Written for LavaynaSix, who came up with this idea: "A young Jet finds a lost cache of Air Nomad scrolls, gets that old time religion from reading 'em, and turns the Freedom Fighters into a gang of vegetarian pacifists. Aang does not appreciate that Katara is into a guy who stole his shtick. ("I was a monk before it was cool!")" Here's my interpretation of said idea.
Usurped
"Stupid Fire Nation and their stupid soldiers with their stupid fire," Sokka fumed as he pounded his way through the heavily canopied forest. "We barely got away with our skins." The Water Tribesman rubbed his scorched behind and gave his sister a sour look. "You were a bit slow with that water, Katara. And you'll have to mend my pants."
"Why don't you mend your own?" the waterbender huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Besides, the whole bottom is ruined, not torn. How am I supposed to fix that?"
"I don't know," Sokka wheedled. "You're the girl; you know that kind of stuff. It's my job to fish and hunt and do other manly things." He cringed, expecting the fourteen year old to swat him. When he relaxed and peered at her with one eye open and one eye closed she lifted her hand and gave his head a solid smack. "Ow!" he cried, sounding more like a five year old than a fifteen year old. "Was that really necessary?"
"Aang, he deserved that, didn't he?" She turned back to the younger boy who whistled loudly, trying in vain to drown the argument out. "Aang!"
"You know that I don't believe in violence, Katara. I'm a monk, remember." The bald Avatar gave his bison, Appa, a pat and then lifted his hand to stroke the lemur, Momo, who rested on his shoulder, soft tail curled around Aang's neck. "We're raised to be peace loving and taught that compromise and discussion are the best way to solve things if possible. I remember one day when my friend and I got into a fight and Gyatso…."
"What the….?" Sokka exclaimed as he came to a complete stop in front of the Avatar. "Look, Aang! Look, Katara!"
Sokka's mouth hung open as he stared at a rag tag bunch of children and young adults, ranging in age from about four to probably sixteen, sitting quietly in a small clearing that began just off the side of the forest path. They were surrounded by the huge reddish leaved trees on all sides, the clearing just a tiny break in the jumbled mass of thick trunks and sweeping branches. It looked as though they were meditating. Each person sat with legs folded in front and hands resting loosely in laps. Their eyes were closed and they breathed softly.
"They look like a bunch of Aangs," the warrior continued. "Well except for the hair and the weird clothes." He stifled the urge to walk amongst the group and poke one of them.
"Wow, they really do," the Avatar agreed. The trio along with the animals moved a few steps closer. They could see some sort of crude alter in front of the people now, with what looked like a carved wooden box sitting atop it. "Wonder what's in the box." His natural curiosity was getting the better of him. Besides, Aang loved meeting new people and these particular ones seemed more interesting than most.
All three of them jerked noticeably when what must have been the leader, greeted them in a calm and welcoming voice. "Hello," he said and then stood up, eyes still closed. With a small gesture of his hand, he instructed the rest to do the same. He was a lanky young man with a shock of wild brown hair. His clothing was a mixture of nations and colours but there were distinctive bits of both orange and yellow, displayed almost proudly. When he opened his eyes, and his gaze fell on Aang, they widened with surprise and something more, something that Katara was certain looked like reverence. He bowed then and all the other children followed suit. The small sea of downturned heads and drooping hair was a bit overwhelming for Aang.
"Hey, you don't have to bow. I'm just the Avatar, not a king or anything." He fidgeted with his staff and giggled nervously.
Sokka strode forward and frowned at the motley group. "Come on; you're freaking the kid out. Stand up straight already."
Twenty or more heads lifted and twenty or more sets of eyes rested on Aang. They were torn between rushing the small airbender, surrounding him like an excited mob and backing away from the one person they had ever seen who truly was what they aspired to be.
"You're an Air Nomad," the leader stated softly, his words almost a question. "You're a real Air Nomad. We thought that they were all wiped out by the Fire Nation. But here you are standing right before us. We are honoured. My name is Jet and we're," he gestured to the group behind him, "the Peace Lovers. We believe in non violence and follow the teachings of the ancient Air Nomads. Once, years ago, when I was quite small, the murder of my parents at Fire Bender hands still fresh in my mind, I found that box over there." He pointed back to the altar. "It was hidden inside a small cave in which I had taken shelter for the night. When I opened it, I found scrolls inside, five of them, and they described the Air Nomad philosophy and way of life. Everything changed for me then. And I made it my mission to help as many war orphans as I could transcend their grief and find the light that is the Air Nomad way."
"The Peace Lovers," Aang repeated. "That has a nice ring to it."
Beside him, Sokka snorted. "Hmmph, we just fought a bunch of Fire Nation soldiers camped out not far from here. Peace doesn't exist, buddy."
Katara gave her brother's wolf's tail a tug. "Don't be disrespectful," she chastised. "I think that what Jet is doing is wonderful." She smiled demurely and batted her eyelashes at the handsome older boy. "I've never heard of anyone being so selfless. Why don't you tell me more about those scrolls? Do you think I could see them?"
"Of course," Jet replied. His smile was charming, almost flirtatious, and he put a hand on the waterbender's back, guiding her toward the altar where the box with the scrolls sat.
Aang scowled. "Hey, real live Air Nomad over here, Katara. What does he have that I don't?"
She ignored the boy's pleas. Katara's entire focus was on Jet.
"About four years and rakish good looks, not to mention that undeniable charisma; Aang, you're out of your league. But it's okay, little buddy. Maybe one of the girls over there will find you interesting." Sokka burst out laughing and clapped Aang on the back.
Some of the younger children approached the Avatar cautiously, but were more interested in both Appa and Momo than in the boy. The two animals took the gawking and the petting in stride, Momo chattering up a storm while Appa bellowed softly and gave the youngsters gentle licks. Soon, the group of kids was nothing but a giggling mass. Aang couldn't help but smile. But that smile vanished as soon as Jet and Katara joined them, Jet carrying the box of scrolls, Katara holding onto his arm.
"Those scrolls are amazing, Aang. The people in the drawings look just like you." Aang's big grey eyes bugged out and his jaw dropped, giving him a comical appearance. "Really, Aang," the girl frowned, "you should take your own people's way of life more seriously. Jet's embraced the entire philosophy of the Air Nomads. He's even a vegetarian."
"I, I'm a vegetarian," the Avatar spluttered. "I was one first."
"Maybe, but Jet does it better." Katara clung more tightly onto Jet's arm. The Peace Lover was positively preening now.
"Come back with us to our home; we live up in the trees, closer to the air currents. It's the closest we'll ever get to airbending. And Smellerbee is roasting lychee nuts tonight. I would be thrilled to have a real Air Nomad share a meal with us."
"Tempting as that is, we should get going. We've got important business, Avatar, saving the world type business." Sokka crossed his arms and looked smug. "We want to actually bring peace to the world, and if we have to bash some Fire Nation heads to do it, we will."
It was Jet's turn to look surprised. Actually, aghast was a more apt description. "I'm appalled that you would choose violence over pacifism. And you, Avatar, you travel with this buffoon?"
"Hey, this buffoon," Sokka declared, pointing his thumb at his chest," is that girl's brother. And I will gladly bash your head if need be too." The Water Tribe warrior was livid now. His cheeks were bright, cherry red and his posture was ramrod straight. "Katara, we're leaving."
"No, we're not; at least I'm not. I want to see Jet's tree house. And I want roasted lychee nuts. They're my favorite." Her blue eyes were narrowed and her feet were planted stubbornly in the soft forest soil.
"But Katara, whenever I suggest lychee nuts, you make that gagging noise. And I thought we needed to get to the North Pole as fast as we could. You know that you want to find a master. Hey, I'll tell you stories about my days at the Southern Air Temple as we fly on my AIR BISON, the only one left in the world. I'll show you how to meditate. I'll repeat some of Gyatso's best lines." He was almost begging now and he felt like a fool.
"No, Jet's got a fresh take on everything. And we need to spend the night somewhere. Why not with him? Come on, Jet. I'm ready to go." Her tone was far too familiar and neither Sokka nor Aang liked it. But her free hand hovered near the cap of her water skin. And they both knew what that meant.
Jet gave Aang and Sokka a feeble sort of shrug, as if that would explain away everything. He walked toward the forest path, beckoning the others to follow behind.
"Face it, Aang, we're screwed. And you've been usurped" Sokka sighed and looked about the forest, cursing their decision to ever land in the damned place. "Lychee nuts and peace loving talk it is." He wasn't about to leave his sister in the clutches of the enchanting young man she seemed so enamored with, and after such a brief time too. He trudged after her, shoulders slumped in defeat.
Aang rested a hand on Appa's side and smiled when Momo returned to his shoulders. "At least I have you guys, right? And Katara, she'll come to her senses; yeah, I'm sure she will. Oh, I know, guys; I can perform a bunch of airbending tricks. That will make her look at me instead of him." He tilted his head to the side and thought hard. "There's the marble trick…naw, she hates that one...the air scooter is fun, yeah, I'll stick with that." Slightly more optimistic, he strode forward, a smile on his face.
The ring of Katara's laughter drifted back on the breeze, deflating the optimism as quickly as it had come.
"Oh, Jet, that's too funny." The waterbender giggled again.
Sokka looked back at Aang. He snarled and fingered his boomerang.
"I'm doomed." Aang stopped and leaned heavily against Appa. "He's funny too."