Hello, again, dear reader! I have to say, I think this is my best story so far, and I'm not just saying that because it was the first to get a review. Anyway, here is a shout out to Pikachugorawrs. This amazing person has put me on their favorite author list, along with two of my stories on their favorite story list. Now, I shall respond to my first review ever.
Ahlysha: THANK YOU FOR ACTUALLY REVIEWING! I'm glad you enjoyed the first chapter of this, and I hope you continue to enjoy this story. Please review this chapter and let me know what you think.
Now, on with the story! (I don't own A:TLA)
"Is there anything I need to work on, Sifu Khon?"
Admiral Khon smiled at his apprentice. He was progressing very well. It was almost too good to be true. The boy was obviously a fast learner.
"You did very well, my apprentice, but their is one thing."
"What,what is it? How can I do better?" His apprentice's voice sounded eager and ambitious. That was one of the things Admiral Khon enjoyed most about the boy in front of him. He was eager to please his master, and he was eager to know how to be more powerful.
"You need to be more ferocious when you attack. Stop being so timid. Will being timid win a battle?"
"No, Sifu Khon. I'm sorry. I'll try and do better. Is there anything other than that?"
"Other than that, you were magnificent. You might be ready for your first big mission soon."
"Really, Sifu Khon?" came the boy's thrilled voice.
"If it were not true, do you think I would say it?"
The boy risked a small laugh, trying not to dwell on the fear of making his teacher think he wasn't taking this seriously. Making his master think that came with harsh consequences. "No, Sir, I guess not."
"Good, now before you go, recite our little motto for me."
"I do not believe in love. I crave power, power for the Fire Nation," his apprentice recited from memory.
"Excellent, You are dismissed, and when you leave, visit the Dai Li again. I think it's about time you did so."
The child bowed to his teacher and walked calmly out the practice chamber.
Admiral Khon laughed as his apprentice left. He had managed to gain Aang's complete respect and trust. Now all he needed to do was wait for the former monk to be ready for Phase 1 of his plan.
At the firelord's palace...
Zuko looked sadly out the window. Where was Momo with Aang's latest letter? It had nearly been a month since the Avatar's last one! Aang normally updated Zuko on how he was doing and what he was learning about the Rebels every week.
Suddenly, in the distance, Zuko saw a little speck flying toward him. As it drew closer, Zuko notice in relief that it was Momo.
"Hey, little guy, wait a minute..." Zuko paused, taking in Momo's appearance. The lemur was frail, and you could see his ribs. His legs were bleeding, and their were burn marks on his wings.
"What happened to you, Momo?" Zuko breathed, almost speechless. Zuko also noticed sadly that there was no letter attached to Momo's leg. If this happened to Momo, what happened to Aang? Zuko asked himself in terror.
"Is he ready, Feng?" Khon questioned. The Dai Li hypnotist could hear in his voice and see in his eyes how impatient the admiral was.
"It depends. If he encounters anyone who was once close with him, he might remember, or at least feel enough emotion as to not want to fight them."
"Hm," the admiral contemplated this issue carefully, "I don't believe he would encounter anyone close to him during Phase 1. Still, one can never be too careful. I suppose I can go ahead with the plan, but I want you and the rest of the Dai Li there incase anything drastic happens, understood?"
"Admiral Khon, you did not pay us to help you fight your battles! You paid us to make the Avatar switch sides, which we are working on!"
"Exactly, I paid you to make Avatar mine, but if we go through with Phase 1, and he reverts back to his old ways, whose fault will it be? Who would be the failure?"
Feng gulped, realizing what Khon meant.
"I see you've figured it out. Do you want to make me an unhappy customer?"
"N-no, Admiral Khon," Feng stuttered nervously.
"Good man, you may leave, and be sure to tell my apprentice the good news. Phase 1 will be put into action soon, and he will be assisting!"
"Yes, Admiral K-khon," Feng left before he had a nervous breakdown.
A week later...
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE HASN'T WRITTEN IN A MONTH? THAT'S LIKE, A MONTH AGO!"
"Calm down, Sokka, and be quiet!" Zuko whispered angrily. "I don't want anyone hearing about this, especially Katara."
Calming down, Sokka sighed. "So what's the plan?"
"Aren't you the idea guy?"
"That doesn't mean I can just come up with a plan on the top of my head!" Sokka, now whispering, responded in annoyance.
'Well, all I know is that we need to get in touch with Aang. I just don't know how to do that."
"Okay, at least we now know where the Rebel hideout is, but we can't just barge in their and hope that out of all of them we find Aang."
"Momo came back at least, buy he's in no shape to deliver a letter all the way back to Aang."
After pondering the situation for awhile, it was finally a little too late for planning. As Sokka left for the guest room, he turned to Zuko, who he believed needed one last piece of advice.
"Zuko, Katara needs to know about Aang. Maybe the world doesn't need to know, but Katara does. She loves Aang."
Zuko sighed. "Can't you just tell her? She's going to freak out!"
"We'll both tell her, me as her brother and you as the first to know, and as her friend. We'll tell Toph when we tell Katara, agreed?"
"Agreed," answered Zuko, wondering how Sokka of all people could be such a help.
"Good, now if you excuse me, the idea guy need's his rest!" Sokka said, practically running out of the room.
And Sokka's back to normal, Zuko thought with a laugh.
Just as Zuko was about to go to bed, the doors of his bedroom flew open.
'Firelord Zuko," gasped a guard, who seemed to have run all the way here.
"Come on, spit it out! What is it?" Zuko could tell the guard had some urgent news.
"I-it's the asylum where your sister stays. It's being attacked!"
A few hours earlier...
Aang had to wonder how, out of all the qualified men the admiral could've picked, he had managed to become Admiral Khon's apprentice.
Now, he was about to be a part of Phase 1 of his teacher's most ambitious plan yet, and he was only a rookie, not to mention recovering from an injury! He recalled being a good fighter, but was that enough to take part in Phase 1? Aang sighed. I guess I'll figure that out soon enough.
Absentmindedly, Aang began to trace the arrow on his arm, but as soon as he noticed what he was doing, he stopped. He hated his arrows. He wished he had never gotten them. Admiral Khon said it was a disgrace to have them. He said they were the mark of Team Avatar.
Still, Aang had to wonder how he had gotten them, for he couldn't remember that part of his life. He wondered why he would've gotten them. Why would he want to have Team Avatar's mark? Had it been forced upon him? Aang shook his head, not sure if he would ever get to the bottom of this.
A Dai Li agent came up to Aang. "It's time."
Aang nodded, tying a sash around the visible part of his arrow, the rest of covered by hair that he had managed to grow back. With one last glance at his arrows when the agent wasn't looking, he headed into battle.
Author's Note: Well, what did you think? Yes, I know it was filler. I knew what I wanted for Chapter 3, I just wasn't sure how to get there. Fortunately, as I typed, it came to me. Don't worry though, there will be action in the next chapter. Well, I guess that's it. Please review and let me know what you think!
