Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Earth.
Fire.
Air.
Water.
Only the avatar can save us all.
Previously on Legend of Katherine!
The ship docks at New Ozai, and Kat gets to explore the city! After cart systems, random stories, and giant statues, our beloved protagonist falls unconscious all of a sudden! She has a mysterious dream about a Fire Nation girl, then wakes up on the ship! Who is the girl? What did the dream mean? And who are the mysterious people at the end?
Book 1:Water
Chapter 4: The Northern Raiders
" Under the sea, under the sea! " Kat sang horribly out of tune, before bursting into laughter. "Okay, you got me, I terribly suck at singing."
"Not bad, compared to your brother," Stacy commented. Vixella chortled.
"If she's already that bad, I don't want to know how bad her brother sings." The lavender haired girl shuddered. Kat shuddered at the prospect as well, a memory of Allen singing(more like screaming) How Far I'll Go very, very out of tune whilst strolling along the ocean shore.
"Alright, it's your turn now, Stacy!" Kat smiled. "Sing us something modern. Like, only recently released from the theaters." Stacy seemed deep in thought for a couple moments, before her face lit up.
"Ooh, I know!" She exclaimed, before clearing her throat. " Let it go, let it go! Can't hold me back anymore! Let it go! Let it go! Turn away and slam the door! I don't care what they're going to say! Let the storm rage on…the cold never bothered me anyway." Kat and Vixella both clapped when she finished.
"Wow, that was amazing!" Kat proclaimed. "Much better than mine. And Frozen sure is hitting the theaters hard these days! I don't know how many Elsas they have at Icy South Theaters for all the Frozen plays going on, jeez."
"What's this Frozen you're talking about?" Vixella asked curiously. "Is it one of the plays they show at the theaters?" Stacy nodded vigorously.
"Yeah. It just released a couple months ago, and it soared through the charts. Everyone in the South loved it! Now it's also a popular play in the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom, as the scripts are finally getting there." She said.
"I don't like theater plays. They're too boring and exaggerated for me." Vixella snorted. "But if this one managed to make this much money, I might check it out. If I can find a theater that is showing Frozen in Capital City."
"It's definitely worth seeing—woah!" Stacy was cut off when the ship suddenly came to an abrupt stop, sending them all forward a little bit. Kat barely managed to catch herself before she fell.
"What was that?" Vixella shouted, sounding annoyed and slightly worried. Kat looked around wildly, trying to see what had caused the hiccup. Then she noticed something disturbing.
The ship's engine had stopped, the soft humming and trembling gone. The floor was deathly silent and still.
"Uh, guys," Kat started nervously. "this doesn't seem good. Is the ship supposed to stop now?"
"I don't think so," Stacy replied anxiously. "We just had breakfast, and we're not supposed to be stopping at the Gates of Azulon until noon!"
Suddenly, there were loud stomping noises coming from above them. Angry shouts, the whooshing sound of fire, the clanging of metallic spears, and…splashing?
Worried murmurs spread across the room like a plague, everyone exchanging fearful glances with one another. Some were slowly backing away from the door, while others were approaching it curiously. Whatever was happening on deck, it wasn't good, judging by all the weapons and fire noises.
Then there were some of the same noises coming their way. First it was towards the left corner of the ceiling, then it came to the left wall, where the stairs leading up to the deck were located, and then into the hallway that ran outside their large shared room. Kat felt around for something she could defend herself with, if an enemy entered the room.
There was a loud thud and groan from outside, before the metal door was slammed open revealing a very wet hallway, some ice here and there, and two buff warriors with blue armor and very wary expressions. Who were they…oh wait. Are you kidding me?! Northern Raiders?!
"Oh no no no no." Kat panicked, frantically backing away from the door. The two waterposters(eh? Ehhh?;) scanned the room, a calculating look on their faces. Then, after some moments of hesitation, they pulled up a large stream of water in synchronization, and turned it all into sharp icicles that they shot at them.
Kat hopped over two beds, another girl on the ground, and a random makeup brush(where did that even come from?!) to get to a safer place. She briefly surveyed the room, to see what damage the icicles had done, and what she was met with was slightly sickening.
Some of the luckier girls had very minor issues with the icicles. They were stuck in their hair, pinning their clothes to the wall, or something minor like that. The unluckier ones though…well, let's just say they were not in good shape.
"Oh no no no! PLEASE I'M TOO YOUNG TO DIE!" Kat shouted overdramatically. Unfortunately, that only drew the attention of the Raiders towards her. Thankfully, Stacy pulled her behind one of the beds on its side, shielding Kat from the danger.
"Calm down, Kat!" Stacy hissed. "This is not the time to be overdramatic! This isn't pretend Bedwars in the park or something, this is the real deal! We need to figure something out, and fast before more people die!"
Kat hesitated, before an idea began forming. "Yeah! I know!" She proclaimed. "We can find the admiral and ask him to send a messenger hawk for help! So PREPARE TO DIE!"
Stacy facepalmed. "What did I just say about being overdramatic?!" She exasperated. "But the first part was actually not bad. If we find the admiral, he can send a messenger hawk for backup! If only we knew where the admiral's quarters are…"
"Wait, I have an idea of where it might be." Kat said gleefully, her strongest emotions changing every couple of seconds. "Father once mentioned that the most important person on a Fire Navy ship's quarters are in the back, near the steam engines. YES WE CAN DO THIS!"
"C'mon, let's just go." Stacy sighed, dragging an overexcited Kat away. They moved from behind bed to bed, until they had reached the open door. Kat, now finally calming down and becoming more sensible, looked both ways before cautiously sneaking into the dim hall.
The hallways were soaked in water. And melting ice. And the dead corpses of soldiers. It was a sickening sight, but the two barely took notice. They had a more important mission at hand.
Kat took the lead, checking each corner before turning, and making sure there were no Raiders. At some point, the water and ice stopped, which probably meant the area had yet to be encroached on by the enemy. Though when they came to what they assumed was the captain's quarters, it was already full of fighting.
"We're too late!" Stacy cried as the last soldier fell to the ground. "They're heading in!"
The squadron of Northern Raiders who had taken down all the Fire Nation soldiers, were now preparing to bust down the metal door leading to the Admiral's quarters. A miracle was all they needed…and it came bounding through the halls a second later.
"Get away from the Admiral!" Captain Baracak yelled. He leapt in front of the group, and blasted fire at them in an arc. The Northern Raiders extinguished the attack easily, however, raising a wall of ice in front. Captain Baracak continued to fire(no pun intended) strikes at each of the Raiders, who, unfortunately, all dodged nimbly.
"What are you two doing here?" Kat jumped, whirling around to find Betty in her uniform. She had taken off the creepy skull part, which revealed vibrant pink hair and a very concerned face.
"W-we were trying to get to the Admiral," Stacy stammered. "we hoped that if we notified him of the situation, he would send a messenger hawk for backup!" Betty let out a frustrated and worried sigh.
"Your intentions are honorable, but it's very dangerous outside right now. Go back to the big room so you don't get hurt!" Betty said in a slightly distressed manner.
"The room has two Northern Raiders in it." Kat deadpanned, crossing her arms. Betty's expression morphed into one of appall and dismay.
"Oh NO! Okay, then—just say out of the way. I don't want any of you getting hurt." She responded quickly and fervently, before racing towards the scene of the battle.
"Betty! Wait!" Kat cried, but her sister couldn't hear her over the battle. Stacy put a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"She knows what she's doing," Stacy reassured, staring at the battle with anxious eyes.
"I hope," Kat murmured.
*Insert 'Rising' here*
Captain Baracak was holding on strong. He dodged all the water and ice, and blasted fire at the Raiders whenever there was an opening. He had taken out two soldiers already, but the others were still standing strong.
Betty rushed into the battle, pulling out a set of dual blades she kept on her at all times. She had shown the pretty blades to Kat and her other siblings before, but never had she actually demonstrated them for them. But now, Kat was about to see just exactly how talented she was at combat.
Captain Baracak roared in fury, his scarred face twisted up and fueled with rage. His flames burned even brighter as he shot a blast straight at one of the Raider's faces. It was both brilliant and petrifying.
The raider he had been aiming to attack staggered, screaming in agony at the wound. Captain Baracak fell on one knee, breathing heavily and letting his exhaustion show for a moment. He stood back up a second later, fist clenched and ready to fire.
But it never came.
Captain Baracak staggered, a choked gasp coming out from his throat. He looked down with shrunken eyes…at an ice blade, coated with blood, lodged right through his stomach.
Time came to a halt as Baracak stumbled and fell to the ground, the light fading from his eyes.
Stay close, move fast
"NO!" Betty screamed, dashing forward at an incredibly slow pace(everything is still slowed down).
The darkness cannot last
Kat didn't know what to do, what to feel, what to say. Why was this day such a nightmare? Why couldn't they have had a normal trip to Capital City that was not filled with chaos, mysteries, visions, and death?
No hope, no path
Time seemed to return back to normal, as Betty narrowed her eyes in fury and charged at the Raiders with her dual blades. She managed to knock one out and started on another in a flash.
But we've got a dream to catch!
Betty kicked and swung and chopped and backflipped all around the place, knocking out the remaining Raiders within a heartbeat. Kat didn't even have enough time to comprehend what had happened before the threat before them was eliminated. What the heck was that?!
And we cannot wait
"Step aside, Fire Nation scum!" A loud voice boomed. Kat turned around to see another group of waterbenders, these ones looking more armored and seasoned. She pursed her lips anxiously. Could Betty really defeat these monsters?
Trust the way we're made
"I'm afraid I cannot do that." Betty smirked, before sprinting at them at inhumane speed. Before Kat could comprehend anything, three of the Raiders had already fallen to the ground, immobilized.
The sparrow's born to fly
The leading waterbender whipped around, pulling up a wave and sending it churning down the hallway. But Betty had already slipped to his back side, jabbing some points on his back sharply. Wait…was that chi-blocking?!
The mountain towers
The leader gasped as he fell to the ground with a thud, losing all control of his limbs. The other Raiders took uncertain steps back, not wanting to pick a fight with such a skilled warrior capable of immobilizing them and taking away their bending.
The river knows to reach the sea
"You two! Go! Send the message!" Betty called apprehensively. Kat immediately bolted towards the admiral's quarters, before the enemies could stop them.
Rain will help the flowers be
Stacy pulled at the door handle with all her might, but it wouldn't budge. "It's locked!" She cried.
We're the same, you and me
Kat looked around frantically. "What's Admiral Shenjin doing?" She asked fretfully and maybe, just a pinch, irritatedly.
The lightning doesn't take advice from anyone
"The messenger hawk room then!" Betty yelled back. "It's the third door to the left—ack!" One of the Raiders hit her with a water whip while she had been distracted, knocking Betty to the ground.
The willow doesn't need to learn to stand
"Betty!" Kat cried worriedly, but Stacy yanked her arm as she began to dash down the hallway.
As sun seeks day
They followed Betty's direction, and entered a room full of cages with small, sleek messenger hawks. There was some parchment and ink in one corner, and a small oval window for the hawks to fly in and out of.
We'll find our way
"Quick! Hand me the paper and ink!" Stacy said. Kat immediately handed her the items, which she hastily scribbled 'Northern Raiders attacking. Send help fast!' before tying it to the leg of a messenger hawk. The little thing immediately flew off, and Kat prayed that any stray waterbenders outside wouldn't kill it.
And we'll catch that dream together someday soon
Kat's gaze darted frenziedly around the room. She could hear heavy footsteps approaching; was there anywhere they could hide?
We're rising like the moon
Not a single hiding spot in sight. Kat gulped; this would be a hard one to get out of.
End of song
The ocean.
Full of darkness and danger, life and death, beauty and monstrosities. Maybe one day it would be a safe place, a watery haven where every Fire Nation citizen could be in without any worries. But those were dreams that took much hard work to achieve. And the first step was conquering the Northern Water Tribe.
Lizzie stared at the horizon, where the baby blue sky met the cerulean ocean. The sky looked so peaceful, so calming, and so safe compared to the sea. The ocean was rough, wild, and unpredictable. The waves churned and crashed against rocky cliffs and outcroppings as they headed towards land. She was always cautious and wary of the sea, as they were the place that the Phoenix Empire's last enemy was most dangerous at.
Lizzie was awaiting the arrival of Admiral Shenjin's ship. That ship was carrying potentially the biggest threat to the empire, and Father had to make sure that the weapon was safely in their hands. That was why she had been sent here, to the Gates of Azulon, to ensure that they entered Fire Nation waters safely.
From the direction in which the ship should have been arriving, a small black dot was coming right their way. At a faster pace than it should have been, anyways. Lizzie narrowed her eyes at the dot, expecting it to be a ship. But as it got closer, she could tell that it was not a ship, but in fact, something much, much smaller. A messenger hawk.
Lizzie extended one arm, in which the hawk landed on. She untied the small piece of parchment and unrolled it. It had better be something good, or else Admiral Shenjin would regret wasting her time.
Northern Raiders attacking. Send help fast!
From the Flaming Wrath
Lizzie let out a breath of anger and disbelief. How could Northern Raiders have ambushed them? Here, of all places? This close to the Gates and entering Fire Nation territorial waters? Admiral Shenjin also had some of the best soldiers in the entire army accompanying him this time! If he could not fend off some petty waterbenders, he was SO getting demoted, along with the rest of the crew that failed to drive them off.
"Captain!" Lizzie shouted sharply. From behind her, the captain of the ship rushed to her side, dropping into a bow.
"What is it, your highness?" He asked humbly.
"Head a course towards Admiral Shenjin's ship." Lizzie narrowed her sapphire blue eyes. "We need to deal with something right now."
Kat stared at the Raiders, fear evident in her eyes. They were both holding icicles in the air, preparing to strike. What could she do? They were trapped. Maybe they should just accept their fate…
"Get away from us, you monsters!" Stacy cried, her expression full of anger. She uncaged the nearest hawks, and flung them at the waterbenders. The birds screeched and caught onto the raiders' faces, clawing desperately to hang on and gain a sense of balance. It was an attempt at a distraction that worked pretty well, as the Raiders were now too busy dealing with the birds trying to claw off their faces.
"C'mon! Out, out, out!" Stacy cried loudly, grabbing onto Kat and sprinting out the room. Kat was way too overwhelmed. So much was happening way too fast for her. But just as they had gotten out the door, a wave of freezing cold water and birds hit them, soaking their clothes.
Kat swung her head around to see that the Raiders had recuperated, and were readier than ever to finish them off. A wave of dread overrode her(no pun intended). They could run, but for how long?
"No no no no no!" Stacy yelled in fear and hardcore determination to survive. She waved her hand in some weird motion, and to Kat's astonishment, the water around them rose up, formed a wave, and washed the Raiders out the window. Which had somehow been torn open to the size of a large mirror. Also, ice started to form along the drenched walls.
…
Stacy stared.
Kat stared.
Then,
"YOU'RE/I'M A WATERBENDER?!"
Kat gaped at her best friend. How…what…just how? How had Stacy gone through her entire life without activating that ability? How had she never known about this? Just…
Silence.
Then everything was but silent.
The minute Lizzie stepped aboard the Flaming Wrath, every enemy aboard was fleeing. Their eyes would widen comically, they would abandon their task at hand, and scramble to their submarines. But that was no more after she lit them on fire.
Lizzie stalked through the thoroughly soaked halls of the ship, lighting any Raider she came across on fire. It wasn't that hard to defeat a waterbender, if you knew where to strike. But that wasn't her main concern. She was here to find Admiral Shenjin, and destroy him.
Her Mother, Grandfather, and all the other Admirals had entrusted Shenjin to the Flaming Wrath, the largest and most powerful Fire Navy ship available to soldiers. They had entrusted him in the simple task of accompanying the candidates to Capital City. Yet he repaid them by blatantly sailing into trouble, and letting everything fall apart?! Shenjin had stooped to a whole new level of weakness, and he would pay dearly for it.
Lizzie had made her way to the back of the ship, where Shenjin's quarters were located. But when they arrived, the scene was filled with dead corpses of Fire Nation soldiers and a couple unconscious Northern Raiders. The most annoying thing was, however, the fact that Captain Baracak was one of the dead soldiers.
The Fire Nation princess hissed in anger. She stomped over to the admiral's quarters, but only to find that the door was locked. Dead bodies were littered everywhere around them. And that coward of an admiral hadn't even bothered to save his own brother, who was a hundred times stronger and more honorable than him?! That was the last straw.
Lizzie heard the sound of footsteps behind her, and immediately swung around, preparing to strike a death blow to the Raider. But it wasn't a Raider that was there. It was a Fire Nation soldier, holding dual blades and panting heavily.
Once the soldier realized who she was, she immediately dropped into a deep bow. Lizzie stared at her with calculating eyes. There were some questions that were about to be answered.
"Where is Admiral Shenjin?" Lizzie demanded coldly.
"In his quarters, Your Highness." The soldier answered. "No one has seen him since the ship departed from the South Pole."
"How many casualties were the result of this incompetence?" Lizzie went on, seething furiously at Shenjin inside.
"The exact numbers are unclear, but I would estimate around half the crew." She responded, a slight undercoating of fear crawling through.
"Final question: who killed all these Raiders?" Lizzie hissed acidly.
"I-I did, you Highness." The soldier stammered, clearly frightened by her tone.
"Rise, and speak your name and title, soldier." Lizzie commanded. The soldier stood back up, revealing vibrant pink hair that was peeking out of where the skull part of the helmet should've been. The shade wasn't too far from Lizzie's own hair color.
"Lieutenant Betty, from the Southern Water Tribe." She responded.
"Lieutenant Betty, you are promoted to Commander, and now officially in charge of the ship and all its men. Congratulations." Lizzie said offhandedly. Betty's eyes widened a fraction.
"Thank you so much, Your Highness, for this generous promotion. I promise I will not fail you." She thanked graciously. Lizzie gave her a small, real smile.
"I think you deserve it." She said, before walking towards Shenjin's quarters. She knocked on the metal door a couple times before breaking it down with a sharp kick. It revealed a very surprised and shocked looking 'Admiral' Shenjin, hiding under his desk and trembling fiercely.
"Well well well." Lizzie walked over to the cowering man. "It seems that the 'brave' and 'honorable' Admiral Shenjin has resorted to hiding in his quarters, cowering beneath all, when trouble strikes. Not very brave and honorable, is it?"
"P-please, Your Highness," Shenjin stammered. "Give me another chance. I am sincerely sorry for my actions—"
"No." Lizzie cut in icily. "You are no longer an Admiral. You are no longer in the military. Someone as cowardly as you do not deserve a place here. You'll be coming with me, back to the capital, to be tried for treason against the Royal Family."
Admiral Shenjin burst into tears at that statement. Lizzie almost snorted, at how weak he was. Even the peasants who had much lower standards for being strong would consider this worm weak! What a crybaby.
With a snap of her fingers, two soldiers beside her grabbed Shenjin, and started to drag him away from his quarters. Lizzie knew this would not go over well with Mother and Grandfather. He might even be challenged to an Agni Kai or killed!
But the news would go over well with a certain boy she knew. Who was always complaining after Shenjin. In fact, once she got back, it would be time to take a little downtown trip with him…
Even in the darkest of times, he could always light up her life.
Just a side note, most of the songs included in at least Book 1 are going to be songs by Jeff Williams. If not, I'll include who the artist is. I actually forgot some of the stuff I wrote this chapter until I went back to edit lol. And once again, constructive criticism is very welcome. That's all for this time! :) –Frosted Petals