Disclaimer - I don't own anything, sorry...
Book 1 – Water
Chapter 1 – The Avatar Returns
Eastern Fire Nation
All Aang could see was and blue white blur for a few seconds as he got up.
"Where am I?" he asked him self
As he looked around everything started to come into focus, and he saw he was in a giant bowl of ice with Appa sleeping peacefully beside him. deciding to leave the bison sleeping he stood up, stretched and started climbing out of the bowl of ice to explore.
When he got to the top of the bowl all he could see was water, confused he turned around to see the island that they had ran aground on and with a grin he launched himself over to the other side of what remained of the iceberg.
From the air he could see a boy and a girl, around his age, staring at him wide eyed.
As he came down he landed on the edge of a slope sliding down and coming to a perfect stop on the sandy beach.
"Hi." He said happily, waving at them.
"what are you?" the boy asked as the girl seemed to look him over.
"I'm Aang." Aang replied still grinning. "what's your name?"
"I'm On ji and this is Shoji." The girl replied warily "where are you from?"
"I'm a monk from the southern air temple." Aang replied still grinning.
"I thought all the air benders were extinct." On ji replied confused.
"Extinct…. Since when?" Aang asked also confused his smile slipping.
"Since Fire Lord Sozin killed them all a hundred years ago." Shoji said back in control of himself but being winded as On ji smacks him in the stomach.
Aang didn't even notice to preoccupied with the statement.
"What? How's that possible? I only left the temple last night?" Aang said confused.
"How long have you been inside that iceberg?" On ji asked ignoring Shoji taking deep breaths next to her.
"Ummm…." Aang replied looking back towards the iceberg unsure how to answer the question.
"You've been in that iceberg for a hundred years?" Shoji asked still battling for air.
"no yesterday I was playing pai sho with Monk Gyatso and then I was flying into a storm and then we…crashed into the water…and we went under…" Aang whispered in realisation.
"I've been in there for a hundred years? Is that even possible?" Aang asked collapsing backwards. "how is that possible…they're all gone?"
"I'm afraid so." On ji replied kneeling next to Aang.
"its all my fault." He whispered.
But before On ji or Shoji could question that they were interrupted.
"Oi you!" They heard shouted from down the beach.
The three of them turned to see Fire Nation soldiers running at them down the beach. Some of the soldiers were in standard red, black and brown fire army uniforms carrying spears or swords whilst others were in fire bender Armor with white face masks and pointy helmets.
"uh-oh. Where in for it now." Shoji said wide eyed as he starred at the incoming troops.
The soldiers pointed spears, swords and fists at them as they approached.
"You're an air bender." One of the soldiers said gruffly recognising Aang clothing.
"Sure am." Aang replied happily standing up to face the soldiers.
"Did you cause the light in the sky?" he asked falling into a combat stance.
"What light?" Aang asked confused
"When the iceberg melted there as a huge beam of light out the top of it." On ji said
"Ahh…" Aang said. "then yes, I did."
"You're under arrest. Come with us." The soldier said moving to grab Aang.
Aang took a step backwards.
"What for?"
"For being an air bender."
Before anyone could move there was a huge rumbling sound from the remaining iceberg.
"Appa." Aang yelled happily launching himself back into the iceberg.
"get back here." The guard said giving chase.
When he landed he landed in a puddle where the warmth had melted the ice.
"Hiya boy." Aang said happily stroking Appa happily.
Aang spotted his staff floating and picked it up.
"Stop there and drop the weapon." The soldier said having climbed up the side.
Aang turned in time to see the soldier launch a fireball at him.
Instincts took over as he span the staff and redirected the fireball into the ice and launched a wave of air at the soldier whose eyes widened as he was launched into the cliff face behind him landing with a crunch.
Appa turned away from where the soldier was, as the others climbed up the side, before slamming his tail blasting the ice and the other soldiers into the cliff. Aang walked through the gap Appa had blasted to see On ji and Shoji still just stood there, eyes wide.
Aang barley dodged a fireball coming at him as more soldiers came running up the beach.
Aang redirected a fireball into the sky and swung the staff horizontally causing a huge air wave to lift and throw all the soldiers away.
A fire blast came down from the top of the cliff which Aang dogged before Appa once again used hi tail and blasted the cliff face causing it to collapse in the path of the approaching fire benders.
"what was that all about?" Aang asked Shoji who was trying not to hyperventilate his back still against the cliff face and getting paler by the second.
"you're an air bender." On ji replied, "they're an enemy of the Fire Nation."
"So, they're attacking me because I'm an air bender?" Aang asked. "that's stupid the air nomads don't even have a military how can they be and enemy." Aang said throwing his arms in the air angrily.
Before On ji could reply Appa roared as a fire ball thrown from the cliff tops slapped into him.
Aang blew a gust of wind at him putting out the small fires on his fur before swiping is staff at the cliffs causing more of the cliffs to collapse.
When On ji and Shoji looked back at Aang his eyes were glowing.
another fireball came at them and his stripes also started to glow.
They looked on eyes widening as the air started to swirl around his feet faster and faster until it carried him into the air looking like he was standing atop of a tornado. It took only a few minutes for him force the Fire Nation soldiers into a retreat, a tornado going across the beach and hurricane winds ripping trees up causing them to fly towards the oncoming soldiers.
On ji and Shoji just stood there gaping at the destruction and power displayed by Aang as the air spout holding him up brought him back down again and the glowing stopped.
On ji ran up to him as he started wobbling managing to get there in time to catch him before he banged his head.
For a few minuets they all stayed like that as nobody knowing what to do or say.
Shoji broke the silence.
"what was that?" Shoji asked breaking the silence. "in fact, it doesn't matter what it was because it was awesome." He shouted waving his hands in the air.
"I don't know." Aang nervously and On ji helped him get back up. Aang wobbled a bit before getting his bearings and Appa interrupted anything else that was going to be said with a roar as what appeared to be catapult balls came hurtling towards them.
"get on Appa quick." Aang yelled as he launched himself upwards towards the ball heading at Appa causing shockwaves of air nearly knocking On ji and Shoji over.
They didn't even question what he was telling them and just climbed up Appa's tail into the saddle
One huge air blast later and the ball exploded into pieces of debris and burning bits falling towards the ground and a cloud of ash where the ball once was with Aang falling back towards Appa.
Aang landed firmly atop of Appa's head in front of the saddle.
"yip, yip." Aang said grabbing onto the reigns.
one large blast of his tail and Appa was in the air heading to open sea.
Thankfully it was dark now, so they weren't seen as they took off.
Both On ji and Shoji held on and looked down in wonder as they flew higher and higher.
"look it's the town, and there's my house." Shoji said pointing at a small town.
Aang steered Appa towards the town still keeping high so as not to be seen.
"that's my house." Shoji said pointing to one of the houses down below.
They watched a soldier moved through the town going towards where the now melted iceberg was.
Aang told Appa to stay where he was before hopping into the saddle
"grab onto me and we can jump down." Aang said
"jump? From here?" Shoji said eyes wide.
"I'll air bend us down." Aang explained
"okay." Shoji said unsure
Aang put one arm around him and held onto the staff with the other
"don't scream." Aang said
"whaa…!" Shoji went eyes wide
Aang hopped over the edge pulling Shoji with him and On ji giggled as she watched them fall.
Aang span the Staff above their heads in a helicopter motion to slow their descent, dropping them on the roof of the house. They lay down quickly hoping nobody saw them.
"That house there." The heard a voice yell
They peered over the edge and saw a group of ten guards matching towards Shoji's house.
The guards didn't even knock as one of them blasted the door open and the others stormed inside.
There was shouting and a scream and the sound of something breaking, but it didn't take long for three of the guards to drag Shoji's parents outside while the rest were searching the house, the sounds of things being knocked over and smashed coming from within.
"where is your son?" the leader asked as he manhandled shojis farther against the wall.
"we don't know he was out playing after school and hasn't come home yet. What is this about?" His dad said
"he was seen with the Avatar and is wanted for treason." The leader said turning towards the guards
"treason?" Shoji whispered in shock
"you guards stay here and watch for his return." The leader ordered marching away.
"let's get out of here." Aang said grabbing Shoji
Holding onto Shoji, Aang launched them both back up to Appa.
"Shoji? What's wrong?" On ji asked as they landed back on Appa.
"The soldiers at my house. They said I'm wanted for treason." He mumbled looking lost
"treason?" On ji repeated looking at Aang for confirmation.
"That's what they said." Aang said hopping back onto Appa's head.
"Do you think they'll be at my house to?" she asked worried
"Let's go see, where is it?" Aang asked
"Over there" On ji said pointing towards a row of smaller houses in the distance
"Yip, yip." Aang said and Appa floated over.
As Appa approached they could see guards around the house already.
On ji's cheeks pinkened slightly as Aang picked her up bridle style before hopping down onto the roof. They both lead down on the roof to listen as there was rummaging and crashing going on inside.
Leaning over the edge they saw On ji's mother and younger brother being held by guards as others searched the house.
Her mother looked nervous and was asking what they were doing whilst her baby brother cried.
Aang leaned over the edge slightly to hear what the guards were saying.
"she's not here sir." On guard reported
"I can see that you immersible!" the captain yelled
Then some stomping and someone walked out of the house. The guards inside continued talking.
"What do you think they'll do to her when she returns?"
"Probably the coal mines, maybe even the rock. Who knows?"
"The rock? That's harsh she's only a kid."
"She is with the Avatar"
On ji looked at Aang eyes wide.
Aang just looked at her sheepishly he hadn't wanted everyone knowing that he was the Avatar.
"Sir, what shall we do with the prisoners?" the guard holding On ji's mother asked
The captain looked at them for a few seconds thinking.
"Send them to 'The Rig' they wont last very long there! The warden doesn't take kindly to traitor scum!" the captain stated grinning as he walked back into the house.
Aang heard On ji's sharp intake of breath.
"What's the rig?" Aang whispered concerned
"No idea but it cannot be good." She replied her eyes still on her family.
"Do you know where it is?" he asked
She just shook her head.
"Come on traitor." One of the guards growled as he dragged On ji's mother away down the street.
"Stay here." Aang said standing up and taking a few steps back.
On ji just looked up at him about to ask what he was going to do before he took two steps and leaped over the garden and onto the house opposite.
Aang was unsure what he should do. On one hand the monks had taught him not to seek a fight but on the other these people were in danger because of him.
He ran across the roof tops looking down at the guards dragging On ji's mother as she struggled against them, she was shouting that there had been a mix up that she wasn't a traitor and On ji's brother was screaming at the top of his lungs not understanding what was going on.
As they approached a corner Aang caught up and jumped off of the roof and out of On ji's view.
One of the guards must have heard something as he looked up, just in time to receive an air kick to the face, as Aang used both feet to blast him into the floor leaving him in an unconscious heap a few meters away.
The other two guards looked at him eyes wide as he landed where the other guard had originally been standing.
One of them opened their mouth only to receive a double air blast from Aang launching him backwards down the street.
The last guard tried to stab Aang in the chest with a spear but Aang just leant backwards letting the spear stab over him, putting his hands on the floor behind him in a crab position.
As the guard pulled his spear back as Aang lifted his feet over his head doing a sort of back flip, bringing his hands up into a defensive pose facing his opponent.
The guard tried to stab him again. This time Aang dodged slightly to the side grabbing the spear with both hand as it went passed and using a bit of air bending power he used the spear to throw the guard through the upstairs window of the house they were fighting outside.
On ji's mother just looked at him wide eyed even the baby had stopped crying to watch him.
"ma'am." Aang said happily
She just stood there, her eyes wide.
"shall we go then?" Aang said feeling uncomfortable with the silence.
She just nodded.
He slowly took the still silent baby off of her.
"I'll be right back." Aang said before bouncing off of one wall and onto the roof of the opposite house, he then jumped back over the garden to On ji handing the baby over to her and jumping back again.
"your turn." He said creating an air cushion underneath her and slowly lifting her up to the roof before jumping up with her.
"right don't scream this'll be fun." Aang said before using the air to throw her up and onto Appa where Shoji was still waiting.
Aang then jumped back across to where On ji was sat waiting before picking her back up and jumping them back up onto Appa as well.
On ji handed her brother back to her mother before wrapping Aang in a huge hug.
"thank you" On ji said holding onto him tightly before letting him go and placing a kiss on his cheek leaving them both blushing hard.
"what about my parents?" Shoji asked ruining the moment.
Aang jumped onto Appa's head and directed him back to towards Shojis house, where they arrived just in time to see six guards drag his parents down the main street. His mother sobbing and his farther shouting angrily as he was dragged along hands cuffed.
Aang steered Appa downwards towards them, using Appa's head a platform he catapulted himself headfirst down at the guards who had looked up at the bison as it growled.
One of the guards managed to get a fire blast off but Aang just held his staff out in front of him spinning putting out the fire before it reached him.
Just before Aang landed on one of the guards he flipped round so his feet landed on the guards chest knocking him down, the guards head his the ground knocking him out before Aang bounced of his chest swinging his staff round, whilst mid flip, creating an air swipe to throw two of the guards into a nearby tree.
As he landed Aang narrowly dodged a fireball thrown from one of the guards that had ended up behind him turning just intime to see him throw another. Aang jumped allowing the ball to go between his legs getting closer to the guard who threw a third which Aang rolled under getting himself behind the guard. As the guard turned to face Aang, Aang kept behind the guard back to back, after spinning round a few times the guard got frustrated and tried to push backwards towards Aang who ducked allowing the guard to fall backwards over Aang and crash into the floor where Aang used an air kick to kick him into the tree with the other two guards.
The two guards had their swords drawn. The two of them ran at Aang who used an air blast to throw one of them into a building as the other one dodged to the side, as the guard approached he lifted his sword to strike at Aang who forced air to travel upwards creating a shield which when the sword struck it, it was sucked straight out of the guards hand and thrown into the air.
The guard just looked at Aang wide eyed before turning and running away.
Shojis parents just stared at him eyes wide, mouths agape.
Aang shuffled slightly on his feet.
"hello." He said as they just continued staring
"come on quickly before more guards come." Shoji shouted from atop of Appa who had landed at some point during the fight.
"right, hold your hands out." Aang said gesturing to shojis farther, who did, still staring.
Aang then did two quick air slices cutting through the hand cuffs so they fell off.
"come on!" Shoji yelled again as they heard more guards shouting and getting nearer.
Aang took a deep breath.
"let's go then." Creating a pillow and lifting the two of them onto Appa before jumping up himself.
"yip, yip" he said causing Appa to take off as more guards appeared on the street.
Aang looked behind him to see two families that had been uprooted because of him, he sighed and flew on heading south east.
Appa flew high above the clouds under the cover of darkness where no one from the ground would be able to spot them.
"Are you okay?" On ji asked causing Aang to jump.
"Umm, yeah" Aang said scratching the back of his head.
"So, where we going?" she asked resting her elbows on the front of the saddle
"I haven't decided yet." Aang replied turning to face her.
"wherever we go it will have to be far away from the Fire Nation." On ji replied looking away back towards the islands
"yeah. . . . . . where about are we anyway." Aang asked
"That island there is the temple of the Avatar in the Fire Nation." She replied pointing out a crescent shaped island.
"oh, we should visit." Aang said excitedly as he steered Appa towards the temple
"No we cannot. The sages are not friendly toward the Avatar anymore, they serve Fire Lord Ozai." She replied sadly
"I know somewhere safe that we can go." Aang said after a few moments.
"where?" On ji asked curiously
"I'll show you, but we will need supplies to get there its two days journey from here." Aang said with a grin.
"And where are we going to get those supplies?" She asked on eyebrow raised.
"hmmm." Aang murmured looking down towards the ocean.
Quick as a flash he perked up as he spotted something before jumping into the saddle and picked up his staff and a bag.
"I'll get the supplies, I'm sure that ship will have some we can borrow." Aang replied pointing to a ship with lights on.
"That's a navy ship." Shoji stated as he peered over the edge of the saddle
"they'll shoot us down before we can get close." His father said
"they couldn't shoot Appa down if they tried." Aang laughed he then hopped on the edge of the saddle, staff in hand, and lent backwards and fell off.
"AANG!" On ji shouted dashing to the edge.
Only to see Aang on his staff, turned glider, come back up above and over Appa. He just looked at her and grinned as she huffed and glared at him.
"Cooer.." Shoji gushed as Aang flew overhead.
That collected adults looked on wide eyed.
Aang rolled the glider over Appa and dived for the Fire Navy ship.
"I'm going to kill him." She muttered to the amusement of the others as her mother looked at her knowingly and with concern.
Below Aang flew nearly vertically to avoid being spotted as he came down above the ship. He aimed behind the command tower using air bending to help him come to land without a noise.
Spotting a window, he slipped into it and snuck below deck.
It didn't take him long to locate some blankets which he flung over his shoulder as he continued his raid of the ship.
He snuck down a corridor looking for the galley and heard someone coming up in front. Quick as a flash he leaped up to the ceiling using both legs and one hand to hold himself whist using the other to hold the glider and blankets.
Not a second later a pair of sailors walked out of a door ahead, one of them eating a chicken leg.
"you do know Cook will cook you if he finds you stealing from the galley don't you?" the one asked
"yeah but he'll never know its me if you don't tell him." The other laughed still chewing on the leg.
"if you say so."
The two of them went into another door before Aang dropped down and snuck into the room they had come out of originally.
Grinning to himself as he walked into the galley he started rummaging for food.
Aang was happily filling the bag he had brought with him when he heard someone clear their throat behind him.
Aang winced before standing up and turning around.
"and what do you think you are doing?" the man who was obviously the cook asked, his massive arms crossed and a scowl on his face.
"just grabbing food for … the captain!" Aang said unconvincingly
"yeah right!" the cook said picking a massive meat clever up and walking towards Aang.
Aang both arms full sucked in a huge amount of air and as the cook came closer he blew him straight back out the door and halfway down a corridor before running out of a different door.
Aang scrambled around corners as fast as he could trying to get back above deck. As he ran around one corner he came to a halt in front of a group of sailors.
"have you seen the fire lord?" Aang asked "he's cooking in the galley." He said quickly
The guards all looked at each other confused
"The Fire Lord? Here?" one guard asked
"he's obviously lying you dufus." Another replied.
Whilst the guards were distracted Aang ran up one wall across the ceiling and down the other wall passing the group as he went.
He turned one last corner before finding the stairs, and with a grin jumped up the middle and out onto the deck. He was spotted by the watchman as he ran across the deck but jumped off the side of the ship, before an alarm could be raised, unfurling his glider and shooting up into the night sky.
It didn't take long to fly back to Appa where he dropped into the middle of the saddle.
"dinner is served." He said as he placed the bag down.
"oomph!" Aang went as On ji smacked him in the stomach making Shoji chuckle.
"what was that for?" he asked holding his belly.
"scaring me when you jumped earlier." She said peering into the bag.
Aang had managed to get a selection of fruit, nuts and some dried jerky before he was found and was quite pleased with himself.
As they ate Aang learnt that Shoji's parents Hai-rin, and Kori owned a furniture shop and whilst Hai-rin supported the Avatar his wife was a bit nervous around him but was warming up to him as well, whilst On ji's mother Ta min was nervous and kept to herself feeding Guri, On ji's one year old brother. Aang also found out that On ji's father was an engineer in the army fighting in the earth kingdom at the moment.
He also learned a bit about the war and the fact that the Fire Nation had been fighting both the water tribes and the earth kingdom for the last century.
It wasn't long after dinner that people started yawning and the four blankets Aang had pilfered were handed out.
Hai-rin and Kori took one whilst Ta min and Guri shared a second, Shoji took another and rolled himself into it before Aang handed the last to On ji.
"you don't want it?" she asked as the others started going to sleep.
"No, you have it, I'll keep Appa company for a bit anyway." He replied patting Appa.
"I'll join you for a bit, I'm not tired yet anyway." She said wrapping the blanket around herself and sitting across from him.
They didn't get very far before Appa started to descend towards the water.
"What's wrong buddy?" Aang asked when Appa wouldn't climb back again
Appa roared and Aang nodded seeming to understand that Appa was just tired and guided him down to the water where he gently dropped in and started swimming instead.
"what's wrong?" On ji asked concerned
"he's just tired." Aang replied patting Appa.
"you can understand him?" On ji asked amazed.
"yeah we've been together since I was five. I can understand him most the time."
"that's amazing." She breathed rubbing Appa's neck
They sat the in a comfortable silence for a while as everyone else slept before Aang who had been trying to hold it in yawned loudly causing him to blush and On ji to giggle slightly.
"We can share the blanket if you want." On ji asked after a blushing bright enough for Aang to spot in the darkness.
Aang turned his head so fast he hurt his neck.
"um, uh y-yeah s-sure." He stuttered blushing himself.
The two of them shuffled next to each other awkwardly, On ji passing him half the blanket. They sat there awkwardly distanced from one another few a while before On ji huffed and shuffled closer to Aang moving his arm around her and leaning her head on his shoulder. Aang just sat there unsure what to do as On ji started to drift off on him. He didn't move in case he disturbed her and it wasn't long before he also drifted into the land of dreams.
A/N: as always reviews are appreciated and anyone who would like to beta feel free to pm me.