A/N: I decided to increase everyone's ages by two years from canon. So Aang is 14, Aratak is 16, and Sukka and Zuka are 17-18.

Aratak had fully redressed and slumped back against the wall in resignation before he realized the meaning behind Zuka's expression. He had been too distracted by racing thoughts, conflicted feelings, and a frustrated internal debate on whether or not to finish himself off in the wake of their so-called interrogations. It was actually the sound of Sukka screaming that alerted him to the fact that the prison door was slightly ajar.

Zuka left it open on purpose. She wants me to follow her… again.

He burst into the corridor in tandem with another one of Sukka's shrieks. From the sound of things, she couldn't be too far away. He passed two locked metal doors similar to his own cell, but the third door was wooden and unlocked. He stood poised at the threshold and listened for a few seconds, but when he heard nothing, he slowly turned the doorknob.

"Sukka?"

A red-haired woman with smudged white makeup quickly turned and splayed a golden fan across her otherwise naked body. Aratak thought she might be the Kyoshi Warrior who had taken Sukka for questioning, but he couldn't be sure. Whoever was in the bed behind her had pulled a blanket over his head. No—her head—Aratak realized when he saw the slender tan legs wrapped around the other woman's midsection.

"S-s-sorry." He was out of the room faster than it took him to say the word.

Surely not. It couldn't be…

As it turned out, wood doors did very little to block out sound.

"Did that ruin the moment?" Aratak heard the woman say. "Your brother walking in on us like that?"

He held his breath for what seemed like minutes, but only a few seconds passed before Sukka answered, "Fuck no. Suki, pleeeeeeease. Don't stop. Ahhhhh. Fuck. Yes, like that. Ahhhhhh!"

Aratak stared dumbly at the door, frozen with indecision. If this Suki were a guy, then he'd barge right back in there and demand he leave his sister alone. But why did he feel less protective about it being a girl? Why was it different… and maybe a little bit OK… and perhaps even a little fascinating? NOT the part about it being his sister, of course. But he could use some tips for going down on a girl.

Oh, for the love of tui and la, why me?

He shook his head vigorously and vowed never to think about his sister's sexual encounters ever again.

So, Sukka is into girls? Hmm, Aang is not going to take this well.

Aratak decided it was time to leave the building. Perhaps the island, too.

Outside, however, he was met with a flurry of activity. He had momentarily forgotten about the announcement of a Fire Nation ship's arrival. Judging by the way everyone was shutting down their shops and hiding behind closed doors, it wasn't friendly fire, either. Not that it ever was—except in his case. And with the Fire Nation, always came conflict—especially in his case.

What… happened between us?

Whatever it was, it had happened three times now. And just as Aratak was beginning to think maybe it actually meant something, he decided it must have been a simple diversion for the Fire Princess. Zuka had… bigger issues... other options... potential problems. As he watched and listened from behind an abandoned food stall, suddenly Aratak didn't want to know the answers to his questions anymore.

A fierce-looking man approached with a small faction of guards trailing him and announced in a booming voice that he was Commander Zhao. He had been sent by the Fire Lord to find his long lost daughter and bring her home.

"Badger bullshit." Zuka stood her ground flanked by a host of Kyoshi Warriors. The older Fire Nation woman—Aunt Ira?—placed a hand on her niece's arm and gave her a wary look. Aratak could also tell this man should not be trifled with, and he silently pleaded with Zuka to heed the warning.

"I see you still maintain the fine etiquette as a noblewoman of the court, my lady," Zhao said through gritted teeth as he bowed.

"I am no noblewoman. I am the princess and heir to the throne. And you know it, Commander," Zuka retorted.

Heir? Can a woman really be Fire Lord?

"I know that your father wishes for you to find a suitable husband before you take your place on the throne. Surely no noble man will tolerate such manners," Zhao seethed.

"I don't need a man," Zuka mumbled.

"Sadly, you do, my lady," Zhao said with a sinister smile. "But I think I can help you. I have gained favor with your father in my many successful conquests as naval commander. In fact, I should be promoted to admiral soon."

"That's nice. So, why don't you carry on, then?" Zuka waved a hand in a dismissive manner.

"Oh, you mean take Kyoshi Island?" His grin broadened.

"No…" she gasped.

"It would be a great victory. The Kyoshi Warriors are a formidable force and pose a threat to the Fire Nation."

"But they are my—" Zuko stiffened as she choked on her words.

In the strained silence that passed, Aratak searched for any sign of Aang. His Avatar-ness would be helpful right about now. And where was Sifu Suki? Wasn't she the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors? He closed his eyes, trying not to think about what other service she might be offering at the moment. He then heard Zuka's voice, soft, yet firm, and her statement shook him to his very core.

"If I go with you, will you leave everyone else alone?"

No, Zuka, don't do this! Aratak's eyes shot open, and he jolted forward, but something—someone—stopped him.

Just as he saw Aunt Ira lean in to say something to Zuka, Aratak felt a hand grip his elbow to pull him back.

"It's OK. It's what she wants," Suki said.

Aratak looked questioningly between the woman and his sister who had suddenly emerged beside him.

"I overheard her and Lady Ira talking on the ship," Suki continued. "Zuka needs a prospective husband to prove her worthiness to her father and for the throne. This man, Zhao—he's terrible, but he's probably as good as any. It's her only way home."

"But maybe she doesn't want to go home!" Aratak protested.

"Where else would she go? To the South Pole with you?" Sukka interjected with a smirk.

"No. I just—" I can't bear the thought of her getting hurt again.

He glanced back toward Zuka, and the all-too-familiar pain glistened in her golden eyes. While Fire Nation guards began to escort her away, she desperately scanned the agitated crowd, the abandoned village, the darkened sky…

She's waiting to be rescued. Maybe she thinks Aang will come.

But Aratak knew she was really looking for him. And there was nothing he could do.

"Hey guys! What did I miss?" Aang said brightly as he plopped down in front of the spread of desserts Suki had served after dinner to lift everyone's spirits.

Aratak only glowered at the Avatar, trying to blame his fourteen-year-old friend for the evening's unfortunate events.

"Aang, why are you just wearing your underwear?" Sukka asked in between bites of her cream puff.

The boy simply gestured at his half-naked self and shrugged, although the pink that rose to his cheeks contradicted his attempt at nonchalance. "This isn't my underwear. It's what I swim in. I went to go ride the elephant koi this afternoon. And got chased by the unagi! So, uhh... sorry I missed dinner. But at least I made it in time for the best part!"

"Convenient." Aratak huffed.

"Oh come on, Aratak, stop sulking." Sukka unceremoniously poked him with a chopstick. "It's not Aang's fault that your girlfriend ran off with someone else."

"She's NOT my girlfriend. And she didn't run off with him. He took her away!"

Aang's eyes went wide. "Are you guys talking about Zuka?"

"No!" Aratak snapped.

"Yes!" Sukka said at the same time.

Aang furrowed his brow and looked back and forth between the two siblings. Sukka simply picked up another cream puff and popped it in her mouth. Aratak knew they owed their friend an explanation, but he wasn't sure he understood everything himself. It was, in a word… confusing.

Girls are confusing.

Aratak and Aang had shared that sentiment before, and it was about to get even more confusing for the young Avatar. The awkward silence stretched from seconds to minutes before Suki finally entered the scene and settled down on the floor beside Sukka. She nestled her chin on the other girl's shoulder and sighed contentedly.

Now who is whose girlfriend, huh?

Aang tilted his head to the side as if another vantage point would offer clarity of the situation. "Hey Sifu Suki. What's going on?"

Suki interlaced her fingers with Sukka's, and Aang visibly gulped as he stared hard at their adjoined hands. Aratak rolled his eyes and was just about to dismiss himself from this little love triangle, but Suki's next words pierced him like ice.

"Aang, remember when Zuka was talking about how she needed to find a powerful husband to return home to the Fire Nation? It sounded like she was hinting that it should be you. I was planning to warn you, but things got pretty busy once we arrived with Governor Oyaji and all. But it doesn't matter now, because a prestigious Fire Nation naval commander made her an offer instead."

"No way. Zuka wouldn't want to marry me," Aang said while shaking his head.

"No way. Zuka wouldn't want to marry Zhao," Aratak said almost simultaneously.

"Zhao? I've heard of that guy." Aang shuddered. "I wouldn't exactly call him prestigious. More like ruthless."

Sukka sighed. "They are all ruthless, Aang. They're Fire Nation."

She then reached for yet another cream puff. Aratak huffed again, noting that his sister's capacity for sweets rivaled her affinity for meat. Of course, Water Tribe women were expected to have hearty appetites—something about having enough fat to feed babies through harsh winters. And a Water Tribe man knew better than to make a comment about his woman's weight—unless he wanted to be left out in the cold himself. The gender roles were interesting in the South Pole, Aratak reflected. The men often held leadership positions and could be influential at best, but the women were essentially in control. That seemed to sum up his encounters with Zuka, too, but it would be stupid to assume her culture was the same.

I wonder what it's like in the Fire Nation. Are they really all ruthless? Do the women have to be married to be considered worthy?

He knew Zuka liked to be in control. But he also knew she felt unworthy. Perhaps she was a princess without a place. A rebel restrained by her royalty. A star suspended between sky and sea, ready to guide, but unable to shine.

But she is radiant to me.

Aratak shook himself from his thought trance just in time to catch end of Suki's statement, "That's why she offered to help us find the Avatar."

"What was that?" he asked. "Who wanted to find the Avatar?"

Aang answered this time. "The Kyoshi Warriors. Governer Oyaji said the eyes of Avatar Kyoshi's statue were glowing on the Winter Solstice. He thought she was trying to contact the new Avatar."

"And Lady Ira said she intercepted a message from the Fire Sages that Avatar Roku's statue also glowed that night," Suki interjected. "So, when Zuka set out on her quest to find a husband, Lady Ira suggested they search for the Avatar."

Aratak tapped a finger lightly against his chin. "The Winter Solstice. That was when—" He shot a look at Sukka, and she nodded in affirmation.

He then turned to Aang. "So, have you talked to Avatar Kyoshi or Avatar Roku? The Solstice was months ago."

"Not since I was in the Spirit World. I tried to explain to Governor Oyaji what happened in the South Pole on the Solstice, but he seems to think I can just contact Avatar Kyoshi whenever I want. But I can't. They said I was ready for this, but I just don't know…" Aang bit his lip and looked apprehensively at Sukka. She gave him her usual smile of reassurance, and at this, he relaxed his shoulders and let out the breath he had been holding.

It was a lot of pressure for a fourteen-year-old especially since most Avatars didn't even find out their appointment until age sixteen. But there hadn't been an Avatar in nearly a hundred years, and somehow Aratak and Sukka became part of Aang's unique story on that fateful day—when darkness claimed the sky, and a different kind of light took away the sun's stage.

A/N: So the iceberg thing didn't happen. Something else did, and all will be explained. Even Aunt Ira's role in all this. Even why Master Pakku refused to train Aang...