Thought this might give people more of a reason to read.
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A boy groaned as he slowly began to wake. His body ached all over especially his shoulder and head. He slowly pushed off the ground slightly before opening his eyes to see where he was. It was a long hallway lit up by torches every so often. Looking up, he found what he thought might be a window hatch. Just barely getting to his knees, the boy grabbed the handle and pulled himself up with his one good arm. He opened the window to see an endless body of water. This would explain why it felt like he was moving while standing still.
Leaning against the wall for support, he made his way down the hallway. Voices filled the air just before he reached the adjoining hall. Peeking around, he saw a guy close to his age talking to what he could only describe as soldiers. "Alert the crew. Scan the whole ship. Whatever that strange noise was, we need to find it." The soldiers bowed and started running off.
One started running in his direction and he knew something bad would happen if he got caught. Slowly backing up, he ran as quietly as his pain would allow trying to find a place to hide. He almost made it around the opposite end of the hall when he heard the soldier yell after him. Not looking back, he ran blindly through the ship, hiding in random places when he heard soldiers close by. Eventually the sounds stopped.
Waiting a few more minutes, the boy snuck out of the room he was currently hiding in. "What were you doing in my room?" He slowly turned to see the guy his age and two soldiers behind him. Now that he got a good look at him, the guy seemed to have a permanent scowl on his face and his left eye was severely scarred. Gulping loudly, he tried to make a run for it. He was quickly grabbed from behind and his arms pinned behind his back.
Zuko stared at this strangely dressed boy in confusion. They had been sailing for weeks with no stops. 'How did this boy get aboard my ship?' Turning to the unoccupied soldier he spoke. "Go tell my uncle we have found the disturbance." He then told the other to take the prisoner to the brig for questioning and to report back whenever he found out anything.
The Brig (Twenty minutes later)
"TELL US WHERE YOU CAME FROM!" screamed the soldier punching the boy into the wall. It had been like this ever since they threw him in here. They asked the same question over and over, he told them that he didn't even remember his name, and then he would be hit which would just keep adding pain to his current state. He spit out the blood that was in his mouth and told them he didn't remember again. "So you don't remember? Let me help you with that." His eyes widen as the man's hand caught fire. The soldier lifted him up and pinned him to the wall before holding the hand close to his face. "Now do you remember?"
"I TOLD YOU I DON'T REMEMBER ANYTHING! CAN'T YOU GET THAT THROUGH YOUR HEAD?!"
The boy knew it wasn't the best idea to piss off the man but what else could he do?
The soldier glared menacingly at him.
"That's it!" He could only watch in horror as the flaming hand was placed over his right eye. The pain was beyond anything he'd felt before. His scream ripped through the ship as not only did his eye burn but something seemed to be burning itself into the back of his neck. The world soon went black as he faintly heard the door slam open and someone jerk the hand from his face.
Zuko's Room
Zuko sat in his room with his uncle waiting for the news on the prisoner.
"Zuko, would you like some tea? It's by far the best I've made in months," his uncle called joyously.
He gave a small smile reserved specifically for his uncle and declined. He really didn't know where he'd be without his uncle here with him. His hand unconsciously reached up to feel the scar. The mark that showed his dishonor to the world. The pain from when he got it had him out for three days. A pain that he felt sometimes to this day. Even if he ever regained his honor, he wouldn't wish it on the most heinous of traitors.
Iroh shook his head as he watched his nephew touched his scar. 'Brother, you went to far when you did this...' A scream broke through his thoughts. The scream sounded frighteningly familiar. He turned to Zuko, whose eyes were wide. That's when he remembered it, the same scream Zuko had made when he was scarred. Zuko ran from the room. "Prince Zuko!" Iroh ran after the prince trying his best to keep up. When he finally reached where Zuko was, he had a soldier pinned to a wall with a fire blade at his neck.
The general searched the room, looking for the source of the scream. His eyes soon landed on a boy with a burn mark over his right eye near identical to Zuko's. He quickly told one of the soldiers, who appeared after hearing the scream, to take the boy to the ship's doctor. As the soldier left, Iroh's eyes turned back to Zuko. Reaching forward and grasping Zuko's shoulder and tried to get his nephew's attention. "Prince Zuko." Zuko's head snapped in his direction. Eyes of pure rage looked back at Iroh. "Let him go." The flaming knife flickered slightly. "You need to leave. I will take care of this." Zuko let out an angry growl and punched the soldier to the ground before leaving.
"Thank you General Iroh," said the soldier while rubbing his neck.
The relief was short lived as the soldier froze up when Iroh started glaring down at him.
"Do not thank me. This is now your room. At the next port, you are being shipped back to the Fire Nation." Iroh watched the man's eyes grew wider with fear. There would be hell to pay for his actions. "Be glad I do not wish for your death to weigh on the Prince's conscience." That said he left the man in the cell. 'Now to find Prince Zuko.' His search soon lead him the infirmary. Zuko was standing over the boy who now had his head and shoulder wrapped in bandages.
"Did I look like this, Uncle?"
Zuko watched as Freddie writhed in his sleep from the pain. He turned to his uncle, only to see him look down. He let out a roar of anger releasing smoke into the air. "What did you do with the fool?" His voice dripped with venom.
"Do not worry, Prince Zuko. I have everything taken care of. Please go get some rest."
Zuko silently nodded and left with Iroh but not before giving the boy one last look.
Gaoling, Earth Kingdom
Toph walked around the backyard of her family's estate bored out of her mind. That stupid 'master' her parents paid to teach her the basics of earthbending had just left. 'I'm twice as good as that old goat will ever be.' Suddenly a devious idea entered her mind. Tapping her foot, she sent out a vibration and found that no one was within her 'sight'. Taking a deep breath, she held herself in her personal fighting stance. It was much looser than most earthbending styles but she preferred it that way. Rapidly stomping her foot, pieces of earth rose around her. Gracefully moving her arms, the rocks danced to their bender's will.
Toph, now in her own little world, was aware of everything thanks to her unique ability. Everything, that is, but the gaping hole in the sky above her head. It wasn't until she felt the vibration of a person hitting the ground did she snap out of her zone. 'Crap! How did I not sense her?!' Calming down quickly, she noticed that the person's heart was beating but she wasn't moving. Running over to her she tried to wake her up. When that didn't work she took on her 'innocent' voice and started calling the guards in distress.
Soon a guard ran up and asked what was wrong. She said she followed a noise and found a person unconscious. She had the guard carry the person and lead her to her room. Setting the girl on the bed, the guard said he would go fetch a doctor. Toph thanked him and he quickly left. Sighing, she waited for the girl to wake up. After a bit getting impatient she started poking her until the girl woke up.
"Ugh...my head." Sam rubbed her head as she sat up. "Freddie, any ideas on why Spencer's fancy TV went psycho on us?"
"Who are you talking to? And what is a...TV?"
Sam freaked when she heard Toph's voice. She opened her eyes only for everything to be too bright. Rubbing her eyes, she slowly opened one only for it to happen again. "Can someone turn down the lights or something! I can't see a thing!"
"Is it really that bright in here?"
Sam growled. "What are you blind? Of course it's too bright. I wouldn't have said it if it wasn't." This chick was really getting on her nerves. Then the girl said yes she was blind. Sam went silent for a bit. 'Well this is awkward.'
"Uh...sorry?" Normally she wouldn't apologize but even she knew when it was needed. She didn't honestly think the girl was blind.
"Ah no worries. Doesn't sound like you can see either."
Sam tried one last time only for the same result.
"I guess so. Well you got anything to eat. I'm hungry."
Toph felt the growl of Sam's stomach. She called a guard and told them to bring up some food.
"By the way, names Sam Puckett."
"Toph Bei Fong."
After eating quite a bit for two small girls, the doctor arrived. "What seems to be the problem?"
"Yes, Toph, what seems to be the problem?" Toph stiffened as her father's voice called out. Chuckling nervously, she made up a story about how she might have tried some earthbending and how she might have accidently hit Sam. Her father was not pleased. "How could you try something so dangerous? And to hurt someone, even if it was an accident, is inexcusable." Sam chose to interrupt before Toph could apologize.
"Hey look. It was my own fault. I heard strange noises and wanted to see what they were. Also what the heck is earthbending?" Though she couldn't see it, everyone was staring at her like she was crazy. Toph told her she must have hit her head harder than she thought and let the doctor take a look.
The doctor started examining her and concluded that some how the hit had caused her eyes to become hyper sensitive to light. As a precaution to not cause more damage the doctor suggested covering her eyes with something. Toph offered one of her headbands as a solution.
Bei Fong Family Garden
Sam stumbled for what felt like the hundredth time since Toph brought her out here. After covering her eyes with a dark green headband, Pucketts don't wear girly colors, Toph offered to help her get used to getting around blind. "Ugh! This is so annoying!"
Toph laughed. "It's not that hard once you get used to it. Just remember don't bring your foot all the way up. Sort of slide the sole of your foot across the ground." That was what she did before she discovered 'seeing' with her feet. Man she loved being an earthbender.
Trying what Toph said, she slowly started getting it. "So what did your dad want to talk to you about?" This question was really for two purposes. One to know what they were talking about and two to see if she could see if she could follow the voice right.
Toph rolled her eyes and said that she was banned from her earthbending for a week. As she finished, she felt Sam's hands moving through the air trying to reach for her. Grabbing Sam's wrists, she smiled though she knew the girl couldn't see it. "Though to tell you the truth," she slowly bent Sam to her face level and started whispering. "I am ten times better than that prick of an old goat." Both of them started laughing and soon fell to the ground.
Sitting up, Sam looked at what she thought was the general direction of Toph. "Hey, what exactly is earthbending? You guys keep talking about it but you've never said what it was." She listened as Toph went into detail about earthbending. By the end, she was pretty sure that everyone around her was crazier than Freddie's mom. "So you honestly expect me to believe that you can make a chunk of earth rise and move it through the air like it was a feather in the wind?"
"Believe what you want. I know what I can do." A thought suddenly came to Toph. Said thought also happen to come with a smirk. "If you don't believe me how about I show you?" She quickly shot out her hand and slowly started to lift it.
Sam was about to ask how but she started freaking out when the ground beneath her started shaking. "What's going on?!" Soon she had the feeling that though she was touching the ground, she wasn't really apart of it. Suddenly, the back of her neck started hurting. Soon the pain doubled as she felt like something was grinding into her neck.
Toph heard as Sam growled in what sounded like pain and slowly lowered the earth.
Sam rubbed the back of her neck as the pained stopped. She couldn't feel any blood. What could have possibly happened? As she felt the whatever she was floating on land she was suddenly flooded with a crazy awareness that was like she could almost see but just the outline. Quickly standing up, she ran to Toph not even thinking about it. Grabbing the smaller girl's shoulders, she shook her. "Toph, what's going on?!"
Toph stared in amazement.
There was only one way to explain this.
"You're an-"
???, Southern Water Tribe Territory
Spencer trudged through the snow with Carly curled up in his arms. After the fall, which was luckily very soft, they looked around only to see a white in every direction. He agreed when Carly suggested they try and find higher ground to get a better look around. When they finally found a descent sized hill, they climbed to the top. Noticing a pillar of smoke rising towards the sky, he decided that should be the first place they look.
At first the cold wasn't so bothersome. Though they were shivering, it was something manageable. Then the wind started. It wasn't long before the cold finally took its toll on one of them. Spencer panicked a bit when Carly collapsed, but remembering the smoke, he picked her up and started moving towards as quickly as possible.
"Don't worry Carly. You're gonna be warm soon."
Spencer watched as a giant wall of snow came into sight. Reaching it, he looked from the bottom to the top. 'Wow...that's a lot of snow.' Shaking his head he started calling out for help. A little kid's head popped over the edge. "Kid! Can you let me in?" The kid nodded and waved his arm to follow him. Soon finding a gap in the wall, he ran to it only to come to a sudden stop as a spear tip was held at his face. A boy, who looked kind of like an Indian and was probably no older than Carly, held it there and glared at him.
"Who are you and what are you doing here?" The boy's eyes shifted to Carly. They grew slightly before glaring harder. "Leave now."
Spencer was getting pissed now. Carly was knockout from the cold and he didn't even want to think about what would happen if she didn't wake up soon. "Look you little nub! My sister is in serious need of warmth and I'm not going to let some spear-weilding, ponytail wearing, bow and arrow boy stop me from getting it for her! So get that thing out of my face and tell me where we can get warm!" The boy stumbled back before resuming his stance.
"Sokka, let them through." An old woman said as she walk up to them.
Lowering his spear, Sokka groaned. "But Gran-Gran..."
She held up her hand which silenced him. Motioning for him to follow, Spencer was lead into a hut with a fire sitting in the middle. He quickly sat near it and started rubbing Carly's arms hoping to get her warmed up faster. His mind completely occupied, he nearly jump out of his skin when someone tapped his shoulder. He turned to see a young girl holding a pile of blankets in her arms.
"Gran-Gran told me to give these to you and to help if you need anything. Are you by any chance hungry?"
After eating, he continued to watch Carly. She still hadn't woken up, even after he wrapped two blankets around her. Katara, the girl from before, had said it may take some time. That people who weren't used to cold take time to adjust to it. Carly's body was simply keeping her asleep so she wouldn't feel the sometimes odd shift. The artist was brought out of his musing by the sound of Katara opening the tent flap. "Hey. I was just wondering if you needed anything else? The tribe is going to turn in soon so if you need anything you need to ask now or wait till morning." Spencer shook his head.
"No and thank you. For everything. I don't even want to think of what might have happened to Carly if you didn't help us."
Katara just smiled before leaving.
Spencer spent most of night keep the fire up and going over everything that had happened. They were in a whole new world that was completely unknown to them. Then there was Freddie and Sam. Finding them could take a great deal of time and with no idea of where to start, he just didn't know how it was possible. When the last embers of the fire finally went out, he pulled his little sister close and tried to get some sleep. Maybe it would help him think of something.
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Well I hope you liked it. Review and tell me what you think.
