The Life of Fire Lord Zuko – The Boy in the Iceberg
Katara and Sokka just found a big iceberg that seems to have something inside it. A huge light appears and a bald boy with arrows on him appears with a huge animal inside it.
"Who are you?" Katara and Sokka ask.
"I'm Aang of the Air Nomads. And who are you?" Aang asks.
"My name is Katara and this is my brother Sokka from the Southern Water Tribe." Katara introduces herself. "Nice to meet y..."
Sokka interrupts Katara. "Katara. Don't talk to him that easily. How can we trust him about being an Air Nomad? As far as I know all of them were destroyed by the Fire Nation 100 years ago?"
"Wait a minute. Did you say 100 years?" Aang asks. "Impossible. I've heard about Fire Lord Sozin starting a war a few days ago when a comet passing by enhanced the Firebenders's ability."
"That was almost 100 years ago." Katara explains. "How long have you been frozen in that iceberg?"
"Probably all the time since the war had just begun when I got frozen?" Aang guesses.
"And which animal is that with you?" Katara asks.
"It's my Flying Bison, Appa." Aang explains.
"I don't believe this animal can fly." Sokka says.
Aang tries to make Appa fly but fails.
"Well, 100 years frozen damages one's flying abilities." Aang explains.
"Aang, are you a bender?" Katara asks.
Aang shows his Airbending skills. "Yep. All Air Nomads are benders."
"I can waterbend. Would you like to be my instructor?" Katara asks.
"Sorry, Katara. But I'm an Airbender and you need a Waterbending master." Aang explains.
"Oh, yeah." She replies. "Hey, if you're an Air Nomad from the first days of the war you must know what happened to the Avatar."
"Usually the Avatars don't have their identities revealed before turning eighteen but due to the war they decided to reveal the current one's earlier. It caused him to be shunned by his friends and forced to focus on the war and forsake the fun usually associated with Air Nomads by his age back then. Whatever happened to him after that only he knows." Aang explains.
"Good story but I'm not buying it." Sokka explains. "How can I know you're not a spy from the Fire Nation?"
"There's no time for it, Sokka." Katara says. "Dad and the rest of the tribe are after us. We can see them from here."
"Why are you running away from your own Father?" Aang asks.
"The nations agreed with an stupid peace treaty where a girl from either the Earth Kingdom or the Water Tribe will marry Fire Lord Zuko and my Dad had this stupid idea of send Katara as a suitor." Sokka explains.
"What's wrong with that? Is this Fire Lord Zuko too old for her?" Aang asks.
"Actually Dad says Zuko is around my age but that's not the point. I don't wanna live in the Fire Nation. And I don't wanna have anything to do with anyone from the nation responsible for what happened to my Mother. Specially their ruler. If at least the Avatar came back he would find a way to stop that war without this stupid arranged marriage." Katara says.
"I used to have friends from the Fire Nation before the war. It's not so bad." Aang says.
"See, Katara? I told you we can't trust him. He has friends in the Fire Nation." Sokka says.
Because of that conversation with Aang, Hakoda's posse managed to reach his children.
"Sokka. Katara. Get back to my ship. And who's that boy with you?" Hakoda asks.
"Dad, this is Aang from the Air Nomads." Katara says.
"Welcome, Aang." Hakoda says. "Do you mind Airbending his way to my ship?"
Aang agrees and impresses everyone with his Airbending. They all go with Hakoda back to the Southern Water Tribe.
"It's your fault my sister is now forced to go to the Fire Nation and risk herself to be forced to marry a royal jerk from there." Sokka tells Aang.
"Sokka, give it a try." Aang says. "The Fire Nation isn't so bad once you get to know it."
"You're the Avatar. Aren't you?" Kanna asks.
"What? How did you find out?" Aang asks.
"I'm good at deducing secrets from people." Kanna says.
"That's right, Aang." Katara says. "Gran Gran is quite good at that. But why didn't you tell us you're the Avatar?"
"Because I don't wanna be the Avatar. I want to be a normal kid with friends." Aang explains.
"I understand that, Aang. But that's impossible to be a normal kid during a war." Sokka says. "Isn't there a way you can stop it without my sister being forced to marry into the Fire Nation?"
"It's impossible to tell without knowing what the world is today. And I still have to find instructors for Waterbending, Earthbending and Firebending." Aang explains.
"Maybe someone at the Fire Nation agrees to be your Firebending instructor and perhaps you can find Waterbending and Earthbending instructors among the ones in charge of the safety of the other suitors." Hakoda tells Aang and then talks to Katara. "If helping this war to come to an ending isn't enough to make you go perhaps helping Aang is. What do you say now?"
Katara sighs. "Fine, Dad. I'll meet Fire Lord Zuko. But I still don't like it."
"Good. Since you've already packed your stuff you're ready to go. A Fire Nation ship is going to pick you." Hakoda says.
Sokka is angry." Dad. Are you allowing a ship from THAT NATION to come here?"
"Yes." Hakoda says. "And you and Aang are going to the Fire Nation with Katara for her safety. Is that clear?"
"Yes, Dad." Sokka says.
Once the Fire Nation ship arrives, Sokka, Katara, Aang and Appa enter it and leave the Southern Water Tribe for the Fire Nation.
This chapter ends here. Which other suitors do you think Katara is going to meet while aboard? Perhaps your answers may change the way of this fic. Please R&R.