Percy Jackson and that kid in the iceberg

Sokka tries to eat a lemur (Percy)

Aang was right. The air temple was beautiful.

Unfortunately, it was also empty. The three of us had tried to warn him about this. To my knowledge (which wasn't exactly impressive) the Air Nomads were extinct. How I wasn't sure, the details were fogging. Probably something involving the fire nation though. I wasn't surprised to find the place abandoned.

Aang was.

"This place used to be full of monks and lemurs and bison. Now there's just a bunch of weeds," he said. "I can't believe how much has changed."

I could. While Sokka distracted Aang with more ways to humiliate him, I pulled Katara aside.

"What are we going to do when he finds out?"

"Nothing," Katara saw the look I was giving her and bit her lip. "I don't know. Maybe he doesn't have to find out."

"We all know the chances of that happening."

"Oh, Percy," she sighed. "I swear sometimes you're as bad as Sokka."

"Why, because I'm realistic?"

"Because you're cynical."

"I'm pretty sure those are the same thing."

"Ugh," she threw up her hands.

At that moment we were both distracted though. Sokka had been playing airball with Aang, a game that apparently only Airbenders could play. It had ended with Sokka face first in a pile of snow.

"Making him feel better is putting me in a world of hurt," Sokka grumbled.

As he got up, the snow shifted, revealing a helmet—a fire nation helmet. The three of us looked at each other.

"Fire Nation," Katara said softly.

"We should tell him." Sokka declared.

"Aang!" Katara called. "There's something you need to see."

"Okay!"

Katara looked at Aang, so cheerful and happy, and back at the helmet. Her expression shifted. She made a quick, decisive movement and pulled snow down on the helmet. And on Sokka as well.

"What is it?" Aang asked.

"Uh ... Just a new waterbending move I learned," Katara said.

Aang grinned. "Nice one. But enough practicing, we have a whole temple to see!"

"You know," Sokka said as he ran off. "you can't protect him forever."

Katara didn't answer. Instead, she pressed her lips together in a thin line and followed Aang.

"What's up with her?" I asked Sokka. "He's going to find out at some point."

"She knows that," Sokka's voice was heavy. "She just wants him to stay happy for a little while longer."

We followed her to the center of the temple. It must have been a magnificent place once, with its turrets and towers. Frozen fountains, cracked and weathered, still maintained their ancient beauty. The walls were engraved with battered figures, weeds towered over the once lacquered tiles, and the carved railings still looked impressive, even with the dead vines curling around them. I found myself wondering why an air temple would even need railings. Did air nomads babies live here, too?

"Katara, firebenders were here," Sokka was saying. You can't pretend they weren't."

Katara scowled. "I can for Aang's sake. If he finds out that the Fire Nation invaded his home, he'll be devastated."