A/N:
First off, this is a response to a challenge. But, because I have terrible organizational skills, I don't have the name of the author that originally created the challenge, but I do have the challenge itself, which is as follows:
It starts with Sozin's comet. the invasion did not go as planned, Aang and sokka get killed. Zuko and Katara barely escape from Azula with their lives. The resistance is decimated by the fire nation, the only heroes left our Zuko, Toph and Katara. They Meet up an try to find a safe haven to train. The spirits approached them with an offer to go back in time. They accept an receive gifts of new powers along with master of all the old. The author can choose which new powers. They go back to the beginning right Before Aang woke up in the iceberg.
So, if you ever see an Avatar: TLA challenge that looks similar to the one above, please PM me or review the story so I can give the original challenger the proper credit. Until then, I'm just going to thank whoever it was for posting it. Sorry!
I don't own Avatar TLA
Zuko groaned, trying to push himself up. At the movement, Katara gasped and began running to him, her hands already coated with water. She was stopped when a blue ball of fire crashed close to her feet. Azula's manic laughter filled the air as she shot a bolt of lightning towards the waterbender, who rolled away from it, her eyes still drawn to her friend as electric currents shook him violently.
"I'd really rather our family physician look after little Zu-Zu, if you don't mind," Azula grinned manically, gathering lightning in her hands once more. Katara dodged once more, raising water from the fountain to help cover her escape. Bursts of fire shot from Azula's palms and Katara took shelter behind one of the many columns in the courtyard, wrapping her arms around her head to help protect herself from both the noise and the debris rocketing away from the explosion.
When the volley of fire ended, Katara stood, only now realizing that she had been kneeling, as Azula's jeering voice filled the air.
"Zu-Zu, you don't look so good," Azula taunted, not moving from her vantage point on the roof. Spotting Katara as she peered around the column to look at Zuko, the Fire Nation Princess shouted, "Hi-ya!" and released another attack. Katara ran out from behind the column just before it shattered from the sheer strength of the inferno.
Katara sucked in a breath of air before pulling water from the fountain and launching it towards Azula, only to find that she had already left, reappearing moments later. Azula flew towards Katara, propelled by the flames extending from her hands and feet, and the waterbender gathered more water from the fountain, running and freezing the water into a curling wave for her to ride away on.
Azula launched flames at the ice, too late to hit Katara. The ice evaporated on contact and Azula prepared another attack as Katara skated away. The waterbender soon ran out of water, tripping on the ground and landing on her knees above a grate. Staring into the grate, Katara saw a flowing river. Thinking fast, she rushed to the wall, pulling a metal chain away from where it hung under a lamp.
She lured Azula onto the grate, allowing her to get as close as possible before pulling the water straight up, freezing it where it stood, Katara and Azula enveloped within it. Exhaling and melting the ice around her immediate area, Katara looped the chain around Azula's hands, swimming around her and pulling her to the ground below and securing her to the grate before allowing the water to rush downwards.
Azula and Katara both fell forward on their knees, coughing and gasping for air. Katara reached over, pulling at the chains to make sure they were secure.
Katara then rushed over to Zuko's side, laying him on his back and pressing her water-coated hands to the new scar on his abs, healing it as best as she could for the short term. Zuko coughed and his eyes opened.
"Thank you, Katara," he said, his voice rasping.
"I think I'm the one who should be thanking you," she said back, smiling as tears of relief filled her eyes. The relief and happiness disappeared when Appa cried out in pain.
Katara tensed, her eyes turning to Azula, only to see the smoldering remains of the chains the Fire Nation princess had been bound in. Panic settled in Katara's chest as Azula's manic laughter once again filled the air.
"That was the best you could do, little waterbender?" her voice, now a taunting growl, echoed throughout the courtyard. "You have nowhere to hide, now… Nowhere to run off to…"
Katara jumped awake. It was just a dream, just a dream, she told herself.
Only it wasn't, the little voice of reason argued quietly.
She took a deep breath to steady herself, glancing around their temporary camp. It had been three days. Just three days since what peace and normalcy her life had held had vanished, snatched away before the 'Phoenix King' or whatever that power-hungry murderer called himself now. It was just last week that she had invited Aang to have some watermelon juice instead of training. She regretted that now.
Aang.
It hurt. She expected that hurt to never go away. She didn't want it to go away. That would make her a monster, wouldn't it?
Katara briefly thought back to something Zuko had said on the way to fight Azula: I'm not worried her. I'm worried about Aang. What if he doesn't have the guts to take out my father? What if he loses?
Katara shook her head, trying to free herself of the guilt that had seemed to be tied with thinking of Aang. The truth was, he wasn't able to kill Ozai. He had lost. And Ozai made sure he had paid. Aang was gone. And he wasn't coming back this time.
She stood and began putting away their scant supplies before turning back to what was left of Team Avatar: herself, Zuko, and Toph. Suki and Sokka hadn't escaped the airships.
They'd need to keep going if they wanted to avoid capture from the Fire Nation, something considerably difficult seeing as the Fire Nation controlled all but the Northern Water Tribe at this point. Even the Southern Tribe was taken, according to a goodbye letter from her father, sent just before he had led what was left of the Water Tribe's warriors into what he knew would be a Sisyphean battle.
Shaking off the grief- she would dwell on that when it was safer- Katara put out the remains of their fire and began prodding Toph and Zuko, waking them up.
They packed up camp quickly and silently. Not a word was said as they climbed onto the eel hound Toph had managed to scam off of one rich merchant or another.
They were moving quickly through the Fire Nation, seeking shelter wherever they could find it. There was an unspoken agreement amongst the three of them: they would run, they would train, and they would fight to the end. They owed that to Sokka, Suki, and Aang's memory.
"I wish we had Appa," Katara said, dismounting the exhausted eel hound.
"I wish Zuko's father wasn't a bastard," Toph snapped. Katara tried to mask her hurt but the earthbender could feel it, even without her sight. But that didn't make her apologize. Toph scowled, storming to the opposite side of the clearing they were seeking shelter in, just next to the edge of a cliff, and erected a tent of rock, her back to Katara and Zuko.
Katara kept her silence for Zuko's sake. If she had lied, Toph would have announced it. If she had told the truth, the banished prince would feel ashamed and his hand would automatically move to his scar.
Glancing around, Katara's eyes lit with recognition.
"Toph!" she called, excited. The earthbender groaned.
"What?" she demanded, lowering the wall facing Katara. Katara grinned, not that the girl would see it, but couldn't hold back her happiness.
"We've been here before! Remember? The village on the river?" Katara said, pointing towards the floating town. Zuko walked over towards her to see it.
"I remember you impersonating a spirit, lying to us, making Appa sick, and almost destroying a whole village of people," Toph said, her serious tone fighting the smirk on her face.
"Wait- What?" Zuko asked, staring at Katara in a new light. She blushed lightly before getting defensive.
"Well, they were letting the guys at the factory ruin their lives! So, I kinda… helped. A bit," she said, still blushing. Toph laughed, a real laugh, for the first time in days.
"Yeah, destroying the factory is helping 'a bit'," Toph agreed, her tone sarcastic. Katara's blush darkened and she turned away, crossing her arms over her chest.
"I'm going to go get water," Katara said, glancing down at the clear blue waters of the once polluted river. "Anyone want to come?"
"Not a chance," Toph smirked, once again lifting her wall. Katara turned hopefully to Zuko, but the firebender tensed, whistling nonchalantly.
"Oh, very mature," Katara teased, pulling the cooking pot from their bags. "I'll be back, don't kill anyone. Including each other." Toph groaned comically and Katara turned away from the two with the ghost of a smile on her face.
Kneeling at the river, Katara sighed, allowing her hands to dip into the cooling river as she thought of the last time she had been at the river's edge.
Thank you, the Painted Lady's voice drifted still in her mind. The memory always made Katara smile, even now, as she thought of the village she had helped when they needed it most. That was one memory she wouldn't change, even if she could.
But what if you could? A voice drifted across the water, rippling as fog filled the air. What memories would you change?
Then, out of the fog, a beautiful woman stepped forward, a veil rippling behind her. The paint on her face caused Katara to bow her head immediately.
Katara of the Water, I have been watching you and have decided that you are of pure heart. You have felt the sharpest of pains and loss but still retain hope and love for those you still hold dear. These are characteristics my siblings and I have long searched for, these past hundred years.
"Why?"
This war may be over for you, and lost it is, but it will never be over for the spirits. Even now, when all we desire is peace and balance within the world and ourselves, our brothers are forced to grow strong or wither, just as the tides and just as your nations.
"What do you want me to do? You've said it yourself, we've lost this war."
Nothing is lost, not completely. I say it again, What memories would you change? Where you begin?
"I- I think that first day, when we found Aang," Katara began uncertainly. "If we hadn't let Zuko take him- but then Zuko never would've turned good…" Katara realized. The Painted Lady smiled.
Now you see my dilemma, Katara of the Water. You are of pure heart and full of love, but as much as it pains me to say, this war is too far gone to be won with love alone. There is strong enmity within all of the nations, you know some of it yourself. That is why the banished prince battled with himself for so long against his father. That is why you didn't first accept him when he truly changed for the better.
"Can't be won with love alone…" Katara repeated, thinking deeply. "Are you saying that I can't do this alone? I need someone else?"
Precisely, she nodded, smiling. The spirits and I have been convened for many days on this, since I last saw you in fact. While we cannot fight the battles, we can strengthen you and then send you back, as you wished, to that first day.
"But what about- Are you saying Zuko will be coming with me?"
And your other friend, the runaway.
"Toph?"
Yes, child. You, Zuko of the Fire, and Toph of the Earth will become our hands in this war. We shall train you, if allowed, and then return you to that moment.
"But what if we need your guidance after that?" Katara asked. The Painted Lady's smile broadened and Katara realized that it had never left her features.
All in time, Katara. Return to your friends and bring them here. I shall await your return. Her voice drifted off as she vanished into the water without so much as a ripple. Katara stood frozen, staring at the water, before coming to her senses and running back up the rocky path towards her friends.
A/N:
First chapter down! *celebrates*
I'd like to say that, while this isn't my first fic, this is my first Avatar TLA ficso I'm really hoping for some constructive criticism.
Thanks for reading!
^.^ Susie ^.^