A Naive Child’s Dream III

Katara laughs, "Aang, I'll teach you how to catch a penguin if you teach me how to water bend."

"You got a deal! Just one little problem, I'm an air bender. Not a water bender. Isn't there someone in your tribe who can teach you?" Aang asks, letting go of the penguin who had been dragging him around.

"No, you're looking at the only waterbender in the whole south pole." Katara says, looking down sadly.

"This isn't right. A water bender needs to master water. What about the north pole? There's another water tribe up there, right? Maybe they have water benders who could teach you?" Aang asks hopefully.

"Maybe, but we haven't had contact with our sister tribe in a long time. It's not exactly turn right at the second glacier. It's on the other side of the world." Katara exclaims.

"But you forget, I have a flying bison. Appa and I can personally fly you to the north pole. Katara, we're going to find you a master!" Aang says happily.

"That's... I mean... I don't know... I've never left home before." Katara responds nervously.

"Well, you think about it, but in the meantime can you teach me to catch one of these penguins?" Aang asks excitedly.

"Okay, listen closely my young pupil. Catching penguins is an ancient and sacred art. Observe!" She says, tossing a fish to Aang who is then swarmed by penguins.

They then get hold of two penguins and begin sliding around joyously... Swooping in and out of ice tunnels, flying off of snow drift... Until...

They come upon an old imprisoned Fire Navy ship...

"Woah, what is that?" Aang asks in awe.

"A Fire Navy ship, and a very bad memory for my people." Katara says warily. Aang slowly walks towards it.

"Aang stop! We're not allowed to go near it. The ship could be booby-trapped." Katara says warningly.

"If you want to be a bender, you have to let go of fear." Aang says confidently. Hesitantly, Katara follows slowly behind into the bowels of the Fire Navy ship.

"This ship has haunted my tribe since Gran Gran was a little girl. It was part of the Fire Nation's first attacks." Katara tells Aang as he stares at the ancient Fire Nation weapons.

"Okay, back up. I have friends all over the world, even in the fire nation. I've never seen any war." Aang says, picking up a spear.

"Aang, how long were you in that iceberg?" Katara asks.

"I don't know, a few days maybe?" Aang says lowering the spear back to its rack.

"I think it was more like a hundred years?" Katara says, shock spreading across her face.

"What? That's impossible! Do I look like a hundred and twelve-year-old man to you?" Aang says incredulously.

"Think about it. The war is a century old, you don't know about it because... Somehow, you were in there that whole time... It's the only explanation." Katara says as Aang's face goes from disbelief to fear, to downright terror. Aang falls backward, landing on his backside...

"A hundred years... I can believe it..." Aang says as Katara moves in to console him.

"I'm sorry Aang... Maybe, somehow there's a bright side to all this?" Katara says hopefully.

"I did get to meet you." Aang tells Katara, with a hint of his goofy smile returning to his face.

Smiling back, Katara says, "Come on, let's get out of here." Helping Aang back on his feet. But they continue to explore the Fire Navy ship... Before Aang accidentally triggers a booby trap which launches a flare from the trapped vessel. Using his air bending, Aang grabs Katara and flees through an opening in the ship...

Unbeknownst to him, Commander Zhao saw the flare... And had changed his course to the village.

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Upon returning to the village, Aang is banished from the village by Sokka. After a heated debate, Katara attempts to leave with Aang. But he convinces her to stay with her family. He mounts Appa and heads off into the distance, while Katara storms off, and Sokka rushes to prepare a defense.

Several hours after leaving the village, Aang spots a Fire Navy ship and rushes to return to warn the village. Inside a tent, Sokka prepares his warrior uniform.

The Fire Navy ship cuts through the early morning mist as easily as it cuts through the ice. Tearing through the village's ice wall, a ramp descends from the stern.

Sokka charges Commander Zhao, only to be disarmed and knocked off the edge of the ramp, with two swift kicks.

"Where are you hiding him?" Commander Zhao barks at the huddled and frightened villagers. Eyeing Gran Gran, he yanks her from Katara's grasp.

"He'd be about this age, master of all elements?" He says, shaking Gran Gran. Before throwing her down and letting lose a torrent of flame above her head.

Causing the villagers to shriek back in fear. "I know you're hiding him!" He shouts angrily, as Sokka fails once more to attack Zhao. Just as Zhao is about to burn the knocked-down Sokka, Aang slides in on a penguin.

Seeing the fear in the villagers' eyes, he decides to let the Fire Nation take him to stop the fighting. After boarding the ship, Sokka and Katara plan a rescue mission. Appa helps them with a lift to the Navy ship.

Aang escapes his guards and begins roaming the ship for his staff. Dodging patrol after patrol, he eventually finds his staff. Immobilizing Zhao and making his way to the top deck of the ship. Where Appa swoops in just as Aang is knocked into the frigid water...

Causing him to enter the Avatar State, causing untold damage to the ship as Katara and Sokka move Aang's exhausted body onto Appa.

As they make their way North, far away from the ship. Their first stop... The southern air temple.

To be continued...