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"Wha- Hey! Why did you do that for?!"

Sokka proceed to grumbled and dramatically pointed accusingly at [Name] who recently threw an azure clothing directly towards at his face, of course, he wasn't satisfied by the sudden actions whereas Katara and Aang released a fit of amused chuckles from seeing the scene unfold, though Aang were more amused by the exasperatedly complaints escaped from the older male.

"Hold up, is this a dress?" Sokka inquired as he spread out the clothing material in his grasps and flickered his confuzzled gaze between dull [Name] and the etiquette traditional dress.

"Oh, right! The bet!" Katara enlightened, her smile stretched across her cheeks and turned her head to other female companion who only nodded her head in response, "Thanks, [Name]! I almost forgot about the bet, thanks again for remembering it"

"You know, for someone who has lost their memory, you easily remembered such little things" Sokka sighed, slumping his shoulders in utter defeat and playfully roll his eyes. Katara spare a hardened glare to her brother before elevating her arm to smack him on his head with brute force along with strings of infuriated scolding- immediately, he flinched, rubbing the area where he had been hit, "Okay. I totally deserved that, sorry [Name]"

"Hmm... Try it on" [Name] blinked, though she was slightly offended by his previous statement but urgently masked it by her nonchalant expressions, thinking it was unnecessary.

Sokka's face bloomed red, "Wait, now?!"

Rolling her sapphire hues to the side in annoyance by the way of her brother thinking whilst [Name] could only tilted her head and arched her eyebrow in a perplexity manner, utterly oblivious to what he meant. Katara leaned forward to her brother, "You can still have your clothes underneath it, you genius"

"Oh, right" He dragged the last word and quickly nodded his head in agreement and understanding, his tinted cheeks slowly faded away as he begun to examine the elegant dress, it looks way too fancy for [Name]'s taste of certain fashion- at least that's what he assumed. Sokka stood up and placed the dress above his own clothing, loosely framing his slender figure, his stretched his arm upward from the sleeves, immediately intrigued by the smooth fabric, "Hey! I like the fabric, It's soft!"

Katara lifted her hand and traced her exposed fingertips between the sleeve clothing with her thumb and index finger, she too, was drawn by the fabric, "Yeah, it is soft! It feels special and out of the ordinary than any clothing"

"Let me see!" Aang shifted his torso around to see Sokka standing above the saddle and holding the edge of it for support, he couldn't touch the fabric like any of his companions do but he was please by the looks of the dress from first glimpse, the clothing practically screamed exquisite, "It looks recherché! I mean, if it wasn't Sokka trying it on"

"Wow thanks, Aang" Sokka sarcastically uttered, turned over his shoulder to send a glare towards the young airbender who only emitted nervous chuckles and turned back to the sky, stating few compliments to the dress that may or may not downright offended the southern tribe male earning another chortle from Katara as he instinctively glared to his sister.

"But seriously though" Katara continued to traced the clothing of the azure dress, it was soothe compared to her own calloused fingertips and rotated her attention to [Name] who was naturally quiet during the scenario, "I didn't know you were into these type of dresses, [Name]. It looks fancy than any dress I laid my eyes on"

[Name] idly shrugged her shoulders, "Technically, that's not my dress. It's Yue's"

By the mention of the unexpected name, her companions went stiff and the siblings exchanged unreadable gazes before averted it towards [Name] who is only unfazed by mentioning her deceased friend's name and heaved a sigh, "And no, I didn't steal it. Yue knew I only had belittle clothing at the time and gave and bought me plenty of clothes as a gift. That dress, however, is the one of the few that I was reluctant to accept since it looks way exclusive than my natural taste of fashion but she insisted and I couldn't bare to say no to her"

Katara dubiously questioned whilst Sokka averted his gaze away and knitted his eyebrows, "Did you or Yue wore this dress?"

The impassive female hummed as she momentarily pondered, "She wore it one time but it was too loose for her and she asked me for wear it and I hesitantly approved. That's when she realized it looks better on me, gave some.. nice words and I guess that's the only time I wore it, though I still tucked it in in my closet rather than threw it away since Yue gave that one to me. Practically, I kept all the clothes she gave and bought me- of course, I wasn't too keen to letting her spoil me and only bestowed me few gifts on special occasions"

"Really? Then what do you gave her?" Katara asked once again.

A small smile twitched upward on [Name]'s lips by the thought but swiftly tugged it to a thin line, "Ice sculptures. Nothing special but she kept it in her bedroom as decorations, you know, sculptures like Tui and La fishes and a few designs she liked"

Her female companion flashed her a smile full of sympathy, "Wow, you two are really close, huh? Almost sounds like sisters"

"Something like that, we were friends for four years ever since I had arrived at the North Pole" [Name] mindlessly answered, she recently noticed on how oddly quiet Sokka has become, avoiding such eye contact and pull downward her lips to a deeper frown upon realizing it. The unpredictable name was drastically decrease the atmosphere between them and she could clearly smell the scent of despondent through it, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't mentioned her. I know you and the princess had some shared feelings to one another"

"No, don't be" Sokka now lifted his head to came in contact to her tedious hues, seriousness planted above his features before slowly subsided it with a small yet genuine smile, "You two have more deep friendship compared to mine with hers. I've only met her like days and yet I quickly fall for her but the two of you were inseparable since you've known each other for years and now she's..."

"She sacrificed herself to become the moon spirit" Katara continued the statement where her brother couldn't mustered to finished it and rest her hand onto his clothed back in significance of a comfort manner before turning her attention to the silent female once again, "You two have the right to be emotional, it's okay"

"Yeah... you've only met her for days but you were close to her and I understand that" [Name] lowered her voice to a murmured but it was enough for the siblings to hear as they both smile in sadness from the previous statement. [Name] shifted her gaze to the gap between them and saw Aang remained quiet throughout the course of their conversation but the guilt mixture of forlorn accelerated above the air, now aware where the majority of the scent emitted from, "Is Aang alright?"

The siblings quickly turned around towards Aang's direction in an apprehensive demeanor. Before Katara could have her motherly instincts plopped in and was about to ask the same question, the young Air Nomad rotated his head over his shoulders whilst giving his companions a stretched genuine smile accompanied by knitted eyebrows closely to one another, "I'm alright, guys. There's nothing to be worry about me. I was just little stiff when I hear Yue's name, that's all"

Twitching her sensitive nose to smell the scent, now knowing he was particularly half-lying about his answer but the sadness from before decelerate and became more faint to her relief but nonetheless it was remained present, too late to address it when Katara instantaneously gave Aang few strings of soft reassurance as to which he gleefully respond and kindly gave in.

Despite her to tedious exterior, they were many thoughts full of uncertainty conquered each of [Name]'s mind, especially the departure of Yue. Of course, it wasn't easy to let her go considering of how many events they have done together- it was most likely [Name] stumbling into a jumble of mess and Yue ended up helping her to fix it. But she knew she had to step aside her mental emotions, knowing it would only a burden to her. Her sole duty was utterly important to the world even though she never asked to take it but there is no other choice and to face her journey.

After the short conversation between them, Sokka abruptly stepped in and said along the lines of quoting his sister that girls are as capable as guys as to which [Name] silently agreed to the statement since herself had an experience of being discriminated regarding of her gender and resulting of her roughly punching them to her relief and entertainment.

"Hmm? What's that?" Katara feigned to inquire, leaning towards her brother and rest her palm at the side of her ear.

Sokka sighed, "I said, girls are just as capable and strong as men and shouldn't be look down to"

"Goodness, you really need to be lively than that. You sound like an emotionless freak" [Name] commented, not quite please by Sokka's current personality and Katara beamed as she swiftly agreed.

"You're the one to talk!" Sokka proceeded to complain but [Name] maintained her unfazed composure and carelessly shrugged her shoulders earning another series of groan emitted from him and repeated in a more feign enthusiastic manner, "Girls are just as capable and strong as men and shouldn't be discriminated-"

"Eh, wrong" [Name] mimicked a buzz sound and yawned, dismissing the nasty glare at her direction, "Try again, that was faker than Pakku trying to support me weeks ago"

"But I-"

"I'm not repeating myself"

Sokka created unnecessary movements as he grumbled in slight rage underneath his breath. Katara attempted to hold back her laughter upon witnessing her brother's actions and watched him repeat the statement in more genuine determine one, "Females are as capable and strong as men are, and shouldn't be discriminated because of their gender-"

"Ew, no. Try again"

"What?! No way! I-"

"No"

━━━━━━ ◦ ❖ ◦ ━━━━━━

"Welcome, Avatar Aang!"

Upon arriving the place where they were instructed to land, the general promptly welcome the expected guests with open arms accompanied by armored earthbenders men behind his figure. They all hopped out from the enormous bison and began to observing their pristine surroundings, bestowing the older man with raw smiles excluding from [Name], though the general was slightly taken aback when he first saw Sokka in a dress.

"I am General Fung and welcome to all of you great heroes-" He arched his arms towards each person that he mentioned, "Appa, Momo, brave Sokka, Mighty Katara and [Name]"

Whereas others found themselves quite satisfied by the General addressed them, [Name] deliberately narrowed her in slight distaste by how he only belittle nor barely acknowledge her, though she wasn't entirely to be the person that is desperate to have some ounce of attention glued to her but not received honorable mentions like her friends like is somewhat unfair to [Name]- heck even both Momo and Appa sounds more honorable than her own.

"Mighty Katara? I think I can work with that" A smug smile climbed to Katara's features as she crossed her arms.

Abruptly, fireworks enfulged and erupted upward to the sky as to which [Name] instinctively winced by the sudden sound that boomed throughout the atmosphere whilst others were astonished and gasped by it, the taller female silently grimaced, not familiar of the so called fireworks as she recoiled each piercing sound that soared upon the sky.

In the corner of his eyes, Aang noticed [Name]'s shrunken figure and wrapped her arms around her in a sense of comfort. He frowned by the reaction and walked the slight frightened female, "Hey, are you okay?"

"Not entirely" Subconsciously reaching her bracelet and intertwine her finger around it, "I'm just new to this, that's all"

....

Soon enough, they were brought to the main councils where they could discuss their potential plans and whatnot, the siblings place themselves behind the peacemakers as they sat and observe throughout their surroundings, their interior practically danced with natural Earth Kingdom architecture as to which [Name] never seen before, she most likely gazed to the designs with awe despite no emotion graced upon her features.

The general neatly plopped himself behind the desk and tucked the papers beside that once scattered all over the table, he cleared his throat. His voice snapped [Name] back to reality once he speaks.

"Avatar Aang, we are all amazed at the stories of you single-handedly wiped out the entire navy fleet at the north pole" He uttered in a grateful tone, earning subtle exchange between the siblings as Aang lifted an eyebrow in confusion whilst [Name] blinked nonchalantly, "I can't imagine what it feels like to wield such devastating power It's an responsibility"

"Um, I didn't do it single-handedly. I have a friend to also guide me, Embodier [Name]" The young airbender pointed the person besides him with his open palm whereas [Name] narrowed her gaze and could feel twinge of repugnance kicking back in, "And we try not to think about it too much"

Fung shifted his eyes to the silent female, "Ah, my apologies Embodier [Name]"

"..." [Name] sullenly blinked and pierce her dull hues onto his soul causing the general to be mentally shrunk by the unwavering stare yet dismissed it and gained his composure.

He averted back to the young male, "Avatar and Embodier, you're both ready to face the FireLord now"

Aang emanated a shriek sound, taken aback by the unpredictable statement, "Huh? What?!"

"How exciting" [Name] spoke in her natural monotone surfaced over her voice, "I knew the slit throat technique could be useful someday"

"[Name], no" Katara leaned forward to slightly nudged the taller female's shoulders indicating to scold her before diverting her attention back to the older male behind the desk, "Aang and [Name] still needs to master all four elements"

Glowered at the young acquaintances, Fung began to push few reasonable explanation and pointed his index fingers at Aang, "Why? With the kind of power they possess, power enough to destroy hundreds of battleships in a matter of minutes, he could defeat the Fire Lord now!"

"I didn't came here to be disrespected" The Northern Pole female maundered underneath her breath as her voice sounds like spitting venom, noticing that he only addressed the young airbender at his last statement, though it was incoherent to her companions and choose to ignore it.

Sokka piped in and raising his hand, "Sir, the thing is Aang and [Name] can only do those things when they're in Avatar and Embodier State"

Aang momentarily pondered before explaining, "You see, it's this special state where-"

"I'm well aware, your eyes and tattoos glow and you're able to summon unbelievable power" The general push further back to stood up from his seat and ambulate his way to the bulletin board when a map is located, "Without you, we'd be slaughtered before we even reach their shores but with you leading the way, as the ultimate weapon, we could cut a swath right through to the heart of the Fire Nation"

[Name] rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest, "Right, but we don't know how to get in or out of our powerful state"

"Yeah, much less what to do once we're there" Aang continued, trading brief glances to one another and [Name] shrugged her shoulders in a silent response.

"So it's decided, then" He turned his heels around to meet them once more, a determination plastered over his face, "I'll help you figure out how to get into the Avatar State and Embodier State then you'll face your destiny"

"No" [Name] impassively declined, abruptly stood up from her seat as the others quickly followed pursuit.

"Nothing's decided, we already had a plan. Aang and [Name] are pursuing their destiny their way" Katara objected the idea, sending a glare of fury towards the General.

"Well, while you take your time learning your elements, the war goes on May I show you something?" And with that, Fung walked away, his steps were purposely slow to enough for the two peacemakers to trail behind in Aang's worried and hesitance and in [Name]'s downright dismay.

He lead them to a tall window that is enough to display and witness the entirety of the view, Aang and [Name] stepped in front, following the General's peripheral view and saw a tent with injured men surrounding it, "That's the infirmary and those are the lucky ones, they came back. Everyday, the fire Nation takes lives, people are dying, Aang. You could end it now!"

Her discontented for the man rapidly increased upon the situation, sparing a glance to him and narrowed her eyes ti be seen as a infuriated glare, choose to dismissed the faint smell of blood before her, "Yeah, guilt trip us. That'll help to bring us to our powerful State"

He quickly shook his in disagreement, attempting to maneuver his aura as an intimidating one but [Name] maintained unaffected, "No [Name], this isn't just pity guilt tripping. This is actual war taking innocent and brave lives out there, imagine people suffering in the hands of the Fire Nation"

Certainly, [Name] felt sympathy towards the injured men before them and mentally hope for any fortune for them to heal back but nonetheless, the boiling embitter within her accelerated for using this as a guilt for them to hurriedly finish the war. There could be consequences if she and Aang couldn't fully master the four elements and just straight up confront the Fire Lord without the control of their own powerful state. They couldn't manifested their state with force and they knew this but somehow the General was blind by eagerness.

Whereas the young female was enraged, Aang- being the soft-hearted one between them- felt extreme empathy and guilt for the afflicted men before him. The view was aching him inside, knowing that there is truly other people are encountering a painful experience during at the events of the war, he knew the feeling of losing someone he deeply cared and admired for but he was aware that he wasn't the only one to endure that.

Upon whiffing a scent of contriteness explore and infiltrated her nostrils, [Name] shifted her attention towards the young boy who remained his stare at the area of injured men. She slightly knitted her eyebrows closely to one another- maybe his plan wasn't working on her but surely it was on Aang instead. She acknowledged that he has deep and genuine remorse of people out there stranger or not but she thought he was smarter than this, to know he couldn't be fall to a trap of this perharps crazy man, though truthfully he could blame him for having such commiseration.

Heaving a exasperated sigh, [Name] glared at the general once more before tugging Aang's clothe wrist and turned away, thankfully the young airbender didn't prostest but maintained his small silence, "Hmmm, Sure. Come on, Aang"

And with that they left the General whom returned the glare towards [Name]'s figure, murmured beneath his breath that they couldn't audibly hear, "No wonder others favour the Avatar than the Embodier"

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[3264 words]

Apologies for the filler, I was planning this for a chapter for Avatar State but since that might take a while and too long than my ordinary chapter length, I decided to separate it.