Two figures were sprawled on a floating sheet of ice. Both of them were dressed in thick, blue, Water Tribe clothes. The boy was named Sokka. The girl, his sister, was Katara.
Both of them had the dark skin, darker hair, and bright blue eyes typical of the Water Tribe. Sokka's spear was further proof, a sharpened tusk attached to a bone. They were dressed warmly, in tunics and legging under their coats. The symbol of the Water Tribe was proudly emblazoned on their chests.
The spear was shoved in the ice behind them. Sokka and Katara were simply laying where they had landed, heads and arms over the edge, dangerously close to the freezing water.
"Okay," Sokka frowned. "You've gone from weird, to freakish Katara."
"You mean I did that?" Katara gasped in a small, frightened voice, staring at the place where the glacier she had just shattered used to be.
"Yup," Sokka nodded. Jokingly, he elbowed her and smiled. "Congratulations."
That was when the water, inches from their faces, began to bubble and glow a strange, bluish white color. Ripples spread as the section of glowing water grew. Gasping, Katara and Sokka skittered back from the edge of the ice float.
A huge, glowing mound of ice began to push through the water in front of them, rising slowly higher and higher. Katara and Sokka staggered as their ice patch shifted under their feet. Katara cried out.
Finally, a rounded globe of ice sat floating in the water before them, bobbing gently. Two dark shapes could be seen inside, one considerable larger than the other. The smaller shape looked vaguely… humanoid. It seemed to be the source of the glowing, bright blue arrows shining on his/her hands and forehead.
As Katara and Sokka stared in fear, awe, and interest, the glowing intensified, and the figure's eyes shot open. They too glowed a disturbing blue.
Katara and Sokka flinched and drew back, making small sounds of surprise.
"They're alive!" Katara exclaimed in shock, immediately, she dove for her brother's club strapped to his back. "We have to help!" She ran towards the iceberg, jumping from ice float to ice float.
"Katara, get back here!" Sokka ordered, chasing after her, snatching up his spear as he went. "We don't know what that thing is!"
Katara ignored him and began hammering on the ice with all her might, grunting with effort. It wasn't until the fifth hit that something happened. She broke through the ice shell and air, musty with age, but still smelling surprisingly fresh, blew the siblings to their knees. The force of the escaping pressure cracked the ice. Finally, the thin ice layer could take it no longer, and the dome exploded outward with a huge boom, sending bits of ice everywhere. A thick jet of blue light escaped, firing straight into the air for miles and miles.
Not too far away, a young man stood on the deck of a Fire Navy ship, clad in fire Nation armor from head to toe. This man wore his hair in the traditional topknot of royalty. The most noticeable thing though, was not his pale sin, or his piercing golden eyes, or the dignity with which he carried himself, indicative of noble breeding.
It was the scar.
The scar that stretched across his left eye. It was a horrible reddish brown, squinting his eye slightly and extending over an equally ruined ear. His eyebrow was singed away, the scar spilling down over his cheekbone.
This young man was Zuko, Crown Prince of the Fire Nation.
"Finally," he murmured, staring at the beam of light that had oh so suddenly appeared on the horizon. "Uncle, do you realize what this means?" Zuko asked, turning to face the man he was addressing.
"I won't get to finish my game?" suggested his uncle, General Iroh, a pudgy, aging Firebender who sat before a table covered in tiles and tea cups.
"It means my search…," said the Prince. "It's about to come to an end."
Iroh sighed, looking back to his game. The small noise drew his nephew's attention back to him.
"That light came from an incredibly powerful source. It has to be him!"
"Or it's just the celestial lights!" Iroh suggested, gesturing to the sky in an effort to keep his nephew from getting his hopes up. "We've been down this road before, Prince Zuko. I don't want you to get too excited over nothing." Iroh paused, placing a tile in line with two others. "Please, sit. Why don't you enjoy a cup of calming jasmine tea?"
"I don't need any calming tea!" Zuko yelled, whirling on his uncle. "I need to capture the Avatar! Helmsman! Head a course for the light."
Iroh frowned at his tile, placing it down. A gust of wind made the tiles tremble and dragged his shirt sleeve around.
Katara and Sokka stood slowly as the fierce wind ended, Sokka pointing his spear threateningly at the broken-open dome of the glacier. Steam curled through the air, twisting and dancing in the remaining breeze.
Sokka and Katara held each other close, watching cautiously.
The figure from inside the iceberg appeared at the lip of the remaining dome, straining to push themselves to their feet. Their eyes still glowing, the figure stood on the lip, proud and intimidating, features indistinct in the light.
"Stop!" Sokka yelled, raising his spear higher.
The glow faded then, and the features of the figure could be seen. It was a girl, that much was certain, before she collapsed with a moan, sliding down the incline to land in front of the siblings.
Katara ran forwards, cradling the girl like a newborn baby. Sokka advanced more slowly, poking the girl's head with the blunt end of his spear.
"Stop it!" Katara snapped, reaching out an arm to hold her brother back. Once she was satisfied Sokka was done, Katara turned back to the girl, shifting her so that she was lying back against the icy incline she had just fallen down.
As they watched, her eyelids flickered slight. She groaned, before opening her eyes slowly, revealing a dark, stormy grey color.
"I," she moaned. "I need to ask you something."
"What?" Katara asked.
"Please, come closer."
"What is it?"
Suddenly, her eyes shot open and she grinned widely. "What's with the hair loopies?"
"Uh, I like them?" Katara replied, mildly unnerved. She leaned back, and the girl jumped up, seeming to float to her feet.
That was when Katara took stock of what she was wearing. It certainly wasn't Water Tribe. Her yellow shirt only reached to just under her breasts, which certainly wasn't suitable for the cold weather. It did reveal a surprisingly muscled core through. The shirt had an orange mandarin collar, and elbow-length sleeves that flared widely at her upper arm. Her skirt was plain yellow, with an orange belt at the top. Delicate strips of orange fabric circled her slender wrists. Her hair was light brown, a shade or two away from Katara's own, but pulled back tightly in a waist-length braid.
"Ah!" Sokka exclaimed, leveling his spear at her. She ignored it, looking around curiously at the empty tundra.
"What's going on here?" she asked, rubbing the back of her head and wincing. "Ow. Why does my head hurt?"
Katara shot a glare at Sokka, who, as usual, was oblivious.
"You tell us!" Sokka ordered. "How'd you get in the ice? And why aren't you frozen?" He poked at her exposed stomach with the end of his spear. Absently, she slapped it away, turning back to face the ice she had just escaped from.
Low groaning rumbled through the air then, and the girl gasped, scrambling up the incline and into a bowl-like depression on the other side.
"Appa!" exclaimed the girl, landing on her flying bison happily. She happily stroked his head. "Are you alright? Wake up, buddy!" She pulled up his eyelid, revealing a brownish grey eyeball that size of her head. She let it go, and the eyelid fell back in place.
She slipped off, landing in front of Appa. She tried lifting his head, but only succeeded in pulling up his top lip and scrunching up his nose.
At this point, Katara and Sokka had made their way around the ice wall, and were staring in shock and fear at the giant bison.
Suddenly, Appa lifted his head, sticking out his tongue and lifting the girl into the air on it.
"You're okay!" she chuckled happily, hitting the ground. She turned and hugged the bison's nose tightly. Grunting, Appa slowly heaved up his enormous body, rising to his feet.
"What is that thing?" Sokka demanded, eyeing the monster edgily.
"This is Appa, my flying bison," grinned the girl, petting Appa's nose happily.
"Right," Sokka said skeptically. "And this is Katara, my flying sister."
The girl turned, recognizing the signs as Appa began sniffling, inhaling deeply, and opening his mouth. Just as Appa sneezed, she ducked, green bison snot flying over her head, landing on Sokka with a gross splat. Sokka immediately began scraping at his clothes, rubbing his face in the snow to try and get the snot off, making small disgusted noises the whole time.
"Don't worry," the girl chuckled. "It washes out."
"Ugh," Sokka groaned, pulling a hand away from his face, a nasty green bridge between the two.
"So, do you guys live around here?" she asked conversationally. Immediately, she found the business end of Sokka's spear in her face.
"Don't answer that!" he ordered. "Did you see that crazy bolt of light? She was probably trying to signal the Fire Navy!"
"Oh yeah," Katara teased, stepping towards the girl. "I'm sure she's a spy for the Fire Navy. You can tell by the evil look in her eye."
The girl promptly opened her eyes wide, putting on an innocent, 'who, me?' expression.
"The paranoid one is my brother, Sokka," Katara joked. "You never told us your name."
"I'm A-A-A…" Her face convulsed, nose twitching. Suddenly, she sneezed, vaulting several yards into the air, before sliding down the embankment to land before Katara with a hand extended. "I'm Amaya."
"You just sneezed!" Sokka exclaimed weakly. "And flew ten feet in the air!"
"Really?" Amaya asked, frowning at the sky. "It felt higher than that. Was that just me?"
Katara gasped as comprehension washed over her pretty features. "You're an Airbender!"
"Sure am!" Amaya announced proudly.
"Giant light beams, flying bison, Airbenders," Sokka listed. "I think I've got midnight sun madness. I'm going home to where stuff makes sense." He turned in the direction of home, only to see emptiness. Their boat was smashed, and they had no ice floats near them.
"Well if you guys are stuck, Appa and I can give you a lift," Amaya offered, twisted and springing onto Appa's nose. Another large hop and a twist, and she was settled on his head.
"We'd love a ride," Katara smiled. "Thanks!"
"Oh no!" Sokka protested. "I am not getting on that fluffy snot-monster."
"Are you hoping some other kind of monster will come along and give you a ride home?" Katara teased as she stepped into Appa's saddle. "You know, before you freeze to death?"
Sokka opened his mouth and raised a finger to reply, before sighing and climbing aboard. Freezing was a huge danger, especially since they were all wet. He sat in the back by Katara, propped his spear next to him, and crossed his arms, pouting.
"Okay," Amaya called cheerfully. "First time flyers, keep your hands, feet, and other objects inside the saddle at all times! Appa! Yip yip!"
Appa groaned and lifted his tail. He slammed it down, catapulting into the air, where he hung for a moment…
Before splashing into the water.
"Come on Appa, yip yip," Amaya coaxed, flicking the reins. "Come on!"
"Wow," Sokka drawled. "That was truly amazing. I am in awe. I've never seen anything more amazing."
Katara glared at her brother while Amaya explained. "Appa's just tired. A little rest and he'll be soaring through the sky. You'll see."
Prince Zuko stood on the helm of his ship, a cloak flapping around him in the cold, South Pole wind. His golden eyes were staring out over the endless sea in front of him, but not really seeing it, not really seeing anything. Prince Zuko was lost in thought. About his mission, the Avatar, seeing his homeland again…
From behind him, his uncle emerged.
"I'm going to bed now," commented Iroh. He yawned for effect. "Yep, a man needs his rest." He frowned. His nephew continued to ignore him, staring out over the sea. "Prince Zuko, you need some sleep. Even if you are right, and the Avatar is alive, you won't find him! Your father, grandfather, even your great-grandfather all tried and failed."
"Because their honor didn't hinge on the Avatar's capture. Mine does. This coward's hundred years in hiding are over!"
Minutes later, Amaya, Sokka, and Katara were all lounging peacefully on Appa while he swam towards the Southern Water Tribe.
"Hey," said Katara, crawling towards where Amaya was reclining against Appa's head, the wooden staff she carried tucked safely under her folded arms.
"Hey," Amaya replied. "What are you thinking about?"
"I guess I was wondering," Katara began hesitantly. "Your being an Airbender and all, if you had any idea what happened to the Avatar."
Katara didn't notice as Amaya tensed, a worried expression flicking across her face.
"Uh, no," Amaya replied nervously. "I didn't know him. I mean, I knew people who knew him, but I didn't. Sorry."
"Okay," Katara accepted. "Just curious. Good night!"
"Sleep tight," Amaya winced, rolling over on her stomach and absently playing with Appa's thick fur. "Buddy, we have to be really careful."
"What was that?" Katara called from the saddle. "Did you say something?"
"Just talking to Appa," Amaya called back, smacking herself in the forehead.
Amaya sat up, gasping, as wind yanked her braid around and lightning flickered only feet from her. She stared around helplessly as rain pelted her and Appa plummeted beneath her. She clung on with her legs, yelling frightfully and tugging the reins up, trying to get Appa to rise.
It was no use, however, and he splashed into the water beneath them with so much force, Amaya's vision blurred and blackened around the edges.
Their heads broke the surface for just a minute, before a wave slammed them back underneath the sea. Amaya drifted, unconscious, the reins slipping from her hand as she and Appa slowly sank.
Suddenly she snarled, her eyes flying open as her blue arrow tattoos glowed. She crossed her legs, slamming her fists together so the arrows pointed at each other. Wind whipped around her, pulling Appa in, encasing them both. The water around them whirled, freezing over.
"Amaya? Amaya? Amaya, wake up!"
Amaya shot up, gasping as the sheets bunched around her waist. Katara was crouched next to her, looking concerned.
"It's okay," Katara encouraged. "We're in the village now. Come on, get ready, everyone's waiting to meet you!"
Amaya tugged her shirt back in place, before Katara griped her arm and stared walking to the center of the village, Amaya staggering along behind.
"Amaya, this is the entire village. Entire village, Amaya."
"Hi entire village! I'm Amaya!" Amaya chirped. The villagers shrank back, pulling their children closer. Amaya frowned. "What's with them? Did Appa sneeze on me?"
"Well no one has seen an Airbender in a hundred years," said an old woman, stepping forwards. "We thought they were extinct. Until my granddaughter and grandson found you."
"Extinct?" Amaya frowned. "Why?"
Amaya, this is my grandmother," Katara smiled.
"Call me Gran-Gran," deadpanned the old woman.
"What is this?" Sokka demanded, marching up and stealing Amaya's staff. "A weapon? You can't stab anything with this!"
"It isn't for stabbing," Amaya shrugged, pulling it back into her hand. "It's for Airbending." Amaya twisted her wrist and two sets of wings, one wider than the other, extended from the sides.
"Magic trick!" giggled a little girl. "Do it again!"
"Not magic," Amaya shook her head. "Airbending. It lets me control the air currents around my glider and fly."
"You know last time I checked," Sokka sneered. "Human's can't fly."
"Check again," Amaya grinned wickedly. She placed the glider behind her, gripped the wings, and jumped, taking off into the air. She tilted and did loops, before slamming into a snow wall.
"Ow," she mumbled, sliding down.
"My watchtower!" Sokka cried in horror.
"That was amazing!" Katara said, sticking out her hand for Amaya to grab. She took it, hauling herself upright. She twirled her glider and it turned back into a staff.
"Great," Sokka grumbled. "You're an Airbender, Katara's a Waterbender. Together you can just waste time all day long." With that, he stomped off.
"You're a Waterbender?" Amaya asked curiously.
"Well, sort of," Katara shrugged. "Not really."
"Alright, enough playing. Katara, you have chores," ordered Gran-Gran, leading her granddaughter away.
Zuko stood across from two Fire Navy soldiers, tense and on guard.
"Again," Iroh said calmly.
Zuko shot fire at both soldiers, who both dodged. He ducked under a stream from one soldier, and leapt over a tongue of flame from the other, firing from a foot and fist at a different soldier. He landed upright, in a firm stance, a fist aimed at each soldier.
"No!" Iroh sighed, heaving himself upright. "Power in Firebending comes from the breath, not the muscles! The breath becomes energy in the body. The energy extends past your limbs and becomes fire!" Iroh punched at his nephew, sending a stream of fire at his face that stopped an inch short of Zuko's nose. He didn't blink. "Get it right this time!"
"Enough!" Zuko snarled, stepping forwards. "I've been drilling this sequence all day. Teach me the next set. I'm more than ready."
"No, you're impatient!" Iroh corrected him, sitting back down. "You have yet to master your basics. Drill it again!"
Zuko growled, kicking out at the soldier behind him, sending him flying with a gout of flame.
"The sages tell us that the Avatar is the last Airbender. He must be over a hundred years old by now. He's had a century to master all four elements. I'll need more than basic Firebending to defeat him. You will teach me the advanced set!"
"Very well," Iroh caved. "But first, I must finish my roast duck." Zuko drew back in disgust as his uncle began shoveling strips of meat into his mouth.
"Have you seen Amaya?" Katara asked Sokka. "Gran-Gran said she disappeared over an hour ago."
"Wow, everything freezes in there," Amaya joked, emerging from the bathroom.
"Ugh!" Sokka exclaimed. "Katara get her out of here! This lesson is for warriors only!"
"Whee!"
The siblings turned to see the 'warriors' sliding down Appa's tail.
"Stop!" Sokka yelled, scrambling over. "Stop it right now! What's wrong with you?" he demanded of Amaya, grabbing the spear Appa's tail was balanced on. "We don't have time for fun and games with a war going on!"
"What war?" Amaya asked, sliding down Appa's back.
"You're kidding right?" Sokka asked in shock. Suddenly, Amaya giggled loudly.
"Penguin!" she screamed, racing after the fuzzy creature. "So cute!"
"She's kidding, right?" Sokka asked Katara. Katara shrugged helplessly, and chased after Amaya and the penguin.
"How did you get me to agree to this?" Katara moaned as they wandered through the Fire navy ship.
"I told you benders need to face their fear," Amaya said sheepishly. "Not my best advice, I guess. Hey, what did Sokka mean about a war?"
"The war with the Fire Nation," Katara frowned. Amaya looked up sharply.
"What? I have friends in the Fire Nation, and I haven't heard anything about a war!"
"Amaya," Katara began slowly. "How long were you in the iceberg?"
"A few days, maybe a week," Amaya shrugged carelessly, examining a weapons rack. She twirled a spear, flipping it expertly.
"I think it was more like a hundred years!" Katara exclaimed.
Amaya chuckled. "Come on Katara, don't be stupid!"
"It makes sense though!" Katara pressed. "The war has been going on for a hundred years! But you don't know about it! Somehow, you were in there that whole time!"
Amaya staggered backwards, leaning against the wall before sliding to the floor as logic pounded into her brain.
"A hundred years," she whimpered, staring at the cool metal floor. Suddenly, she felt a lot colder. She pulled her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. "All my friends… They're dead. Kuzon, Bumi… All of them."
"I'm sorry Amaya," Katara soothed. "But come on, there has to be a silver lining."
"Oh yes, I met Sokka, the love of my life," Amaya teased weakly. Katara giggled and Amaya joined in.
"There you go!" Katara grinned. "You can be my sister-in-law! And you met me," she pointed out.
"Eh, you're okay," Amaya shrugged, standing up. "Come on, let's look around some more!"
"Amaya, this place gives me the creeps," Katara said as they walked into another room.
Amaya tripped, catching herself a bit before she hit the floor and hovering back into place. Grates slammed over the doors and machinery began to vibrate. They flew to the window, watching as a huge ball of light flew into the air.
"Hold on or you're dead!" Amaya ordered, scooping up Katara and hauling her through a hole in the roof. Lightly, she leapt from level to level, finally landing on the ground. Katara and Amaya raced towards the village, unaware that they were being watched.
"The last Airbender," Zuko grinned, staring at the two figures through his telescope. "Agile for his old age. Wake my uncle!" he ordered a crewman. "Tell him I found the Avatar." Zuko returned to the telescope, following the path of the two figures. He spotted a village with snow walls. "And his hiding place."
The fireball could still be seen arcing in the sky as Katara and Amaya trudged back to the village.
"Yay!" cried the children, racing towards Amaya, happy to see their 'magical' friend. The adults were colder however. They grasped the danger.
"I knew it!" Sokka stepped forwards, one finger out accusingly. "You signaled the Fire Navy with that flare. You're leading them straight to us!"
"Oh would you get a grip?" Amaya demanded. She was tired of Sokka's stupid paranoia.
"Amaya didn't mean to!" Katara defended her.
"We were on the ship, and we didn't see the tripwire," Amaya explained. "It was buried in the snow!"
"Katara, you shouldn't have gone on that ship!" Gran-Gran frowned, disappointed in the girl. "Now we could all be in danger!"
"I brought her there," Amaya admitted. "It's my fault."
"Aha!" Sokka exclaimed. "The traitor confesses! Warriors, away from the enemy! The foreigner is banished from our village!"
"Keep talking," Amaya encouraged in a growl. "I'm full of nervous energy right now, and just itching to fight."
"Sokka, you're making a mistake!" Katara protested, glaring at her brother.
"No, I'm keeping my promise to dad," Sokka snarled. "I'm protecting you from threats like her!"
"Amaya's not a threat!" Katara exclaimed. "Don't you see? She brought us something we haven't had in a long time! Fun!"
"Fun?" Sokka repeated incredulously. "You can't Firebenders with fun."
"Try it," Amaya suggested. "You'd be surprised."
"Get out of our village! Now!" Sokka ordered.
"Grandmother, please!" Katara begged. "Don't let him to this!"
"Katara, you knew going on that ship was forbidden," Gran-Gran sighed. "Sokka's right. I think it's time the Airbender leaves."
"Fine!" Katara snapped. "Then I'm banished too! Come on, Amaya, let's go!" Katara grabbed Amaya's arm and dragged her towards Appa.
"Where do you think you're going?" Sokka demanded.
"To the North Pole!" Katara replied angrily. "Amaya's taking me to find a Waterbending Master!"
"I am?" Amaya blinked, surprised. They had talked about it, but she didn't think Katara would actually go with her. "Cool!"
"Katara!" Sokka exclaimed, startled. "Would you really choose her over your tribe? Your own family?"
Amaya paused, wincing. She knew what it was like to grow up without family around you. She was one of the lucky ones, she had Gyatso. Katara would have no one but her.
"You're staying here," Amaya ordered Katara. "I'm not okay with breaking up a family."
"So, you're leaving the South Pole?" Katara asked sadly as Amaya mounted Appa.
"Yeah, guess so."
"Where will you go?"
"I don't know," Amaya shrugged. "I guess I'll look for the other Airbenders." She frowned. "Wow. I haven't cleaned my room in a hundred years. I'm really not looking forwards to that." She turned to the villagers. "It was nice meeting everybody."
"Let's see your bison fly now Airbrat," Sokka sneered.
"Come on boy," Amaya said cheerfully. "Yip yip!"
Appa just stood.
"Thought so!" Sokka called tauntingly. Suddenly, a little girl broke from the huddle, wailing, and ran to stand by Katara.
"Don't go Amaya, I'll miss you!" pleaded the girl.
"I've got to," Amaya cooed to the child. "Sorry. Come on boy." She flicked the reins and Appa turned, walking away.
Gran-Gran approached her granddaughter.
"Katara," she began. "You'll feel better in-"
"You happy now?" Katara snarled, whirling. "There goes my one chance at becoming a Waterbender." Katara stomped away angrily.
Amaya hadn't gone far before Appa needed to rest again. He was still recovering from the effort in the storm that had almost killed them. They were nestled in a little hole in the ice formation, Amaya stroking Appa's head as she stared over the water. Petting Appa always managed to sooth her. There was something calming about it.
"Well, that ended well," she said sarcastically, rolling onto her back with a huff. Appa groaned in response. "Yeah, it was nice." The bison groaned again. "Sokka is a butt face, you're right. Appa, what would I do without you buddy?"
She turned on her side, curling up and closing her eyes. Amaya blinked as water droplets settled on her eyelids, then gasped and sat up as she saw the dim outline of a hulking ship sailing for the village.
"That can't be good," she mumbled. "Oh, this is really bad! Appa, stay here!"
Amaya twirled her staff, extending the wings, heading as fast as she dared for the village. The boat was fast though, and by the time she had caught up to it, it had cracked through the ice and the village wall. Steam hissed into the air as she circled overhead, watching.
With a great metallic groan, the gangway lowered, slamming to the ground. Some of the weaker snow structures collapsed. The shadow of three men appeared at the top of the stairs. They descended and their faces came into view. Two were obviously common soldiers, faces covered by the Fire Navy skull mask. They were flanking the one in the middle. That one was in charge; it was clear by how their heads were turned slightly towards him.
Amaya watched as Sokka charged the one in the middle, taking a little vengeful pleasure as he was knocked on his butt. She swooped lower, watching as more soldiers poured out. The one in the middle paced along the row of villagers, watching them.
"Where are you hiding him?" Amaya heard him say. His voice sounded so… young.
The villagers were scared silent, until he reached forwards and yanked someone from the lineup. They whimpered, drawing back in fear. Gran-Gran was pulled forwards.
"He'd be about this age!" roared the man. "Master of all elements!" Amaya paled. He wanted her.
When there was no response, he threw Gran-Gran back into the crowd, not caring when she staggered. He stretched out a fist, sending a threatening wave of fire over the villager's heads. They screamed in terror. A few of the younger children began crying.
"I know you're hiding him!" the man snapped.
Suddenly, Sokka was on his feet, yelling as he rushed the Firebender.
Oh yes, give him a warning, very intelligent, Amaya rolled her eyes.
This time things were more violent, involving fire and spears. Sokka was defeated again, however, and left lying in the snow. He crawled back to Katara, who placed her hands on his shoulders.
Amaya pulled back sharply as something whirled past her. Sokka's boomerang. She smiled as it hit the man's helmet, knocking it askew. The man growled, straightening. Two fiery daggers appeared, one in each hand. Amaya gulped. That was her cue.
Amaya swooped down overhead, kicking the man's helmet as she passed.
"Mind your head!" she called as she landed. "Hey Katara. Hey Sokka."
"Hi Amaya," Sokka deadpanned, mildly embarrassed. "Thanks for coming."
Amaya smiled, turning to face the man with her staff in a ready position. The man gestured and she saw the soldiers fan out around her, three with spears, and three without. In front of her, the man took a ready position.
"He?" Amaya asked conversationally. "He? Really? I mean, I may not be the most feminine girl around, but he? I'm a little offended, I gotta tell you."
"What are you talking about?" demanded the man.
"Why do you think the Avatar's a man?" she asked, grinning slyly.
"Because… That's what the sages tell us!"
"You may want to have your sages checked," Amaya chuckled. "It's me you're looking for."
"You?" the man repeated in shock.
Amaya swished her staff from side to side, burying the two rows of soldiers in piles of snow. Another flick and a wall of snow flew towards the man across from her. Really, he was her age. A boy.
When the snow fell, she was surprised to see him still upright, so she continued speaking as the snow melted off of him.
"If you want the Avatar, yeah."
"You're the Airbender?" he demanded. "You're the Avatar?"
"Amaya?" Katara questioned.
"No way!" Sokka said, surprised.
He circled, and Amaya matched him step for step, staff held at the ready.
"I've spent years preparing for this encounter," the boy hissed. "Training. Meditating. You're just a girl!"
"So, you had no life then, is that what you're saying?" Amaya asked, ignoring the comment about her gender.
The boy twisted his arms, sending a jet of fire at her. Amaya twirled her staff, diffusing it and grinning manically. It had always worried the monks how much she loved sparring, and this… This was real. This felt amazing.
She continued twirling, diffusing jet after jet as they circled. From behind her, Amaya heard screaming as the remnants of his fire scattered around her. Towards the villagers. One scream, high pitched, from a little girl, pierced the air. She felt a tug on her heart. She couldn't do this to them.
Amaya stopped twirling.
"If I go with you, will you leave them alone and not hurt anyone?" she asked, keeping her stance ready for action in case he refused.
He didn't respond verbally, just nodded once. Slowly. Up. Down.
Two soldiers stepped forwards. One took her staff and they each grabbed an arm, hauling her towards the ship.
"No Amaya!"
Amaya twisted to look over her shoulder uncomfortably to see Katara stepping forwards looking worried.
"Don't do this!"
"Come on, you know I could take them in my sleep," Amaya called confidently. "I'll be fine! Make sure Appa's alright for me, would you? Tell him I'll find him soon!"
She turned back around, instantly dropping her cocky smile for a look of worry.
"Head a course for the Fire Nation!" called the boy, the leader, to his soldiers as they all stepped inside. "I'm going home!"
The soldiers lined up, facing the villagers. Amaya bowed as well as she was able as the gangway went up, trying to reassure the villagers, who all looked worried and scared.
"See you soon!" she called.
The gangway slammed into place.
Katara stood alone, staring out over the sea in the direction the ship had gone, like she could make it come back by staring hard enough.
"We have to go after that ship Sokka," she said determinedly as her brother moved around behind her. "Amaya saved the village! That guy could have killed us all! Now we have to save her."
"Katara," Sokka started.
"Why can't you realize that she's on our side? If we don't help her, who will? No one else knows she exists! I get that you don't really like Amaya that much, but we do owe her for what she did, and-!"
"KATARA!" Sokka yelled, cutting off her rant. Katara turned in surprise to see Sokka standing beside a canoe, loaded with provisions and ready to travel. "Are you going to shut up and come with me, or just stand here and yell?"
Katara grinned, running forwards and hugging Sokka.
"Come on, we're going to save your best friend."
"Aw, you're my best friend," Katara said in a rare moment of affection for her brother.
"I'm touched, truly," Sokka replied in a monotone.
"What do you two think you're doing?"
Sokka and Katara froze, wincing, before they turned to face their grandmother. She stood with a firm expression on her face, hands on hip. Gran-Gran meant business.
Suddenly she smiled, holding out pair of thick blankets wrapped around a few provisions. "You'll need these. It's going to be a long, cold trip." Gran-Gran approached her granddaughter. "It's been so long since I've had hope, but you and your friend have brought it back, my little Waterbender." She handed the bundle to Katara before turning to Sokka. "And you, my brave warrior. Be nice to your sister."
"Yeah, yeah," Sokka said absently.
Gran-Gran stepped back, looking between the two. "Amaya is the Avatar. She is the only hope for the world now. There is a reason your two were the ones who found her, and because you did, now your destinies are intertwined."
Katara looked back to their little canoe, contemplating the extremeness of what she and Sokka were about to start. Something occurred to her then.
"A war ship is too fast to catch in a canoe. Besides, they have a head start."
Rrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
The ground shook as Appa appeared over a little snow drift.
"Appa!" Katara grinned, running towards the bison. "He's definitely fast enough."
Sokka sighed. "You just love making me do stuff I don't like, don't you?"
"Oh yes," Katara grinned as Sokka followed her.
Amaya was held tight by two Fire Navy soldiers, pinned in place across from the boy who started all this. He had a hold of her staff and was running his hands over it, examining it curiously.
"This will make an excellent gift for my father," he mused. Then he looked up at her with a sadistic smirk. "But I suppose you don't know anything about fathers, being raised by monks."
Amaya yawned. "You know, I really like to know who my captors are when I get kidnapped. It's just good manners."
"I am Zuko, Crown Prince of the Fire Nation," replied the boy, standing tall and proud.
"Forgive me for not bowing," Amaya smiled sarcastically. "I'm a bit… how would you say, tied up?"
"Take the avatar to the prison hold!" ordered the boy angrily. He shoved the staff to a fat old man next to him. "And take this to my quarters."
Amaya walked along willingly as she was escorted below deck, occasionally staggering as the soldier behind her shoved her.
"You know, I'd probably move faster if you'd quit trying to knock me over," Amaya commented.
"No talking, prisoner," barked the soldier in front of her. His voice sounded strangely strained through the face mask.
"Fine, no talking," Amaya said agreeably. She dropped to the ground, kicking out at the soldier's knees. He crumpled weakly, caught off guard. Amaya jumped back to her feet, back flipped over the soldier behind her. Her bonds caught on his helmet spike, strained for a moment, cutting into her wrist, and then snapped.
Amaya twisted quickly and kicked off his back, gaining more momentum and shoving him to the floor, hard. She inhaled sharply and turned around when she landed to see if the Fire Navy soldiers were on their feet yet. They were still crumpled. One looked unconscious, the other was rubbing his head.
She exhaled forcefully, blasting herself backwards. She winced as the stairs caught her back, but leapt upwards all the same, landing in a ready position on the deck above. No one was there, so that was one worry gone. With a jump spin kick, she sent a concentrated wall of air slamming into the metal door high royal scarred-ness had gone through. It flew open and she ran inside frantically.
The cry she had been dreading sounded behind her. "The Avatar has escaped!"
Drat, now everyone knew she was free.
"… Go. Fly. Soar. Ascend," Sokka said dully from Appa's saddle. They were trying to get the flying bison to fly, but it was proving more difficult than they had thought.
"Please Appa, come on," Katara asked, flicking the reins. "Amaya needs your help, she's in trouble."
"Up. Ascend. Elevate," Sokka continued reeling off. Katara frowned. His monotone droning was starting to grate on her ears.
"Come on Appa," Katara encouraged. "I know you can fly, but Sokka doesn't think you can. But you'll have to prove him wrong, won't you? Come on Appa, fly! We've got to save Amaya!"
was the reply she got.
"What was it she kept saying to him?" Sokka mused. "She kept saying something. Yeehaw? Hup hup? Wahoo? Yip Yip?"
Appa groaned loudly. His tail slapped twice at the water below him and then suddenly… he was flying!
"He's flying!" Katara he's flying! He can really-!' Sokka paused to see his sister's 'told you so' look. "I mean, great, so what, he can fly."
Amaya was starting to get tired from her constant running, looking from room to room for her staff.
"Gah!" she exclaimed as she rounded a corner and almost ran straight into three soldiers with drawn swords. "Hey, have you seen a staff, about yay tall?"
They yelled, charging her.
"I'll take that as a no!" Amaya yelled, hitting the ground and sliding between their legs. She hit a wall and jumped up through an open hatch, only to find yet another soldier standing in front of her. Fire streamed from his upraised palm. Amaya hastily inhaled and blew out, sending the fire swirling back towards the soldier, who yelped and ended the stream, dropping to the ground and trying to put out his smoking shirt.
Amaya darted past him, going door to door looking frantically for her staff. Weapons, bunks… Random sleeping guy.
"Sorry," Amaya apologized, even though she hadn't actually woken him. Then again, she was the sort of person who walked into doors and apologized.
With the door shut securely behind her, she skidded down the hall again, racing past an open door, and… Wait…
She turned around, peering through the open door. It was someone's room, that was fairly obvious. It was richly decorated with banners and tapestries with the Fire Nation emblem. And leaning against a table was her staff. Eagerly, she darted inside, snatching it happily. She grinned at it for a moment.
Clang.
"Drat!" Amaya snapped, whirling. There was the Prince, his hand still on the door he had thrown shut. Apparently he had been concealed behind it the whole time, waiting for her.
"Looks like I underestimated you," he hissed.
"Eh, don't feel bad," Amaya shrugged. "You aren't the first. You probably won't be the last."
He went low, swept one foot across, and punched out, sending a fireball at her. She slipped to the side, twirling away. Fireball after fireball flew at her, and each time Amaya twisted out of the way. Suddenly, she found herself pinned in a corner, the Prince preparing for another blast.
"You wanna dance?" she asked, eyes glinting, adrenaline pumping. "Let's dance!" She skipped out of the corner, slipped easily under the blast, and easily ducked behind him, following his moves as he twisted, trying to get an angle with which to attack. Amaya stayed determinedly behind him, laughing.
She twined a leg around one calf, simultaneously jerking and slamming her heel into his ankle. Most unwillingly, he went down on one knee. Amaya skipped in front of him.
"No need to bow to me, prince," she teased, bending down to his level.
The Prince yelled angrily, leaping up and firing at her as Amaya skittered backwards, a little behind him. He was now working too fast to dodge, so her only chance was to divert the flames to the side with little rushes of air.
Suddenly he was too close to avoid anything. Amaya wrapped his flaming fist in a small orb of air, putting it out. She braced a foot on his bent knee and pushed up, adding momentum by kicking off his chest, sending the Prince staggering back a few steps. She formed a larger air orb, balancing on it on one foot, crossing the other over.
Then she was on the walls and ceiling as much as anything, circling the Prince. He spun after her, fire flying in wide whips all around him. Amaya gasped and dropped from the wall to the floor, avoiding a stray tongue of flame. Zuko stretched out a foot, disrupting her orb. Amaya went flying, slamming into the wall.
"Now we're playing!" she grinned, leaping up over his next attack and seizing the edge of a tapestry. She flew around him, concealed by the folds as she wrapped the fabric around the struggling Prince. Amaya went for her staff again.
"Ha!"
Amaya seized it and whirled to see the Prince free again, angrier than ever, and glaring right at her. They circled, and Amaya's eyes darted around, looking for anything she could use.
"Why are you smiling?" demanded the prince, who was snarling himself.
"Because I'm loving this," Amaya replied, jerking her staff to the side. His mattress flew up, slamming him into the wall. It peeled back onto the ground almost comically, the groaning Prince still on top. Amaya raised her staff again, throwing him to the ceiling. She was gone before he hit the ground again.
Amaya ran through the hallways, with one goal in mind. Up. Up mean sky. Sky meant air, ad that meant freedom for her, or at least the advantage. Her dark grey eyes caught on a closed hatch above her. Spinning, she created her own cyclone of air, unlocking the door. As she flew up, so did the hatch.
She landed lightly, quietly in the room above, only to see she was in the control room. The captain was there, of course, but thankfully no one else was. And beyond him was a door out onto the helm.
Amaya ran for it, leaping over instruments that were undoubtedly more expensive than anything she had ever owned. She smiled as she burst into the air, feeling the wind embrace her. She rushed for the railing, throwing her glider at the precise moment, wings open, so that it hung before her. She leapt fearlessly over the railing, seized the glider, and soared out over the man deck of the ship.
Amaya exhaled, shoulders sagging, thinking that she had escaped, that she was home free.
"Arrrg!"
Her ankle jerked, something warm closing around it and pulling it off the glider. She looked down. The Fire prince himself was dangling from her leg, pulling her back to the deck. She couldn't keep them up, his weight was too much.
"Let go!" she yelled.
"You're not getting away," he growled.
"Let go or we're both going down!"
"No," he refused. He tugged on her ankle. Amaya's concentration faltered as her joint twisted painfully, and they changed from steeply descending to just falling.
Both of them hit the hard metal deck. Amaya winced, groaning as her head slammed into the deck, but she felt the comforting wood of her glider under her. Slowly she raised her head. The Prince was already halfway to his feet. Amaya leapt up and they both took their favored stances.
Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrggggggggggg
Amaya grinned happily. She'd know that sound anywhere.
"Appa!" she cried out, turning to see her bison flying towards the ship. Two tiny figures could be seen riding him. "Sokka! Katara!"
"What is that?" the Fire Prince exclaimed, at a loss.
"My ride," Amaya grinned, still staring happily at Appa.
The roar of flames brought her attention back to the very real enemy in front of her. She was barely able to raise her staff before the wall of flame hit her, throwing her towards the edge of the ship. Amaya cried out in pain as her back slammed into the rail. Her feet were suddenly not so steady under her. Her glider flew from her hand as she tried to catch herself.
There was a moment of frantic scrambling, and then she was back on her feet. Already, another sheet of fire was headed for her. She diverted that, and the next one, and the next one, but the one after that came faster than she anticipated. Amaya leapt up and back, trying to avoid the heat. Her feet were suddenly on a rounded band of metal. She was on the railing, off balance, a sheet of fire coming towards her, with no way to block it and not fall.
Calmly, Amaya raised her arms to block the heat, and allowed herself to be knocked into the ocean.
It was calm down here, Amaya mused, with the chilly, silky water slipping around her as she sank. It was nice and dark too. Oh wait, her eyes were closed. Ah well, it was still nice. Silent and soothing. It would be a nice place to die.
Then a noise reached her ears, breaking the silence.
"-aya. Amaya! AMAYA!" Katara screamed. Something about that plea worked its way into Amaya's failing consciousness.
Was she really giving up? Had she really been thinking of just giving up and dying?
NO! something inside her shouted. Power swelled inside her body, power she didn't really understand or know the limits of. She just knew it was hers and she could use it.
A determined snarl carved across her face as her eyes and tattoos glowed a familiar blue. Forcing her tired muscles to cooperate, filling them with the energy from this new, unending spring of power, Amaya whirled like a top in the water, propelling herself to the surface.
Suddenly she was staring at the world with new eyes, high in the air. There was a ship bathed in red flame, and a bison coated in blue. Water rubbed soothingly around her waist and legs, begging her to use it.
She descended towards the ship, feeling the metal under her feet acutely. In fact, everything was amplified. The rushing sound of water, a reassuring hardness beneath her feet, even the Prince's wide, golden eyes could be seen clearly.
She instinctively bent the swirling vortex of water to her whim, it whirled in a wide ring around her, just for a moment, before she flung her arms out to the side. The ring flew out, slamming into the enemies around her and sending them flying.
Suddenly, the strength that had been filling her up, calling seductively for her to use it, disappeared, leaving her drained and weak. Amaya's eyes fluttered shut, she didn't have the strength to keep them open. For a moment, she fought to stay upright, but it was too much of a struggle. She fell eagerly into the waiting blackness.
"Amaya!" Like it had before, a concerned voice brought her back to life. Amaya felt herself floating up out of the blackness. She had strength again. Not the strength from before, but her old strength.
"Are you all right?" Katara asked, trying to get Amaya to her feet.
"Hey," Amaya greeted weakly. "What are you doing here?"
"We came to rescue you," Katara explained. "But I think you had that covered."
"Besides, I have to have some of the glory," Sokka teased.
Amaya's fingers curled, searching for the familiar wood of her staff.
"I dropped my glider," she murmured, frowning. "Huh. When did that happen?"
"There it is!" Sokka said, spotting the thin piece of wood on the deck not too far away. He stepped over Amaya and ran for it, bending over and grabbing it. But he wasn't the only one.
A pale hand reached over the side of the boat, grabbing onto the staff before Sokka could pull it away. Sokka drew back in alarm at the Fire Prince, clinging to the staff to keep from falling into the ocean below.
For a moment, Sokka tugged on the staff, trying to pull it away from the determined Prince. He was stronger though, and refused to let go. Trying another approach, Sokka, rammed the end of the stick into the prince's head until her let go, grasping for something to hold onto frantically. His fingers caught hold of the anchor's chain and he hung there, glaring up at Sokka hatefully.
"That's from the Water Tribe!" Sokka said triumphantly.
On deck, the soldiers were starting to stir as Amaya settled wearily on Appa. The rose, advancing towards Katara. She glanced around fearfully. Amaya was too tired to be useful, Sokka was too far away, she didn't know any commands for Appa, and to top it all off, her feet were wet.
Wet.
Katara let her arms flow, remembering the peaceful swell of the ocean breaking against ice. The water followed her lead, swishing around. The soldiers drew back, surprised. Then Katara made a mistake, whipping her arms the wrong way. The water flew behind her, freezing.
"Katara!" Sokka yelled angrily as the water rose around his feet and froze, locking him in place.
Okay, new plan, Katara thought. She turned her backs to the soldiers, not entirely alright with doing so, and repeated the move, praying to the ocean and moon that this worked.
Katara heard the distinctive crack of ice behind her, and turned. There were the soldiers, frozen in blocks of ice, straining to get free. Pride swelled inside her and she wanted to remain behind and admire her handiwork. But then Katara remembered that they were on a Fire Navy ship. She ran for Appa, climbing up as fast as she could.
"Hurry up Sokka!" she yelled.
"Just a guy with a boomerang," Sokka complained, chipping at the ice around his feet. "I didn't ask for all of this flying, and… and magic!" EH broke free, grabbed Amaya's staff, and streaked for Appa as well, running up the bison's wide tail, yelling "yip yip!" as he did.
Within seconds, Appa was in the air and moving away.
"Shoot them down!" came the cry from the ship, and Amaya recognized the voice. The Prince was attacking Appa! Suddenly, she wasn't so tired anymore. Amaya leapt back to the edge of the saddle, watching the oncoming fireball. Angrily, she swung her staff with all her might, a huge gust of air redirecting the fireball into the ice wall beside them.
Ice rumbled and cracked as it melted. Snow and huge chunks of frozen water plummeted, directly for the Fire Navy ship.
"Ha ha!" Sokka cheered. "Whoo!"
"Yeah!" Katara added.
"Good news for the Fire Lord," Iroh said as he rose. "The Fire Nation's greatest threat is just a teenage girl."
"That girl," Zuko snapped. "Just did all this, uncle." He gestured to the mound of snow and ice holding them securely in place. "I'm not going to underestimate her again. Dig the ship out and follow them!"
The soldiers who were defrosting their compatriots looked up at him.
"As soon as you're done with that."
It was easy to imagine heaven up in the sky. Appa and his passengers were surrounded by golden-hued clouds hanging all around them, like drops of rain frozen in time. Their reflection dyed the water beneath them gold as well. It was like floating through a gilded tunnel.
"How did you do that?" Katara demanded eagerly, asking the question Amaya had been dreading. "With the water! It was the most amazing thing I've ever seen!"
Amaya shrugged tiredly. "I don't know. I just knew that I could."
Katara's voice went from excited ad awed to slightly hurt as she asked her next question. "Why didn't you tell us that you were the Avatar."
"I don't want to be," Amaya replied. There was silence for a moment.
"Amaya," Katara began hesitantly. "The world has been waiting for the Avatar to return and end the war, to put the world back to rights."
"And how do I do that, huh?" Amaya asked. "Do you know? Because I sure don't."
"Well," Katara mused. "All the legends say you need to master water, then earth, then fire, right?"
Amaya nodded.
"Well, the North Pole could have someone to teach you," she suggested.
"We could learn together!" Amaya said happily.
"And Sokka would probably get to knock some Firebenders black and blue," Katara coaxed her brother.
"That would be nice," Sokka replied wistfully.
"Then we're in this together!" Katara grinned.
"Alright," Amaya agreed. "But before we head to the North Pole, some things have to be handled. She pulled out a map and spread it out on Appa's saddle, pointing to three little circles. "Here, here, and here."
"What's there?" Katara asked eagerly.
"Here we ride the hopping llamas," Amaya said happily. "Then we surf on the back of giant koi fish! And over here, we ride the hog monkeys. They're not really big on the whole 'being ridden' thing, but that's why it's fun!"