Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: TLA. I do not own any of its characters. I do not own my own apartment. Life just isn't fair.
Summary: Koh threatens to return and finish what he started centuries ago. New alliances will be formed, friendships will be tested, and characters will be challenged like never before.
Providence
Chapter One: Beginnings
- - - - -
Aang readied his stance, feet apart, in deep concentration. He gave a short preliminary exhale then summoned the water from the lake with his outstretched arms. It flowed gently at first as he rolled it back then, like the calm river becomes the mighty waterfall, he thrust it forward with the speed of lightning.
Did his water whip fly straight and true, soaring over the lake to land on its man-made target?
"Kerch!"
No it did not.
"Oops, sorry Momo!" The young Avatar called out to the now soaked lemur. Momo blinked his large green eyes in surprise before shaking the water from his fur.
"Nice try, Aang," Katara placed a reassuring hand on the boy's shoulder. "But it's getting too dark to practice. We should call it a night."
The two friends shivered slightly as they walked down the path back to their campsite. Night had come early and the atmosphere felt desolate. Maybe it was because of the gray fog that accompanied the darkness or maybe it was the stillness of the evening.
An uneasy feeling had formed at the pit of Aang's stomach ever since they had left the North Pole. The loss of Yue had an obvious affect on Sokka. He spent most of his evenings alone, staring up at the moon. The Avatar couldn't help feeling anxious at the site of the Water Tribe warrior's condition, "Katara?"
"What is it?"
"It's just…" He replied softly, unsure of how to word his thoughts.
"Oh," Katara said in understanding. "Don't worry about Sokka. I'm sure he'll be back to his old self soon."
"But I've tried!" He exclaimed in sudden irritation. "I've tried everything! I've told him jokes, funny stories, dressed up in silly costumes…"
Katara smiled at the memory of Aang dressed as the Cabbage Man and yelling, "My cabbages!"
"I've even tried to cheer him up with food! But he won't eat! You know it's serious when Sokka's not hungry!"
"Just give him time, Aang. Besides, we have other things to worry about…" Katara voice trailed.
But she didn't need to finish. Aang knew what she meant to say.
The Fire Nation would undoubtedly continue their merciless hunt for the Avatar. Spring was approaching and he still needed to learn earthbending and firebending before the end of summer. If the world was to ever return to normal he would have to be a quick learner and as much as he hated to admit it, the latter scared him the most.
They needed a plan.
- - - - -
Iroh, ex-general of the Fire Nation and Dragon of the West, sat contently in the corner of a small restaurant with his nephew.
The Earth Kingdom port town of Tajima had once been a hot spot for travelers of all nations. At the peak of its popularity the shops and restaurants stayed busy night and day, it was a prosperous city that never slept. Entertainment from the perfectly tasteful, to the more sensuous, to the downright obscene could be found within its walls, but one hundred years of war had taken its toll on a city that relied so heavily on tourism. Now the streets held dilapidated, empty buildings. The only visitors to the few open businesses were some hard-drinking locals and vagabonds.
The waitress approached the table and refilled the older man's herbal tea, "Will there be anything else?"
"A neck rub would be nice," he replied with his most charming smile at the young woman.
She gave him a stern look and an "hmph" before turning to attend the other customers.
Iroh sighed and solemnly stoked his beard, "Tajima just isn't what it used to be."
"You've been here before?" His companion asked with mild interest.
His uncle's face lit up with that impish grin Zuko knew so well, "When I was a young man this place still held some of its excitement. Tastes to please every palate! The women here could keep my hot lovers body going all night! I remember this one dancer…"
"Uncle!" Zuko cut him off. He was in no mood to hear a story about one of his uncle's escapades. "We've been here long enough. We need to keep moving if we're going to find the Avatar."
"And how do you plan on finding him? On foot? Your ship is beyond repair Prince Zuko."
The younger man scowled. No matter how much he hated to admit it, Iroh had a good point. His ship was destroyed and the makeshift raft that carried them from the North Pole wasn't adequate to follow a ten ton flying bison.
They needed a plan.
- - - - -
"You lost Momo?" Sokka quirked a well-drawn eyebrow at the boy in speculation. Sure, Aang was known for being a bit thoughtless and goofy. But it was unbelievable for him, the Avatar and animal-lover extraordinaire, to lose a pet.
"Not exactly, Sokka. He just wandered off…" Before the older boy could throw an accusing finger at him, Aang threw up his hands defensively. "It wasn't my fault!" And it wasn't. Somewhere between accidentally soaking the lemur with his waterbending and heading back to the campsite a curse of bad luck blanketed the gentle monk. Momo had disappeared.
"Yeah, right," he folded his arms across his chest. "You said the same thing when you misplaced my boomerang, when you stained Katara's clean clothes, and when you used my seal jerky as firewood!"
Aang blushed faintly at the memory of these events, "Those were all accidents!"
"Calm down you two," Katara interjected. "Momo has to be around here somewhere."
"Yeah," Aang agreed. "I bet he'll be back when he gets hungry."
"Lemurs are annoying animals," Sokka huffed. "I don't see why you spend so much time feeding that big-eared, smelly thing."
"Easy," the Avatar answered. "We feed you, so it's not that much harder to feed Momo."
"That's it!" The older boy growled. He took a fistful of Aang's shirt, yanking him off the ground to meet his level glare of daggers. "I ought to…"
Before Sokka could finish naming the many possible options for exacting his revenge on Aang for his verbal assault, a shower of water soaked both boys head to toe.
A satisfied looking waterbender sealed the opening of her canteen, "That's enough." Admittedly, she was happy to see Sokka so talkative even if his mood was still testy. "I'm sure Momo will be back soon."
Sokka abandoned his hold on Aang, and with an annoyed grunt, he sat back down next to the fire. "I'm not so sure of that."
"What do you mean?" His sister asked.
"While we were at the North Pole, Yue told me about this forest. It's supposed to be the battle ground where one of the previous Avatars fought against a spirit and eventually died. They say it's protected by some kind of spell and several people that have traveled through this area have never been seen again."
Katara could see the sorrow in Sokka's expression when he mentioned Yue. "You didn't used to believe in the supernatural," she observed.
"I don't know what to believe anymore."
Before Katara could console her brother a rustling in the forest drew her attention away from the grief stricken young man. They could hear a soft "kerch" in the darkness.
"Momo!" Aang jumped up in anticipation of his animal friend's return. The flying lemur sailed through the treetops and landed gracefully on Aang's shoulder. "I knew you'd be back, boy!"
"What is that he's wearing?" Katara asked. She approached the lemur, taking hold of the shiny bronze necklace that hung from his neck. The chain was rusted from years of neglect, but on the wooden pendent the symbol of the Earth Kingdom could still be seen clearly carved. "Where did it come from?"
"Maybe there's a house nearby," Aang suggested.
"An abandoned house maybe," Sokka cut in. "That thing is a piece of junk."
The Water Tribe girl handed the necklace to the monk for him to give it his own inspection. He touched the crest with the tips of his fingers and immediately it began to glow with an unearthly light.
"Katara, Sokka look…" But Aang's voice went unheard. He looked up to find that he was no longer in the dark forest with his friends, but standing in front of a single, giant tree. Its trunk was as wide as ten flying bison and stretched so high it seemed to touch the base of the heavens. The branches stretched out for miles, bearing fruit as large as Aang himself.
The water that surrounded this humbling tree was crystal clear. The young Avatar looked down and saw his reflection in the sheer, clean water, obviously untouched by human hands. Ripples appeared and his reflection transformed into the face of a woman. She was not young, perhaps in her early thirties, but her appearance still held much of its youthfulness. Her features left no doubt to the origin of her birth. Her skin was copper toned, giving evidence to a woman who spent more time outdoors than in. Her hair was the color of the fertile soil, tied high atop her head and her eyes were as green as jade.
"Wh-who are you?" Aang was surprised at the apprehension in his voice. "Where am I?"
The ripples appeared again and this time the face that emerged was a man's; strong and noble. For some reason Aang could not explain, this reflection seemed familiar. Had he seen this man before? He reached his hand towards the water…
"Aang?" Katara shook her friend back into consciousness. "Are you alright?"
He looked around him to see Appa, Momo, Sokka, and Katara all looking at him awkwardly. The vision had vanished, but in its place had come an indescribably strong urge to move east. "We need to go," The words left his lips before he could understand them himself.
"What are you talking about?" The waterbender inquired. His behavior was out of the ordinary, even for the constantly astonishing Avatar.
"We need to go," he repeated. With one swift movement Aang grabbed his staff and hopped onto Appa's head. Pulling the reins he hurried along his friends, "Come on."
Sokka and Katara exchanged glances, unsure of this sudden change in mood. But history had taught them that it was sometimes better just to trust Aang's intuition. One "yip-yip" sent them soaring into the darkness of the night sky, traveling to a destination even their guide was not sure of.
A confused quiet descended on the group until Sokka's impatient nature broke the silence, "What's with you all of the sudden? Where are we going?"
"I'm not sure," he answered honestly. "But I had a vision. I just have this feeling that I need to go somewhere."
"Great," the warrior huffed. "Well, when you finish getting to 'you're not sure'…wake me." With this final declaration Sokka settled in the back of the saddle for an un-restful nights sleep.
"Aang," Katara climbed next him. "What was your vision?"
She was looking straight at him and for some reason he almost wished she wasn't. How could he explain something he didn't understand himself? The monk looked at her face, her beautiful cerulean eyes held no trace of guile. He had always loved her eyes. Looking at them was like visiting the cool lake on a hot summer day. They brought comfort, peace, and relief. Katara had always believed in him and he knew there was nothing he could not tell her.
Aang heaved a long sigh and then tried to explain, with the best of his ability, the strange vision that had somehow manipulated him so strongly.
- - - - -
It was a beautiful evening, decided Ichiro, as he sat on the Tajima dock drinking wine with his fellow fisherman. The night was chilly, but the smallest hint of warmth promised that spring would soon arrive. He took another swig from his bottle, enjoying the burn of alcohol as it traveled down his throat and warmed his tired limbs.
"What are you so happy about?" asked his friend Li.
"Nothing," he replied with a grin. "I was just thinking what a beautiful night this is."
"It's damn cold out here," Li retorted. "Whose bright idea was it to stay out fishing this late anyway? The cold is making my joints ache."
"It's a perfect night," Ichiro insisted and handed the wine to his complaining partner. "Besides, we need to catch more fish if we're ever going to turn a profit."
Li took a drink and then frowned. Money troubles were not uncommon for this poor, desolate town, but that didn't change the fact that it was freezing. The two men were the solitary occupants of the entire harbor. No one else was crazy enough to stay out at sea as long as they had. Or maybe just not desperate enough.
"Do you see that?"
"Huh?" Li turned to follow his friend's gaze away from the ocean.
"It looks like…oh hell no!"
They quickly scrambled to their feet, the wine long forgotten. The fishermen ran towards the warehouse, red and orange flames poured from its windows. Smoke was blanketing the area with a thick, black smokescreen.
The dark figure, who had been waiting in the shadows, took advantage of his distraction. He hurried quickly and quietly across the docks towards the boat while the attention of its owners was still with the burning building.
"Uncle," Prince Zuko half-shouted, half-whispered as he started to board the ship. "Hurry up!"
The older man stopped just short of the ramp and picked up the unfinished bottle of wine. Holding it out to his nephew he explained, "For the trip."
One last attack of water defeated the flames that consumed the empty warehouse only a few moments ago. "How did it catch fire?" Ichiro muttered. "There's not a single thing in this building."
"It was probably just some stupid brats looking for a thrill." Li waved a hand in front of his face trying to prevent any more smoke from entering his lungs. "Kids these days, they have no respect for other people's property."
The two men headed back towards the dock, their weary limbs forcing them into a slow pace. They arrived back only to find their slip was empty…the slip where their boat should have been.
"Damn! They took the wine too!" Ichiro called out in irritation. He felt two hands pressed against his back…
Splash!
Li suddenly felt much better.
- - - - -
"There are two things I cannot stand, Prince Zuko," Iroh stood beside the younger man steering their pilfered ship, "Cold tea and cheap wine." He tossed the half-empty bottle out onto the deck with disgust.
"This isn't a cruise," his nephew admonished. "Look around and see if you can find a map."
The ship was weather-beaten and old, but it was still sturdy enough to be out at sea. A quick search successfully uncovered the object of their hunt. Unrolling the worn parchment, it revealed a detailed description of the surrounding area. "Here," Iroh pointed. "There is a river not far from Tajima that will take us inland. If the Avatar is in the northern forest of the Earth Kingdom…" His voice suddenly trailed.
Zuko saw the usual playful spark in his uncle's eyes fade for a moment and then, just as suddenly as it disappeared, it returned again. Zuko wondered whether he had just imagined it, "What is it?"
"It's nothing," he replied.
It was not the first time Zuko had seen his uncle being evasive, but he could never remember him at a loss for words. "The Avatar couldn't have gotten very far since he left the North Pole. He will probably be heading southeast towards Ba-Sing-Sei to find an earthbending teacher."
"Yes, I'm sure you're right," Iroh approved.
"But…" The exiled prince didn't usually push his uncle during one of his more ambiguous moments, but after everything they had been through it was important that no secrets be held between them. All they had was each other. No crew, no money, and as of yet no Avatar. Their only possessions were this stolen fishing boat and the armor on their backs.
Iroh earned his nickname "Dragon of the West" during his destructive path east towards Ba-Sing-Sei. He left behind a trail of victory time after time, no bender or warrior stood a chance against his powerful army. After so many victories General Iroh grew too confident and had underestimated the strength of that great fortress city. After six hundred long, bloody days and nights he was forced to retreat. It was his first and greatest failure and he rarely spoke of that legendary mission to his nephew. He rarely spoke of it at all. But the time he spent in this part of the world could prove useful in Zuko's quest. Any information he had may be the key to him capturing the Avatar before anyone else.
The old general gave a heavy sigh as though contained in it was all his troubles and tribulations. For the first time Zuko could see his uncle's age catching up with him. "It is possible," Iroh started, "that the Avatar will visit a temple."
"A temple?"
"It is hidden deep in the forest and few have had the privilege of seeing it, but I do believe that she will call him there."
Zuko opened his mouth to question his uncle further, but the loud "boom" of a cannon resounded followed by the ominous whistling of the ball's approach. It landed to the right of the boat and sent it tilting from the waves it created. The two firebenders were sent flying towards the wall by the force of the blow. Zuko tried bracing himself to keep from sandwiching Iroh against the wall, but he had no purchase.
"Oof!"
Iroh was pinned.
"Really Prince Zuko, have you considered losing some weight?"
Zuko pushed away and tried to steady himself. Ignoring his uncle's unwanted comment he helped the older man to his feet. "What was that?" In the full moonlight the prince could see a ship moving with impressive speed towards their unarmed boat from the rear.
Zuko was fuming.
The last thing he needed was another disturbance. The hostile ship carefully stopped beside his own stolen boat, but it was not the Earth Kingdom Navy or even the fishermen coming back for revenge. The cross-bone insignia that decorated the flag was a tell-tale sign of the ships allegiance. Pirates.
Zuko somewhat expected the familiar sight of the pirates that had destroyed his ship, and almost took his life, once before. However, the man that boarded his boat was not the gray-haired captain with a parrot perched on his shoulder. His skin was weather-beaten from years at sea and his muscles testified to a man who was used to getting what he wanted by force. His jet-black hair was tied back in a long braid, but the focus of attention was his eyes. They were small and dark with such a decadent glare that after seeing them one forgot about his large build and focused only on those piercing orbs.
"Who are you?" Zuko demanded, not at all intimidated by this man's arrival. Or at least damn good at not showing it.
His only answer was the sound of metal against a sheath and moonlight reflecting from the pirate's sword. Zuko barely had time to ready his fighting stance when the sword and its wielder closed the distance between them in an instant. He scarcely managed to avoid the strike, staggering backwards a few steps from the sheer force of the attack. Blood began to seep from the wound on his chest, luckily shallow thanks to the armor. The prince cursed under his breath. He was almost cut in two!
"My business here isn't with you," the pirate's voice was threaded with disdain. With one quick movement of his wrist and he flicked the blood from his sword, "I'm here for the old man."
- - - - -
Day was approaching and Aang still didn't know where he was going. No matter how he tried there just weren't any words that could explain this feeling he had. A premonition? He didn't know. He couldn't decide whether he was losing his mind or just wasting time. Either way the Avatar knew he wouldn't be able to rest until he figured out what was going on.
Both Katara and Sokka were sound asleep now. Momo's eyes were blinking more slowly as time passed and Appa's altitude was dropping in his exhaustion. The landscape had changed over the course of their journey. The rolling hills were transforming into more jagged mountains and the trees were becoming sparser. He wasn't sure how close they were to where the feeling wanted him to go, but his inner compass told him he wasn't far from the capital of the Earth Kingdom. Could that be his destination?
Beautiful shades of violet and orange streaked the morning sky as the sun began its daily ascent. It was dawn and although the Avatar would have normally enjoyed such a picturesque view he was plagued with the sudden, overwhelming feeling that his journey was over. He pulled on Appa's reins directing him to land, much to the bison's delight.
"Hmmm…" Katara stirred into consciousness and rubbed the sleep from her eyes.
"Are we there yet?" Sokka awoke beside her. He inspected their new surroundings with a suspicious eye and blanched at the desolate landscape. "Why did we stop? There is nothing here but mountains!"
"What's going on, Aang?" Katara added to the interrogation.
"Its here," he tried to explain. "I'm supposed to be here."
The coolness of the night was starting to wane as the sun warmed the early morning hour. The Avatar walked forward, his two confused friends following closely behind him in anticipation. Their path was set in a gorge between two high mountain walls on what was probably once a riverbed, now long dried up by the harsh sun. The group came to a dead end, the path blocked by another wall of solid rock.
"Great," Sokka said sarcastically. "Now what?"
"I don't understand," Aang sighed. "This is the spot, I'm sure of it."
Sokka held out his club to strike the cliff as though one attack would make the mountain reduce to rubble. No such luck.
"Nice try," Katara teased. "But you can't make a mountain disappear."
The Avatar stepped closer, surer than ever that this is the place he needed to be. He placed both hands against the sturdy cliff and concentrated. Would the premonition tell him what to do next?
Katara and Sokka watched as their friend leaned against the rock and suddenly, without warning, the arrows on his head and hands began to glow. The blue light he emitted spread throughout the wall until the entire mountain illuminated with the light of the Avatar's spirit. The Water Tribes siblings shielded their eyes from the intensity of the light being produced, both excited and afraid of what was about to happen.
When the light faded and they turned to see the condition of Aang, they gasped at the sight before their eyes. The mountain was gone! In its place was a temple, made entirely of the earth, just stones and bricks. It was a pyramid shaped tower consisting of progressively smaller stories, finally forming a narrow throat with a dome on the top. The landscape had transformed into luscious vegetation surrounding the hidden temple. Vines covered the ancient sanctuary with a blanket of life, flower buds blooming despite the fact it was out of season.
"Mountains can't disappear, huh?"
"Shut up Sokka!"
"Guys!" Aang interrupted their argument. "Let's hurry and go inside."
The siblings abandoned their argument for the time being. This sudden change of events was far too enthralling to fight.
They stepped through the wide, circular archway and into the main hall. Decorated murals of past heroes adorned the walls in colorful shades of green and brown, legends of earthbenders and the animal spirits that guided them. The hallway grew darker as they traveled further into this Earth Kingdom shrine.
"Welcome," a feminine voice called out from the darkest edge of the temple. A light appeared, most likely from a lantern the stranger held.
Footsteps could be heard slowly coming towards them. Aang stood paralyzed with excitement, but Sokka took a sure grip on his boomerang. It was best to be prepared for anything. After all, Aang had been guided here by some unknown force and a mountain just disappeared into thin air! The warrior's instincts told him that this was probably just the beginning. Of what he wasn't sure.
Once the woman was within feet of the group she lifted her lantern more closely to her face. The monk let out a gasp. It was her! The woman in his vision!
"You," he cried in astonishment. "Are you the one who sent me that vision?"
"I am," she replied in a cool, dulcet tone. The silk robes she wore flowed loosely around her, tied together by as single sash around her waist. "I am Lei, the keeper of this temple."
"I don't understand," Katara spoke out. "Do you possess spiritual powers? Is that how this temple was disguised and you were able to contact Aang?"
She ignored the question. "I called you here, because someone you've met before will be returning very soon." Lei brought the lantern closer to the wall beside her for her guests to see the painted mural more clearly in the light.
Aang couldn't believe his eyes! That long, large centipede-like body that he had met only a few weeks ago, the creature he had hoped to never see again. It was undoubtedly that same dangerous spirit. Koh, the Face-Stealer!
- - - - -
Author's Notes: Wow. That was an exhaustingly long chapter. Hopefully, the others won't be quite this long, but that remains to be seen…
So for everyone out there that was foaming at the mouth before, during, and after the season finale, this is for you. Yes, I should have been paying attention in class, but instead I was staring off into space thinking about all the wonderful things that are to come in season two. However, superlazygirl is not a patient creature, so she has decided to write her own little story filled with her theories of Koh, Iroh's son, the spirit world, and the Avatar world itself. Just to make myself clear, this story has very little factual basis, it is purely the product of my overactive imagination…which would explain why it's so strange…
Anyway, I would like to explain that this mourning, depressed, life-is-meaningless Sokka is indeed a bit OOC. However, this was intentional because I'm setting him up for something later. So to all you Sokka fans out there, please hang in there for me. I've got big plans for our little warrior.
The same goes for Iroh. He may give off the perverted-goofy-passive uncle façade, but his true colors will make an appearance.
So sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride!