AVATAR
The Young Lady Of Legends
She was a shy, self-centered and overall lazy dreamer from our world, transported to the world of Avatar where she's the stuff of some sort of legend. She also can't continue being lazy, not if a certain agitated prince gets his way. ZukoXOcc
O~O~O~O
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
Ba Sing Se – City OfDestinations
Flying through the rain now, Yang-Chong found the location, but only Momo was there, curled up inside a large footprint.
Yang-Chong crowed sadly. But…there was proof. Emma and Appa had both been here.
They were in Ba Sing Se, but…where?
O~O~O~O
Four Weeks Ago...
O~O~O~O
Emma's P.O.V:
I awoke to the sound of people talking – no, shouting – and I struggled to open my eyes. I was lying down on something made of wood, and it appeared to be something like a boat...ah, a sand sailer.
I suddenly heard Appa roaring in anger, and remembered what was happening.
The library was sinking, Toph was trying to hold it up, and...Appa and I got kidnapped!
My heart thudded painfully in my chest, shooting adrenaline straight into my veins as I opened my eyes fast and got to my hands and knees.
What I saw was a group of men, trying to tie Appa to a giant stag beetle using some ropes. He was struggling, and they were shouting. Nearby, I saw the people responsible for mine and Appa's capture, and one – Gashuin, I remembered – was holding a small ornate chest, no doubt of gold.
Outraged, I looked back to Appa, and saw that he was still struggling with his captors.
"Stop!" I shouted, and everyone – including Appa – stopped what they were doing and looked at me. "What are you doing to Appa? ! Let him go!" I jumped off the sand sailer and was running across the sand towards Appa, who was now struggling to get free again, when a hand grabbed my shoulder.
I turned quickly to find that it was Gashuin, and he was flanked by two more Sandbenders. I realised that the other guys were the 'beetle-headed' merchants who were supposed to sell Appa to a circus!
"Let me go!" I cried, straining to get free, but Gashuin had a strong grip.
"I thought you said she'd be out for awhile!" Gashuin said to one of the other Sandbenders, struggling to hold onto me. He'd given the money chest to someone else, and now used his other hand to grab my hand – my injured one.
I cried out in pain, as tears sprang to my eyes. "Let me go!" I yelled, still trying to get to Appa, as the Sandbenders dragged me back to the sand sailer. "Appa!" I called to him.
One of the beetle-merchants suddenly approached us, and the Sandbenders stopped, giving me an opportunity to try and break free again. Gashuin practically had to wrap his arms around me to keep me from escaping.
"Hmm," The beetle-merchant looked me up and down, seeming to...appraise me? "How much do you want for this one?" He asked Gashuin, who froze.
I was even more outraged than I had been before, if that was even possible. "What the – I am not some piece of livestock to be auctioned off, do you hear me? ! When my friends find out about this, you'll be – !" Gashuin suddenly clapped a hand over my mouth, cutting me off mid-sentence. "Mmhmm-hmmm-mmhmm!" I was positively livid. I supposed the fear hadn't really set in yet, since I knew that, somehow, Appa would be fine. I wasn't really worried about me yet. I just didn't want to get separated from Appa.
"This one's not for sale," Gashuin explained, ignoring my attempts to bite him now. "She's coming with us."
"Really? She seems a little too high-strung at the moment." The beetle-merchant remarked. "Not too bad looking, though. Where exactly were you planning on taking her to?" He wanted to know.
"Well..." Gashuin began but, just then, Appa began roaring and struggling again, rocking the sled he was tied to back and forth. I remembered now that it was because he had just heard the bison whistle.
I went still, thinking about how much Aang and Appa were going to miss each other, and how much I was already starting to miss everyone. First I had left Prince Zuko, and now I was separated from the Gaang as well. I didn't even have Yang-Chong anymore.
A tear slid down my face, as I pictured all of my friends in turn.
Zuko and Iroh, Kai...Aang, Toph, Katara and Sokka...Momo and Yang-Chong...
I had never been on my own in this world...and I wasn't about to start now. I just realised then that I needed my friends, even if they didn't need me...
As the Sandbenders were departing, with me onboard, and Gashuin remarked that Appa was the beetle-merchants' problem now, I took a deep breath and, focusing on my chi, which was now active (for some reason) because I'd been thinking about my friends, I managed to pull away from Gashuin and jump from the sand sailer.
"Stop her!" I heard somebody shout, and the Sandbenders sent an arc of sand around behind me to cut off my escape.
I responded by swinging my arms back around and, despite the pain it caused me, I was able to draw up some water from some nearby pots, to turn the sand into mud.
I then ran back towards where Appa was, calling out to him.
He was struggling now, his huge light brown eyes focused right on me.
I suddenly noticed the man with the shirshu spit dart, about to shoot Appa with tranquilizers!
"No!" I screamed, running at him and hitting him with a roundhouse kick to his middle. "How dare you try and do that to Appa!"
A second man suddenly grabbed me from behind, pinning both my arms to my sides and causing me to cry out again when my injured hand was rough-handled.
"Put them both under!" One of the beetle-merchants ordered. I heard him say to someone else: "She's ours now, Sandbenders! You lucked out!"
As something sharp struck the side of my neck, I heard my captor say: "We've gotta get rid of them now – they're too much trouble!"
"I know a place that will take them both..." Somebody said, as my vision started to fade.
I was let go of then, since I wasn't going to be much of a threat, and I understood it was because I'd been tranquilized, albeit with a smaller dosage than Appa had just had shot into him.
"A...ppa..." I said, my voice thick and slurry now, as I tried to stagger across the sands towards him.
He groaned when he saw me, but was unable to move because of the ropes binding him and the tranquilizers now flowing through his system.
I stumbled, and then fell backwards onto the sand, disorientated when the sand suddenly became the sky.
Upside-down, I saw the beetle-merchants approach me and then, beyond them, on the horizon, I saw a giant mushroom cloud of sand.
"I'm sorry..." I whispered, before I blacked out.
O~O~O~O
I awoke the second time around to someone pressing a cool cloth to my face. It felt good on my forehead, which had been battered by the sand, and I was grateful for it.
"Thanks, Katara..." I murmured.
"Sorry, hon," Said a strange voice that was definitely not Katara, and I opened my eyes and sat up fast, nearly head-butting the woman who was leaning over me...wait, it wasn't a woman...
I stared at the cross-dresser for a moment, before looking around me, wildly. I was in a tent of some sort, one that had bright, sparkly costumes hanging up everywhere, and sketched posters of people and animals. I turned back to the person. "Who are you? Where am I? Where's Appa? !" I asked him (her?), my voice rising.
"Relax, hon," The man (yes, it was definitely a man) said, soothingly, trying to calm me down. "My name's Ai. I'm a performer here at the Sun Yat-Sen Circus, and it's my job to help new arrivals like you." Ai had very long light brown hair and reddish-brown eyes. He wore lots of make-up, and a feminine red robe. I had no problems with that – it was what he'd said that bothered me.
"Circus?" I repeated, and he nodded. "New arrival?" I blinked.
Ai's red painted lips curved upwards into a smile, and he stood up. "That's right, hon, and we've got a lot of work to do before tonight's performance! You and the wind buffalo will both be appearing onstage tonight, so we have to get you ready!" He hurried away to scour through the racks of sparkly costumes.
"What? I can't perform!" I was indignant, and started to get out of the cot I was lying in, until I realised that I was just in my under robes. I drew the covers up around my chest, and said: "You must have me mistaken with Ty-Lee, because I can't..."
"Ty-Lee?" Ai reappeared from behind a row of dresses, carrying something sparkly and white in his arms. His eyes were sparkling much more than the dress, as he came back over to me, looking thrilled. "You know her? Where is she now? Is she alright? We haven't seen her since Princess Azula came and asked for her help!" He sounded excited, and I realised instantly that this was Ty-Lee's circus! Huh. I wonder if she knew the evil animal trainer?
I considered this for a moment. "Uh, Ty-Lee...brown-haired girl, an acrobat, uses chi-blocking and has a really bubbly personality in strong contrast to Azula?" Ai nodded eagerly. I sighed. "Yeah, I've met her. She's doing fine...she nearly killed me with her attacks..." I murmured.
"What was that?" Ai asked.
"Uh, I said, she really thrilled me with her antics..." I lied. I took a look at the costume Ai was holding out for me. "Oh no, noooo way am I wearing that thing!"
Ai rolled his eyes. "You should've seen the other costume they picked out for you, hon. Here," He laid it down on the side of my cot. "Hurry up and get dressed. We've gotta start rehearsals soon!"
"What?" I exclaimed, as he hurried towards the tent exit. "Ai, wait, I'm not a circus performer! I can't go onstage!"
"Don't worry," He called back to me. "You'll pick it up really quickly!"
"But I don't want to!"
O~O~O~O
That evening, Ai led me across the circus grounds, towards the big red tent. I had eventually resigned myself to doing this, only after I'd made a promise to myself to free Appa at the very first given opportunity.
As I walked, people's heads began turning and, feeling self-conscious, I wished I had my fan with me. Actually, the only thing I still had of mine was my under-robes and my jewellery. Even my choker around my neck was cold comfort to me, as I tried to avoid the men's stares.
I was wearing a sparkly blueish-black leotard trimmed in light blue sequins, which had a silver chiffon skirt attached to it. On my feet were black slippers that laced up my ankles, akin to ballet shoes. On my head was a blueish-silver tiara – knowing the Fire Nation, it was probably real silver...
Ai had done my make-up for me and, I had to admit, I looked good. I had blue eye shadow painted across my eyelids, something like mascara on to accent the shape of my eyes, pink blush and a lot of sparkly blue lipstick. Ai could do makeup better than most girls could, and I told him so.
"Thanks, hon." He'd said. He'd made no effort to learn my real name – nobody had – and I felt better knowing that they wouldn't know who I was when I escaped with Appa that evening. Even though I had a bandage around my wrist, I was confident now that I could Waterbend (or Earthbend) if I had to. Actually, I did have to...
The routine I'd been working on that afternoon with Ai had been, basically, some stylized Waterbending, complete with lots of glitter and raised platforms.
The owner of the circus (the old guy who ends up having to let all the animals loose at Azula's insistence) had come in to oversee the rehearsal, and had seemed pleased with my, what he called, natural skills. Ai had told me that people from the Fire Nation weren't used to seeing Waterbenders, and that seeing me would be a real show for them.
Yeah. Thanks a lot for that, Ai.
I wasn't looking forward to performing onstage, but I had no other choice. If I wanted to help free Appa tonight, then I had to be up there when he was. I'd fool them all into thinking I was alright, and then I'd turn on them and use Waterbending to help Appa and me to escape.
It was fool-proof.
Well, except for the fact that they'd given me hardly enough water to bend. I stared in dismay from behind the curtain at the donut-shaped dishes of water that surrounded each of the three platforms I could jump between. I'd honestly expected them to trust me with more water during the actual performance, but noooo...
When the lights in the circus tent dimmed, Ai gave me a little push from behind.
Taking a deep breath, I walked out into the darkness, and climbed up onto the middle of the three platforms, which were arranged in a triangle shape. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest from nerves, and I closed my eyes and tried to reassure myself that everything would be okay.
"Ladies and gentlemen," The ring master's voice cut through my reverie, and I tried to control my breathing to calm myself down. I hated performing onstage. I got really nervous just talking in front of strangers, let alone performing. "We have precious rare gem from the far reaches of the world, a truly amazing performer here with us tonight! I give you," The lights came on again, very slowly. "Ocean Girl!"
The crowd 'oohed' and, in a moment of bewilderment, I wondered what Katara would've said if she'd found out that us Waterbenders were 'precious rare gems'. I also thought that the name Ocean Girl would've fit Katara more, because she looked like that girl from the show with the same name...
I took a deep breath, and held my hands out in front of me. Just pretend you're practicing your bending with Aang and Katara... I thought to myself, raising my palms slowly upwards and summoning the water to me in long streams.
I heard the crowd 'oooh' and wondered: Are they saying that because its cool, or because they've never seen a Waterbender before? Just remember what you're fighting for... I thought, with gritted teeth, and then I began to move.
I swirled the water around me in streams, letting it follow the movements of my body as I went through some martial arts sets, although I'd modified them to look more like dancing. I twisted and turned, occasionally solidifying the water into ice, only to shatter it into glass crystals that sparkled in the lights, and then liquefied them again. My hair, which had been washed and then brushed, was set in a style that reminded me of, well, Ursa's. It was tied into a top-knot, but more of it hung down to my shoulders. My hair wasn't as long as hers, though.
The crowd 'ooohed' and 'aaahed', sounding totally mesmerised by something I realised they had never really come to understand.
As my performance went on, I started to relax and, when I glanced briefly over my shoulder, I saw the ring master and Ai both looking relaxed and smiling also.
On a moment of inspiration, I began to sing:
"I've looked everywhere I can Do I gotta get water from the moon I've reached high up in the sky Do I gotta get water from the moon? Love me, how do I make you love me
Just to find a clue
Oh to get to you
And make you want me
And I've run circles around the sun
Chasin' after you
Oh but it's no use
Can't you see that I'm going out of my mind
Trying to find a way to get through to you
Oh you don't know how hard I try
And I try and I try
What do I gotta do
What do I gotta do
To make you love me
Do I gotta turn the sand into the sea
Is that what you want from me
I've done everything that I can do
But get water from the moon
Tryin' to steal the stars
Oh to win your heart
But even that's not enough
And I've searched every book I know
Just to find the words
Oh to touch your world and get some love out of you
I've already given all I can give
And I don't know what's left to try
And I try and I try
What do I gotta do
How do I make you see that I'm going out of my mind
And I try and I try Do I gotta get water from the moon
What do I gotta do
What do I gotta do
To make you love me
Do I gotta turn the sand into the sea
Is that what you want from me
I've done everything that I can do
But get water from the moon...
My heart was filled with anguish as I sang this, because it made me think of Prince Zuko. Did he hate me now? Did he know he was the first boy I'd ever kissed? Did he even care?
As I finished up the song, and my performance, I threw the water up into the air and, instead of solidifying it, I went the other way, and it mixed with the light to create a shimmering rainbow, much to the crowd's amazement.
I lowered myself back into a bow, placing one foot behind me in an extravagant gesture. My right hand was throbbing like crazy now, but I ignored it and just left the arena, to be swept up into a huge hug by Ai.
"Hon, that was so beautiful!" He gushed, sounding close to tears. "You are a true performer, an absolute star!"
"Okay, right, let me go, please!" I said, and he set me down again, and we both turned around as the lights dimmed again.
The ring master said: "Ladies and gentlemen, now something truly special!" We watched as he created a pair of flames from his palms. "A noble beast so magnificent and rare, it hasn't been seen by human eyes in generations!" He created a fiery flash to his left. "I give you the Wind Buffalo!"
The curtain dropped to reveal Appa, looking both dejected and ridiculous in an outlandish circus get-up. His face was painted in a clown fashion, and most people in the crowd laughed at this.
"Appa..." I whispered sadly, as he entered the centre ring, to be joined by the animal trainer.
"Up." The cruel man ordered.
Appa shook his head and turned in a complete circle, as the crowd twittered with laughter.
"Up, you insolent cow!" The trainer commanded, creating a whip of fire and cracking it on the ground right near Appa's feet. Appa roared at him in defiance, and I realised that my fists were now clenched.
"Run away!" A little boy in the crowd shouted. "Get away from him!" His Father pulled him back into his seat.
The animal trainer used his whip to coax Appa skywards, and the crowd was amazed. They cheered as Appa began a series of aerial acrobatics through the flaming hoops that were suspended from the tent's top.
"Incredible." Ai breathed, and then he looked down at me. "Hon, what's wrong?"
"This isn't right." I whispered back, my eyes focused on the poor flying bison. Appa... I thought, upset by all this.
As he passed through the second hoop, his costume caught on fire and, remembering that Appa was now afraid of fire, I pushed past Ai and into the centre of the ring, where there was still some water left from my performance.
"Appa!" I shouted, bending the water up to put out the fire of his costume, and then I extinguished the flames on the other hoops. "Go on, get out of here!" I shouted to him, and he roared, obviously torn.
Just then, I felt a burning, scalding hot pain sear around my injured wrist, and I screamed in pain as the fire whip burnt through the bandages around my wrist, scalding into the skin.
The animal trainer was furious. I sank to my knees in pain, struggling to break free. Tears cascaded down my face, making my make-up run.
"You have no right to keep him here!" I shouted, for the entire circus tent to hear. "He belongs with Aang!"
Above me, Appa roared again, and swooped down to try and save me, as the ring leader sent a wave of fire towards him.
"No, Appa!" I screamed. "Get out of here! Go find Aang!"
Appa roared again, a call of distress and inner-pain.
"Go..." I whispered, pain overcoming me as I fell to the floor of the circus tent, and the cruel animal trainer finally let me go. "I'll be fine..."
"Get back here, you stupid beast!" The animal trainer yelled to Appa, who paid him no heed, and the last thing I heard was the sound of the tent top being ripped open, and Appa flying his way to freedom...
O~O~O~O
I seemed to spend half of my life unconscious, I reckoned, as I opened my eyes groggily to find daylight streaming in through a barred window...wait, bars?
I opened my eyes all the way, and immediately felt the pain in my wrist.
"Aurgh..." I whispered hoarsely, drawing my wrist up to my chest, which was... "What the hell?" I gasped, realising that I was dressed in barely my under robes. I could still feel that my choker was around my neck, which comforted me, until I realised that my only good arm, plus my ankles, were chained to a wall. The chains were made of what looked like pure gold, but that didn't really help me feel any better. "Oh no..." I whispered, panicking immediately setting in, as I looked around at what appeared to be a prison cell. There was only one door in the room, and not much else.
I had no idea where I was, or how I had gotten here, or what was about to happen.
That was scary.
I'd always prided myself in having a good scope on this life because, let's face it, I'd already seen the key parts of this story anyways. But here...here I was alone...I'd only seen the story that affected major characters in the story, and now...
The wooden door to the cell suddenly opened, and I looked over as a man came in.
He was clearly Fire Nation, with a cruel-looking face and scarlet eyes.
"So, you're awake." He stated, folding his arms.
"Who are you?" I demanded to know. My voice only shook slightly, and lost some of its tremor as I got more and more angry. "Where am I? What do you want from me?" I asked, angrily. "Let me out of here!"
The man stepped forward and, with a quick movement, kicked me in the side, causing me to cry out in pain and shock. "You will speak to me with respect, little wench!" He spat, glaring down at me. "I bought you from that miserable circus, and you're mine now!"
"I don't belong to anyone," I informed him, nearly feeling sick from pain. "Let me out of here, now!"
He chuckled, somewhat darkly. "Oh-ho, I don't think I'll be doing that," His red eyes raked over my body, very obtrusively. "You see, I have plans for you, little one..."
I gulped. That didn't sound too good. I remembered how Gashuin had been talking about selling me to a harem...could this be even worse than that?
"I won't do it!" I snapped, my throat feeling very dry now. "Whoever the hell you are, you won't get away with this!"
I was answered with another kick, this time to my shoulder, which began to bleed. What, was this man wearing steel-capped boots or something?
"Every time you disrespect me, this is how it's gonna be." The man said simply. "Though, you didn't cry out in pain this time...how disappointing..." He grabbed me by the back of my hair, forced me to sit up, and then slapped my face, hard. It reminded me of the time my Mother had hurt me in a similar fashion and, for that reason, I didn't make a sound. "Come on, where's the screaming?" He punched me in between my shoulder and my neck, and I bit my lip so hard that it bled. "You will learn to get used to me." My captor smirked, throwing me back onto the floor, where my head hit the ground hard.
I gulped, feeling tears leak out of my eyes. Through the unbelievable pain, I managed to say: "I'd rather stand-off against Azula again..."
Something sharp hit the side of my head, and I blacked out. Again.
O~O~O~O
The next couple of days were torture beyond recognition. Every time I spoke out of line and, let's face it, I did that quite a bit, I was punished. I was kicked, punched, slapped, thrown around and sometimes even cut. I was just thankful that this man didn't seem to be a Firebender. I was hardly fed or given water, although when I was my hands and feet were bound extra tight, to avoid me bending the water at all. I was forced to eat from a bowl like some kind of an animal, which prompted more anger from me and that subsequently led to punishments. When I needed to use the bathroom, I was led out of the cell and into a small bathroom area, where I was chained to another peg on the wall, and my captor – whose name I did not know and didn't care to know – would wait just outside the door for me. It was painful, humiliating and frightening, and I wondered what I had done to deserve this.
The turning point came when my captor decided to move in for what I thought might be the kill. He grabbed me by the neck, and the chains around my ankles tore from the wall, cutting into and bruising my skin. He dragged me down the hall to a bedroom and threw me onto the bed.
My insides turned to ice, as I realised what was about to happen. I've seen one too many episodes of SVU, and I knew what was coming next. My mind wandered back to a day onboard Zuko's ship, so many months ago...
Iroh said carefully: "If that were to happen then…you would be Zhao's, to become what he sees fit…"
"Oh my God…you mean…?"
Iroh nodded.
My hands holding the tea cup began to shake. "Oh my God…" I repeated, my voice barely above a whisper. "I…I just got here, and now…my worst fear…" I closed my eyes.
"It is terrible that such a young lady must be burdened with such a fear," Iroh said, understanding what my murmurs meant. "But, know this," Something in his voice made me look up at him. "My nephew will fight against Zhao with all his strength. He has something to prove against Zhao."
Zuko...
My eyes snapped open, as my captor grabbed my shoulders and started to get onto the bed to lie over me.
Taking a deep breath, I cried: "I'll never give myself to anyone but Zuko!"
I kneed my captor hard, in the place where it hurts most, and sent him flying back across the room.
He landed with a crash against the wall, as I got up, and ran for the door, wincing with each step as my injuries pained me.
When I reached the hall I turned right and ran, heading towards a door that I thought must lead out. I pushed through it, and could hear my captor running after me, closing the distance between us as I ran from the house, and then stopped in dismay.
The house of hell appeared to be on a small island, and was facing a sheer cliff face. The waves churned beneath me, and I was just about to bend them up from the rocks below, when something sharp pierced into my shoulder – a blade.
My captor grabbed my other shoulder, punching me in the face with a lot more force than Mai had that other time, and threw me to the ground.
Standing over me, wearing a look of absolute fury. "You will learn respect," He told me, and stepped on my left ankle hard, breaking it. This time, I couldn't hold back my scream of agony. "And suffering will be your teacher."
I was dragged then, by my burnt wrist, to a metal post, where my chains were retied around it. The blazing sun beat down on me as I looked up at my captor, through the blood coming from my forehead and flowing down my swollen eyes.
"Three days out here without food or water should break your spirit, wench." The man said smugly, before he turned and limped back into the house, leaving me to my fate.
O~O~O~O
Suki's P.O.V:
As the other warriors and I gathered red berries from the trees, Pai-Li noticed masses of white fur hanging from their branches, and took them off. "Must have been some fight." She mused.
"Wait, let me see that..." I gasped, coming forwards quickly to take the clumps of white fur from her. "No...it couldn't be..."
I left the other warriors and followed the trail of destruction through the woods. Climbing up a bluff, I discovered the source of the devastation at the top.
"Huh? Appa?" My heart thudded in my chest. "Oh no..."
He was ragged and bleeding, lying in the shadow of the entrance to a mine.
Creeping closer, I noticed that he also had chains around him.
He backed up, growling.
Whatever he had been through, it had traumatized him to this point. My heart went out to him.
I stopped, and knelt down, placing the fruits and berries I had just collected there on the ground.
"It's gonna be okay, Appa." I reassured him. "I have to leave, but I am gonna be back soon with help."
I was gonna need my fellow warriors to help me with this one. This could be our most important mission yet...
O~O~O~O
No One's P.O.V:
Appa was suspicious of the girls at first, but then Suki stepped forwards slowly and identified herself, and Appa let her and the others girls help him. They freed him from his chains, treated his wounds, and fixed up his fur so that it was no longer matted.
They were almost finished, when a bolt of blue lightning felled a tree nearby. Appa looked about, anxious.
Azula, Mai, Ty-Lee and Zhu rode out of the hills on the backs of Mongoose-Dragons, and confronted the Kyoshi Warriors and the bison.
"My, my, you're easy to find." Azula held up a clump of Appa's fur before tossing it aside. "It's really astounding my brother hadn't captured you yet." Looking at the golden-haired Zhu, she added: "I'll show you my true power..."
Not only that, but Mai and Ty-Lee were showing off their skills as well, quickly disarming and defeating the other warriors.
Mai said: "You're so colourful, it's making me nauseous."
Ty-Lee's hands flew to her hips. "You're not prettier than we are!"
And, Azula discovered that Appa was afraid of fire. She remarked that this was how it should be.
Watching the battle unfold before her, Zhu sighed and shook her head. "She still has a lot to learn." The priestess whispered.
Appa, realising that Suki was in danger, was instantly reminded of Emma. He didn't want another person who had helped him to get hurt, so he doubled back.
Seeing this, Suki grabbed a burning branch and waved it, knowing that Appa was afraid of fire. "Get out of here!" She shouted. "You have to find Aang! We'll be okay!"
Appa was torn, but eventually his fear won out and he flew away.
Suki was relieved, until she was attacked by Azula again.
"Don't you know that fans just make flames stronger?" Azula asked, as Suki whipped out her war fan.
"Azula!" Zhu finally stepped into the battle. The golden-haired woman brought her hands together, and a yellow light surrounded them. "Let me show you my true power..."
Azula stepped back, smirking. "Be my guest, Zhu..."
O~O~O~O
Emma's P.O.V:
Three days turned into five, and then a week. Luckily, I managed to keep myself sustained by drinking rain water on the one day that it rained, and eating...bugs.
Sorry bugs.
My captor came to check on me each day, to see how my spirit was going and, each time, I ignored him, and he would leave me where I was.
My injuries had seemed to all meld together into one, until the pain was just a numb blur all over my body. My throat was parched, I was either tanned or sunburned, and I was thankful for the overcast days, so I didn't look like a lobster.
I was starving and drained, both physically and mentally. I was bored and in pain, and could hardly even move.
At nights I slept, but I was always awoken by every little sound. I worried that it might be my captor at first but, eventually, I stopped worrying, or even caring.
I was convinced that I would never see my friends again, and the thought saddened me. They didn't know where I was or what I was going through, and that was probably I good thing. I could only imagine Zuko's reaction if he found out, not to mention Katara's. I missed the hot-headed, Motherly Waterbender terribly, and fell asleep each night looking up at the moon and thinking about both Katara and Yue.
On the fifth night, I fell asleep looking at the moon, and ended up going into the Spirit World by mistake...
O~O~O~O
I walked through the Spirit World, which was designed to look like an oriental temple. I had my strength back in the Spirit World, but not my bending. At least I wasn't in any pain. I walked through the empty halls, and came out into a beautiful courtyard with a light rain falling from the endless sky.
A tall woman in pink robes stood with her back to me, and I went over to join her at the pond.
She was watching the black and white koi fish, but then she turned to me, and I gasped in recognition.
"Kwan Yin!" I bowed my head, recognizing the goddess of Mercy.
Her soft hands took mine, and held them protectively in hers. "My dear child," She said, sounding comforting and sad at the same time. "What in the universe have we done to you?"
I shook my head. "It's not your fault, Lady Kwan Yin. It's that horrible man..." Tears filled my eyes. "I'm so scared..." I admitted, and Kwan Yin put her arms around me.
"My child," She soothed. "Don't be afraid. We will protect you now...you are safe, here..."
"But...I want to go back..." I looked up at her. "My Lady, I need to go back!" I pleaded with her.
"I'm afraid that may no longer be possible." Said a voice from behind me, and I turned to see a younger woman in red robes, with her dark hair tied up Nurse Joy-style.
"Who are you?" I asked her.
"My name is Tai Li-Jun, the Scarlet Phoenix," She replied, walking through the rain that did not seem to wet any of us. "I've been watching over you for quite some time...I'm...sorry about all that has happened. We brought you here."
I lowered my head. "Where are we?"
"We are in the Courtyard Of rain," Tai Li-Jun explained. "In theCelestialGardensin the centre point of existence."
I nodded, and then a terrible thought struck me. "Am I dead? !" I gasped.
Tai Li-Jun and Kwan Yin exchanged a glance, and then Tai Li-Jun said: "Not...yet."
I gulped. "What do you mean?"
"Your mortal body is weak, Emma," Kwan Yin explained, keeping her arms around me from the back. "You have suffered far more than anyone should ever have to suffer. You cannot survive for much longer."
"But...but, I can't die!" I exclaimed, tears running down my face as I tried to make them understand. "Not yet, anyway! I have to get back to Aang and the others! I have to make sure they're okay, and help them win the war! I have to find Prince Zuko and..." I closed my eyes, letting the tears fall. "Tell him I love him. Even if he hates me..." I sobbed.
My shoulders shook, and Kwan Yin held onto me comfortingly.
"He doesn't," She told me. "He really doesn't. He loves you, with all his heart even though it's troubled..."
"He does?" I whispered. "Oh my God, he loves me...he really does..."
Kwan Yin squeezed my shoulders. "Yes..."
"Lady Mercy," Tai Li-Jun addressed the goddess. "Is there nothing we can do?"
Kwan Yin sighed. "There is something that can be done...however, I am not sure if..."
"What is it?" I cut her off. "What can be done? How can I go back? !"
"Emma, it is time I told you of your destiny," Kwan Yin traded a glance with Tai Li-Jun, who nodded and ran off, her scarlet robes swirling behind her like wings. "Come, let us walk..."
O~O~O~O
Time seemed to pass strangely quickly and, the next thing I knew, we were walking down a hall with beautifully painted portraits hanging from the walls on either side.
I stopped to examine one of them that I recognized. "This is Princess Ursa, Zuko's Mother!" I exclaimed, looking up at the beautiful face of the Fire Nation Princess.
Kwan Yin nodded. "You may also recognize the woman next to her."
I looked at the portrait of the Water Tribe woman, and gasped. "Katara's Mother! Kya..." I noticed that she had hair-loopies in this picture, and smiled. "But...what do they have in common, I mean besides their kids being involved in the war and everything...?"
"This is called the Hall Of Wanü, or the Hall of The Priestesses," Kwan Yin explained. "I am sure that you have heard this term before."
I nodded. "A lot of people seem to think that I am one."
"They are correct," Kwan Yin responded, much to my amazement. "A Priestess is a powerful spirit medium with extraordinary powers. You must have noticed this things in yourself, my child."
"Well, yeah, I've started seeing ghosts and stuff, and I can walk through the Spirit World," I told her. "Oh, and I can bend two elements!"
"You are able to bend all four of them." Kwan Yin informed me, as we stopped by the portrait of a golden-haired lady. "But, more than that, you have your own special power, your Priestess Power. The power of wudang."
"You mean, the pink light?" I asked, and she nodded. "Wait, wudang is...?"
"The True Master Arts, and the enemy of shaolin, in spiritual terms." Kwan Yin replied. She gestured gracefully to some of the other portraits. "Every Priestess has her own particular power. Princess Ursa's is dong wu, or animals. Lady Kya's was tien chi, or weather. Their daughters, however, have different powers."
"Wait," I gasped. "Are you telling me that Katara and Azula are Priestesses? !" I shook my head slowly. "Wow...there goes the neighbourhood..." I couldn't believe what I had just heard. "Is it always born from Mother to daughter?" I asked.
"Mostly. However," Kwan Yin said. "It is usually the job of the Mother to teach her daughter the skills when said daughter becomes a teenager."
"So, Katara can't ever learn." I realised sadly. "What about Azula?"
Kwan Yin gestured to the portrait of the blonde woman. I'd never seen a blonde-haired woman in the Avatar World before. "The Mother can, if she wishes, appoint another person to become her daughter's mentor, if the occasion should arise that she becomes unable to teach her. This woman, Priestess Zhu, if the Fire Lord's trusted friend, but was also Ursa's best friend when they were young. Therefore, it seemed only natural that Ursa should choose Zhu for her stand-in, and this has come to pass."
"So, Azula's learning..." I realised, and then I asked: "Wait, what's Zhu's power?"
"Zyr," Kwan Yin responded. "The sun."
"Oh, Azula will love that." I muttered. "I'll bet Azula's is something like fire or gold or something."
"No, huo and jin both belong to other women," Kwan Yin told me. "Only after three hundred years can a power be reborn into a new Priestess."
"Why are you telling me all of this?" I asked her.
"Because it is you destiny to become a Priestess, Emma," Kwan Yin responded patiently. "Your powers will be able to help you, but only when they are in full power will they be able to completely save you."
"I'm not in full power yet?" I asked, and Kwan Yin shook her head. "So, how can I get to be in full power? I'm not ready to die just yet..."
"It takes years for a Priestess to reach her full power," Kwan Yin said gently, and my shoulders slumped. "However...you may be able to obtain them now, but it will cost you..."
"What do I have to do?" I asked her.
"Come with me." She held out her hand and I took it.
O~O~O~O
Once again, time passed quickly and, suddenly, I was standing in a room full of glowing lanterns, with Kwan Yin, Tai Li-Jun and a woman I didn't recognize.
She had flowing white robes that were edged in blue in a sort of fade-out look, and masses of light brown hair pulled up on a loop that towered above her head.
She introduced herself to me as Qi-Feng, and instructed me to come into the centre of the room, where a blue stone basin sat.
I did so, and peered down into the blue water.
"Look deep into the basin, Emma," She said calmly. She had a very straight-forward attitude. "Should you choose to accept your powers now, this will be your fate."
I glanced at her doubtfully, and she nodded towards the basin.
Taking a deep (unnecessary) breath, I placed my face into the water, which swirled and bubbled around me, turning first from blue to green to red and then to white, and I looked on through the mists.
I withdrew my head from the basin, and looked at Kwan Yin, my face somehow completely dry.
"Was that me?" I asked her. The Lady Of mercy nodded. "But...what was I doing? I didn't quite understand...just that I..." I bit my lip, and trailed off.
"Do you still wish to receive your powers now?" Qi-Feng asked me. "What you saw is the cost. Should you choose to accept, then there will be no turning back." She held out her hands to me. "Do you wish to accept this course of events?"
I looked at them, and then at Kwan Yin and Tai Li-Jun. Their faces were expressionless.
I thought about all my friends back in the Avatar World, and of Yang-Chong, my guardian. I thought of the Fire Lord and his daughter, and of the destruction he could cause to the world if I didn't go back to help. I thought of Zuko, and my heart seemed to tingle in my chest.
Reaching forwards, I took Qi-Feng's hands in my own. "I accept." I said firmly and, at once, I was enveloped by pink light.
O~O~O~O
When the pink light cleared, I found myself standing in a deserted street. My head and mind were both cleared of any doubts. My captor was long gone, a storm had just destroyed and washed away him and his house. I was in Ba Sing Se, and I was supposed to walk until I found what I was looking for.
I walked slowly, limping and dragging my chains with me. I was still in a bit of pain, but the goddesses had done their job and taken away the most life-threatening of the afflictions. I was still in pain, however and that, coupled with my bloodied under robes, made for a very startling sight when I came across a store merchant and his cart.
He was stunned. "Ah...are you...uh, Miss?" I was reaching for something on the cart. "Are you...okay?"
I looked at him, one of my eyes black and blue from my beatings. I held up the red bear mask – my red bear mask.
"How much?" I asked, my melodic voice barely more than a scratchy whisper.
"Uh...twelve gold pieces?" The merchant was still regarding me warily. "It belonged to a wanted fugitive, so...?"
I held up my left wrist, and the gold cuff around it glittered in the moonlight. "Can you get this off for me?" I whispered.
The merchant was now shocked beyond belief, but he reached over and, using metal-bending, was able to get the chains off of me.
He stared at them in wonder as I slowly turned and walked away, holding the mask in my hands.
"Uh, miss, are you alright?" The merchant called after me, sounding concerned.
I didn't stop, but just called out scratchily to him: "I ain't getting any worse."
Limping along like that, I let my sore feet carry me in the direction that I needed to go. Something told me that I'd been in the Spirit World for a lot longer than I'd expected. Almost a month had passed since I'd been captured.
I reached my destination, and sat down to wait.
I began to sing softly, in my weakened voice:
"Wings of Fire, burning higher with the fire of love
Wings of Fire, freely, flying high forever
We didn't wait a long time to glitter
Without sleeping, we go on repainting the seasons
Don't hesitate, keep stepping on the accelerator with all your heart
Without closing your eyes, even in the violent wind
Wings of Fire, burning higher with the fire of love
Wings of Fire, flying, hotter than the heartbeat
Wings of Fire, crossing higher to the end of time with you
Wings of Fire, we're reaching to the distant star
Just hearing your voice calms my feelings
We are happier than anything
Even when we continued to wander on the rail that flew
Your answer was gentle: "I'll never let you go"
Wings of Fire, burning higher with the fire of love
Wings of Fire, freely, flying high forever
Wings of Fire, we're going faster and higher
Wings of Fire, reaching, running across the sky..."
When I'd finished up, I opened my eyes, to see a huge white shape flying towards me from the skies.
"That looks like..." I whispered. "It is...Appa!" I gasped, as the giant sky bison flew down from the sky, landing right in front of me.
With some degree of difficulty, I threw my arms around the front of his face, burying my face in his soft white fur.
"Appa..." I cooed. "Did you see Suki? Did you meet a guru? Oh, Appa..." I hugged him as tightly as I could.
Appa sniffed me with his huge nose, and then his gaze drifted past me.
He growled softly, a warning, and I turned to see a man walking towards us, one I knew must be...
"Long Feng..." I whispered, feeling weak all of a sudden.
With an Earthbending gesture, he caused the entire street section beneath Appa and me to revolve like a trap door, and the great Sky Bison and I fell into a pitch-black tunnel beneath the city...