Hey! Good thing you're back, because this is about to get interesting!
I woke up to the arguing yells of two people coming from outside the makeshift tent I had made out of a large cloak. Listening harder I concluded that the voices arguing belonged to Toph and Katara. I got up, lifted lifted flap of my tent, and stepped out. As I expected, it was Toph and Katara. They were both covered in mud, breathing heavily, and angrily narrowing their eyes at each other. I stepped in between them and held my arms out. "Please, this won't solve anything, I promise." I said.
They continued to glare at each other. "She started it!" Katara protested.
"Yeah, sure!" Toph Answered.
"What, are you saying is my fault?!" Katara asked.
"Maybe I am!" Toph shot back.
"Guys, please… STOP!" I shouted.
I thrust my arms outwards and pillars of earth shot up from the ground and straight into Toph and Katara's stomachs. They both shot backwards in opposite directions, the mud flying off them, and landed with a dull thud. They didn't make any move to get up, but just lay there breathing heavy, rasping breaths. "Toph! Katara!" I cried worriedly with tears forming at the corners of my eyes. "What did I do?"
"AANG!" I shouted at the top of my lungs.
In a second Aang, Sokka, Zuko, and Kuzon ran up. Worry automatically showed on all four of their faces. "Katara!" Sokka shouted, running up to her.
"I don't know what happened!" I cried. "I'm so sorry I, it all happened so fast!"
Tears ran down my cheeks as I lowered myself to the ground and pulled my knees against my chest. Zuko and Kuzon stood speechless, trying to process what just happened. Aang looked like he wanted to shouted, not in anger but in worry, but he didn't. Instead, he walked over to me and put a hand on my shoulder. I looked up at him hesitantly through a blanket of tears. "I-" I stuttered.
"What happened?" He asked calmly. "Was it?"
Then he looked over at Toph and I knew what he meant. I simply shook my head, tears still streaming from my eyes. Aang sat there for a minute trying to process what I was saying. Then he seemed to understand something. "So it was?" Aang asked, giving me a meaningful look.
I simply shook my head and his my face in my knees. "How did? OK, I'm confused." Zuko said.
"Me too." Kuzon agreed.
"Elian?" Aang said, tapping me on the shoulder.
I looked up at him with worried eyes. "I'm so sorry." I told him barely above a whisper.
Aang grabbed my hand and pulled me up. "I bet they're fine." He told me. "How about you go help Toph?" He added, heading over to Katara.
I nodded and rushed over to Toph. She was breathing fine, the impact must have just surprised her. "Are you OK?" I asked slowly as Kuzon ran over. (Zuko just stood there awkwardly.)
Toph nodded a bit and held her hand out. I grabbed her hand and helped her up. "What was that?" She asked when she was standing.
"I think it was me." I told her quietly.
She looked very confused. I turned around to see that Aang and Sokka had gotten Katara standing as well. Me and the others, including Zuko, walked over to Katara, Sokka, and Aang. "So…" Kuzon said confusedly.
"I don't know." I answered. "But I think I did this."
"I thought you were an airbender, though." Zuko said.
"I am." I told him.
Then I created a small tornado in my hand and sent it off. "See?" I asked.
"Then how could you have done this?" Sokka asked.
"Look, I'm just as confused as you are, but it wasn't Toph or Katara and I was the only other one around. Who else would it have been?" I asked.
No one said anything. "Are you guys OK?" I asked Toph and Katara.
"I'm fine." Katara assured. "Sorry Toph." She added quietly.
"Yeah." Toph said.
Suddenly Toph froze for a second before shouting. "Guys, watch out!"
We all turned around and found ourselves almost face to face with eight of the masked men. "No!" I shouted, thrusting my hands out in front of me.
Then a wave of earth shot forwards like a wave of water would. It sent all eight of the masked men flying backwards. They landed on the ground and the wave of earth almost crushed them. Everyone stared at me for a few seconds then I shook myself back to reality. "Guys, let's go." I said.
Then we all ran up to the bison. "Yip-yip!" I shouted as the last person got on.
Then we were off. Off again, confused and with more question than answers. Mystery. That's what this was. One big mystery.
"Come in." She said, answering the knock that came from the other side of the door.
A man entered wearing an identical uniform to the ones of the masked men. "Princess, I am afraid I have come bearing bad news." He said.
"What is it?" She answered.
"I am afraid the group you sent out yesterday has just returned." He told her.
"And?" She responded back.
"Well they… they have all been sent to the hospital chamber, princess. I am afraid the mission was not a success. " He said.
"What?" She asked, trying to keep herself calm.
"They… They said the airbender has learned of her power to control the elements. And… She has met the firebender. " He told her hesitantly.
This time she could not keep calm. "What?!" She shouted, her outburst echoing through the chamber.
"I am afraid it does not look good for us, princess." He stated.
After some consideration, Nupira answered. "Go and fetch my sisters. Tell them 'they' have found the firebender. You may leave."
