Sokka had eventually stopped screaming a few minutes after Appa had taken flight, the intent behind their flight didn't stop Katara and Sun from whooping in delight as the sky bison rode the air currents smoothly and effortlessly.
Once he was sure that Appa was heading in the right direction, and with the trail of smoke the Fire Nation ship was leaving behind, it wasn't hard to track, he slipped into the saddle with the others and pulled off his scarf and hooded cape, and started tugging off the heavy over-clothes he wore to deal with the cold.
A heavy shirt and pants was tucked away, revealing to the Water Tribe siblings that Sun wore armor underneath them, some of which they had seen during his fight with the Firebenders.
Sun wore mostly white; a white, long-sleeved shirt under a grey vest, with thick metal wrist-guards that looked both heavy and ornamental, being decorated with gold carvings over the white metal, and what seemed to be bandages on his hands, along with small similar small pieces on his shoulders.
He wore a grey sash with multiple pouches around his waist that held up white pants, over which were leg-guards that looked equally thick and heavy, somewhat more so due to the thick iron rings that held the armor in place around his ankles and below the knees, and it ended in three claw-like parts just in front of the toes; with his feet being bare except for bandages that wrapped around his ankle and the bottom of his foot.
After pulling his cape back on and wrapped his scarf around his neck, Sun looked up to find questioning and incredulous looks directed at him via the Water Tribe siblings. "What?" He asked blankly.
"Okay, one, have you been wearing those this whole time? And two, how did we not notice?" Sokka questioned confusedly.
Sun shrugged, tapping the metal. "Do these look easy to take off? I've worn them for so long that I barely notice the weight anymore. Plus, they're a gift from my Master. As for the second part; I was wearing other stuff over it." He replied easily. "We're coming up on the Fire Nation ship. Sokka, I want you to hang back and attack at a distance…you're not the best at close-range."
Sokka scowled at the blond man, but acquiesced reluctantly.
"And Katara, you've gotten pretty good at the whips and shields, right?" He asked, getting a nod from the young Waterbender. "Right, so just remember to flow with the water and play defensively. Don't be afraid to dive into the water if it seems like too much, okay?"
Katara nodded with a determined look on her face. "Right."
Appa flew around the column of smoke rising from the Fire Nation ship and hovered above the bow, out of range of normal Fire Bending attacks. "Right. I'm going to drop in." Sun told them, withdrawing a small stick from a pocket.
He stepped out of the saddle and fell through the air, and as he did, the stick in his hands extended into a six-foot long golden staff. He landed on the deck with a heavy clang of metal that definitely echoed through the ship.
The Firebenders on deck sounded the alarm and rushed at the hooded blond, who immediately leaped into the fray and began wreaking havoc with his staff.
He spun the golden weapon with speed and ferocity, his blows sending his enemies flying across the ship. Sun made sure to tackle them in small groups, and always up close.
He smacked the staff into the stomach of a Firebender and spun it up, launching the man into the air; twirling to avoid a blast of fire that scorched the edge of his cape and swung the staff at the Firebender's knee, bringing him down before flicking his weapon back and into the bender's helmeted head. He twisted and caught the falling Firebender, spinning and hurling him through a doorway into the ship and into a group of approaching enemies to by some more time, so he could dive into the ship and retrieve Aang.
However, his plans were canceled when the Airbender sprinted up onto the deck with his staff in hand, looking rather casual despite the circumstances. "Sun?" He shouted in surprise. "What are you doing here?"
Sun dodged a fire blast from behind and thrust his staff back into the Firebender's stomach, then swung it over his shoulder into his head, spinning and kicking the dazed enemy away. "We came to rescue you, dummy! You're free, so let's get out of here!"
Zuko charged from below deck, nearly snorting fire and went directly towards Aang, ignoring the hooded blond, which was a mistake.
Sun swung his staff into Zuko's stomach spun away as Aang whipped his glider around and unleashed a blast that hurled the prince into a wall with a heavy clang. He fell to the ground with a pained groan and did not get back up.
Appa landed on the deck, and the two Airbenders turned to retreat, coming on the sight of several Firebenders either frozen in place or lying awkwardly on the ground, with their feet frozen to deck while on their backs.
Katara and Sokka actually worked pretty well together, when they could. She would freeze their feet to the deck and he would bounce his boomerang off of their heads.
Seeing Appa land and Aang safe, they retreated and climbed onto the sky-bison.
Sun still had his feet on the deck when a scream of rage echoed over the water. Zuko, having regained consciousness, saw his prey escaping and charged at the one in white, two daggers of fire coming from the bottom of his clenched fists. Appa jumped into the air as the Prince dashed across the deck at the blond man.
"Sun, look out!" Katara cried out.
Sun calmly stood his staff on the deck and took a casual standing stance as Zuko closed the distance. As the Fire Nation Prince came within five feet of him, Sun snatched something out his pouch and hurled it at Zuko's face.
A cloud of something washed over Zuko's face, blinding him and getting in his mouth. He stepped back, scrubbing at his face angrily, and finally opened his eyes to look at what had been thrown at him. It sparkled pink in the sunlight.
"Is this…glitter dust?!" He shouted angrily.
Sun wound up and sucker punched Zuko in the face as the prince looked up at him incredulously, throwing him back down on the deck. He snatched his staff up and back-flipped onto the saddle, calling back mockingly, "It matches your sparkling personality!"
An older man, older in years and rounder about the middle, ran up onto the deck as Zuko managed to recover. They nodded to one another and moved in tandem, launching a large blast of fire at Appa.
Sun's eyebrows went up. "Aang, that's all you." He said casually as the Airbender jumped onto Appa's tail and swung his glider, the small wings out to give the swing more power as he bent a crescent wave of air at the fire-ball, deflecting it into a nearby iceberg.
The blast shattered a good chunk of the ice, dropping it on top of the ship's prow. "Ha!" Sokka called, "Looks like you got stopped cold!"
The Water Tribe warrior's mocking laughter drifted back as the sky bison disappeared in the distance.
Zuko watched as his prize flew away, clenching his fist and growling to himself. He paused as he wiped the glitter from his face, his mind shooting back to a memory.
Young Zuko strode through his home proudly, or as proudly as a seven-year-old can get, ready to end the day. However, his first step into his room caught on a thin wire stretched across the frame, causing him to sprawl onto the floor with a yelp of shock.
His head landed on stick, and that stick, balanced on a stack of books, launched a bowl up into the air, and it fell on Zuko, covering him in pink glitter.
Coughing frantically trying to wipe the pink dust off of himself, he said, "Is this glitter dust?"
He was answered by a pair of giggles. Zuko strode angrily around his door and found a young boy with a shock of bright blond hair and marks similar to whiskers on his cheeks rolling on the floor, while a girl slightly younger than him with ebony hair and amber eyes vainly tried to muffle her giggles behind her sleeve and failing badly.
"Azula! Naruto!"
The two kids ran away from the glittering, angry Zuko as he chased them through the house. "It matches your sparkling personality, Zu-Zu!" The young blond called, high-fiving Azula.
"Naruto…" Zuko murmured in shock, eyes wide and glazed.
"What was that, my Prince?" The older man asked.
Zuko pointed at the sky where the sky-bison had disappeared. "Uncle, that man in white, that was Naruto!"
Uncle arched an eyebrow in question, frowning slightly. "How can you be so sure?"
Zuko pulled on his shirt, scattering glitter on the deck. "He threw glitter at my face and said it matched my personality! No one else has ever done that!" He quieted down, tapping his chin in thought. "I thought he was dead…Azula thought he was dead…I need to tell her this! Get me a messenger hawk!" He ordered.
Zuko turned and found most of the crew attempting to unfreeze their comrades and free the ship from the ice, and slapped a palm to his face. "I'll go get one myself." He muttered, marching off into the ship. His sister, despite their less then stellar relationship, was still his sister, and he still cared about her, and she had been the one most broken up about her only boy friend's supposed death than almost anyone else among their little group; except, perhaps, for Ty Lee.
…
"Oh man, that was awesome!" Sokka cheered, pumping his fist triumphantly. "I can't believe we took on the Fire Nation and actually beat them! Good job, Katara!"
His sister smiled happily until he changed tack a second later. "But that was super dangerous and you're not doing it again!"
She reached out and smacked the back of his head. "I am, Sokka, and you aren't going to change my mind!"
Sun interjected before the brother could voice his complaints. "I saw what you guys did," He said with a smile. "You guys work really well together, when you aren't bickering."
Katara smiled along with her brother at the compliment. Aang joined them in the saddle, sitting with them. "Thank you for coming to rescue me, guys." He said gratefully.
Sun nudged him with his elbow. "That wouldn't have been necessary if you hadn't surrendered, you know." He remarked dryly.
Aang rubbed the back of his bald head sheepishly. "I know, but all the fire they were throwing around could've hurt the people around us. I just didn't want anyone to get hurt because of me." He muttered, slumping a little.
Sun put a hand on his shoulder, smiling comfortingly. "I know, Aang, and I can understand where you're coming from. You just need some guidance, and that's what I'm here for."
"You're here to guide me?" The Avatar asked, "How?"
Sun frowned and shook his head. "Hold on, I need to do my introduction." He patted the saddle, "Hey Appa, can you land us on the berg over there? Thanks, buddy."
Appa roared in acknowledgement and brought them in to land, and the blond man jumped off and back away. "Alright, here we go." He muttered, reaching into his pocket.
Sun whipped out his staff as it grew to full-size, spinning it around him in a golden blur, before slamming it on the ground, cracking the ice. "My name is Sun Naruto, Avatar Aang, and I have been charged by the Spirits to guide you!" He pointed one end of the staff at a wide-eyed Aang, "In your journey to master the elements and bring balance to this world! I am your Guide, I am your Guard, and I will protect your life with my own, in this world and the next! This I have been charged with, and this I will not fail in!"
As he spoke, the clouds opened up, a shaft of sunlight shone down on him, making his staff, armor and hair all glow with a nearly ethereal golden light.
As soon as his introduction was over, the sunlight faded and the serious atmosphere fled as he smiled at the stunned trio. "How was that? I've been practicing that for years! Was it impressive?" He asked eagerly.
They all nodded slowly, causing Sun to pump a fist and cheer. "Awesome!"
"Are you really my guide?" Aang asked, once he got over his shock.
The blond man nodded seriously. "I am, Aang. As I said, I will guide you and guard you with my life. It's my destiny."
They piled back into the saddle and took to the air again. "How did you do that thing with your staff? And what was with the sunlight?" Sokka asked quickly, examining the weapon lying on Sun's legs.
It was six feet long and colored a dark, burnished gold, each end decorated with carvings of monkeys.
"This used to be my Master's weapon," He explained, patting the weapon fondly. "He imbued it with the ability to change shaped and size and will, and since it's from the Spirit World, the laws of this world don't apply to it, so I can do the same."
"You keep mentioning your Master," Katara commented as the staff shrunk in size and was stored away. "Who is it?"
Sun smiled widely and pointed up at the sky, more particularly, the Sun. "He gave me part of his name, and I've known him as Master Wu. But to other people, he's called the Monkey King, the Sun Spirit. Which should also answer your second question, Sokka."
Aang appeared in the saddle in a blur of motion. "You were trained by a Spirit?!" He yelled excitedly, "How?"
"I lived in the Fire Nation until I was about…eight, I think. I had to leave, and I somehow ended up in the Spirit World." He explained with a shrug. "No one except the Avatar is supposed to be able to do that, or bend more than one element, so they didn't know what to do with me. Most of them wanted to kill me, actually, but Master Wu intervened with the idea that, instead of erasing me from existence, they tie my destiny with the Avatar's, to be your Guide and Guard. They eventually agreed, and Master Wu took me under his wing and trained me."
"Wow," The young Avatar said quietly. "So you guys are coming with me?" He directed at Katara and Sokka, who both nodded determinedly.
"Of course we are. You promised to help me find a Waterbending Master, remember?" Katara asked playfully, smiling.
"Yeah! We'll find one and train together!" Aang replied happily.
Sokka jacked a thumb at his sister and pointed at Sun. "I'm just here to protect my sister and my friend…even though he plays pranks on me." He glowered at the blond, who smiled cheekily at him.
"I'm here to help you however I can, Aang, in mastering Water, Earth and Fire." Sun stated seriously, with a small smirk playing about his lips.
"Thanks, guys." Aang murmured, scrubbing at his watering eyes. "We'll find the Masters, and we'll stop the Fire Nation, together." He declared firmly, as the others nodded with him.
"But first…" He whipped out a map and pointed at several locations. "We have serious business to do here, here, and here."
"What's there to do?" Katara asked, peering a the map.
"Here, we'll ride the hopping llamas. Then way over here, we'll surf on the backs of giant koi fish. Then over here, we'll ride the backs of hog-monkeys! They don't like being ridden, but that's what makes it fun!" He said excitedly.
Sokka and Katara traded skeptical, but not unexcited looks, and Sun slapped a hand over his face. "I'm going to have to be the mature, responsible one, aren't I?" He muttered dejectedly.
Looking up at the sun, he saw the beams of light form into a familiar face, pointing and laughing at him. Sun gave the Sun a rude gesture and grumbled to himself, to the amusement of the others, who started laughing at him.
He smiled and joined in, their laughter ringing through the air as Appa sailed through the sky.
…
…
…
A/N: Quick and short, just to end the first part and begin their adventures fresh next chapter. And before anyone asks, yes, Sun did throw glitter in Zuko's face and sucker-punch him. And no, the story did not come into being just for that part, not at all.
Alright, another instance of Questions I Know Will Be Frequently Asked (QIKWBFA):
Q: Is that the staff from the legend of Sun Wukong? And if it is, how can he carry it around?
A: Tis. The appearance is based on the staff from the movie the Lost Worlds (thanks for telling me), and it is the staff of Sun Wukong, with all of it's capabilities, including the weight. How can he carry it around? Well, I'm not going to answer that until later. It'll be a plot point.
Q: How does Sun know Zuko and Azula?
A: He grew up with them until he was eight, and then he had to leave, for reasons that will be explained later.
And one of the questions I've been asked the most is if the pairing is the same, and if it's still a harem. And since that's been asked the most, I'm not going to answer it.
HA!
I've gotta draw you in somehow, and I sometimes enjoy being a bastard. My original Author Avatar was a troll-face for a reason. Pbbbbbbt.
Plus, I want to see how it gets written out, and I'll go from there. Don't bitch if I put Suki with Naruto, please, as I said, I'm seeing how it writes out. Though I definitely not putting Katara and Aang together. In the show, that just seemed really conciliatory to me, as if they had to put it like that.
Well, I'm not them, so I don't.
Also, ages:
Aang is closer to thirteen then twelve, as in he's turning thirteen shortly.
Katara just turned seventeen.
Sokka is closer to eighteen then seventeen.
Naruto is almost eighteen.
Azula is the same as Sun.
Zuko is nearly nineteen.
I'll add more in later, when it becomes needed…if it becomes needed.
Anyway, that's all I got for you guys today. I've been typing a lot the last couple of days, so I need to rest my hands. I need those for making sandwiches and high-fiving, you know, the important stuff. And also writing, I guess.
Stay Awesome.
~Soleneus
P.S.: I'd like you readers to stop for a moment and join me in a toast. To Christopher Lee, one of the best Bond Villains, the best part of the Star Wars Prequels, the One Wizard to Rule Them All, Badass in movies and in real life. A finer Gentleman, Badass and Son of Charlemagne there never was. Rest In Peace, you bad-mamajama.
Stay Awesome Some More.
~still Soleneus