Chapter 1
Pulse
Sozen's comet, the raid during the eclipse, these were well in the minds of the Avatar gang. They slept in a dormant crater of a mountain deep withen Fire Nation territory, behind enemy lines. All leaned on Appa's furry body, some mouths gaped while other's bodies were sprawled. The sun was on it's way to rise, but not enough for the sleepy eyes of the group to open.
However, a sound in the distance woke one up.
"Someone's coming!" Toph shouted, her body leaning up immediately.
"Boomy boomy spark man! I'll get him!" Sokka shouted.
He floundered about half asleep and swung his club. It was on it's way to smack Toph, but she caught it mid swing.
"Relax, hero. It's not him," she said.
"Then who is it?" Katara asked.
"Three people. Two of them are attacking one ofbthem, but they're heading this way."
"We better check it out," Sokka said.
The team headed up the crater edge as Aang snagged the tarp.
"Stay hidden, Appa," the air bender said.
The flying creature grunted as the rock colored tarp covered his body. The gang crawled up the earth and peered over the edge. In the distance, two fire nation soldiers charged after a young boy of the same nation. They holered and screamed at the adolescent, but he chuckled.
"What're they screaming at him about?" Aang asked.
Toph looked up forna bit, then laughed.
"Hahaha he boiled their soup with firebending and burned their tongues!" Toph said.
Katara folded her arms.
"Well that's a little rude," the water bender woman said.
"Not for the reason he's shouting at them for!" Toph giggled.
"He can firebend!? Maybe he can teach me!" Aang said as he peered over the crater more.
Sokka pulled him down.
"Are you crazy!?" Sokka began, "Besides, what makes you think he can teach you? He looks your age!"
"But I'm pretty good at my age."
"Ya but I don't want someone who boils soup! What if we eat soup!? I want to keep my tongue unburned, thank you!"
"I wonder what the guards did for him to do that?" Aang wondered.
"We can ask him when he gets here in a few seconds," Toph anmounced.
At the bottom of the crater, the young boy started to charge the hillside as the soldiers hastily went after him.
"Quick! Under the tarp!" Sokka whispered.
The four swiftly slid down the into the crater and dove underneath the tarp. Aang quieted his flying bison and awaited for the possible threat.
From over the crater, the adolescent hopped over, however, he quickly lost footing and tumbled. At the bottom, he was able to gain his footing and hop back on his feet. The guards came over just as fast. They were able to keep their balance, which gave them the extra speed needed to corner the boy.
"You don't have anywhere else to run, Ling!" hollered one of the guards.
"Well, technically I do," the boy named Ling said, "I mean, there's left, right, forward left, forward right-"
"I mean we're not gonna let you run anywhere else!" he shouted.
"That would require restraints, like rope, but might not be good to use since rope can be burned . . ."
As he spoke, the soldier tensed more and more. A blood vessel was about to pop.
"How about a burned leg for restraint!?" he bellowed.
The fire nation guard made a fierce kick and unleashed a fireball towards Ling's leg. The boy quickly kicked the flame and sent it flying, right onto the tarp of the Avatar gang. In mere seconds, the the tarp incinerated and revealed the group. A silence loomed for a moment. Sokka quickly pointed to Ling.
"He burned your guys' tongue!" he hollered.
"It's the Avatar!" the other soldier gasped.
"Quick! We have to-"
The first soldier couldn't even finish before a cone of rocks trapped them. All that was heard now was muffled shouts of anger.
"I don't feel like fighting right after I wake up," Toph said.
The rest of the squad looked upon the rock formation, then over at Ling. The boy was standing completely still, eyes wide open.
"Uhhh, Toph? I think you missed one," Sokka said.
"Nah, he's harmless," she said.
"Harmless? He SAW us! That's an immediate threat to us!"
"Hahaha the little guy's scared to death! His heartbeat says so! He won't say anything."
Sokka snorted. He then rushed over to Ling with a finger pointed close to his face.
"Listen, you, if you say anything, we'll find you! She can feel you from a mile away!"
"IIIII don't think i can from that far," Toph snickered.
Sokka jumped back to the blind girl.
"Exaggeration is key to interegation!"
While they argued, Aang hopped over them and landed in front of Ling. He gave a joyful wave.
"Hi, I'm Aang!" he said.
Ling quickly went into a burst of laughter
"I'm Ling! You must be the Avatar!" he said with a small trace of a chuckle.
Sokka's jaw gaped at the sight. Katara patted him on the back with a small grin.
"Such a horrible threat," she snickered and turned to Ling. "I'm Katara. This is Toph-"
"Hey! That was a nice trick you pulled on those guards!" Toph said with a gleeful wave.
"Hahaha I thought it was funny," Ling replied.
"Well, they did punch a hole in your house. I'd be pissed too."
"And this is my brother Sokka, don't mind his grumpiness," Katara finished, a hand by her cheek.
"Cautious! I was being cautious, not grumpy!" he shouted.
"Well, with every fire nation soldier after the Avatar, who can blame him?" he said with a shrug.
"See!?" Sokka hollered and threw his hands towards him. "Even he gets it!"
"But I think the Avatar needs to stop the Fire Lord," Ling continued.
"See? He's not bad," Toph snickered.
Sokka turned to the blind Elearth bender.
"How do you know he's not lying" he shouted.
Toph glarred at him. After a moment, his eyelids shot up. He then folded his arms and turned away.
"Well, he could be a good liar!"
Katara rolled her eyes and patted Ling on the shoulder.
"Don't listen to him, he just hates being wrong," she assured the boy.
Ling gently pushed himself through the three of them and stood next to Sokka.
"Lost family to the fire nation, I'm guessing?"
"Ya, duh, everyone that's not fire nation has, but I'm sure you didn't get the memo," Sokka said in a stern tone.
"Fire nation took my parents too," Ling began. Sokka batted an eye towards him. "My father didn't believe the fights were right, but was forced into the military anyways. No mstter how much they tried to force him to fight, he wouldn't. He believed the fire lord needed to be stopped. So instead of putting him into prison, they sent him into battle. He . . . Was killed by a earth bender soldiet. My father tried to talk, but the soldier just assumed he was an enemy. My mother was so grieved, she protested the fire lord to finish what my father started, so his death wasn't in vain. They put her in prison. I was then shoved into an orphanage quickly after."
Sokka's eyes were wide open. He looked away, lips curled a bit.
The rest of the gang waited from afar. Katara tilted her head one way and Aang tilted his head the other way. Toph, however, gave a bit of a frown.
"Wonder what they're talking about?" the Avatar wondered.
" I don't know," Katara said, "what are they talking about Toph?"
"Hey!" she barked. "I don't eavesdrop into everyone's conversations cause I want to! Everyone's vibrations are too loud! It's like yelling!"
The two beside her chuckled a little. Sokka gave a big sigh.
"Look, I'm sorry. I shouldn't of judged to quickly," he said.
"It's alright, no problem," Ling said as he patted him on the back.
Once that conversation ended, Aang swiftly hopped in front of him.
"So, you know firebending, huh?" he asked with a wide smile.
Ling nodded.
"Sure! I'm no expert, bur I definitely know a thing or two!" he said.
"Yes! Can you show us!?" Aang shouted.
"Ya! Show us your stuff!" Toph responded.
Ling chuckled. He then took a couple steps back.
"Why not? Just need a little room . . ."
After he gazed his surroundings, Ling clapped his hands together and took a deep breath. The Avatar gang watched with anticipation.
Swiftly, released a breath and punch to his right. A burst of fire rushed out. The group awed. To the left, he repeated the punch. Ling then lifted his leg and slammed it on the ground. A wave of fire rushed out. With the foot on the ground, he spun it in a circle. A stream of flames followed his foot. Once he made a complete circle, he shot his foot into the air and released a collosal ball of fire. Aang gazed with his jaw dropped. Toph paid attention to his movements. Her feet couldn't follow the flames, but could feel his dance. Although his bending seemed forced, there was a softness at its core. He soon went back to his default position and took in a deep breath. He then threw open his arms.
"Walla! Firebending!" he shouted.
The four clapped for the young man.
"That was great! You think you can teach me?" Aang asked.
The firebender jumped at the sound.
"W-what? Me? I-I can't teach?" he asked.
"Sure you can, sparky!" Toph encouraged. She walked over to him and patted him on the back. "You know what you're doing, just let him know what he's doing!"
Ling curled his lips and looked away slightly.
"I, uh, I guess I can, I just, uh, can't today," he said.
"How about tomorrow?" Aang suggested.
Ling looked down.
"Maybe . . . I-I gotta go."
A kick off the ground created a burst of fire, rocketing him in the air. The boy ran over the hill.
"Wait!" Aang shouted.
Katara placed her hand on his shoulder.
"Wait, Aang. If we follow him back to his town, we'll be spotted," the water bender explained.
Aang looked down a bit and sighed. He gave a sigh. Just then, Toph bolted up the hill. With a few bending tricks, he rushed up the hill no problem.
"Hold up!" Toph hollered.
The firebender halted after he heard her voice. He gave a big sigh and turned to the eath bender.
"Look, I can't teach hi-"
"Katara can heal your sister."
Ling's eyes widened. His breath stopped for one moment.