Chapter Nine: The Unagi
A/N: I wanted to get at least one chapter out today. There might be another, but if not then it should be tomorrow or Tuesday. I'm going on vacation from Wednesday to Thursday, so I don't think I'll be able to post a chapter, but that only means that I'll be writing more while I'm on vacation so that when I come back I'll have a few more chapters written. Enjoy~
It felt odd being captured; probably because it's never happened to me before and somehow I felt it was Sokka's fault for distracting me and Aang's fault for wanting to ride a gigantic fish instead of mastering his waterbending.
I also knew that it was my fault for being captured in the first place. I was used to surviving with my bending and the only time I physically fought with my dagger was with pirates. I hadn't trained or practiced and I knew that this new found freedom was taking a turn for the worse; at least that's what I thought. If Garth, Kooza, or even Iris knew that I hadn't been practicing then I would have failed them. Garth specifically told me before he sacrificed himself for my freedom, which I was taking for granted, that I should protect the Avatar and that was my destiny, but I haven't exactly been protecting him; I mean considering our current situation.
We were tied around what I can only assume is a large cylindrical pole and a cloth was tied tightly around my eyes.
"You four have some explaining to do and if you don't answer our questions we will throw you back into the water with the Unagi." A voice yelled from directly in front of us; it sounded like a woman.
"Show yourself you cowards!" Sokka yelled directly from my right and it took all my willpower not to elbow him even if my hands were tied around my back.
The blindfold around my eyes slid across my face and down toward the floor and when I opened my eyes, I saw a group of young women cloaked in old green faded robes; they looked like the earthbending Avatar that I saw at the Southern Air Temple.
"Who are you and where are the men that ambushed us?" Sokka rebuked as he struggled underneath the strict rope tying us down. I looked at Katara on my left and she looked about ready to strangle Sokka. From the looks of it, the women warriors in front of us looked capable to take us down.
"There were no men; we ambushed you," the leader addressed.
I waited for Sokka to say something that was offensive that I knew he would manage to do. "Wait a minute, you expect me to believe that a bunch of girls took us down?" Sokka questioned. And there it was.
"A bunch of girls—" She stuttered.
"Katara—" I began, but she was way ahead of me.
"Just ignore my brother; he can be an idiot most of time." Katara explained with an apologetic tone.
"I'm sorry. This is my fault; I was the one that wanted to ride the Elephant Koi." Aang apologized from somewhere on my right. I couldn't see him because Sokka was in my way, but I could tell that he was disappointed and apologetic.
"How do we know that you're not fire nation spies?" The village leader asked and I tensed for some reason. It wasn't as if I was a spy, but being from the Fire Nation probably isn't a good idea to talk about and that's why I kept it a secret even from Katara, Sokka, and Aang. "Kyoshi Island has managed to stay out of the war so far—"
"Kyoshi? I know Kyoshi!" Aang beamed with a sudden excitement.
"That's impossible. Avatar Kyoshi was born here over four hundred years ago and she's been dead for centuries," the village leader exclaimed.
We needed to hurry and get off this island so I quickly said, "Aang knows Kyoshi because he's the Avatar."
"Ha! The last Avatar was an airbender who disappeared a hundred years ago!" The young warrior woman yelled.
"That's me!" Aang smiled and he jumped into the air. He flipped off the Kyoshi statue high above us which cut his ropes and he landed gracefully on the floor in front of me.
"It's true! You are the Avatar!" The village leader gasped and the women warriors cut us from our ropes.
"If you thought that was cool, then check this out!" Aang said and all of a sudden he pulled a marble out of his orange robes and twirled it around with his airbending. All I could do was stare at him with amazement; it wasn't that I was amazed with his little trick because that wasn't very exciting, but I was amazed at how carefree he was about all this. He was just captured and almost killed and then as soon as I said he was the Avatar, they opened their arms wide with respect and trust. He really is the only hope the world has.
I twirled an oversize sweet bun around my fingers as I laid beside the table of deserts. Aang was stuffing as much as he could in his mouth and was offering everyone a sweet roll or a custard treat. Sokka was on my right, his feet by head, and I had to scoot away from the smell. He was sulking and I could only guess the reason.
"Sokka, what's your problem? Eat!" Aang said and Sokka mumbled, "I'm not hungry."
"What? You're always hungry!" Aang replied with surprise.
"My guess is that he's upset that a bunch of women warriors beat him up," I stated and took a bite of the sweet roll. The roll soothed the dull aching in my stomach.
"They didn't beat me up!" Sokka fussed.
"You shouldn't underestimate girls, Sokka." I advised and he jumped up.
"I don't underestimate any enemy," and before he could stalk off, I kicked my foot out and he completely tripped over my leg and fell face first on the floor.
"That was you underestimating an enemy," I uttered and I heard Katara and Aang snort with laughter.
He jumped up with huff of air and began grabbing all the food he could and mumbled incoherently while walking away. "Well I suggest we hurry up with this island and then move forward." I stated while standing up.
"Azel's right. We shouldn't get too comfortable because it's too risky for us to stay in one place too long." Katara emphasized and I couldn't agree with her more. She was sounding more like Kooza every day.
"I think you two are just worrying too much; besides, did you see how happy I'm making this town? They're even cleaning up that Kyoshi statue in my honor." He replied with a flush in his face.
"It's great that you're happy about being the Avatar, Aang, but hopefully it doesn't go to your head." Katara worried. I grabbed another bun and wondered how it would go to his head; then I heard the screaming and I looked over the balcony to see little girls screaming Aang's name.
I left Aang to his fun and decided to wander around the village even if I disliked the seclusion of it all. I also felt that this was an unnecessary delay, but I couldn't pressure the Avatar. Katara had explained that she would be re-stocking our food supply and offered her company, but I'd much rather wander alone; maybe it was a habit or something.
It was strange: one minute I would see Aang showing off his airbending and then the next moment he was across the village getting a picture painted. He must have a lot of energy.
I noticed Sokka pacing up and down a small building and I couldn't help but laugh. He didn't notice me as he stepped inside the room that was occupied by the Kyoshi warriors. I kept on walking passed the building that led down the slope to the edge of the water where we started out yesterday morning.
I knew that there was an Unagi out in the water, but the image of Aang riding on the Elephant Koi kept popping up in my mind. I wondered what Garth would say to my idea of riding the water creature.
Kooza would have laughed and said, "Have fun." He would have watched me from a distance though and Garth would have resisted at first, but Kooza would have gotten under his skin. I smiled and pulled the tie on my robes. My wraps were tightly bound around my body; being a girl was hard work sometimes especially when I continued to grow.
I heard my name being called from behind me, but it sounded so far away from where I was in my mind. Then I felt a nudge on my shoulder and when I turned around I saw that it was Aang that was calling me.
"Hey Aang," I smiled and I finished taking off my robe. My leg wraps wove their way down my thigh and stopped above my knee. My chest wraps were tightly wrapped around my chest so that maybe I could stop my breast from growing and then it wove up to my shoulders before being tucked behind my back.
"I've been looking for you," Aang explained and looked everywhere besides my face.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"Well me and the girls are going for a ride on Appa and I was wondering if you wanted to come," Aang suggested.
"But I've been on Appa before," I stated. I was kind of confused. Aang always rides Appa so it must be for the girls in the village. "The girls in the village haven't so you just take them. It would be more fun for them anyway," I offered with a smile.
"Oh, okay." Aang replied and then looked up at me, "What are you doing out here?"
"I-um…" I stuttered and tensed when I felt the warmth of a blush cross my face. I wanted to ride the Elephant Koi, but I knew Aang would probably get mad because there was a Unagi out there. "I was just going to go…for a swim."
"You're going to ride the Unagi aren't you?" Aang questioned.
"The Unagi? Who would ride—you would, wouldn't you?" A laughed tickled my throat and I looked back into the water.
Now it was his turn for blushing and I grabbed his arm, "I wanted to ride the Elephant Koi, but the Unagi would be so much more—"
"Exciting!" Aang finished my sentence. I looked back at the girls that were following them and smiled.
"This would definitely show them how cool the Avatar is," I suggested.
"What are you talking about? I'm just a simple monk," and his blush grew more defined. I rubbed his head and jumped into the water; now I could protect him without holding him back. I felt like Kooza and he was my pupil.
"I'm going to beat you!" I yelled from across the water and before I knew it, he dashed across the water and jumped into the water causing a wave to crash into me. "No fair!" I sputtered.
It wasn't fair that he got to use his powers and I couldn't.
"So where is this Unagi?" I question as I swam around in circles. I could hear the yawns, sighs, and moans from the girls on the shore and soon they left.
He sighed, "I guess it's not coming—"
"Aang! Azel! What are you guys doing out there or did you two forget Aang's near-death attack yesterday from a certain Unagi?" Katara yelled.
"Busted." Aang mumbled and we both began swimming back to the shore.
The water pulled and pushed with a sudden ferocity and I turned around. Before I could tell what was happening a long serpent creature pulled me under the water. When I resurfaced, I saw Aang on the top of the Unagi's neck.
"Grab it's tendrils!" Aang yelled and my body reacted. I saw the slim tendril of the Unagi fall towards the ocean as Aang pushed it's head downward. I grabbed it and sailed into the air. I dug my fingers into it's tendril to keep from crashing into the ocean, but this resulted with the Unagi flinging it's head backwards and I watched as Aang sailed from the Unagi.
At that moment, I wanted the Unagi to stop thrashing it's head so that I could see Aang, but his limp body sunk into the ocean.
I heard a new noise; pass the thrashing and crashing of the clear water from the Unagi, pass the Elephant Koi's flips, I could hear an engine and when I chanced a look backwards I could see a black ship. It was the Fire Nation.