Bato
One thing was for sure in Bato's mind. He did not like the look in General Zhao's eyes.
The Fire Nation had been advancing further into the Earth Kingdom and in order to try to slow them down the Water Tribe had decided to implant a spy into the Fire Nation's ranks. After much debate Bato was the warrior that they had chosen to go. For almost a year now he had been giving information to the Water Tribe while gaining General Zhao's trust. Bato had now made it into Zhao's personal guard.
After spending so much time around Zhao, Bato had came to despise the man. Zhao had no respect for anyone or anything but power. So in Bato's opinion, anything that made Zhao that happy was bad news.
"Tell me Lee," Zhao said turning from his set at his desk to face Bato, "what do you know of the work of the geologist Aiwei?"
"I regret to say I have never heard of him," Bato answered.
"That is understandable, he is a nobody," Zhao said turning back to look at the papers on his desk. "A nobody who may have turned the tides in our favor."
Bato's expression remain neutral at this.
"Sixteen years ago, Aiwei took a team to study out of reach areas of the world," Zhao said, "Areas that were off the beaten path if you will. He had spent most of the past two decades exploring the world, it was just last year that he returned to the Fire Nation and published an account of his journey. It turns out he adventures in the South Pole had achieved something far better than globe research."
At this Bato could not keep the worry from showing on his face, but Zhao was so focused on the paper on his desk that he did not notice.
"What did he achieve at the South Pole?" Bato asked.
At this Zhao turned to face Bato, with a smile that made Bato's skin crawl.
"He killed the avatar."
Seeing the confusion on Bato's face, Zhao continued.
"One year into Aiwei's journey, him and his team where caught in a powerful snow storm which he and his crew were powerless against."
Bato understood this all to well, he remembered numerous storms back home that if one was caught their past bet was to pray and keep from capsizing. After the storm ended was the time to worry about finding one's way home.
"During this storm their ship hit an iceberg. When this happened a gush of air came out of the iceberg and a child appeared with glowing eyes and tattoos. The glowing stopped and out of fear one of Aiwei's men shot a bolt of lightening at this figure killing him instantly. Aiwei discovered the figure to be an air nomad around twelve years old. He had no idea how long the child was frozen in the iceberg, but he gave him a burial at sea, noted the incident and went on his way."
"It sounds to me like Aiwei, may have had to much to drink that night," Bato said.
At this Zhao laughed.
"Yes, that was what most people thought of the story. I on the other hand see things differently. The last avatar would have been an airbender and as such should have been wiped out with the Air Nomads. He wasn't, and the Fire Nation has been looking for him ever since. If the avatar was say, frozen in an iceberg in the South Pole it would explain why he was never found."
"That means that the Avatar is no longer a threat to the Fire Nation," Bato said.
Zhao glared at Bato, "It is clear that you do not know for the Avatar's rebirth cycle. The Avatar is still a very real threat, but he is now a 15-year-old child in either the Northern or Southern Water Tribe. A child unaware of his or her potential, a child that must be destroyed."
With this Zhao got up and headed for the door.
"Come Lee the war council will be meeting soon."
It was everything Bato could do to keep the worry from showing on his face during the war council meeting. Everyone there had came to the same conclusion that Zhao had. The new Avatar was at one of the poles. Bato knew that the Avatar would not be in the Southern Water Tribe, because there was only one bender in their tribe, Katara, who was nearly two years younger than the Avatar would be. The Fire Nation, however, would still likely want to come to their tribe to ensure that.
It was not long before that fear was conformed.
"Attacking the Northern Water Tribe will not be an easy task," an admiral at the front of the table pointed out, "we have not been able to get past their walls. In order to get in to capture the Avatar, will take a well planned attack."
"Agreed," said one of the generals, "but we should not forget about the Southern Water Tribe. The Avatar could very well be within their numbers."
"That is unlikely seeing as there are no more Southern waterbenders," said the admiral, "and any attack on the Southern Water Tribe will warn the Northern Tribe."
"That does not mean that the Southern Water Tribe should be ignored," Zhao said, "I agree that we will need to plan out our invasion of the North carefully, but the South is relatively unprotected. The Fire Nation has wiped out all of the Southern waterbenders without much issues from the North. While I agree that if we wipe out all the of the Southern tribe it would raise suspension. What I propose is that while we gather our focuses to attack the North a small fleet of ships head to the South Pole and kill all children that are within the age range Avatar. The attack would end the possibility that the Avatar is at the Southern Water Tribe and not gain the attention of the North."
It did not take long for the members of the war council to approve Zhao's plan. While the Fire Nation planned to invade the North, a small fleet will end the possibility of the threat at the Southern Water Tribe.
Hakoda
The Southern Water Tribe warriors were currently posted on a small Earth Kingdom beach, not far from Omashu. They were currently guarding the city from advancing Fire Nation forces.
It was a quiet night and Hakoda was taking watch, the Fire Nation had been quiet for the last few days. He knew that something was going on, he just did not know what.
A sound coming from the west side of their camp cause Hakoda to jump and grab his blade. As he turned to face the intruder he was surprised to see Bato coming up to the camp.
"Bato, what are you doing here," Hakoda asked, Bato had not been able to make direct contact with the tribe do to the fact that if he did it would blow his cover in the Fire Nation. He had always connected them through Fire Nation deliver hawks.
"This time I had to come," Bato said, "Hakoda the Fire Nation is planning on attacking our village."
With that said Hakoda woke the rest of the men and Bato told them everything he had discovered from Zhao and the war council.
"What are we to do," asked one of the warriors. "If we leave now the Fire Nation will have a clear shot at Omashu, yet if we don't we could loose our home and everyone there."
"There is no choose," Hakoda answered, "we head out as soon as possible, hopefully we will bet the Fire Nation back."
After that decision was made Hakoda had two of his most trusted men head out to request aid from Omashu and to get word to the Northern Water Tribe.
It was not long before the tribe had set sail. The Water Tribe men were quick to respond to any threat.
"Are you alright," Bato asked, walking over to where Hakoda was standing by the rail of the ship.
"In all honestly my friend, no," Hakoda sighed. "I know that the Avatar is not apart of our tribe, but the very idea is bringing the Fire Nation to our doorstep. And while there are only a handful of children that are in the Avatar's age range, both of my children are. I lost my wife to the Fire Nation, I do not believe that I can take losing one of my children to them."
"Don't worry, you won't," Bato says putting his hand on Hakoda's shoulder.
Sokka
A few days later at the South Pole, Sokka was up and looking out his watch tower. Ever since his dad and the other men of the tribe left two years ago, Sokka could be found first thing in the morning watching to see if any ships were coming. He did not want the Fire Nation to catch them off their guard. He would stay up there until everyone else woke up.
"Sokka, Gran Gran says come in for breakfast," Katara called from their hut.
"Alright," he said as he started to make his way down he saw it. The Southern Water Tribe ships were making their way to the tribe.
"Their back," Sokka shouted, "Hey everyone Dad's back."
Quickly everyone started getting up and headed for the shore to greet the men.
When the ships landed everyone ran to meet their loved ones.
Sokka was one of the first ones to get to the ships when the men got off.
"Dad your back," Sokka shouted.
Hakoda turned to his son and smiled.
"Sokka, you've grown a lot," Hakoda said pulling his son into a hug. He than turned and smiled at Katara.
"And so have you, Katara," Hakoda said reaching to pull her into a hug, but she pulled back.
"Welcome home, Dad," but Katara's voice was anything but welcoming, in fact it was as cold as the ice around them.
A sad look formed in Hakoda's eyes as he nodded. And turned to his mother.
Once everyone had greeted their family it became clear that there was not a happy reason behind their return.
"Mom, I need to speak with you in the other elders," Hakoda told Kanna. Kanna nodded and she, the other elders and Hakoda went into a hut at the far end of the village.
Sokka slowly tried to make his way over to the tent.
"Sokka, when a meeting with the elders are called only them and the chief are allowed in," Katara said.
"Come on, Katara don't you want to know what all of this is able," Sokka said.
"That doesn't matter, these rules are made for reason."
"Katara is right, Sokka," Bato said walking up to the two siblings. "And seeing how you have so much time on your hands you can help unload the ships."
"Okay," Sokka said looking disappointed, however he could not opening defy his elder.
"I'm telling you, Katara something is up and what ever it is cannot be good for us," Sokka said.
"Whatever it is the men will take care for it," Katara said taking the supplies Sokka handed her. "They came back here, so I'm sure they won't let anything happen."
"That remains me," Sokka said stopping what he was doing to look Katara in the eye. "What's going on between you and Dad?"
"Nothing is going on between me and Dad," Katara said, "what makes you think there is?"
"How about the way you greeted him."
Katara glared at him and bended a small wave of water into his face. Katara knew that Sokka was right however. She did not know what to think about seeing Dad and he was also right that something was going on. All of the men were running around setting up defenses, it appeared that trouble was coming. The men did not come home to reunite with their families, but they came because they had to. And Katara was worried.
Once Sokka, Katara and a few others from the village had unloaded the ships Hakoda and the elders had come out of the hut.
Before Sokka could even start to head over to ask what was going on Hakoda called him, Katara and a few others children over to them.
"I need all of you to head to your huts and gather supplies we will be heading out for a few days," Hakoda said. "I plan for us to leave within the hour, so pack quickly and only what you can carry."
"Dad, you expect us to leave when our village is in trouble," Sokka asked the disbelief clear on his face.
"Sokka you will do as you are told," Hakoda said his voice leaving no room of argument.
All of the address children went to pack. Shortly after they got their supplies together and met up with Hakoda and two other men to head out an explosion happened that cause everyone to turn.
Three Fire Nation ships could be seen coming over the horizon and were firing at the tribe. Without wasting anytime Hakoda rushed the children with him into the nearest hut, shortly afterwards all the other children had made their way into the hut.
The sounds of the battle drowned out any other noise in the hut. Sokka had positioned himself at the front of the hut, and had his boomerang ready. He would protect the others.
All of the sudden the fight sounded like it was coming from the front door of the hut. And a few Fire Nation soldiers came in.
"Look what we have here," one of the soldiers said. "It looks like we found our targets."
At this the soldiers' hands came ablaze in flames and prepared to strike the children. Sokka jumped up and hit the nearest soldier with his boomerang.
The soldier quickly recovered and knocked Sokka to the ground. Sokka now having the soldiers' full attention, and the soldier that Sokka had hit prepared to strike Sokka.
The soldier was stopped when water from a bucket on the side of the room came out and struck him. The soldier turned to see Katara taking a fighting stance.
The soldier threw a fireball at Katara that barely missed.
After that Sokka lost all thought and a powerful wind knocked everyone in the hut off of their feet and blow the top of the hut away.
Hakoda
Hakoda was in the middle of fight two Fire Nation soldiers when a wind came out of nowhere and knocked him and the soldiers to the ground. Hakoda looked up and could not believe what he saw.
Sokka was rising out of the hut that he and the other children had taken cover in. He had a wind tunnel under him and his eyes were glowing. Before Hakoda could even take in what this meant Sokka raised his arm and swiftly brought it down, cause a wave to knock down two of the Fire Nation ships, he than sent wind to push the Fire Nation soldiers away from the Water Tribe Warriors. After this the glow in Sokka's eyes slowly began to fade and he made his way back to the ground.
When Sokka's feet touched the ground his eyes stopped glowing and he collapsed. Sokka rubbed his head and looked around with a look of surprise on his face. It was clear that Sokka had no idea what happened.
Hakoda ran for his son, realizing the same thing that everyone else did. Sokka was the Avatar. That was not Hakoda's focus right now, the Fire Nation will concentrate all their attacks on Sokka now and he had to get him to safety.
Hakoda's path was blocked however by three Fire Nation soldiers and while he fought to get past them he saw a Fire Nation general walk up to Sokka.
Zhao
Zhao could not believe his luck, he had thought that the Avatar would be in the Northern Tribe, not down here in the South. Coming to the South had just been a precaution. Yet, here he was. The Avatar just coming out of the Avatar state, looking around confused.
The child did not know who he was and the power that he held. What was all the better.
"Well it appears that the Fire Nation's greatest threat is no more than a scared little child," Zhao said as he walked toward to young Avatar. Zhao smiled at the confused look on Sokka's face.
"What are you talking about I'm not scared," Sokka said facing Zhao head on, with no weapon.
Before Sokka could say or do anything else Zhao fired a powerful blast of fire at him, which Sokka dodged. Dodging the first blast however left Sokka unprepared for the second blast which hit him directly in the back knocking him down. Zhao believing that the hit would kill him, seeing as he put so much focus into the blow and it was given at point blank range, was surprised when Sokka tried to pull himself up. Sokka only made it a few inches off the ground before he fell back into the snow.
Zhao raised his hand to strike again, but his hand was knocked out of the way. Hakoda had made it past the soldiers and now stood between Zhao and his son.
The fight that followed was intense, Zhao needed to kill the Avatar and Hakoda needed to protect his son. Neither side was willing to give any ground. It wasn't until a new group had joined the fight that both sides looked up. A fleet of Earth Kingdom ships had made its way to the South Pole. The Fire Nation was now greatly out numbered. Zhao was many things, but a foul was not one of them. He knew that with the numbers against him this was not a fight he could win. He would have to come back another time. The Avatar was injured so that will give them the time strategize and come back stronger.
"Retreat," Zhao shouted sounding like the word left a bad taste in his mouth. He spat at Hakoda before running off to his remaining ship.
Hakoda
As soon as the Fire Nation started to make their retreat, Hakoda ran to his son. When he got to him Hakoda could see that the wound was bad. The burn covered most of Sokka's back and side and it sounded like he was having trouble breathing. Hakoda gently picked his son up and carried him to the healer's hut.
"Dad," Sokka coughed, surprising Hakoda who did not know he was still wake, "what happened."
"Don't worry about it now son," Hakoda said.
When Hakoda got into the healer's hut he put Sokka down on the first bed he saw and the healer went to look at Sokka.
While the healer was tending to Sokka, Bato came in and pulled Hakoda out of the hut. Hakoda was reluctant to go, but he knew as chief and Sokka's father the decision that were sure to follow this event he needed to be a part of.
Bato lead Hakoda to the same tent that the elders had met in only a few hours ago. Inside were the village elders and the top generals from the Earth Kingdom fleet that had came to there aid.
Hakoda turned to the general in charge.
"I would like to thank you for your help today. It means a lot to me and my people."
"It was our pleasure," the general replied. "King Bumi believe that with all the help you have offered to Omashu it was only fitting that we come. And it is a good thing we did, seeing how the Fire Nation was right the Avatar is a member of your tribe."
At this Hakoda sighed. His son was currently badly wounded and now the Fire Nation's main target. He would give anything for the Avatar to be someone else.
"We know that this is the Water Tribe's decision, but we feel it will be best to move the Avatar to a more secure location," the general continued.
"What, take my son from the only home he has ever known," Hakoda said.
"Hakoda, I believe that they are right that we should do this," Kanna said.
Hakoda turned to his mother in disbelief.
Kanna continued.
"We are a small tribe with very little defenses. This fact was what had enabled the Fire Nation to wipe out all of our waterbenders. With Sokka being the Avatar they will not stop until they kill him and they nearly succeeded today. Sokka is not safe at the South Pole. Along with that Sokka needs time in order to learn to bend the four elements. This could take a great deal of time, considering that we did not even know that Sokka was a waterbender."
Hakoda sighed and turned back to the general. "What do you have in mind?"
"We should take the Avatar to Omashu," the general explained. "The city has strong defenses that have held for this long against the Fire Nation and if the Water Tribe still patrols the boards the Avatar should be safe there."
Hakoda nodded.
"As soon as the healer says that Sokka is well enough to travel, we will take him to Omashu."