nightelf37: Unlike the first chapter, I will end this chapter, and all others forthwith, at their 'commercial breaks'.
Aang: Really?
nightelf37: No. How did you—oh, forget it. Remember, only Idano, Moritz, another whats-her-name, and a few others belong to me.
Chapter 2: The Avatar Returns
On the Seeker, Moritz was mulling over something on his way to Gen. Iroh.
-flashback-
"Grrrr... huh!" Zuko blasted both his opponents backward with a gout of fire. "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 the four elements. I'll need more than basic firebending to defeat him. And you're just a Private, Moritz Shisno! Uncle Iroh WILL teach me the advanced set!"
"Very well.", Iroh said. "But first I must finish my roast duck."
Zuko growled in anger in this. Just then, Prv. Lodge, who got up faster than his partner from Zuko's attack noticed something.
"Prince Zuko.", he called.
"What?!", Zuko asked in frustration.
"Look over there.", Lodge pointed in the distance. Zuko looked in his direction and saw a tent in the middle of an iceberg.
"What is it?", his partner Larch asked, getting up. When he looked, he just said, "It's just a tent."
Just as Moritz and Iroh walked over to where Lodge is looking, someone emerged from the tent. It was a girl who had fair skin, orange hair reaching up to mid-back length, and grey eyes. She also wore a yellow shirt with the symbol of a thunderbolt, red shoes that had laces (1), long pants of a darker shade of red, a bag of sorts, and gloves exposing the fingers and had the color similar to a moon peach (the gloves, not her fingers).
"Ooh.", Larch sighed, looking at her beautiful hair. "Such a beauty."
"I wish she would come here with us.", Lodge added, sighing as well.
"Bring her aboard.", Zuko ordered.
"Sir?", both soldiers turned to him in surprise. Moritz, on the other hand, choked a bit.
"You heard him; turn the ship that way and bring her aboard.", Iroh said.
The Seeker headed for the tent, and the girl noticed.
"Finally.", she said. "Someone's come over to rescue me."
Z—I—M—?—Z—I—M—?
Before she knew it, she was bound in ropes and shoved to the floor. As she looked up, she saw four masked soldiers (2), a teenager with a burn scar on his left eye, and an elderly man drinking tea.
"Or not.", she added to herself, then turned to her captors. "What is the meaning of this?!"
Zuko didn't answer and instead asked, "Which faction are you from? Water Tribe? Earth Kingdom? Fire Nation?"
"What are you talking about?!", the girl asked.
"Or perhaps, you're an Air Nomad remnant?", a random soldier added.
"I'm thinking she isn't", Larch suggested. "After all, where are the tattoos?"
"Maybe they stopped doing that, provided there are remnants.", Lodge said to him.
"Never mind.", Zuko said. "Uncle, take her to the prison hold, will you?"
"Sure."
Iroh did as told, carrying the girl onto his back and walked inside.
"By the way, I never caught your name.", Iroh said to her after Zuko was out of earshot.
Feeling sympathy, the girl answered, "Aixata. Aixata Shisno."
-end flashback-
Moritz shook off those thoughts, then mulled to himself, "My sister? Here? I didn't know."
Z—I—M—A—Z—I—M—A
Back at the village…
Gran Gran, Sokka, and the kids looked out rhe ice road that leads to the village and see, Aang, Idano(3), and Katara in the horizon, walking toward them. As they approached, the children ran forward to greet them.
"Yay! Aang's back!", they cheered as they gathered around Aang. Sokka, however, came forward angrily, and pointed accusingly at Aang. I knew it! You signaled the Fire Navy with that flare! You're leading them straight to us, aren't you?"
"Aang didn't do anything.", Katara tried to explain. "It was an accident."
"Yeh, we were on the ship and there was this booby trap and well—we 'boobied' right into it."
Gran Gran shook her head, and said,"Katara, you shouldn't have gone on that ship. Now we could all be in danger!"
"Don't blame Katara! I brought her there.", Aang said in defense, then looked downcast, adding, "It's my fault."
"Aha! The traitor confesses! Warriors, away from the enemy!", Sokka ordered, who looked more than happy that Aang will leave. As the children walked away from Aang and towards Sokka and Gran Gran, he added, "The foreigners are banned from our village!"
"What?!", Idano gasped. "You're blaming me, too?!"
"Sokka, you're making a mistake.", Katara pleaded angrily.
"No! I'm keeping my promise to Dad.", Sokka insisted. "I'm protecting you from threats like him!"
"Aang is not our enemy!", Idano added. "And neither am I! Aang brought you a moment of reprieve after a very long time in the form of fun."
"Fun? We can't fight firebenders with fun!"
Aang smiled earnestly, "You should try it sometime."
This was the last straw for Sokka as he ordered, "Get out of our village. Now!"
"Grandmother, please, don't let Sokka do this.", Katara begged.
But Gran Gran's decision was clear, "Katara, you knew going on that ship was forbidden. Sokka is right. I think it best if the airbender and the other companion leaves."
"Then I'm banished too!"
Katara turned, taking Aang and Idano by the shoulder, and began to walk off.
"C'mon, guys, let's go!"
A short distance away, Appa was waiting, ready for takeoff. It was sunset.
Sokka asked his sister, pointing, "Where do you think you're going?"
"To find a waterbender! Aang is taking me to the North Pole!"
Aang, momentarily confused, brightened,"I am? Great!"
"Katara!, Would you really choose him over your tribe? Your own family?"
Katara paused, with doubt and indecision on her face. Idano came up next to her and said, "Katara, Aang and I don't want to come between you and your family."
"So, you're leaving the South Pole? This is goodbye?"
"Thanks for penguin sledding with me.", Aang called, who was upon Appa.
"Where will you go?", Katara asked Idano.
"Well, I'll just tag along with Aang."
"Well, I'll go back home and look for the airbenders.", Aang said. "Wow, I haven't cleaned my room in a hundred years. Not looking forward to that."
Idano hopped on Appa and took the reins. Aang turned to address the village, saying, It was nice meeting everyone."
"Let's see your bison fly now, air boy.", Sokka called back mockingly.
"Come on, Appa, you can do it! Yip! Yip!", Idano said.
But Appa just rumbled and got onto his feet.
"Yeh, I thought so.", Sokka said to himself.
Just then, a little girl with pigtails rushed forward with a cry to stand by Katara.
Her eyes shining with tears, she pleaded, "Aang! Don't go! We'll miss you!"
"We'll miss you too.", Idano answered for him as he turned to look at Katara, whose braids were blowing in the breeze. Aang took over, and shook the reins once more.
"Come on, boy."
When they disappeared from view, The little girl ran off, crying back to the village while Gran Gran came up behind Katara.
"Katara, you'll feel better after you—", she began to say, but her grandaughter cut her off angrily.
"You happy now? There goes my one chance of becoming a waterbender!"
Katara then stalked off in a huff, leaving Gran Gran alone.
S—K—S—K—S—K—S—K
Later…
Sokka was directing the little boys through the village gate.
"All right! Ready our defenses! The Fire Nation could be on our shores any moment now!"
A little boy stopped, raising his head and dancing about suggestively.
"But, I gotta—"
Sokka cut him off forcefully and pointed to the fortifications, "And no potty breaks!"
S—S—S—S—S—S—S—S
Outside the village…
Appa, Aang, and Idano were resting in the curves of some ice formations. The formation had two doughnut shaped holes. Appa lied on his back in the lower one, Idano lying on top of him, Aang in the smaller higher one. Idano mumbled, trying to sleep. Aang thought he was saying something and replied, "Yeah, I liked her too."
Just then, Aang looked out to see and got up with a start. Idano got up as well and they saw a Fire Navy ship steaming toward the village.
"The village!", Aang gasped as he slid down off his perch.
"Appa, wait here!", Idano ordered as he followed the airbender.
Appa rumbled in reply and shifted his position slightly.
A—I—A—I—A—I—A—I
Sokka was putting on his war garb. Fingerless gloves, arm wraps, boots and face paint are all applied silently.
S—S—S—S—S—S—S—S
Meanwhile, the Seeker was steaming ahead, on the deck, Zuko was being helped into his armor by some attendants. He girded himself with a breastplate, shoulder guard and helmet.
Z—Z—Z—Z—Z—Z—Z—Z
Back at the village, Sokka left his tent with his weapons and made his way atop the ice wall of the village, scanning the mist for any sign of the enemy. Suddenly, a deep rumbling noise was heard and the ground began to shake. Parts of the wall on which Sokka stood began to crumble. As the villagers look around in alarm, Sokka's watchtower collapsed in a heap of snow and ice. Sokka gulped.
Pandemonium broke out in the village as people being to run every which way. Katara is in their midst, but stopped, seeing something in the mist. Suddenly a massive shadow emerged from the mist, dwarfing Sokka, who was still standing on the wall. It was a Fire Navy ship's bow.
The vessel was cutting through the ice all the way to the city wall itself. As the ship continued to ice break towards the wall, Katara was putting Gran Gran into one of the tents in the rear and then got a little child out of harm's way as the ice floor of the village began to crack all over the place under the stress.
As she puts the child in a tent, she turned to look back to Sokka, who was poised both tragically and comically to the ship's hull with his weapon.
"Sokka, get out of the way!", Katara called to her brother.
Sokka did as she said and quickly retreated as the ship reached the wall, which collapsed into a heap of ice and snow which tumbling back into the village, some reaching Sokka as he withdrew. Just then, the ship came to a halt. Steam wafted up from where the bow has split the ice. The villagers, Katara in front, emerged from their shelters and stared in trepidation and amazement at the ship. Katara drew a deep breath in anticipation, and Sokka did likewise.
With a noise of metal on metal, the bowsprit of the ship opened and folded out and down onto the village's floor. The bowsprit has become a huge gangplank (4) for disembarking Fire Nation troops. Sokka fell backward to avoid being crushed by the bowsprit.
As the steam clears from the top of it, Zuko and a host of Fire Nation soldiers were revealed.
Unfazed, Sokka got up and charged Zuko with an adolescent war cry. As he runs up the steps to the Prince, Zuko casually and expertly kicked his weapon out of his hand, then kicked him in the face, sending him sprawling on the snow to the plank's right. The villagers drew back in fright and the ease with which their only warrior has been dispatched by the invaders. Zuko walked forward to address the village. He looked over the crowd, then walked over to Katara and Gran Gran.
"Where are you hiding him?", the Prince ordered.
He looked around the crowd as there is no immediate response. He then grabbed Gran Gran and shows her to the villagers.
"He'd be about this age? Master of all elements?"
Again, no one responds. After a brief pause, he threw Gran Gran roughly back to Katara. With a cry of frustration he launched a gout of flame over the villager's heads and they cowered in fear.
"I know you're hiding him!"
Behind Zuko, Sokka got up, his face paint already gone. He retrieved his spear and charged Zuko with another cry. as Zuko turned to him in annoyance, he dodged Sokka's charges and flipped him over his head. Zuko fired a blast of flame at Sokka, who rolled out of the way, throwing his boomerang at Zuko as he does. Caught by surprise, Zuko barely avoided the boomerang, and he turned to look back in anger at Sokka over the near miss. A little boy cheered on.
"Show no fear!"
Sokka clutched his spear and charged Zuko, who, as Sokka reached him, broke off pieces of the spear shaft with his wrist guards. After the head of the spear has been shorn off, Zuko grabbed the spear, boinked Sokka on the forehead with it several times, then broke it in half and dropped the pieces on the ground. Sokka, after getting bonked on the head, had also sunk to the ground, rubbing his head. As Zuko standing sternly over him, the boomerang reappeared and slammed Zuko in the back of the head, knocking his helmet off kilter. Furious, Zuko began to spit fire out of his hands as he hovered menacingly over Sokka.
Outside, Aang skyrocketed towards the village on an otter-penguin, staff in hand. With Idano following on his snowboard, they fly right under Zuko, and while Aang swept his legs out from under him, Idano bonked him with his snowboard, knocking him to the ground. Zuko landed butt up and the helmet landed on his behind in a most suggestive manner. The children cheered as Aang and Idano reached the villagers. As they bank, they dump a lot of snow on the cheering kids, who stop cheering for a moment, but take up the cheer again anyway. They slid to a halt and Aang and Idano got off. The penguin got up, looked at Aang, and then turned and waddled away.
"Hey, Katara"., Aang greeted.
"Hey, Sokka.", Idano greeted.
Sokka dryly managed to say,"Hi, guys. Thanks for comin'."
Aang looked over at the firebenders as Idano dragged Sokka off. Zuko was getting to his feet and he assumed a firebending stance. Aang was at the ready with his staff, surrounded by Zuko and his men. They began to close in, but Aang blew the men on either side of him backwards with blasts of air. He blasted Zuko as well, who held his ground, shielding his face from the wind.
"Looking for me?", Aang asked.
Zuko gasped incredulously, "You're the airbender? You're the Avatar?"
"Aang?", Katara gasped.
Sokka gasped too, "No way."
Zuko and Aang were now maneuvering for position against each other in the middle of a village that has become an arena.
"I've spent years preparing for this encounter.", Zuko said. "Training. Meditating. You're just a child!"
"Well, you're just a teenager.", Aang replied.
Zuko then fired blast after blast. Aang cried out, hard pressed, and fear showing on his face. Aang dissipates each blast as it strikes by twirling his staff in front of him like a helicopter blade. The dissipation doesn't block the fire from reaching the villagers, though, and they cry out. Aang looked behind to them and realized he can't protect them all.
"If I go with you, will you promise to leave everyone alone?", Aang asked Zuko.
"You got a deal.", Zuko said.
As a soldier took Aang's staff and another led him to the ship, a voice was heard in the ship.
"Get away!", it said.
An orange-haired girl(Aixata) was hopping out of the ship, and she fell upon the bowsprit, rolling down, and bowling over a few soldiers. Zuko as about to burn her down Idano entered the scene and said, "Don't touch her!"
"Who do you think you are?", Zuko asked, as Aang was brought into the ship.
"Who I am matters not! Let her go!", Idano answered, pulling out two arnis sticks.
"If you surrender yourself, I'll do just that. You have my word as a Prince."
"Deal."
Idano sheathed his sticks, put his hands behind his head, and walked to the ship.
"No, Idano! Don't do this.", Katara said.
"Don't worry, Katara, Aang and I'll be okay. Take care of Appa for us until we return."
"Head a course to the Fire Nation.", ordered Zuko. "I'm going home."
They boarded the ship and the bowsprit rises back up. Idano and Aang look back hopefully at their new friend as the ship close. Katara's eyes water as the prison closed around them. Aang's smile drops as he sees her pain. The shadow of the closing bowsprit then closed over him.
S—K—A—I—A—Z
It is now morning in the village. The jagged path through the ice that the Seeker opened was plainly visible as is the shattered village wall. Life goes on, however, as the fire at the center of the village smokes and villager are visible about their work. Villagers were tending the fire, digging out the watchtower, and re-raising tents, and they all looked sad. Katara and Aixata, who introduced herself and explained her relationship with Idano, were at the water's edge looking out at the sun rising over the sea.
As Sokka walked by in the background carrying some things. The waterbender said, "We have to go after that ship, Sokka. Aang saved our tribe; now we have to save him."
"Katara, I—"
"Why can't you realize that he's on our side? If we don't help him, no one will. I know you don't like Aang or Idano, but we owe him and I—"
"Katara! Are you gonna talk all day or are you comin' with me?"
Sokka motioned to his left and showed a canoe ready to go.
"Sokka!", his sister gasped happily as she gave him a bear hug.
"Thanks.", Aixata said.
"Get in. We're going to save your boyfriends."
"They're not our—", Aixata and Katara began to say.
"Whatever."
"Really.", Aixata continued "Idano is just my brother."
Gran Gran came in from behind them and asked, "What do you three think you're doing?"
The three turned and tried to look innocent. Gran Gran looked momentarily severe, but then smiled and offered them a blue bundle.
"You'll need these. You have a long journey ahead of you. It's been so long since I've had hope. But you brought it back to life, my little waterbender." Gran Gran hugged Katara.
"And you, my brave warrior, be nice to your sister." She then hugged Sokka, too.
"Yeah... okay, Gran.", he said.
"And I hope you can protect my grandchildren.", Gran Gran said to Aixata.
"I'll do what I can."
"I wonder what you can do?", Sokka asked.
"This.", Aixata answered and just by looking and with her hand forward lifted a chunk of ice. She then moved it around, then set it on the ground.
"I'm a telekinetic.", she said. "It's somewhat like bending, but instead I use my vision and hand motions to manipulate things, not just water."
"Ooh.", Sokka said sarcastically.
"Aang is the Avatar.", Gran Gran said. "He's the world's only chance. You both found him for a reason. Now your destinies are intertwined with his."
"There's no way we're gonna catch a war ship with a canoe.", Katara realized gloomily.
"What about we ride this beast.", Aixata thumbed behind her, where Appa stood and approached.
"Appa!", Katara gasped as she rushed towards him. Aixata followed, pulling Sokka and their stuff with her.
S—K—A—S—K—A—S—K—A
The Seeker…
On the foredeck Aang and Idano, hands bound, faced Zuko, Iroh and a bunch of guards.
"This staff will make an excellent gift for my father.", Zuko said. "I suppose you wouldn't know of fathers, Avatar, being raised by monks. Take the Avatar and his friend to the prison hold. And take this to my quarters."
Zuko shoved the staff into Iroh's hands as he walked away. Iroh immediately turned to Moritz on his left.
"You mind taking this to his quarters for me?", the general asked.
"Sure, General.", Moritz answered as he took the staff as Aang and Idano were escorted down some stairs into the ship. As they were escorted along one of the ship's hallways. Aang said, "So... I guess you never fought an airbender before. I bet I can take you both with my hands tied behind my back."
"Just shut up will ya.", the first guard, Larch, said.
As they stopped at a door, the other guard, Lodge moved to open the door with a key. Just then, Aang drew a great breath and blew Lodge into the door, knocking him out. This also propelled Aang and Idano into Larch behind them. They were blown all the way back down the hallway and crash into the stairs they came down on. Larch was knocked out from the impact as Aang then airbent himself back up onto the deck. Idano, on the other hand, mustered his strength and broke his bounds. As he untied Aang's, Aang asked how he did that.
"Exercise.", Idano said as he barged open the door at the end of the deck. They enter the ship and ran down the hall. Just then, Lodge and Larch got up and shouted at the top of their lungs, "The Avatar and his friend have escaped!"
I—A—Z—I—M—I—A—Z—I—M
Somewhere in the South Pole…
Appa was swimming through the water, with Katara at the reins and Sokka and Aixata on their backs in the saddle.
Sokka said drearily, "Go. Fly. Soar."
"Please, Appa, we need your help.", Katara said "Aang needs your help. Idano needs your help."
"Up. Ascend. Elevate."
"Sokka doesn't believe you can fly, but I do, Appa. Come on. Don't you wanna save Aang?"
Appa rumbled in response, but doesn't speed up or fly.
"What was it that kid said? Yee-ha? Hup hup? Wahoo? Uh—"
"—yip, yip!", Aixata blurted out in realization.
This at last got a response; Appa rumbled again and began to flop his massive beaver tail. He began to hop along the surface of the water as he picked up speed. Finally, with a mighty heave, he took off into the sky.
Katara cheered ecstatically, "You did it, Aixata!"
Sokka was screaming in delight, "He's flying! He's flying! Katara, he's—!" Katara gave him a smug look. Then, nonchalantly, he finished "I mean, big deal, he's flying."
S—K—A—S—K—A—S—K—A
Aang and Idano were running down one of the ship's hallways, looking behind them for pursuers. They turns and starts to run forward—right into three Fire Nation soldiers blocking their way, weapons drawn.
Aang panted, "You haven't seen my staff around, have you?"
Idano, however, pulled out a small cannon from his back (5), and fired, sending a cannonball to the soldiers and knocking them down.
"Thanks anyway.", Idano said as he and Aang ran by.
They run into another hallway, this time blocked by a single guard. He blasted a fireball at him, but Idano pulled out a giant round shield, blocking, then flung it at the guard, knocking him down. And and Idano ran over him, the latter retrieving his shield and returning it back o nowhere. Aang and Idano opened doors as they pass. When they opened the door revealing a snoring Iroh and a snoozing soldier (6).
"Sorry...", Aang whispered.
"Later, brother.", Idano muttered simultaneously as they closed the door.
They then run by another open door, stop and turn back to it.
"My staff!", Aang gasped.
"It might be a trap!", Idano warned, but Aang paid no heed and entered. The door closed, and revealed Zuko, standing in wait.
"Looks like I underestimated you.", Zuko said, then he began blasting fire at Aang, who barely dodged, Aang was terrified and he gasped and panted to catch his breath. After dodging a few more shots, Aang rolled underneath Zuko to get behind him. By staying behind him, Zuko is unable to blast him with fire. At the other side of the door, Idano pulled out a mallet and left the door to kick some firebender butt elsewhere.
Back at Zuko's quarters…
Aang now faced Zuko, and dissipated each fireball with a small air ball he formed with his hands. Aang then created an 'air scooter' and rode around the walls and ceiling of the room, all the while getting licked by the gouts of flame Zuko unleashed at him. Aang terminated the airball and grabbed a tapestry off the wall. He wrapped Zuko up in it as he passes. While the prince struggled against the tapestry, Aang was able to grab his staff. But Zuko broke his bonds and they once again squared off against each other. After a few seconds of maneuvering, Aang airbent a mattress up off the floor and slammed it into Zuko. The mattress propelled him into the opposite wall and he is smashed into it and fell to the ground onto the mattress. Aang then airbent the mattress up to Zuko, and smashed him into that and both fell back down to the ground. Zuko looked up in anger to find Aang gone. Enraged, he left his room and went to look for him.
Elsewhere…
At the bridge, a wheel mechanism that opens a deck hatch on the floor began to spin. The hatch open and Idano emerged on to the bridge from below, (7). He rushed forward out on to the bridge's observation deck. He activated his wings, and took off. Unfortunately, behind him, Zuko has jumped after him. With a fierce cry of desperation, he grabbed Idano's foot (8) and both plunged into the deck. Both got up and square off. Idano's look of trepidation is tempered as he turned over his left shoulder to see Appa up in the sky gaining on The Seeker.
"What is that?", Zuko gasped in surprise.
"Appa, Aang's sky bison!", Idano gasped in relief.
Idano turned just in time to pull out his round shield and block a fire blast from Zuko. He used his shield as a Frisbee to knock Zuko on the head, but he caught it and tossed it back at Idano, who got hit by the blow.
"I'm coming.", a voice shouted just before Zuko could finish off Idano. Zuko looked and saw Aang headed for him in his glider. The prince turned to him and blasted him with fireballs. Aang managed to dodge all but one, which hit Aang in the chest, relieving him of his glider, which fell to the deck, and sent him to the water below.
Upon Appa, Katara was hysterically shouting "Aang! No!"
As Aang sunk into the water, he heard her voice, calling out to him over and over.
At Katara's final scream, Aang's eyes and tattoo's glow white, an expression of determination forming on his face. He turned around in the water and began to rise towards the surface. Around him, a mighty whirlpool of water began to form. Aang was now at the center of a monstrous, inverted tornado of water which propelled toward the surface at amazing speed. He broke the surface in front of the ship, towering high over the bridge atop his swirling maelstrom of water. Zuko looked up at the swirling column of water and the Avatar at its pinnacle with dismay and fear. Aang landed on the deck, his eyes still aglow, and bent the water from the column around him in circle. He released it and it expanded outward in a shockwave that blasted Zuko and his men overboard.
Back above upon Appa, Sokka, Katara, and Aixata witnessed the scene.
Aixata asked incredulously, "Did you see what he just did?"
"Now that was some waterbending!", Sokka remarked.
Aang was on the foredeck, on his knees, wobbling after the huge energy expenditure. He fell forward, the white energy fading from his eyes and tattoos. As Idano got up from Zuko's previous counterattack (9), Appa landed and Katara, Aixata,and Sokka jumped off to retrieve them.
Katara asked in a worried tone as she knelt and held Aang, "Guys! Are you okay?"
Aixata and Sokka were helping up Idano, who answered in a drained voice, "Thanks for coming."
"Well, we couldn't let you have all the glory.", Sokka said.
"I dropped my staff.", Aang gasped.
"Got it!"
Sokka ran over to pick up the staff. As he picked it up, Sokka was shocked to see that Zuko held the other end of it. Zuko was washed overboard, but held onto the part of Aang's staff that was hanging out over the deck. To get back at him, Sokka butted Zuko in the head with the staff three times, just the way Zuko once did to him with his staff. Unable to hold on any longer, Zuko let go and began to fall to the water below, but grabbed the anchor chain in time, hanging by one hand.
"Ha! That's for what you did earlier back at my village!", Sokka called out to him.
Meanwhile, Idano and Aixata were having a short reunion with one another, hugging. Their words could not be paid attention to, because at that time, Appa was shaking off water he had from swimming before his flight.
At that time, the guards who had been washed way down the deck by Aang's waterbending got up, preparing for combat. Katara picked up a stream of water from the deck and the guards pulled back slightly in fear. She tried to whip the guards with the water, but instead froze the water on the deck, including the water around Sokka's feet.
"Katara!", Sokka called out to her in irritation.
"Let me handle this!", Idano said. He pulled out a blue box which had four wide spinning blades behind a grill from his bag. (10) He then activated it and the box, created a tornado of blue mist which froze them in a thin sheet of ice.
"Hurry up, Sokka!", Katara called out to him, who was cracking the ice beneath him with his club.
"I'm just a guy with a boomerang; I didn't ask for all this flying and magic.", he muttered to himself.
He finally freed himself and ran up Appa's tail, yelling, "Yip yip! Yip yip!"
Once he, and the others were onboard, Appa rumbled and took off. Just then, Iroh and Moritz just emerged onto the deck after their nap, looking up to the sky.
"Huh?", both muttered, rubbing their eyes.
As Appa rapidly flew away from the ship, Iroh and Moritz helped Zuko back up onto the ship.
"Shoot them down!", Zuko ordered.
As Appa gained altitude, Zuko and Iroh created a large fireball, which Moritz 'held'. Then after doing a certain position (11), Moritz launched the ball of fire at Appa. Katara and Sokka looked behind them in horror at the approaching fireball. Aixata jumped to the back of the saddle and, stopped the fireball. She then moved it to the ice cliff nearby. The fireball exploded, releasing a huge amount of ice from the cliff wall which fell into the narrow channel that The Seeker was navigating. Zuko gasped in horror as the bow of the ship and indeed the entire channel was blocked up under an avalanche of ice. His opponents laughed at him as they flew away.
"Good news for the Fire Lord.", his uncle announced. "The nation's greatest threat is just a little kid."
"That kid, Uncle, just did this.", Zuko said, pointing out to show the prow buried in ice. "I won't underestimate him again. Dig this ship out and follow them!"
"Uhh…", Moritz said, thumbing at the soldiers using controlled firebending to thaw out their compatriots frozen by Idano.
"As soon as you're done with that.", Zuko added.
S—K—I—Z—I—A—M—A
Somewhere in the sky…
It was sunset now. Aang and Co. were soaring through the clouds upon Appa.
"How did you do that?", Katara asked. "With the water? It was the most amazing thing I've ever seen."
Aang sat cross-legged on the bridge of the saddle, with a slightly sad expression on his face "I don't know. I just sort of... did it."
"Why didn't you tell us you were the Avatar?"
"Because... I never wanted to be."
Meanwhile, Sokka, with a face of fear, was asking Aixata something.
"Are…are you…"
"A firebender?", Aixata finished. "Of course not! Like I demonstrated before we left Gran Gran, I'm a telekinetic. I can manipulate things by looking at them. And fireballs are among the thing I can move."
"Oh.", Sokka sighed in relief.
Overhead, a cloud passed over them, momentarily blocking the fading sunlight. After it passed, Appa entered a shaft of sunlight.
"But Aang, the world's been waiting for the Avatar to return and finally put an end to this war.", Katara explained.
Aang looked down sadly. "And how am I going to do that?"
"According to legend, you need to first master water, then earth, then fire, right?"
"That's what the monks told me."
"Well, if we go to the North Pole you can master waterbending."
Aang now smiled, "We can learn it together!"
"And Sokka, I'm sure you'll get to knock some firebender heads on the way."
"I'd like that. I'd really like that.", Sokka answered, somewhat dreamily.
"And we're with you all the way.", Idano said. "No trial too hard. No danger too great."
"Then we're in this together.", Katara finished.
Aang then produced a scroll and opened it to reveal a map. "All right, but before I learn waterbending, we have some serious business to attend to here, here, and here." He pointed to two spots in the Earth Kingdom, and one spot on the southern Air Nomad islands in quick succession.
"What's there?", Idano asked.
"Here (pointing to the eastern Earth Kingdom) we'll ride the hopping llamas. Then waaaay over here (pointing to a spot on the southern Air Nomad islands) we'll surf on the backs of giant koi fish. Then back over here we'll ride the hog-monkeys. They don't like people riding them, but that's what makes it fun!…"
"Looks like it's gonna be a long adventure, brother.", Aixata responded.
"Yeah…"
I've decided to put notes at the end of a chapter, just like Mrfipp.
(1) This isn't a present-day setting, y'know.
(2) Moritz was among them, but his helmet was on.
(3) Wings closed, of course; he asked Aang and Katara not to tell anyone of this.
(4) Similar to the Roman corvus.
(5) Aang's eyes went wide open O.O from this.
(6) Moritz with his helmet off.
(7) Without his mallet as he put it away.
(8) How he ended up finding him instead of Aang, I have no idea.
(9) Although he did witness Aang's 'Limit Break'.
(10) This would be a portable fan.
(11) The Kamehameha Position.
The S—K—I—Z—I—A—M—A represents the main characters of the story in order they were met; Sokka, Katara, Idano(OC), Zuko, Iroh, Aang, Moritz(OC), and Aixata(OC). Hope you liked this chapter.