-NO ONES POV-

The yellowing sky as the flare Aang accidentally launched in the previous chapter soars lazily through the air in the distance. The camera pans downward to show the figures of you, Aang and Katara appearing over the horizon. You snoozing against Aang who has a wide smile. The Southern Water Tribe villagers have gathered in the snow, waiting for the duo's return.
---

You, Aang and Katara are approaching the village and the gathered villagers that stand outside the village walls. The children become overjoyed upon seeing Aang.

Village kids: [Joyfully.] Yay! Aang's back!

Some of them run over to him while the others remain cheerful in the crowd. The camera pans up from the children to the adults, revealing more stern and offended expressions. The children reach the three teens, crowding around him gleefully, and Aang responds kindly. You start to wake up as you hear the village.

Sokka, who breaks from the line of villagers and steps forward toward Aang.

Sokka: [Angrily.] I knew it! [Accusingly points a finger at Aang as he and Katara draw closer.] You signaled the Fire Navy with that flare! You're leading them straight to us, aren't you?

Sokka then looks to see you 'passed' out in aang's arms as he snatches you from the air bender. "What did you do to them!?"

You: [shocked at how fast Sokka grabbed you] WOAH!

Katara: [Protesting.] Aang didn't do anything! It was an accident.

Aang: [Sheepishly, as Katara glares at Sokka.] Yeah. We were on the ship and there was this booby trap, and, well -- [Awkwardly rubs his head.] -- we booby-ed right into it. And Y/N is fine, they were just tired.

Kanna: [Worriedly.] Katara, you shouldn't have gone on that ship! Now we could all be in danger!

Aang: [Sorrowfully.] Don't blame Katara or Y/N. I brought them both there. It's my fault.

Sokka: [Angry and triumphant, having found an excuse.] Aha! The traitor confesses! Warriors, away from the enemy. [The children begin to sadly walk away.] The foreigner is banished from our village.

You: [jump out of Sokka's hold] Sokka!

Katara [Irritably, clenching her fists.] Sokka, you're making a mistake.

Sokka: [Stubbornly persisting in his anger.] No, I'm keeping my promise to Dad. [Pointing to Aang.] I'm protecting you & Y/N, from threats like him!

You: [glares at sokka] But he's not a threat!

Katara: [Angrily.] Aang is not our enemy! [Continues in a calm, soothing voice.] Don't you see? Aang's brought us something we haven't had in a long time: fun.

Sokka: [Annoyed.] Fun?! We can't fight firebenders with fun!

Aang: [Optimistically.] You should try it sometime.

Sokka: [Angrily.] Get out of our village! Now!
Katara: [Pleading.] Grandmother, please. Don't let Sokka do this!

Kanna: [Gravely.] Katara, you and Y/N knew going on that ship was forbidden. Sokka is right. I think it best if the airbender leaves.

Katara: [Outraged.] Fine! Then we're banished, too! [Drags Aang and you away.] Come on Y/N, Aang, let's go.

Sokka: [Demanding.] Where do you think you're going?

Katara: [Angrily.] To find a waterbender. Aang is taking us to the North Pole.

Aang: [Confusedly.] I am? [Brightening.] Great!

Sokka: Katara! Would you really choose him over your tribe? Your own family?

A side-view-shot shows that Katara had stopped in her tracks holding you, right between Appa and her tribe. Close-up of Katara, who looks down sorrowfully as Aang approach the two southern water tribe teens with a sad look upon his face.

Aang: [Understanding.] Katara, Y/N I don't want to come between you and your family.

Katara: [Upset.] So, you're leaving the South Pole?

You: [In a quieter tone.] This is goodbye?

Aang: Thanks for penguin sledding with me.
Katara: [Still in that quiet tone.] Where will you go?

You: Where will you live?

Aang: Guess I'll go back home and look for the airbenders. [He places one hand on Appa, but is suddenly struck with realization.] Wow, I haven't cleaned my room in a hundred years. Not looking forward to that. [He uses his airbending to hop onto Appa's head.] It was nice meeting everyone.

Sokka: [Sarcastically, with arms crossed.] Let's see your bison fly now, air boy.

Aang: [Encouragingly.] Come on Appa, you can do it. Yip-yip!

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

Sokka: [Mockingly.] Yeah, I thought so!

Southern Water Tribe girl: [Runs from crowd to stand next to you with tears in her eyes.] Ahhh! Aang, don't go! I'll miss you!

Aang: [Sadly.] I'll miss you, too. [Looks at you, who isn't even looking at him. Your hood covering your face as you sigh.] Come on, boy.

Appa turns and plods away, disappearing over the hill. The young girl sighs and trudges back to the village, while Katara & you remain standing in the snow. Kanna walks up to her granddaughter and her friend.

Kanna: [Consoling tone.] Katara, you'll feel better after you- [Katara quickly turns around and cuts her off.]

Katara: [Rounding on Kanna and interrupting her, her voice full of empassioned rage.] You happy now? [Gestures in the direction Aang took off.] There goes my one chance at becoming a waterbender!

She marches away furiously, leaving Kanna looking saddened. You pat her back as you have her a sad look. "She'll realize that you are just trying to protect her." You said walking away after katara.

Meanwhile, Sokka coaches the young boys to prepare for battle just outside the village.

Sokka: All right, ready our defenses! The Fire Nation could be on our shores any moment now!

Southern Water Tribe boy: [Stopping and dancing around.] But I gotta ...

Sokka: [Authoritatively, a twinge of annoyance in his voice; he points onward, ushering the boy in that direction.] And no potty breaks!
---

The scene changes to a snowy landscape dotted by several ice formations. The camera pans to the right, where Aang and Appa are resting in an ice formation, Appa lying lazily on his back in the lower section and Aang resting above him. Appa grunts.

Aang: [Sorrowfully.] Yeah, I liked the sleepy one too. [Catches sight of Fire Nation ship advancing toward the Southern Water Tribe; gasps.] The village! [He slides off the ice formation onto the ground.] Appa, wait here.
Appa responds by merely grunting lazily.
---

The scene changes to where Sokka prepares for battle inside a Water Tribe tent. He dons gloves, boots, bindings, and applies face paint. After necessary preparations, he puts his boomerang away on his back.

The scene changes to Zuko's ship, where servants are seen helping the Fire Nation prince to put on his Fire Nation outfit, complete with a red helmet ending in a sharp point. Through all this, Zuko never moves a muscle.

---
Cut back to Sokka kneeling inside the tent, grabbing his club. He glances at a candle that flickers as he exits.

The scene cuts to an overhead shot of the village, the camera panning upward to the low-stooping wall surrounding the town. Sokka is seen standing atop the wall, overlooking the foggy horizon.

Cut back to a shot of the village where a mother is seen squatting beside her child, but she suddenly jerks up upon hearing a loud, cracking noise. Her son gasps for air and the surrounding villagers also turn around in fright to see what the source of the noise was. Kanna, sitting on a log by a camp fire, rises and gasps for air.

Suddenly, the ground begins to quake and a rumbling sound is heard in the distance. Kanna gasps louder this time and her face contorts in horror. Switch to a shot of Sokka's feet where bits of the wall are cracking and breaking

off. A mother carrying her child slowly backs away in fright. A watchtower on the wall is shaking under the pressure of the trembling, and completely collapses.

Sokka: [Disappointed at the tower's collapse.] Oh man!
---

Cut to a shot of inside the village where the citizens are beginning to flee from the scene. Katara runs up and looks up at her brother still standing atop the wall, and her look turns to one of horror. You run beside the siblings with narrowing eyes.

Cut to a shot of the wall from her perspective; an enormous shadow of the bow of Zuko's ship comes into view. Camera closes in on Sokka's face.

Sokka: [Horrified.] Oh maaan ...

A side-view of the ship approaching the village, cutting through the icy sea. Switch to a shot of Kanna standing in the snow, looking up in terror at the vessel while backing up slightly.

Villagers pass her in their haste to get to safety and the shadow of the large ships descends over her. Cut to a close-up of the ship's bow as it plows through the snowy shores, splintering the ground. Sokka looks up, terrified by the large ship. The ship's approach creates a large crack that quickly travels toward the village and over the wall.
---

Cut to Katara & you are helping her grandmother into a tent, when you both hear a frightened scream. She gasps in terror when she realizes that the sound came from a small boy, kneeling on the ground. The fissure is rapidly approaching him, but Katara quickly runs over and scoops up the child before the ground splinters underneath.

She sets the child down again in front of a tent which he quickly enters, and Katara turns back to view her brother.

Katara: [Hysterically.] Sokka, get out of the way!

Cut to a shot of Sokka standing on the wall, the bow of the ship plowing through the snow. Sokka raises his club in defense, ready to strike. Before he can make his move, however, the bow crumbles a large portion of the wall into snowy ruins.

The snow slides downward, pushing Sokka several feet back before he lands to a halt. With a loud hiss of steam, the ship has come to a halt as well. Switch to an overview shot of the entire village.

The villagers, who now curiously come out of hiding and are staring in complete shock at the large vessel. The camera pans to the right toward Katara, who is looking at the ship with her mouth open; she gasps.

Sokka also gasps when he catches sight of the bow of the ship opening and creaking forward in a burst of steam, forming a walkway. He backs up and falls to the ground once the bow hits the ground with a loud thud.

The villagers gather closer around for support and several people even cover their eyes. Katara takes a step back upon noticing the shape of three figures cloaked in the mist.

Cut to the top of the walkway, where Prince Zuko emerges from the mist, two guards following close behind him. Cut to the villagers huddled together and Sokka, who kneels in the snow in front of them, ready to defend his tribe.

The camera cuts to shot of the top of the walkway and pans downward. Prince Zuko descends from the ship along with the two guards. Sokka lets out a battle cry and charges at the prince with his club to the ready.

Switch to a side-view of the walkway, where now even more soldiers trudge down while Sokka is traveling his way upward. When he reaches Zuko, the prince merely kicks the club to his left and, without ever resting his leg on the ground, kicks Sokka over to his right, sending him into the snow, where his head becomes trapped.

The warrior desperately tries to free himself as Zuko continues on his way to the village, followed by six more men. Katara covers her mouth in shock upon witnessing her brother's quick defeat.

Shift to a shot of the villagers, as Zuko and his men stand before them. Zuko approaches. He passes to the right when he does not seem to find what he is looking for and stops in front of Katara, who is clutching Kanna and you.

Zuko: [Angrily.] Where are you hiding him?

Zuko 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.

Zuko: [Shaking Kanna; annoyed.] He'd be about this age, master of all elements?

He shoves Kanna forcefully back into the crowd. The elderly woman shudders in fear and embraces you & Katara, while the two teens shoot an angry glare at Zuko. Receiving no response, Zuko 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.

Zuko: [Angrily.] I know you're hiding him!

Cut to a shot of Sokka's club lying in the snow. Sokka runs over and picks it up, most of his war paint having come off at this point. He lets out another battle cry as he charges toward the prince. Cut to a shot of Zuko, his back facing the camera.

He 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. Zuko 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.

Village boy: Show no fear!

Sokka handily catches the weapon and charges at Zuko once more. The camera cuts to a shot from Sokka's perspective as he faces him head-on. 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.

Sokka falls to the ground as Zuko snaps the spear in two and tosses the pieces to the ground on both of his sides. Cut to shot of Sokka, who rubs his head in pain, before switching back to a head shot of Zuko. A sparkle of light shines briefly in the distance and Sokka's boomerang spins into view, unnoticed by Zuko.

The weapon strikes Zuko on the back of his helmet with a loud cling; he is momentarily pushed forward by the unexpected blow. Zuko rearranges his helmet and growls at Sokka. The boomerang has plummeted into the ground in front of Sokka's feet. Enraged, Zuko readies two fire daggers.
---

Cut to shot of Aang, who is seen rapidly riding on a penguin toward the battle scene. He holds his glider horizontal on the animal and he has a determined look on his face. His tongue is out of his mouth in pure concentration. Cut to shot of Zuko's backside.

The camera closes in on Zuko as Aang takes his feet out from underneath him, tossing Zuko off his feet; speeding past, Aang soars into the air as the prince lands on his face, his legs in the air. He spins around a few times before coming to a halt in front of his men, his helmet landing on his rear as they watch.

Cut to a shot of cheering villagers, as Aang rides speedily toward them, still mounted on the penguin. Cut to shot of the children, who cheer upon his arrival. They are showered in snow as Aang rides past, however, after giving each other silent, unamused looks for a few seconds, they begin cheering once again, shaking the snow off.

Switch to a shot of a group of several other villagers, including you, Kanna, Katara, and Sokka. Aang comes to a halt before them. The penguin crawls out from under him, tossing him off. Aang falls on his rear, blinking stupidly. Aang smiles at the penguin when the animal quacks at him before waddling away.

Aang: [Cheerfully, despite the present situation.] Hey Y/N, Hey, Katara. Hey, Sokka.

Sokka: [Moodily.] Hi, Aang. Thanks for coming.

Aang looks back at the Fire Nation soldiers, where Zuko just got back on his feet again. Upon his signal, his men spread out, surrounding Aang while Zuko assumes a fighting stance. Shift to an overhead shot of Aang assuming a fighting stance as well, his staff held firmly in front of him as he is being surrounded by the soldiers.

He sweeps the ground side-to-side with his staff, showering the men with snow. He subsequently slams the ground, sending a rush of snow at Zuko who braces for the impact. After being sprayed with snow, and heating it up so it would melt off, Zuko looks up angrily.

Aang: Looking for me?

Zuko: [Shocked.] You're the airbender? You're the Avatar?

Aang resumes his fighting stance. Switch to a close-up of the siblings and you.

Katara: [Surprised.] Aang?
Sokka: [Bewildered.] No way!
You: [confused] Who?

The sibling looked at you as if you were crazy until you realized who it was.

You: [shocked] oooh, Aang!

Overview shot of Zuko and Aang moving about in a circular pattern, both awaiting the attack of the other.

Zuko: I've spent years preparing for this encounter. Training, meditating. [Angrily.] You're just a child!

Aang: [Calmly, tilting his head to one side with a somewhat confused expression.] Well, you're just a teenager.

Zuko launches a series of fire blasts at Aang in anger at the remark, who defends himself by twirling his staff, dissipating the flames. Cut to overhead shot of the area, Zuko attacking Aang, the villagers watching directly behind him. Zuko fires another blast at Aang, who twirls his staff once again to ward the attack off.

Cut to a shot of the villagers, who cower as the flames stream through the air over their heads. You backed up waving the fire off with fear written in your eyes. Aang widens his eyes in horror at the sight of the frightened villagers and immediately ceases to defend himself.

Aang: If I go with you, [He holds his staff in front of him as an offer, making sure Zuko understands that he does not wish to continue fighting.] will you promise to leave everyone alone?

Zuko's men still surrounding him, spears poised. After a brief moment of hesitation, Zuko erects himself and nods in agreement. Aang is apprehended by Zuko's men, who take his staff. Katara runs forward as they lead Aang away while you follow behind her silently.

Katara: [Sadly.] No! Aang, don't do this!
You: [softly] Are you sure you wanna do this?

Aang: [Surprisingly calm.] Don't worry, Y/N. It'll be okay.

He gasps when he is shoved on the walkway. Katara's face contorts with sadness and fright. You blankly stare at Aang as your eyes softened worried

Aang: Take care of Appa for me until I get back.

You: [nods with thumbs up] I will.

Aang smiles at you feeling happy that you would take care of his flying bison.

Zuko: [Boarding the ship up the walkway. Determined.] Head a course for the Fire Nation. I'm going home.

Cut to a shot of the villagers looking up at the ship, Aang standing at the top of walkway. Switch to a more up-close shot of him smiling weakly, surrounded by Fire Nation soldiers.

Katara who looks up, tears in her eyes, holding you close to her as you pet her back with a usual emotionless look while Aang, who now frowns as the bow rises and closes.
---

The scene changes to later in the day; an overview shot of the village reveals the wreckage the ship, now gone, has left behind. A woman drops a pile of firewood onto the ground next to a camp fire in a rather melancholy manner. Several villagers surround the collapsed wall, surveying the damage