Prisoners of The Flames plot ideas

Prisoners of the Flames

An Avatar: The Last Airbender fanfic (sequel to Blind Love)

I DO NOT OWN AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER. THIS IS ONLY A FANFIC.

(Warning! This fanfic contains very mature themes. Read discretion strongly advised.)

PLOT: It is up to Aang to track down and rescue Toph, Katara, and Sokka after they were captured by Fire nation sentries.

CHAPTER 1

Aang had just missed a fire nation ambush that had captured Katara, Sokka, and Toph. When he returned to the empty camp, his only choice was to go looking for his missing comrades, wherever they may be. In the nearby swamp Aang did pursue, following a far-off trail of black smoke that had to be from some sort of fire nation machine. He decided against flying as he may be spotted by fire nation sentries, so instead he ran. It was swelteringly hot and gassy in the dense swamp during this cycle of the sun. Sweat poured down Aang's face as he splotched through the mucky, mossy waters. Unknowingly, the natives of this region were secretly watching him. They studied the vibrant clothing of the bald boy and his unusual blue markings.

"Golly, I bet ya that there's the Avatar!" A voice quietly said as Aang passed by.

"Nuh-uh! You reckon it's them blue markings?" Another voice replied.

"I'd say so. He really has returned…it's been so long…but I'm sure it's him. Should we stop 'im? It looked like he was in a big ole hurry."

"Yeah, sounds like a good idea. We should help him!" The voices descended down vine ropes behind Aang and called out to him.

"HEY! ARE YOU THE AVATAR?" One of them said. Aang turned around and saw two men, presumably earth benders due to their green clothing, approaching him. One a well-rounded man with a slight beard, the other was lanky, almost skeletal. Their apparent disregard for the fragility of what it meant to be an Avatar caused Aang to shush them with a finger across his mouth. Not wanting to waste any time, he confessed his plight to the two swap-men.

"Try not to be so loud. I don't need the whole nation knowing my secret!"

"Sorry, but I can't believe it's you! Have ya come to save us?" The man's simplicity was warming, but Aang has to stay focused.

"I am looking for my friends. They've been captured by the fire nation. I must save them. Perhaps you can help me? What are your names, by the way?"

"My name is Due, darn pleased to meet ya! My bro's name is Tho, and our tribe leader's name is Huu. Did you say the fire nation? It's dangerous to go up against them by yourself. They'll kill you!"

"It's a risk I'm willing to take." Aang said with determination.

"Well, since you the Av-I mean, you know, we wanna help you. Where do you think you're friends are?" The kindly man asked Aang.

"I thought they must have come through here…but there would've been a sign, some kind of cleared trail in the forest. Did you see anything?" The swamp-men shrugged and shook their heads, but did say they saw some strange people making a fire on the far edge of the swamp. Now that they mentioned it, Aang could recognize the smell. It was not some kind of mechanical exhaust, but the natural, earthy scent of burning wood.

"wait…it must be a trap. A distraction! Did you see anything suspicious?"

"Well, we couldn't not really see too well, bein' they was camouflaged. They seemed to have big 'ol armor and moved stiffly as such."

"It is obviously a diversion. They must have taken my friends in another direction. Katara…Toph…" Aang was feeling nearly defeated. He had to go after his friends though. They meant so much to him after the things they had accomplished together and there was no-way he was abandoning them now. Aang also needed all the help he could get for the final push to overthrow the fire nation. He was losing himself in thought when Due told him he thought the name Katara sounded somehow familiar. Aang responded with a startle.

"Huh? You've heard the name before?".

"Na, not really. That name sounds like whoever yer talkin' about came from the Southern Water Tribe." Aang felt a tremendous sense of comfort when Due said this as it meant he was familiar with Katara's tribe to some extent. Aang excitedly ask how Due knew this, to which he replied:

"Our tribe, that of the Foggy Swamp, was once part of a larger tribe of waterbenders near the Southern Pole. Because we don't care much for cold weather, we decided to immigrate to the humid parts of the Earth Kingdom. Eventually, we discovered this here 'lil swamp an' loved it bein' there is lots of water. I sure is glad we made the move! We ain't as hard to all track down now. Even before the fire nation attacked, we sensed some kinda growin' hostility that may have put our tribe at stake." Aang didn't mean to be rude, but the well-being of his friends was a more pressing issue than the history of the Southern Water Tribe. He interrupted the swamp-man to get his point across.

Returning to the pressing matter at hand, Due and Tho were urged to escort Aang swiftly to their tribe's leader so as to inquire about a search party for his friends and an insurrection against fire nation power in the region. The two swamp-dwellers complied and had Aang follow them to the center of the humid swamp, toward a great tree, the life-blood of the swamp. After a short trek to the heart of the swamp, the trio arrived at the great tree. Tho and Due had Aang follow them up a stair-like set of branches high up into the tree. The farther they climbed, the cooler it got, and they were nearing the open-air above the canopy of the swamp. In the back of Aang's mind, he wandered what was happening to those friends that he cared about so much.