This is kind of long. Normally my chapters run between 1,000 to 1,500 words. This one is over 2,000 words. I reallyhope you like it.
Chapter Ten: Running
Jelisa smiled as the giant beast came into veiw. The spot Mai choose for the first showdown was perfect. A large lake sat behind her, there were large cliff walls that ran three quarters of the way around the lake. Let the Waterbender, Earthbender and the Avatar think they have the upper hand. I have a few surprises for them. They will be mine before the end of the day.
She smoothed the stray hairs away from her face. Mai and Azula had taken off a few hours before to look for Azula's mother, or something like that, she really wasn't paying attention to the ex princess. She focused on the battle ahead. She would need all of her skills to defeat the Avatar and his posse, but even if she failed, she would buy enough time for Azula and Mai to get closer to their real target.
The beast grew closer as Jelisa sat there and meditated. She watched it as it began it's descent. Something was attached to the belly of the bison. Even before they hit the ground, the figure in black was detached and had vanished. Jelisa smiled. I wonder if they are here for the same reason. To kill the Avatar. Too bad because I am going to do it first. They can have the rest.
The bison landed and six people slid from the saddle. No one moved for a moment. Staring at each other, trying to size everyone up. The Fire Lord was the first one to speak. "Where is Mai and Azula? This is their war balloon, is it not?"
Jelisa yawned and stepped away from it. "It was. I got it off of them for a great price. Free." She looked at the group. "So, you must be the group they told me was coming after them. What a mismatched group you are. A firebender, an earthbender, a waterbender, the Avatar, and two warriors who can not bend. So tell me, why are you hunting them? They must have done something horrid to get the great Fire Lord off his throne and here to the Earth Kingdom."
The Fire Lord stepped forward. "We do not have time to deal with you. Either tell us where they went or move out of the way."
She walked towards the lake. "They didn't really reveal their plans to me. Sorry, but you're out of luck."
The Avatar walked towards her. "We have no quarrel with you. We just want Azula and Mai."
Jelisa laughed. "Then you see, we are at a crossroad, my young Avatar. You have no quarrel with me, but I was hired to destroy all of you. Well, except you, Fire Lord Zuko, your sister has special plans for you. I didn't ask, I don't get in the middle of family quarrels. Too messy and too many details. Anyway, I will take great pleasure in destroying you two." Pointing towards the two Water Tribe siblings. "Then I will destroy the rest of you."
The siblings looked at each other, then looked back at Jelisa. "Why us? We have have done nothing to you. Hell, we have never met you." The one that Azula had called Sokka said to her.
"I know that. It's that you are Water Tribe, and all Water tribe must die in my eyes, so there is my reason." She smiled at them. "Now, enough chit chat, you can do that with each other in the Spirit World. Prepare to meet your fate." She counted the people in front of her. "Six against one, I like the odds. Makes me work a little harder at my prey. Come on, let's play!!"
--
Katara took her fighting stance. There was something oddly farmilar about her movements. Her eyes were sheilded, so her emotions could not be easily read. The woman smiled at her. She thinks this is all a game. I will show her that I fight for real. She moved a few steps closer to the water.
"Come on, Katara. Show me what a real master of Waterbending is capable of. If you have the guts, little girl." The asassain motioned her closer.
Katara summoned all her strength and pulled the water from thin air like Hama taught her years ago. She launched the little ice projectiles at the woman, but to everyone's amazement, they turned back into water and dropped harmlessly to the ground. "How in the world?"
The woman smirked at her. "I thought you would have come up with something more clever than that. Fine my turn."
Katara saw her eyes for the first time. Ice blue met ocean blue. Oh my Gods, this is going to be bad.
Just then a tidal wave came rushing at everyone. Toph felt the vibrations from it and erected a wall of earth to block it from hitting everyone else. She turned her dead eyes to Katara. "Who the hell is this chick?"
"She's a waterbender like me." She looked at the group. "This is my fight."
No one questioned her. They knew she had to do this. "Be careful." Zuko looked at her with a little fear in his eyes.
"I'll be fine. Don't worry. You guys get back to Appa, and get out of here. I will follow in the war balloon after I finsih with her. No one trys to kill the people I care about with my own element, ever." She looked at Toph. "Drop the wall." Toph nodded once and dropped it.
While Katara rushed the other waterbender, the others ran for Appa. They would not go far, just in case something went bad. They would not leave her to the fate of the crazed bender.
Katara looked at the woman. "Why are doing this? We are suppose to help people, not use our bending to destroy lives."
"You are the calm seas in the summer, Katara. You see the sailors safely home, but I am the cruel seas of the winter. I destroy those who stand too near the shores. I then wipe away any trace of them ever being there. It is our nature to be opposites of each other. I will always be the way I am and you will be the same as well. There is no denying that." She got back in her fighting stance. "I grow tired of talking to you, now fight me or let me end it now."
Knowing there was no way out of the battle, she got in her stance as well. A first neither one would amke a move. They just stared at each other, trying to will the other one to make the first strike. They walked around each other, trying to get the best angle on the large water source the lake provided. Tui, La watch over me. Yue, please forgive me for what I am about to do.
Pulling water from the lake, Katara twisted it and launched ice spears at the other waterbender. The woman easily dodged them and launched her own counterattack. She pulled the water from the lake and formed two large ice spears and threw them at Katara. Turning them back into liquid, she launched another attack. This one was several water slices and freezing them into shape of discs, then throwing them.
The Asassain ran into the water and dove under. She came up for air and grinned at Katara. "You are good, I will give you that. The best yet in fact, but I will not yeild to you."
"Really? That's too bad, I would have spared your life if you had given up. So, you leave me no choice." Moving back and forth, she formed wave after wave around the other woman, like she had done to Zuko at the North Pole when she was trying to protect Aang. Freezing the whole thing, she then used the water to launch it out of the lake and a good distance from it.
The whole thing shattered apon impact, but it left the other woman dazed. Not missing a beat, she pulled out the water whips and proceeded to hit her, and spinning her a round, trying to keep her disoriantated. It was working until the woman began to get her bearings. She pushed the wet hair out of her eyes and growled. "I will not yeild to you, Katara of the Southern Water Tribe. I may be an outcast, but Tui and La still watch out for me. I have learned tricks that I know you do not even know."
She took a stance that was close to the ones Toph used when Earthbending. Putting her hands near the ground, she looked up and grinned at Katara. Just then, Katara felt herself be lifted off the ground. The asassain had summoned vines out of the ground to rap around her. I have lost. There is no way out of this. The vines began to get tighter. She felt her chest constrict, and the air being forced out of her lungs. Black spots danced in front of her eyes. She knew she had very few minutes before she left this world for the Spirit World. I'm sorry, Zuko.
--
Arawn watched for the trees. Jelisa had the upper hand in the fight. There was no way the younger waterbender could get out of the death trap the other bender had her in. I didn't want to reveal myself this soon, but if I do not, that girl is dead. I will not let Jelisa take another innocent life in her persuit to kill all the Water Tribes. He launched him out the tree and pulled out his kindjal sword and dove at the vines that held the Waterbender.
Slicing through them he stood up and looked at Jelisa. The turban he wore covered his face, but Jelisa knew who it was. "Arawn, so we meet again. It isn't bad enough you lost to me last time, now you come back for more and try to save that girl too. You have too soft of a heart, just like the rest of your people. That is why they were nearly wiped to extinction. You follow too old of traditions and are completely outdated."
He knelt beside the younger girl. She would live, but he had come just in time. He stood back up and looked at Jelisa. "We were friends once. You turned on me and for that you willnot be forgiven. My people took you in when you had none. They nursed you back to health, then you tried to kill them. I befriended you and found you a Master to teach you what you know now. Now, I stand here before you, and you would still rather kill me than let me help you."
Jelisa smirked at him. "You are weak, Arawn. You think you can change me? Hah!"
He shook his head. "I know that I can not change what you have become, because it is partly my fault, but I want you to abandon your lust for revenge and direct it at the people that really need it. The two that tried to have you kill more innocent people. It is their war, not yours. Quit while you have a life to live and not one on the run."
She looked at him like he had just grown two heads. "I will never be free to live a normal life. I am trained in the art of killing, and that is what I am, a killer. Their war, my war, does it really matter? I really don't see the difference. I get my revenge and my clients get their wish. It is just one big vicious cycle that never ends."
"I'm sorry for ever saving you, and I'm sorry for saving you now." Summoning his element, he took her by surprise and blasted her into a tree. She slammed into it and slid down with a thump. Grapping the robe that was tied to him, he bound her feet and hands. She will be pissed when she wakes up.
He walked over to where the woman named Katara was. She was beginning to come around.
There you go, the two characters I promised. Hopefully you like the differences I made between her and Katara. She is like the anti Katara. See ya next Chapter.