Lady Violet Fire: Is Sera the Avatar? No…it's something even better. Thanks for your reviews! =D

Chapter 4 - Discovery

"What did you just say? You found something?" The elderly man asked, almost dropping his tea cup.

"Yeah, it was sudden and small, but the tool you gave me reacted! I was just taking a stroll about an hour after you gave me this thing, and I passed a couple heading through the city. And as they passed, it tugged towards them."

"You're sure?"

"Absolutely."

"Do you know which one it moved for?"

The younger of the two shook his head. "No, but it's one of them. I overheard them talking about the Jade Dragon."

"Then I guess that's where we're headed. I think between the two of us we can handle a couple of kids. Even if one of them holds the power our master is looking for, we need to be careful. The owner of the Jade Dragon is none other than the uncle of Firelord Zuko. He's arguably the most powerful fire bender in the world. So we need to make sure we make this quick."

"What are we going to do?"

The elder took one last sip before standing up and walking out of the small tea shop he was lounging in. As they moved onto the road, he revealed his plan.

"We're going to kidnap the one that holds the power. Whatever it may be."

"I know I asked this before, but what power is that exactly?" the younger man asked, taking a drink from his animal skin canteen.

"Our master says it is the power to control a dormant force within our universe. Supposedly, it's unlike any other. We'll find out soon enough what it is. But until we do, it's all speculation."

Again, more vague answers.

00000000000000000000

The Jade Dragon was spectacular to say the least. The tea shop was the size of a dojo, and inside were forty low-set tables with pillows for seats. As Kea and Sera entered, they were greeted by the famous Iroh. Kea was impressed.

"Greetings young friends. Please seat yourselves and make yourselves at home," Iroh smiled, motioning to the forty tables available. Sera and Kea nodded and sat themselves near one of the windows.

"Wow…this place is…wow." Sera said in awe. The walls were decorated with dragon statues made of jade, the ceiling decorated with lights of every kind. The floor itself had small dragons etched in it by children who had come and gone over the past few years. In moments, tea was brought to them on small plates that were painted with white lotus flowers.

"Thanks," they said simultaneously. Iroh laughed heartily as he began reciting poems out loud, tending to his other customers. Today was seriously light in business, but that didn't seem to hurt the tea shop at all.

"So, about your training," Kea began after a short silence enveloped them. The atmosphere was perfect for discussing future matters.

"Hmm?" Sera replied as she took a long sip while looking to her teacher.

"You're finally beginning to make rocks move around you. So I think you're finally starting to get it. Do you feel any different?"

"…Kind of. I don't feel any more attached to it, but I guess I'm doing something right."

"Strange. When I learned, I could feel the earth becoming part of me more and more. You don't feel that way?"

"Nuh uh," she answered, taking another sip. Her tea was a ginger tea…and it was delicious. She didn't want to think on training, but she guessed it was unavoidable.

"Hmmm…well either way, you're getting better. Hopefully in the next week you'll be able to manipulate stones," was what he finished with as he downed the last of his tea. He held up his cup and one of Iroh's employees came quickly, refilling the cup with grace. He thanked the lady and took another sip. It was then that he noticed something off. He didn't know when they showed up, but two men were now sitting just four tables in front of him. Both wore brown, shabby clothes. One was quite young and the other was very old. Neither of them spoke, just sipped tea feverishly.

What are they doing? Something's wrong.

He looked to his right where Sera was sitting. She was too occupied with her drink to notice the odd pair in front of them. He looked back at the two men ahead, and just as he was about to dismiss them, they stood and turned to face them.

Okay, something's definitely wrong.

Kea reached into his pocket where from he pulled out a small rock. He felt something dangerous about them. And it was a good thing he came prepared for what happened next. The young earth bender scanned the room. Iroh had just stepped out and two of the customers left, leaving only the four of them in the room. The timing was perfect.

The two brown-clothed men approached slowly. The younger of the two looked at Sera, then Kea, his face grim and his hands cracking their knuckles. Sera then noticed them, putting down her tea cup.

"How can I help you?" Kea broke the silence. The elder spoke first, placing his hands in his pockets.

"Terus, which one is it?" he asked, looking at the younger man. The younger man looked down at his belt and examined the small sack attached. It was pulling towards the small girl sitting with a confused look about her.

"It's her." the young man said, pointing at Sera.

Sera shifted in her seat, looking at the two men with even more confusion. Kea was priming himself for a fight, his body becoming completely relaxed as he moved his right arm in front of his student.

"What do you want with her?" Kea asked, his tone becoming low and dangerous. He was about to see if his training with Master Yong was worth the effort.

"Back off boy, this doesn't concern you," the elder snapped, moving his hands from his pockets and positioning them in front of him in a fighting stance.

A fire bender!

"Sera! Move!" was all that could be heard as the elder launched a torrent of flame at Kea. Kea dodged, pushing Sera out of her seat and onto the floor. The flames caught the window, raising it into a small inferno as the younger man, Terus ran around the elder, pulling out two rocks from his pockets and flinging them at the helpless pair on the floor. Luckily, Kea was prepared and grabbed both rocks in mid air, turning them to dust in his hands.

Before the fight could continue within the Jade Dragon, Kea grabbed the shocked Sera and leaped out of the window, the fire singing some of his hair as he landed roughly in the city street, bruising his knee. Sera was completely immobile, not knowing what was going on. It was the first time she'd ever been attacked, even in training she had never had to face an opponent.

"Are you alright?" Kea asked, setting his student down on the ground. She nodded, shaking uncontrollably. "Good, just stay here."

He turned and faced the entrance of the Jade Dragon, watching as the two assailants walked out as if they had done nothing.

"What is wrong with you two? What did Sera do to you?" Kea roared, his aggressive side beginning to show. He wouldn't normally be upset this easily, but they just attacked him and his student.

A fire bender and an earth bender. I'm at a serious disadvantage.

"Look boy, we don't want anyone to die. But if we must kill you to get her, then so be it," the elder nearly whispered.

"It'll be easier to just let us take her," the younger added.

"You didn't answer my question," Kea angrily replied, holding up both hands and forcing two boulders to form from the ground. He was not in the mood to play around.

"Nor should we," the elder said after examining Kea's stance. In an instant, he leaped forward and launched another torrent of flame, Kea blocking by forcing the two boulders together. The younger assailant forced up a wall of stone and pushed it towards Kea, Kea quickly holding his ground and punching through it before sending his boulders at the two before him. The elder jumped over the first boulder whilst the younger stopped the boulder with one hand, countering by pushing it back at Kea, who side-flipped to dodge it.

Around the battle, almost a hundred earth kingdom citizens gathered to watch, no one of authority around to help. Sera, who was now wearing off from the shock, stood slowly to watch the spectacle herself. She tried to summon up a rock from the ground, but unsuccessfully as she seemed to forget her forms. Everything turned to chaos as the younger assailant decided to take on Kea himself. He started by sending two slates of stone at Kea, his body moving in a circular fashion as he sent six more at the young teacher. Kea expertly kicked two out of the air, blocking four more with his hands before being knocked down by the last two. Quickly, he recovered, stomping the earth and softening the earth underneath the elder fire bender, trapping the old man halfway in the ground as he reached down and pulled up another boulder, hurling it at the other earth bender. The young attacker kicked through the boulder and sent two more slates at Kea who grabbed them mid-air. In a strange move, he slapped the two slabs together and formed what looked like a sword made of rock.

"Hmm…I can say I've never seen that before," Terus smirked as Kea got into one of his unique fighting stances.

"I made it myself," Kea replied.

"Kea! Watch out!" Sera yelled as the elder fire bender punched out at Kea, sending medium-sized fireballs at Sera's instructor. Kea spun his earth sword with mastery, dispatching the flames and charging the attackers. Terus jumped forward, landing hard on the ground and sending the earth underneath Kea into the air, sending Kea twenty feet high. He wasn't expecting that.

"Crap!" was all Kea could say before hitting the ground, rolling to minimize the punishment the hard earth made on his body. He was about to stand and continue his charge before Terus sent another boulder at him, knocking him to the ground again. As Kea was struck, his left ankle twisted, sending a shockwave of pain up and down his leg as he slid five feet backwards, his earth sword flying far to his left.

Terus, stomping the ground, released the elder fire bender, allowing him to move freely. Kea tried to stand, but unsuccessfully as he kneeled.

"We gave you the chance to give up. To surrender, but you decided death instead," the elder laughed as he charged his right hand to burn Kea alive. Sera, seeing this attempt, ran to Kea's side, grabbing him in her arms and holding him close.

"Sera! Get away!" Kea yelled in her face. But she didn't care. She held him closely as the fire bender was about to attack. She imagined the two of them being twenty feet from their current position, away from the attacking fire bender. She hoped and prayed the two of them could be safe from harm…and that's when it happened. When history itself changed…when a hundred earth kingdom citizens couldn't believe their eyes. Terus was the first to notice it when the brown sack attached to his belt went crazy. It pulled towards Sera with so much vigor he almost was swept from his feet. In an instant, just as the elder fire bender attacked, a cloud of black enveloped Kea and Sera and just like that, they disappeared…just as Sera hoped they would.

The blast of fire attacked nothing as Sera and Kea were ejected from a black hole that formed behind the assailants. Kea just gasped in shock as Sera's whole being emanated a black force that looked so alien, it might have been a dream. Terus looked behind him as he watched Kea and Sera land a little ways away.

"H-how in the hell did they-?" was all Terus could say right before he was taken by surprise. The other earth kingdom residents stared with gaping mouths at the sight. In under five seconds, Iroh appeared from an alleyway and apprehended the attackers, knocking them down and forcing them to submit without even fire bending. The fight was over…but not without cost.

"Are you okay?" was all Sera said as she blacked out, landing in Kea's lap unconscious. Kea still couldn't believe what happened. They were just about to be burned alive and then…then they were behind their attackers within an instant. This was definitely something to write home about in his book.

"Are you hurt?" Iroh ran to them after bringing down the attackers, the earth kingdom's police quickly showing up to arrest the assailants.

"Just a few scratches," Kea answered for them. "Thanks to her."

"Good. Come, bring her inside the shop. We should talk about this over some tea," Iroh offered, helping Kea stand as he held Sera in his arms. She was incredibly light he noticed, but he could feel a heavy burden on her.

As they left the scene, Kea looked over his shoulder to see the mysterious attackers being taken away in metal cuffs. He could manage a smile of relief as he looked at Iroh with hazy eyes.

"I think I've had enough tea for today, but I'll take up your offer."

End of chapter 4! I know it's sudden, but I hope you guys liked it. Things are heating up! Please review =)