The Beginning
Chapter 3
The Hundred Year War
When Aang. Katara and Sokka reached the village Aang was still asleep. It was the middle of the night when, so they took Aang and put him in one of the tents. Kanna had looked at the boy and knew what he was before Katara said a word. The boy's garments and tattoos clearly told her all she needed to know.
It was now the beginning of the next day and the village was eager to see the boy.
Katara was sent to wake the boy.
"Good morning Aang! Get dressed the village is waiting to meet you."
Just before stepping out she paused to watch him finish dressing. She marvelled at the strange tattoo that covered much of his body. He is so young. Why does he have such a large tattoos. Just before he finished getting dressed she asked," Hey Aang. Why do you have those tattoos?"
Aang craned his neck looking back at her and responded grinning broadly," These signify my mastery over air bending. I can now become a Sifu to other air benders, but I will probably wait a few years. Teaching seems like something that would be very boring to me right now."
Katara was amazed that he was already a master. She was fifteen years old and he was only twelve. The difference was amazing. "Incredible"
Aang had just finished getting dressed and was reaching for his staff when Katara grabbed his wrist and hauled him out eager to make introductions. A little over a dozen people were waiting in the center of the village. There were nine women, ten children, and a husky dog. Sokka was leaning against a tent sharpening his boomerang keep a close watch on the Air-bender.
"Aang this is the entire village; entire village… Aang."
Aang bowed in greeting to the people, but was surprised when they shrank away in fear.
"Why are they looking at me like that? Oh no did Appa sneeze on me?"
"Well no one has seen an air bender in over a hundred years we thought they were extinct, until my grandchildren Sokka and Katara found you." The old woman looked at Katara and Sokka as if they had done something wrong.
Katara had a small look of confusion at the glance but shook herself and told Aang," Aang this is my grandmother."
"Call me Gran-gran."
Sokka approached Aang and swiped his staff looking over it critically. "What is this? A weapon?" Aang look displeased at having his staff taken from him," You can't stab anything with this."
Aang twitched his fingers and air bended the staff into his hand." It's not a weapon it is for air bending. It allows me to control the air current around me and to fly." He said as he activated the staff which revealed orange fan wings.
"People can't fly." Sokka says.
"When an air bender has this they can. It is a lot more fun to fly like this than on Appa. He is so gentle in the air. Although, I haven't flown on a dragon yet and my friend Kuzon says it is one of the greatest experiences he had ever had."
Sokka looked at Aang as if he was crazy. This would be extremely likely with the way Aang went on about his strange musings.
A young girl gasped in awe," magic trick do it again!"
"Not magic. Air bending with the glider allows me to fly" Aang corrects gently.
"Last time I checked humans can't fly." Sokka said abrasively.
"Check again!" Aang said and jumped into air. He flew high above laughing happily at the amazement of the people below him. When he caught sight of Katara smiling up at him his smile grew even wider. Unfortunately for him this distracted him and he crashed head first into a watch tower made of snow.
"My watch tower."
Aang fell from the side and was covered in snow.
"That was amazing" Katara said offering her hand to help Aang out from the snow. Aang dusted himself off and twirled his staff closed. Sokka was inspecting his tower when the place Aang crashed into had some snow come loose and covers Sokka.
"Great. You're an air bender; Katara is a water bender. Together you can just waste time all day."
"You're a water bender!"
"Well sort of not yet." I am not very good at it. All I can do is control animals and people and I don't think many people would like that.
"Alright enough fun. Come Katara you have chores."
"Isn't he amazing? You know what he told me earlier? He said he is a master air bender can you believe that. He is twelve years old and already a master."
"Katara, I know what you are thinking and I don't want you putting all your hopes in this boy."
"But Gran-gran he is amazing I can sense great wisdom from him." She said while Aang demonstrated the dangers of wet flesh and cold dry objects by sticking his tongue to his staff.
Kanna looked passively at the display," really? Great wisdom, I must be getting old because I can't see it."
"A person can be fun and wise at the same time." She feebly defended.
"Never the less Katara I need you to be cautious I do not want to see you hurt."
"I understand Gran-gran" Katara said as she made her way into her tent to finish her chores.
After Katara finished she went outside again to see Sokka giving a speech to the younger boys. Katara thought the speech was quite good in her opinion. unfortunately the audience it was directed at weren't the best. They were children. They were much younger than herself and her brother. Eventually the kids demanded a potty break and Sokka allowed them to go.
"Have you seen Aang?" she asked.
Just then Aang emerged from Igloo used as a latrine. "Wow everything freezes in there!"
"Gah! Katara get him out of here!" Sokka demanded.
Aang was now sitting on Appa while the kids used his large tail as a slide to fall into a snowbank. It was now littered with children in thick blue parkas.
This seemed to push Sokka over the edge. He rushed over to Aang and ranted at him about there be no time for fun and games with a war going on.
"What war? You guys keep talking about a war but I don't remember hearing about any wars before coming here."
"You are kidding right?"
Suddenly Aang eyes glistened in surprise. "PENGUIN!" he yelled and dashed so quickly he must have been air bending to move the way he did.
"He's kidding right?" Sokka asked Katara.
Following the thick path through the snow Katara was able to track down Aang to a large flock of penguins. He was currently trying to catch one to go sledding. For an air-bender whom are known for their agility aang seemed to be having a lot of trouble in catching the slow waddling birds.
"You won't be able to go penguin sledding even if you do catch them like that Aang."
"Really? Can you show me how than?"
"I could… if you are interested in doing a trade?" Katara offered.
"Trade? What did you have in mind?" Aang asked concerned. Being a nomad who were known for having very little of their own belongings. Aang didn't have much. All he had was a sack of fruit, his staff, and the clothes off his. He couldn't give up the food because he was a vegetarian and there wasn't much for him to forage in the Deep South like he was. His staff was an important tool for air benders but he didn't think Katara would have wanted.
"You teach me water bending and I will show you how to penguin sled."
"You got a deal! Only one problem Katara., I am an air bender not a water bender. I can't teach you even if I am a master bender. Water and air have completely different katas. Air bending katas can be performed at any time in any place because we always have air. I can always trust their to be bendable air around me. This isn't so for water."
"You must know something though. You are my only hope."
"Can't you learn from a water bender?"
"No I can't, you are looking at the only water bender in the entire South Pole."
"Really, well what about the northern water tribe? There is a northern water tribe there right?"
"We haven't had contact with our sister tribe for some time now. We haven't seen anyone from the north in decades and it wouldn't be easy to get there, its not exactly turn right at the second glacier. It's on the other side of the world."
"But you forget I have a flying sky Bison. Appa and I can take you to the North Pole. Katara we're are going to find you a master."
Katara's heart swelled with joy. She was going to get a master. She was finally going to learn how to do normal water bending. All she would have to do was… leave home. Gran-gran, Sokka everyone including Galda, Etha, and Matana. Could she leave her home just so she can learn to water bend?
"I don't know Aang. I have never left home before. And the other side of the world is really far away from home."
"Well think about it. I am not planning on leaving the south anytime soon. You have plenty of time. In the meantime… mind showing me how to do this?" he gestured to the penguins all keeping a slight distance from the annoying but harmless nomad.
"Sure Aang, but learning the art of Penguin sledding is an ancient and sacred art." Katara mocked good-naturedly. Bowing to Aang she produced a small fish from her satchel at her hip and tossed it to Aang. All the penguin couldn't get to Aang fast enough.
Katara and Aang were racing down a glacier at break neck speeds. They were swerving from side to side on the backs of their respective animals. The two benders were laughing happily. Aang went of a makeshift ramp and flew over Katara. They eventually came to an ice tunnel. As they were nearing the exit Aang with the aid of his air bending blasted himself and his penguin out of the tunnel like a bullet.
Aang and Katara climbed off their penguins and walked forward.
"Whoa. What is that?" Aang asked looking at the silhouette of ice and metal.
"Fire navy ship it is one of the first to attack my tribe very bad memories for my people."
Aang walked forward into the shadow of the ruin.
"Aang wait we aren't allowed to go near it."
"If you want to be a bender you have to let go of fear."
Katara paused at this. Was this true? How could she know? Aang was the only other Bender she had ever met and he was a master air bender. Maybe none there were no traps on the ship? Katara gritted her teeth, nodded and followed Aang aboard the ship.
They made their way through the dark corridors. Most of the ship was in a state of disarray. Snow and ice accumulated everywhere. The metal had varying degrees of rust damage. In some areas the floor and walls were completely gone. They eventually came to a room with racks of lethal looks weapons.
"This ship has haunted my tribe since my grandfather was a little boy." Katara said (AN 1)
"Okay back up. I have friends all over the world. My friend Kuzon is fire nation."
"Aang how long were you in that ice berg?"
"I dunno a few days."
"I think more like a hundred years."
"What that is impossible. Do I look like a hundred and twelve year old man to you?"
"Think about it the war is a century old. You don't know about it because somehow you were in there for that whole time. It is the only explanation."
Aang looked distraught and sat down." A hundred years. I can't believe it!"
"I am sorry Aang, maybe, there is a bright side to all this?" Katara offered.
"Well I did meet you" he said this brought a smile to the two's faces.
"C'mon let's get out of here" she said while helping Aang to his feet.
The two began making their way out but unfortunately they were a little lost and stumbled into a room where the roof fell through. Aang was walking towards the light when he stepped through some snow setting off a trip wire. The trap caused rooms to lock down and fire a flare into the sky. Aang quickly scooped up Katara and raced back to her village. Unknown to the two a small fire nation ship witnessed not only the light show from the ice berg but also the flare.
Prince Zuko had finally found the Avatar.
AN1 I noticed a discrepancy in the show. In the ship Katara says her gran-gran was a little girl when it came but that can't be possible. Because Kanna was still in the northern water tribe when she was a child. Unless Pakku proposed to her when she was a kid I don't see her being in the south when the ship attacked. And I doubt a child could run away like it is explained in the show. So yeah just FTFY avatarverse.
