Pickled Sea Cucumbers and Spicy Ramen.
An ATLA/Naruto crossover by ErisBladestorm. A/N: Hey there! So, I started this fan-fiction a long time ago, but It was put on a long hiatus because I just couldn't think of what to really do with it, I had an idea, but so many other plot bunnies came up and unfortunately Harry Potter trumps Naruto in my mind scape. HOWEVER, I just recently got done watching all of ATLA again, so I decided to start writing PSCSR again...and by again, I mean re-write it. I have improved a bit since I first started and I didn't just want to pick up on chapter three with a new style, so I'm going to re-read my first two chapters and start again. Those of you who read the first two chapters already...well here you go again. It'll be worth it trust me I'm also going to make the chapters a bit longer if I can. Hope you all enjoy and thank you to all of you who have been waiting for this for SO LONG and all the reviews you wonderful people have left me! Few facts about my story: We start just before Naruto and his team take the mission Last but not least I will use a few Japanese words here and there, like 'Shinobi' instead of 'Ninja' just because it sounds less...hm, cheesy I guess and 'Sensei' instead of Teacher. I did take Japanese class, but I doodled most of the time and you kind of have to make it a habit to keep it up or all the information sluffs out your head...Oops. So whatever words pop up, I'm not trying to be pretentious or make it seem like I know Japanese, but I was just used to hearing this words because I watched Naruto in the Eng-Sub version, so hearing things like 'Shinobi' and such became normal. Anyway, enough blabbing...on with the story! Again!
Chapter One: A Plea
Aang tossed and turned where he laid. The others had fallen asleep hours ago, but he remained awake listening to the soft breathing- or snoring in Sokka's case- of the others. His mind was a jumbled mess of thoughts and fears, the day of the comet moving closer every second that ticked by.
But even with all his worries, it was not just his anxiety that kept him awake as it had before, no this time it was something less obvious. It was the very atmosphere of the Western Air Temple. The air felt almost stale, even though they slept outside the Temple buildings themselves. Nothing moved, besides themselves, not even a bird or bug could be seen flying around the place. Even Appa seemed a bit unsure of the place and hated being left alone.
He wondered if the Temple itself was still suffering the after effects of the massacre that occurred one hundred years prior. Aang hoped it wasn't haunted in some way, while he was the spiritual bridge, some spirits were terrifying.
Another hour slipped by and Aang had enough. He rolled over onto his stomach and with a tired sigh he pushed himself up and stood, adjusting his wrinkled clothes and grabbed his staff, keen on exploring the Temple since sleep would remain elusive.
He quietly tip-toed around the others and paused when he saw movement from one of the sleeping bags, hoping he hadn't woken anyone. His face cracked into a wide grin as he saw the movement turned out to be Momo who had popped his head out of Zuko's sleeping bag. They had noticed that Zuko had a habit of snuggling himself up in the sleeping roll so tightly that he was nearly always found curled at the bottom, completely hidden from view while Momo slept at his head. Aang guessed the night air around the Temple was colder to the firebender, so his body naturally curled in on itself while he slept. Aang put a finger to his lips and shoosed the lemur before he began his chattering, indicating he was trying to sneak away as quietly as possible. The only response was Momo ducking back into the sleeping bag.
Aang's pace was slow as he wandered the halls, his hands running along the murals found painted on the ancient stone. They told of the long history of the Western Air Temple, parts of the tales damaged by neglect and scorch marks where the fire nation soldiers had left their permanent mark.
The sound of footsteps further ahead made Aang pause. They sounded like that were coming towards him but his feet suddenly seemed to have lost their use and he could only stand there while a shiver ran down his spine. As far as he knew, everyone was still asleep and no one had passed him in the hall. He tilted his head, the footsteps sounded odd. It was almost like hearing two sets of feet and the nearer it got, he could hear a constant scraping and 'clickclick'. Like paws.
Aang wanted to relax, it was only an animal. But for some reason, his mind and body remained alert, his hands gripping his staff tightly as a pair of glowing red eyes came into view and a low rumble echoed from the direction of the beast.
"What are you doing awake?"
"AHHH!" Aang screamed, jumping high into the air and whirling around to face a bedraggled Zuko. He landed softly and placed a hang over his heart, glancing over his shoulder and seeing the beast gone. He turned to face Zuko again, the firebender stared at him with a raised eyebrow- his only eyebrow- and didn't seem intent on apologizing for scaring the Airbender almost through the ceiling. Remembering that Zuko asked a question, Aang glanced back down the hall. "I couldn't sleep...this place just feel so...dead?" Aang answered.
"No one has lived here for several decades...of course it's dead." Zuko stated bluntly before the reminder of what he just said made him wince outwardly. "Sorry, I didn't mean it like that."
Aang shook his head, giving the exiled prince a soft smile. "No, it's okay...but I meant it like, there is no life at all...there was always birds and other smaller life crawling about. I think a spirit has scared them all off...there is something down this hallway, It frightened me...but I think it's trying to get my attention."
Zuko remained silent at his back for a few seconds and Aang wondered if the firebender thought he lost his mind, but after a few more moments he spoke. "Alright, lets go see what it wants."
"You believe me?"
"You're the Avatar...weird stuff always happens around you." Zuko shrugged. "We going or what?"
Aang gave Zuko a huge grin and lead him down the hallway where he had seen the eyes and heard the growling. He was still frightened, but the beast hadn't outright attacked, so he held a bit of hope it was just a way to let the Avatar know it was there. At the same time, it was possible a malevolent spirit leading them into a trap.
The hallway seemed to go on forever. Aang wasn't sure the spirit had even taken the hall all the way down, there were several points it could have turned off at. He glanced at Zuko, the firebender eyes were narrowed slightly and a corner of his mouth was lowered a fraction, a sign he was getting annoyed, but was trying to keep his temper.
They almost passed a hall that branched off to the left, when a flash of red and the sound of paws caught Aang's attention. "This way!" He quickly dashed into the new hall following the spirit's footsteps, his excitement beginning to bubble in his stomach like it did before a new adventure.
Aang skidded to a stop when he reached a huge door, much like the one in the Southern Air Temple that had housed all the previous Avatars' statues. This door however did not just require Airbending to open. Four different locks rested on the door, one for each of the four elements. "Why would a door in an Air Temple need to be opened with all the elements?" he heard Zuko ask behind him.
"Maybe I'm the only one that can open it?" Aang suggested with a shrug. "But locks like these usually have to be opened at the same time...I can't bend all four at once."
"Maybe you don't have to? We have all the four elements in our group already, I don't think the door would know the difference between one person or four...all it requires is bending right?" Zuko moved closer to study the door. "We could go back and get the others-"
"I'm way ahead of you Sparky."
Aang and Zuko turned around and found Toph leaning casually against the wall with her arms crossed, acting like she had been there the whole time. "You two make a lot of noise...'specially you Twinkle-toes, you're lucky you didn't wake up the others with that girlish scream of yours."
"I don't have a girlish scream." Aang defended himself, crossing his arms.
"Whatever." Toph shrugged, pushing off the wall. "If you could Waterbend and Airbend at the same time, Zuko and I can do the rest."
"Well...okay, I guess we could try that. But what about Katara? It would be a lot easier."
"Pfft, she already had her life-changing field trip with Zuko." Toph rubbed her hands together mischievously and Zuko shared a confused look with Aang before mouthing 'life changing field trip?' Aang just shrugged.
"Fine, we'll give it a shot, your way." Aang barely had time to catch the water skin Toph threw at him and he sighed, sometimes he wondered if she were a seer like Aunt Wu.
They all moved into position and Aang took in a deep breath of air while uncorking the water skin. With a quick nod he released a stream of air from his lungs while his arms moved at the same time to bend the water from it's container. On either side of him, Toph punched the stone slab that represented her lock and Zuko sent a stream of fire into his. There was the sound of each lock locks clicking and sliding around from inside the door before it slowly shifted outward before rolling to the side, granting them passage.
"See? Easy." Toph grinned walking into the chamber without waiting for Aang or Zuko, confident they would follow her.
The room was pitch black at first, but the moment the three of them passed through the doorway there was a flash of bright red and a row of torches came to life, dancing with the red glow of fire. All around the walls were great murals of warriors and places Aang had never seen before. It seemed to be telling a story, but none that Aang could recall hearing about.
"Whoa." Toph exclaimed. Aang looked towards the earthbender, thinking she was messing around with them. "Guys, there is something further back you have to see." she said, her voice filled with awe, and Toph never sounded so impressed before about anything.
Aang and Zuko followed the Earthbender further into the room, that turned out to be another hallway, which suddenly opened up into a spacious chamber that reminded Zuko of a slightly smaller version of the throne room in the Fire Nation palace. Eight tall and exquisitely carved pillars held up the room's ceiling. Each of them carved to look like eight different and odd looking beasts with a ball held in their jaws, a number carved into the surface of the spheres that matched the number of tails each strange beast had. They were evenly spread out in the room with four on one side and the other four on the opposite side, but it was the red painted statue in the back of the room that held their attention.
The statue sat centered in the back, again reminding Zuko of the throne room, except instead of his father, it was a giant nine-tailed fox. The creature sat on it's haunches, but it was far from relaxed. It's face was pulled into a vicious snarl and had a collar around it's neck carved from the same stone, decorative stone chains that went from the collar to the wall seemed to hold the creature back like any dangerous beast.
"That's the spirit that lead us here!" Aang ran up to the statue, looking up at it in awe. "I'm sure of it, it's eyes match the ones I saw before." His brown wrinkled in a deep frown. "I have never seen beasts like these before...even in the spirit realm."
"The wall paintings were a little strange as well." Zuko commented, looking over his shoulder at the hallway. "No writings under them to explain anything...but I think it was a war of some kind." He guessed.
"But why would the Monk's carve all these?" Aang asked, though he didn't expect a real answer. "It just doesn't make sense."
As Aang stared at the statue of the huge fox, he suddenly felt very alone. He tried to push the sensation away, knowing Zuko and Toph were still with him, but when he looked around himself for reassurance, he was surprised to see that both of them were unconscious even though Zuko only spoke seconds before. His stomach felt like rock and his eyes widened at the sight of his friends, distracted with trying to find the threat around the room, he only then noticed that the air behind him had become a slow and steady 'whoosh' of hot air.
"Gah!" Aang shouted whipping around, sending a strong blast of wind behind him and watching in disbelief as it hit the muzzle of the giant fox that was no longer painted stone, but a mass of red fur and swirling red energy. It remained chained to the wall which gave Aang some comfort, but in a way also made him feel sorry for the beast.
The fox looked mildly annoyed with him and Aang didn't want to know what it looked like if it were to become angry, so he slowly lowered his staff and set it on the floor by his feet. "Er...Hello?" Aang tried, his voice cracking a bit. "Were you the one to lead me here?" He asked.
"I am." The fox spoke, it's voice deep and powerful. "I have heard you are one spirits come to for aid when it is needed." It lowered itself further down to the level of Aang, it's nose nearly touching him, but the chains pulled tight preventing him from nearing Aang further.
"I guess, I mean...I helped a few spirits were I could. Do you need my help?" Aang asked looking at the chains and wondering if the fox wished to be free of them.
"I do. But it is not these chains that hold me Young Aang." He spoke, a clawed hand-like paw running along the stone of the collar. "And I am not the only one who has need of your help." His large red eyes roamed around the room, lingering on each pillar.
"How do you know my name?" Aang frowned, confused. Most spirits only knew him as the Avatar, it was rare for one to actually know him.
"I know many things about you Avatar. Enough to know that if you do not help us, our world will destroy itself." The fox said a low growl in his throat.
"Your world? You mean, the spirit realm?"
"No. Where I, and my kin are from is a world very different from your own. Ravaged by war and the hate of humans towards one another."
"It's doesn't sound so different." Aang replied under his breath, his eyes dropping to the floor as his head bowed. The paintings on the hallway walls starting to paint a larger picture.
"It is very different." The Fox repeated. "I know of the war that plagues your own realm...and while no War is least horrible then the last, I must insist on your help with the end of ours...My kin are being used as weapons where we were to be used as a means to bring peace. Humans hold us and use our power for their own selfish means...as the bridge between Spirits and Humans you are our only option."
Aang gripped his staff tightly, closing his eyes as he listened to the Fox's plea. It sounded very much like what was happening beyond the walls of the temple. Like everyone else, the great ox was giving him to much credit as the Avatar. He had barely began mastering fire-bending, he was no where near close to a fully realized Avatar, yet everyone thought he had some awesome power. He wasn't even sure he could enter the Avatar state anymore. "I don't think I can help you..." He said quietly. "Even if I had that kind of power...Sozin's Comet is almost here, I cannot leave without endangering everything I love...Ozai would destroy everything and I wouldn't be there to stop it."
The Fox seemed to digest his words and Aang looked up with pleading eyes. He hated denying help to anyone that asked him, the world the Fox spoke of was not his own, but it wasn't in his nature to refuse someone. The only reason the Fox could even be here is if their worlds were connected, even in a small way.
"I can make it so you return the very moment you left..." The Fox suddenly spoke, causing Aang to give him a confused look. "I know of your struggle to find enough time to win this Fire Nation started...you have no real reason to fight for us, in a world where it could take years for you to return. I can give you that time...through helping my world, you may find the time you need to win the war here in yours."
Aang stared up at the great fox with wide eyes. His brain ignored the fact that Fox had mentioned years away from his home, instead he focused on the words he had been wanting to hear for a while. He would have time, in a few weeks he would have to face the Firelord and he wasn't even close to being ready, but the Fox could give him time, in exchange for his help. There seemed to be a lot the Fox wasn't telling him. The way the spirit spoke to him, the way it pleading with him for help and spoke his worries out loud as if the Fox knew him, it was as if he already met him. "So...If I agree and help you, I could be gone for a long time. But you can return me to the moment I left?"
"That is the idea, yes." the Fox said. "To you, a great amount of time could pass. But when I return you to this world, it will be like you never left, at least to those around you. You will still have the wisdom and the age gained from the time away. It's best not to think to hard about the passage of time...it can give one a headache."
Aang just nodded a bit horrified at the idea that the next time his friends saw him- if he agreed- would be when he was a really old man or something of that nature. His wild imagination aside, whatever he learned from this world could help him win the fight against Ozai, it would give him the time he needed to find a way to win the war against the fire nation, hopefully without it ending in the death of the Firelord.
"How are you so sure that I'm the one you need? What if I mess up?" Aang looked worried, the Fox sounded so sure he could help.
The Fox was quiet and in the silence, Aang could swear he heard the dripping of water even though the room was completely dry. It felt like an eternity before the Fox started to speak again.
"I do not deny Humans are prone to making mistakes, even ones as young as you. But I am not wrong in my choice Young Aang."
The Fox looked down at Aang with such trust and assurance that Aang was convinced that the Fox had known him before. "Have we-" Aang started, but cut himself off with a small frown, thinking of what he wanted to ask with more detail. "Have you already met me?"
"Spoilers." The Fox chuckled and Aang could see a knowing smirk spread around the Fox's muzzle.
It was Aang's turn to fall silent as he thought carefully over what he wanted to do. The Fox never showed any sign of impatience, in fact he seemed content to let Aang think about it for as long as he needed to. The dripping of water came to Aang's ears again. At some point he had closed his eyes and now when he opened them, he and the Fox were in a different place, water surrounded Aang's feet, but did not soak his clothes or skin, he turned around and saw Toph and Zuko were still there, but they too were not drenched by the water. When he turned back to face the Fox, he was sealed in a cage of some kind and Aang felt that was worse then the chains that held the great Fox back.
"My time here grows short, have you made your choice Young Aang?" The Fox asked.
Seeing the beast in a cage made something in Aang mind shift and with a bit of hesitation he nodded. "I'll do it...I'll help you."
There were many things Aang half expected to happen after his agreement, what he didn't foresee however was the floor crumbling under them to reveal nothing but blue sky and clouds below his feet. He blinked as he, Zuko and Toph hung there for several seconds, but the moment the great Fox faded away, they all fell.
~End Chapter One~ Whew, that took a lot of effort. It was fun to write, but life being weird around me makes it hard to sit down and re-write anything. But I did it and here we are, Chapter one of the new and improved Pickled Sea Cucumbers and Spicy Ramen. I made sure to try and make it as close to the original as possible, but I changed a lot as well so people retuning to it would get something a bit fresher. I feel like this chapter is a bit stiff, but I find my introductions into stories always are, but tend to loosen up as I get to know my own work a bit more. Anyway, you know the drill! Read, Review and let me know what you think.
Flames will not be tolerated, honest criticism will.
~Taki-Sama