Avatar the Last Air Bender:Alterations: Aang/Lee
Serpent's Pass
Abandon hope…
That's what it read on the sign post marking the beginning of the Serpent's Pass,
"Oh no…" the woman Ying said, holding her belly, "Hope is all we've managed to salvage."
Her husband put a comforting arm around her and held her hand,
Aang looked at her, "Don't worry ma'am, we'll make sure you and your family make it safely to the gates of Ba Sing Se."
Katara smiled at him, he looked at her and smiled back…briefly then turned his attention towards the winding road before them.
"Let's go." He said digging his staff into the ground to begin their walk onwards.
Sokka tucked his pack firmer over his shoulder, "I thought a name like Serpent's Pass would mean it'd be more, I don't know, windy…and slithery….meh, probably just misnamed it."
"Well let's go!" Suki said.
"Better let me go first!" Sokka said hurriedly, we don't know how stable the path is.
Suki had insisted on coming with the group, and was now in her Kyoshi uniform and make up. Sokka had been very much against her coming because of the danger, but she had pointed out the amount of time she had saved his bacon and how she was highly capable of surviving on her own and how she wanted to spend time with them all after being gone for so long.
"I'm gauging the stability of the rock, let's move people…Ba Sing Se is only beyond this Pass." Aang said.
Katara was glad, Aang was…acting like his old self again, in a sense that he wasn't constantly dreamily thinking about…her…this rescue may have been exactly what the doctor ordered.
Now listen to her…it sounded rather selfish when she came to think about it, so intent on not giving this girl a chance, when the Fire Nation Prince proved himself…at least to an extent….not as bad as she'd thought he was…not good exactly either but…at least not a murdering child abandoner.
Aang wasn't the type to…misjudge character…then again he wasn't exactly the authority on it either.
She just didn't want Aang to get hurt, and him nearly being gone had jostled something in her, something she hadn't counted on either realizing or admitting to herself…she did love Aang.
She'd always…loved him as say a friend or a little brother like Toph had said, but, why else would she be this worked up about this?
The Foi Tan Woods
Myisho put her bow on her back and landed silently out of the trees onto an ostrich horse that was waiting. It had been covered in cloth that matched the shade of the trees and shadows of the forest.
It cawed in a whinny as it learched its head. Her hands tightened on the reigns making him shush.
"Quite Nalshai" she whispered.
The other ostrich horses looked at her then readied themselves as 2 other Kyoshi warriors dropped down from the trees, landing perfectly on the backs of the feathered beasts.
Myisho looked at the other warriors watching her for the next move, she wasn't used to it. It was always Suki that they looked to for guidance…
"We ride!" she said, "The Fire Nation is occupied with something on the Western side of the Serpents' Pass…we'll have enough time to help the actual soldiers with tactical sabotage of their flying machines."
The girls nodded to their stand in leader and spurred their animals onward after her as she tore through the forest swift as a whip.
Suki had said that her and the other girls would return soon, and she had to admit, getting refugies across the great water to a safer city was just as top priority as sabotaging the enemy.
So why did she feel so nervous….? She didn't know…maybe it was one of those hunches she got. Sometimes they were wrong, sometimes not…but this one told her something terrible was going to happen, and she feared for her lady.
"Are you feeling alright sister?" Shieko asked suddenly.
Myisho glanced to the side of her to see her friend and partner riding alongside her with her large eyed concerned look.
Myisho smiled, "I'm fine thanks…come on, the quicker we get to Len Feng Wu the faster we get to do some actual fighting..and meet actual young soldiers…"
Shieko smiled and prodded her beast to keep up with that of their leader.
As they passed the woods by they came to a more flat landed terrain, only a few tree's lay on either side of them.
Suddenly Myoshi caught someone in the distance, he or she…no deffinatly a he was tall, in a dark blue hood it looked like, and his skin seemed as pale as their painted make up.
She and the other warriors passed him by as he walked, by, and they did, she was able to look at his face for a brief moment. It all seemed to be in slow motion.
In that small glance she could see his eyes, dark green, and…purposed…as if they were lost but, knew what they were there for, so being lost didn't matter. His face wasn't painted, just..very very pale…as if he hadn't seen the sun in a very long time. The look on his face wasn't impolite or anything out of the ordinary, yet his face stuck in her mind as they rode on and left him in their dust, and she couldn't help but look over her shoulder to see if those eye's were watching them still.
Looking over her shoulder she could see only his hooded back and him still plodding along in the direction they'd come from, becoming smaller and smaller. She looked at her Kyoshi sisters and they exchanged looks of knowing what the other was thinking….unnerving…
Aang and the gang were now walking along the side of the narrow rock wall that spirred up out of the water like several dorsal fins of a panther shark. There was no railing along the side of the path that took them across the side of the mountain wall of rock, so everyone stayed close to the wall.
In case of a fall, Aang, a rock bender went first, then came Katara and Sokka and Suki, then Toph in the middle to sense things head of them and in back. After her came the man and his pregnant wife, and then Daiken taking up the rear.
Suddenly Aang's eyes lit up and he put his hand up, "Shh!" he said.
"What is it?" the wife Ying asked.
"Fire Nation patrol ship…" Daiken said under his breath looking to the side.
There in plain sight in the middle of the water was a single Fire Nation patrolling war ship, it's chimmny's spewing black smoke behind it for a great distance in the directiong they were going. Thankfully they apparently hadn't been spotted by the ships look outs as it ambled along in its current direction.
"See?" Suki said in a hushed voice, "I told you the Fire Nation was patrolling this side of the Pass…they're building something big here…supplying parts and troops…"
Aang looked at Katara, "Air ships?" he guessed. It would make sense, the Air balloons likened to the ones that Sokka and the inventor had come up with were proving to be their worst nightmare. For them to construct a number of these to fly over the wall of Ba Sing Se would be a practical advantage.
The only problem being as Aang pointed out, was that they were still very slow, and vulnerable when in the sky, and ultimately nothing more than a floating transport for troops. The fabled catapults and artillery of Ba Sing Se would pick the large monstrosities out of the sky, and any attempts to drop bombs or troops would be met by shielding and quick retribution to any who parachuted in. Still, there it was, SOMETHING was being constructed on the far side of the wall, and it was important enough to even have surveillance by sea.
The group now tried to very stealthily make their way down the side of the large rock wall without jostling rocks or even making loud noises.
They could see ahead of them on the path was a bend where the road went around a corner and down, where they would be out of sight of the ship, they were almost there.
"WHOA!" came a voice from the back of the group, "NO!" came the scream of the pregnant woman.
Aang, Katara, Suki and the rest turned around to see the wailing husband falling over the side along with the portion of the ledge he was standing on which was no giving way.
The wife edged herself up against the side of the wall as the cracks began reaching her feet too.
Toph quickly made an earth table underneath the man before his decent could pick up more speed and caught him with an OOF!
Daiken however kept the cracks in the path from growing any larger near the wife Ying. Toph slide the table she had made up back to the pathway so he could rejoin his wife on solid ground.
"Thank you!" he said to Toph and the Young nomad.
-SpLASH!-
Daiken's eyes and Toph's expression changed, some of the lose rock caused by the fall had plunged into the sea, leading to more rocks coming lose and falling below them, making even more splashes.
No one moved, looking at the boat to see what it would do.
It continued on its way, without a hitch, wheels in the back still going.
Suddenly there was glow of red coming from its side, a fire ball.
"THEY'VE SPOTTED US!" Sokka said.
True to his word the red glowing ball now lifted up off of the side of the ship in the distance and became bigger as it hurled towards them.
Aang sucked in an enormous amount of air and blew down on the ground, boosting himself off the walk way and over all their heads, he then kicked off of the wall with his air bending sending him catapulting out over the ocean and away from the cliff wall.
He swung his staff/glider like a bat, cracking a hard gust of air against the firry inferno being launched towards his friends.
The swing sent the fire ball back against the Fire Nation ship, making the ship's hull creak and the boat tip a little, but not before a second fire ball was launched from its catapults right past Aang as he made his first swing.
It soared through the air, but not hitting it's desired target along the mountain path. It instead hit the rock wall above them, causing a shower of debris to come crashing down on their heads.
Ying shrieked and buried her face in her husband's arms as he pressed them both against the side of the wall.
Daiken used Earth bending the same way Aang had used air and sent himself upwards over the couples heads, then dug his feet into the sides of the steep wall so that he was now semi-horizontal and bent the rocks out of the way before they could fall on the pregnant couple, and the ones that didn't get caught in his focused he punched and they broke into little fragments.
But that was just on his end, Suki on he other hand had spun back to avoid a large boulder that was coming for her from above. But what she didn't see was another, just as large about to land her right on the head where she was standing now.
Sokka pushed her out of the way, "SUKI MOVE!" he said excitedly, but before the rock could brain HIM instead, Toph caused the wall next to him to jet outwards over him like an umbrella and slide the boulder away from him and into the sea.
Sokka quickly helped Suki up to her feet and rushed her passed Toph,
"Suki you should be more careful you're going to get hurt!" he cautioned.
Toph put a hand on her hip, "No Sokka it's fine, I just saved your life is all…no biggie…" she said to herself.
Suddenly Daiken dropped from the wall he had just been standing in, landing next to her, "Come on!" he said and they both caught up with the rest of the group, making the bend around the corner and out of sight of the ship.
Aang on the other hand was still bombarding the already on burning ship with waves that were not putting out the fires on it, but rather turning it in a direction where it's catapults wouldn't be aimed so candidly at the cliff path.
He then flew his glider back towards the road and disappeared behind the many rocks out of it's range and visibility.
The ship's crew however, were more concerned with abandoning ship then with seeing which way the group had disappeared to.
The Full Moon Ferry
Late that night, as the moon was coming in and out of visibility behind the clouds, operation liberation was underway. The target; food that wouldn't make you sick, the place; the chef's kitchen aboard the Refugee Ferry heading for Ba Sing Se.
Long Shot and Smeller Bee ran up to the ledge of the second floor of the ship, they both squatted their knee's and put their hands together.
Jet ran towards the two then jumped off of their cupped hands as they boosted him up to the beam ledge. He grabbed onto a higher ledge then that with his hook swords in the same motion, then looped his legs around it like monkey bars and let himself hang upside down, arms outstretched.
It was Zuko's turn to jump off of the hands of Longshot and SmellerBee, only he now grabbed onto Jet's hands and Jet hoisted him up the rest of the way, after which he hoisted himself up after him.
SmellerBee went to join the "old man" Iroh in looking out for guards or passengers.
Zuko and Jet, now on the second level of the ship, slunk quietly along the side of the outerwall of the captains quarters of the ship, staying bellow the windows.
Finally they were at the area where the kitchen was, they could tell by the smell, it was intoxicating. If it was so strung to them, what about the poor souls bellow this level who they knew could smell it through the roof.
Zuko took out a mirror and held it up to scan through the inside of the kitchen through the window. No one was inside.
He nodded to Jet who smirked at him and they both climbed in silently.
There was scores upon scores of food, fruits, vegetables, chickens and clams along the walls and hanging from the ceilings. Fresh stews, being allowed to go cold, gourds, and spices. Zuko could also see a barrel where the "scraps" were most likely kept. He recognized their smell as well….well if it was so "edible" then the Captain and his workmen should have no problem choking the stuff down.
He and Jet quickly began loading as much as they could carry without making a noise into the backs they had had tied around their waists like belts.
Zuko saw a bunch of tea leaves to the side, no, they had to move it wasn't worth it…someone could be coming.
"Come on!" Jet hissed exiting out the window, Zuko quickly went back to the counter, snatched up the tea leaves and headed out as well.
Longshot was pacing bellow, acting like he WASN'T waiting for his signal to fire his arrow to his leader and the scar faced boy.
Suddenly he heard, "Here they come!" from Smellerbee in a hushed voice.
He quickly aimed and fired his arrow at the railing post he had already marked in his head.
A rope went taught between the arrow it was tied to and to the railing beam he was now fastening it's end to.
Zuko and Jet sent the bags full of provisions down first along the zip line, then zip lined themselves down to the second level again.
Zuko quickly cut the rope with his swords making it go limp, and he and Longshot pulled furiously at it to unloop it from the arrow lodged in the flag pole. It shook not wanting to give way, until finally it did and not a moment too soon.
A guard meandered by that portion of the top level, fortunately facing the other direction of their efforts, so he didn't see the last of the rope and arrow go over the edge of the railing back into long shots hand.
The mission was a success.
A few hours later, the group was looking over what was left of their triumphant spoils. They had already first given food to the rest of the refugees bellow and above deck who were starving like themselves.
Surprisingly there were still enough for all of them to share in, as well as a bottle of good drink.
They all toasted with the tea cups that Iroh had leant to the occasion and drank and ate together in a circle, Iroh had tea though…leaving the grape ale to the young ones.
"We actually pulled it off…." Jet said with pride, "Good work everyone…and you, you're not half bad…" he said looking at Zuko who didn't regard him as he bit down into a leg of chicken duck. He simply grunted his thanks to Jet, which didn't phase him in the least. Dam him…he didn't want a friend right now…
"So…SmellerBee…" Iroh said, "That's a very peculiar name for a young man…"
Jet and Longshot winced as if he shouldn't' have said that, and SmellerBee turned slowly to face the old man.
"Maybe it's because I'm not a young man, I'm a GIRL!" she said huffily and stood up before storming off around the corner.
"Oh I see!" Iroh called after her apologetically, "It's a lovely name for a beautiful girl!"
Longshot put a hand on Iroh shoulder as if to say, "Thank you but let me handle this, it's not your fault." Then got up and walked after his offended comrade.
He found her brooding round the corner , arms folded, and looking out at the sea. He got in front of her to block her view of the moon in the water and made her look in his eyes.
She sighed, "Your right Longshot, I should feel confident enough with who I am…no matter what anyone says…I'm sorry."
Longshot nodded to her.
Back at the Cliffs of Serpents Pass, the Gang was busy making camp under the light of the same moon.
Daiken was setting up his camp by taking the hard rock of where he was standing and making it sandy and soft…then laid on his back shutting his eyes slowly.
Toph was sitting up against a rock, hugging her knees with her face in them. Daiken looked at her then put his hand on the ground. Slowly the rock beneath shifted and became more soft, she opened her eyes and looked up quickly. When she did , he had already reclosed his eyes and had put his hand behind his head.
Toph said nothing, but slouched more on the now more comfy piece of ground.
Aang saw this and smiled, then looked out over the sea, it crashed just loudly enough for him to hear even though it was a good mile or more bellow them on the cliff.
He felt some coming up behind him but didn't bother to see who it was, he knew it was a friend either way.
It was Katara, she sat next to him, and hugged her knee's like him looking out at the moon.
"Pretty…" she said.
Aang grinned "It really is…" Katara nodded.
"You know…Aang…" she started.
Aang shut his eyes waiting for another lecture.
"I think I was wrong before…" she said.
Aangs eyes opened quickly, not knowing if he'd heard right.
She looked at him with genuine eyes, "I'm sorry for…well for being how I was earlier….I should've trusted you…" she said.
Aang grinned at her, "Katara its okay.."
Katara sighed, "I guess I was…a little threatened…" she admitted.
Aang looked at her funnily, "Threatened?" he asked, "Katara you've beaten her before, and that's not even the issue, I told you she wouldn't hurt you now."
Katara shook her head, "No I mean…threatened that…you might want her as a friend more then me…" she said blushing.
Aang looked at her with narrowed brows a bit, "Katara, no one could ever take your place as my friend…"
He stopped himself short, he could see in his eyes what he'd feared and hoped for all this time….she didn't mean…"friend." She meant…
A lump grew in his throat.
Katara said nothing, wondering if she'd done the wrong thing, again.
"But you…" Aang said not even thinking about what he was saying.
Katara shut her eyes looking back over the sea.
Aang stopped again, "Excuse me…" he said…he stood up and walked back taking his glider in hand.
"Aang!" Katara said opening her eyes and standing up after him.
"I'm going to go…scout a bit…goodnight Katara…" he said.
"Aang I…" she was cut off by a gust of wind as he leapt from the cliff side and air blew against her face and her hair and tunic.
Then he was gone again…
WHY DID SHE HAVE TO RUIN EVERYTHING WITH HIM! She buried her face aggregately in her hands, and half hit herself in the head with her knuckles.
Suki watched as Aang moved in front of the moon from the other side of the cliff. He must have be scouting.
She laid out her padded blanket she and the other Kyoshi warriors used to sleep on, put some jars and viles next to it for cleaning up later.
Right when she was about to undo her hair to allow it to hang free, she heard a scamper of feet, and turned to see a wide eyed Sokka running at her full force.
"WAAIIIT!" Sokka cried, flinging his arms towards her.
Sokka looked wide eyed at him then at the surrounding area to see this eminent danger that he saw that she didn't.
Before she could react he had grabbed her by the shoulders and nearly lifted her off the ground in one fell swoop as he moved her to the side behind him.
"YOU CAN'T SET UP CAMP HERE!" he said franticly.
She looked confused him wondering what he was talking about…and if he would put her down…he certainly wasn't joking about those pushups then.
"THIS LEDGE COULD GIVE WAY ANY SECOND ITS TO DANGEROUS TO SLEEP HERE!" he said frowning at the edge…which was a good 2 yards away from where she'd laid down her blanket.
"Sokka!" she said getting down from his arms, although truth be told she sort of liked it, "You've gotta stop worrying about me…I'm fine I- "
"I know I know!...Sokka said backing up and holding his head, "Your perfectly capable of taking care of yourself…and I should stop…"
She put her hand on his shoulder, "I think it's sweet Sokka…" she said, "and I'm grateful you saved me earlier today…but if you- "
"HANG ON!" Sokka said suddenly again standing in front of her with his arms stretched out.
He was glaring down at her sleeping bag.
"What?" she asked startled.
Sokka wiped some apparent sweat off of his forehead, "Nothing…" he said. "Phew…it wasn't a spider..just some blown over twigs…ha ha…"
Suki glared at him shaking her head. He turned to her with one of his huge sheepish grins that slowly began to melt away her frown.
"Sorry…" he said again hanging his head and sitting on a rock.
Suki sighed and sat next to him, "It's a beautiful moon…" she said changing the subject.
"Hmmm?" He said looking up,
"The moon." She repeated, "It's full of life tonight…"
Sokka said nothing, did she say something wrong.
"Yeah…"he finally said, "Yes it is…" Suki scratched behind her ear, "Um…is something wrong, Sokka?" she asked.
"I didn't meant anyth- "
Sokka finally glanced up at her and cut her off, "No no…its not you…it really isn't its…it's me….I've got to deal with this…"
Suki bit her lip shutting her eyes, "Sokka…if you didn't want me along…"
Sokka turned to her fully now putting his hand up, "NO No! I'm glad you're here, being here is the most wonderful thing that's happened this whole adventure but…"
He stopped again, this was so aggravating if it wasn't her then what was it?
"THEN WHAT?" she asked.
Sokka shut his eyes then glanced at the moon again, as if the moon was making him sad.
"A long…a little while ago…someone I cared about…it was my job to protect them…they got caught up in our business with the Fire Nation and…they got hurt and…and now they're gone forever…I don't want that to happen to you Suki…"
Suki looked back at the water, "Oh…." She said.
Sokka sighed again, "It's not your fault at all its…losing someone again…"
Suki put her hand on his shoulder, "You haven't lost me Sokka…and you won't lose me…you saved me remember…You don't think I'm worried about you to?"
"You you are?" Sokka said looking at her with a gapping look of surprise and joy.
Suki rolled her eyes, "I've had to deal in prudence to….I lost someone I cared about…well…they didn't die, they just went away…and it hurt so much, missing him like that." She said looking back over the ocean.
"He was smart…and funny…and brave…" she went on.
"Who is this guy!..." Sokka said standing up, rage in his eyes which were now squinting suspiciously.
"Is he Taller than me!" he said. Suki bit her lip to hide a giggle, and went further, "Nope…" she said, "Bout your hieght…"
Sokka looked dejectedly to the side, "Is he better looking?…I bet…" and his arms went droopy like they did when he felt beat.
Suki stood up hands on her hips, "It IS you stupid!" she said laughing a little,
"Ooooh…" Sokka said as if he was actually getting just now, which knowing him he probobly was, he was so cute.
Suki shook her head, "Why ELSE would I have insisted on coming with you guys?"
Sokka looked wide eyed at her and sideways, "You?" he said in disbelief "You were coming…to look out for me?"
"Mhm…" Suki said smiling. Sokka blushed which she thought was too adorable.
She took a step forward without thinking about it, hoping afterwards it didn't telegraph to much…
But looking up she saw that it did, Sokka's eyes were every bit as open as they were before and were watching like a deer in the light, wondering what she would do next.
Her heart stopped in her throat, not knowing whether to turn back, or take another bold step. Suddenly Sokka, without changing the look on his face, stepped forwards as well. Her eye brows raised at this and she did the same in response, now a bit closer to him and had to look up at him.
Gradually his gaping eyes settled to more normal eyes and she began to breath, not easily, but at least at all.
She saw him leaning in, and she shut her eyes and allowed her head to move forwards as slowly as his.
She felt a kiss and pressed back against it with her own mouth and felt Sokka's hands on the waist lines of her Kyoshi armor, she responded by slowly putting her hands on his shoulders, then they went around his neck, hugging it.
Back on the Ferry sailing towards Ba Sing Se, Jet was allowing his food to digest as he leaned back against the wooden walls of the ship, he was facing the old man and his nephew or grandson or whoever the scar faced Ling was to him.
"What a most satisfying meal, I'm sure I speak for the whole crew when I say: thank you both…"
Jet smirked looking out at the night sky, the moon was beginning to disappear behind the coulds, like a wall.
"Yeah, I hear that people eat like this EVERY day in Ba Sing Se…."
The scar faced boy glanced up at Jet, obviously intrigued by that tale.
"Man I can't wait to lay eyes on that wall…" Jet continued, looking at the massive cloud that was reminding him of it.
He saw some recognition in the eyes of the old man, "You ever seen it?" Jet asked.
"Once…" he responded to Jet sadly, "When I was a…different man…"
Jet leaned up, "Hey I've done plenty of things I'm not proud of…but that's why the freedom fighters are heading for the wall…and the new life behind it."
The old man smiled wisely, "I believe in new starts…" he agreed, then looked at Ling, "I believe in second chances…"
His nephew or grandson Ling looked away, he was dealing with a major traumatic issue…Jet could tell….he liked that…he was going for the wall for redefinition to…but he still had a rumbling in him, an earthquake fault in him that needed to be shaken out.
Jet could find a use for that, teach him to channel it into being a freedom fighter. Yes he wanted a new start, but in honesty as a soldier, defending the great wall, he wouldn't cower behind it, he'd protect it…so that no kid would have to go through what he did, or what Ling obviously did.