While I gazed out into the sea, enjoying the peaceful cold weather of the South Pole, I heard footsteps coming from behind, though considering my more introverted nature, there could only be a few people from the Southern Water Tribe that would approach Appa and I.
"You're here as well, Aang?" Asked Hina in slight surprise as she approached Aang, wearing a long, thick blue coat that kept her warm amidst the freezing temperatures.
Nodding at Hina, I glanced at her while she sat right next to me, curling into a fetal position as she silently stared out into the sea alongside me.
"Is life stressing you out as well?" Asked Hina softly as she turned and looked at Aang, who raised an eyebrow before glancing at her.
"What makes you think that?" Asked Aang curiously, prompting Hina to point at the snowy ground.
"Just guessing; I usually like to find an isolated spot by the ocean whenever I feel stressed and need to clear my mind. I thought you might be the same." Remarked Hina lightly with a small smile as she glanced at Aang before shifting her focus back out to sea, causing him to hum quietly.
"Hmm, you could say so." Muttered Aang softly as he rubbed his head before releasing a deep sigh, one that Hina knew all too well.
"What's got you stressed out, Hina? University?" Asked Aang lightly as he leaned back, observing the sky before glancing at Hina, who shook her head.
"No, I finished University last year; I've even gotten a respectable and pretty lucrative job in Wolf Cove." Replied Hina with a faint smile as she gave Aang a thumbs-up, causing him to nod, only for her to sigh afterward.
"It's just… My Mother wants me to find a husband." Added Hina with a sigh as she lowered her head between her knees while Aang raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"Do you, perhaps, prefer women over men? I will not judge you if that's the case, but I know far fewer women than I do men, so I can't offer much help." Remarked Aang curiously as he glanced at Hina before softly shaking his head while her face twitched.
"No, I like men, Aang." Said Hina dryly as she scooped up a snowball with her mittens before tossing it at Aang, who lightly nodded.
"Then what is the problem? You're on the smaller side, but you're a beautiful woman; I don't believe you would have trouble finding a good man to marry." Asked Aang in slight confusion as he tilted his head to the side, causing Hina to shake her head lightly.
"I appreciate the compliment, but no, that's not the problem; as a matter of fact, I'm not trying to sound arrogant, but I've had quite a lot of men try to court me." Stated Hina with a smile as she looked at Aang before proudly raising her head while brushing her short brown hair behind her ears.
"However, I've just started my career, and as I've already told you in the past, women are generally looked down on in the Water Tribe. Thankfully, it's not so bad here, nothing like the Northern Water Tribe, but I still want to show that women can do things other than give birth and rear children. We're not just some delicate vases that constantly require protection; we can work, fight, and hunt!" Added Hina with a frown as she clenched her fist while punching the snowy ground, only to sigh afterward.
"Sorry, I got a little too passionate; it's just, with my Mother's constant pressure to find a husband and all the work I've got to do, it's been a little hard these past few months. Though I do feel a little better, maybe I just needed to vent to someone." Remarked Hina with a wry smile as she scratched her cheek while Aang shook his head with a small smile, seemingly unbothered by her venting.
"Yes, I will agree with you on that, Hina; the Northern Water Tribe is a little extreme in that regard. I can understand the reason why they forbid women to fight, but everything else is indeed quite excessive." Muttered Aang with a nod as he looked at the sky, only to notice Hina sporting a mischievous smirk.
"So, speaking of women, Aang, you're 12, right? You should be entering the age where you start to take notice of the opposite gender; so, do you have any crushes on any certain girls? I promise I won't tell." Asked Hina curiously with a smirk as she looked at Aang, who faintly chuckled before shaking his head, causing her to pout.
"The woman for me is out in the world somewhere; I just haven't met her yet." Replied Aang with a faint smile as he stared into the sky with a longing expression, causing Hina to tilt her head in confusion.
"Eh? Well, I hope you find that woman." Said Hina with a friendly smile as she gently patted Aang's back.
"I hope you find the man for you as well. They'll just have to deal with a lot of complaining." Said Aang softly with a faint smirk, his words causing Hina's expression to twitch as she waved her hand, summoning a pillar of water from the ocean before playfully attacking him with it.
Before the water pilar could reach me, I touched my fists, creating a spherical vortex that surrounded me, preventing the icy water from touching me as it was splashing away; however, that might've been a mistake since it ended up drenching a certain someone.
"Grrr!" Said Appa as he snapped his eyes open while growling in annoyance, only for him to lock eyes with Hina, who awkwardly waved.
"Ahh, I-I didn't see you there, Appa; you're looking adorable as usual; w-want some treats?" Asked Hina nervously with a smile as she carefully reached into her pockets while standing up, sweating amidst the freezing temperature.
"She drenched you in water, Appa." Said Aang quietly as he pointed at Hina, who widened her eyes in shock, yet before she could even yell at him, Appa, charged right for her while growling.
"Y-You blockhead, Aang!" Yelled Hina angrily as she ran for her life while a ten-ton sky bison chased behind her.
Watching Appa chase Hina across the snowy hill, I inwardly chuckled, enjoying these moments of peace that I imagined would be hard to come by once the invasion started.
"Haa." Muttered Aang with a sigh as he closed his eyes.
___
___
After I left the South Pole, I headed towards Omashu to spend some time with Bumi, who, despite being the same age as me, easily looked like a teenager, though he kept his madness, so nothing much about him had changed. I spent a day with Bumi, and whenever I visit, it's always a crazy time; still, I had to admit, I never knew what I would get when I visited him; it was like opening a box of chocolates.
Since I was already in the Earth Kingdom, I also visited the Ba Sing Se University and gave a little class about Air-Nomad before spending the rest of the day in the library; once the next passed, I headed straight for my last destination, though I was cutting it a little close.
One week later, I finally arrived in the Fire Nation territory; I did end up visiting Kuzon, though unfortunately, our time was cut short thanks to how xenophobic the Fire Nation has become. Despite it only being four years, Fire Nation civilians weren't as welcoming as before, and whenever they looked at me, it was with contempt and even some anger.
'Sozin is doing a real good job, huh.' Mused Aang with a frown as he gazed at the Island below while Appa casually flew through the sky.
Of course, not everyone was so easily influenced by propaganda, but it didn't really matter since the majority were.
A few more days passed by before I finally arrived at the Fire Nation Capital, which looked far more heavily fortified; however, I didn't try to enter during the day and instead hid in the nearby forest for the rest of the day, and only when night arrived did I dare infiltrate the Captial.
___
___
"Alright, stay here, Appa; if you get found, don't hesitate to flee, okay?" Said Aang sternly as he rubbed Appa's cheek, causing him to growl gently in response.
Nodding with a smile, I patted Appa's head before jerking my bo-staff, turning it into a glider as I leaped into the sky, using the night sky to conceal myself as I flew high into the air, ensuring no one could see me. Nearing the Fire Nation capital on the top of the mountain, I flew straight in without stopping, my destination being the Royal Palace in the distance.
Approaching the palace, I silently landed atop the highest point, which was far away from any eyes and gave me the best vantage point.
Before I actually infiltrated the Royal Palace, I sat down and carefully meditated as I connected to my past incarnations.
"You're really about to do this, huh, Aang?" Asked Roku lightly with a frown as his figure suddenly appeared sitting opposite Aang, who nodded without any hesitation.
"Yes. I have to at least try; I know you failed, and I probably will too, but you and I are different." Replied Aang solemnly while staring at Roku, who nodded with a sigh.
"Haa, well, I'll obviously help; I assume you called me for information about the palace?" Said Roku lightly as he brushed his beard while looking at Aang, who once again nodded.