AN-This is a fic that has been brewing in the back of my mind for months but I now have the courage to write it. I think that this will be a proper full-length fanfiction. My first ever attempt at one of these so please be brutal with reviews and ask any questions and tell me what I'm doing wrong so that I can fix it. Please. I hope that this meets with your approval.-yours, lidjipop
Continuous Disclaimer- I own nothing. This is probably a good thing in the eyes of many. It still makes me sad.
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Firefight
By lidjipop
Prologue
My hands were placed in front of me in a bending stance that I had hoped never to use again. At first Azula couldn't understand why her limbs were moving of their own accord. But I knew the exact moment that she figured it out, I could see it in her eyes. She smiled and said, "70 percent of the body is made out of liquid. Well, well waterbender, it seems that you are far cleverer than you look. Far too smart to be working with my foolish brother…" I narrowed my eyes and moved my left arm down and to the right as I twisted both my wrists and heard them crack. How I hated bloodbending; with its' warped movements and a stance that always felt slightly distorted, "perhaps you should join the winning side." I laughed incredulously; she was trying to get me to join her! Even as her very body obeyed my every command she was still trying to feel as though she was in control. That was what I thought. That was my mistake. She was in control. As I laughed I blinked for slightly longer than a second and had almost no warning as the knife came. I saw the flash of grey steel though and dived to the floor. The knife landed in my right shoulder and I screamed in pain. On my hands and knees I threw out my left arm and the water from the fountain in the corner of the room froze Mai to the floor. Azula on the other hand had run straight out of the chamber and outside. I took a minute to take the knife out of my shoulder and heal it as best as I could. Fortunately it hadn't gone too far in and I was able to stop the bleeding and dull the pain. Then I ran after Azula. I can still her pained scream as one end of the floor of the huge balcony collapsed and she slid off of the end and into the catacombs that were full of fast-flowing lava. She was gone.
"Where are you Katara?" Someone whispered in her ear.
"Yaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!" She didn't realise it but she had been standing on the deck looking out towards the recently finished Fire Temple for over 10 minutes. Her hand over her heart she exclaimed, "Don't do that to me Aang!"
"Hey, is it my fault that you scream so shrilly that I can't help myself but scare you?"
She hit him lightly on his head which she now had to stretch to reach. "Uh! When did you get so tall? I mean you're only just 14 so you shouldn't have gotten your growth spurts yet."
He shrugged and grinned, "Maybe it's faster for Avatars."
"Yes, well, no need to look so smug, oh Great and Powerful Master of Sneakiness! What did you mean, 'where am I?'"
"Well, you just looked so far away. Lost in your memories."
Katara just looked at him and gave a small, sad smile. "Can't you guess where I was visiting? In less than a month it'll be a year…"
He gave her a reassuring hug. "Yes, I know. But that's why we're coming here, to support Zuko's takeover-"
"Yeah; and I still don't trust Prince Moodypants-"
Aang continued as though she had never said a word "-and negotiate and celebrate." With that he hugged her tightly once more and leapt onto Appa who had been flying leisurely alongside their elegant water tribe vessel. "Let's get this show on the road!"
Katara laughed with Sokka who had come up behind her and together they turned to face the Fire Capital. Sozin. With their three ships full of Water Tribe delegates and the Avatar's bison flying above they made an impressive entrance. So Katara was not shocked that they warranted a welcome from the current ruler of the Fire Nation himself. She was the first of their party to step onto Fire Nation shores and she received a full salute from the double lines of soldiers. She bowed graciously and promptly almost tripped over. The ruler of the nation laughed and said,
"It seems you haven't changed too much, Master Katara. It is good to see you."
She smiled ruefully and replied, "Ah, some things that I hoped would change haven't yet, but I'm still wishing. It's good to see you too Lord Iroh."
AN-Did you like it?? Didja didja didja? Anyways, read & review!
P.S. It just occurred to me that perhaps you would like to know that I'm not stopping Minutes to Midnight or anything. I'm just going to alternate updating each fic til Minutes is finished. Lots of love!