Chapter 1: Plans Interrupted By The Coming Assassin
I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender, and let it be known that I thoroughly hated the movie The Last Airbender. I hope this story will be far better. BTW, implied lemon imminent. All below 16 are advised to turn back.
A tired young Airbender monk looked around his room in the Jasmine Dragon. They were simple and spacious, just the way he liked them. There was one other person, lying in the other bed in the room. He muttered, "Almost there. Just stay still, you furry bag of meat….."
"Sokka. Always thinking about food," our hero sighed. As he lay in his bed, waiting for sleep to overtake him, he couldn't stop thinking about a very special person, a Waterbender who had stolen his heart, and had never given it back. Who is this Airbending monk, you ask? He is none other than Avatar Aang, thinking about his girlfriend, Katara. He had fallen for her when she freed him from the iceberg. However, since he had never been taught how to talk to girls (Too much training), it took him nearly half a year to tell Katara of his love. "I wonder if she loves me . . . . . . ." the young Airbender mused as he fell at last to the overwhelming feeling of sleep.
Meanwhile, in the next room over, Katara, a girl from the South Pole, lay in her bed and muttered, "Does Aang love me?"
"Of course he does, sugar queen," a girl muttered from the next bed over.
"What do you mean, Toph?" Katara asked.
"You know what I mean," the blind Earthbender said. "I may be blind, but I can feel vibrations in the ground given off by people, and let me tell you, Twinkletoes gives off a totally different vibe when you're around."
"You love him, don't you, Katara?" Toph asked.
"You KNEW?" Katara squeaked, cheeks flaring red in embarrassment.
"I know now, Sugar Queen, because you just fell for one of the oldest tricks in the book," Toph replied with a smug smile on her face. "I may be blind, but I could sense you two awfully close together."
"Yeah," Katara admitted. "I do love him. I want to marry him too, but I just don't know if it would work out. I mean, he's the Avatar, and I'm-"
"So what?" Toph interrupted. "Aang doesn't give a damn that you're just a waterbender from the Southern Tribe. I have no doubt that he loves you. Ha, I'd bet my feet he's making proposal plans at this moment."
As a matter of fact, the Earthbending prodigy wasn't far off. "Sokka," Aang whispered.
"Ohhhhhh, Suuuuuuuuukkkkiiiiiii . . . . . . ." was his reply. With a sigh, the Avatar doused the sleeping warrior with a pitcher of ice cold water.
Immediately, Sokka sprang to his feet, forgetting he was in his boxers, and shouted, "WHO'S DISTURBING MY MAN-SLEEP?!"
"Calm down, Sokka," Aang sighed.
"Well, whaddaya want, Aang?" Sokka asked. "I gotta get back to my dream."
"Do you know what girls like?" Aang asked, trying not to think about what Sokka might have been dreaming of.
"Of course I do, Aang. I happen to be planning on proposing to one tomorrow. Why?"
(Okay. I've gotta plan this carefully, or this could blow up in my face like a swamp fart bubble), the young Avatar thought. "Weeeellllllllll . . . . . . . . .I was kinda planning on proposing to your sister."
"WHAT?! PROPOSE TO KATARA?! WELL, WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME EARLIER?!" Sokka bellowed.
"SHHHHHHHHHHHH! You'll wake the girls," Aang whispered.
Sokka turned toward his friend and said, "Aang, you'd have to talk to my dad about that. I'm okay with it, but you should ask my dad first."
Aang nodded and said, "I hope he's okay with it." He pulled out a fully carved Betrothal necklace and said, "I'd hate to have this go to waste."
The next day
The next morning, Aang woke up. He made sure all his clothes were on (They were), and went into the bathroom to take a piss and to see if there was any hair growing on the top of his head. There wasn't, which was good because Aang could finally walk around as the Avatar and not get mobbed by Fire Nation soldiers. Fire Nation girls, however, were a different species, altogether. Katara was also getting ready for the day. She first had to decide between her Water Tribe outfit and her more revealing Fire Nation garb. She chose the Fire Nation clothes, preferring them to her Earth Kingdom clothes. As she walked out of the women's' bedroom, she ran into her father, Hakoda. "Oh. Hi, dad," Katara said.
"Well, Katara. Looks like you're trying to get a certain boy's attention. Now, I wonder who that would be . . . . . . . . ." Her father replied.
Suddenly, Katara blurted out, "I WANT TO MARRY AANG BECAUSE I LOVE HIM SO MUCH!"
"Whuh?", Aang said as he exited the men's bedroom.
Katara, mustering all her courage, which wasn't easy, considering the massive blush spreading on her face, Katara repeated herself: "I want to marry you, Aang."
"Katara, I . . . I . . . uuhhh . . . I feel the same way. I mean, I want to marry you," Aang hesitantly replied. He pulled out the Betrothal Necklace he had worked on.
Katara couldn't help but admire the handiwork and said, "Oh, Aang. It's so beautiful."
"Hey, dad!" Sokka yelled. "How's it - - - wait, what's happened, here?"
"Katara wishes to marry Aang, and vice versa, it seems," Hakoda answered, "and I for one approve of it."
"Thank you, sir," Aang replied.
Hakoda chuckled and replied, "Please, just call me Hakoda, or Dad. After all, you're marrying Katara, and that makes you a member of my family."
-Two months later, in the Earth Kingdom-
(Two months,) Aang thought as he gazed at the Earth Kingdom forest he and his friends had stopped in, giving Appa, Aang's Flying Sky Bison time to rest. "Two months, then Katara and I will say our vows. Oh man, I wish the day was already here," he said, groaning the last part aloud.
"Oh, don't worry, Twinkletoes. You'll marry Katara soon," a familiar voice commented
"Oh! I didn't see you there, Toph," Aang said in surprise.
"I've been here for a few seconds," the young Earthbender replied. "Ugh! You and Sokka are so lucky!"
"What do you mean?" Aang asked.
"Oh, you know. You and Sokka are both getting married, and I don't even have a boyfriend," Toph complained.
"Don't worry, Toph," Aang said. "I'm sure you'll find the boy of your dreams someday."
"I hope so. And if you tell ANYONE about this, you're losing your nuts, and don't think I don't mean it," Toph growled.
"Hey, hey. Don't worry, Toph, your secret's safe with me," the young Airbender replied nervously, knowing Toph wasn't kidding around.
"And me!" a familiar voice exclaimed.
"How long were you listening in, Katara?" Aang asked.
"Oh, long enough to know that Toph's jealous," Katara replied.
"I'm not jealous!" Toph retorted. "I just want a boyfriend of my own. Okay?"
"Don't worry, Toph," Katara reassured. "Your secret's safe with me, and I'm sure you'll find the perfect boy."
"Ugh! Everyone says that I'll find 'Mr. Perfect' someday, but no one offers good advice," Toph said, exasperated.
Nearby, in the shadow of a tree, a mysterious figure watched the three as they conversed. "Soon, Toph Beifong. You will receive what you wish." And with that remark, the figure turned around, and walked into the shadow of the tree, fading from sight.
-One month later-
(Only one month left. I can't wait until then,) Katara thought with excitement. The young Waterbender looked out the window in the bedroom of her modest igloo in the South Pole, waiting for her soon-to-be husband, Aang, to come home. Within minutes, she saw him flying in on his glider, somehow managing to fly through the window (no glass) and land on the floor without making a single sound. "I never can figure out how you do that, sweetie," Katara whispered.
Keeping quiet, Aang whispered, "It's a secret. I used to sneak fruit pies out of the kitchen back at the Air Temple with that technique."
"Well, while you're here, Aang, what ya we get down to business?" Katara asked.
Knowing what she meant, Aang smirked and said, "I thought you'd never ask."
"Oh, you naughty boy," Katara murmured. The two enjoyed a quick night of lovemaking, and fell asleep, satisfied.
-The Next Day-
"Good morning, sleepyhead," Katara giggled as she smiled.
"Good to see you, Katara," Aang replied with a yawn.
"Well, think we should get dressed?"
"Yeah, we should," Katara replied, the two blushing as they noticed that they were still in their birthday suits. They quickly got dressed, and just in time, too.
"AAAAAAAANNNNNNNGGGGGGGG!" a familiar voice yelled out.
"Keep it down, Sokka," Aang sent back. "The spirits can hear you."
The Water Tribe Warrior ran over, panting heavily. "There . . . . . . was a person . . . . . . . . . . . . who was using . . . . . firebending . . . . . ." Sokka gasped. ". . . . . phew. . . . . . to fly through . . . . . . . the air . . . . . . . The waterbenders tried to use waterbending to turn him around . . . . . . , but he deflected the water and turned . . . . the wave against them, tossing almost . . . . . . . everyone from their boats."
"What?! How can there be another Avatar?" Aang asked. "I'm still alive."
"I know," Sokka replied, his breath returning. "He gave me the creeps as soon as he appeared."
"Why?" Katara asked.
Sokka replied, "His skin was as dark as that night when Zhao killed the Moon Spirit, but that's not what creeped me out. There was something about him that scared me. What creeped me out more was that when I threw Boomerang and Space Sword at him, he deflected Boomerang with his bare hands, and grabbed Space Sword by the blade WITHOUT CUTTING HIMSELF! After he overturned the boats, he demanded to speak with you, Aang, immediately."
"Where is he?" Aang asked.
"He said that he would meet you on Kyoshi Island, where you used the Unagi to help keep the village from burning down. That's where he flew after demanding to see you," Sokka replied.
"Dammit," Aang exclaimed. "Why couldn't he contact me a few months later? Doesn't he know I have a wedding in a month?" With a sigh, he asked Sokka, "Do I have to go alone?"
"No," Sokka replied. "He wants you to bring along Katara, and he said that he needs to see Toph."
"Alright. We leave today," Katara stated. "The sooner we get this over with, the sooner we can get back to wedding plans." 1 hour later, Aang, Katara, Sokka, Suki, and Toph (Team Avatar) flew off on Appa, wondering who this person was, and why he insisted on seeing Toph.
-Kyoshi Island, 3 days later-
Team Avatar landed on Kyoshi Island within a few days, having made good time. As they dismounted, Sokka looked around for the mysterious figure that had appeared near the South Pole not too long ago. Remembering what his dad had told him during the war with the Fire Nation, he looked in every shadow that seemed large enough to hide a person who had the same height as the mysterious figure. He looked in the shadows of the nearby trees, but saw no one. He looked under the large rock outcroppings near the beach, but nobody was there. Suddenly, he got the feeling someone was behind him. He turned quickly, and jumped back, emitting a girly squeal in the process as he saw who it was.
"So, this is the mighty Sokka who disabled the Fire Nation Air Fleet? Frankly, I'm unimpressed," the figure chuckled. Everyone ran over to see what Sokka had squealed about, and saw standing in front of him a boy who looked as old as Aang. His black hair was short, but long enough to be seen against his moonless-night-black head. His eyes, lips, and clothes were as black as his skin, and in his black belt, a long, thin scabbard was visible, with the hilt of the sword it contained in plain sight, as well.
"Hey, isn't that my sword?" Sokka asked.
"It is," the mysterious figure replied. "Here. You have more need for it than I." He tossed the weapon to Sokka, who caught the scabbard and put its strap on his left shoulder, allowing him easy access to the blade made out of iridium (though they didn't call it that).
"Who are you, and why did you want to talk to me?" Aang asked. "Do you know what you interrupted?"
"Yes, Avatar. I know. You were planning your wedding with Katara," the figure replied. Looking at Katara for a brief moment, he commented, "A fine choice, Avatar. She won't wander from you, and she'll make sure you stay with her. Now, to answer your question, you can call me Shadonus."
"Okay, uh . . . Shadonus. Why'd you want to see me?" Aang asked nervously.
"Simply put, I asked to see you for two reasons," Shadonus replied, holding up two fingers. Aang noticed that they had some scars on them, but they were old. "One: to warn you of an assassin that will try to slay you while you kiss Katara, sealing your vows. I believe you know him as Combustion Man."
"WHAT?!" Sokka cried. "I killed that guy with Boomerang."
"He survived, and was healed by a dark spirit," Shadonus replied grimly.
"Like you?"
"No, warrior," Shadonus replied. "For starters, if I was a spirit, your Boomerang wouldn't have bounced off of me. Also, I appeared during the day, not during the night, when spirits normally come out. Anyways . . ." He turned to Aang and said, "Reason 2: The spirit that healed Combustion Man, Firelord Sozin, is also planning on killing you on the night of the winter solstice. He'll be strongest then."
"How do you know all of this?" Katara asked.
"I can travel between the Spirit World and Human World without difficulty," Shadonus replied. "In case you're wondering, I'm an Avatar, one with powers to compare to that of Avatar Aang."
Aang looked over at Toph, and she said, "He's speaking the truth. Twinkletoes, I mean Aang, said that you wished to see me. Why?"
"So you could see me," Shadonus replied.
"I'm blind," Toph replied. "Do you mean using earthbending to see you? Cuz I already am."
Shaking his head, Shadonus answered "No, Toph. I can give you what you've always wanted."
"What, a fashion sense?" Toph replied snarkily.
"No. Your eyes," Shadonus said back.
"You can make me see?" Toph exclaimed. "Wait. What's the catch? There's always a catch."
"Only that you remind Aang to remember my words of warning. Oh, and it would be nice if you could go to your parents and show them your talents," Shadonus stated.
"Do I have to do the last part?" Toph asked reluctantly.
"No," Shadonus replied. "I've already told your parents you're okay."
"You did? What did you tell them?" Toph inquired.
"I said that you had progressed in your earthbending, even working on sandbending," the dark youth replied, "And that you weren't homesick, being that you had left your house willingly."
"How do you know all this?" Sokka interrupted.
"I was standing in the shadow of a nearby tree, listening to your conversation at that time, then listening in to Toph's parents' conversation back when you left the Beifong house," Shadonus replied nonchalantly.
"Do they miss me?" Toph asked, a tear in her eye. She'd missed her parents ever since she ran away with Aang and his friends, but never wanted to go home. Shadonus walked toward her. Thinking he was about to attack, Sokka got between Toph and Shadonus, but Shadonus used sandbending to shift the young warrior to the side.
He looked over at Suki, who was getting ready to attack, and he said, "I'm not going to attack Toph." Walking over to the young earthbender, he wiped the tear from her cheek with surprising tenderness. "Now, I believe you wish to see again," Shadonus stated, his voice soft and soothing.
"Okay," Toph replied. "I'll be sure to remind Aang of your warning."
"Very well," Shadonus replied. He began to slowly move his arms through the air, like he was bloodbending.
"Are you bloodbending her?" Katara asked, horrified.
"In a way, yes," the Dark Avatar replied, "but not like it's usually used. I'm redirecting small traces of her blood to certain parts of her eyes. I'm not paralyzing her." He fell silent, mumbling something under his breath that sounded like a chant: "Blood to eyes, give her sight. Give more power in a fight . . . . . . . ." (Author's note: While the chant isn't necessary for Shadonus' action to work, it does help him focus, which is important if he is to heal Toph.) He chanted this over and over for 3 minutes, then stopped. He stepped back and asked, "What do you see, Toph?"
Toph looked around and said, "The sky's awfully cloudy." Everyone except Shadonus stared at her in shock, and soon, Toph, stunned by her own words, looked around wildly, seeing the word for the first time. She was astonished by all the colors, and stunned by how many things there were to see. She turned toward Shadonus and had an immediate crush on him. "You look nice," she said. "Gonna be at the wedding?" she asked, blushing slightly.
"I might, or I might not," Shadonus replied cryptically. "Why?"
"Just wondering," the young earthbender answered.
"See you later," Shadonus called, as he walked into the shadow of a rock, and disappeared from sight.
"That was creepy," Suki commented. "I just hope that guy's on our side. I wouldn't want to face him in battle."
"I think I know why you asked that guy if he was gonna be at the wedding, Toph. You have a crush on him, don't you?" Sokka teased.
"I do not!" Toph yelled as she hit Sokka in the man-zone with earthbending. (I don't know. He's the first boy I've really liked.) Toph thought. (He's much nicer-looking than Twinkletoes, and he feels like a powerful earthbender.) After that, Team Avatar returned to the South Pole, explaining that they had met with the person who came to the South Pole, and that he had given Toph her sight. Forgetting about the incident for a while, Aang and his friends, Zuko and Mai included, made plans for the wedding.
Needless to say, Sokka didn't bother Suki for quite a while.
Well, that's the end of Plans Interrupted. There were some fanfic writing friends of mine who wanted less lemon, so I severely shortened it to being implied in this chapter. Also, I've heard FanFiction is cracking down on lemons, and I'd rather not have the remake of my eldest fanfic get deleted for any reason.
Anyways, I'd like to thank Princess Kawaii Shion for her help in rewriting this chapter. Your help was appreciated, old friend.
Read and review, Readers. If you do, I just might provide more insight into the mysterious Avatarian person that is Shadonus (pronounced Shadow-nus). Remember, the Undocumented Muse of the Shadows writes fastest when he feels loved, inspired, and encouraged, so slap that Fave button with your forehead, and I'll see you dudes and dudettes later. Take care.
(Yes, I took that last line from BajanCanadian of Minecraft Hunger Games.)