Disclaimer: I don't own Lego's Bionicle or Bryke and Nickelodeon's Avatar: The Last Airbender.
"These are your boats?" Sokka could only ask after hiking to the other side of the tiny archipelago. The surprise on the new beach eased the fatigue in his legs. Almost, anyway.
"They may not seem much, but they've helped us," Suki said, leaving his side for the boats. No doubt, the three more 'warriors' on the beach had tons of questions.
Sokka studied the Kyoshi Warriors' three boats on the moonlit-covered sands. Each was small and sleek, with wood for beams and bows. They almost reminded him of Water Tribe boats. Of his dad's…
Pushing the thought out, Sokka turned to Suki. "Did you build these? You're going to need better boats if you expect to get out of here."
"Not all of us have a flying bison. Come on, we have to be quick," Suki said and turned, while the other 'warriors' (Sokka almost scoffed at that) went to set up a perimeter.
"So, what's the big deal about this mask? What does it do?" Sokka said following Suki, who placed the mask-the one like Kopaka's, that is-into the boat she had walked towards.
"Well, we're not really sure. We've found another by our home, and a… an acquaintance of ours said there might be several around. We hoped to find some. Well, before the Fire Nation did."
"For your 'Toa,' right?"
Suki nodded. "He left many months ago looking for masks like these. We haven't seen him since. Here help me push this boat… unless it's too much for you."
Miffed by Suki's smirking statement, Sokka began pushing. "So... what's he like? Your Toa?" he asked Suki, who pushed with him.
"Well, he's a character. He helped us with our unagi problem."
"'Unagi?'"
"Think of a gigantic eel that can eat fish the size of a house. It almost went crazy after some Fire Nation soldiers tried to capture it."
With one last push, Sokka looked to the now-floating boat. "Well, it's not the craziest thing I've heard of," he said.
"I guess not." Suki turned to him. "Do you have any experience with Firebenders?"
Sokka smiled cockily. "You could say that. I'm quite the warrior back home."
"Oh, really?"
"S-seriously," Sokka stuttered from the red paint contrasting with Suki's skeptical and striking blue eyes. "So, uh, what about you?"
"Not much, even though we've trained for it." Suki looked to her fellow warriors then at the forest. "I really hope we're ready for it."
Noticing the slight softness in Suki's voice, Sokka crossed his arms in some assurance. "It shouldn't be hard. I took out a soldier with just a paddle… That Tahu guy, though? You definitely don't stand a chance." After the slip of his baised tongue, Sokka met Suki's slight-big emphasis on the word-glare. "What? I'm just saying, Kopaka couldn't beat him before, and that guy froze… well, a lot of soldiers to rescue me!"
"You never mentioned that before?"
"Not important!"
"Uh-huh. And I'm sure you think we're better off with you here," Suki deadpanned.
"Well, yeah, but not that much. Do you really think you could take him?" Sokka frowned at Suki's tiny nod, more focused on it than her gaze turning towards the forest. "Okay! Well, why don't you ask him to come here? He'll throw a fireball right at you and you wouldn't even-"
"Watch out!"
Suki's words and body slammed into Sokka's. His back hit the sand, and water flew over, barely covering the torrent of fiery red streaking above. Then-
BOOM!
-it flashed into an orange blaze, the color flying with the bits of wooden planks. A few such bits landed by Sokka's arm, each of their fires doused in the water. Sokka saw the softer red over Suki's eyes as she laid atop of him and asked, "Are you okay?"
Despite secretly liking the closeness, Sokka groaned from his boomerang poking in his back. "Yeah, I think so," he said and sat up with Suki, the two drenched from the waving waters they fell in. Any more words died when Sokka realized the smell of burning wood originated from the giant pyre in place of the ship the two of them had pushed.
Suki got to her feet, her fans at ready like everyone else's. "Get ready!"
Acting first, Sokka slung his boomerang at the bright red flicker in the forest which everyone had noticed. An echoing clang later, Sokka's hopes curved and rebounded as his weapon dug into the beach. "Oh, man!" Sokka groaned, seeing the smoking dent in it.
Sokka turned to see the same flicker grow with every audible step. And it had been the only one, not several. The minute Sokka wondered why, his answer stepped out and stood on the beach. "Oh, man," Sokka whispered and wished he had not tempted fate.
"Were you expecting somebody else?" a cloaked Tahu asked, his sword blazing in the night air.
Katara's mind raced, her feet danced back from the charging spear, and water from the beach swung wildly with her hands. The soldier and spear went down, and a Kyoshi Warrior took down a second before he could take his place. Off to the side, another Kyoshi Warrior disarmed and tripped yet another soldier. Immediately to Katara, one was about to attack Kopaka, who was too busy freezing the arms of a flaming firebender..
"Kopaka!" Katara said and bent the water by her feet to strike the man. It then froze into stiff bindings, thanks to Kopaka's blade.
With a moment to breathe, Katara glanced around. Despite their best efforts, neither her, Kopaka, nor their three Kyoshi allies could stop the Fire Nation soldiers, benders and non-benders alike. When one had been hit, there were still more, either getting up when they should have stayed down.
And they just.
Kept on.
Attacking.
"Woah!" Katara said at a fireball about to hit her.
The fan and quickly-time wrist flick of the third Kyoshi Warrior saved her from it. "Don't get distracted!" the warrior said after bringing down the firebender who shot at Katara.
Following the warrior's advice, Katara raised another wave at another fireball, her watery wall hiding the one who threw it. His scarred face became apparent after his next salvo burned at her defense. Lowering what little was left, Katara rolled away to avoid them. The flames followed, from wet ground to dry, and a burning scent forced her to her feet.
"Gah!" Katara yelped and swatted at the tiny flames on the ends of her coat. She barely saw the firebenders behind the little bits of smoke.
Too busy as is, Katara tore her coat off as quickly as possible, spun around, and flung it aside at an incoming firebender. A kick, for all the power Katata put into it, barely kept him back enough for her to slip by him. Her eyes behind her on the scarred boy, she bumped into Kopaka. "Oof!" she said and falling into the ground, right by a patch of grass Kopaka just accidentally froze over.
The sight of her pursuers put Katara back on her feet. By then, more soldiers and benders surrounded her and Kopaka. In the corners of Katara's eye, the Kyoshi Warriors held off the respective opponents for only a little while longer before being surrounded themselves. Cut off from the beach by firebenders, Katara looked to the scarred boy who clearly led them.
The same boy stood firm and met her glare with his. "You won't get away this time."
Katara, back-to-back with Kopaka, had no snappy comeback. Her ears remained deaf to the boy ordering his grey-haired henchman, a lieutenant of some sort. Her mind formed somewhat of a plan. A rather Sokka-esque plan that could be summed up as such:
"APPA! YIP-YIP! YIP-YIP!"
Silence first met the echo of Katara's scream. Then, a distant rustle, followed by a roar.
Initially hiding him to not give away their position, Katara was more than relieved when Apps surged through the forest. The many soldiers, startled by his giant mass of white fur for a body, tried to run. The grey-haired lieutenant shouted for them to hold. It was doing so when the three Kyoshi Warriors took advantage of the moment.
Katara did the same. With a mighty swing of her arm, bits flew off Kopaka's icy patch as cold water. The distracted firebenders in front barely dodged Kopaka's cold wave for a follow-up, which Katara ducked under to head for the ship again. None could reach her nor stop her from going up the ramp.
The ship shuddering did, and on the top of the ramp, Katara saw its large spike of a bow in front lowering onto the water. Instead of more soldiers, large beasts with thick dark hide and three curved horns. There must have been three or five of them, all spreading out before converging on the large bison. Before Katara could wonder, the scarred boy on the beach shouted, "Uncle!"
The scent of tea caught Katara's attention. She found the chubby old man who stepped onto the open deck with a cup in hand. "Don't worry, Prince Zuko! Go to Tahu!" he said.
Katara's vision was split between the old man and teen. The latter went for one of the creatures about to attack Appa, the former walked into her view and said to her, "So, you must be one of those intruders from before. You left quite the impression on my nephew."
Katara slowly walked onto the deck, her eyes scouring to find no else. She didn't turn from her enemy in front. "Funny. I don't remember seeing you."
The old man shifted to the side of the ship. "Yes, well… " he said, taking a sip. His eyes trailed to the fighting below. "Quite a beast you have. I would not worry too much for his safety. Komodo rhinos can be very friendly creatures. It merely takes a matter of time to-"
The slap of Appa's massive tail cut him off. Katara herself rocked with the ship, hitting its side as did the old man to see the aforementioned komodo rhinos tossed aside. Said rhinos' growls met Appa's and charged, save for one the so-called prince mounted and rode off into the trees. "Then again…" said the old man, his tea dripping onto the deck.
Seeing what she thought was an opportunity, Katara charged and meant to bend the tea. She didn't expect the old man to dodge it, let alone deflect her oncoming punch and spin her aside. By the time she stopped, she came with a frown of disappointment.
"Now, that was quite unnecessary!" the old man said.
Katara responded by trying to attack again.
AN: Another preview for my Bionicle/ATLA Bending the Legend. Though I promised to get back to this story, I had to keep writing chapter 6 even after putting up chapters 4 and 5. Given its length, the current chapter may take a little while longer, but I hope this will be enough for now. Until next time, take care and thanks.
Raika out.