The only thing Aang ever felt guilty for was running away. Running from the people who needed him. To be reminded of what his selfishness caused. A Hundred Year War caused by the Fire Nation because he wasn't there to stop it. And everyone was right to accuse him, to hate him. To lose faith on him.

The fisherman was right. He had turned his back to the world and knew he had a lot to do to compensate for that. And he wasn't sure he was doing it right.

Aang sighed heavily, glancing briefly at Katara; beautiful and kind Katara who had been there for him since he woke up in the iceberg from his one hundred year slumber, she who always believed in him. She who had a point. If he had stayed, he could have been killed. The Avatar would have been born in the Water Tribes and the Fire Nation would have killed them too to stop the Avatar Cycle so no one would be there to stop them from winning the war.

But still that didn't stop him from guilt eating at him, from having those nightmares where he could see everyone being disappointed for his actions.

They stayed quiet, Katara looking at him sadly, wanting him to see her point of view, wanting him to see what good he was doing by being there.

However their moment was cut when a woman, the fisherman's wife ran inside the cave, shivering and dripping wet. "Help!" She screeched in fear. Katara and Aang stood, alarmed, turning to her "Oh, please help!"

Katara ran closer, concerned, bringing the woman to sit near the Fire. "It's okay" she soothed as the woman shivered, rubbing her arms, "You're safe"

The woman shook her head, looking up, her eyes full of fear and concern "But my husband isn't"

That brought alarm for the young ones, looking at each other

"What do you mean?" Katana asked. She looked around, suddenly becoming panicky "Where's Sokka?"

"They haven't returned!" The woman answered, breathlessly also looking worried for her husband and the young warrior boy who had idiotically offered his help with an incoming storm "They should have been back by now! And this storm is becoming a typhoon! They're caught out at sea!"

Aang picked up his staff, determined. If there was a way he was going to redeem himself, it was starting with his friend and the person who yelled at him for being gone; he needed to prove to people he was there, that he wasn't going anywhere and this time, he was going to save them, "I'm going to find them!"

Katara jumped, "I'm going with you!"

Aang hesitated, but nodded realizing that she wasn't going to wait there when her brother was in trouble. 

The woman didn't move from the fire, worried but also freezing "I'm staying here"

The young couple nodded, climbing up on Appa

"We'll be back soon" Aang told her. "I promise"

And he was ready to not break his promise. It was time he began to compensate the world for his absence

~8~

The storm was bringing unpleasant memories to Aang as he gripped tightly the reins, glancing up at the thunder and lightning, a wave of something passed through him making him feel wary as he glanced at the lighting reflecting on the dangerous waters and he could sworn something was calling him down there. He shook his head, he didn't need distraction from Avatar stuff right now. He needed to concentrate in saving his friend.

Katara was looking around, worriedly "Where are they?"

"Come on, Appa!" Aang descended Appa closer to the water, managing to find something, pointing "The boat! There!"

Appa flew closer to where Sokka and the fisherman were rocking back and forth on the boat.

"I'm too young to die!" Sokka screamed in fright

"I'm not" The fisherman shouted "But I still don't wanna!"

Aang jumped down onto the boat, bending the water to stop a pole falling down, splitting it in half, throwing a rope toward Sokka and the fisherman who were hugging each other, thinking that was their end. "Hang onto the rope!"

They did as told, looking relieved they were going to be saved, climbing up Appa as Katara and Aang pulled the rope up.

Their moment of relief was soon over when suddenly a big wave hit them, pulling them underwater, throwing them away from Appa.

The shock was enough for Aang to enter the Avatar State, bending the water around them, pulling them together, creating an air sphere to protect them from drowning. A light from behind him made him tilt his head, turning to face another figure with their fists together and with glowing eyes, just like the Avatar's that made Aang throw his hand forward instinctively, bending the water near the other figure, bringing them closer to him and his friends for safety. While Aang wasn't exactly conscious of his acts, his spirit recognized the one of the figure, and he himself had just promised he wasn't going to let anyone get hurt.

Katara gasped as she saw the figure moving, and she could have sworn she saw their eyes glowing before the glow disappeared and the figure, now realizing was of a girl, closed her eyes, posture slacking once she touched Appa's fur, picking her up before she could fall again as Aang flew them up and away from the storm.

~8~

Once they got back to the cafe safely and the fisherman apologizing for the way he reacted, gave him fish and Aang finally realizing of the impact of Katara's words, he knew he no longer was going to get nightmares, he smiled. However, there was just another issue.

The three teens turned to the girl they had saved in curiosity and of course, Sokka was the first to voice his suspicions

"She gotta be a Fire Nation spy" Sokka sniffed, fixing the unconscious girl with a glare.

"Come on, Sokka" Katara groaned in frustration, gesturing at the unconscious girl. "Is someone from the Earth Kingdom willing to be a spy for their enemy?"

Aang tilted his head as he examined the girl. Her clothes were typical attire he had seen on people from the earth Kingdom, the green looked even more obscure due to the water clinging to her clothes and her hair was long, braided to side and a black coal. Her skin had a tinge of white, 'she must be freezing', Aang thought in worry, but he figured she wasn't as pale as he had seen Fire Nation citizens. And if he were to guess, the girl was going to have bright green eyes. Or he hoped so, if not  Sokka's theory wouldn't be so wrong.

Katara walked closer to the girl, kneeling next to her, and noticing the way she seemed to be breathing, it was as if she couldn't, her eyebrows were furrowed as if in a struggle and it took her a moment to realize why. She had been in the water way before they were. She gasped, hovering a hand atop her chest, fingers spread and her eyes widened in panic as she could feel the pull of water inside her. She bended the water she could feel in the girl's lungs as she could notice a small tinge of blue in her lips, quickly putting the water out.

The girl spasmed, coughing the water violently once Katara brought it back to her mouth and she rolled over, coughing and wheezing, desperately reaching for the much needed oxygen. The teens noticed the way she placed her hands on the rocky ground, flat and unmoving.

Aamg tilted his head; Earthbender?

Katara slowly rubbed the girl's back, helping her breathe and to know she wasn't alone "It's okay" she spoke softly as to not frighten her. "You're okay. You're no longer in danger"

The girl tensed, prompting Katara to pull her hand away as she sensed the unease from the girl. 

Sokka scoffed, rolling his eyes as if the action proved his suspicions "Isn't that suspicious?" He began walking closer, hand reaching to touch her shoulder when the girl jumped, whirling around and catching his hand mid air. The sudden move was familiar to Aang;

She moved fast and agile as an airbender; Aang gaped in sorrow. His past was everywhere.

He glanced at the girl, her wide green eyes were frightened as she held onto Sokka's wrist as he began to trash against her stormy grip making him yell in pain and accuse her of being a spy.

"Sokka!" Katana snapped, pulling Sokka away from the girl as she let go of him, crawling backwards. Her fingers at her sides twitched and Aang smiled cautiously; is she trying not to bend? He jumped lightly and noticed the way her eyebrows furrowed lightly in confusion as she looked at where he was a moment ago; can she tell where I was? Aang thought in excitement as he landed in front of her, hands raised, letting her know he wasn't going to hurt her, smiling as he ignored the bickering of the water Tribe siblings, already used to them

"I'm sorry for Sokka" Aang told her softly, noticing the way she stared at him silently in shock. "He's wary of everyone new. I'm just glad you're okay. You gave us a good scare" He met her eyes and a wave of recognition hit him. Did they know each other? He had the feeling of so. The girl seemed to feel the same as her muscles, relaxed somewhat, eyes flickering to his arrow and back to his face, still in shock "Do we know each other?" Aang asked, cocking his head, trying to remember if he befriended anyone else from Bumi from Omashu or somewhere close by. The girl gulped, hands stretching behind her making Aang take a step away from her, awkwardly "Doesn't matter then. My name's Aang!"

The girl's eyes widened more if possible in shock as she gaped at him

Aang smiled at the action; surely because she hadn't seen a monk before, right? Aang pointed behind him, toward Sokka and Katara "And those are my friends, Katara and Sokka"

At the sound of their names, the siblings stopped their bickering turning to face their friend and the earth Kingdom girl. Katara smiled kindly, concerned for her state while Sokka only stared at her in discontent, suspiciously.

The girl could only stare at them in shock, seeming to murmur to herself something Aang was briefly able to make out "Korra, what did you do?'  

Aamg rocks in his heels, innocently "What's your name?"

The girl slowly turned to face him, a glint of recognition in her eyes, something he could feel as well and the intrigue was killing him. He wanted to know why he felt like he recognized her and from where.

"Avani" the girl answered, straightening up and seeming more confident. Aang smiled, that was more of an Earth Kingdom person. "When am I?" The girl -Avani- looked around, confusion swirling on her green eyes.

"Don't you mean where?" Katara asked

Avani pursed her lips, a sheepish expression flashing in her features for a moment before disappearing, nodding slowly "Yeah, that's what I meant"

"More like, what were you doing in the middle of a storm?" Sokka narrowed his eyes, pointing at her accusingly. Avani turned to him calmly, titling her head aside "You're a Fire Nation spy, are you? You're following us"

Avani seemed amused, coughing slightly "Paranoid" she murmured, but only Aang seemed to hear her, smile growing in amusement. "It's a long story. Um, people was following me" she shrugged, and while her words seemed sincere, Aang couldn't help but feel she was holding back on the truth. "Something pushed me to the water, but...there wasn't a storm when I fell"

Katara frowned "The storm came out of nowhere"

Avani looked up, suddenly seeming annoyed as she sighed, "Spirits?" She suggested. Katara and Sokka turned to Aang immediately, who cringed at their expressions. Avani tilted her head in confusion "Why are you looking at him like that? Can he talk to them?"

Aang scratched the back of his head as he hesitantly met the expectant gaze of the girl, her eyes seemed to sparkle with hidden knowledge, a knowledge he was told he had once upon a time. "You could say that, um.. I'm the Avatar"

"Wait..." Avani scattered the her feet. Standing she didn't look as taller, maybe around Aang's height. "You're the Avatar?"

Aamg nodded "Yeah, I am"

Avani seemed to relaxed immediately, like a weight falling from her shoulders, "Good" Aang, Sokka and Katara looked at her in shock. Avani fidgeted, grinning awkwardly "It was time you showed up to save us from, uh..."

"The Fire Nation, I know" Aang sighed heavily, the weight that seemed to be lifted on her shoulders was now on him. Avani looked at him sympathetically and again, Aang had the feeling she knew more than she let on.

"I have the feeling you're going to win" Avani told him confidently.

Aang smiled slightly, maybe some cheering works in my favor. "Thank you Avani"

Avani smiled