Chapter 1
Chapter 1
A Ghost's Return
Avatar Aang was not having a good day.
Multiple skirmishes had erupted like boils on the face of the planet. Ending the war hadn't ended a hundred years of hatred of prejudice. He knew it wouldn't be easy. What he didn't expect was the sheer bullheadedness of the people he fought to protect on a day-to-day basis.
Three years – it had been three long, laborious years of tense negotiations and peace offerings between the Fire Nation and all those who had been victims of its wrath. Aang had seen mixed reactions to the Fire Nation's sudden switch back to the side of good: some people accepted it, others rejected it, and a majority still thought that the war was still being fought. Zuko – Fire Lord Zuko, Aang corrected himself – was on constant alert.
Faced not only with the daunting task of gaining trust from a world long abused by his Nation's twisted ideals and beliefs, but also with holding his splintered Nation together, it was amazing to Aang that Zuko still remained remarkably calm and collected. The Fire Nation was barely holding together at the seams – rebellions were starting to pop up inside the nation itself. It was mostly disconnected and isolated events – but it wouldn't be long before they coalesced into something much bigger.
Personally, Aang couldn't blame the Fire Nation for reacting the way they did. What Zuko was asking of them was to basically abandon everything they know; their culture, beliefs, and long held ideals. Not an easy thing to do.
Aang rubbed his tired eyes. 15 years old, and yet he already felt like a tired, old man. He swept a weary hand over his newly grown hair, and scratched at it irritably. There was obviously no time left to shave it. But Katara, at least, liked it.
Katara.
The word burned in his heart and mind, and gave him a must needed boost of energy. The long journey back home to his residence in Ba Sing Se was nearly complete and he would be duly rewarded with some much needed vacation time with her. He couldn't wait to smell the sweet fragrance of her silky hair. . .
"Yip, yip Appa!" Aang shouted to his Air Bison. The great beast growled.
"I know you're tired, but we're almost there. The faster we go, the sooner we get home", Aang bargained with his bestial friend.
Appa belched. Aang got a whiff of something nasty, and immediately pinched his nose. "Yech! What did you eat?"
Aang never got an answer.
Because a giant fireball had suddenly appeared in front of Appa.
Not too long ago, that would have been a nasty surprise. But Aang had done some growing up in the last three years, and if there was one thing he learned, it was to always be prepared for the unexpected.
Without batting an eye, he sucked in a large amount of air and blew it out. The enormous fireball collided with the wall of air, and exploded. Aang took evasive maneuvers, pulling on Appa's reins. "Down Appa!" he shouted. The Air Bison angled downward, and the dark earth pulled up to meet them. Another flash of molten flame appeared before him.
He pulled hard and Appa swerved out of the way. As he watched the flame continue on its intended path, something occurred to him. The fire was blue. Only one Firebender in the entire world could conjure blue fire.
Azula.
But even she couldn't create something of that magnitude –
Balls of fire spiraled around him, lighting the night sky above an eerie blue.
Appa growled miserably below him. Aang stroked the beast's fur, his nerves tight and twisted.
"Sorry, Appa", Aang whispered, "But it looks like that vacation is going to wait."
Katara was worried.
Aang hadn't yet arrived from his long trip around the world. Sighing, she adjusted herself in the comfortable plush chair by the window looking out at the starry sky. Then, remembering that Aang had spent the past several months sleeping mostly on a solid floor covered by some hay (sometimes without hay – Appa has these late night midnight snack urges) she stood up and went outside to sit on the stone steps.
Being the Avatar had its perks – Aang had a choice to live wherever he liked. After much consideration, which consisted mainly of Katara deciding because Aang was happy as long as she was with him, they decided to live in Ba Sing Se. Sokka and Suki had already taken up residence nearby, Iroh ran his famous tea shop the Jasmine Dragon in the same district, Zuko visited frequently to ask advice from his uncle – it was a place of security and protection.
Their house was simple, yet elaborate – it held various trinkets and souvenirs from their many adventures, the furniture was practical yet stylish and was donated from across the globe: from the Earth Kingdom to the Fire Nation. Pictures and drawings (some by Sokka, who wanted to tap into his inner artist; this ended when Suki, in a fit of maniacal rage, burned all of them after what she found out that they were not drawings of Appa, but portraits of her) dotted the walls – all of them of happier times.
It was a house of warmth and love.
But it was empty – save for her.
Aang often left without her. She hated being so far away from him, yet he insisted stating that it was too dangerous for her. Laughing at this, she offered to take him on in a waterbending fight to see who needed protection more. But Aang was dead serious.
"These problems can't be solved with simple bending, Katara. This isn't a simple evil, Katara, like Ozai was, where fighting him was the only option. This is a hundred years of hatred and prejudice, and it's complicated. Forgiveness is hard – as you already know. I don't want you involved with this stuff, Katara. It'll twist you." He placed an unbearably loving hand on her cheek. "I want you to stay you, Katara. You keep me centered. Whole. Sane, in this new world gone mad."
She was interrupted out of her musings by an approaching figure. Her heart beat faster. "Aang?"
The figure paused, and then stepped into the moon light. A handsome face with a hideous scar entered her vision. Fire Lord Zuko.
"Oh." She couldn't hide the disappointment in her voice.
Zuko smiled lightly. "Sorry I'm not the one you're waiting for."
Katara shook herself mentally. Where were her manners?
"Sorry about that Zuko. Aang hasn't arrived yet from his latest trip."
Zuko nodded, but he seemed preoccupied. Katara sensed that there was something he wanted to tell her.
"Is something wrong?" she asked worriedly.
Zuko bit his lip. He didn't know how to say this.
"Aang has gone missing. And Azula has returned."
Katara's blood froze.
And then the attack began.
Just like I promised all of you, as soon as possible. Working on the next. Read and review.