Enjoy the read.
Chapter One
Life was good. No, thought Aang as he strolled down the stone path, it was great. The young man- twenty years old- smiled at anything the hills had to offer. The chipmunk-rats scurrying across the dusty ground, the leafy trees filtering the sunlight, and the clear blue skies were offered the same treatment. The air bender grinned at the breeze that shaved his bald scalp and pulled at his loose clothing.
Aang's fingers brushed his goatee to touch his lips. A blush appeared as he thought of yesterday. He still couldn't believe he married Katara, his forever girl. It was the greatest thing to happen to him since the end of the war. The smile wavered slightly as he thought of his friends. Soon they will part again. Then he thought of the peace and balance brought to the world.
The peace that he, Avatar Aang, brought by bringing down Fire Lord Ozai. Things had been far from smooth. The four nations –if he counted the last air bender –still bicker with one another. They disagreed upon what to do. Progress had been made. The Fire Nation, led by Zuko, had helped the rest of the world rebuild. Both the North and the South Water tribes are becoming stronger with the help of the water siblings. Toph worked on her small part of the earth kingdom. With him he had his friends, his forever girl, and a greater world to embrace the future with.
Something hot landed on top of his head. With a yelp the avatar swiped something off his blue arrows. The glowing embers flush before his eyes. While wiping his head, he stared at the burnt butt of a cigar.
Frowning, the avatar sniffed the air as he looked around. The frown became a smile upon spotting one of the trees down the wide path. Laying on a tree branch a pale skin woman smoked. With her back to him he couldn't get much detail, though the woman had an interesting chose of clothing. A green conical hat crowned dusty white hair. Her blue sleeveless shirt identified with the water tribe, but she wore baggy orange pants. Red arm guards protected her forearms, but her feet were bare. A sash with the image of the wind was wrapped around her waist.
Kneeling down, the avatar picked up the burning butt. With the help of his native element he leapt up into the air. He soared over the relaxed person and landed in the next tree over. A hum sound came from the woman.
The avatar turned around to speak and then paused. Frontal view gave him a full view of ample bosoms. His gray eyes almost match the silvers. The fleshy lips pulled across an oval face. As she turned around, a golden bracelet on her wrist jingled.
"Hello," said the woman in a slow drawl. Reaching into her pocket, she took out another cigar. She placed it in her mouth. A snap of her fingers produced a small flame over the thumb. Lighting her cigar, she spoke around the tobacco product. "Need something?"
The avatar presented the butt. "Mind not throwing these around. If the sparks land in the grass it could start a fire."
"But I threw it onto the road," stated the smoker.
"Yet the wind could pick up the sparks."
"Then the sparks would set the tree aflame." Pushing herself up, the woman brought her hand closer to her chest. "Then the wind keep the fire going and set it teeth on Ba Sing Se." Throwing her arms into the air, she grinned. "And despite the effort of many the great capital of the earth kingdom burn to the ground! Bringing a tragic end to the city that stood for hundred years."
The airbender stared at the woman with a goofy grin. He started to speak, but was cut off.
"Or the spark may travel up in the air." The woman's jab of the finger punctuated the last sentence. "Going up to catch a Fire Nation ship on fire. It crashed to the ground and the people of the Earth mistake it as an attack. This start up a new hundred year war."
Pointing to the earth, the smoker leapt to her feet. "Or maybe the ash will burn the hand of a scandal. It give our heroine the time to knock him out, retrieved the scroll of destiny, and start a brand new city to surpass Ba Sing Se itself!"
With a sigh the woman crossed her arms. "But no. Instead we have a little monk pick the cigar up and lecture a maiden about the dangers of wildfire. How boring." For a long moment Aang just stood there and stared at the butt of the cigar. Huffing away, the woman blew rings of smoke.
"You're odd." The airbender offered wide smile. "But in a good way."
"Thanks." The woman returned the smile. "Care to entertain a bored soul." She patted the branch. "I had been conversing with nature, but it hadn't talked much."
"Yeah," said the avatar, "it can be hard to communicate with. It took me hours of mediation to do so."
"Don't want to do that. Want to play a game?"
Aang sat down with legs crossed and his hand cupping his chin. He came out here on a walk to get fresh air. Before leaving he told his friends he be back in a bit. Placing his hands onto his knees, he nodded.
"I got a couple hours. What you got in mind?"
"I like placing bets," said the woman. "In things with skills and luck, but I don't want to win by luck. So let play a game I call whack the Sorte."
"Whack what now?"
"Me." Sorte pointed to herself. "It's easy to do. One or more people gang up on me and tried to land a hit. All it take is one hit."
Scratching his forehead, Aang shrugged. "I guess that can be fun, but won't it hurt."
Sorte chuckled. "Believe it or not I'm good at dodging. You know the best part about it?"
To entrain his new friend the avatar glanced thoughtfully up at the sky. "I give up." Aang threw up his hands.
"The bet." Sorte grin sharpen to the point of cutting flesh. "Simple really. If I'm hit I'll grant the person the fondest wish they desire." Bringing a finger up, Sorte stuck out her tongue. "Within reason of course. I can't blow up the sun or turn an entire city into ice cream."
Aang put on a puppy eye expression. "How about custard? I could go for custard."
"Nope." The woman crossed her arms. "Impossible."
"So what happen if I lost?"
"I get to play with your time." Sorte put on an innocent smile.
"Play with my time? So you want to control my schedule?"
"You can say that."
"Well… I could use someone to keep my schedule. I have been rather busy of late.."
"If that what you wish that what you get?"
Aang sat there and thought. After a long moment he nodded his head. "What are the rules?"
The woman leapt off the tree. Following after her, the avatar landed in a crouch. So when he looked up he nearly scrambled back. Sorte was easily over six if not seven feet. The loose clothing made her look a bit bigger.
"I already told you," said the woman. "All you need to do is hit me and you win. Anything goes. That includes all of your bending power, Aang,"- that earned a startled expression- "Please. You're famous in isolated mountain ranges. Anyway, all bending is allowed. All weapons are allowed. The only real rule is that you got to hit me in five minutes."
"Okay." Aang assumed a loose stance. "So when do we start."
"Now." With a nod of her head Sorte disappeared from reality. Eyes wide the avatar scanned the area. At the edge of his field of vision a humanoid figure appeared. Twirling around, the avatar shot a fist forward and wind howled. Yet Sorte disappeared before the wind got a foot away from him.
"Got to move faster than that," said a voice overhead.
Aang spin around and kick a blast of air. Branches trembled as leafs took flight. Chuckles drew his attention to his right. Sitting on the edge of the road, the woman took the cigar out while blowing out smoke. While she smiled and waved, sweat gleamed off her face. The avatar tilled his head as he stared at Sorte.
"Gawking won't help," sang the woman.
With a grin the avatar assumed a new stance. Grass withered to brown and Sorte felt the air grow dryer as a mass of water collected over Aang's head.
Arms whipped forward and the water smashed into the ground. Bolting to her feet, the smoker leapt to the air. Aang smiled as the liquid froze into ice. Sorte sighed as she landed. Her feet slid as she tried to move.
Taking a deep breath, the avatar launched forward and thrust out a trail of flame. Laughter ripped from Sorte as she, on one leg, swirled away. She weaved through the barrage of fire bolts and ducked under the fire encased swiping leg. Aang yelped as Sorte grabbed his leg and yanked back. Flat on his back the avatar brought a hand to his head.
Leaping backward, the smoker clicked her tongue. "Come on avatar! This is too…" With a yelp she dove to the right to avoid a large boulder. Twirling onto his feet, the avatar took on a strong stance. He stomped toward the woman and punched a fist into the air.
The smoker barely skid to a stop to avoid a wall of earth. She tried diving to the right or left, but the earth walls contain her to the spot. With a laugh the avatar stance become fluid. Water unfroze and rose up into a whip.
"Great." Sorte rolled her eyes. "A bondage fetish." She stuck her tongue out as she plastered herself her to the right wall. The whip snapping the air behind her butt. Crouching under a strike, Sorte leapt upward. She jumped clear of the wall, but the avatar sprung forward. The air around him collected for an attack.
Sorte brought her hand in front of her mouth. "Not happening." Taking a deep breath, she blew. The wind shot forward and knocked the startled air bender back. Pushed beyond the walls the woman landed in a crouch. Sorte took another huff of the cigar. Smoke filled her lungs and she sighed in pleasure.
"Three minutes up avatar," stated the smoker, "better hurry." Aang jumped in the air and landed in front of the smoke. She scurried back, but the avatar just stared at her.
"You bend air," stated the airbender .
"What are you talking about?" asked Sorte. "I…." Slumping, she slapped her face. "Shit."
"Who are you?"
Grinning, the smoker stepped back into a style he wasn't familiar with. Her body was loose with both hands at her sides. One open palm pointed to the earth while the other to the heaven. Her feet spaced somewhat apart. "Two minutes and forty-five seconds," stated the smoker. "Beat me and I'll tell all. If not,"- a lopsided grin tugged on her lip- "I can always have fun with your time."
Aang replied by unfreezing the ice and sweeping it forward. Huffing, the smoker stepped forward, clenched her downed right fist, and swung it into the air. A column of rock rose up, dividing the flood in two. Sorte then swept her raised hand down and brushed her fingers down the column.
Earth turned to dust. Clapping her hands in front of her face, she breathed in. As she exhaled she pulled her hands apart. A gust of wind drove the dust forward. Any water it touched dropped to the ground as mud. The remaining dust spread out across the field to obscure sight.
Wind returned the dust. Sorte dropped her hand down to cover her eyes. Her smirk returned when the last of the cloud gave way to fire. She pulled away and the heat warmed her chest. She twirled around in time to smack a wrist down. The resulting flames baked the earth.
The smoker stepped back onto one foot while her lowered hand readied to attack. With a yelp she backpedaled away from the pillar of earth. Yet she stepped onto mud and slide back.
The avatar left her little chance to recover. With his native element he closed the distance between them. As the young man skid to a stop he thrust his fist forward. The jab of flame forced Sorte to bend awkwardly out of the way. Her muscles groaned as the attacks kept coming.
Then the avatar stepped back and stomped on his feet. The ground right behind the smoker rose a couple inches, enough for her to trip upon. One foot flew backward to gain footing, but the mud slipped it right from under her.
"No, no, no, no, no!" Sorte slid across the mud. Regaining a fluid form, the avatar forced the water out of the mud. He formed a whip overhead and lashed it forward. Between getting hit and getting dirty, the smoker dropped onto her back. The whip snapped empty air.
Mud cladded to her butt as she scrambled backward. Getting her right hand to her side, she threw a clench fist up. Water turned to steam but the avatar pulled steam back into liquid form.
Sorte tried to rise to her feet. Yet panic and slick mud forced her to crawl on the ground, giving Aang the time needed to advance at leisure.
Ten seconds, thought the smoker. Got to stop him. Her hand went to her back.
"Good game." Aang grinned as he launched the whip. Sorte jerked out a knife from behind her sash. With a snap of the wrist she threw it and cut the whip. The resulting sprays collapsed to the ground. The blade cut the avatar's cheek before impaling into a tree.
Aang froze for a good few seconds. Giving Sorte time to scramble to her feet. Her hands wiped her butt. She panted.
"My bad." The smoker grinned. "It's a nasty habit of mine. I don't like losing."
"Then I lost." The avatar placed a hand to his cheek. When he drew it back blood painted his finger. "Oh well." A cheerful smile formed. "Still mind telling what you do? Being the avatar I know…"
"That only you can master the elements," Sorte whispered in Aang's ear from behind. Where she once stood now void. "Don't worry, Avatar. I can't steal your job." Her smirk turned devilish as wrapped her fingers around her head. "But I will peer into your life."
Aang's gasped as he felt something jabbed into his head. His heart flipped in place. Something like this happened in the past. Yet before anything could be done the world around him flashed away. Imagines flashed before his eyes. They were scenes of his life.
"Let see now." Sticking her tongue out, Sorte squinted her eyes. Aang got a brief summary of his earlier life. "No." Then the images of his time in the city after the defeat of the Fire Lord appeared. People cheered his arrival. Young and old alike from different nations congratulate him.
The regent holding the throne gave a feast for them. Once that was done his friends threw their mini party. Iroh made his tea. Sokka ate his fill while telling amusing stories to his girl Suki. Toph chatted with Zuko. On the porch he had his kiss with Katara.
"Come on," groaned the smoker. "At least be a little original."
Anger swelled in the airbender's chest. His tattoo and eye glowed a dark blue. His voice deepened due to hundreds of generations. "Get out of my head!" Pain erupted in his skull and neck. Screaming, the avatar knees buckled, but Sorte held him in place.
"Put that away," said Sorte. "Wasting your past lives time like that is disrespectful." The scenes started to speed up. They blurred together into a multitude of colors. Yet the smoker nodded her head while making comments. At times she laughed and at others she cried. They stopped on a clear view of the glacier the avatar sealed himself away in for one hundred years.
"Perfect." Sorte let go of the avatar. Stumbling forth, Aang turned around and got into stance. Instead he flopped onto his ass. His breath was uneven.
"Who are you?" asked Aang.
Crossing her arms, Sorte looked to the skies. "Won't matter soon enough, but since you are the avatar little old me can baffle you for a few moments. They call me Lady Luck." That received a blank stare. Sorte sighed. "That still hasn't caught on. Fine." Kneeling over, she poked the avatar on the nose. "You probably know me better as Fate."
"What?"
"Now, enjoy your life." With that said the Lady Luck and the world went dark.
Gasping, Aang lounged forward, but the chains and bracelets around his wrist kept him from getting far. A sharp pain in his head reminded him of the crack he received earlier. He rubbed the wound through a mass of short brown hair. It caught on the headband, but he took care not to take it off. He placed his hands into the lap of his dark brown torso. Shoulder shifted under the black shirt lined with red.
"That dream again." His deep voice echoed in the tiny metal cell. He scanned the room. Beside for a bucket next to him the room was bare. "They're feeling generous, but I can't keep Appa waiting."
The young man pulled himself into a beetle position. His hands reached for his boots. He grabbed one and shoved it off. With that done he searched the inner lining. Good thing he made the sewing look like the rest. Those guards were smart enough to search him.
Shouts from beyond the metal door stopped Aang. Due to thickness it was difficult to make out the words, but they sound startled. As soon as they started they stop. Frowning, the young man crossed his legs as he stared at the door.
Silence followed. A high squeal noise announced the door opening. A crack grew large enough for a person's head plus a hat of the former Earth kingdom to squeeze through. When the person faced him his jaw dropped open.
"Hey Aang." Sorte waved a hand. "You seem to be doing well for yourself."
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