AN: Alright, this is chapter 1 of Bending the Legend. I hope you all enjoy it!

Replies to guest reviews:

Guest - Thank you for liking it. Hopefully, with enough reviews, this story will continue (I'll see if I can put up a poll to see if anyone wants that to happen).

Aztec 13 - Thank you, and I am glad you're interested in what possibilities this story may give. However, I haven't thought that far regarding Toa powers. Again, it depends on how well these first few chapters are received. Still, I hope you like what I post.

Sokka saw the beam of light for the briefest second. In that second, he shot up from his perfect napping spot-his watchtower-in time to see the light shine against the night sky. When it disappeared, Sokka's face remained stuck in its shocked expression, and the words leaving his gaping mouth almost went unnoticed.

"What… the…?"

"Sokka!" Katara's cry drew Sokka to his sister running towards the village. "Did you see that light?!"

"I saw it clearly!" Sokka called back in equal surprise. "Just what the heck was that?!"

"I don't know, but there might be something."

'Something' was right, and wanting to know more, Sokka climbed down the not-so-tall tower. He met her outside the walls of their village, as expected, as well as the unexpected white Spirit/not-Spirit slowly following behind her.

Spotting Kopaka, Sokka made his suspicion well-known. "Oh great, you brought him..." His eyes shifted back to Katara. "It's bad enough that we've brought him back, Katara! Now, we got to worry about some magic light and-"

"Would you shut up for one second, Sokka?!" A taken-back Sokka fell silent, allowing Katara to gesture at Kopaka. "Listen, he saw something. I don't know how, but he saw it before that light showed up."

A skeptical eyebrow rose. "I somehow doubt that."

"I saw," said a deep and chilled sound that wasn't Katara.

Sokka scoffed. "Yeah right, and I'm supposed to believe you can see out that far and-wait..." he stopped to turn and point at Kopaka, his voice inflecting highly with confusion, "... you can understand me?"

The white mask nodded, and the left eye peered through it. "Your words, strange. I listen," Kopaka answered in broken sentences.

"Sokka, just please listen…" Katara pleaded to her brother from the side.

Given no other choice in the matter, Sokka sighed in defeat and thought, 'Alright, let's hear what the giant white metal man has to say about a giant beam of white light…'

Both he and Katara looked to Kopaka. The metal jaw moved, and the right words struggled to come out the inside of what could have been a mouth. "Before light… saw boat. Far away."

Already, Sokka's sarcasm and skepticism were wiped away. "You saw a ship?"

Katara herself had the same reaction. "What kind of ship? What did it look like?" she asked in rapid succession.

"Small and dark. Had flame," Kopaka explained.

The five simple words stirred memories for Sokka, old and terrible memories of black soot falling from the sky. "Fire Nation," he recognized, his face growing serious as his sister became worried.

"But it doesn't make sense. What would the Fire Nation be doing out here?" Katara poised the question.

Sokka whirled back to his tower and spoke without looking back. "It doesn't matter. Whatever they're looking for, I'm guessing they've found it," he said, climbing back up the snow to grab his spear and a knapsack. Once he had everything, he went down the shore. "I'm going to scout and see what's going on."

"I'm coming too," Sokka heard Katara, and that stopped him in his tracks.

He whirled to his sister, facing her surprised look with a stern expression. "Not this time, Katara! Someone needs to stay here with the Tribe to keep it safe."

"But what about you? What if you need saving?"

"That won't happen. Besides, this is too dangerous for girls, and your magic will only get you captured! You'll only get in the way!"

Not wanting to waste anymore time, Sokka left Katara. He went down the opposite end of the shore, where a new canoe awaited him. "Sokka!" Katara called out, and her brother tried to ignore it. "Sokka, you might be up against Firebenders! You'll need a Waterbender to fight them!"

"I can bring your friend, then."

Speaking of Kopaka, he walked past the pair and stood in front of them, blocking their passage to the canoe. Katara looked up in surprise. "What are you-!?"

Kopaka cut her off. "Stay."

"See, he understands!" Sokka said to Katara almost triumphantly.

"Both stay. Will get in way."

That triumph went away quickly. His own words turned against him, Sokka looked back to Kopaka and opened his mouth to voice his objection-

-and it closed shut to the familiar chime of icicles. Once the holes in the shield were covered in ice, Kopaka tossed the wholesome object onto the water. "No follow," he ordered the siblings before he bent his knees and leaped from the shoreline. After Kopaka safety landed on his makeshift raft, he planted his sword into the water and shot off in a burst of ice.

Sokka was left glaring at the snowy white fiend who surfed away with his moment of glory. Once he was sure Kopaka was far enough to not hear him, he turned back to his canoe. "Katara, come on!"

His sister couldn't believe her ears. "Sokka?"

"There's no way I'm going to let him beat me!" he said with wounded pride as he boarded the boat. "Help me out! If we work together, I think we can make it."

Katara didn't join just yet. "Oh, and I thought you said it was too dangerous for girls?" she teased with a sly smile on her lips.

"Just get in the canoe and paddle!" Sokka cried, his voice cracking in his impatience.

Still smiling, Katara grabbed a second paddle. Together, she and her brother departed the shore, following the trail of icy patches that Kopaka left behind on his way.

"This is it?"

That was all Zuko, son of Fire Lord Ozai and banished prince of the Fire Nation, could say. He was so underwhelmed that he didn't notice the air growing colder or the iceberg he stood on shifting slightly. His eyes were unsure of the unconscious orange-clad boy who had been melted out of that giant orb of ice. "Your orders, Prince Zuko?" asked one of Zuko's crew by the melted half-orb.

Zuko regained his senses, but his frown remained. "Bring him aboard," he ordered his men.

Still standing there, Zuko's chubby uncle joined his side. "Are you alright, Prince Zuko?" Iroh asked quietly so no one else could hear.

"I'm fine, uncle," Zuko stubbornly replied and began walking back to his ship parked on the iceberg. His left eye, burned and scarred, saw the boy now in the arms of his men. He had spent three years preparing for this meeting… but not like this.

A loud bellow whirled Zuko, his uncle, and everyone else back to the ice. A giant furry shape popped from inside the melted ice. As its shadow loomed over, the boy stirred. "... Appa?"

Zuko frowned. He would not lose his prize! "Take him back to the ship!" he ordered the figure holding the boy, tall and covered in a cloak.

The figure nodded his hooded head and rushed off with the boy in his arms. A massive head with two horns rose out of the ice, and a giant mouth opened to bellow again. "Hrgh!" Zuko winced from the rippling sound. "Shoot that beast!"

None of his soldiers obey could, not when they covered their ears from the great cacophony. Even on his knees alongside his uncle, Zuko heard the boy, distant and fading, "Appa!"

"Men, fire-!" an irritated Zuko shouted.

The creature stamped down one of six legs-not four-on the ice. The prince's words were drowned by the splintering, the ice cracking and popping under his and everyone's feet.

"Prince Zuko!" Iroh shouted. As he fell on the ice, he reached for his nephew.

He was too late. Those closest to the cracks, Zuko included, cried when the iceberg they stood on shifted…

… broke apart! Zuko found himself knee-deep in the freezing waters. He thought he could have fallen further if a red hand hadn't grabbed him. Though rescued, Zuko glared at the hooded figure whom he ordered not more than a few minutes ago. "I thought I ordered-!"

"He's on the ship!" the figure voice cut Zuko off gruffly, with a pair of yellow eyes glowing impatiently.

With one red hand, the cloaked figure heaved the prince up. His feet onto a stable plank of ice, Zuko glanced up his rescuer then down at the flame-shaped sword. "Can you use that?" Zuko inquired.

"I've practiced," the cloaked figure replied, gripping the sword in his other red hand.

Both prince and stranger looked to the creature. It glared at the two, its eyes as sharp as the pair of horns on its massive head. Again, the raised its foot-

"No, you don't!" said the cloaked figure with a swing of his sword and unleashed a slice of fire.

The beast barely dodged the fiery wave. Seeing it back slightly, Zuko gripped his fist and shouted, "Fire at it!"

Upon his command, what few standing soldiers shot bolts of fire. Six of them joined Zuko's seventh, each of them aiming at different points of the beast's body. Another roar echoed, this one in pain, as the flames singed the hulking creature. Seeing multiple strings of smoke rise from the monster's white fur, Zuko fired off another firebolt with the hopes of putting it down as quickly as possible.

The growling beast pushed its six legs off the ice. It jumped over the firebolt and ascended into the sky. The gust of air and snow left in the creature's wake took everyone by surprise as they were knocked off their feet, including the strange red figure. While the snow immediately melted off his red and black armor, Zuko recovered to stare in disbelief at what he was seeing.

The beast, the same one who dodged his attack, was flying!

Zuko, with a scowl, pointed at the rising white blob. "Men, shoot it down!" he called out.

Several bolts of fire went up into the air and all of them missed. At the same time, the beast didn't push forward. It flew back in retreat, and while it did so, Iroh's voice rose of the heated blasts to put them to an end. "No! Let it go, Prince Zuko!" he advised.

Zuko whirled to Iroh, now by his other side. "But uncle, we have to stop it! It may return to come after us!"

"Zuko, we can't stay here any longer. We must leave this cold while we still can." Iroh kept a calm tone but the way he spoke stressed the importance of his words. "The creature can wait another time. You have what you want, now."

As much as Zuko wanted to argue, he didn't. His uncle was right. He had what he wanted, at long last. That was all that mattered.

"Men, return to the ship!"

The order was heard. On their way back to the ship, the men of fire regathered their numbers. The Firebenders provided their nonbending comrades and themselves with small flames to warm their bodies after being sunk in frozen waters or covered in slushy snow. Among them, the red figure by Zuko's side sat up and groaned.

Iroh had taken the effort to help the red figure up on his feet. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," the warrior grunted and quickly pulled up his hood to hide his bizarre features from the crew's stares. He then shivered under his cloak. "This place is freezing. I can't wait to get out of here!"

The sentiment was shared by Zuko. "We'll be gone soon enough," he told both his uncle and his subordinate as he turned away from them.

If either Iroh or the swordwielder had said anything else, Zuko didn't care. He hadn't paid attention, not when he knew his goal had been accomplished after all those years of searching. Now, he only had to return home and…

The stranger's voice cut through. "There's something coming this way."

Zuko stopped and whirled. He hadn't said anything, but Uncle Iroh had, asking, "Are you sure?"

Under the warrior's hood, the eyes peered at the distant waters. Without any telescope, it was hard to tell, but he was able to, saying to Iroh and his nephew, "It's… some kind of boat. A... kanu?"

The canoe rocked from the sudden shaken waters. "Woah, what was that?!" Katara called in the rocking boat.

Sokka, in the front, quietly kept his eyes forward. Kopaka had been out of sight, and his road of patchy ice became hard to distinguish from the eerily familiar encirclement of ice the two Water Tribe children approached. There had been a white form rising and lowering onto the icebergs like a sun on the horizon. Sokka pointed at the direction it came from. "There! Whatever is going on, it's happening over there!"

Paddling as fast as he could and ignoring Katara's cry, Sokka found himself getting closer and closer. With a few small blocks of ice passing by and large glaciers coming up, Sokka sadly recognized the layout of the land. "We're back here again," Katara said for him.

"There's probably something else around here the Fire Nation found…" Sokka murmured to himself the moment the canoe stopped at an iceberg. "We just find your friend, look at the Fire Nation ship, and get out of here."

Katara beat him to departing the boat. "Let's go!" she said and stepped on the ice, to Sokka's chagrin.

"Katara-!" he called, but his sister already left him to tie the canoe and grumble. "Freakish sister… always taking off…"

When done with his knots, Sokka rushed after Katara, grasping the paddle in both hands. She was already creeping alongside the frozen wall of the iceberg they stood on. She peaked over the edge, only a little to not reveal herself without looking. "Can you see anything?" asked Sokka, who crept on the cold wall and joined Katara.

"Nothing," she shook her head. "Maybe I can I use my Waterbending to-"

Sokka cut Katara off with a pointed finger. "Hey, we have to be stealthy. That means no magic water!"

Katara tried not to roll her eyes. "Fine, fine…" she huffed and went back to watching. A brief second later, her eyes widened. "Hey, I think I see something!"

Curious, Sokka leaned forward. Like Katara, Sokka found the dark metal backside sticking out. Atop it was a steam engine and chimney alive with smoke, and next to it was a red flag holding black, three-pronged flame. The symbol of the Fire Nation.

Sokka's eyes narrowed. Katara's special friend had been right, after all, but what were the Fire Nation doing here? "I'm going to take a closer look," he said and began to walk past his surprised sister before she could protest.

Sokka stepped out from the hiding spot, only just a little. Without a telescope,he had to rely on his eyes. With them, he clearly saw the Fire Nation ship. It was a small vessel with a raised spike bow resting on another iceberg. This one was odd, shaped into a dome that had been melted away.

"Alright, just move," Sokka breathed to himself while walking slowly to be stealthy.

"Sokka, come back!" Katara whispered to him from her hiding spot.

With stubborn pride, Sokka whirled to Katara. "I'll be fine! Just stay right there!"

"Sokka, no-!"

Sokka ignored his sister. He made a silent crawl across across the small icy stretch, hoping to reach the other formation to hide himself behind. While doing so, he spotted more people around the melted dome, several men donning the dark and red armor of the Fire Nation.

Glancing forward, Sokka stopped into a figure in similar armor. "Oof!" he let out and fell on his behind.

A shadow loomed overhead, and Sokka froze at the spear-wielding Fire Nation soldier. "What are you doing here?" the soldier demanded, staring down at him.

"I-uh-I-um…" Sokka sputtered to come up with a good lie, "I was, uh, just hunting, and I had to the bathroom!" He held his legs together to go on with the act. "Speaking of which, do you know a good spot? I really got to go!"

The soldier frowned under his helmet. "You're coming with me," he said and reached to grab the Water Tribe boy.

Sokka wouldn't have it. He threw his hand into the water and splashed a handful at the soldier's face. The soldier distracted, the paddle thwacked against his armor and sent him into the water. Sokka ran on the ledge and laughed over his shoulder. "Ha! Just try to catch me!"

For all his bluster, Sokka was scared straight. The soldier's comrades on the other iceberg clearly saw Sokka. Shouts echoed between each soldiers, saying to capture him. Knowing that, Sokka ran as fast as he could. He hoped to get far enough from any of the soldiers and circle back to get to his canoe.

Within a few steps, Sokka slipped and clumsily fell on the ice. "Gah!" he grunted, his chin hitting on the ice and causing it to crack.

He tried to get a firm footing. He slid again and fell, his paddle slipping from his grasp into the water. When Sokka tried to get back up, more soldiers stood over him. He glanced up, eyebrows scrunched up in fear. "Uh oh…"

"Uh oh, indeed," growled one soldier. "Grab him!"

In seconds, Sokka found himself flanked by either soldier. Any attempt at breaking free was in vain, and he found himself being dragged away. As he did, he looked over to the ice block Katara hid behind. "Get out of here," Sokka whispered, even if Katara couldn't hear him.

"Sokka…"

The worried sound came out a muffle. Back pressed against the wall, Katara worryingly watched her brother being taken away by the group of Fire Nation soldiers. One of the few that lingered behind seemed to have listened carefully and said to his fellow, "Did you hear something?"

"Hey, there's something this way!" said a second soldier, his and another's shadows peeking over the corner.

Katara covered her mouth with both hands to not squeal and give away her position. She was gripped by fear. That same fear kept her from revealing herself and forced her down the ledge for the canoe, away from Sokka. Fortunately, the shadows stopped at a whistle blow. "Come on. We're going to be left behind!" said one soldier.

The shadows disappeared, and Katara slumped on the wall she hid behind, uncovering her mouth. Memories of Fire Nation ships storming her village as an infant surged from the back of her mind. Before, there had been stories of people being taken from their homes.

Now, she watched a small ship sail away with Sokka.

Immediately, Katara ran, as if to run after the ship. The edge of the icy walkway stopped her in place. She was forced to watch the ship grow distant across the water, leaving only the black smoke behind. She was so busy, she didn't notice the cold chill blow through her hair or the white hand on her arm.

Katara almost jumped and whirled around. "Kopaka?!" she said to the towering figure.

It was indeed Kopaka. He stood tall, white sword and ice-covered shield in one hand. Katara was surprised at his sudden appearance. There were so many questions she wanted to ask. Among them, and most upfront question-which Katara also asked herself-was: 'Why didn't you stop them?!'

Kopaka's left blue eye narrowed down at her. "Said stay," he stressed. "Back. Go."

Katara didn't bother to argue. "... He's gone. They took Sokka!" she instead told Kopaka and pointed to the direction of the departing ship.

Like before the scopes on Kopaka's mask gazed at the black ship. The studiousness struck Katara as cold. She guess it shouldn't have been a surprise, considering Kopaka, but something in her felt wrong. For all her potential, she could do only stand and watch. Powerless to do anything.

No! A part of her mind screamed to do something. She had to do something.

Katara looked up to Kopaka. "I have to rescue him. I have to get my brother out of there! Please, I can't do it alone!" she said.

His neck squeaking audibly, Kopaka silently stared at her. Katara stared back, her teary eyes pleading for his help and hoping he could understand her at least a little. There was no way she could find and rescue her brother, not for a Waterbending novice like herself.

"We go," Kopaka said at last, pointing his sword. "That way."

Katara wiped her tears, happy though a little confused. "But the ship is the other way."

At that, Kopaka swerved his sword to the canoe. "Slow," he explained, then his sword went back in the previous direction. "There. Big. Can move."

Given little other choice, Katara followed Kopaka away from her canoe. She did spare a glance to the glowing speck on the nightly horizon. "We're coming after you, Sokka," she promised to her big brother before continuing after Kopaka.

In the hull of the Fire Nation ship, Sokka's voice echoed in the corridor. "Hey, where are we going? I can't see a thing!"

"Quiet!" said the soldier in front, who stopped to pull out a key.

Sokka barely saw a door opening in the red dim lighting. The soldier behind scowled, "In here, peasant."

"Gyah-oof!" Sokka yelped then grunted as he fell. His face hit a cool floor-not as cool as the ice, but still cool. He sat up to find the two soldiers now closing the door. "Hey, wait-!"

A bang and a click interrupted Sokka, now left to stare at a shut and locked metal door. Sokka groaned into his hands. "My life is just getting worser and worser by the minute…"

"Tell me about it," said a new voice, catching Sokka's attention.

On the wall opposite of the door was a boy. A bald boy of ten or twelve, clad in orange and yellow clothes with a blue arrow on his head, his hands bound behind his back by rope. "Hi," the boy greeted, his toothy grin and blue eyes shining in the dark. "I'm Aang. What's your name?"

"Uh, Sokka," the Water Tribe teen returned awkwardly.

"Soooo, Sokka," said Aang, rolling his head on his tiny body, "do you know where we are?"

Sokka frowned a little and took a look around. "Fire Nation ship. I'm guessing they're hauling us wherever."

"But why?"

Sarcasm leaped through Sokka's lips. "Oh I don't know? Maybe it's because we're their prisoners?"

"Prisoners?" said the oblivious boy.

"Yeah. Prisoners of war. You know, the kind that gets hauled to some prison where we're held for the rest of time while the Fire Nation wages war against the whole world?" Sokka stopped his rant to find a blank expression. "You have no idea what I'm talking about, do you?"

"Uh, maybe…" Aang gave an uncertain shrug and sheepish smile at Sokka's incredulity. "I mean, last time I checked, the Fire Nation was pretty nice. I even traveled there with a couple Air Nomads and-"

"Air Nomads?" Sokka barked a laugh. "Where have you been, kid? Were you living under a rock?"

"Actually, I think I was frozen in a block of ice."

Aang's matter-of-factly tone stopped Sokka's laugh. "What?" he said, now astonished.

"Well, that's what I've been hearing from everyone around. There's even a… a…" Aang stopped as his nose scrunched up. "... a… A-CHOOOOOOOOO!"

Out of Aang's nose came a powerful gust of wind. Sokka was blown off his feet, and his back clanged on the door. Other than his groan as he slumped to the floor, Aang's concern entered his ear. "Hey, you alright?!"

Sitting up, Sokka placed a hand on his head. It was pounding, but that faded in seconds. "Oooh… I'm fine…" he responded with a shiver. "... How did you even do that? Brr, why is it so cold in here?"

There was a shout from outside. "What is going on in there?!"

"He needs help!" Aang answered.

The door jostled opened. The uninjured Sokka, the one whom Aang called help for, was pushed aside to the wall. Out of Sokka's eyes were a pair of red feet, and the door closed for him to see a tattered cloak wrapped around the newcomer. "What do you need?" he said to Sokka, his gruff voice accompanying two orange eyes.

"It's cold…" Sokka managed to say, staring at this new guy's eyes. They seemed… familiar.

The figure knelt on one knee. One hand held out, and a tiny flame erupted from the palm. "Here," offered the stranger.

Sokka gaped. The flame unveiled a mask with three slashes in each cheek and a metallic look, like the hand holding up the flame. Aside from the red color, he was like…

… like Kopaka.