DISCLAIMER: I thoroughly wish I owned A:TLA but since I don't, I have to put a disclaimer up.
a/n: Hey guys! This is the first story I have written in a looooong time so I hope you enjoy it! (It is also my first ever fanfiction! woo!)
CHAPTER ONE
The cobbled street lay dusty and empty, winding into the distance. Windows inscribed with the fire nation insignia crashed shut above the figure edging down the path. With his hood drawn completely over his head, his ebony hair was obscured, but the faint trace of raw red scar was still visible in the dying sunlight.
He seemed so preoccupied in taking in his surroundings that he missed the soft tread of footsteps behind him; the light slapping of leather against the stone. Zuko whipped round. His golden eyes scanned the road from top to bottom, like search lights, looking for the cause of his sudden unease. 'That's odd', he thought, he was so sure that he had heard something. Turning back apprehensively, he made to restart his journey.
His eye spotted the glinting silver of metal too late. The sword was arching directly towards his face, certainly to mar his features even more decided Zuko, when a swirling jet of liquid thwarted the blade before it reached its target. His attacker barely had time to move before being assaulted by bullets of rock, a torrent of air and the slicing knife-edge of a boomerang.
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Oww… the first sensation I felt after groggily raising my head was one of immense pain. It sliced through my head and down my arms to where they were pinned beside me. It felt like I had a bruise on at least every moveable part of my body. Something wet was trickling down my face too…Something wet was trickling down my face! I squirmed. Martial art expert I may be, but I am in no way pleased to find blood running outside my body, especially when it should be running within. I tried to stretch my hand up to examine it before I realized that both my arms, as well as my feet were encased in ice.
Raising my head slowly, careful not to cause extra pain where there was already aching, I realised that my hood had fallen partially over my face, stopping any recognition there may have been from my captors. I needn't have worried. When I looked up, I caught sight of four strangers, two clad in vivid blue robes, one in orange and red robes and another in moss coloured earth kingdom clothing.
'We can't even leave you alone for two seconds before you end up getting attacked by some random passer-by, can we Zuko? And you call yourself a fire prince' scoffed the water tribe boy.
'That's because I am a fire prince.' said a different voice, 'well used to be' he added in an undertone. I swivelled my head to spot the other boy. Ah, the one I attacked, hmm… probably wouldn't have attacked him like that if he I knew he was in the presence of 4 other people. Ah well.
'Hey look, he's awake!'
He? Who were they talking about? Who else was unconscious?
'Is that blood running down his face?'
Wait. Hang on. They were talking about me! But…why? I don't even look remotely like a boy! Okay, so I suppose they could have mistaken my long sleeved black top overlaid with a fire nation tunic and black leggings as a male outfit. It was pretty generic. Not to mention that my hood was covering my, admittedly rather short, hair. Huh… a boy… that would have been such a brilliant disguise! No one would have ever recognised me as a boy. Why didn't I think of that?
'Hey, you', a stick was jabbed into my side, 'what's your name?'
'Sokka, don't poke him! He's obviously injured!' shrieked the blue girl.
'Says the one who injured him in the first place!'
I paused, unsure of what to say. I don't even know who these people are, let alone if they're trustworthy. They could be working for the fire lord, trying to capture me. Okay, so perhaps slightly unlikely, considering the whole water tribe thing and all, but honestly, who knows. Trusting people has never come easily to me and even less recently after having been betrayed by nearly everyone I have trusted. Considering the options, it's probably best if they don't know who I am and hey, here's a perfect disguise already prepared effortlessly for me.
'I…I'm… Lee' I answered with a second's hesitation, 'Lee…Boku'.
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'Well Lee Boku, it seems you have some explaining to do' said the small girl in green.
Oh right. 'I…uh…I was running…away from home' I improvised. "And I thought you were a fire guard" I said nodding in the direction of my 'victim', "sorry". The expressions on all five faces visibly softened.
"Oh. Why were you running away?" The blue girl had a genuine air of sympathy on her face. Ah. Reasons. Now what am I meant to say? "Umm…my parents… they're great fire benders" I started –
"Aha! I knew we couldn't trust him!"
'Just listen Sokka!" This time it was the small bald boy who spoke. "Well, they're great fire benders," I continued, "but…I'm not you see. I couldn't even bend the flame of a candle if my life depended on it." Well at least that much was true, having been in such a situation before.
"So they kicked you out and tried to set the fire nation guards on you?" Blue girl exclaimed. Okay sure, let's go with that. "Umm yeah, basically" I agreed. There was a loud swoosh, and a sudden falling sensation as the ice trapping my limbs melted. I groaned as I hit the ground. Really? Now the sudden meeting of my body with ground added to the pain that was already coursing through me. A warning next time would be hugely appreciated you know. Crazy benders and their crazy sneak attacks. Yes I do know I happened to attack that Zuko guy sneakily too but that doesn't count.
"Okay, I think it's best if we go back to Appa to get Lee healed, it's quite dangerous here" Tell me about it. You try and attack one person and four more attack you. If, even after 13 years of sword wielding training I still can't go up against 4 benders in a sneak attack, what is the point? And there I was, submerged in thoughts about mad attackers when I felt myself being tossed, like a pancake, onto my front. I hurriedly grabbed my burgundy backpack which had fallen beside me. I looked down and let out a very girly scream before coughing hurriedly. I was floating about 12 inches off the ground on seemingly nothing at all.
"Oh sorry", bald guy looked sheepish, "probably should have warned you first". You think baldy? "But this is the only way to get you to Appa quickly if you can't walk". And with that, he took off, racing down the alleyway, me in air current tow.
It was about 4 and a half minutes (yes I am very precise) before we reached a wide orchard lined with apple trees. I gazed in awe at my surroundings. Wow, I didn't think places like this even existed in the fire nation anymore. The jade coloured grass rippled with the soft evening breeze, the rosy apples on the trees looked like ruby gems hanging off the branches and the leaves, they were – wait a minute. Is that tree shrinking? Sure enough, giant clumps of the foliage was being plucked from the shrubbery, and being almost chewed it seemed, with great vengeance.
"Appa, don't eat that it's bad for you!" squealed baldy. Appa? Oh, I realised with sudden clarity, as half the orchard began to shake. Appa, a huge 10 tonne animal, had just shoved its way through various branches and was now proceeding to lick baldy's face. With about as much warning as before (i.e. none what so ever), I was swept up and dumped unceremoniously on top of a giant saddle. Blue girl, victim, girl in green and water tribe guy all piled into the saddle as well.
"Yip yip" cried baldy. And, just as I settled myself into a position where I was hurting slightly less than before, the whole ground jerked. My head smashed, once again, against a hard surface. Pain sending white spots into my eyes, I dragged myself up and peered over the side, the pristine orchard appeared to be getting smaller and smaller and there was a sudden breeze around me. Then as I was yanked away from the edge, I realised something. I was flying! I was actually flying!
And then everything seemed to click into place. A flying byson, a bald guy who can't be more than twelve, odd currents of air used to propel me here… Baldy must be an air bender! But if there are no more air benders… Baldy must be the last air bender! Which must mean…Baldy is the Avatar?
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"You…You…you're the avatar!" I exclaimed, stretching a shaking finger in the direction of baldy.
"You don't say Einstein. What gave it away, the giant blue arrow on his head or the ten foot magical monster you're currently riding on?" I decided to tactfully ignore this comment.
The next thing I knew was that I was being pulled down on to my back, staring up into a face framed with odd loops of hair which was leering over me. Seriously do these people know nothing about personal space, or perhaps receiving permission to invade it? "Here, I am going to heal you now". She extended her hand, sheathed with water much like a glove, towards my head.
Out of natural instinct, my hand shot up and gripped hers in a vice like grasp, but then whilst preparing to twist it backwards upon itself, I realised where I was. I was 120ft in the air surrounded by people who could easily push me off this saddle in my weakened state, meaning that I would fall at a speed of 80.3 miles per second towards the ever nearing ground, where I would meet my tragic end 92% of the distance into my total trajectory pattern. Not a pleasant thought.
I dropped my hand. "S-sorry", I stuttered, "It was just my natural instinct". She sighed and looked at me with a look that clearly said 'it's okay I deal with crazy people all day". Hey, I'm not that crazy. Then again, I am impersonating a boy named Lee Boku.
It took about twenty minutes of water splashing and pointing out all the various injuries I had acquired before I could finally feel all my limbs again. I stretched out my legs and arms to their full extent, feeling my joints pop before sitting up and reviewing my companions as of 30 minutes ago.
Blue girl gestured towards herself. "We haven't introduced ourselves. My name is Katara and this is my brother Sokka", gesturing to the water tribe guy, "We are from the southern water tribe".
Wow, South Pole, that must be amazing, all that snow and ice and I've heard they live in igloos! Not that anyone in the fire nation ever speaks of them in an inspiring way; it's mostly just "Ugh. Those fur people".
"That's Toph," she continued, pointing to the girl in green, "She's Aang's earth bending teacher".
"That's Zuko", my 'victim', "he's also pretty new to our group and over there, as you have realised, is Aang, the avatar".
a/n: Okay, firstly, i am ignoring the fact that sokka is also a master swordsman (its a shame because i really loved that space sword). Secondly, 'Lee' is the kind of weirdo that is totally amazing at science and maths and that and loves to use it in everyday life... because you know, i am not like that at all (apart from the amazing part) -sheepishly laughs-
So? What do you think? Good, all right, rubbishy? Needs improvements? Is absolutely spectacular? :P Let me know in a review! Go on, you know you want to do it. I can feel you urging to press that one little button. Seriously though it would totally make my day and i would look like this :D for 24 hours. Honestly. Try me. :P