B Gahhhh! This took forever to get on the site! My computer is so dumb. That said, when is the third season starting??? Anyway, yes this is a CoD follow-up and I hope you like it, my friends do...then again, whose friends don't like their fanfics? This chapter is a little short compared to my others, they get longer though. Enjoy /b
"The Earth Kingdom...has fallen."
The Earth King looked so defeated, sitting there with one arm resting on Basco's furry back. Katara looked down at the unconscious Aang she held in her arms. He had passed out again after waking up long enough to assure them all that he wasn't dead, not yet anyway. Katara shivered as a thought raced through her mind.
"What would have happened if I had used my water from the Spirit Oasis on Zuko! Aang would be dead right now and so would the Avatar cycle..."
Another thought tugged at the edge of her consciousness, one that had refused to go away from the moment Azula had shot Aang.
"If you used it on Zuko, Aang never would have never been shot in the first place."
She shoved the thought aside for the last time, determined to bury it. Worrying about what she could have done would not help their little group's present situation. As she looked at Aang more carefully, she realized how powerful that small vial of water really was. She could see the wound where Azula's lightning had entered Aang's foot, and could feel broken bones all the way up to the point where it had exited his back. Aang should have been dead, and he soon would be. She felt useless without her water.
"He looks bad Katara. What are we going to do?" asked Sokka, peering over her shoulder.
"I don't know...failure was not part of the plan."
"East," said Toph, "we should go to the Eastern Air Temple to find that Guru that Aang trained with. He might know what to do."
"But for all we know, he might be gone already!" Sokka said angrily. "Aang said he learned everything he needed to know about the Avatar State the last time he was there!"
"And for all we know Aang could die within the hour and the only upside is we would have to wait a mere sixteen YEARS to find the next Avatar!"
"Don't yell at me!"
"You started it!"
"Guys calm down!" interrupted Katara. The Eastern Air Temple sounds good for starters. Let's go Appa, yip yip!"
Basco groaned and lay his head on the Earth King's lap. He sighed and looked down at the giant head in his lap.
"What do you think will happen to Ba Sing Se?" he asked.
Everyone turned to look at him, the King of the city of impenetrable walls, but said nothing. The fate of the city was a shadow in their minds that none of them were willing to venture into.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Earth Kingdom Palace
"But Zuko, Prince Zuko! Your a lot of things, but your not a traitor, are you?"
"Zuko, I'm begging you, look into your heart and see what it is that you truly want."
"I thought you had changed!" "I have changed."
Zuko held his head in his hands. These thoughts had been bombarding his mind for hours and it was beginning to hurt. What had he just done? And what was Azula planning? He had known her for too long to think she would share victory with anyone, much less him. But what worried him most was the fact that he didn't know what she had done with Uncle. He should have known Uncle would just give in! It was just like him to do his duty and then cease the fighting.
"Crazy, tea loving old-"
"Zuzu, we have business to attend to, come."
Zuko turned to face his sister.
"Stop calling me that, and what have you done with Uncle?!"
"Not only are you an incompetent bender, but your deaf too." She said with a sigh. " I said we have business to attend to."
Zuko followed her deep into the crystal caves of Old Ba Sing Se and into an area that he hadn't seen in his fight with the Avatar.
"These are the prisons of Old Ba Sing Se. The Di Lee recently uncovered them. Apparently they were one of the reasons that this place was abandoned. Something about them being a scar on the history of human kind. Nonsense, really." She laughed as she slowly walked down the long tunnels, hands clasped behind her back.
"We'll see what Uncle can tell us about the Avatar."
"He'll never tell." he retorted.
Azula laughed again, gesturing to the earthen catacombs around her. "You know Zuzu, this really is a wondrous place."
Zuko frowned, if Azula liked this place, then he was sure he wouldn't.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eastern Air Temple
Katara looked around her as Appa flew silently through the night. She thought it wouldn't have taken so long to get to the temple. She looked over at Toph and Sokka. Both were quietly sleeping on either side of Aang. As her gaze moved back to the horizon her pulse quickened, a silhouette was growing.
"Guys, wake up" She said as she tapped Toph on the shoulder. Sokka got a rap on the forehead.
"Ow, hey what was that for?"
"Why do you think I call you Snoozles, Snoozles?" Toph said as she yawned.
"We're almost there, so be ready to go. Actually, Toph you stay here and guard Aang and the Earth King, Sokka and I will go meet Guru Patik."
She was surprised that Toph didn't argue about being given guard duty. Then again, this was important. She looked at the unconscious form of her friend.
"Zuko if I ever find you again I'm going to-"
"I have changed."
She shook her head, what was that? She didn't honestly believe him! He was a jerk and always would be! Appa landed softly in his old bison stables and sighed. Something was wrong with Aang. He didn't like it when he couldn't constantly feel his airbender moving around on his back.
"Toph, if we're not back in one hour wake up the King and then come for us." Katara said as she and Sokka slid off of Appa's giant back.
"Right, cause the blind girl knows when the hour has passed."
"Oh you know what we mean," said Sokka, "if it feels like we're in trouble then come look for us."
Toph laughed, "Snoozles, you're always in trouble!"
Sokka glared at her and began to follow his sister up a winding path that led up the mountain side. Toph crawled over and sat next to the Earth King and put Aang's head in her lap. She thumped Appa on the back.
"Well Fuzzy, it's just you and me again. I'll try not to loose you this time."
Katara and Sokka ran up the hill towards where they hoped they would find the Guru.
"Man this is hard!"
"Stop complaining Sokka! This is important!"
As they neared the top, it began to level off and they began walking through some trees and bushes. As he cut down a branch Sokka saw a figure standing in a clearing just ahead.
"Katara, look I think he's still here!"
"Good now all we have to do is hope he can help Aang. He should though, I mean he is a guru-"
As they pushed aside the tall bushes they both froze. It wasn't the guru.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Old Ba Sing Se
Zuko's eyes widened as he followed his sister into a room and the door closed behind him. His Uncle was tied to a table with three Di Lee agents standing at attention behind it.
"What," Zuko hissed, "is the meaning of this?"
"It isn't obvious, dear brother? Uncle knows something that I don't, and I don't like that."
"What are you going to do to him!"
She flashed him a smile, "It's simple. When ordered those three Di Lee agents will drop thin spires of crystal onto, and hopefully through, our dear Uncle Iroh. Unfortunately, that would probably kill him in a few minutes. However, what if I were to increase his stamina, strength, his very will to live, by ten fold? Well then, I think it could last for days! I knew I could find a use for that stupid Chi Tea."
"Azula you can't do that! He's our Uncle!"
"Of course I can't! I have many more important things to deal with than his royal tea loving kookiness. That's why I leave the task to you, my loyal brother."
"Azula!!!"
"Start from the legs up, and go slowly Zuzu."
Azula raised her hand and the door reappeared just long enough for her to stalk through before it slammed in Zuko's face. Zuko hammered his fist against the door and began to yell something about an Agni Kai before he turned to look at his Uncle.
"Zuko, you know this isn't what you want. Azula will continue to use you until there is nothing left. This is not the way for you."
"I know Uncle...I know."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eastern Air Temple
The teen who stood before Sokka and Katara was definitely not the guru they had been hoping for. He was about Zuko's height with hair that fell in black spikes down to his shoulders, and as he turned they saw that it covered much of his forehead as well. He wore a jacket of green, black and gold colors, much like the one that Iroh wore in their last fight for Ba Sing Se, but it only came to the waist. Underneath he wore an Earth Kingdom green shirt that once again reminded them of Zuko. His black pants ran most of the way down his legs until they were wrapped off with bandages and disappeared into the thin boots worn by many people, including Sokka. He also wore curious gloves that ran from his forearm to his wrist and then proceeded to cover only the backs of his hands, tying around the middle finger. A sword was thrust in the green sash around his waist. As he faced them they could see his eyes were narrowed and his face emotionless, but as he took them in, it changed, as if he were expecting someone else.
"Who are you?" he asked, raising one eyebrow.
"I think we should be asking that question of you!" countered Sokka. "And what did you do with the guru who was supposed to be here!"
"Look, I don't know what you're talking about, there's no guru here."
"Is that so? Let's get him Katara!"
"Sokka!"
Sokka rushed forward and swung his machete at the boy. Katara stared as he simply sidestepped her furious brother while at the same time giving him an elbow to the back and relieving him of his machete. A smile played at his lips as he ran his finger along the blade and it drew blood.
"Ah...the water tribe, correct?"
He turned to Sokka who was lying on the ground, mouth agape.
"Uh, yeah...but I still want to know what you did with the guru!"
Sokka jumped off the ground and right into Katara.
"Sokka, you idiot! We don't even know who this guy is!"
"But I'm sure he knows something!"
"Well, yes I do, but you really didn't need to fight me for it. Let's try this again."
He gave Sokka his machete back.
"Now, what is it that you want. I have lived here for a while, but I have been gone for the past few months."
Katara stepped forward. She would handle this one. Sokka was never very diplomatic anyway.
"We are traveling with the Avatar and he has been hurt. We were hoping to find a guru here who could help us. I am a water bender and have healing abilities, but I need to find water first, and I don't think any normal water will do. His injuries are pretty bad."
"I might be able to help, but we'll have to hurry, and I'm wondering why you didn't take him to Ba Sing Se. That is the safest city in the Earth Kingdom."
Sokka and Katara looked at each other painfully, the Earth King's words running through their minds.
"The Earth Kingdom...has fallen."
B Heh heh...Azula is a real pain isn't she? Hope you like the OC, but for those that don't, maybe he'll grow on you. He's the only one, I promise. Watch for my next update, please R&R!!!
Twilight Rurouni /b