The Twin Avatars

The Avatars Return

Blurb
An accident results in the twin's explosion from the Southern Water Tribe, and the villagers soon find themselves beset by sinister Prince Zuko.

The flare was still high in the sky when Katara and the twins returned to the village. Almost as soon as they could be seen, most of the children ran towards them crying, "They're back!"

Sokka marched in front of the crowd and started accusing the airbenders, "I knew it! You signaled the Fire Navy with that flare. You're leading them straight to us, aren't you?"

"No offense, Sokka, but you need to cool it. We were exploring the ship and Aang accidentally set off a tripwire," Hikari defended, slightly stepping in front of her brother.

"Katara, you shouldn't have gone on that ship," Gran-Gran said. "Now we could all be in danger."

"Don't blame Katara," Aang said, stepping beside his sister and putting his hands out in an attempt to calm them down. "I brought her there. It's my fault."

He looked down guiltily.

"It was just as much my fault as it is yours," Hikari said to Aang. "I could have stopped us, but I didn't because I was curious, too."

"Aha!" Exclaimed Sokka. "The traitors confess! Warriors, away from the enemies! The foreigners are banished from our village."

The kids reluctantly walked away from their little group and back to Sokka.

"Sokka, you're making a mistake," Katara told her brother.

"No, I'm keeping my promise to dad. I'm protecting you from threats like them."

"Aang and Hikari are not our enemies!" The waterbender shouted back. "Don't you see? They've brought us something we haven't had in a long time: fun."

"Fun? We can't fight firebenders with fun!" Sokka cried, agitated.

"You should try it sometime," Aang suggested.

Hikari lightly hit him upside the head but chuckled regardless.

"Get out of our village, now."

"Grandmother, please," Katara pleaded. "Don't let Sokka do this."

"Katara, you knew going on that ship was forbidden. Sokka is right. I think it best if the airbenders leave."

"Fine, then I'm banished, too," Katara declared, turning and dragging the twins to Appa. "Come on, guys, let's go."

"Where do you think you're going?" Sokka demanded.

"To find a waterbender," Katara answered without turning around. "Aang and Hikari are taking me to the North Pole."

"We are?" The twins asked together. "Great!"

"Katara!" Sokka shouted after her. "Would you really choose them over your tribe? Your own family?"

Katara stopped and only looked up when Aang said, "Katara, we don't want to come between you and your family."

"You need to stay here," his other half added.

"So, you're leaving the South Pole?" Katara asked quietly. "This is good-bye?"

"Thanks for penguin sledding with us," Aang said.

"And for getting us out of that iceberg. I have a feeling Sokka would have left us in there," Hikari added, laughing lightly at her own joke.

"Where will you go?"