We had been in the North Pole, training our butts off, then it was time to leave, we said goodbye to all of our new found friends and got on a boat with Master Paku and some others that were going to the South Pole. I was asleep when I heard moving, I sat up and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes, I saw Aang climbing up the ladder to get on deck. "Aang?" I heard Katara asked. We followed Aang up and saw him looking at the stars.
"Do you want to talk about it?" I asked.
"Nah, it's just a nightmare." Aang replied. "I was in the avatar state, but I was outside of my body, just watching myself, it was scary…I was scary." He said sadly. We put our hands on his shoulders.
"We'll stay up here for now, it's almost sunrise anyway." I said. He nodded thankfully. We spent the next hour just looking at the sky and waves and thinking, not really about anything, just thinking. In the morning we were greeted by master Paku.
"Katara, I want you to have this," he held up a container, it had a moon on the lid and looked very fancy "This amulet contains water from the spirit oasis, the water has unique properties, don't lose it." He said.
"Thank you master Paku." Katara said, she hugged him.
"Aang, these scrolls will help you master water bending, but remember, they're no substitute for a real master." Paku gave him a box with the water tribe symbol on it; he slid back the lid and saw a lot of scrolls. Aang bowed and walked away.
"Hotaru, my tribe has no use for these; I hope they will help you learn." Paku said, he handed me a box like Aang's but this one had a fire nation symbol on the top, I slid back the lid and saw not as many scrolls, there were about five, but I loved it anyway. "I know it's not much so I also have this for you." He held out a knife in a sheath, I took out the knife and stared in awe at a brand new Whale's tooth scimitar, I hugged Paku.
"I love them, thank you Master." I said, I had been meaning to get a new knife but I had never got around to it. I put the stuff in my bag and got Sadie onto Oppa's saddle, I then got onto the saddle myself.
"Sokka, take care son." Paku said, he patted Sokka on the shoulder. I laughed at Sokka's expression, he had been expecting a gift. Sokka got onto the saddle next to us "Fly straight to the earth kingdom base to the east of here, general Fong will provide you with an escort to Omashu, there you'll be safe to begin your earth bending training with king Bumi." Paku said.
"Oppa yip yip." Aang said.
"Say hi to Grangran for me!" Katara called out.
"And the penguins!" I yelled.
I was admiring my new blade when I heard Sokka say excitedly "There it is!" I jumped up and crawled to the other end of the saddle, I smiled happily as I saw the base, it was massive and it had a big wall around it. We landed on the roof; as soon as we did Sadie jumped off and rolled around in the sun. I jumped down myself and scratched her stomach. I then stretched; we had been on Oppa for a long time.
"Welcome!" I saw someone say "Avatar Aang, I am general Fong and welcome to all of you great heroes, Oppa, Momo, Sadie, Patch, Brave Sokka, the determined Hotaru, the mighty Katara." Fong said.
"The mighty Katara, I could get used to that." Katara said. I heard bangs behind us; I turned around and saw fireworks in the air.
"Not bad." Sokka complemented. We were brought inside to talk to general Fong; we sat on the floor in front of him.
"Avatar Aang, we are all impressed with the stories we've heard about you single handedly wiping out an entire Fire navy fleet at the North Pole." General Fong said, he was stroking his beard "I'm not sure what it feels like to wield such devastating power, it's an awesome responsibility."
"I try not think about it too much." Aang said.
"Avatar, you're ready to face the fire lord now." General Fong said.
"WHAT?!" Aang and I yelled, Aang because he needed to fight the fire lord and me because I knew how powerful father was.
"No I'm not." Aang said.
"Aang still needs to master all four elements." Katara said.
"Why? With the kind of power he possesses, power enough to destroy hundreds of battle ships in a matter of minutes, he could defeat the fire lord now!" General Fong said.
"But sir, the thing is, Aang can only do those things when he's in the avatar state." Sokka said.
Aang started to explain "See, it's this special state where I-"
"I'm well aware." Fong interrupted. "Your eyes and tattoos glow and you're able to summon unbelievable power. Without you we'd be slaughtered before we even reached their shores, but with you leading the way, as the ultimate weapon, we can cut a swath right through to the heart of the fire nation." He said.
"Right, but, I don't know how to get in our out of the avatar state, much less what to do when I'm there." Aang said.
"So it's decided then, I'll help you figure out how to get into the avatar state and then you'll face your destiny." General Fong said.
"No, nothing's decided, we already have a plan, Aang's going to do things his way!" I said angrily, we all stood up.
"Well, while you take your time learning the elements the war goes on, may I show you something?" General Fong asked, I didn't have a good feeling about this. We walked to the window and saw outside, we saw the infirmary. There were lots of soldiers; many had gaping wounds or broken limbs. "That's the infirmary, and those soldiers are the lucky ones, they came back. Every day the Fire Nation takes lives, people are dying Aang! You could end it, now! Think about it." General Fong said. We spent the rest of the day touring the base, it was very impressive, after we went to sleep, and it was comfy. I went to sleep away, I'm not sure about the others though, and the only thing that I was worried about was that Aang had agreed to fight the Fire Lord. I was woken up by Katara.
"Aang, no, you can't do this!" she said.
"Sure he can, didn't you see when he defeated the fire navy, he was incredible!" Sokka said.
"Aang, there's a right way to do this, practice study and discipline." Katara said.
"Or just glow it up and stop that fire lord." Sokka said.
"You two meatheads everything we've worked for then fine, just go and 'glow it up!' see how it works out for ya!" I said angrily before walking out of the room with Katara.
"Katara, Hotaru, I'm just being realistic, I don't have time to do this the right way." Aang called. I rolled my eyes and ignored him.
The next morning we got to testing. "This chi enhancing tea is a natural stimulant, in an ordinary warrior enhances strength and energy tenfold." The tea maker said, he poured out a small amount of the tea in the cup. "In you, it may induce the avatar state." The tea maker finished.
"Tenfold energy huh?" Aang said, he sipped at the tea. Five minutes later…Aang was going around on an air scooter over almost everything. "Is it working, is it working, is it working, I can't tell, someone tell me when I'm in the avatar state because I don't have a good view on myself, am I talking too loud?!" he said quickly and loudly.
"I guess he could talk the fire lord to death." Sokka said. I slapped my forehead as Aang slammed into a pillar and fell off of his air scooter. After Aang had calmed down we went onto a balcony. "Maybe I can shock you into the avatar state." Sokka suggested.
"I love surprises!" Aang said. Katara closed his eyes, when she let him open them Sokka jumped forward with Momo screeching in his collar so it looked like Sokka's head was replaced with Momo's. Aang screamed like a girl and jumped backwards, so I punched his shoulder. "Still not glowing." Aang said, pointing to his tattoos. Sokka then fell over because of Momo. Next we went to a ceremony, Aang was dressed up.
"You are wearing a ceremonial piece of clothing from each of the bending nations, now I will join the four elements into one!" the preacher said. Aang looked stupid with all the clothes on. The preacher then put the elements in a bowl calling out the elements as he went. First he poured in a jug of water, then poured in a plate of dirt, then a lit torch and then he blew some air in the bowl. "Four elements together as one!" he said, he then threw the contents of the bowl over Aang.
"This is just mud." Aang said.
"So, do you feel anything?" the preacher asked. Aang put his finger up, we all leant forward in anticipation, he took a deep breath in.
"Crap." I said, I quickly grabbed Sokka and pulled him in front of me. Aang sneezed and all the mud flew over everybody, except me, I had Sokka as a shield.
"We have to find a way." General Fong said, he rubbed some mud off of his face.
That night I went straight to sleep, I don't know if I wanted to come to the Fire Nation, it would mean seeing Aang so hurt that he went into the avatar state and being back in the Fire Nation too.
"Sokka, Hotaru, wake up." Aang said.
"Huh?" Sokka asked.
"I was already awake." I said. I sat up and looked at him.
"I don't think we should be trying to bring on the avatar state." Aang said.
"You sure?" Sokka asked.
"Yes." Aang nodded.
"Okay." Sokka shrugged.
"Do you think the General will be mad?" Aang asked.
"Yes…now good night." I said before I led back down.
"What can he say, you're the avatar." Sokka said before going to sleep himself.
The next morning Aang and Sokka went straight to the general, Katara and I stayed in our room and started packing up in complete silence. After a while we heard rumbling. Momo's ears pricked up. "I wonder what crazy thing they're trying now." Katara said to us. There was a another large crash.
"Maybe we should go and check on them." I said.
"Agreed." Katara nodded. We left and went up to the balcony, I gasped at what I saw, they were attacking Aang. Aang only goes into the avatar state when he's in genuine danger; I guess they were trying that. We ran down the stairs and saw Sokka.
"What's going on?!" Katara asked.
"The general's gone crazy! He's trying to force Aang I into the avatar state!" Sokka replied. We went down and attacked the people attacking Aang, Sokka with his boomerang and Katara and I with water bending. After a while I saw lots of the big rolling stones focus on Katara and I.
"Maybe you can avoid me, but they can't." the general said. The stones closed in on us a little more. Katara whipped some water at the general but he earth bended the ground up so that the water mixed with the earth. Katara looked at me, she was asking for my fire bending, I shook my head, if this earth kingdom base found out I was a fire bender then they'd kill me without a second thought. Suddenly Katara and I sunk into the ground and were stuck there; it was earth bending, again!
"I can't move!" Katara yelled to Aang.
"Neither can I!" I panicked.
"Don't hurt them!" Aang yelled. He jumped down and blew wind at the general; he blocked it with a wall of earth. Katara and I were sucked further into the ground.
"Katara!" Sokka yelled. He tried running at the general, who, in turn, flicked him away.
"Stop this! You have to let them go!" Aang yelled, he pulled on the general's arm.
"You could save them if you were in the avatar state." The general said.
"I'm trying!" Aang cried "I'm trying." I saw tears appear in his eyes.
"Aang, we're sinking!" Katara yelled, we were sucked further into the ground.
"I don't see glowing." The general said. Katara and I were sucked into the ground so that only our heads were visible.
"Please!" I whined.
"You don't need to do this!" Aang begged, he fell to his knees.
"Apparently, I do." The general said. Katara and I were sucked fully into the ground, it was just black, is this what death is like? It was like this, silent and dark, for a while before I felt something; I was pulled through the ground and came back to earth. I started panting; it was hard to breath underground. "That was just a trick to trigger the avatar state and it worked!" the general yelled, I looked up, I saw Aang high up in the air, he was in the avatar state. Suddenly Aang smashed back down to the floor and destroyed almost everything, almost meant everything apart from Sokka, Katara and I. Aang then just stood there in his avatar state.
Suddenly Aang calmed down and he fell down again, he looked around sorrowfully, he looked at all the destroyed huts and at the broken floor and cradled his knees to his chest. Katara and I ran over to him and hugged him.
"I'm sorry." He said softly "I hope you never have to see me like that again."
"HAH! Are you joking, that was almost perfect, we just have to find out a way to control you when you're like that!" the general said.
"You're out of your mind." Aang said.
"I guess we'll find out on the way to the fire nation." He said. Sokka came up behind him and wacked him on the head with his club, the general passed out and fell to the ground.
"Anybody got a problem with that?" Sokka asked all the defeated soldiers. Everyone shook their heads quickly.
"Do you still want an escort to Omashu?" one of the soldiers asked. We looked at each other.
"I think we're all set." I said. We then left on Oppa, that general was completely insane.