Avatar: The Adventures of Izolu
This is my first fanfic and I don't have a beta reader yet, so I'm sorry for any errors. Please read and review!
-Chapter One, Bonfire-
Izolu walked across her island with a graceful but decisive step. Her lion-fox, Pinta, walked beside and slightly behind her. Together they made their way past the small, spaced out houses that occupied the middle of the little piece of land. They were mostly small, open buildings, designed to embrace the warmth and sun of their part of the world and welcome in the briny sea air. As nice as the little homes were though, they were definitely Izolu's least favorite part of the island. Not that they were bad. It was just that everything else was so much better.
There were her training arenas, each one specially designed for learning each of the bending disciplines. There was their favorite spot on the beach where she had been spending lazy afternoons and warm, damp evenings since she was four years old. There was also her own little house she had bent herself from the volcanic rock of the island especially for her and her brother to live in. Izolu's favorite spot by far though, was her garden. It spread around her little house in a rambling mess of trees full of odd shapes and riotous colors. Izolu could spend whole days in her garden without a thought and be completely content.
She was not headed for her garden at the moment, however. Instead she was headed for the beach. Her day had been tiring and now, thanfully, she was off to spend an evening with her friends. They were waiting for her on the little piece of beach that had always been her favorite. It was far enough from the houses to be well out of earshot of anyone idly walking about the island, yet near enough to not be too far of a walk to make conveniently. The water was almost always warm there and the waves were never too strong for swimming.
The sun was burning low on the horizon when Izolu pushed her way through the foliage and found herself on the secluded little beach. Two people turned at the sound of her arrival and waved her over. Atka was sitting on the ground, knees tucked up to his chest. Beside him was Taian, his best friend, sprawled lankily on the sand. He was making little tornadoes to send to bother the other boy.
"Hey Lu," Atka called. She crossed to where they sat and settled between them. Pinta followed and lay down unobtrusively behind her. Looking at the ground in front of them she noticed a fire had been built, but not lit. "We were waiting for a firebender," Atka told her with a grin.
"Too lazy to go get a couple spark rocks, huh?" Izolu asked. She rubbed her palms together, then pushed them through the air toward the little kindling frame they had built. Flames shot from her hands and into the kindling where it caught and clung to the wood.
Taian scooted toward the fire on his belly. Bringing a hand to his lips, he blew gently, directing the air into the new little flames. They leapt at the added oxygen, eagerly dancing upward. Smiling to himself, he rolled back over, away from the now merrily dancing flames.
Just then there came a rustling in the foliage that blocked off their bit of beach. They all looked around to see who it could be, but Izolu was pretty sure she knew who it was already. Sure enough, the small girl she had been expecting came barreling onto the sand.
She was a petite child, a little on the small side for twelve. As she approached the fire her black eyes gleamed and her odd golden hair shone from its high sleek ponytail. The young girl settled on the ground and pulled the pack from her back. From it she removed a sleepy, cream-colored koala-cat who stirred just enough to curl into a ball on the girl's lap before promptly falling back to sleep.
"Where have you been, Ketu?" Taian demanded. "We've been waiting for a firebender to finally show up."
"I'm not the only firebender around," she snapped back. She gestured at the merrily blazing fire. "Looks like Lu managed fine."
"Izolu is always late because she's busy with Avatar training," Taian explained. "You don't have an excuse."
"I was picking eucalyptus for Kupi," she said, sticking her tongue out at the older boy.
"Well I hope you're happy, Kupi," Taian said to the sleeping koala-cat. "I had to sit in the cold sand for hours because of you."
Atka punched his friend on the shoulder, laughing. Then he turned to Izolu. "How was training today?"
Izolu sighed in response and leaned back, holding herself up on her palms. "That bad, huh?" Atka asked. Izolu nodded, her face showing her fatigue. Atka summoned water from the shore and let it settle onto his palms where it began to glow. "Lean up," he instructed brusquely. Izolu obliged, tipping forward to rest her elbows on her knees. Atka slipped his glowing hands under the neck of Izolu's shirt and rubbed her stiff shoulders. Izolu sighed gratefully as warm relief washed her achy muscles.
Taian laughed at the silly look of exaggerated bliss on her face. "Why don't you ever do that for me, Atka?" he asked, just a little pouty. "I get sore too, you know." The waterbender smiled.
"You're not the avatar," he said. "Or my sister," he added.
Izolu wasn't his sister either, really. Not by blood anyway. Ever since he had met her though, Atka had been a brother to her. She had been a lonely six-year-old in a new place with a new and very heavy burden when they had met. Despite being only nine himself at the time, Atka had taken it upon himself to be her protector and advisor. The two had been family ever since.
Ketu looked at the pouting airbender and set her snoozing pet on the sand. "I could try it for you, Taian," she offered with an evil grin. The little firebender held up her hands, bright yellow fire glowing around them.
"Uh, no thanks," Taian said, waving the her away. Ketu moved toward him menacingly, hands outstretched.
"Come on, Taian," she insisted. "I'm sure it pretty much works the same." The airbender shook his head. So, the younger girl took a flying leap at him. Ketu fell on top of Taian, poking at him mercilessly until he pushed her away with a gust of air.
Ketu landed on her feet and danced over to where she had left the snoring Kipu. Taian flopped down on his belly and stared into the fire. Atka sat back, leaning on his hands. Izolu lay down on her back and gazed up at evening sky.
They passed the evening around the fire. The sun went down and the stars came out while they talked and laughed together. Late night found them sprawled in the sand, everyone having lost the energy to sit up at some point along the way. "Tell us a story, Atka," Izolu begged from where she lay on the ground using Pinta as a pillow. There was no response for a moment. Everyone waited quietly while the older boy thought.
Then his voice came through the darkness. "Once our world knew great turmoil. Our people were divided amongst four nations and fought one another. The Fire Nation waged war against the rest, obliterating the Air Nomads and continually raiding the Southern Water Tribe. Most of the world had lost hope." He paused here for a bit of dramatic effect. "Until the avatar returned."
"Are you going to tell the whole thing?" Taian asked. "Or one adventure?"
"Tell a story about Sokka!" Izolu demanded. "He's my favorite."
"Really?" Taian asked. "One of the people in this story is literally you in a past life and he isn't your favorite?"
Izolu shrugged unapologetically. "I like Sokka," she said simply. "Sorry, Atka," she said hurriedly when she spotted the longsuffering look on the waterbender's face. "Go ahead with your story."
Atka continued as if he had never been interrupted. "It all started when a young Water Tribe warrior and his sister discovered a strange boy in a block of ice."
The morning sun rose to find a heap of teenagers asleep on the sand. They had dozed off one by one somewhere between the Southern Air Temple and the drill attacking Ba Sing Se. Second to find the unconious group after the sun was Master Tsetsen. He crossed to where the avatar was snoozing with her head on her lion-fox. Pinta opened his eyes and looked up at the airbending master. He huffed quietly in recognition.
Izolu stirred, disturbed by her pet's movement. She blinked open her sleepy green eyes and caught sight of her teacher. She started and sat up quickly. "Good morning, Master," she mumbled, bowing awkwardly at the waist while still seated.
"Good morning, little hawk," he said. His eyes were silvery gray, unlike his son Taian's sky blue, but they sparkled with the exact same laughter. "The Grand Lotus wishes to speak with you."
"Right now?" she asked.
Master Tsetsen smiled. "Right now." Izolu scrambled to her feet and followed her airbending teacher. Pinta rose and trailed behind them. Atka stirred for a moment, then promptly fell back to sleep.
Izolu followed her master across the island into the tiny village of still-sleepy houses. She trailed him right to the door of the very center house and followed him in. Master Bolin was waiting for her, seated at his dining room table.
"Come in, Izolu, come in!" the old man called merrily from his chair. Izolu went to him, unable to keep the smile from her face.
"Good morning, Master Bolin," she said, bowing respectfully.
"A good morning it is, my dear, when I see your sunny face." He gestured to the chair beside him. "Sit and have a cup of tea."
Izolu sat obligingly and poured herself some tea from the pot on the table. She inhaled the scent of it and sipped gratefully. Master Bolin watched her with an easy smile. He studied her studiously, tugging on his long beard. His fire ferret, Pabu, watched her as well, a curious look on his gray-muzzled face.
"Your training has gone very well, young one," Master Bolin said. "A fully realized avatar at the age of sixteen. It's quite remarkable."
"Thank you Master," Izolu murmured.
"You know," he said, sitting back in his chair, "I think it's time you left us." Izolu choked on her tea.
"What?" she gasped. Bolin chuckled.
"Avatar Korra went to Republic City when she was sixteen and she wasn't even a fully realized avatar at the time. You are more than ready." His tone was decisive. "You will leave for Republic City in three days' time." Izolu felt herself gasping at him like a fish, but couldn't stop herself.
"I can see from your disheveled appearance and the sand in your hair that you must be tired," he said wryly. "Go on home, young one. We can discuss the finer points later."
Izolu rose in a daze and bowed without really thinking about it. She turned and walked out the door, feeling as if she was in a trance. Stepping out into the sun, she plunked down on the steps outside Master Bolin's door. They wanted to send her to Republic City. They wanted her to leave the only home she had known since the age of six and go to the place she hated most. Izolu let her head drop into her hands. What was she going to do?
If there is any interest at all I'll post the next chapter. Thanks for reading!