Well, if you couldn't tell, I am going to continue the story. Really the responses were more positive than what I was expecting. Thanks for that.
To those who were asking about pairings. Don't worry. It won't be boyxboy. It will either be canon or NarutoxKatara. I haven't decided which yet. Either way, romance will only play a small role in the story.
I plan on using a sort of edited version of the Avatar story line. I'll take out some stuff, maybe add a couple of original adventures, and, of course, it will all be adjusted to account for our favorite knucklehead. At times, the characters will get a little OC-ish to fit the mood I want for the story but I'll try to keep it under control.
Again, thank you for the kind words.
Bold = summon/spirit/jutsu
Italics = thoughts/flashbacks
Now on with the show.
…
People say that no battle plan survives contact with the enemy… and if General Zhao ever met one of those people, he would kick their asses and tell them to keep their opinions to themselves. HIS plan was going just fine thank-you-very-much. After years of research, politics, and climbing the proverbial ladder, he had finally gotten permission to build the largest fleet in Fire Nation history and launch an attack on the Northern Watertribe. He had even taken the opportunity to put that no good ex-prince in his place – he had enjoyed that. It had taken several more months to finish the attack force, but compared to the work that preluded it, that was nothing. And as he watched his almighty fleet descend on those weaklings who dared to call themselves benders, he knew that it had all been worth it. It had taken a couple days to break through the outer wall, even with his impressive army (it seemed the Northern Watertribe had survived 100 years of war with more than just luck); but it had fallen. The warriors inside were no less formidable; but he had numbers and the superiority of fire on his side. And now those warriors were on the retreat. All that was left was to make his way to the so called "sacred garden", kill the moon spirit, and claim the greatest victory since the destruction of the airbenders. And with that victory, he would gain his ultimate prize, a place in history. They would sing songs about him. There would be festivals in his honor! Parents would name their children after him WITH THE DREAM THAT THEIR CHILD MIGHT GROW TO BE JUST LIKE HIM! It wasn't immortality, but it was damn close.
So you can understand why he had a smile as he spoke. "Captain, gather your men. We're going fishing."
…
"No"
That was the only word to leave Katara's mouth. She could simply not believe how bad her luck had gotten – and so quickly too. The day had started off fairly well, invasion notwithstanding. Her friend Aang, better known as the Avatar, had managed to return from his attempt to stall the Fire Navy. It had ultimately ended in failure. But he had been able to go out and comeback alive, and even take out a few ships along the way. That was something she had been very grateful for. It seemed that, for being a peace keeper, being the Avatar tended to attract all kinds of trouble. Their little traveling group always seemed to wind up captured or on the verge of being captured, largely due to a certain obsessive banished prince. And between her, Aang, and her brother Sokka; Aang was always the one saving the day. When trouble struck, he would go out, do his "Avatar thing", and come back. All the while, she could do nothing but sit back and worry. She hated feeling useless like that. And, though she hadn't said anything, it was a large part of why she had been so adamant about getting training from Master Pakku. But despite her incredible advances in the art, she was still forced to watch as her dear friend went to fight while she did nothing. Even her brother had been assigned to protect the princess! How sad was that?
But Aang had returned. And she had felt so much better knowing that he was ok. Then Yue, the princess of the Northern Watertribe (and her brother's new crush) had made a rather brilliant suggestion. If the medium between the spirit world and the real world could not stop the Fire Nation, then maybe the spirits themselves could. It made sense. The spirits were forces of nature… literally. If anything had the power to stop the invasion, it would be them. AND they had the perfect go-between. So, with that in mind, Princess Yue had led them to a secret garden.
"This place has a strong connection with the spirit world. I thought, maybe, it could help Aang." The priestess had said.
She had been right. Aang had entered the spirit world and had left Katara in charge of watching his body. She had been secretly overjoyed to finally be useful. She could clearly remember the thoughts that went through her head as she waited on her friend.
"Maybe all that training I did won't go to waste after all."
"I bet I could take on any one of the Fire Nation soldiers."
"Come on! I dare you to try something."
God, she wished she could go back in time by about five minutes to slap herself! Because now she faced something far more dangerous than the Fire Navy.
"Yes," spoke the figure of one Prince Zuko, the one man who could ruin their plan, as he stepped out of the shadows.
The prince looked beyond Katara and straight at Aang as he spoke,"So the avatar is away from his body right now…That's good to know. Now why don't you be a good little girl and hand him over."
"Not on your life, Zuko!" yelled the waterbender as she took a defensive stance.
"It's not my life you should be worried about."Zuko coldly replied as he too assumed a fighting posture.
Both sides stared each other down as they each gauged the others resolve. Then, as one, they struck. Both sides began their attack at the same time, but Katara needed to draw the water from the nearby coy pond, a disadvantage Zuko did not have. That is why Zuko was able to strike first. With a simple thrust of his fist and a slight grunt, a gout of flame sprung from his hand and sped directly toward the young waterbender. Katara barely had time to move her freshly acquired water in front of the blast before it connected. The blast was intense and the water quickly evaporated. But Katara was not the weak little girl that Zuko remembered her as. She was graceful. She was talented. And most of all, she was dangerous. As quickly as the water evaporated, Katara condensed it and sent it to the fire prince in a quick whipping motion. She could still here Master Pokku's instructions in her head.
"Water is not the most powerful element. Fire holds that title hands down. Water is not the most durable. The smallest stone can weather even the greatest of tidal waves. Neither is water the fastest element, for no one can outrun the wind. What water is; is more flexible than all of the other elements put together. No matter what obstical is place in front of it, it will always find a path. In the same way, you can always find a way to defeat your opponent. If you cannot outrun an airbender, coat his feet in ice. Use his speed against him. If you cannot break a stone wall, seep through the cracks and strike when he feels safest. If you cannot stop a firebender, redirect him. Let him waste his energy while you lead him further into your trap. To use your opponent's strength against them, that is the secret of waterbending!"
Right! She couldn't overpower Zuko even with the moon adding to her power. So she would stall. Help would eventually arrive in one form or another. And she would make sure that when that help did arrive, Zuko would be too tired to fight back. Even as Zuko avoided her water-whip and she cried for Yue to "Get out of here!" and to "Go get help!", only to duck under the blade of fire that extended from Zuko's kick, she made a plan and set it into action. With each blow the duo exchanged, Katara began to slowly move Zuko into position, while being very careful to keep herself between him and Aang.
As she blocked yet another fire covered fist that was intent on knocking her head off, the more… feminine part of her brain couldn't help but to take note of the clothes that the fire prince was wearing. In the past, the angry teen had always worn a Fire Nation uniform when confronting them. Zuko was stuck on the fact the he was, or had been, a prince. And his clothing had reflected that. But now, he was wearing nothing of the sort. Now, he was dressed only in plain white clothes – no armor, no fancy decorations, just plain pants and a shirt. What had caused the sudden change? Maybe she would ask him once this was all over and he was behind bars. Further pondering on Zuko's fashion choices were put on hold as a final push from Katara's water forced him into position…right by the pond.
The entire time Katara had been setting her trap, the young firebender had been having his own thoughts about his opponent. She was far more skilled then he remembered. He still held the edge in skill, he believed; but it was a lot closer than it had been in their last confrontation. The water peasant was actually holding her own. True, between surviving Zhoa's trap and infiltrating the Northern Watertribe he was half dead already…but still! How could the gap close so quickly? Wasn't he born Fire Nation royalty? Hadn't he been training since he could walk? Shouldn't he be leagues ahead of this girl who supposedly lacked any formal training? Was his father right? Was he really that pathetic? No! He WOULD prove himself to his father! He WOULD reclaim his crown! And to start, he WOULD destroy the girl in front of him. With that thought in mind, he focused all of his attention on his opponent… in time to see her eyes widen briefly in a moment of sudden concentration.
Katara quickly began a flurry of motion as she sprung her trap. Water encircled Zuko and began to twist and spin and form a dome around him. In a matter of seconds the dome was complete and, with Katara's slow exhale of breath, hardened to trap its victim in an icy prison. As the last of the air left her lungs, Katara let some of the tension leave her shoulders. But she wasn't done. Without missing a beat, she began the next set of movements in preparation for her final attack.
"You little…Peasant! You've found yourself a master, haven't you?" Zuko screamed in rage. Even through the dome, Katara could tell that the royal was royally pissed. That theory was confirmed when the impromptu prison exploded, throwing fire and shards of ice into the air. But the jail break came too late and Katara was already launching her finishing move. Zuko could only watch as the massive wall of water the "peasant" had launched hit him square in the chest. He could only grunt and bear it as the wave slammed him against garden walls. And he could only dazedly wonder what had happened as the water froze, pinning him to the wall.
Katara let the last of the tension leave her body. The fight was over if the pained groans from Zuko were anything to go by. As she stood there, taking calming breaths, it began to sink in. She had won. SHE HAD WON! She, Katara, the poor girl from a poor tribe, had just defeated the prince of the Fire Nation! She could practically feel the content smile that broke out on her face; a smile that quickly faded with the rising of the sun. The fight had lasted all night. She turned when she heard Zuko give a small chuckle.
"Impressive. Your master trained you well. But this fight is over," Zuko said without raising his head, "Because where as you rise with the moon, I rise with the sun."
With each word he spoke, he warmed his breath with the technique his uncle had taught him, melting the ice. He could already feel his energy returning as he drew strength from the sun. By the time enough ice had melted for him to free himself, he felt as good as new. In fact, he felt better than when the fight began. Taking in a deep breath, he let loose the strongest blast that he could manage at the moment. Katara was quick to raise a water shield, but the overpowered attack was simply too much. She was tossed back by the ensuing explosion and abruptly lost consciousness when she met the ground; her last image being that of the enemy grabbing Aang by the collar and dragging him away.
….
So close. He was so very close now to his goal. So close , in fact, was General Zhao to achieving his dream that he could already hear the song they would compose in his honor. It would start with a loud fanfare, because HE had been destined for greatness from birth. Then it would slow down to represent his peaceful childhood. It would eventually begin to build as rise with him through the ranks of the military until it reached its apex representing his glorious victory of the pathetic waterbenders. Finally, it would slow down again as he lived happily-ever-after.
"Heh, the tickets will probably sell out before-"
"KABOOM!"
Zhao was ripped from his dreams of grandeur as an explosion sounded from the general direction of the city's outer wall. The wind tugged at his uniform as the shockwave passed.
"To be able to feel the shockwave – even at this distance…That explosion must have been enormous…larger than anything our ships can produce. "
Acting on instinct, he called out to one of his men. "Soldier, grab two of your men and come with me. We need to get to get a better view of what happened."
With a quick solute of "Sir!" the solider turned and quickly picked out a couple of men from their group and joined their leader as he made his way up the stairs of a nearby building. It only took seconds to reach the top, and it took even less time to find the origin of the blast. The giant cloud of smoke kind of made it easy. The fire general narrowed his eyes in thought.
"Hmm…that's strange…", he hummed thoughtfully.
The soldier that he had spoken to earlier gave him a confused look, "Sir?"
"Take a look at where the explosion went off." The man did as he was told. "If that explosion was anywhere near as big as it seemed, don't you think there would be at least some damage to the buildings around it?" The man looked again. The buildings were untouched. Or, at least they were no worse off than before the explosion. "And look at the smoke itself. It's pure white. There's no fire, no debris, no anything! Tell me, genius, what kind of explosive does that?"
"I don't know sir." The question had been rhetorical but the soldier answered anyway, because when a superior asks you a question…you answer.
"That's because there are no known explosives that do that; which means that this is something we have never seen before; which means that we need… to be…careful…" The end of his rant died as the smoke began to clear. When the last of the smoke dissipated, General Zhao and his men were left staring at something that their minds could not completely comprehend and quite frankly, scared them shitless. The loud rumbling voice didn't help much.
"Huh? Where the hell are we?"
….
Katara awoke to the sound of her brother's voice. "..tara… Katara! ...Can… hear me…Katara wake up!" She slowly opened her eyes to see a familiar ponytail floating above her. She groaned.
"Ugn… Sokka…?"
"Oh thank God!" her brother exclaimed as he hugged her tight, "What happened?"
Katara hugged him closer as she tried to explain, "It was Zuko! He came and took Aang – and – and," she was visibly choking back a sob," and I couldn't stop him!"
Sokka held his little sister close and rubbed her back soothingly. "It's ok, we'll get him back. Zuko can't have gotten far," he said, earning a nod of acceptance. Katara wiped away the tears that had been building in her eyes.
"You're right, Sokka. We should-"
"KABOOM!"
"Huh? Where the hell are we?"
"W-what was THAT?" stuttered Katara. That boom, it had been so loud. And what on earth was that voice? What was going on out there?
"I don't know. And we don't have time to find out," Sokka spoke while simultaneously dragging the other Southern Watertribe member towards to where the giant flying bison, Appa, was waiting,"Aang needs our help. Whatever crazy thing is going on out there will have to wait." Katara gave a slightly reluctant nod as she turned her focus back to finding her friend. Sokka was right…for once.
….
Even as he glared out with the yellow, red rimmed eyes of a sage, a small childish part of him couldn't help but to think about how cool he must look right now. Heroically posed with arms crossed; standing on top of his old friend Gamakichi, who was standing on the mountain sized toad boss (who also happened to be his dad) Gamabunta; red sage cloak fluttering in the wind like the black flames that decorated the bottom and sleeves, only tamed by the large scroll on his back; and surrounded by the strongest fighters from Mt. Myoboku had to offer; Naruto Uzumaki figured that he cut quite the impressive figure. Whoever it was that was attacking Konoha was probably shaking in fear. But wait…
"Huh? Where the hell are we?" Gamabunta voiced the question before he could. Last time he checked, the Land of Fire was not this cold. And he definitely would have remembered Konoha being carved out of ice. Wasn't Ma supposed to summon them to Konoha? Wait… where was Ma?
Fukasaku, who was sitting on his shoulder, must have sensed Naruto's growing unease because he spoke up, "Calm down, Naruto-chan."
"Pa? Where are we? Why weren't we summoned to Konoha? Where's Ma?" Question after question left the confused blonde's mouth.
"I don't know Naruto-chan. It would seem the summoning jutsu has malfunctioned and taken us somewhere else entirely… and landed us in the middle of a battle," the old toad finished with a sweatdrop.
That statement had Naruto looking around. Instead of Konoha, they had appeared at the edge of a large city that appeared to be completely made of ice. Their backs were facing the city, and in front of them was a vast ocean littered with icebergs as well as hundreds of some kind of metal ships. Looking back to the city, the signs of battle were obvious. Several buildings were either damaged or destroyed. All around him were what he guessed were soldiers in different colored uniforms. Whatever fight they had just poofed into was fierce, or had been. The fight had stalled upon their arrival, and now every last pair of eyes were on them. Most seemed content to simply stand there and stair. Others began to slowly back away. But one poor, unfortunate, and probably newly instated captain saw fit to panic.
"What are you all doing? Fire! Fire! Fire!" And they did. The on-board trebuchet was directed toward the big red frog in the center and a shot was prepped. Whatever they thought would happen when that shot left its home in the sling; it was not for the target to swat away the projectile with an indignant "Hey!" And they most certainly did not expect the giant webbed foot that came crashing down on their ship. The metal moaned as it easily buckled under the massive weight.
Fukasaku sighed and shook his head, "And now it seems we have become a part of the battle." Gamabunta had the decency to look sheepish at the indirect reprisal. Naruto just shrugged, having been secretly planning to join the fight anyway. Even as a sage, he was not one to sit back and watch a fight. Plus, he really didn't like the machines that those guys in red armor were using. They felt so… unnatural.
A grin spread across his face. "Right, well let's get started! I still gotta save my village after all!" And with that, the fight was back on.
…...
General Zhao was an arrogant bastard. Everyone knew that. But even he was frightened by the beasts that were now destroying his precious fleet. Maybe the spirits had heard of his plans to kill one of their own and this was them fighting back? After all, he could only think of so many reasons for three giant toads to literally poof into existence, already looking ready to do battle (where did they find weapons that big?). As he watched some of his ships be cut in two by a red toad wielding a knife; some having their hulls shredded by a blue skinned toad with dual katana; and still others being crushed by the grey toad and his staff; he considered the implications that this had for his invasion. The monsters had appeared between him and his fleet, which meant that he would lose his steady supply of fresh troops. His men would tire, and the invasion would stall. Then, without the constant threat of the trebuchets, the Watertribe would be free to organize a counter-attack and drive them out. Lastly, and perhaps most devastating, each ship destroyed was a getaway vehicle lost. With each passing minute defeat was becoming more certain and escape was becoming more unlikely. He needed to make a choice now! Luckily the correct choice was obvious.
"Keep moving! We need to reach the garden!"
Then again, he WAS an arrogant bastard…
If Zhao had looked a little closer, he would have noticed that ships would occasionally explode and sink, seemingly of their own accord. Had he looked even closer than THAT, he would have seen that the ships were actually being sunk by a much smaller toad and a blonde haired teen. He would have also noticed that the blonde had a smile on his face.
….
Another explosion threw water into the air as Naruto thrust his hand forward with a shout of "Sage Art: Big Ball Rasengan!" sending yet another ship to the bottom of the ocean. He had to admit he was having fun. All of the waiting on Myoboku had really stressed him out. Just standing around while his home was in danger had been driving him insane! He was still worried of course. But whatever conflict he had landed himself in provided the perfect excuse to break stuff; relieving his stress and occupying his mind at the same time.
"But damn there are a lot of these guys." He thought as he avoided another fire blast. Now that he thought about it, he had only had to avoid a couple of blasts so far, despite the number of ships he was sinking. Most of the men that saw him running up on the water just stood there with open mouths as he sank there ship. "You would think that they had never seen a ninja before…nah." He spun up another Rasengan and sank another battleship. Lather, rinse, repeat.
….
Elsewhere, the Watertribe siblings were returning from their rescue mission, Avatar and captured fire prince in tow. Prince Zuko had managed to travel and impressive distance considering he was on foot and dragging a hostage around. By the time they had found him, night had fallen and Aang was making his escape. Thankfully, with the moon back out, Katara had regained her advantage and had managed to knock the exhausted Zuko out in one move. They tied up Zuko to take with them (with much protest from Sokka), and began their trip back. On the way Aang had filled them in on the information that he had gained in the spirit world. Apparently the enemy's plans were even more terrible than what they had imagined. To actually kill the moon spirit… it would not only put a permanent end to waterbending, but it would throw the balance of nature so far off that it might never recover. Now, as they rushed to prevent such a catastrophe, each member of team avatar was lost in their own thoughts of the situation.
Katara was thinking about her bried confrontation with Prince Zuko. For as long as she had known Aang, Zuko had been right there, hunting them. For that same amount of time he had seemed like some kind of unstoppable force. Aang had been the only one capable of beating him. Sometimes it felt like they spent more time running from him than actually fighting him. And no more than ten minutes ago she had beaten that same force in one move! She honestly wasn't sure how she was supposed to feel right now. She thought that she would feel happier than this. She had proven her strength and rescued her friend from a hated enemy. But somehow the victory felt hollow and she couldn't understand why.
Sokka's thoughts were far less deep. Most of his attention was consumed with worrying for the safety of Princess Yue. When the white haired princess had found him with word that his little sister was fighting Zuko, he had left her unprotected in his worry. Protecting her had been his job, his duty. If anything happened to her, it would be his fault and he wasn't sure he could live with the guilt. He yipped at Appa, signaling him to go faster.
Aang's thoughts were on a slightly darker path. He hadn't told his friends everything that he had heard from the spirits. There was one particular tidbit of information that he had left out – mostly because he didn't understand it himself. He had been discussing the identities of the ocean and moon spirits with Koh the Face Stealer when a wave of… something and passed through the air. Koh had stopped mid riddle and stared into space for several minutes before speaking again.
"And now it seems that there is a new threat. You should be careful, Avatar. Things are bound to get messy before too long. Now go, you're boring me."
What worried him the most was the fear that he could have sworn was on the ancient spirit's face. Koh was one of the oldest spirits alive and was capable of matching the Avatar in open combat, and whatever he had seen had scared HIM. What did that mean for the rest of the world? Nothing good he was sure.
…
Here it was. After so long, so many years of sacrifice and hard work, he was finally standing in the sacred garden that held the ocean and moon spirits. It seemed like a life time ago when he had found those scrolls containing the identities of the spirits' mortal forms, and decided that he would be the one to kill them.
"It's their own damn fault. Why would you take the form of a fish if you didn't want to be killed?" Zhao thought dryly as he approached the black and white fish in the center pond. Reaching down, he swept the white fish into a bag and pulled it from the water. He watched with an insane glee as the moon was dyed red, bathing the land in an eerie glow.
"YES! This is it! With this victory I will claim my rightful place in history! I will be a legend! They will call me things like Zhao the Conqueror, Zhao the Moon Slayer, Zhao the INVICIBLE!"
"More like Zhao the Loser!"
"Who said that?" questioned the enraged general as he looked for the obnoxious voice that dared to interrupt his speech.
"Up here, moron!" Sokka called from atop Appa as the group descended. Aang, not liking the look in Zhao's eyes, jumped out before the giant bison touched the ground.
"Wait, Zhao! You don't want to do this. If you kill the moon spirit you won't JUST be hurting the
Watertribe, you'll be hurting everyone." He spoke slowly, raising his hands in a non-threatening manner. Zhao's men turned to face the Avatar and he turned his attention back to his "hostage".
"You should listen to the Avatar, General." Zhao looked for the source of the aged, slightly scratchy voice and found it in the form of an overweight man with a grey beard and balding head. But the man exuded an air of authority that left no question about his power.
"Iroh… how did I know that you would turn traitor? What's the matter? Are you scared?" The mad-man asked mockingly. A couple of the solders ripped their eyes off of Aang to defend against the new threat.
"I'm no traitor, Zhao. The Fire Nation needs the moon as much as everyone else. We all depend on the balance."
"You always were an old coward – too scared to take action. That's why you lost at Ba Sing Se." Zhao spoke with a cruel grin, "that's why you lost your son." He made a fireball in his hand and slowly moved it toward the bag.
"ZHAO!" This time Iroh yelled with the full weight of his years of experience in leadership and combat in his voice, "I'm warning you! Whatever you do to that fish, I will unleash upon you a thousand fold! Let it go NOW!"
General Zhao eyed the opponents on either side of him. He knew enough about Iroh to know that he would go through with that threat. And between Iroh and the Avatar, he wasn't sure he could win. In perhaps the sanest decision he had made since the invasion began several days ago, he slowly and begrudgingly lowered the fish back into the water. As the fish escaped out of the bag that had contained it, the moon began to regain its pale hue until it was completely restored to its original state. Everyone (even Zhao's men) breathed a sigh of relief.
"No no no! I've come to far now! No one will stand between me and glory!"
By the time the others recognized the crazed sneer on the general's face, his hand was already descending in a swinging chop. At the apex of the chop, a jet of fire sprang across the surface of the water. The moon went dark even as the cries of "Stop!" and "No!" were leaving everyone's mouths.
"You fool!" Iroh tried to strike the mad-man but was blocked by his guards, who quickly surrounded him. The pitch black darkness that had enveloped the area was pierced by a series of flashes that revealed the 4-to-1 fight between firebenders. Team Avatar had run to the koi pond the instant the fight began, so that left no one to notice that a reeling Zhoa had slipped away along with a certain captive prince.
The fighting died down quickly with Iroh displaying the skill that earned him the title "Dragon of the West". When the last of his opponents had been disposed of, he joined those that remained around the now lifeless moon spirit. No one seemed bothered by the close proximity to someone who should have been a mortal enemy. They all had other things on their minds.
"So that's it then. It's all over…" Katara spoke in a defeated whisper. All but one nodded in response. Aang was too busy listening to the voice that was whispering in his head.
"It will not end like this. Take my power, young Avatar, and drive out those that would bring harm to this world."
Before Aang could even respond, he felts himself enter the avatar state. The knowledge and power of a thousand lifetimes flowed into him as his eyes and tattoos began to glow. Taking a step out onto the water, he spoke in the layered tones of the Avatar's ultimate defense mechanism, "No, it is not over."
The others looked on as Aang reached the center of the pond and suddenly disappeared under the water and the water began to glow. The light spread until it enveloped the whole of the garden, then seemed to shift as it migrated outward toward the city. Once free of the garden walls, the water rose up to form the shape of what could only be described as a giant fish with arms with Aang suspended in a ball of ice where the heart would be. Aang shifted his body as if to move forward and the water form copied him, moving down the river that flowed through the center of the city and into the ocean; all the while wiping out those that the voice, which he had now identified as the spirit of the ocean, recognized as hostile.
….
None of those in the sacred garden paid attention to the awe inspiring display of power. Their undivided attention was given solely to the retired general and the burned fish in his hands. Iroh gave a great sigh. Even in the darkness, the sad expression he wore was plain for all to see.
"There's nothing I can do." He said, gingerly putting the fish back into the water.
"If you can't do anything, maybe I can." Came a soft voice from the garden entrance.
"Yue? What are you doing here? It's too dangerous here. You need to go."
"It's ok, Sokka. I came here because I think I know of a way to revive the moon spirit. You see, I was born sick and on the verge of death, I didn't even have the strength to cry. In desperation, my father prayed to the spirits, begging them to save my life. At the end of the prayer, he dipped me in this very pond. As he did, my hair turned white and the color returned to my skin. When I began to cry, he knew that I would survive." The princess never took her eyes off of Sokka's as she told her tale.
Iroh's own eyes widened in realization. "You've been touched by the moon spirit. Some of its life-force is in you!"
Yue looked away and nodded, "Yes. All of those years ago the moon spirit gave me life. Now it's time for me to give it back."
"What? No!" Sokka shot forward and grabbed her, "Yue, you can't! You'll die! There has to be another way!"
Yue gave him a gentle smile and placed a hand on his cheek. "It'll be ok Sokka. I think… somewhere deep down I always knew this would happen. And if giving my life means saving yours then how can I refuse?"
"B-but I was supposed to protect you! You can't die!" Sokka couldn't hold back his tears. So he didn't try.
Princess Yue didn't reply this time. She just leaned forward and pressed her lips to his in a final kiss. Knowing but still not accepting Yue's decision, he passionately returned the favor. Pulling away she whispered in his ear.
"I love you Sokka." And with that, she moved to sit next to Iroh by the pond. The retired general gave no words of wisdom or condolence as she lowered her hands onto the lifeless spirit. He only watched in respect as the young princess gave her spirit to save that which should have been immortal. Both bodies were blocked from view as they were engulfed in a bright light. When the light cleared, a healthy white coy was swimming freely in the pond… and Yue was nowhere to be seen. The light returned as the moon was brought back to life. But there was no celebration. All that were present merely lowered their heads in a moment of silence for the fallen hero.
…...
The path that the Avatar/ocean spirit carved was easy to follow. All along their trail to the ocean, those of the Watertribe prostrated themselves before a patron spirit of their art. Those of the Fire Nation either tried to attack or run of what action they took however, they were easily swept away in a torrent of water, purging the city of its invaders. He was glad when the moon light returned but was surprised when he reached the ocean. He expected to see a fleet of battle ships awaiting him outside the city walls, not a blonde haired teen surrounded by three toads that easily matched him in size, as well as a much smaller toad sitting on his shoulder.
Thinking this was some bizarre Fire Nation weapon, he prepared to attack again. Again the ocean spirit spoke, "Wait! I sense no evil intentions from him. Look around him. It seems, while you were indisposed, he was fighting in your stead. You can trust him for now."
Looking at the wreckage that surrounded the teen, Aang agreed with a nod and allowed the ocean spirit to withdraw its power. The spirit was considerate enough to place him back on land instead of just dropping him in the water. Before the last of the mental link was broken, he heard the ocean give one last piece of advice, "Be wary though. I sense a strange power about him. It could be dangerous."
Alone in his head again, Aang first looked up at the moon, then at the mystery teen. Said teen was currently staring him down. Without breaking eye contact, the blond gave a slight nod and all but the toad on his shoulder disappeared in a "poof". Again without breaking eye contact, he dropped the several stories between his former perch on the toad's head to the ground. After landing with more grace than what should have been possible, he calmly approached the Avatar. The blonde spoke as soon as he was close enough.
"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?"
…...
So there you have it. 1 week, 12 pages, and 6,270 words later and I finally have a chapter. I have no idea how everyone else does this. Only one full chapter and I'm already exhausted. But it is fun. The next chapter will be about finishing the invasion and getting the gang traveling together. I don't know how long it will take to post but look forward to it, and in the mean time, review. What did you like? What didn't you like? Let me know.
