(Warning: Some Violence in this chapter...)
Chapter Ten: The Avatar Returns
Koumi licked between the pads of her paws. She sat just inside of an old cave and cleaned all the ice that formed on her coat. Don't listen to a guardian, no, why would you ever want to listen to her. It's not like she lived longer and has more experience or any such nonsense!
Aang and Katara sauntered back to the village with Koumi by their side. "Aang's back!" One of the children called. The others ran up to him giggling.
"I knew it!" Sokka yelled at Aang, "You signaled the Fire navy with that flare! You're leading them right to us, aren't you?"
"Aang didn't do anything! It was an accident," Katara defended.
"Yeah, we were on this ship and there was a booby trap, and well, we boobied right into it," Aang added, rubbing the back of his head.
"Katara, you know better than to be on that ship," Gran-gran pointed out, "Now we could all be in danger."
"Don't blame Katara, I brought her there. It's my fault," Aang lowered his head, looking ashamed.
"Aha!" Sokka jumped at his chance, "The traitor confesses. Warriors, away from the enemy; the foreigner is banished from our village." The children bowed their heads and sadly walked away from Aang.
"Sokka, you're making a mistake," Katara growled.
"No, I'm keeping my promise to Dad; I'm protecting you from threats like him!"
"Aang is not our enemy!" She exclaimed, gesturing to the confused airbender, "Don't you see? Aang's brought us something we haven't had in a long time, fun!"
"Fun!" Sokka cried, "We can't fight firebenders with fun!"
"You should try it some time," Aang stated, trying to be cute.
"Get out of our village, now!" Sokka commanded.
"Grandmother, please," Katara pleaded with a worried looking Aang behind her, "Don't let Sokka do this."
"Katara, you knew going on that ship was forbidden. Sokka is right. I think its best if the Airbender leaves."
"Fine! Then I'm banished too!" She turned, grabbed Aang's arm and drug him toward Appa, "Come on Aang, let's go!"
"Where do you think you're going?" Sokka called after her.
"To find a waterbender, Aang's taking me to the north pole."
"I am? Great!"
"Katara, would you really choose him over your own tribe? Your own family?" Sokka asked, trying to make her feel guilty. Katara stopped. Aang walked up to her.
"Katara, I don't want to come between you and your family." He and Koumi trotted up to Appa's side.
"So, you're leaving the south pole?" Katara lowered her eyes, "This is goodbye?" Aang faced her again.
"Thanks for penguin sledding with me."
"Where will you go?"
"Guess I'll go back home and look for the airbenders," he said petting Appa, "Wow, I haven't cleaned my room in a hundred years; not looking forward to that." He spun into the air and landed gently on the bison's head. "It was nice meeting everyone."
"Let's see your bison fly now, air boy," Sokka folded his arms.
"Come on, boy, you can do it. Yip, yip!" Aang encouragingly flipped the bridle. Appa stood up but refused to fly.
"Yeah, I didn't think so!"
One of the little girls standing next to Sokka ran toward Aang crying. "Aang, don't go, I'll miss you!" She pleaded.
"I'll miss you, too," he glanced at Katara. She looked down as the winds gently blew her hair. He turned away, "Come on." The bison slowly toddled away. Koumi followed behind them.
"You're going, too, Koumi!" Katara cried. The tigress looked back at her and bent her head down, "No! You can't!"
"I'm sorry, Katara." She turned and loped to catch up to the airbender. Katara and the little girl stood side by side until the giant bison was out of sight. The small girl walked away as Katara's grandmother walked up.
"Katara, you'll feel better after-
"You happy now!" Katara turned on her shouting, "There goes my one chance of becoming a waterbender!" She stomped away, leaving her grandmother to stand alone on the hill-top. Kanna sighed, wondering if she did the right thing.
Aang rode on Appa's back across the open snowy plain. Koumi trotted alongside them.
"Aang, I think I should tell you something. It's about the airben-"
"She was really pretty, wasn't she?" Aang asked absentmindedly.
"Hey! Are you even listening to me?" Koumi growled at him.
"Don't growl at him, he's only a child," Appa warned. All Aang could hear, however, was a long bison bellow.
"Yeah, I liked her, too, boy," completely oblivious to the verbal war the two were having. He looked over his shoulder, when something in the ocean caught his eye. A fire nation ship was headed for shore. "The village!" Aang turned and slid down Appa's back, "Appa, you wait here!"
"Aang!" Appa roared, but didn't try to stop him. Koumi, on the other hand, followed right behind him.
"Aang, I really need you to listen for a moment."
"Not now, Kou! I have to help them." Koumi leapt in front of him and roared.
"Stop ignoring me!" She calmed down when Aang froze in place mouth agape. She stood sideways to allow him to mount. "I go where you go," she smiled. The young airbender grinned and climbed onto her back.
Prince Zuko suited up with the help of the guards and Kitsumi. After he had his helmet on, he took her to the side.
"I want you to stay here. I don't want you getting in the way and getting hurt." Kitsumi was about to object, but Zuko hugged her. "Just do it. I know you're really strong, but please, I don't know what will happen." She went limp in his arms and nodded.
She pulled him away, "But if you get hurt, all bets are off!" She warned. Zuko smiled.
"Prince Zuko, we've reached the shore!" The helmsmen called. Zuko joined his men in front of the door. When the ramp lowered a chill filled the inside of the ship, and it wasn't just the weather.
Zuko began to descend the ramp followed closely by his grunts. Sokka stood in the snow just in front of the landing. When Zuko was in sight, he ran full blast up the ramp, his club high above his head. A sharp yell was his battle cry.
When he was close enough, Zuko kicked the club out of the young warrior's hand, then, without putting his foot down, side-kick Sokka into a pile of snow. He stepped off the ship onto the icy shore of the Southern water tribe. He approached the small group of frightened villagers.
"Where are you hiding him?" Zuko's voice was sharp and to the point, no weakness. Before anyone could answer, Sokka ran at him again and again he yowled as he ran. Zuko rolled his eyes and easily dodged the attack, sending the young warrior over his head. He rolled over the snow in front of his tribe.
"Show no fear," a tiny boy called to Sokka before throwing a spear to him. Sokka caught it and once again charged at the teenaged prince. Zuko, gritting his teeth in frustration, blocked the attack and broke the spear into pieces and using the last piece to prod Sokka in the forehead repeatedly.
Kitsumi, who was enjoying the show, giggled loudly from inside the ship, until Sokka pulled out a boomerang. He aimed it at Zuko's head and released it. Zuko, taken by surprise, narrowly avoided the sharpened edges of the weapon. In an instant Kitsumi was by Zuko's side and fighting the urge to form into a wolf.
"I told you to stay on the ship!" Zuko snapped when he realized she was beside him.
"And when do I ever listen to your orders?" She barked back, her gaze never leaving Sokka's.
A faint whistling sound rang in her ears, but when she realized what it was she only had time for one reaction. She shoved Zuko as hard as she could sideways. Ten feet away, Zuko stumbled to keep his footing.
"KIT! What has- Before he could finish, the warrior caught his attention. Sokka had leapt up and was now holding the boomerang. His eyes darted back to Kitsumi, who was holding her arm with a pained and irritated expression. Blood oozed from between her finger, trickled down her arm and pooled on the snow. Zuko glared back at Sokka, baring his teeth while flaming daggers formed in his clenched fists.
Before either could attack again a black tigress leapt over the group of villagers, when she landed she released a fierce roar. Sitting atop her back was Aang. Aang looked from the prince to Sokka.
"Hi, Sokka. Hey, Katara," He greeted cheerfully. Koumi rolled her eyes and shook her head. The tigress' ears twitched forward in alert mode when the smell of blood filled her nostrils. Zuko had placed himself between Kitsumi and the village, so all Koumi seen at first glance was the scared prince and his fire daggers.
"Koumi," Katara shouted, "he's attacking Sokka!" Aang slid off her back; the moment his feet touched the snow, Koumi lunged into the air. An instant before she reached Zuko, a powerful force collided with her, knocking her to the ground hard. Snow and ice flew all around her as her body skipped across the ground. She was finally able to regain her footing and turned on the being who challenged her.
When the loose snow finally settled, she found standing before her, a great white she-wolf. Its teeth were bared and her ears laid back. Under her was a flabbergasted prince. Koumi stared for a moment, trying to make sense of what she was seeing.
Zuko was gaping at the giant wolf with aw, "Where did you come from?" He asked aloud. Her eyes cut back to him for a moment before returning her focus to the tigress. Zuko's eyes finally went to the snow when something landed on his foot. Blood. He looked up at the wolf's front leg; there was a deep gash it. "Kit?"
"SISSY!" Koumi cried, sounding more like an angry snarl. She ran at Kitsumi, but stopped short when the wolf didn't greet her with the same enthusiasm. She continued to growl and her fur stayed on end. With every step forward, the volume of the growls increased. "What is wrong with you?" She roared at the wolf."
"You will not touch him!" Kitsumi barked a response. The tigress stepped backward in surprise. A second later, Koumi flattened her ears against her head and twitched her tail irritably.
"Do you realize who you're protecting?" She hissed, "Have you already forgotten you aren't allowed to protect anyone other than—
"I will protect whomever I choose!"
"You chose him?" Koumi growled.
"Yes! Is that a problem!"
"Yes! It is against our oath!"
"Don't you give me that crap! You never liked this chore or this pathetic half existence! You said nothing would ever separate us, but you left! You abandoned me!"
"Is that what you think? Stupid dog! You know nothing! I had no choice!"
"Yes you did! You could have stayed! We could have saved them! Those monsters came from all sides! I couldn't protect them all! I'm not a waterbender! I cannot heal the sick and injured! I could only cauterize their wounds and hope they made it through the night! I watched them die! All of them!
"And you blame me!"
"YES! And I blame myself."
"Shut up!"
"I do not take orders! He took me with him," she twitched one ear toward Zuko.
"You are protecting the enemy! He's one of the monsters!"
"You don't know him! He's different! He wasn't the one who abandoned me!" The onlookers only heard the exchanging on barks, growls, hisses, and the snapping of jaws. The villagers backed away and the soldiers pressed themselves against the ship.
The tigress' eyes wondered toward the only person who refused to move. "He did this!" She hissed loudly, "he turned you against me!" She lunged for the banished prince, but a few inches away from him, Koumi was forced to the ground. Her paw swiped and knocked his feet out from under him. He fell backward, losing him helmet. Fear rose in his eyes. He was staring into the faces of two oversized beasts.
Kitsumi pinned her to the ground, her fangs clamped around Koumi's neck, blood oozed through her black fur. Rage and hurt shone in Kitsumi's glossy eyes. Koumi struggled, but with every movement, the she-wolf's fangs sunk deeper.
"STOP IT!" Aang finally shouted, but knew better than to interfere physically. Kitsumi loosened her grip at the fearful boy's cry. Koumi took full advantage. She reached back and bit Kitsumi's front paw and quickly hurled her at the ship. She hit hard and fell into a heap in the snow.
Koumi raised a paw and extended her claws. Zuko sat in the ice, too frightened to move. His men didn't make an effort to defend him. The Tigress' claws tore through flesh, blood slathered the ground. Zuko gasped, finally taking a breath. He stared at the blood that stained the pure white snow. Kitsumi wiped her bloody eye, growling. Koumi stepped back, the look of astonishment on her face.
She crouched, ready to leap, but Zuko grabbed her hind leg. "Kit, don't!" The great wolf turned her head. Zuko stared at her left eye, blood slipped down her white face. The eye slowly began to open, healing before his eyes. He swallowed hard.
"She protected you!" Koumi roared, clearly heard by the entire village and crew. Kitsumi's head snapped back, snarling once again at the tigress. "Look what happened when she protected you!" Zuko looked hurt.
"Shud up!" Kit lunged at her. They clashed for what seemed like hours. Fangs and claws dripped with each other's blood. Gran-gran ran the small children into the tents. The battle slowed when one of the beasts gained the upper hand. Koumi stood over her sister, her paw pressed down on Kitsumi's throat. Her claws extended. In the distance, Zuko leapt to his feet and ran at the pair.
The wolf, inches from losing consciousness, formed back into an elf and threw her arms into the air. Instantly following was a wall of white fire. The tigress shot backward and without a pause, she spun in a full circle. Her tail curled and snapped toward her sister. Ice formed around the wrists of the coughing elf. On completing her circle her claws slashed out at whatever they could find.
A piercing scream echoed throughout the village. Zuko lowered his arms and collapsed to the ground. Koumi stood over him. She stared at her bloody claws, smiling at first. Kitsumi placed herself protectively over him in a half-form. She growled and tried to see the damage, but Zuko curled face-down and refused to release his arm.
Koumi's smile faded. He protected her.She shifted into her elf form. They were identical, except for the hair. While Kitsumi chopped her hair short, Koumi kept her hair long and flowing. She dropped her blood stained hand and stepped cautiously forward. She knelt next to him.
"You are a fool." She spoke to him and only him; telepathy was a gift to grand-masters in the art of water. "She is the Avatar's pet not yours. Why did you protect her? You can't love her."Zuko turned his head to face her. She stared down at him with no emotion. "Who do you think you are? You're a human; your future means nothing to an immortal." Zuko flinched.
"W-who are you?" He choked. Koumi's eyes flashed and she smiled half-heartedly. Shaking her head, she chuckled.
"You are clueless, my dear prince." She glanced up at her growling sister. "Why haven't you told him sister?" She asked slyly.
Zuko looked hopelessly up at his protector. "Told me w-what?" He struggled to speak through the pain. Kitsumi's expression changed to docile.
"Don't, Koumi," she pleaded. She was ignored.
"It's funny really, you see, your little wolf cub here is playing you."
"Shut up!" Kitsumi bared her teeth as a warning. Koumi placed her hand over Zuko's chest.
"If you're a good wolf, I'll heal his wounds; but if you're bad, I'll freeze his lungs." Kitsumi reluctantly retracted her fangs, but her gazed remained fixed on her sister. "Good girl, now sit."
"Don't push it." Kitsumi growled. Koumi's fingers twitched and Zuko's face became contorted as he gasped as a fish would outside of water. "STOP IT!" Kitsumi clasped her hands around his shoulders.
"Then sit," She spoke calmly. Grudgingly she sat. "Good girl." Her fingers twitched again and Zuko could breath easily again. "Now where was I?" Zuko coughed and opened the hand that had been covering his wound. The wound itself wasn't visible, but the amount of blood assured it was there. "Are you listening?" She lifted his chin with her index finger. He looked at her; his eyes half closed.
"You said she was playing me," he replied weakly.
"Good." She let his head drop again. "In any case, she made a vow to protect the Avatar. The little trickster, she made you believe she would help you find him, didn't she? Well, what she didn't tell you; if you attack the Avatar, she would have to kill you." Kitsumi tried to object, but Koumi put her hand up. "In reality, she's using you. Let me tell you another secret." She leaned in closer. "She can't die, her body regenerates. Yours? Not so much." Smiling, Koumi removed her hand and stood. She took a couple steps backward and watched.
Kitsumi lunged forward, back into a defensive stance. "It isn't true, Zuko. I would never turn on you."
"Guards, board the ship," Zuko stood, still gripping his bloodied arm. Two guards help the prince onto the ramp.
"Koumi promised to heal you," Kitsumi shouted as she ran behind them.
"Kit!" Zuko shouted back. "Stay."
"What?" Her voice was small and sounded far away. Zuko didn't look back. He and his soldiers boarded the ship. "Zuko!" She cried desperately taking a few running steps toward them.
"You're not welcome anymore!" One of the guards spun and whipped her with a tail of fire while the other guards helped the prince inside. "The prince doesn't want you near him. You can't trust a crazy beast." His eyes flashed to her still smiling sister, "He's afraid of you; you can't blame him. Now, off the ship, you wouldn't want to upset him further." Slowly she stepped backward, her fist clenched as her feet touched the snow. The grunt disappeared inside the ship and the landing rose, hissed and closed.
Kitsumi stood fists closed tightly and head bowed. Koumi stepped to her side and placed a hand gently on her shoulder. "He wasn't right for you anyway." She told her smiling. Kitsumi looked up at her sister, hatred in her eyes. She drew back and belted her twin in the face. Koumi was sent backward and slid across the ground. She sat up, nose bloodied. Kitsumi stared at her for a moment before looking back at the ship with longing in her eyes. She relaxed her fists, formed into the great wolf and bounded away from the village.
To Be Continued...
(Hey now... Don't make that face! XD I'll put part two out shortly... I just love cliffhangers so I'm going to use one! Don't hate me! I love you! Thank you for reading... Please review! I love the favs but I'd like even more to know what you guys think. I am going crazy with ! DX)
(Ps: I do not own The Last Airbender! But you already knew that... lolz)