Author's Note! Due to the repeated comments and messages I have received asking about Max's Flock and when they will show up, I feel the need to warn you ahead of time: they won't. Yes, that's right. "Avatar: Legend of the Beast People" does not feature the canon Flock. Not every fanfiction from any given verse is explicitly about the canon characters from that verse. There are characters in this story from the world of Maximum Ride, but Max herself is not one of them. This story takes place in the world of Avatar, and therefore revolves around the adventures of the canon characters from that world. All characters from the world of MR are original characters of my own creation. There are many stories on this site which revolve around original characters only. Please calm down, take a moment to untwist your boxers, and try to enjoy the story for what it is rather than get worked up about what it is not.
Also, this is a long running, multi-year NaNoWriMo secondary project. The chapters are upwards of 10k words long, and I will sometimes post more than one at a time. BUT, I also will not be updating as frequently as some other writers will. Yes, it may take between three and thirteen months between updates. I don't always have the energy and focus to do both Camp Nano and November Nano, so I generally stick to the primary November event. Rest assured, I WILL be updating this as I go. Just... It's not one of those ones you'll be getting new stuff for every Monday and Thursday. Sorry. If you're still around at this point, thank you.
That is all.
"Can't Appa fly any higher?" Sokka complained. The sky bison gave a low, rumbling response, and sank even further. One of his front paws dragged along in the water for a moment.
"Oh, I know!" Aang snapped back. His pet flying lemur leapt from his head in surprise and glided about in a small circle. "Why don't we all climb on your back and have you fly us to the North Pole!"
"Well sure, go ahead!" The older boy replied sarcastically. "The Sokka Express is boarding and ready for take off!" He turned around and shook his rump to further the effect.
"Now, now," Katara interjected. It was not the first time she had felt the need to mediate. "We're all just feeling a little tired and cranky because we've been flying for two days straight. We'll all get a chance to cool off once we get to the Northern Water Tribe."
"But we haven't seen anything up here but water and ice!" Sokka spread his arms in reference to the great blue expanse. "There's no sign that anyone lives here at all!"
The words were hardly out of his mouth when the first iceberg jutted out of the sea, straight out at them. Aang yelped and yanked Appa's reins hard. The sky bison veered sharply to the left. He managed to dodge the first attack, but more were coming at them fast. The three young people held on tight as Appa swerved back and forth, avoiding collision with the oncoming ice. One jagged extension managed to clip him on the foot, and the group screamed as they went spiralling out of control.
There was a moment of stillness after Appa hit the water and came to rest on the surface. Katara glanced up and exclaimed, "It's the Northern Water Tribe! We've found them!"
"Actually," her brother corrected her, "I think they found us."
They gazed around themselves, at the surrounding boats full of waterbenders. The bent ice held Appa motionless, and the benders stood ready to likewise imprison the young intruders if necessary.
A tall man with silvery blonde hair and wide fuzzy sideburns stepped up onto the raised bow of his boat. He was dressed in the flexible outfit of a waterbender, but he wore a warrior's wolftail hairstyle and whalebone necklace. "Who are you, and what business do you have with us?" he demanded.
On a ship many hundreds of miles away, Zhao held a meeting with six of his highest ranked and most trusted officers.
"He's moving North... The Northern Water Tribe." The Admiral turned away from his wall map in satisfaction. "The Avatar needs to master waterbending. He's looking for a teacher."
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's mount an attack and take him out before he has a chance to learn and gain more power!" A dark haired man suggested.
"Patience, Captain Li. This isn't just some little Earth Kingdom village we can simply march into. The Northern Water Tribe is a great nation. There is a reason they have so well survived a hundred years of war. The frozen tundra is treacherous; the landscape itself is an icy fortress, which the waterbenders can manipulate at will."
"So what is to be done, sir?" a colonel asked.
"We'll need a massive invasion force. But first, we need to make a few preparations." Admiral Zhao's eyes darkened in satisfied expectation.
It had taken a bit of explaining, but the Gaang had convinced Nanuk, the light haired man, to escort them into the Northern Water Tribe. It turned out he was a rather good humored person, if a little overzealous in the protect of his family and tribe. He explained that he was the son of the tribe's most prestigious waterbending master, and was both an accomplished warrior and a waterbender in training.
"I am my father's least productive student," he joked. "Sixteen years of lessons, and I still cannot manage a basic water whip!"
"You've been training with your tribe's best waterbending master for that long, and you can't even do that?" Sokka asked in surprise. He turned to Aang and Katara, "Good luck! If that's the best teacher they've got, you're gonna need all the luck you can get!"
Nanuk shook his head. "My father is a very good teacher, though I will grant he is a bit harsh with his criticism. Stubborn as a badger mule too. But my problems are my own. I am great with ice, but my energy does not flow well enough for liquid water to follow. I could not tell you why, it just is what it is." He looked like he wanted to add something else, but decided against it.
The group - Appa and his passengers, and the four patrol boats that were escorting them - turned a corner, passed yet another iceberg... and suddenly gazed up at a massive ice wall, decorated with the crescent moon symbol of the Northern Water Tribe. The patrolmen were unfazed, having seen it many times, but Nanuk motioned to slow down and let the newcomers enjoy the view.
As they neared the wall, several waterbenders on the flat boats changed their stances, bending the ice that formed the wall itself. A tunnel opened opened up, large enough for even Appa to traverse as he floated on the water's surface. Nanuk's boat went first, but an older bender from another boat motioned the Avatar to direct his bison through next. The tunnel was closed behind them; the other patrol boats apparently weren't going to follow.
They were directed into a series of large chambers and short canals, the walls and gates of which were controlled by a large number of waterbenders. Aang and Katara watched all this in wonder and gleeful amazement.
"I can't believe how many waterbenders live up here!" the young woman commented.
"We'll find somebody to teach us here, no problem!" Her friend agreed with a wide grin. Nanuk furrowed his eyebrows, but didn't comment.
The city was built with multiple levels. The lowest was wide and open, with several great canals leading from the outer wall to the main portion of the citadel, each one lined on both sides by a row of large snowy longhouses. A meandering web of intricately designed igloos and stairways dominated the three mid levels, which were further divided into two to four sublevels. There were small canals weaving throughout the city, and student waterbenders ferried citizens along them in small canoes. Ice bridges periodically crossed these, to ease the way for pedestrians who had only short distances to travel and chose to walk. Statues, fountains, and other frozen decorations lined the canals and streets, further enhancing the majesty of the city. A few men were using pale, furry buffalo yak as mounts or beasts of burden.
Appa was guided to a wide, stepped canal which would lead directly to the heart of the city, at the highest and farthest part of the massive structural masterpiece.
Crowds of people looked down from raised paths, bridges, windows, and balconies. It was not everyday the Avatar came to the farthest corner of the world, and the citizens watched him in excitement and curiosity. Aang waved to them, but his attention was mostly held by the amazing artificial landscape around them.
They had been on this path only a few minutes when they were shifted closer to one side to make room for a passing canoe. Katara and Aang were engrossed in the local architecture and paid the traffic little heed. Sokka, on the other hand, was immediately transfixed by the sole passenger: a beautiful young woman, with hair whiter than the cleanest snow. She sat with regal dispassion as they passed, but the young warrior stumbled slowly and distractedly down from Appa's saddle to his tail, keeping her in sight for as long as possible.
"Isn't this the most beautiful place you've ever seen?" Katara said, gazing at a large fountain covered in fancy and delicate carvings.
"Yeah," Sokka sighed wistfully. "She is." His sister glanced back at him in curiosity. Aang shrugged, and Momo chattered wildly as he suddenly caught sight of some hot cakes cooling on a window sill. The two benders returned to admiring their surroundings, leaving Sokka to his daydreams.
Elsewhere, at a small port city to the south, a party was being had on Zuko's personal ship. The sound of a pipa's strings being plucked could be heard from the deck across the water by an old fishermen, lost in his memories that were stirred up by the familiar folk song. Iroh's solemnly joyful voice carried the corus to that fisherman, and other, unseen, listeners.
"Winter, spring
Summer and fall.
Winter, spring
Summer and fall.
"Four seasons,
Fo-oo-our lo-oves.
Four seasons,
Fo-oo-our loves."
The cook and a deckhand danced awkwardly but happily to the music, while the captain and first mate played accompanying instruments.
The grey haired General was nearly lost in the blissful sway of the music when he was interrupted by the sound of marching feet. The music came to a sudden, ungraceful end. Two firebenders walked stiffly up the gangplank and onto the deck, followed by Admiral Zhao. The younger man smirked like a pygmy puma that had found itself in close quarters with a family of chicken mice.
The palace was huge in itself, easily dwarfing King Bumi's palace at Omashu. Resting at the top of a long, wide staircase that traversed the entire heart of the city, it resembled a number of enormous longhouses stacked on top of each other, with three great igloos stacked atop them, and designed in such a way as to make one continuous building. It had bridges, balconies, and stairways carved by benders along the outside, and there was even a large round courtyard as a level just below the first floor. It was in this courtyard that the tribe's chief held the welcoming feast that night.
A massive waterfall fell from the glacier walls far above and just behind the palace, and the water from this flowed into a series of tunnels beneath the palace and exited from openings in the ledge. The courtyard was thus lined with liquid blue tapestries that shimmered in the moonlight.
Three young men stood on a large pedestal before the row of waterfalls, playing tall ceremonial drums that came up to their waists. A large, triple-tiered fountain stood before them, with an enormous totem pole at each side. At its base was a square pool of steaming water.
With the wall of water on the far side of this arrangement, and rows of long tables on the two adjacent sides, the Gaang was honored with placement at the head table on a raised platform opposite the fountain and pool.
Chief Arnook sat at the middle. Four tribal elders were seated to his right. The Avatar sat at the chief's left hand, and to Aang's left sat Katara, Sokka, and Nanuk.
There was an extra place set between the Southern warrior and the Northern "icebender," as Nanuk liked to be called. When Sokka asked about this, Nanuk shook his head with a mischievous grin and told him, "It is not empty, but it is not your place to ask. You will see, soon enough." His grin only widened at the younger boy's increased curiosity.
Sokka didn't get a chance to retort, as the their attention was stolen by a rumble followed by some shouts from Nanuk's other side. Some young boys from the tribe had been assigned to provide Appa with his portion of the feast, and the bison's thankful acknowledgement of the large litter of seaweed had startled them. The two warriors laughed as the four boys leapt backward, tripping over each other and the massive tray, and ran away in fright. Appa immediately began to eat, ignoring the people around him.
Food was also served to the humans. Sokka immediately began to shovel things into his mouth, hardly taking time to chew. Nanuk sorted through what had been placed before him, but his focus was on the chief. At an unseen cue, the drummers ceased playing, and Arnook stood.
"Welcome, all," the middle aged man announced. "Today, we gather for two reasons. First, we welcome our brother and sister from the Southern Tribe." A polite applause came from the gathered populace. Sokka swallowed quickly, and the siblings nodded respectfully.
Arnook added, "And they have brought with them someone very special, someone whom many of us believed disappeared from the world, until now. The Avatar!" Aang waved, and the applause became a bit more energetic.
The chief waited for the applause to quiet, then continued, "And second, this is also a celebration, of my daughter Princess Yue's sixteenth birthday. She is now of marrying age!"
This time, the clapping was much more uproarous, as a particular white haired beauty stepped up beside her father, accompanied by two escorts. Sokka's jaw dropped. Nanuk reach over and pushed the boy's chin up until his mouth closed. The younger warrior looked quickly over in surprise.
Upon seeing the light in the man's eyes, he scowled. "You could have told me," he muttered.
"You would not have believed me," came the mirthful reply. "Besides, this makes things more interesting."
The princess bowed to the chief and said, "I thank you, father." Turning to the rest of the crowd, she said, "May the great Ocean and Moon Spirits bless us all and watch over us during these troubled times." The clapping that had quieted when she starting speaking came up again as she walked over to take the place beside her Southern guest.
"Now," announced Chief Arnook, "Master Pakku and his students will perform!"
The ceremonial drumming picked up again as an old man and two young men stood at the base of the fountain and began an intricate dance. Three great columns of water rose from tall snow carved pots. The three benders expertly wove the streams around themselves in powerful, swooping patterns. Katara and Aang smiled open mouthed, and clapped wildly at the display.
Sokka had begun shoving food into his mouth again, but he froze when he saw Yue sit down beside him. He quickly turned away from her for a moment to swallow and wipe crumbs off of his thick overcoat.
"Hi there," he said, trying to be cool. He put on elbow on the table and cocked his head back over his shoulder at her. "Sokka, Southern Water Tribe," he introduced himself.
She bowed. "Very nice to meet you." They both became a bit stiff and awkward, looking anywhere but at each other, each groping for something to say, some conversation to begin.
"So..." the young warrior attempted. "Ahhhh..." He flinched a bit, seeing her intent but uncomfortable focus on him. "You're a princess!" She nodded, encouraging him. He decided to try and smoothly go from there.
"You know, back in my tribe, I'm kinda like a prince myself."
Katara scoffed. "Prince of what?"
"A lot of things!" he defensively replied. He leaned forward in brotherly annoyance. "D'you mind? I'm trying to have a conversation here."
The waterbender nodded with a grin. "My apologies, Prince Sokka." She bowed mockingly to him, then returned to watching the performing benders with fascination.
Sokka turned back to the princess, who was still watching him with wide eyed interest. "So, looks like I'm gonna be in town for a while. I'm thinking maybe we could..." His coolness completely fell apart as all he could think to say was, "Do an activity together?" He was overcome with shy hopefulness, and a realization of just how dorky that sounded.
Yue raised her eyebrows, her smile now one of surprised amusement. "Do... an activity?" she repeated.
Sokka stared straight forward, frozen with mortification. He then suddenly thrust several whole sea prunes into his mouth, stuffing his face completely. He choked a bit as he tried to force some of it down his throat.
Nanuk leaned backward, smirking at him from behind the princess. "Real smooth," he joked quietly. Sokka glared back and started chewing, a bit more forcefully than was necessary.
When the banquet was over, the chief and Nanuk took the Avatar to be introduced to Pakku. As Pakku's son, the icebender had taken it upon himself to be a guide to Aang and his friends until they came to know the layout of the city a bit more.
"Master Pakku," greeted Arnook. "Meet your newest student, the Avatar." Aang bowed respectfully. Pakku nodded, but kept his arms crossed in his sleeves, clearly unimpressed.
"Just because you're destined to save the world, don't expect any special treatment," the old man stated gravely.
The young airbender took a moment to think of the best thing to say. He settled for a grin and, "My friend and I can't wait to start training with you." He shrugged good naturedly. "After we relax for a couple of days."
The waterbending master scowled at him. "If you want to relax," he said silkily, "then I recommend visiting a tropical island. If not, I'll see you both at sunrise. Good night." With that, Pakku turned on his heel and stalked away.
Aang looked up at the chief, who shrugged. He had long become used to the older man's forthrightness. Nanuk shook his head in resignation, and went to follow his father. He turned back for a moment to wave at his newest classmate, but quickly jogged to catch up to Pakku.
The large metal door creaked loudly as it was opened. Iroh took a tentative step into the prince's personal chamber, and his nephew turned away from him stubbornly, his arms crossed over his chest.
"For the last time, Uncle, I'm not playing the tsungi horn!" he snapped.
"No, it's about our plans," Iroh replied. He stepped further into the room. "There is a bit of a problem."
The impatient Admiral stepped firmly past the retired General, causing Zuko to spin around quickly. Without any pomp or ceremony, Zhao stated, "I'm taking your crew."
"What?!" The banished prince leapt to his feet. His anger, ever present, twisted his features. He balled his hand into fists at his waist and took a defensive stance.
"I've recruited them for a little expedition to the north pole." Zhao placed his own hands behind his back and moved forward just a bit, almost daring Zuko to defy him.
"Uncle, is this true?"
"I'm afraid so. He's taking everyone, even the cook!" Iroh put an arm over his face and sobbed at the loss of this most important crew member. The other two were unsure if this was an act, but neither really cared at that point.
"Sorry you won't be there to watch me capture the Avatar," Zhao's taunt was subtle but very clear, "But I can't have you getting in my way again."
Zuko growled and made to attack the older man, but Iroh moved to stop him. "No!"
Admiral Zhao looked to the side in boredom, ignoring the two. A pair of twin Dao broadswords mounted on the wall opposite the door caught his attention. He moved closer, and recognition dawned heavily on him. He had seen these before. They had been used by a man in a Blue Spirit mask, as the person had freed the Avatar from his imprisonment. The criminal's face had been hidden, but Zhao had stared at the mask and and weapons for several drawn out moments when they had reached a stalemate. The "Blue Spirit" had threatened to kill the Avatar, rather than allow him to be recaptured.
Zhao reached up and removed one from the display. It was Zuko's turn to stare in horror and realization. His mother had insisted he learn to use them as a child, in case he should ever find himself in a situation where he could not use firebending to defend himself. His greatest crime, the one that put as great a price on his head as the Avatar's, the Admiral had personally witnessed. He knew that the Avatar had seen him without the mask, but had Zhao? If the military leader figured out whose swords they were...
"I didn't know you were skilled with broadswords, Prince Zuko." Zhao gave nothing away by his tone. He gave the weapon a few experimental swings, testing its sharpness and balance, then looked at the young man with suspicion concealed behind a face of polite interest.
"I'm not," the prince told him. "They're antiques. Just decorative."
Zhao raised an eyebrow, and continued to examine the blade. "Have you heard of the Blue Spirit, Iroh?" he asked.
"Just rumors," the stout man replied. "I don't think he is real." Zuko let nothing show, but he inwardly admitted that Iroh's passion for pai sho had a use. His uncle's face was as impassive as the palace pond on a windless day. Did he suspect?
"Oh, he's real alright." Admiral Zhao walked back over to them, still carrying the sword. "He's a criminal, and an enemy of the Fire Nation." He held the sword out, blade pointed toward the floor, for his senior to take. As Iroh obligingly took the weapon, the Admiral added darkly, "But I have a feeling that justice will catch up with him soon."
Zhao strode firmly out of the room. "General Iroh, my offer to join my mission is stands, if you change your mind." Then he pulled the door closed behind himself, and was gone.
"I've waited for this day my whole life!" Katara exclaimed quietly as her small group walked to the palace courtyard the next morning. "I finally get to learn from a real waterbending master!"
"Don't get too excited, Katara," Nanuk warned her. "My father is a stubborn man, with a short temper. This experience might not live up to your expectations."
"I'm sure we can find some way to work through whatever problems he might have with us," Aang said lightly. "Besides, it's the learning that's important."
Master Pakku had his back to them as he waited for the rest of his students to arrive. He moved his hands in a complex pattern, guiding and shaping a mass of water in front of him.
"Good morning, Master Pakku!" Aang shouted in greeting, with a wave. The floating stream suddenly broke form and fell to the ground with a splash.
"No, please, march right in!" The master lowered his hands. "I'm not concentrating or anything." The sarcastic comment was grumbled, but loudly enough that everyone could hear.
Aang winced, wondering what he could do or say to make the man less sour towards him. "Ummm, this is my friend, Katara. The one I told you about?" He smiled apologetically, and the girl bowed deeply.
Pakku raised a brow at the young Avatar. "I'm sorry, I think there's been a misunderstanding." The old bender pulled the snow up to create a simple chair and seated himself, in one graceful movement. He crossed his legs and his arms as he stared at the pair of young people. "You didn't tell me your friend was a girl."
His voice dripping with disdain, the master continued, "In our tribe, it is forbidden for women to learn waterbending. You should have told them I would not teach her," he glared at Nanuk.
The icebender bowed respectfully, then shrugged. "I get the feeling she could be just as stubborn as yourself. She would have come here regardless, even if she had known."
Katara's expression had quickly transformed from one of excitement and respect to one of indignation and outrage. "What do you mean, you won't teach me?" She took several steps forward. "I didn't travel across the entire world so you could tell me no!"
Pakku glared back in stubborn dismissal. "NO," he enunciated firmly.
"But there must be other female waterbenders in your tribe!"
"Yes, there are. But here, the women learn from Yagoda to use their waterbending to heal. It is how things are done," Nanuk stated apologetically.
The waterbending master smiled mockingly and told the girl, "I'm sure she would be happy to take you as her student. Despite your bad attitude," he added darkly.
"I don't want to heal, I want to fight!"
"I can see that. But our tribe has customs, rules."
"Well your rules stink!" Katara retorted.
"Yeah," Aang added in her defense. "They're not fair! If you won't teach Katara, then -"
"Then what?" Pakku stood over them.
"Then... then I won't learn from you!" Aang snapped back. He turned and stomped away.
"Well, have fun teaching yourself," the master replied. "I'm sure you'll do a great job!"
"Wait!" Katara exclaimed. "Aang didn't mean that!" she said to Pakku. She ran after the airbender, and stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.
"You can't risk your training for me," she told him. "You have to learn from Master Pakku. Even if he is a big jerk," she added quietly.
They both glared back at the old man, but Aang nodded. He turned reluctantly back to his instructor.
"Why don't we get started, then?" Pakku sneered.
Nanuk watched his father turn the snow stool into a floating river and launch it at the young Avatar. He winced as the boy was thrown several feet by the force of the attack, then ran after Katara.
"Princess Yue!" called Sokka, as he ran across a bridge that her personal boat was passing under. "Good morning!"
The southern boy gasped as he ran along the canal's bank to catch up. "Hey, how about the picnic last night? Boy, your day sure knows how to throw a party!"
Yue politely replied, "I am happy you enjoyed yourself."
"Well, it wasn't as much fun after you left." The princess blushed deeply and faced away a bit, to hide the smile that had broken her regal poise. Sokka liked this response, and continued, "So, I'm still hoping we can see more of each other."
"Do an activity, you mean?" she asked with a light in her eyes. Sokka's sky, bumbling manner returned quickly.
"Yes, at a place, for... some time," he tried, with an embarrassed smile plastered on his face.
Yue chuckled, "I'd love to!" She pointed up ahead and told him, "I'll meet you on that bridge, tonight."
"Great!" the young warrior exclaimed. "I'll see you - gaaah!" He suddenly fell into the water. His path had dropped off where another canal joined the first, and he had walked right off the edge without looking where he was going.
Yue covered her mouth and laughed mirthfully. "Sorry," she waved.
"That's okay!" Sokka called as he pulled himself back up. He then flopped backwards to law in the snow, sighing happily. "It was worth it! See you tonight..."
"I'm very impressed. You all seem highly qualified for the mission I have in mind." Admiral Zhao looked at the men gathered in his naval tent with dark satisfaction.
The leader of the group pushed his hat back, then reached for the gilded box that lay on the desk between himself and the Fire Nation commander. He opened it, and the parrot lizard on his shoulder squawked at the contents.
A long haired, dark skinned fellow who appeared to originate from the western Earth Kingdom reached over and pulled out a coin. He bit it to check for authenticity, then smiled greedily. "That's some tasty gold!"
The pirate captain snatched the coin back and closed the box. He focused back on Zhao. "What do you need us to do?"
"I believe you're acquainted with Prince Zuko," the firebender smirked dangerously.
"Why didn't you tell me?!" Katara demanded as she stomped forcefully down a random winding path.
"Would it have made a difference?" Nanuk responded calmly, easily keeping pace with her. "Had I told you my father would refuse, would you have really stayed back and left it alone? Or would you have gone to him anyway, and had the same argument, regardless?"
She scowled. "You could have stuck up for me, at least."
"He's my father, Katara. I've lived with the man for sixteen years. And I've learned it's much easier to live with him if I leave him to wallow in his spite and customs."
Katara looked up in surprise. "Only sixteen years? But you must be almost thirty!"
"I am adopted," he told her. "I don't have any memories of my real parents. They... died, when I was very young."
"Oh," was all she could say. After a bit of thinking, she shrugged. "Well, I guess that explains how you can be so... you. If you were his real son, I guess you wouldn't have even let me try going to his class this morning."
"I... Pakku is not perfect, and there are days I get so aggravated I almost can't stand it. But..." Nanuk looked away sadly. "He is all I have," he whispered.
They walked in silence for a few more minutes, each lost in his or her own thoughts. After a while Nanuk nodded toward a wide path that lead off the canal they were following. "Yagoda's healing hut is down that way. Even if you aren't allowed to learn to use waterbending to fight, you might like to attend a healing lesson or two. At least you'll be learning something."
Katara sighed, "Yeah, I guess that makes sense."
When they reached the longhouse where Yagoda lived, worked, and taught, Nanuk stopped the young waterbender with a with a light touch on her arm. She turned to see what he wanted.
"Just so you know, I don't think healing is a lesser job than fighting," he told her sincerely. "I've seen quite a few battles, and in many cases I owe the credit of my survival to my healer more than to my own warrior skills. Even the Avatar doesn't always come out unscathed, and what you learn in there could save his life someday."
Katara nodded thoughtfully, took a deep breath, and walked into the hut.
An old woman sat on a low, wide platform in the middle of a small pool at the center of the large room. Before her lay a life sized wooden doll. Deep, thin lines had been carved across the body, following the natural curves of muscle and bone. The healer was moving water through these tiny rivers, occasionally stopping over a certain area or other. She pulled all the water down the lines and gathered them at an area on the chest, and it began to glow as she demonstrated a simple technique.
"Um, hi," Katara waved shyly. "Are you Yagoda?"
The woman stopped what she was doing and smiled up at the southern girl. "I am. Are you here for the healing lesson?" she asked kindly.
Katara glanced around at the other students. All were children, and every last one was a girl. She bowed her head in resignation, but tried to hold on to what the northern man and told her a few moments before. "Yeah, I guess I am."
"Welcome, welcome!" Her new teacher motioned her to take a seat, and continued the lesson.
Back at the palace courtyard, Aang was practicing moving a stream of water back and forth around him, as Master Pakku sat on the ground nearby, eating his breakfast. The other students had paired off and were practicing at the other end of the yard, glad to be out from under the old man's judging eye.
"You're moving the water around, but you're not feeling the push and pull." Pakku used his bending to stir and cool his bowl of noodles, not even looking up at his young pupil.
Aang growled in frustrated concentration. "I'm trying!" he said as he formed a shaky orb in front of himself.
Pakku took a large mouthful of noodles and sucked them all up with a very loud sllllurrrrrup! He swallowed, and then sighed loudly. "Maybe that move is too advanced for you," he said blandly. "Why don't you try an easier one?"
The airbender growled again, throwing his water hard onto the ground. He turned away from the master, shaking and grimacing in contained anger and frustration. How did the other students put up with this?!
He felt a hand on his shoulder, and looked up to see Nanuk, understanding written all over the light haired man's face.
"Father, may I work with the Avatar for a time?" the icebender asked.
"You are late, Pupil Nanuk." Pakku ignored the question his son had asked him. "Perhaps I should give you something more difficult to work on, if you believe you know enough to waste class time elsewhere."
"I was bringing the Southern girl to the healing hut, for Yagoda's lesson, Master Pakku. Would you have had me do otherwise?" Nanuk's raised eyebrow and otherwise bored expression matched the old man's exactly.
Pakku rolled his eyes and snorted in dismissal. "Do not think you can always find a worthwhile excuse. You are still late. Go work yourself off with one hundred ice crunches."
Nanuk bowed to the old master, shrugged to Aang in apology - he had tried, after all - and moved to an empty space to begin his own exercises.
As four of the youngest girls carried the healing doll out of the longhouse, Katara approached Yagoda. "Thanks for the lesson," she said sincerely. She still wanted to learn to fight, but she had to admit that healing was a useful thing to be able to do.
The old woman nodded, then asked, "So who's the lucky boy?"
"Huh?"
"Your betrothal necklace." Yagoda pointed with a smile. "You're getting married, right?"
Katara laughed with sudden understanding. "Oh! No, I don't think I'm ready for that yet!" She touched the charm said warmly, "My grandmother gave my mother this necklace, and my mother passed it down to me," she explained.
The healer took a closer look, and her eyes lit up. "I recognize this carving!" she exclaimed with a wide smile. Yagoda leaned in uncomfortably close to the southern girl's face. "I don't know why I didn't realize sooner! You're the spitting image of Kanna!"
Katara jumped back in surprise. "Wait. How do you know my Gran Gran's name?"
"When I was about your age, I was friends with Kanna," came the answer. "She was born here, in the Northern Tribe."
Katara looked away and stared at nothing in particular. "She never told me," she breathed.
"Your grandmother had an arranged marriage with a young waterbender. He carved that necklace for her."
The young waterbender looked up in surprise. "If Gran Gran was engaged, why did she leave?"
"I don't know," Yagoda sighed. "That's always been a mystery to me. She left without even saying goodbye."
"Good luck!" called Iroh from the ship's deck. A few members of the crew turned back to wave before following their escort of soldiers and firebenders to the naval deporting dock.
A few minutes later, the old man stuck his head into Prince Zuko's chamber. His nephew was laying on his sleeping mat, glaring at the ceiling.
"The crew wanted me to wish you safe travels."
"Good riddance to those traitors," Zuko snapped without looking at him.
"It's a lovely night for a walk," Iroh tried. "Why don't you join me? It would clear your head."
Zuko didn't deign him with any response.
"Or just stay in your room and sit in the dark. Whatever makes you happy." Iroh closer the door behind him gently, then left the ship. He walked down the dock into town, humming the tune of "Four Seasons" with a smile. He didn't notice the brightly colored parrot lizard wheeling above him in the night sky.
Three pirates waited until the old man was completely out of earshot before climbing aboard the vessel. They quickly shuffled across the deck and signaled a small row boat, which had been hiding in the mists nearby. The three on board lowers some hooked ropes, which the other two attached to a pair of large barrels, to be hauled up the side of the ship.
One man, with a single patch of blue hair, nearly dropped his barrel back over the edge. After a bit of stumbling he managed to get a better grip and pull it the rest of the way up. "Careful with the blasting jelly!" came the whispered warning.
The one longest in the face moved to open the outermost door. He turned the large locking wheel, and froze as the ungreased metal let out a slight shriek. After a moment, he decided the best course of action would be to open it as fast as he could and hope to get everything in place before the irate prince found them.
Zuko had heard the squeak of the door, and immediately sat up. "Uncle?" he called. "Uncle, is that you?" He knew it was unlikely, as Iroh generally enjoyed to drag out his walks for an hour or more longer than he had been gone.
When he received no answer, Zuko left his room, stalking down the hall. He remained in a walking back stance, hands up and ready to firebend as necessary.
The pirates set up the barrels in the galley in record time, laid out the fuse to reach the deck, and lit the fuse.
After jumping quickly around several corners, to find nothing waiting for him, he made his way more quickly - and thus, less cautiously - to the bridge. He was looking around curiously when he happened a glance out a window, and recognized the parrot lizard perched there. The animal squawked and flew away.
The prince's eyes widened in horror, and then the first of the blasts went off.
The stream of explosions tore the upper half of the ship to pieces, shaking the dock and causing an echo that was carried across the entire island.
Iroh was halfway up the trail that lead from the inland side of the port town up to a tourist viewpoint at the peak of the small mountain, when the sound reached him. He turned to see the writhing light and smoke coming from the docks, and immediately began running back to the coast, screaming his nephew's name.
The fire was still torrential by the time he made it back, and there was little left of the ship that had been their home for more than three years.
Iroh stared at the blaze in shock and horror, then dropped his head in grief. "Zuko," he moaned. Great and unfeeling, the fire kept on burning.
Back at the north pole, Yue was gazing thoughtfully up at the sky when Sokka arrived at the bridge.
"Hi, Princess Yue," he said shyly. "I made you something. I carved it myself."
She looked down blankly at the small object he was showing her. It had an identifiable head, and markings that could pass for eyes and a mouth, but it's overall shape was rough and unkempt. It had four stubby limbs, but beyond that...
"It's a bear," she guessed, her voice clearly one of disinterest.
"Actually, it's supposed to be a fish." He turned it in his hand to so its head was to the left. "See it... has a fin," he said as he pointed to one of the stubs that might have otherwise been an arm.
"Oh." That was all she said. She closed her eyes and turned her face away from him.
He was standing there, trying to think of something more to say, when she suddenly straightened.
"I'm sorry, I made a mistake." The princess spun around and told him, "I shouldn't have asked you to come here!" Then she quickly ran off the bridge and down the street, leaving the young warrior wondering what had just happened.
After a moment, Sokka roared quietly and chucked his ugly but heartfelt carving over the side of the bridge and into the canal. His head hung low in sadness and confusion as he walked back to the hut the Gaang would be staying at while they were in the Northern Water Tribe.
"How's warrior training going?" Katara asked almost as soon as he had come in. She, Aang, and Nanuk had been there for some time apparently.
Sokka responded with an angry groan and a kick to his sleeping roll bag. Then he flopped down onto his stomach, using the bag as a pillow to rest his arms and head.
"That bad?" Aang sounded more sympathetic than surprised.
Nanuk shook his head, "I don't think it's that."
Sokka sighed in frustration. "No, it's Princess Yue. I don't get it! One minute she wants to go out with me, and the next, she's telling me to get lost." He huffed, and shifted to a slightly more comfortable position.
"I think that may not be as complicated as you think," Nanuk said carefully.
"Oh really?" Sokka snapped. "Then why don't you enlighten me, Master Know It All?"
"Yue is a princess, and is now of marrying age," the man reminded him softly. "The customs here are strict and often unforgiving. To you, she may be just a pretty girl that you want to get to know better, but she is more than that. She has..." Nanuk furrowed his brow as he searched for the best words. "She has specific obligations. The ways of the Southern Tribe are different, and there is much about this I can't really expect you to understand. You have only been here a couple of days."
His speech ended, Nanuk shook his head and fell silent. Sokka moaned, but decided it was time for a change in topic.
"So how's waterbending training?"
It was Katara and Aang's turn to flop down in resigned frustration. "Master Poop Head won't teach her because she's a girl," the airbender told him.
"Tribal customs again?" the older boy guessed. Aang and Nanuk nodded simultaneously. "Well, why don't you teach her, Aang? You're not a part of the tribe, and you're the Avatar. There's gotta be some lee-way there."
Katara sat up with a grin. "Why didn't I think of that?" she said excitedly. "At night, you can teach me whatever moves you learned from Master Pakku! That way, you get someone to practice with, and I get to learn waterbending! Everyone's happy!"
"Except my father," Nanuk pointed out. The other three turned to him.
"Do you have to tell him?" Sokka raised an eyebrow. Katara and Aang gazed quietly at the icebender, hope and pleading radiating from their faces.
Nanuk sighed. "I suppose not. It's a stupid custom anyway, in my opinion. But," he added quickly, "if the old man does find out, there is nothing I can do to calm his ire. The consequences would be entirely your own. Understand?"
Both of the young bender nodded fervently. Katara jumped up and gave Nanuk a quick, grateful hug, then said, "Come on, Aang!"
After the two ran out, Sokka grumbled, "What about me? Do I get any advice or help or rules to bend?"
Nanuk looked at him askance. "I am close to thirty years old and have never had a girlfriend. I am not the person you want to go to for advice on women."
"And the rule breaking? What about that?"
The older man sighed. "If there is a rule at the root of your problem, it's not for you to break. Yue is the one most affected by these customs and traditions. I am sorry, but I cannot help you." With that, he stood up and left for his own hut.
A few minutes later, Katara and Aang were standing by a small canal in a fairly remote alley way.
"Master Pakku said this move is all about sinking and floating." Aang pulled some water out of the canal, made it do a slow, smooth swirl in the air, and then sent it to Katara.
Katara caught the water in the air, continuing its motion to make it do a circle. "I got it!" she exclaimed as she held the amorphous orb in front of her.
Suddenly, the water did a fancy series of loops and swirls around her, then shot straight up.
"That was amazing!" Aang yelped ecstatically.
"That wasn't me," she told him with a shrug. They both looked up, in time to see Pakku turn the liquid orb into a line of sharp icicles, which he drove angrily into the bridge on which he was standing.
"I was just showing Katara a few moves," the airbender explained lamely.
Pakku stared down at them harshly. With his back stiff and the wind blowing his gray hair, he was a powerful force, not to be reckoned with.
"You have disrespected me, my teachings, and my entire culture," he stated ruthlessly.
"I'm sorry! I -" Aang started.
"You are no longer welcome as my student." With that, the old master was gone.
The next morning, the young trio stood in front of the chief and his council, which had been gathered on a wide, tiered platform beneath a fancy, multi-sectioned arch. Arnook and Pakku sat cross-legged beside each other on the lower ledge, with Princess Yue to her father's right and Nanuk to his father's left. The four elders sat likewise on the higher platform.
Behind this display, the back wall was decorated with the ocean and moon symbols of their nation. Between these symbols, a wide, artificial waterfall drained into a pool beneath and behind the platform. The sides of the pool were lined to the three walls with large snow pots, which also drained water in a steadily flowing stream.
"What do you want me to do?" asked Chief Arnook. "Force Master Pakku to take Aang back as his student?" The chief's expression was one of seriousness and diplomacy. Pakku, on the other hand, scowled openly at them. Yue and Nanuk wore identically bland expressions of polite disinterest, neither one letting their budding friendships with the foreigners be acknowledged.
"Yes. Please," Katara added quickly and gently.
"I suspect he might change his mind," the chief focused on her with lowered eyebrows, "If you swallow your pride, and apologize to him."
The southern girl glared at the older waterbender, then she looked back at her friend, and her gaze softened. She sighed. "Fine."
With all the heart of an owl cat about to pounce on a tree mouse, the master grinned snidely. "I'm waiting, little girl."
That was the last straw. Katara's resolve to get along with this man was broken, replaced by a new, more natural resolve. She clenched her fists. "No! No way!"
As she moved her hands to emphasize her anger, the ice and snow at her feet began to crack and shift. Unnoticing, or uncaring, she continued to rant.
"No way am I apologizing to a sour old man like you!" The cracks expanded exponentially at the last few words. Two decorative pots on either end of the platform shattered, throwing water everywhere.
"Uh, Katara?" Aang called shyly. He might have been the Avatar, but even he knew to be careful around the fierce young woman when her temper flared.
Katara continued, "I'll be outside if you're man enough to fight me!"
There was a collective gasp from the platform. The elders, the chief, and the princess stared back at her with wide eyes. Pakku's expression hardened, but he said nothing to acknowledge the challenge. Nanuk raised an eyebrow, but could not hold back his interest in this latest development.
"I'm sure she didn't mean that," Aang tried lamely.
"Yeah, I think she did," Sokka corrected him with a shrug. Aang closed his eyes in frustration, but couldn't really argue.
"Well, that went well," Nanuk piped up.
Admiral Zhao poured the tea calmly. "I'm devastated to hear about Prince Zuko," he told his guest. "Just devastated." His voice didn't carry though; if he cared at all, it wasn't in a sense of upset.
Iroh closed his eyes, letting his grief wash over him. When he could trust himself to remain docile and control his tongue, he opened them and stated, "The Fire Lord will not be pleased when he learns who was responsible."
The younger man's eyes widened slightly behind his own cup. "You know who was behind the attack?" he asked tentatively.
"Yes," Iroh replied. "Pirates!" He hit the table with his fist in a rare display of temper. "We had a run in with them a while back. They wanted revenge."
Zhao lit up with a small smile of satisfaction, but quickly hid it by taking a sip of his tea. After a moment, he said, "So, have you reconsidered my offer?"
"Yes, I accept." The old man bowed. "It will be an honor to serve as your General." He lifted his cup, "To the Fire Nation!"
"To victory!"
Outside, the fleet was almost completely assembled. They would be leaving soon.
"Are you crazy?!" Sokka pleaded with his sister as she marched down the step to the courtyard. "Katara, you're not gonna win this fight!"
"I know!" she snapped as she removed her thick fur coat and threw it into his arms. "I don't care!"
"You don't have to do this for me! I can find another teacher!" Aang said quickly. He had hoped she would calm down and listen to reason once she was away from Pakku, but it wasn't turning out to be so.
"I'm not doing it for you," she told him. "Someone needs to slap some sense into that guy!"
Turning around, the young waterbender saw Pakku taking slow, deliberate strides down the steps behind them. "So, you decided to show up?" she glared.
Without saying a word, he walked past her, not even sparing her a second glance.
"Aren't you gonna fight?"
The master continued walking. He didn't look back at her as he said blandly, "Go back to the healing huts with the other women, where you belong."
Katara closed her eyes and clenched her teeth. Then she pulled some water from the snow she was standing on, and whacked the old man in the shoulder with a water whip. He stopped.
"Fine," he said as he turned around. "If you want to learn to fight so bad, study closely!" With a harsh grin, he suddenly pulled a massive amount of water from two nearby pools.
Katara ran toward him, but was easily thrown back by the first attack. She landed in a crouch, but Pakku was already creating a circular river around them. The ring forced her closer to him.
"Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you!"
The ring shrunk, and she had to jerk forward again. Then she regained her footing, and broke the circle, forcing the water up and away.
A crowd of spectators had gathered, and not all of them were able to get out of the way fast enough. Sokka was washed back by the stray shot.
Pakku created a wave, then refroze it into a wall between himself and his opponent. Katara ran, slid up and over it, flipped, and landed on her feet on top of a wall post.
Pakku unfroze the wave and sent it toward her. Katara set her stance, freezing her feet to the post. With her increased stability, she redirected the water.
"You can't knock me down!" Their audience began cheering as she went back on the offensive.
Pakku rose a small wall of ice before him, but Katara unfroze it and struck out at him.
He dodged or blocked her attacks, then pulled some water from the ground and washed her into the nearest pool. He smirked, thinking it was over.
But she stood up, shook out her hair, and was at him again.
The crowd cheered at she turned the pool water into a frozen pillar and began sliding it, throwing the thin, sharp disks at the old man.
Pakku redirected the first three, but barely managed to dodge the fourth. His reflection showed surprise and even fear at it passed within inches of his looked at Katara in shock and confusion. Who was this girl, and where had she learned that move?
But she jumped out of the pool, pulling all the water out with her, sending it at him. Pakku caught the water, redirected it around himself and sent it back to her. Katara was thrown back.
Kneeling, she took a deep, focusing breath. She let it out, clenched her teeth, and went at him again.
She leapt to her feet, pulling down two carved ice totem poles over his head.
Pakku waved his arms, and was lost under a cloud of powder snow. Then the snow cleared.
"Well, I'm impressed. You are an excellent waterbender."
"But you still won't teach me, will you?"
"NO."
Katara growled, and threw a frozen rolling wave at him. Pakku rose himself up on a huge stone pillar. He turned it into a slushy wave and rode it straight at her.
Katara threw a large stream at him, but he redirected it back to her, froze it, and slid along it, knocking her to the ground. Her necklace flew off.
She had hardly had time to stand up before he drew up all the water from the second pool, and brought down a rain of icicles. The icicles formed a prison around her.
The women and children of the gathered spectators gasped, covering mouths and looking away.
Katara fought against the binds, grunting and growling with effort, frustration, and anger.
"This fight is over," Pakku announced, and he began to walk away.
"Come back here! I'm not finished yet!"
"Yes, you are." Pakku made to leave, but stopped in his tracks as something on the ground caught his eye. He stooped to pick it up. "This... is my necklace!" he murmured with astonishment.
"No, it's not, it's mine!" yelled Katara. "Give it back to me!"
"I made this necklace almost sixty years ago," he gazed into empty space in his remembering. "For the love of my life. For Kanna."
The ice holding Katara melted and fell to the ground with an ignored splash.
"My Gran Gran was supposed to marry you?" she gasped in surprise and awe. Him?
Elsewhere, on a flagship to the largest Fire Nation fleet assembled since Fire Lord Sozin had wiped out the Air Nomads, organized chaos was underway in preparation for the nearing departure.
General Iroh strode casually down a corridor that was mostly unused for the moment. Everyone was too busy with their own jobs to pay attention to anybody else, but it was best not to risk having this conversation overheard.
Right on schedule, a firebender turned the corner. The two paused as they passed each other.
"Our plan is working perfectly," Iroh murmured. "Zhao does not suspect a thing."
The bender removed his mask, revealing the cracked, blistered, and cut face of Prince Zuko.
"You didn't have to do this."
"No nephew of mine is going to stow away without some back up!" The old master admonished.
"Thank you, Uncle."
A light slam sounded in the next corridor, followed by the steady clank of footsteps.
"Someone is coming," Iroh observed, and the banished prince replaced his mask. "Stay hidden until we get to the north pole, and the Avatar will be yours." He wished the young man luck, and the two parted ways.
"I carved this necklace for your grandmother when we got engaged," Master Pakku said quietly, his back to the girl who might have been his granddaughter, had things been different. His son watched on with some dark, but gentle, emotion on his face.
"I thought we would have a long, happy life together. I loved her." The old man hung his head sadly, the relic from his past still in his hands.
"But she didn't love you, did she?" Katara guessed, her voice full of pity and new understanding. "It was an arranged marriage." Nanuk silently observed the tears forming in the princess's eyes, but let the conversation continue as it was.
"Gran Gran wouldn't let your tribe's stupid customs run her life. That's why she left," she deduced. She took a step toward Pakku, but both turned away. The old man couldn't look into Katara's eyes, and she was distracted by other things.
"It must have taken a lot of courage." The words were hardly out of the young waterbender's mouth, and Yue burst into tears and ran away, sobbing.
Sokka sent a surprised look at Aang and Nanuk. Aang looked just as confused as the warrior felt, but the icebender clearly knew what was wrong. In any case, both of his friends softly smiled to him.
"Go get her." Aang jumped at the sound of Nanuk's voice overlapping his own, but the man just shrugged.
Sokka ran after the princess. He eventually found her on the bridge where they had arranged to meet before.
"What do you want from me?" she demanded softly, watching him out of the corner of her eye.
He put his hands up defensively. "Nothing." He took another step towards her, holding his arms out in a half-shrug. "I just want you to know... I think you're beautiful. And... I never thought a girl like you could notice a guy like me."
"You don't understand -"
"No, no. See, that's the thing. I think I do understand now." She looked up in surprise, and he continued, "You're a princess, and I'm... I'm just a southern peasant." He closed his eyes and bowed his head in shame.
"No! Sokka -"
"It's okay. You don't have to say anything. I see you around, okay?" He waved shortly, and turned to walk away.
Suddenly, she grabbed his arm, pulling him into a kiss. Once the initial shock wore off, he took a moment to enjoy it. When it ended, he shook the fuzziness from his head and stepped back.
"Okay, now I'm REALLY confused! Happy," he added with a smile, "but... confused." He raised an eyebrow, trying to figure this girl out. Yue leaned forward, holding his hands.
"I do like you," she told him. "A lot! But we can't be together. And not for the reason you think!" Sokka listened quietly, his head reeling. She liked him! But... then why -?
"It's because.. I'm engaged," she announced quietly, pulling the neckline of her coat down to show him the significant piece of jewelry wrapped around her throat. He stepped back again, wrapping his head around this. Engaged?!
"I'm sorry," she told him. Then she ran off, leaving him alone on the bridge again. Except this time, he knew why.
The next morning, Aang demonstrated a basic waterbending move in front of his class. He moved the small, even orb up over his head, then sent it away back to a pool a few yards off. Thinking he had done rather well, looked to Master Pakku with a proud grin.
"Not bad, not bad," the old master said with a chuckle. "Keep practicing, and maybe you'll get it by the time you're my age!"
Aang's smile dropped for a moment as he turned away, but the expression of contentment quickly returned when he saw Katara running up the stairs and into the courtyard.
She stood beside him for a moment, panting hard. She had found the scroll when she had woken up, and had dressed and come as quickly as possible.
Pakku scowled. "What do you think you're doing?" he demanded. Katara looked at him in surprise and disappointment for a moment, but then her new teacher's expression softened again. "It's past sunrise," he told her with a mischievous grin. "You're late."
Katara beamed as she took her place among the students.
"Good to see ya here," her powerful friend whispered, as they took their stances.
"You too," she returned happily. And so her first waterbending lesson began.