

“Too bad we can't rewrite history. You thieves stole our sacred orb from Jin Wei!”, accused the Gan Jin leader, drawing his sword.

The Zhang leader draws her sword too. “You tyrants unjustly imprisoned Wei Jin for twenty long years!”

Again Hua facepalm and feels a headache forming, that’s when she remembers something.

“Wait a second did you say Jin Wei? Wei Jin? I know those guys!”

“Yes, yes, we're all aware of the story.”, says the Gan Jin leader annoyed.

“No you don’t understand, I might not look like it but I’m 112 years old, I was there when it happened.”, begins Hua. “There seems to be a lot of confusion about what happened. First of all, Jin Wei and Wei Jin weren't enemies. They were brothers, twins in fact, and they were eight; and most importantly, they were just playing a game! The sacred orb from the legend, that was the ball! And the eastern and western gates were the goalposts. Jin Wei had the ball and was running toward the goal when he fell and fumbled it. Wei Jin didn't steal the ball, he picked it up and started running it toward the other goal, but he stepped out of bounds, so the official put him in the penalty box. Not for twenty long years but for two short minutes. There was no stealing and no putting anyone in imprisonment, it was just a game.”

“You're saying the sacred orb was actually a sacred ball?”, asks the Zhnag leader in astonishment.

“No, just a normal ball.”

“What about our tribe's redemption ritual?” wondered the Gan Jin leader.

“It was the name of the game: Redemption. As soon as you got the ball from one end to the other, everyone would yell "Redemption"!”

The tribe leaders look at each other sceptically.

“Don't get me wrong, Wei Jin was kind of a slob and Jin Wei was a little stuffy, that much is true. But they respected each other's differences enough to share the same playing field.”, ends Hua.

Finally, it seems the two tribes will get along with each other since both leaders bow before the other and wish to begin a new future together.

Soon Appa lands with the rest of the Zhnag, Gan Jin and Jaiyi and Hua cuddles her kyuubi to her heart's content, while the Gan Jin leader thanks her and Aang for their help.

He stumbles backwards when he sees how Aang is covered in Appa's saliva.

The two tribes start to make their way to Ba Sing Se together as one and are followed by the canyon guide, who has enough of his job.

“That's some luck you knew Jin Wei and Wei Jin.”, tells Sokka Hua.

This makes Hua and Aang laugh.

“You could call it luck.”, begins the Avatar

“Or clever lying!”, ends Hua.

Sokka was in disbelief.

“Yesterday night, me and Aang brainstormed a few ideas on how to get the tribes to work together. We decided that we had to be a bit… manipulative.”, grinned Hua with a little wink to her friends.

“You did not!”, gasped Katara shocked and then smiled in devilish admiration. “That is so wrong.”

Shrugging her shoulders Hua just states: “Maybe, let’s just hope it won’t bite us in the behind later.”

“Nah, don’t worry.”, reassured Aang. “Now where is that custard tart? I'm starving!”

This made his friends laugh heartfully.

Previous

Next

Yin and Yang: Book 1.12

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?

Check out my DeviantArt or Wattpad to see the Art of the FF ;D

Book 1.12: The Storm

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.

***

It’s a beautiful dawn sky.

Happy Hua lays with her head on Katara's lap, while the older girl strokes her black hair.

Jaiyi was cuddled up on her side, yawing cutely.

Aang was enjoying with Momo on his shoulders the last rays of the sunlight.

And Sokka was relaxing on the border of Appa saddle.

Hua could even hear Appa's happy rumble.

All was good.

All was perfect.

“We need you, Hua.”, cooed Katara at her, twirling a piece of black hair around her finger.

Smiling Hua answered: “I need you too. All of you, guys.”

She notices something out of the corner of her eyes. As the  Daimon turns toward it, her expression changes to shock.

The sky's colouring has changed to a dark, ominous grey, revealing a churning storm cloud.

“Oh no, we need to get away from it!”, shouts Hua.

The Daimon turns to her friends, but only she and Jaiyi are on Appa's saddle.

“Guys?!”

A light shines from above and Monk Gyatso in lotus, floats downward, positioning himself in front of Hua.

Surprised Hua calls out for her old mentor/grandfather figure.

“Why did you disappear, little flower?”, he whispers sadly.

“I never wanted this…I…I just wanted to be a normal girl again.”, admins Hua devastated. “I was selfish, forgive me!”

She reaches out to Gyatso, but before she can touch him, Gyatso turns grey and dissipates into smoke; it blows over Hua, causing her to raise her left arm in front of her face and turn away to shield herself from it.

Lightning splits the sky.

Suddenly it’s 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 with 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 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 voices calling for her.

“We need you, Hua!” Gyatsu.

“We need you, Hua!” Katara.

“We need you, Hua!” Sokka.

“We need you, Hua!” Her mother.

“We need you, Hua!” Her father.

“We need you, Hua!” Bai.

“We need you, Hua!” Bumi.

“We need you, Hua!” Kuzon.

“We need you, Hua!” Suki.

“We need you, Hua!” Ai.

“We need you, Hua!”, a thousand known and unknown voices.

“Don’t leave again!”, shout all the voices together.

The darkness around her goes up in flames. 

A male silhouette stands in the inferno and attacks her with his flames!

***

With a scream, Hua wakes up.

At the same moment, Aang awakes from his nightmare too.

He startles Momo, who was curled up on top of him. 

Momo leaps onto Katara's stomach, causing her to shoot up with a startled look, before jumping on Sokka's, who shoots up, still sleepy, halfheartedly wielding his dagger and boomerang.

“What's going on?”, asks Sokka drowsily, looking around. “Did we get captured again?”

Hua and Aang find the eyes of each other and see the same terror.

Ah, they had nightmares each again.

“We just had nightmares, again. Go back to sleep, Sokka.”, tells Hua.

The water tribe boys don’t let him tell it twice and snuggle back down in his sleeping back.

Worried Katara looks at her two young friends. “Are you all right, Hua and Aang?

Both say at the same time they are okay.

“You both seem to be having a lot of nightmares lately. Do you want to tell me about it?”, offers Katara.

“I think I just need some rest.”, says Aang rolling himself in a ball.

Meanwhile, Hua stands up.

“I gonna splash some water on my face.”

“Okay, be careful.”

“Always, Katara.”

As Hua makes her way over to one of their water container she hears how Sokka wants to tell about his dream, but Katara just gives him a look and he stops.

After she washed her face, Hua curls back into her sleeping back.

She waits a few seconds before she pokes Aang.

“Hey, you awake?”

He opens his grey eyes.

“Mmh, mmh.”

“Wanna go for a walk?”

“Sure.”

Quietly to not wake their friend they walk away from camp, along the coastline of the ocean they camp.

“Did you dream the same again?”, wants Hua to know.

Aang makes a sad sign and nods.

“Me too.”, murmured Hua in defeat, but Aang still heard her. “I think they are our heavenly punishment because we run away like cowards from our destinies as Daimon and Avatar.”

Thoughtful Aang picks up a stone and lets it spring over the water's surface.

“I’m starting to think this too. Also, the feelings of guilt we have don’t help either. How could we leave anyone hanging?”, he wonders.

Hua picks also up a stone and lets it spring over the ocean.

“We were dumb and selfish. It’s that simple, we didn’t wanted to listen to how the world needed us.”

“The world still needs us. This time we can’t run away.”, reminds Aang, letting a stone spring again.

“Yeah, but we also need some sleep.”, mumbles Hua tired. “I don’t know how long I can go without a good night's sleep.”

“When was the last time we slept well, it seems so long ago.”

Surprisingly a cute blush forms on Hua's face, which makes something in Aang's stomach all fuzzy. 

But the good kind.

She looks very pretty with a blush.

Now he starts to blush because of his thoughts.

“You remember our little canyon adventure?”, begins Hua sheepish. “And the next morning when we woke up cuddling and said we never gonna talk about it again? That was the last time I slept well.”

This…makes Aang feel a lot of confusing and strangely nice feelings. 

His blush gets darker.

What was going on with him?

“Oh…you know I slept well that night too.”

Both twelve-year-olds play nervously with their hands. 

Then they talk over each other and don’t get what the other says.

Ever the gentleman Aang tells Hua to go first and she suggests they should cuddle with each other to fall asleep.

Now both look like peperonies.

“It’s completely platonic.”, explains Hua fast. “Bai and I shared a lot of times our beds and cuddled. It will be just like that.”

Something in Aang practically whines at this.

He ignores it.

“Sure, we can try.”, he murmurs shyly.

He was so tired and sick of nightmares, if cuddling with one of his best friends helped then by all means.

A pretty smile formed on Hua's lips and no, Aang didn’t though about how otherworldly beautiful she looked under the moonlight like this, this were his past lives bugging him.

Perish this thought.

So they made their way back to the camp and well…they cuddled facing each other like when they were in the canyon.

Not even five minutes later they fell asleep.

And no more nightmares this night for them.

***

Morning came and Team Avatar-Daimon packed their campsite up.

Katara carries their packs towards Appa, who yawns. As the animal closes its mouth again, Aang is revealed sitting on his head.

“Look at those clear skies, buddy!”, cooed Aang at his bison, petting him. “Should be some smooth flying.”

Katara looks into a bag before holding it upside down, and sprinkling the ground with crumbs; Momo and Jaiyi instantly eat them. 

Sokka walks past her toward Appa, carrying some of their luggage.

“Well, we better smoothly fly ourselves to a market, 'cause we're out of food.”, tells them Katara, as she climbs on the saddle.

Hua, with their sleeping bags, joins her. Momo and Jaiyi follow.

“Guys, wait. This was in my dream.”, exclaimed Sokka. “We shouldn't go to the market.”

All turn to look at him and Katara ask what his dream was.

“Food eats people!”

This only made Katara shake her head and Hua made a facepalm.

Oh Spirits, not this early!

“Also, Momo could talk. You said some very unkind things.”

Momo's ears droop as Sokka speaks.

After this little episode, they finally fly themselves to a little harbour.

They looked around for food, but Katara was not convinced to buy the watermelon the merchant lady formally threw into her face.

However, since they are out of money, they can’t buy it.

Frustrated the four teens walk around.

Sokka bemoans how they are out of food and out of money.

What should they do?

Katara sasses back that he should get the job.

It’s like the universe wants to do them a favour since they hear how a fisherman and his wife argue about going fishing.

The wife doesn’t want to, because she feels in her bones that a big storm is coming, for which her husband proclaimed her crazy since it was a beautiful day.

Yet the fisher wife won’t change her mind.

So the fisherman said he would give the next person who wanted to help him the doppel of her money.

In a beat of an eye, Sokka was on the side of the fisherman and was hired on the spot.

The rest of Team Avatar-Daimon stared at Sokka.

“What? You said to get a job ... and he's paying double.”, reminds Sokka.

The fisherman rounds up on Sokka with a wild expression: “Double? Who told you that nonsense?”

Well, what was done was done and Sokka had to work now.

Just as he helped the fisherman load his boat, Aang and Hua noted how the sky became darker.

Both remember the faithful storm which ended with them trapped in the iceberg for 100 years.

They are getting scared.

“Sokka, maybe this isn't such a good idea. Look at the sky.”, points Aang at it.

“You can still back down, we will find another way to get money.”, adds Hua.

“I said I was going to do this job. I can't back out just because of some bad weather.”. disagrees Sokka.

The fisherman's wife speaks up: “The boy with the tattoos and the Earth Kingdom girl have some sense. You should listen to them!”

This makes the fisherman stop, turning to Aang and Hua.

“Boy with tattoos? Airbender tattoos. Earth Kingdom clothes. Well, I'll be a hog monkey's uncle. You're the Avatar and you must be the Daimon, ain't ya?”

“That's right.”, confirms Katara.

All three of them smile friendly.

“Well, don't be so smiley about it.”, snarled the fisherman, making them frown. “The Avatar and Daimon disappeared for a hundred years! You both turned your backs on the world!”

“Don't yell at them!”, shouts Katara back. “Hua and Aang would never turn their backs on anyone.”

“Oh, they wouldn't, huh? Then I guess I must have imagined the last hundred years of war and suffering.”

It’s like Hua and Aang get slapped in the face. The old feelings of shame and guilt reappear.

“Hua and Aang are the bravest persons I know. They have done nothing but help people and save lives since I met them.”, defended Katara, not seeing how both were stepping away and gripping each other's hand. “It's not their fault they disappeared, right Hua, Aang?”

Finally, she turns to her friends and sees how freaked-out they look.

“Hua, Aang, what's wrong?”

As an answer Aang opens his glider, Avatar and Daimon grip each other and the glider with one hand each and fly away.

They ignored Katara's shouts for them and the fisherman's harsh but true words.

They…they just can’t face it, alright?

They know all is true, but it still hurts been remember how utterly selfish they had been.

Any day they fight with these feelings, getting them thrown at them makes it even worse.

And then sweet Katara who believed in them and protected them.

How would she react when she knows the truth?

Neither wants to find out.

They find a little cave on the side of a cliff face.

Entering it they just sat down in the darkness, back to back, facing a wall.

None of them had anything to say.

What could they say, what they didn’t talk about already?

Time passes, the weather changes to a storm and Katara turns up in their hideout.

“We’re sorry for running away.”, chorus the Avatar and Daimon together.

“It's okay. That fisherman was way out of line.”

“Actually, he wasn't.”, disagrees Aang.

“What do you mean?”

“Neither of us wants to talk about it.”, confesses Hua silently.

“It has to do with your dreams, doesn't it?”, suspects Katara and puts a hand on the shoulders of Hua and Aang. “Talk to me, guys.”

Aang and Hua search for each other eyes and after a moment they nod.

“Well, it's kind of a long story.”, begins Aang.

Suddenly, Momo and Jaiyi leap past Hua, Aang and Katara, startling them. 

Appa has also entered the cave. 

He nuzzles Aang's head with his nose, making Aang smile. Aang pats Appa's chin.

Jaiyi curled up on Hua's lap licking her cheeks. The Daimon pats her between the ears.

Katara asks if Hua can make a little fire and the younger girl agrees.

Making a campfire was like second nature to her now.

They all sit around the fire, Momo and Jaiyi on the laps of their master, as Aang begins to tell his side of the tale.

How he was showing his friends the air scooter, the council of elders who talked with him, telling him he was the Avatar because of four toys, the Avatar relics, he picked and how war was coming and that’s why they told him at 12 and not at 16 his identity.

Now Hua took over.

She stared into the flames and it was like the day her life changed came alive before her…

***

Gritting her teeth Hua followed after her mother and father. Bai was holding her hand, looking utterly bored.

The Lower Ring of Ba Sing Se was as always full of poverty and misery.

Sometimes Hua had the feeling she could taste the negative emotions in the air, but this was silly.

No one could do this.

“Mom!”, she whined. “Why must we go to the temple, it’s not like we are religious.”

“It’s so stupid, I wanted to play with Daisuke and the other's earth ball.”, whined Bai also.

“I wanted to meet up with Ai.”

Ah, pretty Ai with the auburn hair.

The prettiest girl in their neighbourhood and she liked Hua!

Hua!

The one boys were scarred because she could bend better than them and the girls mocked for ill-fitting clothes.

But Ai told her she was like a warrior princess from her favourite book and admired her.

That’s why she became her friend.

Now they were more than friends.

Hua could still feel her hot lips on hers.

Ai was such a good kisser.

“Kids, please the Earth Sages send us personal a message.”, explained Haruka for like the 1000 times her children the reason they had to go. “We can’t ignore an official invitation.”

Their father turned to them giving them a grin.

“Maybe they just want to convert us. Don’t worry kids, we will be just really annoying and they will let us leave!”

“Kun!”

“What?”

“Don’t tell our kids to be annoying they have to show the Earth Sages their respect.”

Their parents kept on bickering, which made Hua and Bai roll their eyes.

This was their parent's weird way of flirting.

Hopefully, they wouldn’t get another sibling.

Five mouths to feed was already a lot.

When they reached the temple, Hua already got a weird feeling as one of the sages said, only she could enter the centre chamber and her family had to wait.

Nervous she sat before the five sage who stared at her with green piercing eyes.

What they told her, changed her whole life in a beat of an eye.

“Are you sure?”, she asked desperately.“The Earth Kingdom is so big, maybe you are wrong!”

The Great Earth Sage just looked stoic at her.

“Believe me, young Hua, we have our way to pit-point where the next Daimon is born and also…do you remember this.”

He earthbend to her a scroll which opens up.

In it are four different toys.

A feeling of familiarity washed over her.

“These are the Daimon relicts. Toys of past Daimons of your past lives.”, he explains. “Eight years ago we tested all the children of Ba Sing Se, you were the only one who picked this.”

Like in a trance Hua's hand strokes over the toys.

“I totally forgot this day…but I’m remembering it now.”

The Great Sage nods pleased.

“Good. Now we don’t have much time. You must be united with the Avatar. Only together you will stop this war on the horizon.”

A bad feeling takes its place in Hua’s stomach.

“What does it mean?”

“You will be immediately brought to the Southern Air Temple to meet the Avatar. You have five minutes to say goodbye to your family.”

***

Back in the present Hua looks up from the flames and sees how tears are in the corners of Katara's eyes. She feels her own too.

“They really only gave me five minutes. I couldn’t even say goodbye to my friends to my girlfriend or pick up my things. I was carted away like some cabbages.”

“Oh Hua, I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay Katara, you aren’t at fault here.”

“So you were upset that you were the Daimon Hua and you the Avatar Aang?”, summarized Katara. “Why wouldn't you be excited about it?”

“Well, I didn't know how to feel about it. All I knew was that after I found out, everything began changing.”, told Aang.

Hua agreed with a nod.

Aang starts again with his tale.

How his life changed because he was the Avatar, his friends not anymore playing with him, training and waiting for the Daimon to arrive.

“Monk Gyatsu told me I would feel better after I met my other half.”, began Aang.

“But the day I arrived at the Southern Air Tempel, we both just saw in each other how our whole lives changed. It was easy to direct this anger to the other.”, enden Hua.

Katara looked at them in compassion.

“You felt like you couldn’t choose anymore right?”

The twelve-year-olds nodded.

“What happened then?”

“I began living in the Southern Air Temple and me and Aang were drilled in our elements. One of the Earth Sages, Master De, stayed with me there to make me an earthbending master, but Monk Gyatsu was my guardian, like Aang, and he decided over us. He wanted us to stay kids a bit longer.”

Again Hua stared into the flames and was transported into her memories.

***

Hua was sitting on a windowsill reading a scroll about legendary animals and where to find them, while Monk Gyatsu and Aang played a round of Pai Sho.

“Very interesting move, young one.”, mussed their guardian.

“What do you mean?”, asks Aang.

At the right moment, the girl looks up to see how Gyatso uses airbending to make a spiral, flipping a part of Aang's clothing. 

Quickly Gyatsu moves two pieces around. 

Aang flipped his clothing back into place.

“Hey!”, he called, but all three started to laugh.

That’s when the door opens and Monk Tashi and Sage De enter.

“You're playing games with him?”, scolds Monk Tashi.

“And you let her read some fantasy story?”, adds Sage De.

“The Avatar and Daimon should be training!”, they annoucon together.

Calmly Gyastu answers: “Aang and Hua have already trained enough for today.”

“Time is short.”, barks Monk Tashi and waves Aang over. “Come with me. I must test you on some high-level techniques.”

“Daimon Hua stop reading this nonsense and come with me, we still have to work on your basic forms.”, reminds Sage De.

Disappointed Aang and Hua stand up to join with them, as Gyasti states: “No. As long as I'm their guardian, I will decide when they train ... and when he gets his butt kicked at Pai Sho and she can read the scrolls she loves.”

With a huff, both Monk and Sage leave them.

Happy Aang and Hua smile at Gyastu.

They are so happy to have him.

***

Hua returned from her shared memories with Aang, which he told Katara, as he explained how one day all turned worse.

The other monks and the Earth Sage wanted to take him and Hua away from Gyatsu since he was too close to them.

They should be brought to the Eastern Air Tempel to complete their training.

“That's awful, Aang and Hua.”, says Katara. “I don't know what to say.”

Angry Aang stands up and goes into Avatar State shouting: “How could they do that to me? They wanted to take away everything I knew and everyone I loved!”

He makes hot ciders fly, but Hua, also in Daimon State, just bends them away saying with a cold voice: “They took me away from my family and wanted to take me away from my new one too. I couldn’t forgive them.”

“Hua, Aang.”, calls Katara out to them.

It helps and they get out of their States.

They say sorry for losing their nerves.

“You two have the right to be angry after the monks sent you away like that.”, reassure them Katara.

“Well, that's not exactly what happened.”, signs Aang. “I was afraid and confused. I didn't know what to do. So I talked to Hua.”

The Daimon took over: “Aang came to my room, telling me how he had spied at the council meeting and what would happen to us. I told him I would rather be back home with my family if they have us leave Gyatsu.”

“What, are you saying…”, Katara trailed off. She didn’t want to say what she thought.

But she didn’t need to, because Aang took over the story.

How they packed their things, left notes for Gyatsu and ran away.

Then how they got caught up in the storm and froze there.

Aang ends the story with his next memory of waking up and seeing Katara for the first time and Hua adds she remembers looking into Sokkas face.

“You two ran away.”, summed up Katara astonished. So she had understood right before.

“And then the Fire Nation attacked our temple. My people needed me and I wasn't there to help.”

“We weren’t there.”, reminds Hua, laying a hand on his shoulder. “We are both at fault here.”

“Hua and Aang don't know what would have-.”

They interrupt Katara together: “The world needed us and we weren't there to help. The fisherman was right! We did turn  our backs on the world!”

Full of compassion Katara looks at her friends, these two children, who just wanted to be normal and were burdened with the most important task in the world.

Who would live their lives full of regrets because they made a decision when they were hurting so badly.

It was unfair.

“You two are being too hard on yourself, even if you did run away.”, tells them Katara. “I think it was meant to be. If you had stayed, you would have been killed along with all the other airbenders.”

“You don't know that.”, disagrees Aang.

“I know it was meant to be this way. The world needs you two now. You give people hope.”

Hua and Aang just look at each other. What could they say?

Katara still believed in them…maybe it was enough.

That’s when the fisherman's wife enters their cave asking for help. The storm has turned into a typhoon and her man and Sokka aren’t yet back from their fishing trip.

Immediately the young heroes jump to action to save them, while the fisher wife stays in the cave.

They fly as fast as they can on Appa through the typhoon to find the two missing people.

After a while they find them.

Aang jumps down onto the boat. As a pole is falling down, Aang brings up four pouts of water, splitting the pole in half. 

After the pole splits in half, Sokka and the fisherman are shown hugging each other. 

Hua throws them a rope and yells at them to climb it up.

The fisherman and Sokka do so. 

Appa starts flying again. 

The rope swings up, making Sokka and the fisherman land on the saddle. 

A big wave hits the gang underwater. Everyone is shown floating away from Appa. 

Hua and Aang go into the Avatar and Daimon State and save everyone. 

They all go back to the cave safe where the fisherman's wife is. 

The fisherman's wife runs up to the fisherman and hugs him.

“Oh, you're alive! You owe this boy and girl an apology!”

“He doesn't have to apologize.”

“I would like to have one.”

“Hua!”

“What, Aang?!”

“What if, instead of an apology, I give them a free fish and we call it even.”, suggests the fisherman.

“He doesn’t eat meat.”, explains Hua with crossed arms.

“Fish ain't meat!”

“Seriously, you're still going to pay me, right?”, joins them Sokka.

As an answer, the fisherman gives him a fish.

Hua huffs, but turns with Aang to Katara.

“Katara, I think you were right before. I'm done dwelling on the past.”, proclaims Aang.

The Daimon lays a hand on his shoulder and both smile at each other.

“What my other half wants to say: we both are done with it. We will never know if we would have died with the air nomads or not. We can’t change the past, but we can create a new future.”

“That’s a wonderful thought.”, agrees Katara. “Me and Sokka will help you along the way. I don't think you two are gonna have those nightmares anymore.”

Then the fisherman steps towards them and actually says sorry and thanks them.

“Do you hear that?”, ask Sokka. “It stopped raining.”

Everyone goes outside. Appa shakes raindrops off himself, splashing everyone.

“Appa!”, scolds Aang, yet a second later all start to laugh.

The storm outside and inside was over and now possibilities were on the horizon.

***

That night Aang and Hua didn’t have any nightmares.

They dream of a world, full of peace and love and harmony with all their loved ones.

They smiled in their sleep and cuddled each other tighter.

With soft eyes, Katara looks at her two young friends.

She was happy for them and how they were free from their nightmares, they deserved it.

A little smile forms on her face as she lies down and thinks about how these two idiots will ever realize how they are falling in love with each other.

One could only hope they realized it before one of them nearly died, this would be too dramatic.

And done!

Next Chapter The Blue Spirit and anything will change :D

I can’t wait for it!

See you next time!

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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: Book 1.13

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 1.13: The Blue Spirit

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.

***

A pot with vegetable soup was sitting on the fire pit Hua made.

The Daimon stirred the soup and tasted it.

“Mmh, a bit more salt.”, she mumbled to herself.

She added the spice, as Katara called out to her: “How is the soup going, Hua?”

“Nearly done, Katara, how is our patient?”

Together they looked at poor sick Sokka. He was lying against Appa, coughing and sweaty, huddled in his sleeping bag. 

Thank the spirits they had found this old ruin to make camp or Sokka would suffer more.

At least here they were safe from the weather and it was cosy warm.

Katara pressed a wet rag onto Sokka's forehead.

“This should bring your fever down.”, she cooed at her brother.

Hua put the soup in a bowl and joined them.

“Here Sokka, something to eat. It will help you too.”

But the older boy was so delirious from his fever that he just said: “You know what I love about Appa the most? His sense of humour.”

“That's nice. I'll tell him.”, said Katara a bit amused.

Appa growls.

Sokka laughs. “Classic Appa.”

“Come Sokka, eat a bit of the soup.”, pleaded Hua and raised the spoon towards his mouth. “It will help.”

“I want meat soupy.”, he whined like a child.

The Daimon signed so Katara shovelled the soup down her brother's throat. 

At least he eats it like that.

That’s when Aang returns from his little scavenger trip.

“How's Sokka doing?”

“Not so good.”, tells Hua with crossed arms.

“Being out in that storm really did a number on him.”, adds Katara, shovelling the last bit of soup down his throat.

The sick Sokka gulps down his soup but starts sniffing pitifully.

“I couldn't find any ginger root for the tea, but I found a map.”, explained Aang, putting said map on the floor. “There's an herbalist institute on top of that mountain. We could probably find a cure for Sokka there.”

“Aang, he's in no condition for travel. Sokka just needs more rest. I'm sure he'll be better by tomorrow.”, says Katara, however suddenly she starts coughing too.

This alarms Hua and Aang.

“Not you, too!”, they shout together.

“Relax, it was just a little cough. I'm fi-”

She coughs again, this time with greater force, and lightly groans after.

“It’s like how Sokka started yesterday.”, reminds Hua. “Now look at him, he thinks he is an earthbender like me.”

“Take that, you rock!”

“See?!”, waves Hua to Sokka as flails his arms as if he is hitting something.

“A few more hours and you'll be talking nonsense, too. I'm going to go find some medicine.”, decides Aang. He grabs his glider and begins to head out just as a flash of lightning strikes. “Uh, maybe it's safer if I go on foot.”

The black-haired girl steps towards him and holds him by the shoulder.

“Wait a second Aang.”

“Mmh?”

Hua gives him a big hug, which makes both blush, as she whispers in his ear: “I take care of Sokka and Katara, you be careful. You will be all alone, the last we need is you getting captured by Prince Zuko or somebody else.”

Aang hugs her back, nodding.

“I promise.”

They let go of each other and with a last smile, Aang runs out of the ruin.

The girl signs, wondering why her stomach feels all flattery before she turns to the water tribe siblings.

“Don’t worry guys, I will take care of you.”, she promises.

From her friends came only pitiful groans.

A sweatdrop runs down Hua's forehead.

Well, better start caring for them.

So Hua helps Katara into her sleeping back and feeds her then with the soup.

Then she rotatory wipes away the sweat on her friends faces and entertains Sokka's hallucinations.

This goes on for a while, with wiping their face and giving them food and entertaining them, till Hua notes they are out of water.

“So thirsty.”, croaks Sokka.

“I know Sokka.”, coos Hua at him. “I will take a quick trip to the river and fill our water skins, okay?”

“Be careful”, coughs Katara, even sick she still worries for her.

“I promise, maybe Aang will be back then. He is taking his sweet time.”, grumbles Hua a bit.

She really hoped he was just taking his time and not something terrible happened to him.

With a sign, she slugs the water skins to herself, gets out of the ruin and earthbends an avalanche under her with it she surfes down to the river.

As she reaches the river and starts to fill the first water skin, she feels eyes on her.

Fast she twirles around and creates a whole of ice between her and the unknown danger.

“An arrow?”, she mumbles stupified.

More arrows struck the wall before two more landed in the same spot and sliced the arrows that came before it. 

The ice cracks and another set of arrows pin the green sleeves of her kimono top to a fallen tree in the water.

Before she can react a net is launched at her.

Scary Hua looks into the face of the archer who captures her.

Who are this?

And what are they gonna do to her?

***

As it turns out they cart her into a Fire Nation fortress and lock her up in a cell.

Hua was bound at her legs and arms with chains, barely able to move. 

Angrily she struggles against the chains.

Oh, whoever did this to her will pay?!

Her cell door opens and Commander Zhao enters with a smug look on his stupid face.

She growls at him.

“Feisty aren’t we?”, he musses and stands before her. “So this is the great Daimon. One of the two masters of all the elements. I don't know how you've managed to elude the Fire Nation for a hundred years, but your little game of hide and seek is over.”

“I will show you who is feisty!”, she growls back. “Untie me and I will make you pay for implying that I hide from cowards like you!”

“Uhh, no. Tell me, how is it to find yourself in a world where all your loved ones are dead?”

Anraged Hua shows him her teeth. How she wants to bite this asshole!

“Don't worry, you won't be killed. See, if you die you will just be reborn and the Fire Nation would have to start searching all over again. Even if you would be reborn in the Fire Nation. We simply don’t have time for this. So I'll keep you alive, but just barely.”

The arrogant asshole turns his back on her to step out of the cell, as Hua takes a deep breath and spits a fire stream after him.

Sadly he can bend it away.

“Nice little trick, who taught you this?”

“I learned it myself!”

Strangely Zhao laughs and the next words make Hua shiver all over. “You are indeed a feist one, the Avatar just attacked me with an airblast, but you…you were going for the kill.”

“Avatar…”, she repeats shocked. “You have Aang?!”

“We caught him before you. Sadly you won’t be seeing him, who knows what you two would do together.”

With a last arrogant smirk Zhao leaves, leaving a panicked Hua behind.

Oh no.

Oh no!

OH NO!

This was so bad you needed a new word for bad!

The Fire Nation had both of them.

Oh spirits!

Angry tears fall from Hua’s green eyes as she tries to free herself.

She needs to get out and find Aang!

How long she tries to free herself she can’t tell, only how out of nowhere she hears battle sounds.

Surprised she looks up and that’s when Aang steps into the room!

“Aang!”

“Hua!”

He runs up to her and hugs her the best he can.

“Did they hurt you?”, he asked worried, taking her face in his hands.

“No, No. Did you get hurt?”, she asked back, looking him up and down.

“No, I’m fine too.”

Both signs relieved, then Aang steps away, Hua misses his hands on her face, and a tall man in all black with a blue spirit mask steps towards her.

“Aang, who is this?!”, she asked scared.

“A friend. He released me.”, he explains. “He will do the same for you. Don’t get scared of his swords.”

Hua does haven’t the time as Blue (she will call him this in her head) takes out Duo-Swords and frees her from her bindings.

She thanked her saviour with a bow, and then she and Aang embraced each other again, happy the other was okay and that they were together again.

The Daimon can’t explain since when she craved so much Aang touch, she just knows she felt safe and happy in his arms.

“Yeah, you are right, we should go.”, says Aang to Blue, who had pointed at the cell door.

The Avatar and Daimon take each other hand and follow Blue through the fortress.

They managed to reach the innermost wall of the fortress, scaling it on a rope as they got spotted!

A soldier appears at the top of the wall they are climbing. He cuts the rope and the trio falls down the wall.

Thankful Aang airbends them to a soft landing. 

When the dust clears, the Blue Spirit unsheathes his swords and they run.

A wild prison breaks take place, where they have to fight and climb up the walls of the fortress.

Thanks that Hua was an earthbender, she just smashed holes into the walls, where they could escape.

They are nearing the last wall, however, four firebenders unleash their flame on them, but Aang and Hua put the masked man behind them and he airbends and she firebends the flames away.

“Hold your fire!”, commands Zhao. “The Avatar and Daimon must be captured alive!”

The Blue Spirit instantly comes up behind the two children and crosses his swords in front of their throats, surprising Aang and Hua.

A stand-off takes place, in which Zhao gives in and commands to open the gates.

The gate is opened and the Blue Spirit backs out with his captives, swords still at their throats.

The Blue Spirit continues backing away from the fortress. Zhao now looks on from the top of the main gate.

Then all happens fast.

Hua recognizes the archers who capture her and tries to warn Blue and Aang.

“Get down!”

Blue takes the swords from their troats and wants like them to drop down to the floor, but the arrow hits him in the shoulder!

With a pained groan, their silent ally falls down on the floor.

“No!”. scream Hua and Aang together.

Aang creates a huge dusty cloud as Hua checks for Blue.

“This is bad Aang.”, she tells him. “The arrow pierced his whole shoulder, if we don’t help him, he will bleed to death.”

“Alright, let’s take him with us!”

Hua grips Blue's arms and Aang his legs, together they airbend away from the scene.

***

Luck was on their side and they reached their campsite with Blue without any more problems.

Hua and Aang put Blue on Hua's sleeping back, as Katara called out to them: “Aang, Hua, where were you, who is this?”

She coughs pititful.

“Ah, I forgot the frogs, I will be back soon, okay!”, proclaims Aang and races out.

Hua deadpan after him.

“Sure, I will try alone to save the life of our saviour.”

She signs at gets to work.

As she collected the things she needed, she explained to Katara what happened. 

Thankful her best friend was lucid enough to understand, other than Sokka who said Blue was a Demon and here to eat his heart.

Sitting beside Blue, Hua checks their supplies. Bandages and some salves. Thankful she had one full water skin before she got captured so she could clean his wound.

Careful with her knife she opened his black shirt up where the arrow had gone through and checked it.

Okay, it seemed no bone was hit, this was good and the arrow had gone through nicely.

Alright, she could do it.

First, she slowly cleaned the wounds in front and in the back with water and put the antiinfection salve on it.

Then she cut the rest of the arrow with her knife away.

Only the little bit who looked out of his back remained.

Now she needed to carefully slip it out and pray he didn’t bleed to death.

Taking a deep breath she pulled the arrow out.

Blue screamed in pain.

Katara gasped.

Sokka shrieked about how the demon hoards would come for them.

And a blood fountain gushes out from Blue wounds.

OH NO!

Shit, shit, shit!

Hua let out some really creative curses, which made Katara even more gasp, as she tried to stop the bleeding with the bandages.

They get soaked in seconds.

She tries with water to wash it out and then bandaids over.

It bleeds and bleeds and bleeds!

“Oh come on please!”, she cried, holding her wet hand on the wound. “Stop please.”

Then something unexpected happened.

Her hand and the water started to glow blue and like a miracle closed the wound!

Unellegant Hua's chin meets the floor.

What happened?

What had she done?!

Whatever it was, it had probably saved Blue life.

***

“So let me get this straight you get captured by Zhao, Blue Mask over there saves you and you manage to get him wounded and then you bring him here without knowing who he is?!”

“Sokka, he saved mine and Aang's lives he can’t be bad.”

“I don’t trust masked vigilante! They always have something to hide.”

“What done is, is done. I’m with Hua and Aang. He can’t be that bad if he saved them.”

“Katara, you are too trusting.”

Zuko woke up to loud voices squabbling over him. 

He blinked behind his mask the black dots away and turned his head.

There were the Avatar and Daimon together with the two teens of the watertribe and their three animals.

The humans were sitting around a fire, eating something which looked and smelled like soup, which made him notice how hungry he was himself.

What should he do now?

His prizes were before him, but also a bison, a kyuubi, a waterbender and a guy with a club.

He couldn’t just snatch them up.

Also, his shoulder still hurt.

No, he had to analyse the sitation before he did something stupid.

“Ah, I think our guest woke up.”, said the water tribe girl and walked over to him. With a friendly smile, she kneeled beside him, offering him a bowl of soup. “I don’t know who you are, but you saved Aang and Hua. This makes you in my eyes a friend.”

The water tribe boy groaned behind her.

Zuko just said nothing.

He wasn’t used to people who treated him nicely, well besides his uncle.

So he better stay still.

“Not a talker are ya?”, giggled the girl. She put the bowl and a spoon beside him. “You have your reason to hide your face, so no one will look when you eat. Enjoy it.”

“I still think this is stupid.”, grumbled the water tribe boy.

“Sokka, people have a right to their privacy.”, scolded the water tribe girl.

With that, she stood up and joined her friends again.

Incredibly they really turned their backs on him and talked just with each other, even if he could see how the water tribe boy fought with turning around.

Slowly Zuko got an idea.

If they already trusted him for saving the Avatar and Daimon…maybe if he stayed a few days with them, and played their ally, they would leave him eventually alone with the two youngest and he could take them to his ship and then the Fire Nation.

Yes!

He could play a few days being nice, he just hoped his uncle wouldn’t worry so much.

Maybe he could send him a message?

Whatever one thing after another.

He ate the soup, which was after years on the sea with a cook with a bad temper, really tasty and enjoyable.

Soon, he would get his honour back.

He just had to be patient.

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Yin and Yang: Book 1.14

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 1.14: The Fortuneteller

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.

***

Sokka was surrounded by turtleducks.

Let him rephrase this.

Too trusting, bright-eyed turtleducks surrounded him.

Ever since the Mask-Guy, he refused to call him Blue like the others, Katara and the youngest followed the masked man around, well, like turtleducks!

They asked him questions, interacted with him and tried to make him feel a part of the group.

Sokka was going to go insane.

How could his sister and his friends be so chummy with someone who didn’t show his face and only answered with nods or a shake of his head?!

His instincts told him behind the blue mask was the enemy, but whenever he tried to talk to Katara or Hua or Aang they just waved it away.

At least they found out something about the vigilante.

Not enough that Sokka could pinpoint who could be under the mask, however, it painted a picture of a young man, who didn’t think things really through, who leapt before he jumped and was moody as hell!

Vigilant tried to be friendly, yet you could see how he struggled.

Sometimes it seemed he was ready to explode.

Especially when Sokka himself asked him questions.

Other than the turtleducks, Sokka had asked him uncomfortable things like if he was Fire Nation.

Sadly he didn’t get an answer because Katara screeched how he could even think that their new friend was Fire Nation if he had saved Hua and Aang from them!

That had been a bummer.

However, when he asked Vigilanten if his socks smelled and held them under his nose, the other man's reaction had been priceless.

He seemed to gasp for air and was ready to murder him.

Ha, take that mask-dude!

It was so worth it, even if Katara hit him over the head with the ladle.

Anyway, Sokka was the only one who mistrusted the vigilante and he would prove this to his young and dumb turtleducks.

The other man would not see what was coming for him!

***

Zuko had many regrets in his life, but playing friends with the Avatar and Daimon and their friends might be his biggest.

The water tribe boy, Sokka he learned, was clearly into him, asked him all kinds of exposing questions, if he wasn’t careful and let him smell his rotten socks.

For a second he had wanted to light on fire the water peasant, yet he could restrain himself.

He had a mission to accomplish.

A mission that seemed annoying beyond belief and he had been with them for only a night and day!

The Avatar, Aang was his name, asked him all kinds of random questions, like if he liked vegetables, if he ate meat if he would try the vegetarian lifestyle, where he got his mask and then he just babbled a lot of things to Zuko that made his head twirl.

Aang told him stories from his life at the air temples and…well it painted a picture that Zuko didn’t like.

He learned from his tutors how the Air Nomads had been a crazy cult, with blood rituals and all that, who had a large army, ready to attack the Fire Nation. That’s why his great-grandfather had attacked them first, to save their nation.

Nonetheless, the way Aang talked about his culture made the air nomads out of spiritual people, who respected humans and nature and liked to prank each other.

The banished prince just couldn’t wrap his head around it.

Why would his nation say, air nomads were a crazy warmonger cult, when the last airbender was so bubbly and friendly and told him about the many pranks he played with his friends and mentor?

No, it made not at last sense.

And Zuko didn’t like this.

Even more so when the Daimon, her name was Hua, remembered Aang's stories or was part of it.

Two people from 100 years ago against all the history he learned.

What was the truth?

Was it even important if his only goal was to get Aang and Hua to the Fire Nation to restore his honour?

No! Screamed a loud part of him, however a smaller voice, one he had tried to ignore his whole life, begged him to think and listen.

He decides for now to ignore and humour Aang.

Hua was nice company and had healed his shoulder. She didn’t talk much about the past, only when Aang brought it up, but talked about banal things and his shoulder.

She had been shocked when HE had to explain to her, with a lot of nods and shakes and gestures, that legends said female Daimons had the ability to cure wounds and sickness with water.

Since then, she regularly every two hours gave him a healing session.

Neither of them knew how it worked, Hua was making it up on the go, nonetheless, his shoulder felt each time better.

If this would go on for a few more days, he would be ready to take Aang and Hua with him.

And then there was the water tribe girl, Katara.

She was so thankful that he brought Hua and Aang back to her, her words, and she would cook him something special.

After the soup from last night, she made a delicious stew with komodo-chicken, and he nearly wanted to cry.

She was an amazing cook.

Also, he noted how Katara clearly was the clue, the mother, who held these people and their three animals together.

Sokka might say he was the leader, but Zuko saw with his own eyes, how Katara took care of anyone.

She cooked, she cleaned, she was a shoulder to cry on and she was the strict parent who remembered the others of their chorus.

Well, besides Hua.

Hua helped Katara without her input and remember her chorus, the two males needed to get set fire under their butts.

Aang mostly wanted to be a dumb kid, while Sokka wanted to prove his manliness.

It was so stupid in Zuko's eyes.

On his ship, male or female anybody had their chorus and did them diligently. 

No one slacked around.

If Katara and Hua didn’t give Sokka and Aang sometimes a metaphorical kick in the butt, they wouldn’t move.

If Katara was the mother, Hua was the big sister.

He would never admit it out loud, but seeing Katara, Hua and Aang together train in their elements had been…really beautiful.

First, they had worked all three on water, then Aang and Hua on air then earth and now the Daimon showed the Avatar the first steps in firebending.

A voice inside Zuko, who sounded like Uncle Iroh, burned to give them tips. 

They only had a scroll and what Hua learned from practice and error, they needed someone to tell them their stances were all wrong, however, he couldn’t for a lot of reasons.

Manly, he couldn’t give away he was a firebender, also helping train the Avatar and Daimon in their elements was surely treason and Zuko wanted to go back home, not end up on the Boiling Rock!

So he was a silent observer.

Sometimes Jaiyi, the kyuubi and Momo, the lemur, came up to him for pets or to beg for food.

Strangely it made him remember how he had fed the turtleducks with his mother.

So he couldn’t resist giving them something.

For that, he earned an amused smile from Katara, which made him note, how she was actually a pretty girl.

Then he kicked himself mentally thinking his enemy was pretty.

The blood loss he had experienced and Aang's nonsense stories made him think weird things.

Yes, this was it.

Whatever, they had finished currently breakfast, some Water Tribe dish, salted fish and rice with vegetables, which the prince still was surprised he enjoyed as Katara suddenly stood up and pointed at the lake they had camped.

“Look!”

It’s a fish, a se tu, who leaps into the air, facing the group in mid-jump before landing in the water again.

Somehow this pisses off Sokka.

“He is taunting us! You are so going to be dinner!”

He grabs his fishing pole from his tent set up nearby and attempts to cast the pole into the water unsuccessfully.

“Hey, where's the fishing line?”, wonders Sokka.

“Oh, I didn't think you would need it, Sokka.”, tells him Aang sheepish, holding up an intricately woven necklace decorated with a red flower.

“Why would you think that?”, asked Hua with crossed arms. “With what are we going to catch fish now? With our minds?!”

“Ha, good one Hua!”

“I’m not joking Aang.”

Stupified the Avatar blinks at her, while Zuko fights off the urge to facepalm and Sokka bemoans how his fishing line was all tangled.

“Not tangled. Woven!”, the Avatar explains, if it would make the whole situation better. “I made you a necklace, Katara. I thought since you lost your other one …”

He pauses in mid-sentence and displays the necklace, holding it between his hands as he flashes a toothy grin.

As if they had agreed on it Zuko and Hua side-eye each other, as Jaiyi yips in deadpan.

Of course.

It was because of Katara.

Zuko had needed exactly only three hours with them to note how the Avatar crushed on the (beautiful) waterbender.

From all the stories and legends he read about Avatar and Daimon, it surprised him how Aang and Hua weren’t all over each other.

They have been soulmates since the beginning of time.

Of course, he read about Avatar Kyoshi and Daimon Tian Kuo, who had just stayed friends, but they had been one of the expectations of the universal rule.

How the Avatar and Daimon were half of the same soul and drawn to each other.

Why this here was not the case astonished him.

Katara approaches Aang, taking the necklace and thanking him.

Sarcastically Sokka tells the Avatar: “Great, Aang. Maybe instead of saving the world, you can go into the jewellery-making business.”

“I don't see why I can't do both.”, he grins, as Sokka starts to fight the fish,  and turns to Hua. “I have something for you too.”

Not only Hua was surprised, but the whole world stopped for a second, beside Katara who was like finally.

“Oh, what do you have?”, mumbled Hua with a cute blush.

Smiling Aang takes her hand and pulls out a little bracelet made out of pink flowers.

“That’s for you, I know how much you like pink and cherry blossoms are pretty.”

“Thanks, Aang, that’s super nice of you.”

The two smile at each other and ah, there was the legendary wordless connection Avatars and Daimons shared.

Aang might have a big crush on Katara, but he was at least attracted to Hua.

And she seemed attracted to him too.

And Katara.

Zuko had noted that she was bisexual at least. She stared quite often at Katara's breasts. (And no! It didn’t mean he had stared too, he had manners!)

Huh, it was kind of funny how the two soulmates who ever soulmated had a crush on the same person. 

Only one was keeping her feelings for herself, while the other really thought a fourteen-year-old would like a twelve-year-old.

Smiling Hua puts her bracelet on and shows it to Blue.

He gives her a tiny nod, which she interprets as it’s pretty.

Then Katara calls out: “So, how do I look?”

All beside Sokka, who still fights the fish, turn to her.

Aang and Hua have the most reaction, both blush up a storm, looking at Katara in one of awe and amazement.

Even Zuko has to gulp quietly.

It seems like all around the waterbender was coloured with shades of pink and purple, sparkles of light glistening every now and then.

She was smiling sweetly, blushing slightly with one hand behind her back and the other touching her necklace in a pose.

“You mean, all of you or just your neck?”, stutters Aang nervous. “I mean, because both look great!”

Hua just nods rapidly.

Finally, Sokka catches the fish and can’t help to tease Aang for his stupid little crush.

Yes, even he noticed it.

“Smoochie, smoochie, someone's in love!”

He makes kissing noises before the se tu breaks free from his grasp, slapping Sokka in the face with its tail and disappearing under the water.

Poor Aang stutters more as Katara goes for the kill. She can’t make Aang think that she has feelings for him. His crush on her needed to die yesterday and he should fall in love with Hua, how it was supposed to be.

Also, they are super cute together!

“Stop teasing him, Sokka. Aang's just a good friend. A sweet, little guy! Just like Momo.”

The lemur has landed on Aang's shoulder and Katara pets him.

Disappointed Aang thanks her.

Sokka emerges empty-handed from the lake, soaking wet and cross. 

Momo suddenly flies off Aang's shoulder upon hearing a loud noise in the distance. 

He leaps onto a rock followed by Aang, who observes the scene. He points to the source of the commotion.

“Someone's being attacked by a platypus bear!”

They all start running.

They find a way to calm man who dodges the swipes of the platypus bear like nothing.

“Well, hello there!”, the calm man greets them friendly. “Nice day, isn't it?”

“Make noise! He'll run off!”, advises Aang.

“No, play dead! He'll lose interest!”, yells Sokka.

The bear swings its claws only to miss striking the man once again.

“Whoa, close one!”, laughs the calm man bemused.

“Run downhill!”, begins Katara.

“Then climb a tree!”, adds Hua.

“No, punch him in the bill!”, shouted Sokka.

“And then run in zig-zags!”, finished Aang.

“No need, it's going to be fine!”

Having enough of this stupid idiot our masked prince gets his swords out and makes a loud screeching noise with them.

All have to hold their ears, so terrible it was.

Luckily the platypus bear didn’t like it either lays a large, spotted egg and escapes the scene, swimming down the river.

“Next time a warning!”, mutters Sokka to Mask-Boy, before he picks happy up the egg and then turns to the calm man: “Lucky for you, we came along.”

The calm man just well calmly responds: “Thanks, but everything was already under control. Not to worry. Aunt Wu predicted I'd have a safe journey.”

“Aunt who?”, asks Aang.

“No, Aunt Wu.”, corrects the calm ma. “ She's the fortuneteller from my village. Awful nice knowing your future.”

Katara looks off to the side as she ponders this.

“Wow, it must be. That explains why you were so calm!”

“But the fortuneteller was wrong!”, reminds Sokka. “You didn't have a safe journey; you were almost killed!

Hua nods in agreement and Zuko quietly in his head agrees too.

The calm man would have been platypus bear lunch if it weren’t for him.

“But I wasn't! All right, have a good one!”, he bids them farewell and begins to walk away only to turn back again. “Oh, and Aunt Wu said if I met any travellers to give them this.”

He hands Aang a wrapped parcel containing a long, thin object and leaves mysteriously. 

Sokka, Hua and Zuko behind his mask eye the man suspiciously.

This was too much cryptic nonsense for their ears.

“Maybe we should go see Aunt Wu and learn our fortunes.”, suggests Katara excitedly. Seems like one like this cryptic nonsense. “It could be fun.”

“Oh, come on. Fortune telling is nonsense!”, said Sokka loud and clear.

“I’m with Sokka, it's just a scam.”, added Hua. “They tell you what you want to hear. If someone could really see into the future they would be powerful!”

Blue agreed with a simple nod.

Meanwhile, Aang quickly unwraps the mysterious parcel, which turns out to be a red umbrella. He opens it and holds it over his head.

“What do you know? An umbrella!”

At that moment, the sky darkens and it begins to rain. A low rumble of thunder can be heard. Katara bends an arched shield of water over her head to shelter herself from the weather. Hua copies her, shielding also Sokka and Blue.

“That proves it!”, tells them Katara, now under the umbrella.

“No, it doesn't! You can't really tell the future!”, argues back Sokka.

“If it wasn’t for Hua, you would be wet by now.”, sasses Katara back.

Suddenly Sokka loses his grip on the platypus egg as it flies through the air. 

He attempts to catch it, however, it merely flies a few feet into the air and lands on his head, cracking and causing the egg to run down his face.

Thankful Hua cleans him with some of the rainwater before she shields them again.

Then a discussion breaks out between Team Avatar-Daimon if they should go into the fortuneteller town.

Zuko stays silent observers.

In the end, Sokka and Hua only agree because Katara reminds them they need more supplies since Blue is now with them.

Secretly Zuko was pleased.

Maybe he could manage to slip away from them for a few minutes, find a Hakwery and send messages to his uncle.

This was something Zuko wouldn’t admit also out loud, but he loved and cared for his uncle.

He knew Uncle Iroh must be already sick with worry over him.

He has been missing for a good two days.

Yeah, so better go into the crazy fortuneteller town and try to send him a message.

***

Annoyed Hua had to listen, on their way to the fortuneteller town Makapu, how Sokka and Katara squabbled over if the fortunetelling was real or not.

She was on Sokka's side, she didn’t believe in this mumbo-jumbo, so she said nothing and continued to shield herself Sokka and Blue from the water.

She was proud of herself for how she could do something like this now and walk.

Sokka then pretended to predict the future, saying how it was still going to rain, but, of course, it stopped then.

Aang told him how not anyone had this gift.

Whatever.

They were finally in Makapu and Blue put a hood over his head.

Katara and she had repaired the shirt she had cut open and added a hood at Blue's request since he was a wanted man by the Fire Nation.

You could never know if someone was a Fire Nation spy or just wanted the ransom which was surely on his head.

Before they could walk up to Aunt Wu's house, Blue tried to tell them something.

It took them some creative charade playing, however, they got how Blue hadn’t any interest in fortunetelling and would take a stroll around the town.

Katara was sad, she had wanted all her friends to have a reading, yet if Blue really didn’t want she would let him.

So they split up.

As they reached finally Aunt Wu’s house a strange man calmly welcomed them with: “Aunt Wu is expecting you.”

Together Sokka and Hua roll their eyes at Katara's excitement.

This was all for the show, didn’t she realise?

The quartet walks through the doorway, Sokka and Hua expressing their disgust. 

They enter a room, with four pillows situated on the floor to the right of the room. 

The strange man closes the front door. 

A young girl walks into the room clad in a pink kimono and wearing her hair in braids that stick out from the sides of her head.

“My name is Meng and I'm Aunt Wu's assistant.”, introduced the girl and suddenly gasped.

She has a twinkle in her eyes Hua knows too well. Couriers she follows Meng's sight of the eye and lands on Aang.

What?!

Something inside her which sounds like a thousand voices start to hiss and growl.

“Well, hello there.”, formally purrs Meng in Aang's direction.

Only Aang disinterested hello, calms the hissing and snarling voices in Hua.

What was going on?!

The group sits down as Meng plays perfect host: “Can I get you some tea or some of Aunt Wu's special bean curd puffs?”

“I'll try a curd puff.”, brightens Sokka up at getting food.

Meng holds up an index finger in a gesture, her eyes never leaving Aang, saying to Sokka just a moment.

The Daimon has the urge to bite off the finger of this girl, even more so, as Meng kneels down beside Aang and gets really close to him.

She clearly tries to hit on him with the whole our names rhyme things and Hua wants to kick her ass.

It doesn’t help how the thousand and thousand voices in her head snarl and hiss.

Mine!

Stay away from them!

That’s MY yang!

Bitch I  will scratch your eyes out!

Was…was she jealous?

Since when was she jealous?!

When Aang had his little fanclub in Kyoshi she didn’t react this way nor was she angry that Aang crushed on Katara.

The way this Meng made come out the jealous girlfriend in her, was not normal!

Hua bet this was her past lives who had been together with their Avatar and now trowed a hissy fit.

Well, Hua would ignore them. Aang was her friend and nothing more.

Still, as Meng left them to get them the tea and food she was quite happy.

“I can't believe we're here in the house of nonsense.”, grumbled Sokka.

“Try to keep an open mind, Sokka. There are things in this world that just can't be explained.”, lectured Katara. “Wouldn't it be nice to have some insight into your future?”

“It would be nice to have some bean curd puffs.”

“Ditto and some tea too.”, agrees Hua.

This earns her a strange look from Katara.

“Hua, are you alright?”

“Yeah, why?”

“It’s just something in your voice…”

The waterbender trails off as Meng with a tray walks towards Aang with a besotted look in her eyes.

Hua feels her and her past lives hackle rise.

Suddenly Meng trips; Aang attempts to help her recover, accidentally holding her hands in his in the process. 

The two stare at each other for a moment; Meng blushes.

They two then hear a growl and turn to a Hua who looks like fury incarnated, with blazing orange eyes and a snarling face.

“Be more careful, girl!”, hiss a thousand voices from Hua's mouth.

Aang looks stupified at his other half, Sokka raises an eyebrow, and Meng looks ready to faint, as Katara puts her hands on the Daimon's shoulder to calm her down.

“Hua, it’s okay.”, she cooes at her best friend and gives her a big cheek kiss.

This gets Hua out of Daimon State.

Embarrassed how she had lost her nerves, Hua grips a mug of tea and gulps it down without looking anyone in the eye

Oh Spirits, what was going on with her?!

Did she really enter Daimon State because of some Floozy, who made pretty eyes at Aang?

Okay, she needed to get a hold of herself and tell her past lives to chill.

Aang would stay her friend and nothing more.

Her past lives whined at this.

Hua ignored them.

While she had her crisis, Meng left and Aunt Wu entered to welcome them and ask them who wanted to go first.

It’s Katara.

So the three stay in the waiting room, Hua drinking tea after another, while Sokka eats the puffs.

“Mm, not bad, not bad!”, states the water tribe boy.

He holds the bowl out to Aang and Hua.

The Avatar declines, while the Daimon puts some in her mouth, still not looking at anyone.

“So, what do you think they're talking about back there?”, wonders Aang.

“Boring stuff I'm sure.”, answers Sokka casually, biting into a puff. “ Love, who she's going to marry, how many babies she's going to have.”

Aang agrees nervous before he proclaims to go to the bathroom.

Finally, Hua looks up.

She knows Sokka would not ask her why she got into Daimon State since it was mambo-jumbo for him, so they could talk.

“This is all so stupid.”, she mumbles to Sokka. “I can’t believe how eager the others are for this nonsense. We should have gone with Blue.”

“Can’t agree more with you, besides the thing with Mask-Boy.”

“Sokka, do you still think he is some kind of spy?”

“My instincts don’t lie, Hua. Look, the guy refuses to take off his mask, who does this?”

“Maybe someone who got hurt badly by the Fire Nation and has a deformed face?!”

That’s when Aang struts back into the room like a happily peacock.

Okay…what happened now?

“Looks like someone had a pretty good bathroom break.”, says Sokka, picking his teeth.

“Yeah ... when I was in there …”

Disgusted, both Sokka and Hua look away and hold up a hand to signal Aang to stop and yell how they don’t want to know.

Aunt Wu with Katara reenters the Room, asking for her next client.

Sokka stans up with a: “Okay, let's get this over with.”

“Your future is full of struggle and anguish. Most of it is self-inflicted.”, tells him Aunt Wu dryer than the desert.

“But you didn't read my palms or anything!”

“I don't need to. It's written all over your face.” 

Sokka resumes picking his teeth in disgust; as Aunt Wu waves Hua over.

“What about you young lady?”

“Oh alright.”

So Hua follows Aunt Wu into her chamber. 

The chamber is a fairly spacious, dimly lit room. 

Four pillars support the ceiling and four cushions are situated in the centre of the room, surrounding a small fire.

Both sit down facing each other.

“What kind of method would you like to see your future…?”

“Hua, my name is Hua.”

“Ah, flower. A pretty name for a pretty girl. It’s said: The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all.”

This makes Hua blush pleased.

“Thank you. That’s nice to say to you.”

“No problem, dear.”

“I think, I would like the hand reading the classic one.”

Aunt Wu nods and Hua gives her hand.

The older woman stares at the lines in astonishment.

“I never saw such lines.”, she muttered, but Hua can still hear her. With a finger, she follows a big one. “Your destiny! This is incredible. You will be involved in a great battle, an awesome conflict between the forces of good and evil. A battle whose outcome will determine the fate of the whole world!”

Okay, this was disappointing.

“I’m the Daimon I already know that.”

Stupified Aunt Wu blinks at her.

“Is this all, then I will go.”

“No wait a second, here is something which will help you on your journey.”

Aunt Wu strokes over another line and explains: “This is the love line. You are destined to love a lot of people and carry them in your heart, but you will have someone who will carry you in your darkest times. Who will be your guiding light, your sun, your rock in stormy waters! This love is so potent, so eternal that it will save the world or doom it if you don’t find each other.”

Now Hua blinks.

“Okay, can you tell me more about this mysterious person?”

“You have known each other since the beginning of time, you loved each other in many, many lives. Your stubbornness and his deafness stop you both from being together and creating a love which will change the whole world.”

“Ah, I get it now!”, snaps Hua and takes her hand away. “Because I told you I’m the Daimon, of course, the Avatar is my destiny. I will tell you that I will create my own destiny and love someone because I LOVE them and not because we did it before!”

Dramatically Hua races out of the room, ignoring the calls of her friends and walks the street of Makapu.

She has a lot to think about.

***

Of course, Aang was worried for Hua, she must have gotten a bad prediction, but he needed to hear from Aunt Wu that he truly was destined to be with Katara like she had told the waterbender when he had listened in on them.

So he was disappointed when the bones just told her what he already knew.

“Yeah, yeah, I knew that already. But did it say anything about a girl?”

“A girl? You want to know about love?”

“Yes!”

Aunt Wu purses her lip, she can’t believe she got two times today the same destiny, as she looks at the bone fragments.

“Ah, there it is.”

She picks up a bone splitter.

“It says this crush, this obsession you currently have will doom the world.”

What?!

Aunt Wu tuts him.

Ups, he had yelled this out loud.

“The one your heart belongs to currently is not for you. If you choose her over your real love, something terrible will happen. You will lose a great power within you. You need to let go of your obsession and realize who your heart belongs really. If you do this, you will become even more powerful and create a love which will change the whole world.”

“But…but…”, stutters Aang totally confused. “Very powerful bender….”

The fortuneteller repeats his words before she understands.

“You listened in, in my reading with Miss Katara, didn’t you?! How dare you?! This was a private matter!”, she scolded him harshly.

“But…but…”

“See, this is an obsession, not love! You are so fixed on the idea that Miss Katara is your love that you forget anything and don’t think any more about what’s right and what’s wrong! Young Avatar listen closely, you will doom yourself and more importantly, the world, if you still go this way. And now out!”

He doesn’t let him told be twice.

Aunt Wu was scary when angry.

And she was wrong about him and Katara.

He was a very powerful bender.

He was the one for Katara.

He ignored the thousand voices in him who called him a stupor idiot.

***

Zuko had been fortunet.

Makapu had a Hawkery, who even sent letters to Fire Nation Vessels. So this meant the little town was neutral.

Better for him.

He wrote quickly to his uncle about where he was and his plan and asked for time.

With this, he gave the man the scroll and the hawk was off to go to delivery.

Since he had nothing better to do he walked around town, waiting for the others to be done with their nonsense.

Zuko didn’t believe in fortunetellers, destiny may exist but if you fought hard enough you could change it.

He needed to believe this or he would never return home.

His feet carried him to the marketplace where he found Hua, sitting on some stairs of a random house, sulking.

Silently he joined her.

“Hey Blue.”, she greeted dull. “Had a nice walk?”

He nodded.

“I should have come with you, Aunt Wu was such a waste of time!”

He nodded again.

The Daimon gave him a little smile and then handed him a little notebook and coal pen.

“Here I bought this for you. So you can better communicate with us. Always playing charades must be getting annoying.”

This…Zuko didn’t know how to feel about this. 

It was a really nice gesture, no doubt. Besides his uncle, no one thought about him to make him more comfortable.

And here was this little girl, the Daimon, who just used her money on him.

Something in his stomach felt unpleased.

She and the other thought he was their friend.

Not knowing they had a snake among them.

Suddenly…his plan seemed cruel to him.

But he shook it off.

Nothing was more important than to restore his honour.

“Ah there you guys are.”, they hear Katara call for them.

She and the rest of Team Avatar-Daimon joined them.

“Why did you run away Hua?”, asked Katara her best friend. “Was your prediction so bad?”

“It was stupid and I don’t want to talk about it.”

For that all gave her a look, so Hua searched for something to distract them.

“Oh look, people are gathering let’s check this out.”

And off she was.

The others just looked all at each other, wondering what was with Hua, before Sokka shrugged his shoulder and made a come-follow motion.

Nearly the whole town stands around a pagoda-like structure, staring at the sky.

“What's with the sky?”, wonders Katara.

The calm man they met before was there too and explained: “We are waiting for Aunt Wu to come and read the clouds to predict the fate of the whole village.”

“That cloud kind of looks like a fluffy bunny.”, musses Aang, pointing at it.

“You better hope that's not a bunny! The fluffy bunny cloud forecasts doom and destruction.”

“Do you even hear yourself?”, groaned Sokka in disgust.

“Wow, even more mambo-jumbo.”, added Hua, while Blue nodded in agreement.

These three were so done with this whole town.

“The cloud reading will tell us if Mt. Makapu will remain dormant for another year or if it will erupt.”, tells a village woman.

The calm man smiles. “We used to have a tradition once a year of going up the mountain to check the volcano ourselves. But ever since Aunt Wu moved to the village twenty years ago, we have a tradition of not doing that.”

“I can't believe you would trust your lives to that crazy, old woman's superstition!”, shouted Sokka in disbelief and was shushed by Katara, since Aunt Wu was coming.

Aunt Wu and her guard appear ascending a stairwell. The crowd had formed an aisle to allow for the two figures to pass by. 

Hua stands beside Katara and then Aang, while Sokka and Blue stand behind them. 

Aang and Katara smile widely as Aunt Wu and the guard walk by them. Hua and the two older males, even the one who wears a mask, look unamused.

The crowd is clapping for the fortuneteller. 

Suddenly Meng appears next to Aang. Hua sees this and feels her anger rise again.

What does the Floozy want?!

The girl in the pink Kimono points at the sky, asking Aang if he thinks this cloud looks like a flower, he shoves her away, which pleases Hua greatly, just to ask the same of Katara.

Katara shushes him to listen to Aunt Wu's cloud reading.

The Daimon only pays half attention, till Aunt Wu proclaims that the vulcano isn’t going to destroy the town this year.

The crowd celebrates, while the three skeptics just cross their arms and shake their heads.

What a load of ostrich-horse shit!

“Since I got you here, uh, there's something I want to tell you.”, hears Hua Aang's voice over the cheering crowd. She turns slightly and sees a blushing Aang and a clapping Katara. “I like you, but more than normal.”

Did he just confess?!

And in the middle of a crowd?!

Either he was brave or utterly stupid.

Utterly stupid decided Hua, since she saw for a second how Katara's eye twitched before she played the I-didn’t-hear-anything-card and gripped the Daimon by the hand to run off to follow the fortuneteller.

“Nice played, Katara.”, whispered Hua to her best friend.

Katara made a grimace.

“Spirits, I can’t believe he did that. Even after I compared him to Momo this morning. Why is he so fixed on me?”

“Who knows? Hey maybe you should tell him he is the son you always wanted, maybe that will help.”

“Well, it certainly can’t hurt to try.”

***

A while later Hua joined up with the boys because Katara wanted another reading from Aunt Wu and the Daimon wanted to stay far away from that place.

She finds an interesting scene before her.

Blue actually uses his notebook and shows what he wrote to Sokka.

After the water tribe boy read, he huffed.

“Okay, you may be not so stupid to believe this utter nonsense in this town, but I still got my eye on you, Mask-Dude!”

“Sokka, play nice.”, chest him Hua. “So what’s going on?”

Aang answers her. “Sokka wants to change the minds of the people here.”

This makes Hua blink before she tells in a deadpan: “They are a lost cause, Sokka. Ostrich-Horse learn to fly before they will change their mind.”

“Oh yeah, we will see. It’s time for science with Sokka!”

With that, he walks to his first victim.

The other three stay still, before Blue writes something and shows Aang and Hua.

>>Science with Sokka?<<

“Yeah, we don’t know either.”, tell them the youngest in chor.

Since they have nothing better to do, they follow Sokka around for a while, trying to change the minds of the people of Makapu.

It was going bad.

So bad, that Hua told them she would get herself a snack and Blue joined her.

She wasn’t that hungry, but seeing Sokka lose his mind was scary.

The Daimon bought a for her and Blue a peach, as Katara joined them.

“Hey Katara.”, greeted Hua.

“Hey, Hua, hey Blue.”

“Is this a papaya in your hand? Don’t you hate papayas?”

The waterbender signed loudly.

“Yes, but Aunt Wu said I have to eat one.”

Her best friend wants to answer, but both see how Blue is writing fast something.

He shows it to Katara.

>>You can’t do all that this lady tells you. If she told you, you were going to marry Aang would you do that?<<

Katara makes a face at this, while Hua nods in agreement.

“Katara this is all nonsense, I mean she told me I would end up with Aang and we all know this is not going to happen!”

“Aha! That’s why you ran out!”, pointed Katara in triumph at her.

“Yes, I choose my own destiny and this Daimon is fine without Avatar.”

“But why?”, whines Katara. “You and Aang are actually really cute together. We all know you cuddle to sleep.”

This makes Hua turn into a pepperoni.

“You know?!”

Blue answers.

>>You are not subtle when you drag your sleeping back beside him when you think we sleep.<<

Hua whines, before she turns to her best friend.

“So what did she tell you, that you believe her so much?”

“I’m going to marry a tall handsome powerful bender.”

For that Hua and Blue deadpan at her.

Now Katara was the one blushing.

“What?”

“Katara that’s exactly what we mean by Aunt Wu telling people what they want to hear.”, begins Hua. “Most girls want a tall handsome powerful bender. She would have probably said the same to me if I didn’t blab out that I’m the Daimon. Also, I bet with you if a lesbian goes to her, she will have trouble coming up with a cover story.”

Blue nodded in agreement, while Katara seemed pensive.

Well, if you said it like this…

More time to think she doesn’t have as Aang with Sokka on his glider lands beside them.

They tell them how the volcano was about to erupt and in that moment an explosion was heard and the volcano rumbles violently. Grey smoke is emitting from the peak of the mountain.

They have to warn the people.

Sadly no one wants to listen to them. The villagers to trusting in Aunt Wu's readings.

However, this gives Aang an idea. If they only listened to Aunt Wu, they would make them listen this way.

So he steals himself into Aunt Wu's house, searching for the cloud reading book, as he sees Meng in the reflection of a mirror.

“Oh, I didn't see you there.”, he says arkwark. 

“You don't like me, do you?”, asked Meng sad, her braids drooping down.

“Of course I like you.”

“But not the way I like you.”

“Oh, I guess not.”

“It's okay. It's just really hard when you like someone, but they don't think of you that way.”

Aang casts a sad glance to the side, thinking of Katara. “I know what you mean.”

“She's beautiful, by the way.”

“Huh?”

“That Earth Nation girl. I can see why you like her so much. She's strong, she's a bender, she is the Daimon and her hair seems so manageable.”

…Uh what?!

Aang blushes so red, that you need a new name for it.

“What you think I’m in love with Hua?!”, he shouted shocked, gasping for air. “She is my friend nothing more.”

Meng deadpans at him.

“Your friend? Sure. That’s why she was ready to kill me.”

“That’s a bit extreme…”

“Her eyes glowed and she spoke with a thousand voices!”

“Yeah, this is a Daimon Avatar stuff our past lives want us probably to be together but I like Katara and Hua likes currently no one.”

The girl lets out a sound which clearly says that she doesn’t believe him.

“Here.”, she hands him the cloud reading book. “You searched for this, right?”

“How did you know?”

“I've kind of been stalking you…Heh …”

“Oh, thanks ... I guess.”

Okay, he needs to get out of here!

***

In the end, all went smoothly. 

Aang, Hua and Katara on Appa’s back bend the clouds into the symbol of volcanic doom.

Sokka leads Aunt Wu there when it’s done and finally, the village moves.

The earthbender bends the earth away, while the non-benders shovel a big trench which leads to the river.

Hopefully, it would be enough.

However, it wasn’t.

The trench filled too quickly, and the people of Makapu ran away, while Team Avatar-Daimon stayed to watch.

Then when it’s ready to overflow Aang and Hua bend together in a kind of dance with air the overflowing lava away and cooling it down.

Katara, Sokka and Blue who were the last ones standing were astonished by the feast they created.

“Okay, now I get this whole Yin and Yang thing. These two just stopped a volcano without words.”, tells Sokka.

Katara and Blue nod in agreement.

So this was the power of the Avatar and Daimon.

Beautiful and otherwordly.

It made them all feel really humble.

The village was safe now and the people returned.

Aang handed the cloud reading book back to Aunt Wu. “By the way, we kind of borrowed your book.”

“So you messed with the clouds, did you?”, guessed Aunt Wu angry.

She takes her book back in anger while Katara and Hua look guilty and Sokka smiles and points at them, indicating that they had a part in the cloud manipulation, too.

“Very clever!”, laughs Aunt Wu.

“No offence, but I hope this taught everyone a lesson about not relying too much on fortune telling.”, called Sokka the villagers out.

The calm man just responded with: “But Aunt Wu predicted the village wouldn't be destroyed and it wasn't. She was right, after all.”

Anraged Sokka gets near the Calm man's face and through gritted teeth tells him he hates him.

Katara and Hua each grab a hand of Sokka leading him away, trying to calm him down, as Blue follows them with a shake of his head.

After Aang finish talking with Aunt Wu, he joins his friends on Appa.

Today Katara flow the bison and she said goodbye to the villagers for them and asked Meng to take care.

Never seeing the fake smile and wave from Meng stopped she muttered a: Floozy.

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Yin and Yang: Book 1.15

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 1.15: Bato of the Water Tribe

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.

***

“Ah isn’t it nice? Just us four, Momo, Appa and Jaiyi, no stupid Mask-Dude around!”

“Sokka, you are so annoying! Blue is our friend! I’m a bit worried for him.”

“Katara, Blue said in his note that he had some things to do here, I’m sure he will be back.”

“I hope so, Aang.”

“I wonder what Blue has to do here. I mean, besides the water tribe ship from the fleet of your dad we found, here is nothing interesting.”

“Well, Hua, maybe Mask-Dude has to report to his evil boss about us! Telling him how gumble we are and will lead us straight in these hands!”

Annoyed Hua, Katara and Aang looked at Sokka, who was sitting, like them, around the campfire, acting like he knew why their friend had left.

This morning as they had found clues of a battle between the watertribe warriors of the South and firebenders, Blue had been with them. 

Then they had decided to camp tonight beside the ship.

That’s when Blue “said” he had some stuff do to around here, however he would soon rejoin them.

Only Sokka was happy that Blue was gone. 

All the others, especially Momo and Jaiyi, who Blue had always given some extra food, were sad. 

Blue hadn’t been long with them, yet, his quiet helpful presence was missed. 

Since he could now communicate with him, they also missed his opinions and snarky responses.

Suddenly a strange noise can be heard, its source originating from somewhere in the fog around them.

All jump up, benders in their bending positions and Sokka has his boomerang ready.

“Who's there?”, demands Sokka to know.

A man, hailing from the Water Tribe with white bandages wrapped around the upper left portion of his torso, stepped out of the shadows. 

He is surprised to see them.

“Sokka?”

The addressed one raised an eyebrow quizzically before he recognised the warrior.

“Bato!”

“Who?”, chorus Hua and Aang a bit confused.

However, no one seems to hear them as Katara also calls out the name of this Bato and she and Sokka run up in his arms. 

The three watertribe members hug each other tight.

“Sokka! Katara! It is so good to see you two. You've grown so much.”, tells them Bato moved.

How does he remember Hakoda children being so tiny and cute, and now? Now they were nearly adults.

Aang and Hua get a bit closer to the three, staying a respectful distance away.

Both bow in greeting.

“Hi, I'm Aang and this is Hua.”

“Nice meeting you.”

No one seems to listen to them, because Katara and Sokka ask where their father was and Bato tells them he and the other warriors are in Eastern Earth Kingdom now.

The Avatar and Daimon are a bit dumfound been ignored. Not even Katara or Sokka presented them to Bato.

Normally you introduce your friends to your…family? Was he their uncle?

Why wouldn’t anyone explain to them anything?

A gust of wind blows, causing them all to shiver.

Bato states that this is no place for a reunion and leads the siblings away.

Thankful Bato looks back at Aang and Hua and gestures for them to follow.

Oh, well good.

For a second both thought they had to stay here.

Aang takes Hua's hand and so they follow Bato and their friends to an abbey.

Appa with Momo and Jaiyi follow of course too.

“After I was wounded, your father carried me to this abbey. The sisters have cared for me ever since.”, explained Bato, before he spoke to a nun, who was the highest one. “Superior, these are Hakoda's children. They've been travelling with the Avatar and Daimon. I found them by my boat.”

“Young Avatar and Young Daimon, it gives me great joy to be in your presence. Welcome to our abbey.”, bows Mother Superior to them.

The two bow back and say together: “Thank you, it's truly an honour to be here.”

“If there's anything-”, begins Aang, but gets interrupted by Sokka: “What smells so good, Bato?”

“The sisters craft ointments and perfumes.”

“Perfume? Maybe we can dump some on Appa because he stinks so much. Am I right?”

Everyone is silent, and a single person coughs.

“You have your father's wit.”, deadpans Bato at Sokka.

The group moves to the hut in which Bato is staying, with a tent on the opposite side of the door being the bed chamber, a fire with cushions in the middle, and various pelts placed and hung everywhere.

“Bato, it looks like home!”, exclaims Katara happy.

“Everything's here, even the pelts!”, points Sokka out.

Aang who is holding Momo looks at the pelts in mild disgust. 

“Yeah, nothing's cosier than dead animal skins.”

“Aang!”, hisses Hua, flicking the back of his head. “This is part of watertribe culture, don’t disrespect it.”

“It was not my intention.”

“Really? Then keep your mouth shut about these things.”

Offended Aang looks at her, though Hua just stares him down.

Their little squabble gets interrupted as Katar and Sokka find a pot of stewed sea prunes cooking over the fire.

Bato tells them all to help themselves.

Aang sniffs it but looks away in disgust and sets it to the side, while Hua at least takes a taste.

Meh, she has eaten worse things.

And food, was food when you grew up in poverty.

So she keeps on eating, which earns her a flabbergasted look from Aang.

How can she stomach this?!

“Bato, is it true that you and dad lassoed an arctic hippo?”, asked Katara, happily eating her own stewed sea prunes.

“It was your father's idea, he just dragged me along. Well, the hippo did the dragging!”

Aang wants to join the conversation, but sadly Sokka cuts him off.

“So, who was it that came up with the Great Blubber Fiasco?”

“You knew about that?”, chuckles Bato.

“Everyone does!”, tells Katara.

“What's that story?”, asks Aang curious.

Sokka waves Aang off.

“It's a long one Aang, some other time.”

This makes the Avatar pout, while the Daimon softly hits with her elbow in his side to cheer him up.

Katara and Sokka were just so happy to see an adult from their tribe, it was normal how they didn’t give them any attention.

Aang gives her a little smile, then stands up to loo around the room more.

Hua shrugs her shoulder and gets herself and Jaiyi another bowl.

You get used to this salty, slimy taste.

“You and Dad had so many hilarious adventures.”, said Katara right now to Bato.

“Not all of which were hilarious at the time, but everything's funny in hindsight.”, then Bato sees how Aang was wearing a pelt hat. “Hey, Aang! Please put that down, it's ceremonial and very fragile.”

Aang does as he is told and then sits in the back of the room.

He wasn’t having much fun right now. How Hua could just listen and eat these nasty stewed sea prunes was beyond him.

Well, the answer was simple.

Hua would do anything to see someone again who remembers her family and share stories with them.

Katara and Sokka deserved this space with Bato because she was so sad she would never get it.

So she ate the food and was silent observing one hilarious story after another.

A bit later Hua was playing with Jaiyi, as she heard how Bato told Katara and Sokka, how he was waiting for a message from their father and that they could see him again.

Something cold and terrible took place in her heart as she saw the excitement of Katara and Sokka.

A part of her wanted to speak up, to beg them not to leave her and Aang, yet a bigger part understood.

She understood it so well.

She would give anything to see her family alive and well again.

So she fought off her tears, but she didn’t need to cry.

Katara and Sokka told Bato clearly that they would love to see their father, but Hua and Aang were more important right now.

This was the moment when Hua let out a happy cry, all the attention turning to her.

“Oh Hua.”, cooed Katara and embraced her. “We won’t leave you, you are family too, remember.”

She just hiccuped and hugged Katara back tighter.

Even Sokka patted her head.

“Now, now, Hua, it’s okay. We won’t leave you.”

“I love you guys.”, she just told them.

Her family might be long dead, but she had a new family.

It was little.

It was a bit crazy.

But it was good.

No one noted how Aang was missing and what a decision he currently took.

***

The next day the kids and Bato walked back down to his ship.

“This ship is sentimental to me. It was built by my father.”, explains the man.

“Is this the boat he took you ice dodging in?”, asks Sokka.

“Yep! It's got the scar to prove it. Ha. How 'bout you Sokka? You must have some good stories from your first time ice dodging.”

Suddenly Sokka looks really sad.

“He never got to go.”, explained Katara. “Dad left before he was old enough.”

“Oh, I forgot you were too young.”

“What's ice dodging?”, wonder Aang and Hua.

“It's a rite of passage for young Water Tribe members. When you turn fourteen, your dad takes you-”, Bato stops. He smiles and puts his hand on Sokka's shoulder with a new thought. “You know what, you're about to find out!”

Soon they find themselves on Bato ship, sailing along the shore. 

“Ice dodging is a ceremonial test of wisdom, bravery, foresight and trust.”, begins Bato. “In our village, ice dodging was done by weaving a boat through a field of icebergs.”

“How are we supposed to ice dodge without ice?”, wonders Sokka.

“You'll be dodging those.”

The watertribe man points to a group of tall, sharp, jagged rocks near the shore. 

Katara, Hua and Sokka get nervous.

If they weren’t careful, they would end up on the rocks, with severely broken bones.

“Sokka, you steer and call the shots, lead wisely. Katara, you secure the main sail. The winds can be brutal, so be brave. Hua, you are on the bow, look out for danger. Without your judgment, we risk getting more than hurt. Aang, you control the jib. Without your steady hand, we all go down. Your position is about trust.”

Somehow this offends Aang since he babbles: “I know that. Why wouldn't I know that? I'm the Avatar; I know about trust!”

He crosses his arms and looks away, but gives Bato a second glance.

“For this is to be done right, I cannot help.”, tells them Bato and sits down cross-legged. “You pass or fail on your own.”

“Alright let’s do this! Hua, what’s your opinion?”, asked Sokka.

“These rocks seem manageable, we need a steady hand, captain.”, she calls over.

“I agree. Aang, ease up on the jib. Katara, steady. Aang, less sail. Katara, give him room.”

The ship moves to the side and sails between some rocks.

“Captain Sokka, more rocks on the left!”

“Aang, helm to lee. Helm to lee!”

“What does that even mean?”

The waves knock Bato around. Sokka and Hua struggle while Katara and Aang close their eyes. However, the boat passes between more rocks.

“Great job!”, praise Sokka.

Katara and Aang smile, as Hua calls out frantically: “Captain, a large group of rocks, is before us. We better turn around!”

“There's no way through!”, agrees Katara.

“We can make it.”, insists Sokka.

Bato stands up and grabs the side of the boat. “Sokka, you've already proven yourself. Maybe we should-”

The water tribe boy doesn’t listen and gives new commands: “Aang, I'm gonna need air in that sail. Katara and Hua, I want you guys to bend as much water as you can between us and those rocks. Now!”

Katara and Hua bend the water below the boat while Aang fires airbending blasts at the sail. 

Sokka groans nervously as the boat clears the rocks. 

When they reach clear water, Sokka sighs and relaxes. 

The rest of the group smiles at him.

Back on land, the kids stand in line before Bato, who holds a small cup of purple paint.

“The spirits of water bear witness to these marks. For Sokka, the Mark of the Wise.” Bato uses his thumb to put an arc and a small dot on Sokka's forehead. “The same mark your father earned. For Katara, the Mark of the Brave. Your courage inspires us. For Hua the Mark of Foresight.”

He paints a circle with a little dot on her forehead. “You are now an honorary member of the Water Tribe.”

Hua has to fight the tears as she bows down in thanks.

“I’m honoured to be part of the Watertribe.”

“And for Aang, the Mark of the Trusted. You are also now an honorary member of the Water Tribe.”

It’s like a slap in the face for him. 

Aang can’t accept this honour. 

Not after what he did.

“I can't.”, he mutters.

“Of course, you can!”, disagrees Katara.

However, Aang steps a few feet away and wipes away his mark.

“No, you can't trust me.”

“Aang, what are you talking about?”

He takes the crumpled map out of his sleeve.

“A messenger gave this to me for Bato.”

Katara takes it from him.

“You have to understand. I was afraid you would-”

“This is the map to our father! You had it the whole time? How could you?”, shouts Sokka. “I’m so sorry Hua, but I won’t go to the North Pole with a liar. I'm going to find Dad.”

“Now, Sokka. I think you should-”, tries Bato, but gets interrupted by Sokka: “Katara, are you with me?”

The waterbender looks at the two youngest, Aang full of guilt and Hua who shakes her head, mumbling, please over and over.

“I'm with you Sokka.”

Sokka, Katara, and Bato walk away and that’s when Hua turns to Aang full of anger.

“What did you do?!”, she screeched. “Why did you do it?! Katara and Sokka never wanted to leave us!”

“But they said yesterday-”

“If you had stayed to listen, then you would have heard how they promised to stay with us since we are also their family, but now…”

Hua lets out a loud wail and sinks down on the sand. Aang looks full of guilt and anguish at her.

“I already lost my family, I lost Monk Gyatsu and now Katara and Sokka!”, she whimpered, fat tears rolling down her eyes. “Why do all the people that I love leave me? Why?!”

Aang sinks down too and embraces her tight, first Hua fights him off, she is still angry, but then she cries into his robes.

They only have each other now.

“I’m so sorry Hua.”, Aang cries too. “I was stupid and hurt and desperate, I really thought Sokka and Katara would leave us because they ignored us for Bato.”

“Aang, they saw a friend of their father! Of course, they wanted to catch up. I would have done the same if I met someone who remember my family! Stupid idiot.”

“Yes, I deserve this.”

They stay for a while like this.

Hua hurls insults and cries at Aang's robes and he agrees with her and promises to do better.

***

Later the groups get ready to depart.

How strange to think of them as groups and not anymore as Team Avatar-Daimon.

Hua was sitting on Appa's saddle with Jaiyi in her arms, trying to console her crying ninetails.

Jaiyi understood that Sokka and Katara would leave them and hated it.

Aang was with Momo on Appa's head, watching how Katara got ready with Bato and Sokka.

Then the watertribe girl stepped on them.

“Good luck.”, she wishes them.

“Okay. You too.”, answer her Aang.

Hua and Jaiyi stare at Katara with big eyes, tears glistering in them and the older girl has to fight of her own, as she joins Sokka and Bato at the abbey gate.

Mother Superior, in front of Appa, stares at Aang.

“Guess we should be moving on.”

“That would be best.”, then she turns to Hua and bows. “It was still an honour meeting you young Daimon.”

“Thanks. Let’s go Aang.”

“Let’s.”

Appa walks out of the abbey and Aang notices three figures walk away in the distance.

“I'm really an idiot, Hua.”

“Yeah, I told you this only 100000 times today.”

“What should we do next?”

“Wait for Blue? He should be back soon.”

“Hopeful he won’t leave us either.”

With this, they walk into the forest.

A few minutes later they hear someone approaching.

It’s Blue!

Happy they call out his name.

Their friend is wearing clean black robes with a hood, his mask still in place, his trusty swords and a bag slung over his shoulder.

“Where you shopping?”, asks Hua as she helps him up the saddle.

After he sits down he writes his answer and Hua reads it aloud so Aang hears it too: “Something similar. Where are Sokka and Katara?”

So they tell him what happened.

“That’s rough, buddy. I’m sorry. I won’t leave you, I promise.”

“Thanks, Blue.”, chorus Hua and Aang together.

Zuko can’t believe his luck.

Katara and Sokka left them!

He could now under false claims steere now Aang and Hua to his ship!

Ha!

And his uncle had thought him crazy when he had been back on the ship to get his things.

How his plan could never work.

But look at it now!

Sadly the universe was against Zuko because they heard the shouts of Sokka and Katara.

They all turn around and see the water tribe siblings running up to them.

“Katara, Sokka!”, yells Hua and Jaiyi yips happily. “What are you doing here?!”

“Well, what do you think? We're getting you guys to the North Pole.”, smiles Katara.

“Yeah, we've lost too much time as it is.”, agrees Sokka.

Stupified Aang and Hua look at them, while Zuko inside cries out in anger.

He was so close!

“Don't you want to see your father?”, wonder Aang and Hua.

“Of course we do, Aang and Hua. But, you're our family, too. And right now, you need us more.”, reminds them Sokka.

“And we need you, guys.”, adds Katara.

No one can watch this fast as Hua jumps down from the saddle and hugs ugly crying Katara and Sokka.

“Never leave us again! I can’t lose another family.”

Katara hugs her back just as tight, giving her cheek kisses and Sokka pats her head.

“There, there Hua.”

That’s when he notes Blue on the saddle.

“Oh awesome, Mask-Dude is back?!”, he groans.

In his head, Zuko isn’t thrilled either seeing them again, but he waves in the hope that it seems welcome and friendly.

After Hua calms down enough, all go back on the saddle and they fly in the direction of the North Pole.

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Yin and Yang: Book 1.16

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 1.16: The Deserter 

After two weeks I can finally update T.T

I’m so happy I finished this chapter, it gave me so much trouble.

It helped that I worked on My Hero Academia FF Kill La Hero, so give it a look.

Also, I want to announce something: I have finally decided to say fuck it.

People today say we can’t write smut or similar things for FICTIONAL characters even if they are underage.

Do these people not know how teenagers are?

Most of them are horny all the time and when they can have sex they will do it!

They won’t stop watching porn and having sex with each other because we aren’t anymore writing about Fictional Character A having sex with Fictional Character B.

Also, writing should be free!

We should write what we want, it’s not my task to monitor kids and teens.

I put the warning on and if they still can read it, then blame the parents not us authors!

It’s their mission to protect the innocent of their children.

Even if they talk in school about sex.

I can still remember what we talked about in my teens.

And it wasn’t My Little Pony or grades. XD

Sex is something normal and natural and not something to be ashamed of.

And more I don’t say.

If you disagree feel free to block me and search for other fanfics.

You think like that, I think it this way.

Let’s respect each other's opinions.

I’m telling you this because we will experience together with Aang and Hua the first steps in physical love. I don’t think I will let them have sex right now, but dear god I want them French kissing without people coming for my ass.

Also, Zutara is to hot to not have sex when they are a couple ;D

Anyway, we are still a long way away from these things I just wanted to give you a heads-up. ^^

Now on with the story!

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.

***

It was nearly sunset when Team Avatar reached a little roadside kiosk.

Getting curious they walked up to it.

“This should give us a good idea of what's around here.”, mussed Katara reading the posters.

Sokka flips a small pouch to find it empty aside from a few crumbs.

“See if you can find a menu, I'm starving!”, groaned the water tribe teen.

“I bet we'll find something to eat here, the Fire Day's Festival.”, said Aang, before he read aloud. “Fire Nation cultural exhibits, jugglers, benders, magicians ...This would be a great place for Hua and me to study some real firebenders.”

The Daimon, who had Jaiyi in her arms, raised an eyebrow. “What? Are you saying my firebending lessons are not enough?”

“Hua, we learned the scroll up and down.”, reminds her Aang. “Now we are making it up on the go and I don’t think we are making great progress.”

Hua raises a finger, like she wants to argue, then frowns and signs.

Aang had a point.

They knew the firebending scroll by now without even looking at it.

They needed to learn new moves.

“You are right. It would be good to go to this festival.”

“You guys might wanna rethink that. Look at this.”, called Sokka from the other side of the kiosk.

All joined him to see what was wrong.

The answer was simple.

“Hey, posters of me, Hua and Blue!”, grinnend Aang.

The posters looked good!

“Wanted posters! This is bad.”, corrected him Soka.

Each of the three who had a poster removed it from the kiosk. Blue just grumbled it, Hua studied the painting of herself, while Aang read his poster.

“I think we better keep moving.”, declares Katara.

“The scroll helped us, this could be Hua and mine only chance to watch a master's up close.”, begged Aang.

Hua nodded.

“I’m with him. We will never master firebending only with the scroll.”

Katara frowned, but she had to admit, the youngest had a good point.

“I guess we could go check it out.”

This made Aang and Hua smile, while Sokka and Blue stared at Katara.

Did they hear right?!

“What? You wanna walk into a Fire Nation town where they're all fired up with their ... you know, fire?”, questioned Sokka.

Blue wrote his thoughts.

>>I’m with Sokka. This just screams trouble for us.<<

Sokka narrowed his eyes at him but then signed: “Can’t believe I’m with Mask-Dude on the same side…but this doesn’t mean I will stop keeping watch over you mister?!”

All just deadpannend at Sokka.

His paranoia of Blue was getting old.

Secretly Zuko was happy how only Sokka mistrusted him still. It was one obstacle less in his quest to capture Aang and Hua.

“We'll wear disguises and if it looks like trouble, we'll leave.”, proposed Katara to the two sceptics.

“Yeah! Because we always leave before we get into trouble.”, sasses Sokka back.

However, since the two oldest boys were outvoted, they had no choice but to go with the others to the festival.

Sokka to protect them, while Zuko hoped a chance would turn up to snatch Hua and Aang.

At nightfall, they had nearly reached the town where the festival was held.

They stopped on a hill and Aang told their animal friends to hide. Momo and Jaiyi dived into a bush and Appa hid behind the little bush.

It was adorable!

Then it was time to disguise themselves...

Blue just put the hood of his robe even deeper over his masked face. Hua, Sokka and Katara put on their black cloaks while Aang pulls his orange shawl over his head with a smile, making him look ridiculous.

“It's like you're a whole different person …”, retorted Sokka sarcastically, while Hua and Katara giggled.

Blue just shook his head.

“Let's go.”, said Aang cheerfully.

After a few minutes they enter the bustling town.

People with masks were everywhere, children played and they nearly got run over by a costume dragon.

“I think we need some new disguises.”, told Katara studying the people with the masks.

“Where are we gonna get masks like that?”, wondered Sokka.

It seemed like the universe was good to them tonight since they heard a man calling: “Get your genuine Fire Festival masks here!”

“That was surprisingly easy.”

Blue keeps his mask since they sold Blue Spirit masks too, so hopefully, no one would conclude he was the real Blue Spirit, while the other picked out their mask.

Hua chose a white with red markings kitsune mask, Katara chose a lady with makeup, Sokka a blue smiling mask with petals around the rim, and Aang chose a red mask with a frown on it. 

After looking at them Katara removes Sokka's mask, revealing him to be frowning, and Aang's mask, revealing him to be the one smiling. 

She places Sokka's original mask over Aang's face and Aang's over Sokka.

You could feel Sokka frown even more.

They walked around for a bit looking at the attractions. Sokka nearly burned himself with this food called Fire Flakes.

Not even he was hungry enough to eat them full.

They watched a little puppet show with Firelord Ozai who burned down an earthbender and decided to move along.

Too macabre for them.

Then Aang sees a big crowd and leads his friends there, Sokka murmurs that it was probably an execution.

Zuko heard him.

And it didn’t make him feel good.

The other where the whole time on edge at the Fire Festival, while he remembers happier times, going with his mom and uncle and Lu Ten to them and enjoying them.

How Sokka said that the main attraction of the festival had to be an execution…was this how the other nations saw the Fire Nation?

That when they celebrate, they like to execute people?

What he learned with his tutors so long ago was how the Fire Nation wanted to spread their technological advance over the primitive nations, but this?

It made him question things again.

He was never more thankful as the show turned out to be a magician who needed a volunteer for his next trick, picking Katara. Aang thought she was in danger and airbenden the fire away, which turned into confetti and lost his mask.

As a distraction, Aang made a silly dance, while Hua and Sokka freed Katara from her seat, as people recognised Aang as the Avatar.

Then a wild chase took place and a man in a hood helped them to flee with explosions.

Aang called for Appa with his whistle and they flow away from the festival.

The Avatar praises their new ally for his quick thinking with the explosion and setting off the fireworks, while Sokka impressed tells him how the man knows his explosives.

That’s when the man turns around and they see he is a Fire Nation Soldier!

The man corrected them.

He was once and his name was Chey.

The group lands to make camp.

When the campfire burns, Chey begins to speak.

“I serve a man.”, he says. “More than a man really, he's a myth, but he's real, a living legend, Jeong Jeong the Deserter. He was a Fire Nation general, or wait, was he an admiral?”

“He was very highly ranked, we get it.”, stops him Sokka unamused.

“Yeah! Way up there! But he couldn't take the madness any more. He's the first person ever to leave the army - and live. I'm the second, but you don't get to be a legend for that. That's okay though. Jeong Jeong's a firebending genius. Some say he's mad - but he's not! He's enlightened.”

Did Aang and Hua hear right?!

“You mean there's a firebender out here who's not with the Fire Lord?”, they chorused together, Aang even stood excited up. “We've gotta go see him! He can train Hua and me!”

“We're not gonna go find some crazy firebender!”, makes Sokka clear.

Even normally Firbender where a pain in the butt, however a crazy ex-general/admiral living in the woods, just screamed trouble!

Annoyed Chey comes to his master's aid. “He's not crazy! He's a genius! And he's the perfect person to train the Avatar and Daimon! That's why I followed you into the festival.”

Now the annoyed Sokka makes clear how he was thankful for the help, however, they would leave for the North Pole in the morning.

Now Hua and Aang protested together.

“Sokka, this could be our only chance to meet a firebending master who would be willing to teach us!”

“It can't hurt just to talk to him.”, agreed Katara with the two youngest.

“That's what you said about going to the festival! Why doesn't anyone ever listen to me?”

“Is this again about your instincts?”, mumbled Hua, yet Katara and Aang heard her and giggled.

As Sokka turns to pout, he almost runs right into a spear. 

In a flash, they are surrounded by men wearing straw hats, light armour, tribal make-up, and wielding spears.

Oh-Uh!

***

The Spirits hated him, Zuko was sure.

Not only was going to the Fire Nation Festival a disaster, no, but now he was in one of the huts of deserters and traitors of his country!

If his father ever found out he was near the infamous Jeong Jeong the Deserter, he could forget his throne and say hi to a nice little cell on the Boiling Rock!

Maybe Uncle Iroh was right and his plan did have flaws.

No, he couldn’t think like that!

As long as he keeps his “Blue” theatre-going, no one would ever need to know how he captures the Avatar and Daimon.

Still…when he was a boy, Zuko remembered how Uncle Iroh talked about Jeong Jeong, calling him a military genius and a dear friend.

Could someone, whose uncle so appreciated, really be a bad guy?

The part of him, that was formed through propaganda, said yes, but his emotional side, who trusted his Uncle said no.

So…does it mean the Fire Nation, his father, was in the wrong? It was like someone threw a bucket of cold icy water on him.

How could Zuko think such traitorous thoughts?!

He was his father's and his nation's loyal servant!

That’s why he did this spiel of being friends with Aang and Hua to capture them for his nation.

For his honour and to eliminate their biggest treat!

Still…he looked at the people who slept beside him.

Katara was nearly snuggled on his side, which was not good for his racing teenage hormones.  He was still a teenager and she was a beautiful girl, who was too trusting of him!

Sokka slept behind him to not make any funny business happen.

Like Zuko would do anything to Katara.

Sweet and fierce Katara, who naturally took him in in their group and acted with him like they were old friends.

She didn’t deserve the heartbreak he would cause her when he took Aang and Hua away.

Zuko had seen and felt how Katara saw the two youngest as her own.

But he wouldn’t have a choice.

He never has a choice.

Then there were Aang and Hua.

Hua slept on Aang's chest, gripping his robes, while Aang embraced the smaller girl.

They looked like two puzzle pieces.

A perfect fit.

Just none of these two wanted to look reality in the face.

Behind his mask Zuko signed.

He was already a way to invest with everyone, even with Sokka when they squabbled over random things, it would only hurt when he betrayed- when he had to fulfil his mission.

More than normal he wished for his Uncle's advice, okay, Uncle Iroh would sprout some weird proverb nonsense, but then he would help Zuko figure it out.

Another sign left his lips.

He should try to sleep.

Thinking this all over and over wouldn’t change a thing.

He NEEDED his honour, his place as the crown prince back.

He wouldn’t leave the Fire Nation in the perfectly manicured hands of his cruel sister!

Azula cared for power, not for people.

It’s then that Chey enters their little hut.

So much for sleeping.

Careful, with Hua still in his arms, Aang sits up.

“What happened? Can we see Jeong Jeong now?”, he whispered, while Hua cutely snuggled up closer to him and Aang stroked her black hair.

Yeah, these two were already a couple and didn’t even notice.

How did Katara said to Zuko? Aang and Hua were two lovable idiots in the mysterious ways of love.

He had to agree.

Meanwhile, Chey made a face.

“The thing is…he only wants to speak to the Daimon since her next element is Fire. He doesn’t want to talk to you at all. After talking with the Daimon he wants you all to leave immediately.”

“Finally!”, shouted Sokka, which woke now everyone up.  “Let's hit the road.”

“Why won't he see me?”, wonders Aang, while Katara and Hua yawn and rub the sleep from their eyes.

“He says you're not ready. Says you haven't mastered waterbending and earthbending yet.”, Chey explains.

“Wait, how does he know that?”

“He saw the way you walked into camp. He could tell.”

“I'm going in, anyway!”

“Wait Aang!”, stops him Hua. “I should probably talk first with Master Jeong Jeong. He did ask for me. Maybe I can sway him to teach you too.”

Katara nodded. “I’m with Hua. Let her talk with him first.”

After a second to reflect on it, Aang agreed.

That’s when Chey let the metaphorical bomb explode.

“He wants to talk to the Blue Spirit too.”

All eyes zero’ed on Zuko, while he started sweating.

What did the infamous deserter want from him?

Maybe his rigid body told Chey what he was thinking since the man said to him: “I dunno, why he wants to talk with you. Maybe because you are fighting against the Fire Nation too?”

“Or because he IS Fire Nation.”, whisper-shouted Sokka.

For that, Katara hit with her elbow the side of his stomach.

Ignoring Sokka’s paranoia Hua stood up and waved to Zuko.

“Come on, Blue let’s talk to Master Jeong Jeong.”

Did he have a choice in this matter?

Not if he didn’t want to blow his cover.

So he followed Hua to Jeong-Jeong's hut.

They squabbled a bit about who should go in first before it was decided Zuko should go in first.

Jeong Jeong surely wanted to talk longer to Hua as she was the Daimon, than he who was a vigilante.

Yeah, Zuko had a bad feeling.

The feeling got worse when he stepped into the hut and saw Jeong Jeong already turned in his direction, fixing him with a knowing look.

Nervous Zuko bowed before him.

He wondered what Jeong Jeong wanted from him.

***

Yawing Hua was sitting beside Master Jeong Jeong's hut.

He and Blue were talking quite long.

What did a Firebending master need to tell their friend, which took so much time?

If she wasn’t so sleepy, she would thought about it more, but Hua wanted just to fall back in Aang's arms and sleep till midday.

She was really tired, okay?

That’s when Blue stepped out of the hut. Her friend stared down on the floor, seeming pensive.

“Hey Blue.”, she greeted him, standing up. “Is anything alright?”

Even if his mask didn’t show his eyes, Hua felt them formally on her.

Something desperate and sad was in them.

“Blue?”

He just patted her head and walked in the direction of the forest.

Did he need time to think?

Hopeful he would return soon.

With a sign, Hua stepped into Jeong Jeong's hut.

She could smell the soft fragrance of jasmine as she bowed before the master.

“Master Jeong Jeong it is an honour to meet you.”, she greeted him.

“Raise, girl.”

So she did as she was told.

Jeong Jeong had wild white hair, a scar going down one of his eyes and wore simple black clothes.

He was currently making tea.

That’s why she smelled jasmine.

“Take a seat.”

She kneeled in perfect seiza before him. Jeong Jeong handed her a cup of tea.

“Drink. It’s a brand a friend of mine likes quite much, it will help you to stay awake.”

Hua thanked him with a bow and tasted the tea.

Mmh, what a filigree and delicious taste.

Jeong Jeong's friend knows his tea.

“You wanted to speak with me, Master?”

“Indeed, girl. I know you aren’t an earthbending master yet.”

How did he know?

“But you are getting closer. Your next element is fire.”

She nodded.

“I’m currently training in it with a scroll, but there isn’t anymore for me.”

“I see.”, hummed Jeong Jeong, sipping his own tea. “You need a master.”

“Are you offering yourself, it would be a great help and honour, Master.”

“This would mean, you have to leave your friends and your Avatar.”, he told her simply. “He needs to learn water and has to go to the North Pole, if you wanna learn fire you have to stay here with me before you rejoin him to learn earth.”

It was like a slap in the face!

Leaving….Leaving Aang, Katara and Sokka?

Staying here all alone?!

What?!

“I had a feeling.”, declared Jeong Jeong with wise eyes. “You and the Avatar were brought together too soon and started to learn together 100 years ago, I’m correct?”

Not trusting her voice Hua nodded, before she croaked out. “I lived in the Southern Air Temple a few months before Sozin’s Comet came. With me was an Earth Sage, Master De, who trained me in earthbending, while Aang should have perfected his airbending. Since then we have always been together.”

“What fools.”, grumble the master. “I can understand letting you meet so soon and tell your destinies because the war was on the horizon, but starting the bond between you was foolish! An Avatar and Daimon pair normally meets once at 16 then four times a year, when each season begins, till they have mastered their respective elements. Then the bond should take root and lead to love or companionship. But this mess…only complicated things. You can’t anymore be without each other.”

This made Hua bite her lips nervous.

Should she ask?

She needed to ask.

“Will you teach Aang then with me?”

 “No!”, he said loud and clear. Even the flames of the candles rose up. “He needs to learn water and earth first! But I recognize I can’t keep you from your Avatar.”

Jeong Jeong handed her a little chest, which she hadn’t noted before.

“Here are some Firebending scrolls. More advanced than the one you have surely. Learn with this, till you and the Avatar come to learn fire from me. But before master earth and water. This is the best solution for the mess the monks and Earth Sages did 100 years ago.”

The Daimon thanked Jeong Jeong with a bow, hugging the chest to herself.

“Go in peace, young Daimon.”

“You too, master.”

Hua knew when she was dismissed, so she went to their hut for the night.

How should she explain to Aang that Jeong Jeong didn’t want to teach him?

***

In the end, Hua's worry was for nothing.

Somehow Aang convinced Jeong-Jeong to teach them both.

So the next morning, while Sokka fishes, Katara practices her waterbending and Blue still hasn’t returned, the Avatar and Daimon stand bandy-legged, on flat stones in the river.

Jeong Jeong stands a foot or two away on the bank in front of his cottage.

“Widen your stance. Wider! Bend your knees. Now, concentrate.”, tells them, Jeong Jeong. “Good, good!”

“Wait! What do we do now?”, wonders Aang, while Hua sends him a look that screams don’t speak!

“Silence! Talking is not concentrating! Look at your friend, is she talking? Even that oaf knows to concentrate on what he's doing!”

From Sokka comes an offended Hey.

“But what are we concentrating on?”, asks Aang again and Hua makes an aport-the-mission sign.

“Feel the heat of the sun. It is the greatest source of fire. Yet, it is completely balanced with nature!”, explains Jeong Jeong.

Hua nods, takes a deep breath and closes her eyes.

She tries to feel the warmth, only concentrating on that, but, of course, Aang has to interrupt again: “So when do I get to make some fire?”

“Concentrate!”

“Aang, you make ME lose my concretion!”, shouts Hua together with Jeong Jeong.

Their teacher leaves them and Aang feels embarrassed. Even more when he hears Sokka and Katara giggle behind him.

He blushes.

Hua just signs and follows Jeong Jeong's instructions.

She wants to become a better firebender, if she has to start at the beginning she will.

A while later, Jeong Jeong returns and leads them high up on a mountain.

Aang can’t keep himself from asking if they can make fire now, only for their teacher to say he brought them there to breathe.

The Avatar was in disbelief, but he followed Jeong Jeong's instructions.

Then he leaves the two alone again.

It takes Aang exactly five minutes before he whispers: “Hua, hey Hua!”

The spoken to girl just continued breathing, trying to ignore Aang.

She wants to fulfil this exercise to Jeong Jeong pleasing.

Sadly Aang calls her again a few times.

Hua loses her nerves when he pokes her.

“What Aang?!”, she shouts. “What is so important?!”

“Come on, you have to think this is wasting our time. We already can do firebending moves.”, Aang whines.

“Aang, I think we should listen to our teacher. Jeong Jeong knows more about this then we both together. Look, he already corrected our stance. We were all wrong.”

The boy huffs a little.

But it was so boring!

It was more fun learning firebending with Hua and the scroll.

“You know what, I’m going to talk to Jeong Jeong.”, declared Aang.

“Aang that’s a bad idea, just do the exercise.”

However, her other half was already on the way to their master.

Hua couldn’t help herself to huff.

Aang, the airhead, wanted to have fun, then really learn the elements.

Did he think the war was a joke?

Well, she at least would listen to Jeong Jeong.

She didn’t know how much time passed, it was like she had fallen into a trance when she heard someone come for her.

Silence was around them.

Curious she opened one eye.

It was Blue!

“Hey, Blue, were where you? We have been worried.”, she tells him.

Blue only stares at her.

A bit nervous Hua opens fully her eyes.

“I’m currently meditating, feeling the sun, you know for firebending.”

Still nothing from her friend.

A bad feeling took its place in Hua's stomach.

Then Blue finally moved, coming towards her.

***

After Katara healed Aang's burn, they finally noted their missing friends.

“Where are Hua and Blue?”, wondered Katara.

She had a bad feeling in her stomach.

“She is probably still where Jeong Jeong left her. I know where.”, said Aang calmly.

Jaiyi yipped it at him in a way that said let’s hurry and pick up my girl.

So Aang flows Appa in the direction of the mountain.

What they found there surprised them.

It looked like a battlefield, with burn marks on the ground, yet strangely Blue and Hua were sitting there together, talking with each other.

The girl even seemed to have cried.

“Hey Hua, Mask-Dude!”, called Sokka for their attention. “Need a lift?”

“Hey guys, that would be nice.”, sniffled Hua and Blue patted her shoulder.

They helped them on Appa and Katara fussed over Hua.

“What’s wrong Hua? Did you hurt yourself?”

“No, no…Blue and I talked.”

“He can talk.”, sassed Sokka in between.

All ignored him.

“Blue wants to give you something Katara.”, told Hua.

Now all were curious.

Blue took something out of his pocket and gave it to Katara.

“It’s my mother's necklace!”, shouted Katara happy. She thought she would never see it again. “Blue where did you find it?!”

“I found it on the prison ship you started a riot with the earthbenders.”, talked Blue for the first time to them.

His voice may have been a bit muffled from his mask, but the other three know this voice well enough.

Sokka got his boomerang ready.

“I know it!”, he shouted. 

Slowly Blue took his mask off...and they looked at Prince Zuko's calm and somewhat defeated face!

Muhahahaha I hope you like the cliffhanger!

I wonder what will now happen? :D

Let me hear your theories!

I hope the next chapter won’t take this long, but if it does please be patient with me and motivate me with comments so I keep on writing :D

Till next time <3

Last

Next

Yin and Yang: Book 1.17

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?

Welcome to the first original chapter of the FF, I hope you like my Episode, tell me what you think!

Book 1.17: Zuko’s Decision  

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.

***

The night before with Jeong Jeong and Zuko…

The feeling got worse when he stepped into the hut and saw Jeong Jeong already turned in his direction, fixing him with a knowing look.

Nervous Zuko bowed before him.

He wondered what Jeong Jeong wanted from him.

“Raise boy.”, said the deserter. “And take off this silly mask, I know you are Iroh's nephew.”

What?!

How could he?!

Jeong Jeong let out a huff. “Other than your uncle, I will not entertain your silly games. Your uncle wrote to me, he had a feeling, we would meet, he asked me to talk to you. So this is what I’m going to do.”

Well, wearing the mask still, seemed silly if Jeong Jeong knew it was him.

But how did Uncle Iroh know that he moonlighted as the Blue Spirit?

His uncle was way more aware of things than Zuko taught.

Slowly he took off the mask and kneeled in perfect seiza before the deserter.

The older man looked at him with a fire in his eyes, which made Zuko feel small and unimportant.

“I will not sugarcoat anything, this may be Iroh's way to guide you to the truth but it’s not mine.”, began Jeong Jeong. “This whole plan of yours is foolish! Capture the Avatar and Daimon so that your father gives you back your honour? Think boy! If your father wanted you home he never would have sent you to an impossible mission! It was just luck that they reappeared.”

“N-No, that’s not truth.”, spoke back Zuko. “He knows I could do it and-”

“Don’t interrupt me!”, silenced Jeong Jeong. Zuko bit down his lips. “Foolish boy, think! Would a loving father really challenge his 13-year-old boy in an Agni Kai, because his son had the best interest in mind for the army? You must understand that your quest to capture the Avatar and Daimon is not merely a personal mission, but one that carries grave consequences for the entire world. The Fire Nation's relentless campaign of conquest has brought nothing but suffering to the other nations - the Earth Kingdom, the Water Tribes, and even our own people. We have become a force of destruction, our flames consuming all in their path. The Avatar and Daimon, the bridge between the physical and spiritual worlds, are the last hopes for restoring balance and healing the wounds we have inflicted. To capture them would be to extinguish that glimmer of hope, condemning the world to an eternity of war and oppression under the Fire Nation's rule.”

 Jeong Jeong paused, his piercing gaze meeting Zuko's, imploring the young prince to truly hear his words. 

"The path you walk, boy, is one of darkness and despair. It is not too late to turn back, to see the truth that your own nation has hidden from you. The Fire Nation is not the beacon of power and prosperity it claims to be, but a force of ruin and devastation. Only by embracing the true meaning of firebending - the warmth, the life, the connection to the natural world - can you find the strength to break free from this cycle of violence and lead your people towards a brighter future."

Zuko just…he was lost for words.

“Remember, boy, remember your journey and what you have seen. How the children you travel with see the Fire Nation. How the whole world sees the Fire Nation!”

Oh spirits, it was like Zuko was pulled in two directions.

On one side, he heard Jeong Jeong's words, remembering how Aang and the other seemed to not see the Fire Nation as the heroes who would advance the primitive nations as his country sold to them, but as monsters who destroyed their lives.

And Aang…Aang was because of his Great-Grandfather the sole survivor of…a Genozide. 

He couldn’t sugarcoat it.

Whatever the Air Nomads wanted to attack them, killing an entire nation…it was too much.

To harsh.

To brutal.

To unforgivable.

Then there was the other side, who still longed for his home, for his father's approval for his birthright…

It was like thunderstruck him.

He…he only thought about what capturing Aang and Hua would mean for him.

Not what it would mean for these two bright kids, for the world, for the people of the other nations, for Katara and Sokka.

“Master…”, he began slowly, fear in his heart. “If…If I brought Aang and Hua to the Fire Nation what will happen to them?”

“Finally you are asking the right questions. They wouldn’t be killed.”

Oh, thank the spirits.

“But so barely kept alive that death would be a mercy!”

No…no!

“My father wouldn’t do this to…to children!”

“He burned your face and banished you, his own flesh and blood. What makes you think he would treat his enemies kinder, even if they are children.”

It was like a slap in the face.

Zuko felt tears spring in his eyes, yet he wouldn’t cry.

He hadn’t cried since he had been banish.

“Can you live your life with this burden?”, asked Jeong Jeong cold. “Could you sit on your throne, knowing two children are under brutal and inhuman torture, any hour of the day? I would fear especially for the Daimon, she is already a pretty girl.”

So fast that Zuko's head snapped up, you could worry he broke his neck.

“No, you can’t mean…”

“Rape is a preferred tool to break the spirits of women and if the female in question is the number one enemy of the state…”

Jeong Jeong stopped, yet he didn’t need to speak. Zuko could imagine it.

He felt so sick he threw up.

Could he doom Aang and Hua to such destinies, for his honour?

What honour was even in this all?

There was none…

“Think about my words boy, now leave.”

Fast he put his mask back on and when Hua talked to him, he gave her just a pat.

Zuko needed to talk to his uncle.

Urgently!

***

His ship followed them unseen since he returned to it the first time.

So he could board it fast and walk up to his uncle.

He didn’t give his Uncle the time to greet him and just shouted: “I talked with Jeong Jeong. He talked to me in your name! Uncle it’s time you tell me the truth!”

General Iroh had a pensive look on his weathered face. He knew this conversation would not be an easy one, but it was a necessary step in Zuko's journey of redemption. 

"Zuko, my dear nephew, I feel it is time we had an honest discussion about the Fire Nation and the path we have been walking." Iroh's voice was gentle, but firm. "For too long, we have been blinded by the propaganda and lies fed to us by those in power. The truth is, the Fire Nation's conquest and subjugation of the other nations is a grave injustice, fueled by greed, fear and the thirst for domination."

Zuko shifted uncomfortably, his brow furrowed. "But Uncle, the Fire Nation is powerful, prosperous. We are bringing order and civilization to the world." 

Iroh placed a weathered hand on Zuko's shoulder. 

"That is what they would have you believe, my boy. But the reality is far more complex and sinister. The other nations suffer under our rule, their cultures erased, and their people oppressed. This is not the noble destiny the Fire Lord speaks of." Iroh's eyes grew distant, tinged with regret. "I have seen firsthand the devastation our armies have wrought. Too many innocent lives lost, too many families torn apart."

Zuko opened his mouth to protest, but Iroh raised a hand. "I know this is difficult to hear. I struggled with these truths myself for many years. But we must face them, Zuko, if we are to find the moral courage to make amends." Iroh's gaze burned with conviction. "The Avatar and Daimon offer us a chance at redemption, a path to restore balance to this war-torn world. We must help them, Zuko. It is our duty, as members of the Fire Nation, to right these wrongs."

“That’s why you agreed on that I travel with them!”, gasped Zuko. “You wanted me to make friends with them…to see things your way!”

“Yes, it was my hope.”

“Uncle I…”

“I see you are very much confused, but I think it’s time I tell you a family secret. The reason why your soul is torn apart in two directions.”

Tired Zuko just sat down beside his uncle.

What would come next on this day full of revelations?

“You know how the grandfather of your father was Firelord Sozin.”

“Of course Uncle.”

Iroh took a deep breath and placed a hand on Zuko's shoulder.

“What was kept secret from you are the grandparents of your dear mother. It’s Avatar Roku and Daimon Lixue.”

No…it couldn’t be!

Shocked Zuko sprang up and stared at his uncle.

Avatar Roku and Daimon Lixue?!

It means…

“I have Water Tribe blood in me. Azula has it too! I just…why?”, asked Zuko.

So Iroh began to tell him how his parents met.

His mother Ursa had been the Lady of Hira’a and thanks to her Water Tribe grandmother a master herbalist.

Her fame was so grand, that she was invited to the Fire Nation Palace to show her abilities to Firelord Azulong, whose wife Ilah had been at the time sick with an unknown fever.

No one knew how she had done it, but Ursa managed to heal Ilah.

Azulong wanted to give her treasures, however Ursa asked for one thing.

For the hand of Prince Ozai.

In the time she had been in the palace, she had met the young prince. 

Ozai wasn’t always a power-hungry egomaniac. Years ago he was just the second-born prince who searched for his place in the world.

The two spend time with each other and fall in love.

It was a bit of a scandal.

Yes, Ursa was a noblewoman, still in her blood flow Water Tribe, even from the former Daimon!

Could Azulong allow such a pair?

In the end, he did, but only because the Fire Sages told him about a prophecy which said a royal descendant of Roku and Lixue would bring great power to Azulon's lineage.

They married and had Zuko.

All seemed good.

Just Iroh admitted no one knew why Ozai suddenly became the man he was now.

And this was the end of the story.

Pensive Zuko stared at the ground.

This was…a lot.

He needed time.

He needed to think this over.

All these revelations today.

His uncle understood him.

“Why don’t you lay down for a while? Some sleep will do you good.”

With a simple nod, Zuko made his way to his cabin.

Iroh signed and prayed to the spirits that Zuko would make the right choice.

***

The sleep had helped a bit.

Zuko was now determined to make a decision.

Yet for this, he needed to talk to Aang or Hua.

So he said for the time goodbye to his uncle and made his way back to Jeong Jeong camp.

He was lucky and found Hua before the camp on a hill meditation.

Zuko comes near her, yet no sound comes out of him.

He isn’t sure how to begin.

That’s when Hua opens an eye and smiles at him.

“Hey, Blue, were where you? We have been worried.”, she tells him.

He only stares at her.

A bit nervous Hua opens fully her eyes.

“I’m currently meditating, feeling the sun, you know for firebending.”

Still nothing from him.

He could see how Hua was getting nervous.

Finally, he moved, coming towards her.

“Please don’t run away.”, he begged her as he took off his mask. “I want to talk to you.”

When Hua saw who he was, she switched to a defensive position.

“Zuko!”, she snarled. “It was you the whole time! Sokka WAS right, you are the enemy!”

Tears fell from her green eyes, however, before he could explain himself she attacked him with fire blasts.

He had trouble to counter them.

The time with Jeong Jeong already born fruits.

“Hua please listen!”

“I’m not listening to you, you…you….sneaky bastard! Did you have fun playing our friend, waiting to snatch up Aang and me?!”

“It was the plan, but now-”

“Aha, you confess! I won’t let you take me away none let you near Aang!”

They got a bit back on forth, before Zuko managed to grab her hands, making her stop firebending.

He saw in Hua's eyes she was ready to unleash another element at him, so he fell down on the ground before her and bowed.

Hua gasped surprised.

“Please Daimon Hua, listen to me. I just wanna talk, I don’t want to capture you. I will stay in this position, till you tell me to rise.”

It was still between them for a few seconds before Hua declared: “I don’t trust you, so stay this way and tell me what you want to tell.”

And so Zuko told her all about his talk with Jeong Jeong and then with his uncle.

Then he even told her why he was so after her and Aang.

It was then that Hua told him to face her.

Big fat tears fall from her eyes.

“I’m so sorry Zuko.”, she sniffed. “Your father is an utter bastard.”

Finally, they sat down beside each other.

“I understand you better, but what do you want from me?”, asked the Daimon curious.

“Please tell me the truth about how it was 100 years ago.”

She did it without a problem.

Hua told him about her life, her life with the Air Nomads, all the friends she had in the world, even in the Fire Nation and how his Nation was once a place full of love and laughter.

She talked about Kuzon, a firebender and one of Aang and her best friends in the whole world.

A boy so loyal and kind, his fire warming them when it was cold, who did little tricks to amuse them.

The world and his Nation from 100 years ago sounded…right.

How it should be.

“Did you get the answer that you sought?”

Slowly Zuko nods.

He had made his decision.

That’s when they heard Appa and he put his mask on.

Now he needed to tell the others all this too.

***

Katara stared at Prince Zuko, how he was bowing before them, telling his little cry tale and believing they would just take it in.

Ha!

This was surely just a scam so he could grab Hua and Aang.

Sadly it seemed only she thought this, Aang and Hua were crying and even Sokka seemed touched.

Her brother who had been all the time mistrusting of Zuko, believed his tale!

What was going on?!

“I’m sorry I tricked you.”, said Zuko right now. “But I think it was destiny that I travel with you. I learned a lot of things.”

“Oh, and what that would be?”, snapped Katara.

She ignored how the other looked at her in a please stay calm way.

“For so long, all I wanted was for my father to love me, to accept me. I thought it was my honour I wanted, but really, I was just trying to please him. My father, who, banished me just for talking out of turn. My father, who challenged me, a thirteen-year-old boy, to an Agni Kai. How could he possibly justify a duel with a child?”

“He can’t, no one can’t.”, mumbled Sokka. “Your father is a sick bastard.”

Zuko nodded and continued: “Growing up, we in the Fire Nation were taught that our country was the greatest civilization in history. And somehow, the War was our way of sharing our greatness with the rest of the world. What an amazing lie that was. The people of the world are terrified by the Fire Nation. They don't see our greatness. They hate us! And we deserve it! We've created an era of fear in the world. And if we don't want the world to destroy itself we need to replace it with an era of peace and kindness.”

“Wise words.”, smiled Aang.

“And pretty ones.”, added Hua.

Both kids were still crying.

Katara was disbelieving.

“Oh come on, you can’t believe what he says!”, she jumps up and points at the still kneeling Zuko. “He hunted us down from the South Pole and then played our friend. He used our trust and he will do it again.”

“Please Katara, you don’t know what you say…”

“I don't? How dare you! You have no idea what this war has put me through!”, cries Katara touching her necklace. “Me personally! The Fire Nation took my mother away from me.”

“I'm sorry.”, says Zuko, looking at her like he knows this pain. “That's something we have in common.”

Huh…!

Surprised Katara stares back at him. No, the hurt in his eyes was real.

However, Zuko told them of the night his mother vanished.

Now all were crying.

“The worst part is I don’t know if she is dead or alive. Sometimes I think it’s better for her to be dead than wandering the world all alone without a home. Sometimes I hope she found a place to live in peace.”

“Not knowing is terrible, mmh.”, sniffed Katara and gave him a friendly pat.

The boy just nodded.

“Okay we all know now Zuko's tragic backstory and his chance of mind.”, began Sokka, sniffing away his last tears. “But Zuko what are you planning now?”

Since her hand was still on his shoulder Katara felt how Zuko took a deep breath.

“I would like to help you. My Uncle is the better firebender, but I think no one should know that I changed sides, so Uncle Iroh will be sailing with my ship, playing the role of hunting Aang and Hua down, while I teach Hua firebending.”, explained Zuko.

A happy shout came from Hua and, incredibly, she hugged Zuko.

Stupified he patted her head.

Katara had to admit it was cute.

“Oh, that’s so great! I have a firebending teacher!”

“Okay, you will help Hua to learn to play with fire, but what then when we face off against your father?”, wonders Sokka.

“I don’t think I will ever get the throne, I’m still and will be a banished prince, but I will help you defeat him. Also maybe we can manage to get my uncle on the throne. With him, the Fire Nation can become good again.”

Aang gave him a big smile.

“That sounds good. Also, I’m sure your Uncle will lift your banishment.”

A little crooked smile formed on Zuko's face, which strangely made Katara's heart race.

Besides his stupid ponytail, he was actually quite handsome…

With that, all was now clear and they could be friends without secrets.

So Zuko had only one thing left to do.

When all were sleeping, he wandered over the river they camped and cut off his ponytail.

He let it fall into the river, watching it flow down.

It had been the mark of the banished prince, but now he was the ally and firebending teacher of the Avatar and Daimon.

He swore by his mother he would do good and be better any day.

So yes I changed the backstory of Ozai and Ursa.

It was my headcanon before the comics ruined it. 

I hate the comics and always thought Ozai became slowly an utter bastard, he had to be a nice man before to snatch someone like Ursa up.

So I mixed it a bit with the comics.

I hope you are all okay with this ^^

Until next chapter :D

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