A/n: Well, this is my first Avatar fic! I just had this plot dancing around in my head. Sorry if it starts off slow, but it will pick up, I promise. R/R! I hope you enjoy!
Chapter 1
Aang, Sokka, and Katara were staying in a village overnight one night. They were all sharing a hut, and discussing their journey. They were sitting down in a circle, lounging around and passing the time.
"This seems so… impossible." Aang was saying. "I mean, I don't know that much water bending, and I don't know Earth bending or fire bending at all. Not to mention the fact that I actually have to find someone who can teach me fire bending, which is easier said than done."
"Yeah, the Fire Nation doesn't really like you, Aang." Sokka said.
"What a way to state the obvious, Sokka." His sister, Katara, replied. Sokka gave her a glare, but didn't respond. Katara gave Aang a kind smile. "I'm sure everything will work out for the best." She said, cheerfully. Aang gave her a smile. Her belief in him made him feel better. When she said that everything would work out like that, he almost believed her.
Just then, the door burst open. All three kids turned and looked at the figure that now stood in the doorway. "Are you the Avatar?" Said the figure to Aang. The voice was firm and feminine. The figure was hooded, and appeared to be female by her height, stature, and voice, although her figure was hid by the somewhat heavy red and brown robes that covered her front that she was wearing, which seemed unusual to the other occupants in the room.
Aang didn't respond, but Sokka did. "Who wants to know?" He said, jumping into defense mode against this strange person.
The figure didn't respond to him, but simply slipped off the hood, revealing that she was, indeed, a female. She had long, black hair that was tied back loosely. Her skin had a light tan tint to it, and her eyes were brown. "I am here to teach you fire bending." She said. "I mean you no harm." She slowly walked forward, and the group flinched back. She held out her hands in a sign of piece. "Please, don't be afraid. I'm not here to hurt you, any of you. I simply want to help." She paused, and the room was silent. "May I sit down?" She said, gesturing to a spot on the ground in between Katara and Aang. No one said anything. She sat down.
"I'm a member of the Fire Nation." She said. "Which should be obvious at this point. I will have you know that I disagree very highly with what my nation is doing. I don't think that World Domination is the answer, and if I could go back in time and undo all of the damage my people have done to both of your peoples, I would gladly do it, but I cannot. The only way I see that I can be off assistance is helping you, Avatar." She turned to Aang. "But where are my manners. Here I am, asking you to let me help you, and I don't even tell you my name." She gave a small smile. "My name is Karena."
"I'm Katara," she said, "and this is my brother, Sokka, and our friend, Aang."
Karena smiled at Katara. "It's nice to meet you all." She looked around between the three of them. "I don't expect you to trust me, but I do ask that you let me gain your trust, and not judge me by the acts of my people, acts that I had nothing to do with." She paused momentarily. "Please," she said, turning to Aang, "Avatar – Aang, allow me to teach you fire bending, so that you can help stop the Fire Lord, and the rest of my nation from taking over the world, and causing more destruction then they already have." She paused again, waiting for answer. After a few moments, when no one responded, she got up, and started to leave.
"Wait," said a voice, speaking up. Karena turned to see Aang speaking, and it seemed as if he had reached out to stop her almost. "I have nothing against the Fire Nation directly. I know that the times have changed, and I do not want to judge you based on what your people have done. I would be honored if you would teach me fire bending. It's a skill I desperately need to learn."
Karena smiled. "Thank you, Avatar." She said, bowing to him. "You will not regret it." She went back and sat down.
"Please, call me, Aang." He said.
Karena smiled again. "Of course, Aang. So, would you like to start right now?"
Aang looked at Katara and Sokka. "Now?"
"No time like the present," said Karena, "and time is against you from what I've heard."
Aang looked down at the ground. "That is true." He looked up at her. "Teach me."
"Very well." She stood up, and walked out, returning a few minutes later with some candles. Lighting one, she quickly lit all three candles. "Usually I would have more to meditate, but under the circumstances, this will do." She looked to Katara and Sokka. "You are free to stay if you'd like. I understand that you don't trust me, but I ask that you not disturb us." Katara and Sokka looked at each other, shrugged, and then sat at the back of the hut. Karena sat down, cross-legged, in a meditating position, motioning for Aang to do the same. She quickly shed herself of her outer robe, but a heavy robe still lay underneath it, covering her front.
Aang sat down next to her in the same fashion, and looked at her. She looked at him. "I assume you know how to meditate?" She asked him. He nodded. "This time I want you to concentrate on the fire as well as your surroundings. So that you can change the flare of the fire at your will." He nodded. "Watch." She turned towards the candles, and closed her eyes. Aang at the others watched as, while concentrating, the fire dimmed and then flared. She opened her eyes, looked towards Aang. "Now, you try."
Aang looked at her for a moment, before turning towards the candles, and closing his eyes. For a little while, nothing happened. Then slowly, the flames began to dim. The group watched as the flames grew and dimmed, grew and dimmed. Karena put a hand on Aang's shoulder. "Good." She said. "I won't make you do that again. I had a feeling that, as the Avatar, you might pick up things quicker than usual."
"Just tell me, what was the point of that?" Sokka asked skeptically.
"First of all," Karena said, looking back at him, "it was so that I, as well as he, could see that he could control the fire. Besides, it's how I meditate, and I know other fire benders meditate the same way. I wanted Aang to see that he could do it. Now, if you please, could you refrain from challenging my teaching methods. You will have to excuse the fact that I don't actually know how to teach anyone anything about fire bending. I'm only doing it the way I think is best. You don't agree with me, I couldn't care."
"How were you taught?" He asked.
"I wasn't taught very much." She replied, turning back towards the candles. "A lot of what I know, I've taught myself. Now, let's carry on." She grabbed the candles and brought them closer to them. She turned towards Aang, blowing two of the candles out. "Light the other two candles." She said. Quickly, Aang did as she asked. Why am I even doing this? She asked herself. I bet he's going to learn a lot faster than I myself did.
"Karena," Katara said, speaking up, "I just wanted to tell you that Aang learns really fast. You might want to stop with these little things, and move onto actually fire bending moves."
Karena looked at Katara. I bet she knows from personal experience. Karena gave the younger girl a nod of her head, and turned to Aang. "What do you say?" She asked. "Ready to actually try some fire bending?" Aang nodded. "Very well." Karena stood up, and Aang stood up with her. "Stand over there." She said, pointing across from her a ways. Aang did as she asked. "Air bending, from what I've heard, is mostly a defensive art. Fire bending is the exact opposite," she said, making the candles' flames grow. "To start off, let's try some short jabs with your fists, and kicks with your legs." She demonstrated, using some simple kicks and punches, the flames coming close to Aang, but far from touching him. "Now, you try." She said. It took a little bit for him to get the hang of it, but by the end of the night, he was getting the hang of it. Karena smiled at him. "Good, you're getting the hang of it." She said. Aang smiled.
"I'm sorry to interrupt, but, it's late, and we have to leave early in the morning. We don't want Admiral Zhao or Prince Zuko to get on our trails." Sokka said. He had a sour look his face. He obviously didn't trust her yet.
Karena froze for a moment. Something about what he'd said had made her stop for a moment, unknown the other occupants in the room, and know only to Karena herself. A small smile crossed her face. "Yes, you're right." She said. She turned to Aang. "We can continue sometime tomorrow." She sat down. "I plan on sticking around for a while, traveling with you, to be better teach the Avatar how to do fire bending."
Aang and Katara nodded. "Sure," Katara said. "I'm sure Aang and Sokka don't have a problem with that. Aang needs to learn how to fire bend." She looked at Aang and Sokka.
Aang nodded, but Sokka did nothing. "Sure. I don't mind." Aang said.
"Whatever," Sokka replied, laying down, turning away from them. Aang and Katara looked at each other, before looking at Karena, and then laying down. Karena did the same, her mind drifting off to think about other places, other… people… before they all drifted off to sleep.