Benders of Our Lives 2: Transformation. Chapter 1
By Iroh's Tea Shoppe Girls
Disclaimer: We do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender… Praise be to the Lemur!
Previous in Benders of Our Lives:
After a couple run ins with Xu Ren Lao Bei Fong has been pressured by his family into rehab. Sokka and Katara found the Avatar. While visiting the Southern Air Temple Sokka was knocked unconscious for an unspecified period of time and woke up almost a different man. And Iroh's having trouble letting go of his dead son Lu Ten.
-.-.-.-
Sokka normally liked to be the one in charge. He was the head warrior of his village. But he didn't mind it that Aang was the one directing Appa, controlling where they went. In fact the warrior was quite happy. He had a lot of work to do that day. He took about a quill and blank scroll and began working on the first part of his masterpiece.
After he had been working on it for a couple hours, Katara took notice of her brother's unusual behavior. "What are you working on?"
"It's about how I discovered the ultimate power in the universe," Sokka explained, with a smile. He thought Katara should be the first to learn about and convert to his new faith. "I have the first part of it complete. All I need is a good name for it."
"How about 'Avatar: Hope is restored' or 'The End of the dreaded war is approaching'?" Katara suggested, assuming Sokka was merely chronicling how they had found the missing Avatar.
"Those won't work!" Sokka exclaimed, insulted at his sister's misunderstanding.
"Why not?" Aang asked, and then blushed. "I think they are great."
"It's about flying lemurs and how they should be praised!" Sokka stated. Aang raised an eyebrow, unsure if he should laugh at what he assumed was a joke or not.
Katara frowned. Her brother seemed to have gone off the deep end since the events at the Southern Air temple. It must've happened when he was unconscious; it was the only reasonable explanation for it in her mind.
"We're here!" Aang announced smiling. They were at Kyoshi Island. Momo let out a joyful squeak.
"Praise the Lemur!" Sokka yelled. "I got it 'Momo Scriptures' is the perfect title for it since he is the one who awakened me to the true nature of reality."
Katara rolled her eyes as Appa began to descend to land, at least they would soon be on solid ground and perhaps Sokka would return to his normal self after getting some rest.
-.-.-.-.-
Xu Ren sighed. The best patron of the tavern, the obscenely rich Lao Bei Fong, had been missing for several days. The only regular customers left were an assortment of shady characters and the ever stingy Master Yu. Although in all fairness, Master Yu had gotten to be a better customer as of late, why, he had even begun tipping. At least whenever it was Xu Ren serving him, which the hostess had begun doing as of late.
"Your service is wonderful," Master Yu offered as praise. "You don't need to look so sad."
Master Yu slyly put his hand on Xu Ren's arm to show support. Xu Ren smiled politely, before polited explaining that other customers needed to be served too. Master Yu stayed late at the tavern that night, until Xu Ren's shift was over.
"I would like take you somewhere special, Xu Ren." Master Yu said in a smoky voice.
Xu Ren, while not romantically interested in Master Yu, decided to humor the fellow and go.
-.-.-.-.-
Zuko was furious. He was furious for several reasons: first he had to stop at Zhao's port, second he had lost the avatar, and third it was likely everyone knew about it by now thanks to one of his own men ratting him out.
"News of the Avatar," one of servants of the ship announced.
"That's wonderful," Iroh said smiling when he noticed Zuko's harsh expression soften.
This was one of the times Zuko regretted his uncle was with him. Zuko wished his uncle would leave him alone, let him hear the news the servant had and then let the two have alone time. But he supposed he had while he heard the news to figure an excuse to kick the old man out of his room. And finding out where the Avatar is was most important.
"Well, there are reports of the Avatar asking for directions to an island where elephant koi live."
"Which island is that?" Iroh asked.
The servant meekly stated, "We forgot to ask that."
"Moron!" Zuko hissed. "Uncle, do you know where there are elephant koi fish?"
The servant hung his head in shame at failing his master.
"I'm going to have to think on that" Iroh said. Zuko tapped his foot waiting for his uncle to come up with the answer.
-.-.-.-.-
It took days, even with the best technology money could buy, to get to Ba Sing Se. But Lao finally got there. His father had advised him to get help somewhere where he wasn't as well known as him home town, and Ba Sing Se Rehab clinic and tea shoppe was viewed favorable by most professionals.
Lao sighed as he entered the city. It held so many memories for him. He met his wife there, Jain worked for the Earth King as a tour guide named Joo Dee. That was how he met her in fact, she gave him a tour of the city. It was late when he arrived, so he checked himself into the nicest hotel to sleep before he would start the program the next day.
-.-.-.-
"Praise the lemur!" Sokka said joyfully. It wouldn't have been a big deal or very interesting, except that he was tied up. The Kyoshi Warriors had captured Sokka, Katara and Aang.
At first Sokka had been angry about this little excursion in their trip, Aang was clearly just goofing off, not taking anything seriously. And what was worse was that Aang was trying to show off to Katara. Sokka hadn't been very happy about that either. But seeing as how he was now surrounded by the beautiful Kyoshi Warriors, he decided that it all must've been the Lemur's Great Plan.