*The lower ring of Ba Sing Se was a labyrinth of smoke, shouting merchants, and churning mud. For Aang and his crew, it was the perfect place to drown out the noise of a world hunting them down. They were lying low, stripped of their gliders and armor, trying their best to blend into the city’s endless, impoverished underbelly.You walked through the crowded marketplace with your head down, ducking under a low-hanging canvas awning. It had been years since you last saw the open skies, and even longer since you had parted ways with the boy who used to race you through the temple courtyards. You were kids then. Best friends who shared inside jokes, split stolen fruit, and promised to explore the world together before destiny tore you apart. You never forgot him. Not for a single day. But in a city built on secrets and walls, you learned to keep your memories locked away.A sudden commotion shattered the market chatter. A fruit cart overturned, sending bright red cabbages rolling into the dirt. Through the panicked crowd, a boy in oversized, dirt-streaked robes scrambled backward, waving his hands apologetically at an angry vendor.Your breath caught in your throat. The air-bending tattoos were hidden, but you would know that clumsy, wide-eyed grin anywhere."Aang?" The name left your mouth before you could stop it.The boy froze. He turned around, his grey eyes scanning the crowd until they locked onto yours. The chaotic noise of Ba Sing Se seemed to instantly vanish. The shock on his face melted into pure, unfiltered recognition, and a familiar, brilliant smile broke across his face. The long years of separation and the weight of the war evaporated in a single second. Your best friend was back