Jisoo's POV:

"Aki? Can I talk to you?" I ask her quietly, squeezing her hand. She looks up, nodding.

We walk out of the room and suddenly, she hugs me.

"Is that what you wanted to tell me...?"

"Yeah," I sigh. "But I wanted to be the one to tell you...it had to be the right time...I'm sorry."

She laughs into my shirt.

"Why are you apologising? I'm happy knowing that you would've told me if it hadn't come out this way..."

Without a word, I hug her before picking her up. She's tiny! To support herself, she wraps her arms around my neck laughing.

"So you're a prince, huh?" She giggles, her hands fiddling with my hair. I grin, pulling her closer to me. She blushes as our foreheads bump into each other.

Wait...Josh! What are you doing?

I kiss her cheek softly.

"Hmmm? I suppose you could call me one..." I murmur. She squeals before jumping down, sending me flying. "HEY!!" I yell. When I look up, she is glaring at me, her hands on her hips and her cheeks a bright red. I feel the heat creeping up my face when I realise exactly what I just did. "Sorry..."

"It's fine..." she whispers. Suddenly, her eyes open wide as she ducks down. Well, she throws herself in my direction. Since I'm on the floor.

...

Just as she moves, a rock whizzes past where she was standing before. I get up, yelling.

"That's the second time someone's shot a rock at her today! Show yourself, cowards!" I shout, fuming.

"Jisoo!!" She hisses, trying to get me to sit back down, but I pull away from her.

"I said SHOW YOURSELVES!!" I yell, pulling Aki up, holding her tightly in my arms. Her arms go around me, shivering in fright.

They do as I say.

And when as I say they, I mean a great, big, large they.

As in a great, big, large army.

Aki's POV:

He freezes, watching as the army surrounds us.

I pull him slowly in the direction of the doors. No. Sorry. The DOORWAY...

Jisoo tore the doors down...

"Jisoo..." I whisper, my arms still around him. "You are not fighting them on your own. I can get them away from us for a few seconds but promise me you'll run with me to get the others..."

His arms tighten around me as he lowers his head to mine.

"I promise on my life, Aki," he replies, kissing my forehead. I stay calm this time, releasing my hold on him slowly. "Stay safe."

I nod, pulling away completely.

I blast the earthbenders at the front line of the army into the ones behind them, sending the whole army sprawling. I turn, running as fast as I can as Jisoo's hand slips into mine. He starts running with me, literally dragging me to the changing room where Kacie and Hansol are talking to each other in one corner and the others are huddled in the middle.

"Guys..." Jisoo huffs. "We need to get out of here. The Earth Kingdom...and I mean the bloody Earth Kingdom...they're here! They know about us AND about Aki!"

Kacie and Hansol join us, both of their faces serious. The others look around at each other. Junghan suddenly talks.

"They must've realised when we went missing..." he mumbles. "Sorry."

I tighten my grip on Jisoo's arm.

What are we going to do? We're stuck in the arena...

Suddenly, I hear a loud, familiar noise...

RAWR!

I run out onto the main Arena, pulling Jisoo with me, and I look up as the glass is shattered by a large, fluffy sky bison!

"Sooji!" I yell, waving my arms. "You came for me!"

The fluffy beast lands next to me, my free palm. A soft squeak is heard as a small lemur flies out from relaxing on Sooji's back.

"Mimi..." I murmur, as she lands on my shoulder.

"You have pets...?" Jisoo asks, staring at Sooji in fright. "Does she...uh...bite?"

"No."

"GUYS!! THERE'S AN ARMY OUT THERE TRYING TO KILL US!!! DO SOMETHING OTHER THAN TALK ABOUT PETS!!!" Hansol yells as everyone runs into the Arena. I nod, looking at Sooji.

"Can you carry all of us, Sooji?"

But I already know the answer. There are too many of us for her to carry for long. Me and four pro-bending teams...makes thirteen of us. She could possibly carry us all to the edge of Republic City...but that would be it...at least six would have to get off at the end. I qiuckly tell everyone this as we climb on her back. Jisoo and I jump onto her back where her reins are.

"Yip yip, Sooji!" I yell and we fly out just as the soldiers run into the room. By the time they find any earth to throw at us, we are far away from the Arena. I sigh, leaning into Jisoo. "What are we going to do?" I ask him.

"I don't know..."

Junghan speaks up again.

"Jihoon and I can get off with our teams at the farthest point you can take us..." he says.

"But-!" I start, but he stops me.

"You'll need the two fire princes and their teams if you're going to survive for now, little airbender..." he murmurs. "We all need to separate and the two groups are both big enough for survival. Don't argue."

Everyone else is silent.

I muffle a sob as Jisoo takes the reins from behind me. But that's when I realise that he hasn't let go of my hand ever since we ran from the army. I close my eyes, drifting off to sleep, surrounded by his warmth.

*****

When I wake up, I am on the forest floor, Jisoo's arm around me. I get up and notice that Junghan, Jihoon and the others are still here. Eating breakfast.

"Good morning," I whisper. They all hear me, looking up.

"Good morning..." they all chorus. Kacie hands me some berries and I eat them. Jisoo gets up, slipping onto the ground next to me, looking exhausted. He runs a hand through his messy hair, trying to pull out the twigs and leaves. I pull his hand away, helping him.

"I got us as far as Sooji could go..." he says quietly.

"I know."

He doesn't say anything else but, instead, he starts eating the meat Kacie is handing around. And soon, it is time for Junghan to lead the others away from us. In the end, Jihoon is staying with us.

"Kacie. Make sure that nobody starves while I am away," Junghan says to her. "Nurse every one back to health if something happens. Take everyone to the South Pole - the Southern Water Tribe and keep them with your family. After that, move to someone else's family...and when you've gone through everyone, start all over again."

"Of course," she replies, quietly.

"Hansol. Get to know yourself a little better. We need the real you for the final battle with the earth kingdom. Understood?"

"Yeah...I know."

"Jisoo. You need to look after everybody. I need you to look after Jihoon. But the one person you must protect, no matter what, is Aki. Is that okay with you?"

"I have no problem with that," Jisoo replies strongly, wrapping a protective arm around me.

"And you...little Airbender..." Junghan says, looking at me tenderly. "Don't cry. We will meet again in the future."

"How do you know?" I croak, wiping away the tears.

"Trust me..." he says, turning slowly away. "I know."

The last words he say echo around me as he walks away, taking the others with him.

Stay hidden, little Airbender...stay safe.

*****

The sun sets as Sooji rises up into the air again. Dongjin has fallen asleep with Mimi and Jihoon, Junhui on his side beside them. Mingming is talking quietly to Hansol, both of them looking exhausted. Jisoo is looking off into the distance, looking lost and troubled. I would go to him but I can't leave the reins yet. I need to get Sooji on course for the South Pole. For Kacie's home. She is sitting next to me, looking tired.

"Aki?"

"Hmmm?"

"I'm glad I met you..." she whispers as she moves over to Hansol, who is falling asleep as well. "You're amazing for a tiny person and it also means that I can see my family again."

I don't reply. Her eyes close and she yawns.

"Thank you, Aki...I'm going home..."

As the full moon rises in the dark-night sky, I look over my shoulder to see everyone huddled, asleep. Jisoo has moved so that he is closer to me now. Whispering to Sooji to carry on, I huddle next to him. Automatically, his arms fold around me protectively.

Home...I wonder what it's like to have a home...