DISCLAIMER: I do not own either Avatar: The Last Airbender or Mortal Kombat. Both series belong to their respective companies. Avatar: The Last Airbender belongs to Nickelodeon. Mortal Kombat belongs to Netherrealm Studios.
Chapter 1: Boy in the Iceberg / The Avatar Returns
Water.
A master waterbend raises his arms as a stream of water follows his motion, and he swung his arm and shot the water outwards.
Earth.
A powerful Earthbending master stomps on the ground as a large chunk of rock shoots into the air, and he lunges a kick against it and sends it flying.
Fire.
A young firebending protege shot fire to the ground, leaped into the air as a stream of fire followed her kick as she slammed the fire against the ground.
Air.
A young air nomad descends and swings his arms around, causing a whirlwind through his motions as it blows across the area.
My grandmother used to tell me stories about the old days: a time of peace when the Avatar kept balance between the Water Tribes, Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation and Air Nomads. But that all changed when the Fire Nation attacked. Only the Avatar mastered all four elements; only he could stop the ruthless firebenders. But when the world needed him most, he vanished. A hundred years have passed, and the Fire Nation is nearing victory in the war. With aid from another realm.
The vicious and murderous empire, known as Outworld. Ruled by the fearsome warlord, Shao Kahn. He sent his best warriors to aid the Fire Nation in conquering the other nations. Two years ago, my father and the men of my tribe journeyed to the Earth Kingdom to help fight against the Fire Nation, leaving me and my brother to look after our tribe. Some people believe that the Avatar was never reborn into the Air Nomads and that the cycle is broken, but I haven't lost hope. I still believe that, somehow, the Avatar will return to save the world.
(Southern Water Tribe)
Far within the waters of the Southern Watertribe, between towering icebergs and small glaciers. Katara and her brother Sokka were out in search of food. Sokka was holding a spear as he was following a fish that was swimming through the water. "It's not getting away from me this time." He grinned as he looked over his shoulder. "Watch and learn, Katara. This is how you catch a fish." He told her as she looked at him feeling indifferent to his claim.
She turned her attention to her side of the boat, and was soon drawn to another fish that was swimming right by her. She took one quick glance to her brother as he was completely distracted by his fish. She quickly removed the glove from her left hand andstretches her arm out in the direction of the fish, taking a deep breath. Her look is a mixture of concentration and apprehension as she starts making a wavy motion with her wrist, moving her hand up and down. Sokka, still focused wholly on the fish in front of him, is completely unaware of what is happening behind his back. As Katara continues to move her hand, the water in front of Katara starts to ripple. Suddenly, a bubble of water rises up from the ocean containing the newly trapped fish. Katara smiled happily as she was surprised at what she had accomplished. "Sokka, look!" She tried to get his attention.
But the blundering buffoon was too focused to even notice. "Sshh! Katara, you're going to scare it away." He whispered to her as he breathed deeply imagining the smoking flavor of the fish. "Mmmm… I can already smell it cookin'." He drooled at the thought of it.
Meanwhile Katara was still making circular movements with both her arms as she suspended the bubble of water in the air, moving back and forth as the fish was still inside. "But, Sokka! I caught one!" She tried to tell him as the bubble slowly drifted above Sokka. He raises his spear to strike the fish he was following. But he bursts the bubble of water with the blunt end of his spear, causing Katara to lose control of the water; causing it to rain down on Sokka, getting him soaked. "Hey!" Katara exclaimed indignantly. While Sokka gasps of discomfort from the cold water as Katara's fish tumbles through the air, her eyes follow it in an arc as it flies overhead and lands in the water.
Sokka at that moment, was furious as he turned around, facing his sister as he placed his spear perpendicular to the rim of the boat. "Why is it that every time you play with magic water, I get soaked?" He asked her, feeling irritated as he clenched his fists as a few drops of water fell from the soaked glove.
His sister sighed lightly before giving him her answer in slight annoyance. "It's not "magic", it's waterbending! And its-..."
"Yeah, yeah, "an ancient art unique to our culture", blah, blah, blah. Look, I'm just saying..." He paused as he grabbed his warrior's wolf knot with his left hand and turned away from her, wringing the water out of it as Katara crossed her arms. "That if I had weird powers, I'd keep my weirdness to myself." He told her.
"You're calling me weird?" Katara asked him skeptically. "I'm not the one who makes muscles at myself every time I see my reflection in the water!" She pointed out as she smiled smugly at her brother, seeing him making a sadly weak looking muscle at himself. He is flexing at his reflection in the water and grinning confidently. His happy look vanishes upon hearing his sister's remark and he turns around slowly, meaning to face her. Before he can say anything, however, the canoe suddenly shudders. As they both try to keep from falling over, Sokka whirls around toward his end of the canoe, a frantic look on his face seeing that the boat was caught in a rapid current, which is pulling it swiftly toward a jumble of large icebergs which block the end of the narrow passage formed by the towering walls of ice. Sokka paddles the boat in an attempt to stay clear of any floating chunks of ice. He manages to gain just enough speed to keep the boat from being crushed by two icebergs which slam together behind the boat.
The canoe moves through the water as Sokka rows furiously. The canoe as it is nearly pinned by a number of smaller chunks of ice. Katara's face is filled with panic as she yells commands to Sokka. "Watch out! Go left! Go left!" She ordered as the ice floes moved closer together in front of the boat, narrowing their path. The boat manages to stay clear of some of the icebergs, but it veers to the right with the current and becomes pinned by three large chunks of ice. As the canoe is completely crushed by the ice, Katara and Sokka throw themselves from the canoe and onto one of the floes. Katara nearly slides off the other side into the water, but comes to a halt at the floe's very edge. As she raises her head, looking around, the siblings find themselves floating on one iceberg among dozens. Katara, shuffling on her hands and knees, moves away from the rim toward the middle of the ice, sitting next to her brother. His spear is embedded point-first in the ice just behind him. "You call that a left?" She asked him bitterly.
"You don't like my steering? Well, maybe you should've…" He waves his hands, mockingly imitating waterbending. "Waterbended us out of the ice."
Katara was immediately offended by what he said and stood up looking at him. "So it's my fault?" She asked him.
"I knew I should've left you home! Leave it to a girl to screw things up!" Sokka ranted calmly, unaware that Katara's face contorted with a great amount of fury.
She pointed at her brother accusingly as her anger slowly but surely rises. "You are the most sexist, immature, nut brained…" She listed them as she waved her arms to the point she was waterbending without even seeing it happen. "I'm embarrassed to be related to you!" She threw her arms back as the water hurled toward an iceberg that was behind the, causing a fissure through it. This immediately catches Sokka's attention as he glanced briefly, past his sister, only to take a double-look as he saw the fissure that was caused by Katara's outburst. "Ever since mom died, I've been doing all the work around camp while you've been off playing soldier!" She pointed out as she strongly swung her arm, waterbending and deepening the crack in the iceberg as Sokka's terror deepened.
He tried to point at it to get her attention. "Uh… Katara…" He spoke but his voice was subdued by fright.
"I even washed all the clothes!" She stated as she pointed at her brother. "Have you ever smelled your dirty socks? Let me tell you, not pleasant!" She yelled while unconsciously waterbending as she caused two new splits in the chunk of ice.
"Katara, settle down!" Sokka tried to calm her down, but she was way past her breaking point.
"No that's it! I'm done helping you! From now on, you're on your own!" She declared as she agitatingly caused a giant wave to impact the iceberg behind her. Sending a number of fissures to snake their way up the iceberg, causing it to split completely in half. Katara finally looked back and gasped upon seeing it as the two halves fell down and caused a wave larger than any Katara cast as it radiated outward toward them and they were thrown to the ice as it pushed their floe backward.
As the waves subside, the shot cuts to a head-on close-up of the siblings, their heads slightly over the edge of the ice. Sokka, holding a protective arm over Katara, turns his head toward her. "Okay, you've gone from "weird" to "freakish", Katara." He told her as he released her.
"You mean I did that?" She asked as she felt more astonished than scared.
"Yep. Congratulations." Sokka said with a sarcastic smirk and nudged her.
She scowled at him only to hear several small bubbles and look down as they appeared on the surface of the water directly in front of them and a small spot of water began to glow with a bright bluish hue. The spread of the brilliant glow and the bubbles within the water began to glow brighter as it rose to the surface. The two siblings scramble back in renewed terror from the edge, just as a large, roughly spherical iceberg breaks the surface of the water. Katara and Sokka watch as the iceberg rises above the surface, revealing its massive form to be the source of the glow. The crashing waves generated by the iceberg's rising push the floe backward as the berg itself rocks to one side, before coming to rest with its rounded dome exposed above the water. Mesmerized by the iceberg, Katara strays closer and stares at the iceberg. While behind her, Sokka halfheartedly stretches out his hand, as if to hold her back. Katara stares at the object and notices something silhouetted in the ice. It was a human shape within, below a larger, indistinguishable mass. The human figure, perched in lotus, has glowing arrows on its head and hands. Katara raises an eyebrow in confusion. The figure in the ice, its features accentuated by reflected light, revealing it to be a boy. Suddenly, the boy opens his eyes, the same brilliant light emanating from them, eliciting shocked gasps from both of the siblings. Katara was surprised by what they had discovered. "He's alive!" She reached behind Sokka and pulled out his club from its sheath. "We have to help!" She ran towards it.
"Katara, get back here! We don't know what that thing is!" He told her as he grabbed his spear and followed after her to the giant wall of ice. As Katara hopped across the short distance on tiny chinks of ice, she reaches the iceberg first and starts striking it with Sokka's club, letting out several grunts four times. Upon the fifth strike, the club breaks through as a great gust of wind escapes from within the iceberg, throwing her and her brother back as fissures snake their way over the whole iceberg. It caused a massive outward explosion as the orb was destroyed, sending a beam of light into the sky.
(The Heavens)
Within the heavens, a lone man stood on the ledge of a cliff with his head covered by a straw hat. He looked down on the Earth and felt a familiar energy as he looked down upon the Southern Water Tribe. He saw the pillar of light and recognized what it was, causing a smirk to form across his face. "He's back." He stated.
Another man approached him as he looked upon the pillar of light, sensing what it meant. "Is it really him Raiden…? Is it really the Avatar…?" He asked him.
"There is no doubt in my mind Fujin… whoever found the Avatar may have good intentions. Or bad, depending on whom it may be." Raiden replied to his brother.
"It may be one of the local Water Tribesmen… but we won't know for certain unless we go down there." Fujin pointed it out.
"Which is why I will head down there myself. I need you to remain here and keep watch on the Fire Nation. For they are undoubtedly bound to notice the light." Raiden told him as Fujin nodded his head as his brother vanished through lightning.
(Zuko's Ship)
Far from the light, a Fire Nation ship sails through the water as a boy in a Fire Nation uniform stands on deck and stares at the light as his ponytail flutters through the wind. He knew all too well what this meant. "Finally!" He stated as he turned around to face another person that wore a high ranking Fire Nation uniform. "Uncle, do you know what this means?!" He asked him.
"I won't get to finish my game?" The old man known as Iroh answered calmly.
"It means my search is about to come to an end." The boy known as Zuko, Prince of the Fire Nation declared as Iroh sighed uninterestedly as he placed a tile on the table. "That light came from an incredibly powerful source! It has to be him!" He said as the light dwindles and disappears.
"Or it's just the celestial lights. We've been down this road before, Prince Zuko." Iroh reminded him as he looked at the tile in his hand, depicting it to be the symbol of Airbending. "I don't want you to get excited over nothing." He told him as he set the tile down. "Please, sit. Why don't you enjoy a cup of calming Jasmine tea?" He gestured to him to sit beside him.
But big shock. "I don't need any calming tea! I need to capture the Avatar!" He declared and looked towards the helmsman. "Helmsman, head a course for the light!" He ordered as the helmsman did as he said. Iroh meanwhile knew his scarfaced nephew was close to a destiny his father made for him, but he knew he had a true destiny as he calmly continues playing his game, setting another tile bearing the airbending symbol on the previous one, feeling a gust of wind wash over him and shook his tiles.
(Meanwhile)
Back at what remains of the iceberg, Sokka clutches Katara but soon releases her as he looks around as the light encircles the remains of the former mountain of ice, now reduced to a hollowed-out crater. The siblings looked at one another and they both got to their feet as Katara held her brother as he pointed his spear at the crater ready to defend himself. Rising from the crater, a figure emerges slowly from the depression in the iceberg. Sokka brandishes his spear in defense upon seeing him. "Stop!" He warned him.
But rather than stand where he was, the light around the young boy disappeared as he collapsed towards them falling unconscious. Katara saw it and gasped as she ran towards him and caught him before he hit the ground. She held him up only to see Sokka poking at the boy's head with the blunt end of his spear, causing her to scowl and wave the spear away as she was annoyed. "Stop it!" She told him and placed the boy against the base of the crater.
Still asleep, the boy soon started to stir as his eyes slowly opened his gray eyes. He softly gasps in awe as he beholds the Southern Water Tribe girl, who stared at him with deep blue eyes and smiled at her as her hair loopies sway in front of her. "I need to ask you something…" He said weakly to her.
"What?" Katara asked him.
"Please… come closer." The boy requested.
Katara got closer as she was curious. "What is it?" She asked him.
Pausing for a moment, the boy's weak expression turns into a clear, happy, hopeful, look. "Will you go penguin sledding with me?" He asked excitedly.
Katara was surprised by this as the moment soon turned awkward. "Uh, sure… I-I guess." She replied.
The boy elegantly rises to his feet in one swift motion, surprising the two siblings as Katara looked at him in awe, while Sokka backed away in shock, aiming his spear at him, causing Katara to glance at him in disbelief. The boy looked around rubbing his head while Katara scrambled to her feet. "What's going on?" He asked.
"You tell us! How did you get in the ice? And why aren't you frozen?" Sokka asked him as he poked at him with his spear.
"I'm not sure." The boy lazily pushed the spear away. Suddenly he heard a low, gruff noise from within the crater as he quickly scrambles up the ridge, finding what it was as a smile beamed on his face and he happily jumped onto the head of a large, furry creature that has the same arrow-shape mark on his forehead as the boy. "Appa!" He exclaimed happily as he held him. "Are you all right?" He asked him as he hung down the side of his eye. "Wake up, buddy." He opened his eyelid and it immediately closed again once it was released. The boy jumped down to the front of the large bison and tried to lift his enormous head. Sokka and Katara appear around the corner as Appa finally starts to react to the monk and licks him with his giant tongue. Sokka gasped as his jaw dropped upon seeing him. The boy laughed cheerfully as he turned to Appa. "You're okay!" He cheered as he hugged his best friend as he stood up on his six large feet as the boy patted him on his nose.
"What is that thing?!" Sokka asked him.
"This is Appa, my flying bison." The boy introduced him.
"Right, and this is Katara, my flying sister." Sokka replied sarcastically as Katara shot him an odd look.
The boy equally shot an odd look, but before he could ask his questions, his attention was diverted back to Appa as he started inhaling deeply. Realizing what was about to happen, the boy ducks down before Appa lets out a strong sneeze, sending a large blast of green snot as it flies directly onto Sokka, who becomes completely covered in it. He squeals in disgust and begins to frantically clean it off, rubbing his face in the snow under that amused gaze of his sister, and the monk that walked over. "Don't worry, it'll wash out." He assured him as Sokka looked at the snot hanging from his face and glove, and groaned in disgust. Katara did the same as she covered her mouth from it. "So do you guys live around here?" He asked them.
But Sokka's instincts quickly reacted as he pointed a spear at him again. "Don't answer that! Did you see that crazy bolt of light?! He was probably trying to signal the Fire Navy!" He accused the monk of being a spy.
Katara however, was not convinced as she pushed his spear away. "Oh yeah, I'm sure he's a spy for the Fire Navy. You can tell by that evil look in his eye." She said sarcastically as Aang shot the two an earnest grin. "The paranoid one is my brother, Sokka. You never told us your name" She mentioned.
"I'm A-..." Before he could reply, his nose began to twitch. Sokka and Katara watch as they see he was about to sneeze. "A-a-a-a-AAAAAACHOOO!" He sneezed as he unintentionally created an air blast that sent him soaring into the air. Katara was surprised by it as he came back down and landed on the ground unharmed. "I'm Aang." He introduced himself as he sniffled a bit.
Sokka had a complete face of disbelief of what he just witnessed. "You just sneezed… and flew ten feet into the air!" He pointed out.
Aang looked up questionably to the sky. "Really? It felt higher than that." He stated.
A gasp came from Katara as she comprehended what she just learned. "You're an airbender!" She exclaimed.
"Sure am!" Aang said positively.
"Giant light beams, flying bison, airbenders…" Sokka turned around and walked away. "I think I got midnight sun madness. I'm going home to where stuff makes sense." He said only to realize that he was stranded in the middle of the ocean with no way home.
"Well, if you guys are stuck, Appa and I can give you a lift." Aang offered as he airbends himself onto Appa.
Katara smiled at hearing the offer. "We'd love a ride! Thanks!" She said as she ran over to the side of the bison.
But Sokka was not having any of it. "Oh no! I'm not getting on that fluffy snot monster!" He exclaimed.
While climbing on top of Appa with Aang's help, Katara looked at her paranoid brother knowing he had no other choice in the matter. "Are you hoping some other kind of monster will come along and give you a ride home? You know, before you freeze to death?" She asked him.
Sokka opened his mouth in defiance as he pointed at Katara, but he could not think of anything. He sighs and bows his head in consent and defeat. A moment past as he is sitting in the saddle with his sister in the flying bison's saddle with his arms crossed and a sulking look on his face. "Okay, first time flyers, hold on tight! Appa, yip-yip!" Aang whips the rains as Appa growls in response. He moves his tail up and down and takes a huge leap into the air. He soars through the air as though he would fly, before belly-flopping into the water with a splash. He begins trudging through the water slowly as Katara crawls to the front of the saddle while Aang tries to get him to fly as he whipped the reins. "Come on, Appa, yip-yip!" He said.
"Wow, that was truly amazing." Sokka said sarcastically.
Katara shot her brother an angry glance but looked over to Aang. "Appa's just a little tired. A little rest and he'll be soaring through the sky. You'll see." He assured them as Katara smiled at him.
She soon noticed him returning the gesture, she moved back and saw that he was still smiling at her. "Why are you smiling at me like that?" She asked him, feeling uncomfortably.
Aang realized this as he stopped smiling. "Oh, I was smiling?" He asked her, feeling flattered. Katara smiled at him knowing he is such an oddball, while Sokka threw his head back and sticks his tongue out in disgust while groaning loudly. Katara glared at him upon hearing it while Appa continued to make his way through the icy sea, flapping his tail in the water.
Meanwhile above them, Raiden was watching them carefully as he stayed out of sight. He looked upon them as he was intrigued by what he is looking at. "Hmm… very promising. It seems destiny has many surprises in store for these three." He theorized as he vanished through lightning.
(Elsewhere)
Zuko stood on the deck of his ship as he stared out at the distance to where the light was seen. His uncle approached from behind. "I'm going to bed now." He informed him as he yawned and stretched. "Yep, a man needs his rest." He told him but didn't get a response from his nephew. He was about to abandon his try at a veiled suggestion and deliver his request, but his tone tired. "Prince Zuko, you need some sleep. Even if you're right, and the Avatar is alive, you won't find him. Your father, grandfather, and great-grandfather all tried and failed." He reminded him.
"Because their honor didn't hinge on the Avatar's capture. Mine does. This coward's hundred years in hiding are over." He told his uncle as he was determined, Iroh recognized this from his time trying to get into Ba Sing Se.
He knew Zuko would do anything and everything in his power to find the Avatar. Iroh walked to the door only to see someone standing by it. "Your nephew is quite prideful. That might actually end up getting him killed." The withered old man stepped up revealing himself as Shang Tsung as he held his hands behind his back. "Much like your son when he fell at Ba Sing Se."
Iroh shot a glare at him and looked away. "I don't need a reminder, Shang Tsung. Therefore, you should be with the Firelord." He reminded him.
"He sent me to check up on his son's progress… and it would seem he's on the Avatar's trail. Getting warmer as he is filled with hope." Shang stated as he looked at Zuko. "I'm sure one day, he'd make a fine Firelord… or… a great warrior for Outworld." He said with a smirk.
But Iroh was not fond of his nephew becoming Shang Tsung's puppet as he looked towards him. "My nephew will one day become a great Firelord, but I will never allow him to become one of your master's puppets." He told him as he reached out and managed to grab something in thin air, revealing Reptile as he was being choked by the firebender. "And keep your servants away from him." He released Reptile from his grip.
The Zaterran rubbed his neck as he hissed at the elder and walked away towards Shang Tsung. "Your senses are sharp as always, Iroh… but worry not, Reptile is only my personal bodyguard. And my best hunter." He said as he looked towards him. "Move swiftly Reptile, find the Avatar and watch him closely." He ordered as Reptile hisses and leaps off the ship and dove into the water and swam away.
(Elsewhere)
As Appa swam through the icy water, Aang lies lazily on his back with his arms tucked under his head. Unable to sleep, Katara crawls over to the front of the saddle and gets a better look at Aang as she leaned on the front of the saddle and rests her head on her arms. "Hey." She said, smiling softly.
"Hey. What'cha thinkin' about?" Aang asked.
"I guess I was wondering, your being an airbender and all, if you had any idea what happened to the Avatar?" She asked him.
Aang's eyes slightly widened upon hearing the title as he looked at her. "Oh, no. I didn't know him. I mean, I knew people that knew him, but I didn't. Sorry." He said, smiling weakly.
"Okay. Just curious." Katara slanted her eyes in disappointment for a second before smiling at Aang again. "Good night." She told him as she went back to sleep.
"Sleep tight." Aang replied as he uncomfortably turned around and showed a look of guilt on his face. He let out a sigh and covered his face. "I can't… I can't tell her who I really am." He muttered.
"It would be better if she knew the truth, rather than keeping it to yourself." Said a familiar voice as Aang gasped and looked up seeing Raiden, who smiled at the young Avatar. "It's been a long time my friend." He said.
Aang smiled and stood up and bowed to him. "Lord Raiden." He said, raising his head. "I can't believe it's you." He said.
"Yes, you haven't aged a day, young Avatar." Raiden said to him.
"Shhh!" Aang looked back and climbed up seeing Katara and Sokka still asleep and sighed as he turned towards Raiden. "I can't tell them. If they knew I was the Avatar…" He paused.
"You think they would treat you differently, like your fellow monks at the Southern Air Temple…?" Raiden asked as Aang nodded his head. The Thunder God sighed as he sat down in front of him. "Aang… these kids are not like your friends. Though they are different, in fact the world is different now from how it was then. They did what they could to break you out of that ice." He told him.
"Different…?" Aang asked in surprise as he looked at Raiden. "Different how? How long was I in that ice?" He asked him eagerly.
"All in good time, young Avatar." Raiden replied as he vanished through lightning, causing Appa to let out a growl.
Sokka jumped upon hearing it and looked around. "Who? What?! Where?! What's going on?!" He asked as he was being the paranoid degenerate that he is.
"Uhh, nothing. Might be a storm far off from here." Aang replied.
"Oh… okay." Sokka said, slumping back down in the saddle and falling asleep as he snored. Aang sighed and leaned against Appa's back, looking at the sky as he continued to wonder how long he was in that ice as he shut his eyes, falling asleep. Unaware that something was following them in the water.
(The Next Morning)
Aang was still asleep as he found himself in a dream, sleeping on Appa's saddle while clouds built around and ahead of them. Lightning splits the sky and the rumble of the following thunder awakens him. He shot up and looked around, seeing the storm as it was raining on him. He sat on Appa's head, holding the reins as he screamed at the top of his lungs in terror. The storm was beating down on them as they were sent down into the ocean. Appa resurfaced with him as he growled loudly, but a wave splashed down on top of him as they were dragged further down into the depths. As they sank beneath the waves, both were unconscious… Aang unintentionally releases the reins and drifts off. But his Eyes and tattoo's began to glow as his eyes snapped open. He slams his fists together, creating a bluish-white sphere around them as it encases him and Appa in a sphere of ice. Till suddenly… "Aang? Aang! Wake up." Called Katara's voice as Aang shoots up and out of his dream, throwing the covers off his body and gasping for air. Katara perches beside him and stands up as she sees that Aang is awake. "It's okay, we're in the village now! Come on, get ready. Everyone's waiting to meet you." She pointed out. This made Aang smile happily as he got out of bed and started getting dressed. Katara stepped towards the door and immediately glanced back and quietly gasped as she stared in wonder at the blue arrow-shaped tattoos that trace his arms and legs and reach up his back and to his head. Once fully dressed and before he could get up, Katara pulled him along by his arm to meet the rest of the village as Aang gasped in surprise. Katara dragged him out of the tent towards a small congregation of villagers as they passed by Sokka who was sitting at the side of the tent, sharpening his boomerang. "Aang, this is the entire village." She pointed to the line of all who were in the village. "Entire village, Aang." She introduced them to each other.
Aang bows respectfully towards the villagers, but they cower away in fear that brought a surprised look to Katara and Aang's faces. "Uh, why are they all looking at me like that? Did Appa sneeze on me?" He asked as he checked his clothing.
While the elderly woman steps forward out of the line of villagers. "Well, no one has seen an airbender in a hundred years. We thought they were extinct, until my granddaughter and grandson found you." She told him.
Aang was filled with shock and disbelief of what he heard. "Extinct?" He asked her.
"Aang, this is my grandmother. Kanna." Katara introduced her to him.
"Call me Gran-Gran." She told him flatly with a dull expression on her face.
Sokka walks towards Aang and abruptly snatches his staff out of his hands and starts examining it. "What is this, a weapon? You can't stab anything with this!" He said, annoyingly.
Aang quickly uses a small air current to get his staff back from him. "It's not for stabbing! It's for Airbending." He opens up his staff into a glider, making Sokka gasp in fright and cover his head with his hands.
The children meanwhile were excited to see what they witnessed. "Magic trick! Do it again!" Said a young village girl.
"Not magic, airbending." Aang corrected her as he moved his glider around him to visually demonstrate how it works. "It lets me control the air currents around my glider and fly." He explained.
"Ya know, last time I checked, humans can't fly!" Sokka stated his disbelief to him.
Accepting his challenge, Aang smiled confidently. "Check again!" He grabs hold of his glider and pushes himself off the ground leaving Katara and Sokka to cover their faces against the sudden wind. They, and the entire village stare in awe as Aang makes some loops and turns in the sky.
"He's flying!" A young girl cheered as Aang made another loop and sped up to soar past the gazing villagers.
"It's amazing!" Cheered another girl as Aang's shadow passed over Katara, who was smiling broadly at him.
But she soon noticed someone approaching the village and immediately recognized who it was as the teen approached them. "Liu Kang! It's great to see you! Are you seeing this?" She asked him.
"Yes, I just noticed him flying over as I was on my way here." Liu Kang said to her and looked up seeing Aang fly over as he intended to further impress the villagers by flying sideways with his eyes shut and he grinned. "But, he better look out for that watchtower." He pointed out as Aang promptly flies head-on into the village's watchtower, causing everyone to wince and grimace at seeing his head get stuck inside it. Katara covered her mouth as she watched Aang struggle to extricate his head from the icy watchtower. Liu Kang shrugged his shoulders upon seeing it. "I would have shouted, but where would the fun be in that?" He asked as the children giggled as Aang succeeded in getting his head out and tumbles down onto a pile of snow at the base of the tower that crumbled from the building.
Katara immediately rushes to his side while Sokka stares in shock at the damage he inflicted on his watchtower. "My watchtower!" He complains.
Katara and Liu Kang approach, seeing Aang lying covered in snow at the base of the partially collapsed tower. Katara smiled and offered her a hand to pull him out of the snow. "That was amazing!" She said as she pulled him out of the snow. "Oh, Aang. This is Liu Kang. He's a resident neighbor that lives outside our village." She introduced him.
Aang respectfully bowed to him. "Nice to meet you." He said, respecting the teenager.
"Likewise." Liu Kang bowed back as both stood before one another. "It's actually surprising to see an airbender alive." He told him.
"So everyone keeps mentioning." Aang replied as Sokka ran toward his watchtower and started to pat it in the hope that he could save it from collapsing any further.
Aang spun his staff around to retract its wings, as Sokka was being knocked down by a large pack of snow that fell down on top of him. He groaned in annoyance and looked towards them. "Great. You're an airbender, Katara's a waterbender. Together you can just waste time all day long." He said, wedging himself free from underneath the weight of snow and stalks off.
Aang looked at Katara in surprise and admiration. "You're a waterbender?" He asked her.
"Well, sort of. Not yet." She admitted.
"She's still a beginner." Liu Kang mentioned as he nudged her. "But she is pretty powerful, given what I heard." He mentioned.
"Liu…!" Katara complained.
"All right, no more playing. Come on, Katara, you have chores. Not to mention you need to help Liu with his supplies." Kanna leads Katara and Liu Kang away from Aang as the surrounding villagers part to let the duo pass.
Meanwhile Katara was too excited, she couldn't hold it in. "I told you, he's the real thing Gran-Gran! I finally found a bender to teach me!" She exclaimed.
"Katara, try not to put all your hopes in the boy." Kanna advised her.
"But he's special! I can tell!" Katara argues as she clenches her fists and closes her eyes in hope. I sense he's filled with much wisdom." She said as Katara opened her eyes and looked back towards Aang with Liu Kang, seeing that he had his tongue stuck to his staff as he was surrounded by the children.
"See? Now my tongue is stuck to my staff!" He said as his voice was muffled, and much to his discomfort, one of the smaller village boys started yanking his staff, pulling Aang along with his tongue.
Liu Kang looked over to Katara with his eyebrows arked. "Wisdom, huh…?" He asked her.
(Meanwhile)
On Zuko's ship, the young prince is facing two soldiers as Iroh was sitting on a chair close to them. "Again." He said sternly as Zuko opened the fight by spreading his arms in the direction of the two firebenders, showering them with flames. His adversaries block his attack with ease as Zuko shifts his weight to duck under a retaliation of the firebender to his left, while the firebender to his right jumps forward and aims a blast at Zuko's feet. The young prince quickly propels himself out of the way. He twists around in mid-air and directs another fire blast with his hands to the firebender that retaliated first, and another with his foot to the one that aimed at his feet. Both soldiers jumped out of the way of Zuko's flames as Zuko landed and stretched his fists out towards his adversaries. Ready to face another attack, but Iroh sighed as he stood up. "No!" He exclaimed as Zuko lowered his arms and looked at his uncle. "Power in Firebending comes from the breath." He moved his hands up in front of him to emphasize the breathing motion. "Not the muscles." He explains as he stretches his left arm out as if he was sending a fire blast. "The breath becomes energy in the body. The energy extends past your limbs and becomes: FIRE!" He directs a fire blast at his nephew that evaporates just before it would scorch him. "Get it right this time." He ordered.
But with Zuko's suppressed anger, he walks toward his uncle and addresses him directly. "Enough! I've been drilling this sequence all day. Teach me the next set! I'm more than ready!" He exclaimed, only for a chained spear head to reach around his ankle and pull him down as he yelped and fell to the ground. He got up and saw a ninja, clad in yellow and black as his eyes were dead white as he glared at him.
"No… you are impatient. You have yet to master your basics, and have therefore shown no discipline or respect to your uncle's teachings." He said to the prince.
"Scorpion is correct. You need to show them in action. Drill it again!" Iroh ordered.
Zuko clenches his teeth in anger as he turns around and suddenly directs a powerful fire blast from a kick at one of the soldiers. He attempts to stop the blast, but he is unable to and is thrown on his back by its power. Zuko's suppressed anger knew no bounds, he turned to his uncle showing much of it. "The sages tell us that the Avatar is the last airbender." He reminded him as he approached his beloved uncle and the ninja that stood beside him. "He must be over a hundred years old by now. He's had a century to master the four elements! I'll need more than basic firebending to defeat him. You will teach me the advanced set!" He demanded.
Seeing his arrogance, Scorpion shook his head knowing there's no getting through to him as he looked at Iroh. "I suppose there's no choice." He said, with much disappointment.
Iroh nodded as he conceded reluctantly. "Very well." He said as his expression changes completely to one of delight as he picks up a bowl from the ground. "But first, I must finish my roast duck." He said as he quickly munched it down, much to Zuko's dismay.
Shang Tsung soon arrives with his arms held behind his back.. "For a young prince, you're just as arrogant as a certain princess I know. It would be wise of you to show respect to your elders, boy." He warned him.
Zuko scowled at him for his disrespect as Scorpion stopped him from doing anything stupid. "He is young and impetuous. But with enough lessons under my guidance… he'll be disciplined." He told the withered sorcerer.
"That is not your task here, Scorpion. Your master, Quan Chi, gave you to us to help search for the Avatar." Shang Tsung reminded him.
"I take orders from no one… not even Quan Chi, and especially… not you." The ninja declared as he walked past him. "Any news from Reptile…?" He asked him.
"He has not reported in yet… but I am certain he is keeping a close eye on the Avatar." Shang Tsung replied as Scorpion narrowed his eyes and vanished. Shang Tsung watched as Zuko continued his practices and walked over to Iroh. "You should probably consider stopping your habit of eating so much. Otherwise your nephew may resent you." He advised him.
"My nephew wasn't always this way, you know." Iroh reminded him.
"Indeed… he was once a good boy. But that was before his father." Shang Tsung gestures to the left side of his face in regards to the scar.
Iroh shut his eyes remembering that day. "I try not to think about that day." He told him as he looked at his nephew. "But I will never forget what Ozai did to him." He said, feeling regret he didn't stand up for his nephew.
(Back at the Village)
Sokka walked with a stern expression on his face. "Now men, it's important that you show no fear when you face a firebender." He told them as he brought out his club and held it proudly. "In the Water Tribe, we fight to the last man standing! For without courage, how can we call ourselves men?" He asked clutching his fist to emphasize the word "men" as he stared down the people in front of him, who apparently were nothing but six uninterested little boys.
One of the boys waved his hand in the air. "I gotta pee!" He exclaimed.
This made Sokka fume with anger as he had to cross the line. "Listen! Until your fathers return from the War, they're counting on you to be the men of this tribe, and that means no potty breaks!" He exclaimed with wide arm gestures to emphasize his words again.
"But I really gotta go!" The boy stated as he held his general area.
Sokka sighed in defeat knowing there's no reasoning with this kid. "Okay, who else has to go?" He asked them, only to see them all raise their hands as he developed a surprised look for a second and facepalmed himself in frustration as the children left.
Katara approached him with a worried expression. "Have you seen Aang? Gran-Gran said he disappeared over an hour again." She told him.
But before Sokka could reply, he looked and saw him appearing from an outhouse igloo, pulling up his pants. "Wow! Everything freezes in there!" He pointed toward the bathroom as Sokka's "soldiers" laughed, and he laughed with them.
Sokka was getting more annoyed as he looked at Katara and pointed at the monk. "Katara, get him out of here! This lesson is for warriors only!" He ordered.
"And by warriors, you mean children?" Liu Kang asked as he gestured, seeing the children playing.
Sokka turns around and sees the children sliding down Appa's tail as it is propped upwards over Sokka's spear. The children flew over it and landed in the snow as both Liu Kang and Katara laughed seeing them having fun. But Sokka was livid at this point as he rushed over. "Stop! Stop it right now!" He ordered as the laughter stifled immediately and Appa turned his head to look at Sokka, who immediately pointed angrily at Aang. "What's wrong with you?! We don't have time for fun and games with the War going on!" He told him as he took back his spear, casting an annoying glance at the monk.
But as Aang slid down from Appa's head, he looked at Sokka confused about what he said. "What war? What are you talking about?" He asked him.
Sokka raises one eyebrow in disbelief. "You're kidding, right?" He asked him.
Aang looks questionably at him, but the expression on his face changes to enthusiasm when he catches sight of something he wanted to find when on his way to the South. "PENGUIN!" He exclaimed as the siblings and Liu Kang looked back, spotting an otter-penguin behind them as the animal got startled and waddled off. Aang quickly gave chase, racing past the three friends he made, enhancing his speed with his airbending, leaving a deep trail in the snow as he dashes after the otter-penguin.
Sokka gave a look of disbelief from seeing it happen. "He's kidding, right?" He asked as the two siblings glanced at each other, not sure what the need to think of Aang's reaction.
Liu meanwhile, knew all too well what the situation was with him. "Katara, you better get after him before he hurts himself. I'll ask Kanna for the remaining supplies I need." He said.
"Okay, I'll be back with him as soon as I can." Katara ran off to find Aang, while Sokka scowled, still not trusting the young monk.
(In the Otter-Penguin Habitat)
Hundreds of otter-penguins are walking or sliding down icebergs. Katara approaches, seeing the entire colony as she searches for Aang. "Aang?" She called for him.
She soon spots him chasing the penguins while laughing. "Hey, come on little guy! Wanna go sledding?" He tries to jump at the penguin he was chasing, but the animal evades his attempt and Aang flops into the snow. He turns on his back and quickly erects himself with his airbending as Katara approaches beside him. "Heh heh. I have a way with animals." He told her.
Aang stretches his arms wide and imitates the sound and movements of the otter-penguins around him, making Katara laugh feeling amused. Aang, I'll help you catch a penguin if you teach me waterbending." She offered.
Having grabbed onto a penguin's tail, he held on as it pulled him through the snow for a short way before he let go and looked up at Katara. "You got a deal! Just one little problem." He mentioned as he airbends himself into a sitting position. "I'm an airbender, not a waterbender. Isn't there someone in your tribe who can teach you?" He asked her.
A sad expression loomed over Katara's face upon hearing the question. "No. You're looking at the only waterbender in the whole South Pole." She informed him.
Aang was surprised, and couldn't believe it. "This isn't right. A waterbender needs to master water." He pondered for a moment and got an idea. "What about the North Pole? There's another Water Tribe up there, right? Maybe they have waterbenders who could teach you." He suggested.
"Maybe. But we haven't had contact with our sister tribe in a long time. It's not exactly "turn right at the second glacier". It's on the other side of the world." She replied.
"But you forget. I have a flying bison. Appa and I can personally fly you to the North Pole. Katara, we're going to find you a master!" Aang said cheerfully.
But the young waterbender was unsure. "That's… I mean, I don't know. I've never left home before." She said, feeling nervous.
"Well, you think about it, but in the meantime, can you teach me to catch one of these penguins?" Aang asked her.
Katara smiled as she took this opportunity to mockingly imitate a teacher. "Okay, listen closely my young pupil." She inclines her head towards Aang. "Catching penguins is an ancient and sacred art." She explains as she conjures a fish out of her sleeve. "Observe!" She tosses it to Aang as he catches it with an uncomprehending look on his face. Soon enough, the otter-penguins immediately begin crowding him trying to get the fish from him as he laughs as he is pulled down by the penguins. A moment later, Aang and Katara are each sitting atop a penguin as they are sliding through the slopes, journeying through the area as they race each other. Aang uses an iceberg as a ramp to propel himself into the air and soar over and past Katara as she in turn uses the next jump to land next to him. The two laugh and shout and slide over snowy bumps. Katara smiled brightly as she was having so much fun. "I haven't done this since I was a kid!" She told her friend.
"You still are a kid!" Aang reminded her as the two rode through a tunnel of ice. Katara is in the lead and tries to hold Aang back by constantly changing her direction when he wants to pass her. Aang solves this problem by increasing his speed with his airbending, enabling him to race over the ceiling past Katara. The tunnel levels out on an open plain of ice where the two slowed down and got off the two otter-penguins. The plain is dominated by a large metal ship, elevated and held by a large protrusion of ice with the bow pointing toward the sky. Aang was curious about what it was. "Whoa! What is that?" He asked.
But Katara stared at it knowing it was a bad reminder of what her people faced. "A Fire Navy ship. And a very bad memory of my people." She explained but saw him approaching the wreckage. "Aang, stop! We're not allowed to go near it! The ship could be booby-trapped!" She warned him.
"If you want to be a bender, you have to let go of fear." Aang told her as she pondered over the remark for a moment. She soon decides to walk toward him with a scared look upon her face. The two venture towards the ship, unaware that something was following them.
The two venture closer toward the ship. Aang helps Katara to climb some of the blocks of ice that lay beside the ship and they crawl through a hole in the hull of the ship. The two walk through the silent rooms of the shipwreck. Some white hamsters roam the otherwise deserted ship. Aang enters a room stocked with weapons in various places. Katara also looked them over as she recalled tales Kanna told her. "This ship has haunted my tribe since Gran-Gran was a little girl." She told Aang as she looked over the other weapons. "It was part of the Fire Nation's first attacks."
"Okay, back up. I have friends all over the world, even in the Fire Nation." He told her as he picked up a guan dao and looked at it. "I've never seen any war."
Looking at the monk, Katara began to put it all together. "Aang, how long were you in that iceberg?" She asked him to be sure of her theory.
Uncertain of how long, Aang couldn't put his finger on it. "I don't know. A few days, maybe?" He asked.
Realizing he doesn't know, Katara needed to be blunt with him. "I think it was more like a hundred years!" She told him.
Surprised about this, Aang looked towards her in disbelief. "What?! That's impossible! Do I look like a hundred-twelve-year-old man to you?" He asked her, accusingly.
"Think about it. The War is a century old. You don't know about it because, somehow, you were in there the whole time!" Katara added all her theories together as Aang's expression changes to one of comprehension. "It's the only explanation."
Hearing all of this, Aang backed away and slumped to the floor in shock. "A hundred years! I can't believe it." He said, trying to deny it.
Katara squatted beside him to comfort him. "I'm sorry, Aang. Maybe somehow there's a bright side to all this." She suggested.
Aang smiled at hearing it and looked at her. "I did get to meet you." He said, smiling at her.
Katara smiled warmly at him and offered him a hand. "Come on, let's get out of here." She told him as Aang took her hand and she pulled him to his feet and the two exited the room. As they walked down the hall, a trail of footprints followed them as Katara could faintly hear them and looked back seeing nothing. This immediately put her on edge as Aang ventured into another room. "Aang, let's head back, this place is creepy." She told him.
But before they could turn back, Aang accidentally tripped over a thin rope. As he stumbles, metal bars slide downward over the entrance, barring it and trapping them inside. "Huh?!" Aang ran towards the bars and peeked through them. "What's that you said about booby traps?" He asked, only to hear the gears and engines of the shipwreck suddenly power up, beginning to function. Aang and Katara follow the movements of the machines until suddenly, a flare is fired into the sky and explodes high above them. "Uh oh…" Aang commented only to hear a chuckle and turned around seeing a fire that was slightly invisible. The figure soon disabled his camouflage, revealing himself as Reptile as he hisses and Katara yelped in shock as she hid behind Aang. He held his staff out towards the Zaterran warrior. "Who are you, what do you want?!" He asked him.
"You already know the answer to that, boy." Reptile hissed and charged at him.
Aang quickly used his airbending to form a protective dome around him and Katara as it pushed the Zaterran away from him. He eventually notices a hole in the roof of the ship and takes Katara as she was surprised to be in his arms. "Hold on tight!" He swung his staff and smacked Reptile away with a blast of wind as he slammed against the wall of the ship as he let out a painful shriek. Aang quickly enhances the power of his jump with his airbending and jumps several feet into the air through the hole.
Katara held on as she looked back seeing Reptile wasn't following as she looked back at Aang. "That was one of Shang Tsung's followers! He's from Outworld, they're aiding the Fire Nation in this war." She told him.
"Then we better get out of here, fast." Aang leapt down from the wreckage, unaware someone was watching from a distance.
(Zuko's Ship)
Zuko was peering through a telescope as he followed every movement the duo made as Aang leapt down, still holding Katara as he jumped down the side of the ship. "The last airbender!" He couldn't see how he looked, but he watched as Aang and Katara set down on leveled ground and Aang let Katara go and the two started running from the wreckage knowing Reptile might still be after them."Quite agile for his old age." He turned around and angrily yelled at a soldier behind him. "Wake my uncle! Tell him I have found the Avatar." He peeks through the telescope again to see where they are running to. Following the direction they're headed, Zuko finds where they're headed. "As well as his hiding place." He told them.
Shang Tsung approached and took the telescope and looked through it, seeing the village as he formed a smirk across his face as he gave him back the telescope. "Well done, Prince Zuko. Truly your father will be most impressed with your efforts. But I must advise that you let my hunter catch him, and bring him straight to you." He advised him.
"I don't need the help of a six foot tall lizard. I need to be the one to capture the Avatar myself." Zuko reminded him as he walked past him angrily.
But this merely made Shang Tsung chuckle as he looked towards the prince. "Pride is a dangerous sin, boy. Outworld and the Fire Nation became allies for great reasons. To help your father conquer this world, once that is accomplished, my emperor, Shao Kahn… can grant you anything you desire." He told him.
"What could he possibly offer me that my father already took from me?" Zuko asked him.
"Your honor, your status as Prince, in fact… he may even restore your face." Shang Tsung gestured to his scar. "Not all scars are permanent. Not when it comes to sorcery." He told him.
Hearing this, Zuko touched his face imagining he had it restored. But at what cost? He knew that when it came to magic or sorcery, there was always a price. "Sorry… but I'm not interested." He told him and walked away to prepare for landing. Shang Tsung smirked, knowing he couldn't deny the opportunity.
(Water Tribe Village)
At the village, everyone saw the flare, noticing it as a bad omen. While the children took notice of Aang and Katara returning from where they came from and were filled with joy to see Aang. "Yay! Aang's back!" They ran over to him, while the others remained cheerful in the crowd. While some of the adults, including Sokka… held stern looks towards Aang as the children crowded Aang and Katara.
Sokka breaks from the line and marches towards Aang. "I knew it! You signaled the Fire Navy with that flare! You're leading them straight to us, aren't you?" He accused him.
Katara got between them in Aang's defense. "Aang didn't do anything! It was an accident." She told him.
"Yeah. We were on the ship and there was this booby trap, and, well…" Aang rubbed his head. "We booby-ed right into it."
"Katara, you shouldn't have gone on that ship! Now we could all be in danger!" Kanna scolded her.
"Don't blame Katara. I brought her there. It's my fault." Aang stood up for her.
But Sokka saw this as a way of being triumphant. "Aha! The traitor confesses! Warriors, away from the enemy. The foreigner is banished from our village." Sokka declared as the children sadly walked away from Aang.
Liu Kang approached and shoved Sokka. "Sokka, you're making a mistake. He didn't know what would happen." He told him.
"Liu's right Sokka, you're being ridiculous!" Katara told him.
"No, I'm keeping my promise to dad. I'm protecting you, from threats like him!" Sokka pointed at Aang.
"Aang is not our enemy! Don't you see? Aang's brought us something we haven't had in a long time: fun." Katara told him.
"Fun?! We can't fight firebenders with fun!" Sokka argued.
"You should try it sometime." Aang said with much optimism.
But this managed to anger Sokka further. "Get out of our village! Now!" He ordered.
Liu Kang turned towards Kanna eagerly. "Kanna, you can't let Sokka do this." He told her.
"Grandmother, please. Don't let Sokka do this! Reptile was after him, and I don't know why. Please, if you send him away, Reptile will still be after him. He'll be vulnerable out there all alone." Katara pleaded.
Kanna looked at her, knowing it was wrong, but she couldn't deny that he was still at fault. "Katara, you know going on that ship was forbidden. Sokka is right. I think it best if the airbender leaves." She told her.
Outraged by what she decided, Katara scowled in anger. "Fine! Then I'm banished, too!" She grabbed Aang and dragged him away. "Come on Aang, let's go." She told him.
"Where do you think you're going?" Sokka asked her.
"To find a waterbender. Aang is taking me to the North Pole." Katara told him.
"I am?" Aang asked, confused. But smiled brightly. "Great!" He cheered.
"Katara! Would you really choose him over your tribe? Your own family?" Sokka asked her.
"Leaving you mostly, because you're stubborn, and overprotective." Liu Kang stated the facts.
Sokka turns toward him angrily. "I didn't need an answer from you!" He told her.
Aang looked at Katara as they stood near Appa, he wanted to help Katara, but her family was more important. "Katara, I don't want to come between you and your family." He told her.
Katara looked at him as she felt upset. "So, you're leaving the South Pole? This is goodbye?" She asked him.
Aang nodded his head. "Thanks for penguin sledding with me." He said, in a soft tone.
"Where will you go?" She asked him.
"Guess I'll go back home and look for the airbenders." He told her as he placed a hand on Appa, but was suddenly struck with realization. "Wow, I haven't cleaned my room in a hundred years. Not looking forward to that." He admitted as he uses his airbending to hop onto Appa's head. "It was nice meeting everyone." He told them.
"Let's see your bison fly now, air boy." Sokka said sarcastically.
Aang looked to Appa with an encouraging expression. "Come on Appa, you can do it. Yip-yip!" He called out as he flicked the reins.
But Appa merely rises and growls and turns away. "Yeah, I thought so!" Sokka mocked him.
Soon a young water tribe girl ran from the crowd crying as she stood next to Katara with tears in her eyes. "Aang, don't go! I'll miss you!" She pleaded.
"I'll miss you, too." Aang replied to her and looked at Katara, who frowned back at him, her eyes saddened while her hair loopies swayed in the wind. He couldn't bear to see her sad and looked away. "Come on, boy." He told Appa as Appa turned and plodded away.
Seeing him go, the young girl sighed and trudges back to the village, while Katara remains standing in the snow. Kanna approached her granddaughter to console her. "Katara, you'll feel better after you-"
Katara turns quickly towards her and cuts her off. "You happy now? There goes my one chance at becoming a waterbender!" She shouted and marched away from her furiously, while Kanna felt her sadness and looked down knowing she was deeply connected to Aang.
She turned towards Liu Kang, knowing he needed to leave as well. "Liu, you best head home. It's going to get crazy around here." He told him as he nodded his head and started trudging off to get to his home that wasn't far from the village. He also knew that he couldn't stay away either, so he needed to do something he never thought he'd do before.
"All right, ready our defenses! The Fire Nation could be on our shores any moment now!" Sokka shouted as a young boy stopped dancing around him.
"But I gotta-"
"And no potty breaks!" Sokka said in an authoritative tone as he felt annoyed.
As the day slowly went by, Aang and Appa were resting in an ice formation. Appa was lying lazily on his back in the lower section as Aang was resting above him. Appa let out a soft grun as he thought about Katara. "Yeah, I liked her too." Aang replied to him but heard something in the distance and looked out. He looked out seeing a Fire Nation ship advancing towards the village. "The village!" He gasped and slid off the ice formation onto the ground. "Appa, wait here." He told him and ran off as Appa let out a mere lazy grunt.
(In the village)
Sokka was preparing himself for battle inside his Water Tribe tent, he dons gloves, boots, bindings, and applies face paint that symbolizes himself as a warrior as he puts his boomerang away on his back and looks out.
(Zuko's Ship)
Fire Nation servants approach Zuko and help the Fire Nation prince to put on his Fire Nation armor, placing the chest armor on first and tying it, adding the final touch with the red helmet that had a sharp point.
(Liu Kang's Hut)
(Cue: Echoes of an Old Life, by God of War.)
Walking into his home, Liu Kang walked to where the fire pit was. He approached it and kicked the rocks and what was left of the ambers, kneeling down as he dug his hands under a piece of iron he had placed under the snow and lifted it up finding a box underneath it. He set the iron plate to the side and reached in and grabbed the box and pulled it out. He set it down and looked to his hands as he remembered remnants of his own past. He sighed and reached down to the box and broke the lock that was on it and opened the box, finding Fire Nation garments inside it. He reached and touched the fabrics and a dragon emblem on it.
His hands soon started shaking as he held them up and looked at them. Knowing that bringing back his past will only result in everyone's hatred for his Fire Nation heritage. But there was no other way as he started undressing from his Water Tribe clothing, and started dressing into his Fire Nation uniform. It was then, Raiden appeared outside the door. "You knew there was nowhere you could hide, Liu Kang… you've tried so hard to put a distance between you and the truth. Pretending to be what you were not. Neighbor, friend… brother." He told him as Liu Kang glanced towards him after putting on his black gi shirt and black and red pants and wrapped a red belt around him. Followed by the red vest with the black dragon around it. Tying a red headband around his head afterwards. "But there is one unavoidable truth you could never escape… you cannot change. You will always be… a firebender." He told him as Liu Kang put on his arm bracers and held out his hands as flames filled his hands.
He looked at them and narrowed his eyes. "I know…" He replied and stood up. "But the Fire Nation will soon know… a dragon's wrath." He told the thunder god as he looked his way as a dragon mark appeared on his arm.
(Water Tribe Village)
Back at the village as Sokka finished getting ready, he glanced towards a candle that started to flicker and quickly exited his tent and headed straight for the wall of the village. Once he arrived, he stood atop the wall, overlooking the foggy horizon. While the village was in a panic… a loud cracking noise was heard, causing everyone to look out. Kanna sat on a log by the campfire and rose up as she gasped looking out. The ground begins to shake and the rumbling is getting louder as it gets closer as Kanna gasped louder as her face contorted to horror.
Sokka felt the shaking and saw bits of the wall cracking and breaking apart. He turned and saw another of his watchtowers shaking and soon collapsed under pressure from the trembling, making him have a disappointed face. "Oh mean!" He complained as he looked out. Katara ran over and saw Sokka still standing atop the wall, and her face turned to one of horror, seeing a massive shadow as the bow of Zuko's ship came into view from the fog. "Oh maaan…" Sokka said as he panicked as the vessel made its way, cutting through the icy sea. Kanna stood in the snow, looking on in terror at the vessel while slightly backing up.
The villagers pass her in their haste to get to safety as the shadow of the large ship descends over Kanna. The ship's bow plows through the snow shores, splintering the ground as Sokka looks up, terrified by the large ship. The ship's approach creates a large crack that quickly travels toward the village and over the wall. Katara quickly helps her grandmother into a tent, till she hears a frightened scream as she looked out and gasps in terror as she saw a small boy kneeling on the ground. The fissure is rapidly approaching him, but Katara quickly runs over and scoops him up before the ground splinters underneath them. She runs from it and sets him down where he was safe in front of the tent. She turned back seeing her brother was still at the wall being the complete idiot that he is. "Sokka, get out of the way!" She told him.
But he didn't move from the wall as the bow of the ship plows through the snow towards him. He held up his club in defense, ready to strike. Before he could make his move, however, the bow crumbled a large portion of the wall into snowy ruins. The snow slides downward, pushing Sokka several feet back before he lands to a halt. He looked up at the ship as it let out a loud hiss of steam, the villagers also looked upon the large vessel in shock, while Katara looked on and gasped as the bow of the ship started to open and freak forward from a burst of steam. Sokka gasped as it fell towards him and he backed up falling to the ground once the bow hit the ground with a loud thud, forming a walkway. Katara takes a few steps back to the rest of the village, noticing the shape of three figures cloaked in the mist. Appearing before them, Zuko, Scorpion, and Shang Tsung emerge from the mist along with two guards following close behind them. The villagers huddled together while Sokka, who was kneeling in the snow in front of them, readied himself to defend his tribe. Scorpion took notice of this and arched his eyebrows. "This is all that is left of the village…? Pitiful." He commented, descending with Zuko from the ship.
Sokka lets out a battle cry and charges towards them with his club, swinging it towards them only to see the prince kick the club to his left and kicks Sokka over to his right, sending him into the snow where his head became trapped. Shang Tsung smirked seeing the warrior desperately trying to free himself as he followed Zuko to the village. "Never leave a mere boy in charge of a weak and simple village." He commented.
Katara was shocked as she covered her mouth seeing her brother's quick defeat. Zuko approached the villagers, passing to his right as he could not seem to find what he was looking for and stopped in front of Katara, who was clutching Kanna's hand. "Where are you hiding him?" He asked angrily, he surveyed the crowd of villagers who fell completely silent. Without so much as a warning, he extends his arm out into the crowd and grabs Kanna, holding her by the hood of her parka as he pulls her away from Katara. "He'd be about this age, and Shang's here if you count him." He gestured as Shang Tsung scowled at him. "Master of all elements?" He asked them but got no response from them. He shoves Kanna forcefully back into the crowd as the elderly woman shudders in fear and embraces Katara as she shoots an angry glare at Zuko. Receiving no response, Zuko swung his arm out and released an arc of fire that passed just over the heads of the people, causing them to cover their heads and cry out in fear. "I know you're hiding him!" He shouted.
But before he could get an answer, Sokka ran toward them as he picked up his club, his war paint had come off due to the snow as he let out another battle cry and tried to attack the prince. But Scorpion appears through flames and swiftly ducks under his swing and grabs him as he hurls the warrior away and sees him land on his rear in the snow. "Stay down boy." He warned him.
"Fat chance pal!" He exclaimed but saw Zuko fire a blast of fire at him, causing him to quickly dart away from the blast. He spun to the side and tossed his boomerang at the prince and barely missed him as Zuko growled and glared at him. He followed the course of the weapon until it vanished before looking back at Sokka in anger.
Meanwhile, one of the boys tosses Sokka a spear. "Show no fear!" He cried out as Sokka caught the weapon and charged at Zuko once more. But without any effort, Zuko breaks off pieces of the spear with his forearms, pulls the remains of the weapon out of Sokka's hands and pokes him thrice in the head with the blunt end as Sokka falls to the ground.
Shang Tsung chuckled at seeing it as Zuko snapped the spear in two and tossed the pieces to the ground on both of his sides. "As amusing as this is, Prince Zuko. It would be wise to finish him now." He suggested as Sokka rubbed his head and looked towards Zuko who approached him. But unaware of the firebending prince, a spark of light shined briefly in the distance as Sokka's boomerang spun into view and struck Zuko against the back of his helmet with a loud cling.
Zuko momentarily loses his balance from the unexpected blow, but he rearranges his helmet and growls at Sokka as the boomerang plummets into the ground in front of his feet. Enraged, Zuko readies two fire daggers to go for the kill. Till out of nowhere, Aang slid rapidly towards them on an otter-penguin as he held his glider horizontally on the animal with a determined look on his face with his tongue sticking out of his mouth as he was highly concentrated. He charges straight towards Zuko and takes his feet out from underneath him, tossing the prince off his feet as he lands on his face with his legs in the air, spinning around a few times before coming to a halt in front of Scorpion and Shang Tsung. His helmet landed on his rear as they watched. The village children cheered as Aang slid toward them on the penguin and snow showered on them as he rode past them. They gave each other a silent, unamused look for a few seconds, but began cheering nonetheless. Katara watched as Aang came to a halt before them as the penguin crawled out from under him and tossed him off seeing Aang land on his rear as it quacked at him and waddled off. But that didn't stop Aang from seeing Katara and Sokka feeling cheerful as always. "Hey, Katara. Hey, Sokka." He greeted them.
"Hi, Aang. Thanks for coming." Sokka replied, moodily.
Aang soon looked back at the Fire Nation prince as he got back on his feet and looked at him. His men surrounded Aang on his signal as Zuko assumed a fighting stance. Aang did the same as he assumed his fighting stance and held his staff firmly in front of him as he was surrounded by the soldiers. He sweeps the ground side-to-side with his staff, showering the soldiers with snow. He subsequently slams the ground, sending a rush of snow at Zuko who braces for the impact. After being sprayed with snow, he heated it up so it would melt off as Zuko looked up at him angrily. "Looking for me?" Aang asked him.
Shocked to hear it, Zuko could barely believe what he's seeing. "You're the airbender? You're the Avatar?" He asked him.
Aang resumes his fighting stance as Katara and Sokka look at him with surprised looks on their faces. "Aang?" She questioned.
"No way!" Sokka said in a state of bewilderment.
Zuko and Aang moved about in a circular pattern, both awaiting an attack from one another. "I've spent years preparing for this encounter. Training, meditating. You're just a child!" He shouted angrily.
"Well, you're just a teenager." Aang replied with his head tilting to one side with a sign of confusion. Zuko angrily launches a series of fire blasts at Aang from the remark, Aang quickly defends himself by twirling his staff, dissipating the flames. Zuko attacks again, but the flames are blocked by Aang's staff only to see the villagers scream as the flames almost reach them. Horrified of what will happen to them, Aang knew there was only one way to keep them safe as he immediately ceases to defend himself. "If I go with you, will you promise to leave everyone alone?" He asked him as he held out his staff.
Zuko's men surrounded him with spears pointing at him. Zuko hesitated as he looked at the monk. But Scorpion approached him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "He is surrendering to protect the people… an admirable quality. Do not let anger consume you, this is your opportunity to do what is right." He told him.
Zuko looked at the ninja and looked back to Aang who looked at him in return. The prince erects himself and nods in agreement. Aang is apprehended by Zuko's men as they take his staff. Katara ran forward as they led Aang away. "No! Aang, don't do this!" She exclaimed feeling sad.
But Scorpion stopped her and pushed her back. "There is nothing you can do. No harm will come to him… you have my word." He assured her.
"Don't worry, Katara. I'll be okay." Aang told her as he gasped when he was shoved on the walkway as Katara watched with sadness filling her eyes. "Take care of Appa for me until I get back." He told her.
Scorpion watched as Aang was escorted onto the ship and looked to Katara. "If you wish to save him… do what you believe is right." He whispered to her in secret as she was surprised by what he said as he vanished through hellfire.
"Head a course for the Fire Nation. I'm going home." Zuko declared as Scorpion appeared and walked beside him and Shang Tsung. Aang stood atop the walkway, looking at Katara as he smiled weakly, surrounded by Fire Nation soldiers as Katara watched with tears in her eyes as Aang frowned as the bow rises and closes up. Locking into place as the ship took off, leaving the village alone.
(Later that day)
As the ship was finally gone, but the wreckage it caused was still remaining, the entire village worked to get everything back to the way it was as several villagers gathered a pile of firewood onto the ground next to a campfire in a rather melancholy manner. While the others surrounded the collapsed wall, surveying the damage and trying to repair the collapsed watch tower by digging it out. Several others work together to help put up a fallen tent.
Meanwhile at the southern shores of the village, Katara is standing on the edge in the distance, while Sokka was behind her, carrying a pack with him. "We have to go after that ship. Sokka, Aang saved our tribe, now we have to save him." She said determined.
"Katara, I-"
"Why can't you realize that he's on our side? If we don't help him, no one will. I know you don't like Aang, but we owe him and-"
"Katara!" Sokka shouted to get her attention. "Are you gonna talk all day, or are you comin' with me?" He gestures to a canoe floating in the water beside them.
Katara immediately grins with a gasp in happiness as she rushes over to her brother. "Sokka!" She pulled him into a hug.
Sokka happily held her and pulled away from her. "Get in, we're gonna save your boyfriend." He told her.
But that remark mildly annoyed her. "He's not my-"
"Whatever." Sokka shrugged nonchalantly.
"What do you two think you're doing?" Asked Kanna as she approached them. The two siblings turned around, looking at her and trying to act as innocent as possible. But she didn't buy it, but knew what was important as she smiled warmly. "You'll need these." She held up their sleeping bags. "You have a long journey ahead of you." She told them as the siblings glanced at each other in surprise as their grandmother approached them. "It's been so long since I've had hope, but you brought it back to life, my little waterbender." She said to Katara as she smiled and hugged her as she took her sleeping back from her as Kanna looked towards Sokka. "And you, my brave warrior, be nice to your sister." She advised him.
She hugged him, who was slightly embarrassed as he patted her back. "Yeah, okay Gran." He smiled broadly as she released him.
"Aang is the Avatar. He's the world's only chance. You both found him for a reason. Now your destinies are intertwined with his." She told the siblings.
While Katara looked at her brother as they shared an uneasy expression. "There's no way we're going to catch a warship with a canoe." She commented unaware someone approached from behind.
"And you won't have to." Said a familiar voice as they looked back and saw Liu Kang in his uniform, and saw Appa was right by his side.
"Liu Kang?" Sokka asked surprised as he looked over the outfit. "What are you-" It soon hit him as he pulled out his club. "You're Fire Nation!" He exclaimed.
"Technically… I was." He replied as Appa growled softly.
Katara looked at him and smiled. "Appa!" She ran up to him and petted him, but looked towards Liu Kang curiously. "If you were from the Fire Nation, why did you leave?" She asked him.
"I was banished from the Fire Nation, because I refused to join their cause, and spoke out against the Firelord. So I moved here to the South Pole, living a solitary life. Became a friend and neighbor to your village, and needed any supplies when something happened to my home." He explained and looked at Kanna. "Kanna knew my true nature, but accepted that I wasn't like the others from the Fire Nation." He told them.
"And I kept it from you kids to keep him safe. Given Sokka's mistrust, and Katara's history." Kanna told them.
"Nevertheless, we need all the help we can get." Katara said as she climbed up Appa.
"You just looove taking me out of my comfort zone, don't you?" Sokka asked as he climbed up, only to scream seeing a tied up Reptile in the saddle. "What the heck is that?!" He asked.
Liu Kang climbed up and looked towards him. "That would be one of Shang Tsung's servants." He told them.
But the Zaterran hissed at him for the remark. "I do not serve Shang Tsung!" He exclaimed as he struggled only to get smacked across the head by Sokka's club to silence him.
"That should keep him quiet for now." Sokka stated.
"We need to hurry then, Zuko is probably close to the open sea by now." Liu Kang said as he flicked the reins on Aapa as the bison headed straight for the water and started swimming.
"Hold on, how do we know we can trust you?" Sokka asked, being suspicious and paranoid.
"You're in the saddle aren't you?" Liu Kang asked him as Sokka quickly realized his point and groaned in annoyance as Katara giggled behind him. "Trust me or not, we're on the same side here." He told them and looked out.
(Zuko's Ship)
Meanwhile as Zuko's ship made its way through the icy waters, Shang Tsung circled the young Avatar examining him. "So, this is the mighty Avatar…? A mere boy… but I must ask. How did you survive for so long?" He asked him.
"Like I would tell the likes of you." Aang replied, for he knew all about Shang Tsung and his treachery.
The sorcerer chuckled in amusement as he held his hands behind his back, while Zuko held Aang's staff. "This staff will make an excellent gift for my father." He said as he inspected it and looked towards him. "I suppose you wouldn't know of fathers, being raised by monks." He said as he looked towards one of his soldiers. "Take the Avatar to the prison hold." He ordered and handed the staff to Iroh. "And take this to my quarters." He told him as Iroh took the staff while Zuko walked away.
Iroh looked it over and looked to one of Zuko's men and handed him the staff. "Hey, you mind taking this to his quarters for me?" He asked him, the firebender accepted the staff as Iroh walked away. Scorpion walked beside him as Iroh glanced towards him. "I'm actually amazed you did not harm that Water Tribe girl." He told him.
"I would never harm a child… not in a thousand years." Scorpion replied as he watched Aang getting pushed forward by two soldiers as he let out a grunt from how rough they shoved him. Aang however carefully looked to where the firebender was carrying his staff, and was escorted down below deck.
The soldiers escort him through the corridor of the lower deck. He looked around slyly as he looked towards the soldier in front of him. "So, I guess you've never fought an airbender before. I bet I could take you both with my hands tied behind my back." He challenged.
"Silence." The soldier said as he was unamused as he approached the prison cell he would be staying in, preparing to unlock it. But Aang had other plans as he inhaled deeply and unleashed a powerful breath of wind, stunning both soldiers as the firebender before him slammed against the door, knocking him out. While at the same time, Aang is sent several feet back, slamming into the soldier behind him as both flew back as they slammed against the stairs. Aang saw that he was knocked out as he quickly propels himself onto the deck of the ship and kicks open a door with his airbending, and quickly runs down the hallway, panting heavily. But as he ran further, he looked over his shoulder to make sure he wasn't being followed.
While on the deck, one of the soldiers emerged fully conscious and looked to the soldiers above. "The Avatar has escaped!" He announced as the helmsman quickly ran inside the tower.
(Meanwhile)
Appa swam through the icy water as Liu Kang and company traveled on his back. Sokka was still unamused and unconvinced that he could fly. "Go. Fly." He said as both Liu and Katara gave him annoyed glances. "Soar."
Katara looked at Appa hearing him growl. "Please, Appa. We need your help. Aang needs your help." She said to him, pleadingly.
"Up. Ascend. Elevate." Sokka continued, blandly.
"Sokka doesn't believe you can fly, but I do, Appa." Katara strokes his head encouragingly. "Come on, don't you want to save Aang?" She asked him.
"Of course he does… from what I learned about airbenders, is that a sky-bison and an airbender are bonded for life. Forever loyal to whom they've bonded to." Liu Kang said as he stroked his head.
"What was it that kid said? Yee-haw? Hup-hup? Wah-hoo?" Sokka continued to ask as Liu Kang glanced at him feeling annoyed, till finally. "Uh… Yip-yip?" He asked as something immediately happened. Appa startles him as he bobbed his head in the water and grunts beating his tail in the water and takes flight and soars through the air.
Katara held on as she and Liu Kang looked over and saw that the sky-bison was literally flying. Katara was immediately thrilled to see it. "You did it, Sokka!" She cheered.
Even Sokka couldn't believe it as he had an ecstatic look on his face as he looked over the rim of the saddle. "He's flying! He's flying! Katara, Liu he's-" He looked at them as they were literally smirking at him. He quickly looked away to hide his excitement and play it cool. "I mean, big deal. He's flying." He said feeling sheepish.
Liu Kang shook his head and looked ahead. "This will get us to the ship faster, come on Appa, Yip-yip!" He called as Appa growled and flew faster through the air.
(Meanwhile)
Aang frantically ran through the corridors trying to find his staff. He stops in his tracks as he encounters three soldiers standing with swords drawn in the middle of the corridor. "You haven't seen my staff around, have you?" He asked them, only to see the three soldiers prepare to attack him. But before they can make a move, Aang sprints across the hallway at the speed of wind, along the floor and walls, spiraling in a circular pattern past the soldiers, through their legs, and manages to escape, leaving the soldiers dumbfounded. "Thanks anyway!" He called out.
He continues racing through the hallways of the ship and encounters a single guard when he rises from another deck. He fires a blast of flames at Aang, who immediately leaps forward as he somersaulted over the soldier and used the sharp tip of the soldier's helmet to cut his bindings, freeing himself as the soldier fell over from the impact as Aang proceeds down the hall, only to see fire burst in front of him, revealing Scorpion as he stood before the young monk. "You are a clever boy." He complimented.
"Look, all I want is to find my staff and get out of here." Aang replied.
"Try to pass through me in three moves… and you may proceed. Fail in three moves, then you must surrender." He said to him, Aang never imagined a firebender, not knowing he was a ninja specter, would want to test him in this particular situation. But he thought it would be interesting to see what he's capable of as he assumed his stance and charged at him. Scorpion blocked his attempt to get past him as he went to airbend at the ninja specter. Scorpion grabbed his arm and twirled it around as he pushed him back. "That's one… thing carefully next time." Scorpion advised him. Aang rolled his arm back and scowled as he spun around and unleashed streams of air currents against the ninja specter. Scorpion evaded them and threw his spear towards him, Aang quickly dodged the sharp point of the spear head and caught it by the chain and pulled Scorpion towards him. But he held his ground and gripped the chain. "GET OVER HERE!" He pulled him towards him as Aang flew towards him screaming, Scorpion kicked him in his abdomen and knocked him down to the floor. Aang let out a groan as he held his stomach from the kick. "Get up boy… you still have one last try." He told him.
Panting from what he just felt, Aang knew he was no match for him. He staggered to his feet and looked at the ninja, trying to find a way past him. But noticing he hasn't thrown a punch to so much as even knock him out. It was all a test, he lowered his hands and stood up straight as he looked at the ninja. "Respectfully… I don't want to fight you. You're likely too skilled for me, and I wouldn't be able to defeat you even if I tried. So I must ask… will you please let me pass?" He asked him, Scorpion looked at him and closed his eyes, stepping aside for him to pass.
Aang smiled and started running past him, but before he could get past him, Scorpion caught him by his shoulder. "Heed my advice… this isn't just a war between nations. But a war between realms. All your enemies will try to kill you, and you will need to do the unthinkable." He told him.
"You mean take a life…? No, that goes against everything I stand for." Aang argued.
"Do you think your enemy will show the same mercy…? They will not share your beliefs. They will close their hearts to your desperation… to your suffering. You might feel for them, but they will not feel for you." He told him.
Aang knew he was right, but that wasn't going to stop him as he looked at him determined. "Nonetheless, I'm going to change this world." He told him, determined as he walked past him and sprinted down the hall, leaving Scorpion as he watched him go. He sighed as he vanished from the hallway. As Aang raced through the ship, he checked each and every room in the ship trying to find his staff. Upon opening the third door, he finds Iroh sleeping blissfully, snoring a bit loudly. Aang begins to quietly close the door. "Sorry!" He whispered as he quietly closed the door. He proceeded down the hall in search of his staff, but upon passing a doorway, he slowed down and traced back his steps and looked into the room, seeing his staff inside. "My staff!" He enters the room.
Only to hear the door close behind him as he turned and saw Zuko standing behind him with his hand against the door as he narrowed his eyes at the airbender. "Looks like I underestimated you." He said to him as he assumed a fighting stance and blasts fire at him. Aang yells and avoids the attack as Zuko fires again, forcing Aang into a corner. Aang panted heavily from shock and alarm. Zuko fires once more as Aang spun around out of the corner and against the back wall. He quickly ducks to avoid another blast as Zuko stands in the middle of the room. Aang managed to roll over directly behind his opponent, deftly managing to stay behind Zuko as he utilizes circular walking around the prince. Zuko spins around, desperately attempting to land a strike against him. Aang soon uses his airbending to try and deter another one of Zuko's attacks by catching his flames in a current of air, extinguishing it as Zuko went for another strike. But Aang repeated his self defense technique and extinguished the flame. He soon uses Zuko as a stepping stone and pushes himself off his head as he creates an air scooter and uses it to ride around the room and all over the walls and ceiling. Zuko resumes his attacks, seeing Aang avoid his repeated attacks. However, the prince manages to dissipate the air scooter by shattering it with a flame arc. Aang is smacked against the wall underneath a hanging tapestry, he quickly pushes himself up under the tapestry to avoid another blast of fire, quickly grabbing hold of it and tore it off the hooks and quickly wrapped it around Zuko's body, tangling him up.
But this was only momentary as Aang took the time to finally grab his glider, he turned around to face his opponent, pointing one end of his staff at him as he destroyed the Fire Nation tapestry with his firebending. Zuko assumed his fighting stance, while Aang looked on with alarm on his face. But he used his airbending to propel a mattress towards Zuko, slamming it, and him against a wall. Both fell to the floor, but Aang propelled the mattress upward with Zuko and slammed him into the ceiling. Aang made a break for it before Zuko fell down to the floor with the mattress. He remained lying with his face against the mattress, but he managed to raise his head and glance around the empty room, and started to fume knowing he was outsmarted.
At the control room, the wheel of the hatch in the back of the room began to spin rapidly. Thus resulting in Aang pushing it up with a small tornado, allowing him to emerge. He ran past the helmsman who looked in surprise as Aang leaped across the table and past the man. Aang exited the room and went out onto the upper deck as he happily spread his arms and welcomed the fresh air. He throws his staff over the balcony as it opens into a glider and begins soaring away as he catches it. He appeared successful, until Zuko appeared on deck and leaped forward, extending his arm as he yelled and grabbed hold of Aang's ankle. Aang's look of triumph turns to one of despair as he begins losing altitude, struggling to maintain the weight of the extra, unexpected person. The two soon plummet down to the lower deck of the ship and crash land, they bounce a few times and lie on the deck for a moment. A chuckle was soon heard as both Aang and Zuko looked to see Shang Tsung approaching them. "Well done, truly we have underestimated you, young Avatar." He told him as Zuko got up and glared at the persistent airbender. Aang rises and assumes his fighting stance, looking very unsure towards him and the withered sorcerer. "But, I'm afraid… your time for games is over." He told him, only to see Reptile land in front of him, catching him and Zuko off guard as they looked up hearing a growl.
(Cue: Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks Opening Theme)
Zuko and Aang looked up and saw Appa heading towards the ship. "What is that?" Zuko asked.
As Appa flew over, Aang saw that Katara and Sokka were mounted on his saddle, and was ecstatic to see his best friend. "Appa!" He cheered only to see fire get fired at him by Zuko, but before the flames could reach him, Liu Kang got between them and quickly dissipated the flames before they could reach the airbender.
Zuko's eyes widened in shock upon seeing him as Liu Kang looked towards him, and assumed his fighting stance. "Liu Kang…?" He asked. Liu Kang narrowed his eyes and held out his hand, gesturing to come at him.
Shang Tsung saw this and narrowed his eyes and looked to the Fire Nation soldiers. "Seize him!" He ordered as one of the soldiers twirled his spear and held out the sharp end towards the firebender, yelling as he charged towards Liu Kang. He readied himself as the soldier propelled himself into the air by his spear, and swung it over as he went to strike him. Liu Kang stepped to his left, avoiding his attack and uppercutted him into the air and blasted him away with his firebending. The soldier landed on the deck as Liu Kang charged forward and leaped over the other soldier's spear and ran across it. Flames surrounded his feet as he unleashed a barrage of kicks against the Fire Nation soldier, and slammed both feet against his chest as he was sent flying towards Zuko. The prince avoided it as Shang Tsung knocked the soldier away.
Sokka and Katara were amazed by what they saw. "Whoa… now that's firebending." Katara commented.
"Yeah." Sokka agreed.
Zuko glared at Liu Kang and charged at him, Liu Kang saw this coming and leapt into the air, landed a solid kick to Zuko's face, making blood spill from his mouth as Liu kang landed on the deck. He went to strike the prince, but Zuko avoided his attacks, redirected a third punch and landed a punch to Liu Kang's face, causing him to stumble. The prince charged towards him and unleashed a blast of fire against him, only to see Liu Kang flip over the fire and land safely. "You're as skilled as ever, Liu." Zuko complimented.
"Still trying to impress your father by capturing the Avatar?" Liu Kang asked him.
"I am trying to regain my honor!" Zuko argued.
"Whatever honor your father took, he can keep it. You're not your father, Zuko." Liu Kang told him as Shang Tsung had enough of their arguing and shape shifted into a Black Dragon mercenary named Kano, and charged toward him like a cannonball, slamming into Liu's chest, knocking him down.
Zuko saw it happen as he sent a glare towards the sorcerer for what he did. "He's mine, stay out of this!" He ordered.
"On the contrary, it is his soul I want." Shang Tsung replied as he changed back to himself and stomped onto Liu Kang's stomach, hearing him scream in agony from it. "And I always get what I want." He went to suck Liu Kang's soul out of his body, but a Fire Nation soldier charged at him from behind and kicked him away. Shang Tsung rolled across the ground and saw it, he glared as he used his magic to open a portal, summoning two Tarkatan warriors, one being that of Baraka, the fearsome leader as he let out a roar, catching the soldiers attention as he reached behind him, grabbing a hat that had a brim, sharp as a blade and tossed it towards the Tarkatan grunt, cutting his head clean off as the body kept running.
Aang was shocked to see that happen as Baraka snarled angrily and extended his blades and ducked from the hat as the soldier caught it and removed his disguise, revealing himself as Kung Lao. Liu Kang looked up and saw him surprised. "Kung Lao!" He yells as Kung Lao cleaned the rim of his hat.
"Who the heck is this guy?!" Sokka asked in disbelief.
"Whoever he is, he just saved Liu's life." Katara replied as she watched Baraka go to kill Kung Lao. But as his blades almost pierced into him, Kung Lao vanished without a trace, and quickly appeared behind the Tarkatan leader. Baraka went to strike him again, but redirected his attack, punched him several times and kicked him down.
Aang saw it happen and lost focus on Zuko as he managed to deflect a firebending attack by spinning his glider around like a baton. But he propels himself by accident into the air and lands on the ledge of the deck. He leans precariously over the side, unsteadily balancing himself, but manages to regain his balance. Only for Zuko to fire another blast at him, causing Aang to twirl his glider again to deflect the attack. Two more blasts are fired before he loses his grip on his glider and the object spins away. The staff fell several feet away, as firebenders blasted at Aang. He spins and leaps out of the way of blasts and lands on the very ledge, struggling to keep his balance. Zuko hurls more fire blasts his way, Aang holds up his hands in defense, but the last blast seemingly knocks him out cold and he falls backward off the ship into the water, where he slowly sinks.
Katara's eyes widened in horror from seeing it. "Aang! No!" She cried out as Aang slowly sank further under the water. Unconscious, but begins to hear Katara's voice from where he was. "Aang! Aang! AANG!" She cried out, hoping he would hear her.
Instantly, his eyes snapped open, glowing white along with his arrow tattoos. He steadies himself in the water and begins swiveling around, a waterspout formed around him as he rockets upward. While on the surface, Shang Tsung blocked Liu Kang's elbow strikes, only to get kneed in the face as Liu Kang yelled and kicked him away. Shang Tsung groaned as he narrowed his eyes at him and went to attack him, but Aang erupts from the water, riding a humongous water vortex. Shang Tsung's eyes widened from seeing it. "Impossible…!" He commented.
Zuko watched in horror as Aang landed on the deck, summoning the water behind him as he brings his hands around him, forming a protective circle before spreading the water outwords, knocking Zuko and several soldiers off their feet, while Zuko fell over the edge and shouts from the surprise attack, and Liu Kang and Kung Lao leapt over the water to avoid getting hit. Sokka and Katara meanwhile were surprised as they leaned over the side of Appa's saddle. "Did you see what he just did?!" Katara asked in shock.
"Now that was some waterbending!" Sokka said as he was genuinely impressed.
But Aang couldn't hold the power he had unleashed, and passed out, collapsing to the deck of the ship as Liu Kang and Kung Lao rushed over to him to check him. Appa growled as he landed on the deck. The siblings slid down and quickly ran towards them to check on the unconscious airbender. "Aang! Are you okay?" Katara asked worriedly.
Aang weakly opened his eyes and looked at her and her brother. "Hey, Katara. Hey, Sokka. Thanks for coming." He said.
"Well, I couldn't let you have all the glory." Sokka told him.
Aang looked to where his staff was as he weakly reached out. "I dropped my staff." He told them.
"Got it!" Sokka ran over and grabbed hold of the glider, lifting it only to see Zuko's hand firmly gripping the other end. Sokka saw him in horror as Zuko attempted to pull himself onto the deck. The two struggled for a bit, before Sokka pokes at Zuko repeatedly in the head with the end of the staff, the same way Zuko did earlier with him. Zuko grunts in annoyance and went to firebend at him, but Kung Lao appeared out of thin air and kicked him hard in the stomach, forcing him to grunt and fall back towards the water, but he manages to grab the chain to the anchor as Sokka looked towards Zuko. "Ha! That's from the Water Tribe!" He shouted and looked toward Kung Lao. "Thanks, I owe ya!" He told him.
"Don't mention it, now let's get going." He replied and ran with him.
Meanwhile, Katara helped Aang climb atop of Appa's head and lay across his head as three soldiers rose after being knocked down by Aang's water attack. They menacingly approach the young water bender. She takes a few steps back and slowly but precariously bends a stream of water from the puddle, causing the men to slow down and gasp in surprise. Katara swings her arms around in an attempt to whip them, but… she only succeeds in freezing a channel of water behind her on the deck, encasing Sokka's and Kung Lao's legs in ice in the process. "KATARA!" Sokka complained as Kung Lao teleported out of the ice and appeared on Appa's saddle.
The soldiers soon resume their approach towards Katara, she turns around with her back facing them as she draws another stream of water, closing her eyes tightly as she swings her arms behind her and turns around to see one of the soldiers completely frozen in a casing of ice. His arm was extended outward, still twitching in effort to grab her. She backs away slowly but turns around and quickly runs toward Appa. She begins mounting Appa while Sokka was trying to cut himself free by smashing his icy chains with his boomerang. "Hurry up, Sokka!" She shouted, urgently as Liu Kang got into the saddle and looked to him, quickly shooting a blast of fire at the ice narrowly avoiding his feet to speed things up.
Seeing the ice melt, Sokka manages to pull his feet out of the weakening ice. "I'm just a guy, with a boomerang." He shakes his feet of the water that was around his legs. "I didn't ask for all this flying, and magic!" He complained and made a run for it as he raced up Appa's tail. "Yip-yip! Yip-yip!" He screamed as he mounted Appa, who let out a grunt and took flight, flying past the cabin of the ship.
Iroh emerges on deck with Scorpion, having just woken up from his nap, rubbing his eyes and staring up at Appa in surprise. "Du-huh?" He watched as Appa soared away from the ship.
Scorpion helped Zuko up as the young prince grunted angril and looked to where they were. "Shoot them down!" He shouted while Appa was gaining altitude, Zuko along with Iroh and Scorpion stood together on the deck and synchronized a firebending move and fired a powerful blast at the bison. The siblings watched the incoming fireball as their eyes widened in horror, while Aang and Liu Kang leap onto the saddle.
Liu Kang watched it approach and looked towards Aang. "Together now!" He said, the two betters prepared themselves as Aang opened the small tail wing of his staff and swung his glider around as Liu Kang swung his arms with him to around, using all their power to redirect the fireball into a nearby cliff side. The impact causes an avalanche of snow and ice to begin falling, Zuko's eyes widened in horror at the event, raising one of his arms protectively as the snow buried the ship in a large mass as it hit the vessel. Liu Kang sighed in relief as he and Aang got into the saddle as Appa climbed higher and higher into the air.
The group laughed as they escaped successfully, while Aang waved goodbye as Appa disappeared around the cliff. Zuko meanwhile bended in rage on the deck as Iroh erected himself from the snow behind him. "Good news for the Fire Lord and Emperor Shao Kahn. The Fire Nation's, and Outworld's greatest threat is just a little kid." He said as if trying to be humorous.
But Zuko was not amused as he looked towards him. "That "kid", Uncle, just did this." He gestures to the damage caused to the ship. "I won't underestimate him again." He turned towards the crew. "Dig the ship out and follow them!" He ordered only to see them trying to melt the soldiers out of their icy encasings and turned away embarrassed. "As soon as you're done with that." He muttered as he looked out.
"Truly we have underestimated this child." Shang Tsung approached but glanced towards Scorpion. "But I wonder how he escaped…?" He asked.
Scorpion narrowed his eyes at him, but Iroh stepped between them. "His reasons are his own, he is a skilled master by his own right." He told the sorcerer. But Shang Tsung believes that Scorpion has his own motives as he walked away to give his report to the emperor.
Meanwhile, Appa soared through the sky, lazily given he and the group were safe from harm… for now that is. Meanwhile, Aang was perched on the rim of the saddle, while Sokka and Katara sat at the back of it. "How did you do that?! With the water? It was the most amazing thing I've ever seen!" Katara said in bewilderment.
Aang was quiet, slightly downcast as he sat on the edge of the saddle. "I don't know. I just sort of… did it." He told her.
"Why didn't you tell us you were the Avatar?" She asked.
"Because…" Aang turns away slightly; saddened. "I never wanted to be." He admitted.
Kung Lao removed his hat and looked over to him. "Some people prefer their privacy… with Aang, it's understandable." He told them.
"Nobody asked you, whoever you are." Sokka said to him, spitefully.
"The name… is Kung Lao. Descendant of the Great Kung Lao." He introduced himself.
"Yeah, never heard of him." Sokka stated.
"I have." Aang said as Sokka looked at him surprised. "He was the greatest warrior who stood up to Outworld's Emperor, and was victorious for the time being. But was later…" He gulps knowing what happened. "Torn in half by the Shokan prince, Goro." He told them, both Sokka and Katara grimaced upon hearing about it.
Katara eventually looked at Aang and said. "But Aang, the world's been waiting for the Avatar to return and finally put an end to this war." She told him.
"And how am I going to do that?" Aang asked her.
It was then, a flash of lightning flowed down and reached Appa. But before it could hit the beast, Raiden appeared as Sokka screamed in shock. "The answer is simple Aang. You need to do what the previous Avatars have done before you." He told him.
Sokka didn't waste any time by throwing his boomerang at the thunder god to try and take him down. But in a blink of an eye, Raiden caught it with only two fingers, stunning him beyond belief. "Next time you try to strike a god, make sure he doesn't have skills to beat you on every whim." He said as he threw it back to him as it bounced off his head as Sokka let out a painful cry.
"But Lord Raiden is right Aang. According to legend, you need to first master water, then earth, then fire, right?" She asked him.
"That's what the monks told me." Aang replied as Raiden touched his shoulder.
"Well, if you go to the North Pole, you can master waterbending." He told him.
Katara smiled from hearing it. "Yeah! It'll be perfect!" She cheered.
Aang smiled as his mood brightened up completely. "We can learn it together!" He said as he was equally cheerful.
While Katara looked over to her brother. "And Sokka, I'm sure you'll get to knock some firebender heads on the way." She mentioned.
Sokka at that moment was actually amused at the thought of what she said. "I'd like that. I'd reeally like that." He replied but looked towards Raiden. "But I don't trust this guy." He stated.
"Like it or not, I'm going with you and your group. I won't always be nearby, but you'll see me often. And to make this team official." Raiden held up his hands as lightning fell to the children and formed a dragon mark on each of them. Aang gets one over his chest, Katara her left forearm, and Sokka on the back of his hand.
Sokka let out a scream from seeing it and tried to rub it off. "Get it off, get it off, get it off!" He exclaimed.
"I can't, it's permanent." Raiden said.
"WHAT?!" Sokka exclaimed.
"Each of you have become chosen champions to represent the realm of Earth. To fight against the forces of Outworld." He explained.
"But, isn't it the Fire Nation we're still against?" Katara asked.
"The Fire Nation is merely a pawn in all this, where do you think they got their weapons? Their warriors? Even their machines?" Raiden asked them, the Gaang looked at each other, knowing that this was a big revelation for them. "This war is only a prelude to one that is yet to come. If our world is taken by Outworld, everything you've ever fought for… will cease to exist." He told them.
Hearing this, they knew that he was serious about what he explained. Liu Kang looked up to the others with a determined look. "Lord Raiden is right, we need to band together if we are to win this war, and stop Outworld from taking our realm." He told them.
"I'm with Liu, I can't stay in hiding… it's time that the Avatar returned." Aang told them.
"Then we're in this together!" Katara said, optimistically.
Cheerfully, Aang pulled out a scroll. "All right, but before I learn waterbending, we have some serious business to attend to." He said, using his airbending to situate himself onto the saddle and unroll the scroll, revealing a map of the world. "Here, here and here." He pointed out three locations he meant to visit. Two in the Earth Kingdom, one in the Air Nomad Territory.
Katara observed this and grew curious. "What's there?" She pointed to one of the locations.
Aang pointed to the Earth Kingdom location. "Here, we'll ride the hopping llamas." He soon pointed to the location in the Air Nomad territory. "Then waaay over here, we'll surf on the backs of giant koi fish." He told them as Katara, Sokka, along with Liu Kang and Kung Lao looked at him in wonder. "Then back over here, we'll ride the hog monkeys. They don't like people riding them, but that's what makes it fun!" He explained as the siblings and the two Shaolin glanced at one another, while Raiden chuckled and said.
"The world will certainly be glad you've returned." He said with an amused smirk as he looked out.
Meanwhile Kung Lao held his hand over his face as he let out a groan. "I can't believe we're putting our faith in this kid." He silently complained, knowing this will be a rough journey.
(Fire Nation - Throne Room)
In the Fire Nation, Shang Tsung had just reported the latest news to both Ozai, and Shao Kahn. The news of course, did not bode well with Shao Kahn as he beat the daylights out of Shang Tsung as he coughed up blood and spilt it on the floor. "You failed us! A hundred years, you have aided in the search for the Avatar, and now you return to me with the news that you were bested by a mere child?!" He asked him.
Taking the moment to breathe, Shang Tsung looked up to his lord and master as blood dripped from his mouth. "Master, he is just a child, he doesn't know how to control the other elements." He wiped his mouth and stood up. "And he has no control over the Avatar State like his previous incarnations." He told him.
"Perhaps this would be a good opportunity for all of us on this account." Ozai spoke as the Outworld Emperor and sorcerer looked towards him. "In fact, you will need to send extra help in the search for this child. I trust you have a suggestion, Shao Kahn?" He asked.
"As a matter of fact. I do." He snapped his fingers as a portal opened up behind him. A silhouetted, feminine figure appeared within the portal as she stepped through, revealing herself as a beautiful in blue assassins clothing, bearing two steel fans as she unfolded one of them and approached. "My daughter… Kitana. Beautiful, as she is deadly." He told him.
"What is your will, father?" She asked him.
"You will accompany Shang Tsung and Prince Zuko, and you will capture the Avatar." Shao Kahn ordered as Kitana grinned behind her mask and said.
"As you wish, father." She complied, with her eyes glowing neon green.
Author Notes: Hey guys, sorry for the long wait, but ideas, ideas, ideas! This by far, is the best I've even come up with. Avatar the Last Airbender with Mortal Kombat. The hint of Kitana having glowing neon green eyes, is a sign that she is being controlled like she was in Mortal Kombat Shaolin Monks, one of the best Mortal Kombat games ever made. Most of the Mortal Kombat cast will be around the same age as Aang and the others, but will be somewhere above Zuko's age, or in between. I even included the dragon marking from the 2021 Mortal Kombat movie, to make Arcana's work. I hope you guys enjoy the chapter, please no hate mail.