Yes, this is an update. No, you are not dreaming. Hopefully.

Darkness.

That was the first thing he registered right before the pair of eyelids split open to reveal grey orbs underneath. His vision was hazy, but that wasn't his main concern.

Confused as to why he was lying on something soft, Aang moved to sit upright. The fuzziness was still there, and he felt as though he was floating despite both feet touching the ground. His hand clutched at the side, only to realize that his torso was wrapped in bandages

"What happened?" he asked himself as he shook his head while he tried to recall the cause of his mysterious injury. Nothing came to him, his mind as hazy as his vision that only seemed to see red.

Wait. Red?

Aang snapped his head up, worry taking over him as realized that the entire room had a red theme to it. His blood froze when he turned and saw the large fire-shaped insignia on the red cloth draped over the wall just next to his bed.

"Oh no!" Panic was growing within his chest, but he tried to suppress it with deep breaths. His eyes landed on his glider leaning at the corner of his bed and he made to grab it. Using the staff as a makeshift crutch, he hobbled towards the door and opened it just partially for him to peek with one eye.

The area was clear, or so it seemed. Seeing the chance to silently escape, the airbender exited the room and hobbled down the corridor as he leant heavily onto his staff and the wall for his wobbly legs were unable to support his weight.

So immense Aang was in staying upright just moving that he didn't realize he reached the end of the corridor, his attention only pulled back to reality when he heard a gasp to his right. The Avatar felt his body tense and he snapped his head around to see two figures clad in the red armor of the Fire Nation gawking at him. Both the men's eyes and mouths were opened comically round, yet Aang found no humour from the sight as panic welled within his being. He did the first thing his instincts were screaming at him to do.

Protect himself.

His muscles moved on their own accord as he sent a gust of wind towards the two soldiers. It wasn't strong enough to send them flying back, but it was the distraction Aang needed to turn around and move past the hallway.

"He's awake!"

The announcement from the soldier behind him caused Aang to try and pick up the pace, but his still weak body wasn't able to comply with his racing heart and screaming mind.

"Stop! Wait!"

Climbing the stairs onto the deck while ignoring the order from the soldier that sounded a lot more like a plea, Aang chanced a look behind to see the two Fire Nation men – one a towering figure and the other looking shorter than the Avatar – trying to catch up to him. In his frantic haste, he tripped on the last step of the stairs and found himself falling, losing his grip on the staff which skidded away from him.

Pain shot up his body and the teen closed his eyes shut while his bandaged torso screamed at him for being a clumsy hog-monkey as he heard a chirping sound ahead of him.

Wait.

Curious, the Avatar opened his eyes and looked up to see a very familiar small aninal with large ears perched on a Fire Nation soldier, staring at him with its round yellow eyes.

"Momo?"

The winged lemur darted from the soldier's shoulder upon hearing its name being called and landed right in front of Aang, purring excitedly as it loosely wrapped its tail and winged arms around the airbender's neck as he unsteadily stood up. Before he could make sense of the sight, he heard someone calling out to him.

"Twinkletoes! It really is you!"

Grey eyes peeled their attention from Momo towards the voice and saw two very familiar figures running towards him.

"Katara? Toph?" Aang called out, confusion lacing his voice. He thought he saw relief on both their faces, but chalked it up as the moonlight playing tricks on him, or he was seeing things through his daze.

"Aang! You're awake!"

"Are you sure?" The avatar asked Katara sceptically, rubbing his eyes to make sure he wasn't imagining both the girls wearing red robes.

Red. As in the colour of the Fire Nation.

"I feel like I'm dreaming," he added, absentmindedly scratching Momo's chin and the lemur let out a satisfied purr at the attention.

"You're not dreaming!" Katara exclaimed happily while pulling the airbender into a hug. Aang froze, not at the body contact, but rather at the fact that she smelled like a mixture of the sea, ash and soot. The avatar associated the latter two with the red robe. "You're finally awake!"

He was about to ask what Katara meant by 'finally' when she broke from the hug, and Aang found his body wrapped around cool metal. It took the Avatar three whole seconds before he realized he was being hugged. By someone. In Fire Nation armor.

"Aang, good to see you back in the land of the living, buddy."

Despite the skull mask slightly distorting the figure's voice, Aang easily recognized the jovial tone of one Idea Guy.

"Sokka?" Aang called out in disbelief. He had so many questions. But before he could ask them, the world around him started spinning, and Aang was certain he heard Toph calling out in alarm as he fell backwards.

Before his head could hit the ground, a pair of calloused hands gripped him by the arms and steadily led him towards a metal stool. "Thanks," he muttered absentmindedly to the person who helped him.

"You're most welcome," it came from Iroh. Iroh?!

The Avatar snapped his head around to come face to face with the former general, who was wearing his signature warm smile as he draped a red robe around Aang's shoulder. Again, the airbender thanked Iroh, for the cloth provided the much needed protection for his torso from the nightly chill.

"Are you okay, Aang?" Sokka asked, this time removing his mask for Aang to see blue eyes scanning the younger teen from top to toe as if doing so would allow the Water Tribesman to identify whatever the issue the Avatar has.

"How about you give Aang some space, Sokka?" Aang could see Katara rolling her eyes at her brother's antics as she tried to shove the older teen away. Sokka complied, but began protesting the moment Toph unceremoniously dragged him away by the collar. Iroh excused himself and offered to get another stool for Katara, who duly accepted it when the grey-bearded firebender returned with the promised furniture.

"What's going on, Katara?" Aang asked at last when Iroh was out of earshot. There was something just... off about the experienced firebender, yet Aang couldn't wrap his brain around it. So, he chose to focus what he could, like "Why are we on a Fire Nation ship? Why is everyone dressed this way? What's Iroh doing here? And why am I the only one who's completely out of it?"

For the life of him, the teen really wanted to remember the events that transpired before his... sleep. Katara, however, only smiled slightly at the boy sitting across her. "You have to take it easy, Aang," she advised, not answering any of his questions. "You got hurt pretty bad."

Aang wanted to say 'Gee, the bandages and pain I'm feeling weren't obvious enough' but decided against it eventually. Instead, he absentmindedly fiddled with his fingers when Katara spoke up again.

"I like your hair."

The words startled the boy, whose eyebrows reached his hairline while his eyes bugged out. "I have hair?!" The monks in the Eastern Air Temple never had hair, since they always shaved their scalps every three to four days. Aang started touching his scalp with his two hands and sure enough, rather than feeling the smooth surface of skin, his fingers were greeted by a layer of hair.

"How long was I out?" Judging by the fact that the hair on his head was definitely long compared to the usual length he would keep before shaving it all off, it would certainly have been quite some time.

"A few weeks."

"Everything okay?" A new voice spoke up, and grey eyes watched as Katara's face turned sour as a figure in the armor of a Fire Nation commander walked towards them.

The waterbender turned her head away from the figure and she did not bother to hide the annoyance that was clear on both her face, and her voice. "We're fine, dad."

Katara's dad stretched out an arm to introduce himself. "I'm Hakoda. Katara and Sokka's father."

Aang moved to shake the hand, but was stopped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Grey eyes widened slightly when he realized it was Katara who was holding him back.

"He knows who you are," she kept her gaze on Aang, trying to hide the anger that the teen monk could visibly see boiling underneath her eyes. "I just called you 'dad', didn't I?"

The Chief of the Water Tribe dropped his hand to his side, shifting awkwardly as if unsure how he should respond. "I guess you're right."

There was an uneasy feeling in the atmosphere, but Aang chose to ignore that. He removed Katara's grip on his shoulder, and offered a handshake of his own while wearing a smile on his face. "Nice to officially meet you, Chief Hakoda."

If the teen was being honest, he was feeling a little conflicted on meeting the Chief of the Southern Water Tribe. He did try to prevent both Katara and Sokka from reuniting with the man out of fear that they would abandon him, and then had to take Sokka away from his son-father bonding time to save Katara. On the other hand, he was excited at the chance to finally speak with the almost-mythical figure that his friends had looked up to for a very long time.

Hakoda gripped Aang by the forearm, his lips tugged up slightly in a polite smile. "It's an honour to meet you."

"Great, great. Now you guys have finally met," Katara grumbled loudly before pinning her father with a very hard glare. "So, would you mind giving us a little privacy?"

Hakoda again looked unsure how he should respond to his daughter's rather cold shoulder. He settled for a nod and a rather gentle "of course" before walking away.

"Are you mad at your dad or something?" Aang asked, having watched Hakoda leave the upper deck.

"What?" Katara replied with a question, confusion written all over her face. "Not at all. Why would you say that?"

The airbender raised an eyebrow at the reply, remembering the look of annoyance marring Katara's features and the way she just glared icily in her father's direction that completely contradicted her statement.

Aang didn't point that out, however, instead shrugging as if to wordlessly say 'I don't know'. He immediately recoiled, pain shooting up his torso at the nonchalant action he made.

Katara was on her feet in an instant the moment Aang let out a pained gasp. "Maybe we should go upstairs." She gently grabbed him by the arms, acting as a support for the teen who also began to stand up. Albeit less steadily. "You need a healing session."

The walk back to his room was less tedious than the attempted escape, though Aang was definitely certain Katara was much more helpful than his staff. When they entered the room, Katara had him sitting on his bed before she settled behind him and moved to remove the bandage wrapping around his torso.

The sound of water swishing could be heard, a sign to the Avatar that Katara was bending water. The cooling touch on his back confirmed it as he felt a mixture of pain and relief from Katara using her waterbending to heal him.

"Tell me where the pain feels most intense," the waterbender said. Aang, eyes screwed shut as the pain started to overtake the relief, gritted his teeth together while biting out "A little higher."

He felt the water move up his spine, and the pain was getting so strong that he saw a flash of... something. "Wow, you're definitely in the right area there."

"I can feel a lot of energy twisted around here," Katara commented, not mentioning to her friend that 'here' was just right below a scar the size of her palm.

She shifted her hands upwards to engulf the red jagged skin completely in glowing water. An idea was forming in the back of her head.

Maybe. Just, maybe...

"Let me see if I can –"

Aang couldn't make out the final parts of the healer's sentence, his back arching forward from the jolt that shot through his veins. Suddenly, he wasn't in the ship anymore as he was transported somewhere else.

Ba Sing Se

The Crystal Catacombs

Zuko.

Azula

Lightning.

Pain.

Nothingness.

Just as quickly as the flashes appeared in his mind, Aang found himself back in his room in the Fire Nation ship. His hand clutched his head, trying to suppress the headache that was threatening to break like a dam about to burst.

His breathing was laboured, but he was still able to make out the words. "I went down!" His memories had returned. "I didn't just get hurt, did I?" Realization dawned upon him and he sat straighter. "I –" the words were caught in his throat. "I was gone."

The lightning. That must have been what took him down. But now he's back. That could only mean...

"But you brought me back."

"I just used the spirit water from the North Pole. I don't know what I did exactly."

The airbender furrowed his brows together at the defeated tone Katara was using. He spun around for grey eyes to meet blue. "You saved me."

Despite trying to sound thankful, his body was starting to feel tired and his eyelids were getting heavy. Katara gently placed a palm on his cheek. "You need to rest."

Aang nodded drowsily and shifted so he could lie down on the mattress more comfortably. A thought came forth in his mind as Katara stood up, ready to leave.

"Katara," he began, his voice sleepy as he looked at the waterbender. "Can I meet Percy after I wake up?"

For a brief moment something flashed across Katara's face, but Aang was so tired he didn't notice it, nor did he notice her shoulders tensing before relaxing. Before he could think about it or listen to her reply, darkness overcame him and he drifted into a peaceful sleep.

oOo

Sleep should make one feel well-rested and calm, which was what Aang definitely felt when he woke up. Ten minutes later, sitting on the upper deck of the ship, Aang was definitely feeling the opposite of calm. He was conflicted, unsure how he should feel as Sokka tried to bring him up to speed with the events of the past few weeks during his 'coma' – as the young Water Tribesman coined it.

The airbender was barely able to fully register whatever was said, but he understood that Team Avatar had reunited with Chief Hakoda and the other Water Tribesmen in the Chameleon Bay, where King Kuei left with his pet bear to explore the rest of the Earth Kingdom in disguise. They stole the ship that they were now using when the presence of the Fire Nation in the Bay became too overwhelming, and they have been travelling west since then, crossing the Serpent's Pass a few days ago. With the help of Iroh, they had been able to avoid most of the Fire Nation ships patrolling the waters.

He also learnt that Katara had vouched for the firebenders, though he had only met Iroh since waking up. Zuko was nowhere to be seen. Aang had wondered aloud if the former Prince was hanging out with Percy somewhere below deck, but everyone from Team Avatar seemed to clam up and skidded around the topic.

It was a weird reaction in Aang's opinion. The airbender chose not to dwell on it however, and ended up trying his very best to listen to Sokka explain the latest invasion plan. Accordingly, it was a smaller, modified version which consisted of 'a ragtag team of friends and allies from around the Earth Kingdom' that Sokka was confident would work if Iroh's information about the Fire Nation's defences were true.

"And here's the best part," Sokka continued on, excitement glowing in his blue eyes, "The solar eclipse isn't our biggest advantage." He leant forward and cupped a hand next to his mouth, feigning a stage-whisper. "We have a secret."

Aang raised an eyebrow, puzzled as to what other hidden weapons would be hiding underneath as he watched his friend exaggeratedly eyed both his sides. Maybe Sokka got hold of Teo's dad.

Unaware of the monk's inner thoughts, Sokka leant backwards and stretched his arms forward in a dramatic gesture in Aang's direction. "You!"

The exclamation caught Aang off guard, and the Avatar nearly dropped his bowl of noodles. "Me?"

"Yep," Sokka nodded enthusiastically, clearly ignorant of the incredulity laced in his friend's voice as he jerked his arms in the air in what appeared to be a victory punch. "The whole world thinks you're dead! Isn't it great?!"

The news sent a chill down Aang's spine, and he was definitely sure he did not enjoy the sensation. Grey orbs darted towards the vast ocean, as if being able to view the entire world in the horizon before returning their gaze towards the excited young Water Tribesman sitting in front of him.

"The whole world thinks I'm dead?" He repeated the statement, trying to make sure he was not in a nightmare. The teen shot up on his feet and took an unsteady step back. "How is that good news? That's terrible!"

If the world believes that the Avatar had perished, it would certainly crush the hopes of many, especially those who suffered under the tyranny of the Fire Nation.

"No, it's great!" Sokka contradicted Aang while trying to approach the airbender. "It means the Fire Nation won't be hunting us anymore! And even better, they won't be expecting you on the Day of Black Sun!"

"No, no, no, no, no." Aang was shaking his head, the words spilling out of his mouth in rapid pace that it was a wonder anyone even understood him. "You have no idea. This is so messed up!"

When the people had learnt that Avatar was alive, Aang was able to see the glimmer lighting up their eyes.

For them to learn of his demise...

A deep sound pierced the tensing atmosphere, and everyone on deck turned their attention to see a battleship with the Fire Nation insignia sailing their direction. A look of determination crossed Aang's features, and his grip on his staff tightened.

"I'll handle this," he declared before he flicked his wrist, and his staff expanded into his trusty glider. "The Avatar is back!" Before he could take a step forward, pain shot up his torso, forcing the teen to recoil and clutch his side.

"Aang, wait!" Katara pleaded when she realized that the Avatar was adamant on making his presence known despite his injury. "You have to remember, they don't know we're not Fire Nation!"

There was a moment of hesitation in the teen's eyes. Everyone around the teen watched with bated breaths as they waited for him to make his move while beads of sweat were rolling down his face. Eventually, Aang let out a tired sigh and flicked his wrist again, the wings of his glider folding inwards.

"Everyone stay calm," Hakoda ordered, and the teens felt as if they were able to compose themselves despite the prospect of their disguise being exposed being very, very real. The Chief put on the Commander's Helmet before glancing at his trusted friend, who had completed his disguise. "Bato and I will handle this."

Weary blue eyes watched as the teens scattered into small groups, and his attention back towards the ship that was hailing them.

Stay calm, he chanted to himself, his fists curling tightly by his side when a man in armour identical to Hakoda's boarded the ship. The man was flanked by two other soldiers, the skull masks identifying them as firebenders.

"Commander," Hakoda noted the disapproving tone the officer used to address him. "Why are you off course? All Western Fleet ships are supposed to be moving toward Ba Sing Se to support the occupation!"

"Actually, we're from the Eastern Fleet," Hakoda answered easily, remembering the story that he and former general Iroh had planned using the latter's inside knowledge of the Fire Nation Fleet to evade any suspicions. "We have orders to deliver some cargo."

Maybe it was the sunlight playing tricks on Hakoda as the Chief thought he saw the officer's lips curl into a sneer. "Eastern Fleet," Hakoda could hear the contempt dripping from the man's mouth. "Well, nice of Admiral Chan to let us know he was sending one of his ships our way."

"Admiral Chan meant no disrespect, sir," Bato chimed in, falling into character as he too had practiced the cover story. "He dispatched us at the last moment right before he went on his leave."

"Ah..." There was a look of realization on the officer's face. "That would partially explain why we never received a note informing us of your arrival. Well, safe sailings, Commander."

Hakoda and the Fire Nation Commander bowed to each other, ending the impromptu check-up as they went their separate ways. Hakoda and Bato made their exit, while the Commander and his two men spun around and marched towards the gangplank that they used to board the ship when the officer stopped himself.

"Something's not right," the man muttered when he felt the two soldiers behind him look at him questioningly despite the masks they wore covering the entirety of their faces. Dark brown eyes scanned the deck and noticed something was definitely wrong.

The Commander he spoke with and his deputy were the only ones on deck. Where were the others?

"Commander," Hakoda stopped in his tracks when he heard the Fire Navy Officer calling out to him again, Bato following suit just next to him. They both turned around to see that the officer had his sharp brows furrowed slightly as he slowly walked towards them. "About the cargo you were ordered to deliver, may we inspect the contents? If you don't mind, of course."

Hakoda wanted to say he in fact did mind, but the tone that the officer used made it very clear that he wasn't making a request.

The officer waited impatiently as he expected the Commander to agree immediately. Dark brown eyes narrowed just slightly at the sign of hesitation, and his suspicion grew. There was a slight movement in the corner of his vision, and he turned his attention towards the entrance to the ship's conning tower. Despite being rather far from the metallic doors, he was able to make out the shape of a silhouette that was too small to be conscripted to join the army, let alone be deployed for active duty.

What is a child doing here?

He was ready to demand an explanation from the Commander in charge when dark brown eyes met blue. Realization dawned upon him, and the officer schooled his features into an impassive one to prevent the shock he was feeling from being shown.

"On second thought, Commander," he worded carefully, making sure he did not grit his teeth as he spoke. "That won't be necessary. Carry on, and safe sailings."

The immediate look of relief on the Commander's face sent more alarms blaring into the officer's head, but he tried his best to keep his composure as he once again, bowed to this fake Commander and his Deputy before watching the duo scurry away quickly as if they wanted to be anywhere but here.

"Sir?"

The officer noted the quizzical tone his subordinate used, no doubt feeling out of the loop from the sudden lack of communication.

"This is a captured ship, I'm sure of it," once he was certain they were out of earshot, he whispered to his two men. "Just stay quiet until we're safely across the ramp. Then we'll sink this ship."

Unfortunately for the trio, a petite girl with enhanced hearing had overheard their hushed conversation from the square hole she was hiding in. She emerged from her hiding spot in an instant, her fingers grabbing onto the metal floor, feeling the mineral bend to her will as she crumbled the metallic ramp connecting the two ships while announcing her discovery.

"They know!"

oOo

Aang's grip on his staff tightened, the makeshift crutch being the only thing keeping him from falling forward while the wall he was leaning on steadied his back from all the violent shaking the ship was experiencing.

Following Toph's proclamation that their cover had been blown, the three Fire Nation officers were tossed into the water below and the crew took advantage of the distraction to flee.

Their getaway was short-lived as the Fire Nation Ship that had hailed them earlier was close in pursuit and it was only thanks to both Toph and Katara that they hadn't sunk or been caught by now.

Albeit, just barely.

Another shake, and the ship lurched sideways. Again. Aang had enough and pushed himself off the wall, ready to jump into action and help his friends.

Only to find himself held in a firm grip, and his gaze darted upwards to meet a pair of blue eyes boring into him, imploring urgently that he does not do anything rash. Seeing Sokka trying to stop him from intervening, Aang gritted his teeth together and returned to leaning back on the wall he was hiding behind. Out of frustration, the airbender started banging his head against his staff.

Sokka, apparently satisfied with how things pan out, ignored the minor fit his friend was having and turned his attention towards the deck where the rest of the crew was trying to put out whatever small fires that started on the ship while Katara and Toph continued to fend off the Fire Nation's attempt to slow them down.

Another shake. This time Aang was certain the ship was stalling. He gritted his teeth together as he felt the frustration building inside him.

"I can't just stand by and do nothing!" He growled and darted towards the deck, only to stop when he felt a strong grip, this time pulling on his arm.

"Aang, wait!" Sokka sounded like he was pleading, but Aang couldnt be sure with all the explosions happening around them. "Remember, the Fire Nation still thinks you're dead."

Sokka's words made sense. In fact, it was so strategically brilliant Aang was certain only his best friend could had come up with that idea. Yet, he didn't like hearing the words. He let out a huff and shoved his staff into the hands of the Water Tribesman's before marching off.

"Fine."

Sokka allowed himself a moment to breathe out a sigh of relief. The entirety of their plan hinges on the secrecy of Aang's survival from the battle at Ba Sing Se's Catacombs. Pushing aside concerns of the angry look on the airbender's face, he turned his head around in time to see Toph grabbing onto the railing like her life depended on it.

"How's it going?"

Blue eyes scanned the deck as he thought about the earthbender's question. Well, at least they aren't sinking. "Things couldn't get much worse."

As if on cue, the ship shook once more, and there was a loud explosion followed by a tall pillar of water spraying into the skies above them. At first, Sokka chalked it off as another missed shot from the Fire Nation ship, but he had to make a double-take when he heard a loud shriek and he spun around just to throw his hands up in the air.

"The universe just loves proving me wrong, doesn't it?"

He tuned out Toph's jab about him 'making it too easy' to focus on the new problem that just presented itself. Of all things to appear right now, it had to be the Sea Serpent.

The beast let out another shriek, and the entire crew braced themselves for a battle on two fronts.

"Katara, wait! Don't attack it!"

Everyone's attention was drawn towards Aang, the short boy in red robes waving frantically at Katara as he tried to stop her from bending a large wave of water at the Serpent.

"Aang?!" Katara called out, confusion clear in her voice. "What are you –?"

"Make a giant ice stick!"

"You want to impale the Serpent?!" Sokka spoke up. "That's a great idea!"

"No!" Aang shook his head as he refuted the idea, much to Sokka's confusion. "I have a different idea."

"What are –?"

"Just make a giant ice stick!"

Katara wanted to push for more details, but saw that Aang seemed dead set on whatever plan he had. The waterbender reached out to the waves she had summoned earlier and started bending the water into ice, making a large ice stick as Aang had demanded. Before she could ask what the plan was, the stick was engulfed in a ball of air and Katara was about to remind Aang about exposing his identity to the world when Aang started speaking softly.

"You're not gonna hurt us," for a brief moment everyone aboard was wondering as to who the Avatar was talking to, only to be overcome with a wave of shock when they saw grey eyes staring into the blood-red slits of the Serpent. There was a layer of sweat forming on Aang's forehead. Keeping the airbending up was probably putting a toll on him if his clenched jaw was any indication, making it look like he was trying very hard to keep his small smile from turning into a grimace.

The Serpent seemed frozen for a second at the sight of the stick before tilting its head sideways. It then lowered its head forward, causing everyone to stiffen in anticipation to retaliate against the beast. All, except Aang, who continued to keep the stick airborne while looking at the large reptile with that small smile of his. Then, as if it wasn't confusing enough for the others, the Serpent took a sniff at the airbender, showing no signs of hostility as it had just moments ago.

"That's right," Aang spoke again, his tone calm and soothing and soft as if speaking to a toddler instead of an extremely dangerous creature. "You recognized this, don't you?"

Red orbs blinked at the question, as if understanding the human language. Aang took it as a win. Then, with a heave, he tossed the airball at the Fire Nation ship, the stick inside soaring through the air before slamming onto the deck of their pursuers. Before everyone else could process that, the Serpent dived underwater, its teal scales disappearing below the surface before reappearing next to the Fire Nation Ship as it coiled around the vessel.

Aang watched on with satisfaction as the pursing ship was halted, giving more than ample to escape as he heard Sokka wondering aloud if he should 'thank the universe'.

"Aang," Katara called out, her voice cutting through the slight buzzing inside Aang's head. "How did you come up with the idea of using the ice spike?"

"Percy played fetch with it during our first encounter," He said happily, a warm feeling settling in his stomach as he recalled the time he witnessed Percy somehow wordlessly communicate with the wild creature. "Apparently, he could talk to any creature in the water."

He turned around when he was met with silence, expecting to see gobsmacked looks on his friends' faces at the truth of their friend. Instead, he was greeted by crestfallen looks.

"What's wrong?" Was it something I said?

oOo

The high from the chase died down within the next hour, and Katara was quick to help with changing the bandages wrapping his torso after noticing that it was drenched with sweat. She had made it rather clear that he was not to aggravate his healing wounds, I which meant he was unable to explore the ship. The rest of the day passed like a blur for Aang when he was left to recover in his room.

By himself.

With all the Fire Nation regalia lining the walls and furniture.

So, he did what most teens would do with too much time on their side but with little physical energy to pass the time.

He laid down on his bed and stared blankly at the water droplets forming and dripping from the vent grill that was on the ceiling, pointedly ignoring any sight of any red decorations that reminded him of the enemy. Nor the fact that the ship had seemed to stall, probably meaning that they had docked at a port

There was a knock on the metal door before the swung open, and Aang got up as quickly as his still worn out body allowed him to while his friends filled in. Lying alone in bed for a few hours was starting to get on his nerve more than he would love to admit.

"Hey, Aang!" Toph greeted, seemingly cheery. "We're going into town to find some dinner."

"Well, I am pretty hungry" his stomach rumbled, either in agreement or at the prospect of food. Or both. "Maybe dinner is a good idea."

"Here," Sokka took a step forward and stretched an arm towards him, allowing Aang to see a red strip in the WaterTribesman's hand. "Tie this around your head. It'll cover your arrow."

Grey eyes narrowed at the suggestion to hide his tattoo before darting upwards to meet expectant blue in defiance. "I'm not going out if I can't wear my arrow proudly."

"Aang," A sigh escaped Sokka's lips as he watched his best friend pout and lie back down on his bed, the airbender deliberately facing away from the others. "Come on. Be practical." There was point to hiding the arrow. Aang had just became the secret weapon for the invasion plan, so it was imperative that no one inside the Fire Nation ever notice anything that could hint to the Avatar's survival.

Particularly a teenage boy with a blue arrow tattoo on his forehead.

"You guys go ahead without us," Katara spoke up before Sokka could try to convince Aang with more practicality. "We'll catch up with you."

Seeing no other option on the matter, Sokka conceded to his sister's request and left the room with Toph following just behind.

Once she was certain both Sokka and Toph had left, Katara sat down on the edge of Aang's bed and placed a comforting hand on the airbender's shoulder. "I think I understand why being a secret bothers you so much," she said, her tone soft as blue eyes met solemn grey. "You don't want people to think you failed."

"You're right, I don't," the waterbender tried not to flinch at the edge in Aang's voice as he agreed with her. "But the problem is, I did fail."

"Aang, that's not true."

"It is true," with that, Aang sat up and got off his bed. "I was in Ba Sing Se. I was there! But I lost. And now the Earth Kingdom is fallen for good."

"It's not for good," Katara tried for a smile to lift up the heavy air within the room. "Remember, we still have a plan. The invasion."

"And I hate the invasion plan, too!" the outburst of emotion from the usually cheerful Aang caught Katara off guard and she took a step back, watching on as he grabbed the Fire Nation flag that covered his staff and ripped the fabric off it. "I don't want you or anyone else risking your lives to fix my mistakes! I've always known that I would have to face the Fire Lord. But now I know I need to do it alone."

"Aang, listen to me!" Katara grabbed Aang by his shoulders, but he was adamant about not looking at the girl in front of him. "Don't say that. Percy wouldn't want –"

She stopped herself before she could finish whatever she was about to say, and Aang caught on. Slowly, he turned his head to face her with knitted brows.

"Percy wouldn't want what, Katara?" Normally, Aang would wince at the harshness his tone carried, but he had enough of everyone avoiding his question. "Why are you saying it like he's not here?"

Grey eyes watched as Katara literally flinched at the last few words.

"Katara," Aang's voice was softer, as if pleading with her to answer him. "What happened to Percy?"

Blue eyes refused to meet expectant grey, now glued to her own two feet instead. Dread started filling up Aang's chest and he felt the air around suddenly getting colder with every passing second that silence answered his question despite the room being kept warm with fire.

"Why's everyone avoiding my question?"

"Tch."

Hearing the disapproving sound from a new speaker in the room, Aang and Katara snapped their heads towards the door to see Zuko scowling in the waterbender's direction with his arms crossed. Aang was wide-eyed at how skinny the firebender looked. His cheeks were sunken in, and his skin was paler than he remembered, making his red scar stand out even more. It looked as if he was fading. But the most worrisome part was his good eye. It was almost as red as his scarred skin, and a large dark circle had taken residence underneath.

"You couldn't even tell him the truth," the firebender scoffed.

"He just got up, Zuko!" Katara snapped, and Aang flinched at the sudden outburst.

"He needs to know the truth!!" the Zuko snapped back, the scowl on his face somehow deepening. Aang's eyes darted between the two of them like watching a fast-paced game of airball as he was tempted to remind them that he is also standing in the room, his mind processed Zuko's words.

"Wait, Zuko," Grey eyes landed on the former Prince. "'Truth'?" Aang asked, his tone filled with confusion. "What are you talking about?"

For a moment, the room got hotter as the fire inside blazed for just a second before becoming much smaller than before, but Aang ignored that and watched as Zuko closed his eyes and his body trembled. Is he about to cry? Why is everyone acting so weird today?! The dread in Aang's chest started feeling heavier, and he could even feel it in his throat as it continued to grow. After a torturous eternity of pregnant silence, Zuko opened his mouth to answer with a voice no louder than a whisper.

"Percy's gone, Aang," the oldest teen in the room sounded tiny, refusing to meet the Avatar's eyes by keeping his eyes shut tight. "He did it to protect us. To save you and me."

Aang felt his breath caught in his throat as his mind repeated the message.

Percy's gone?!

He felt Katara approaching to put her hand on his shoulder.

No!

His vision started tunnelling.

Nonononononononono!

He shook his head.

Percy can't be dead!

He didn't want to be near anyone.

He must have gone home!! To his fifth nation!!

He needed air.

This can't be happening!!!

He let out a gush of wind, knocking both Zuko and Katara back.

This is a dream!!!!

Seeing the door, Aang grabbed his staff and dashed out, making a beeline for the exit.

I'm in a nightmare!!!!!

He pushed past everyone in the corridor, unaware of their surprised yelps and Momo trying to follow him.

I just need to wake up!!!!!

He opened the glider and soared into the skies, seeking comfort in the air.

Wake up, Aang!!!!!!

The wind welcomed him with warmth. Yet the familiar feeling did nothing but sting his skin.

Percy's gone...

Tears started streaming down his cheeks as reality dawned upon him.

... and it's all my fault.

And a Merry Christmas to you lot!!