I don't own ATLA (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

Sorry guys, I don't usually update this late, but certain things have kept me from writing.

Thanks for reviewing:

East Coastie1500– Hey, sometimes hunches are right, you'll have to read this chapter to see if it does this time around. I hope you find this chapter interesting.

Mizu42 – Sorry! I know, late updates are very annoying, that's why I try to update within two weeks, but as of late I haven't been doing to well with that. Thanks for the complement! Seriously, it probably means a lot more to me than most others (I was in special ed. for up until three years ago). While I still make mistakes they aren't as common as they used to be.

EyeoftheTigerKissoftheDragon– I'm sorry! But hey, the update is finally here!

Chapter 2

"Come to me Avatar and your friends will not be harmed," a teenage boy by the name of Prince Zuko commanded. His head was bare except for the small area at the back of his head where a high ponytail was placed. Golden brown eyes were staring strait at a twelve year old boy on the other side of his ship.

The boys name was Aang, but he was also known as the Avatar. Despite his age he had been alive for a hundred and twelve years, though a century was spent incased in a glacier in the South Pole. His face was calm and amazingly peaceful despite the threat, his soft eyes were staring right back at the fire prince. Blue arrows were on both his hands as well as his bald head and disappeared into his clothing.

"We're not giving Aang to you!" a girl by the name of Katara proclaimed. Her skin was of a well tanned color and her brown hair was tied back into a braid.

"Ya, you fire creep, what makes you think we'd just hand him over to you!" Sokka yelled. He was a teenage boy with hair in a flat mohawk type fashion that turned into a high ponytail and a complexion much the same as his sister Katara.

Zuko's fists clenched, "Then you'll find yourself in harms way." He raised his hand, ready to throw it outward and unleash a fire attack when a sudden 'pop' was heard. As he looked up he heard a girl's cry and something land on top of him, knocking him flat on his stomach.

"Ouch," Keara whined. She then realized she was on top of someone and hastened to her feet, helping the boy she had hit up as well. "Sorry," she said nervously.

A sudden roar reminded Keara of a certain beast that had been sent with her. With a scream of panic she grabbed Zuko around the shoulders with one arm and jumped out of the way just as the beast made a loud and rough landing. The front end of the ship came dangerously close to being submerged in the water at the force of the impact from the massive creature. Everyone standing was knocked off balance and several of the fire warriors fell overboard.

Keara sighed and sat up, facing Drake. "You just love making grand entrances don't you?"

Drake gave a grunt and wrung his massive head from side to side. His form had changed the moment the cuffs had been taken off his wrists and now he was back in his natural form; a red dragon.

Zuko looked at the beast with amazement, forgetting momentarily of the girl that had both landed on him and thrown him back to the ground.

"A dragon!" Aang cried half in glee.

"Ya, that's what this big bloke is," Keara said with a sigh and walked over to her friend.

Zuko finally came to his senses and was anything but happy as he climbed to his feet with great haste. "Who are you and where did you come from?" The prince asked rather angrily.

Keara turned to face the boy she had saved only a few moments ago with little shock. In truth she had been expecting the reaction since the moment she had unintentionally landed on the poor fellow. "Keara Avion," she said with a small smile and a curt nod of her head. "I'm from-" she paused a moment, "somewhere really far away."

Drake roared in anger and sent flames flying into the air. His anger was not at the words that had just been spoken, but rather the meaning behind them, a meaning no one but he and Keara knew and understood.

Several guards as well as Katara and Sokka took several steps back. Aang and Zuko on the other hand stood their ground, looking up at the beast with in wonder. The latter two only moved when the beast swung his tail and accidentally hit the tower of the iron ship, severally denting it.

"Drake!" Keara cried in horror, "Bad dragon!"

With agitation still within his system, if not greater because he had made unintentional damage to the ship he slammed a clawed hand down on the deck. Unfortunately his claws were far too sharp for the metal to withstand and made five sizable holes in the metal.

"Drake! Stop!" Keara cried on the verge of panic, "Just stop!"

"He certainly has great strength," a new voice belonging to an older man known as Iroh was heard. He was a man not of great height, but he was very strong despite his age. His eyes were soft and held the look of wisdom and cleverness.

"He's making holes in my ship!" Zuko cried in outrage.

"Now prince Zuko, he is obviously upset over something," Iroh said as he approached, "And something rather large since he is not listening to his master."

Keara looked to him and shook his head, "I'm not his master, I'm his friend." Drake brought his head around and gently brushed it against her in a friendly manner, something he did often. "That 'a boy. It's alright, it's not the end of the world. We still have each other after all."

Aang came up beside her with a sad look, "Did something happen to your home?"

"No," Keara answered as she looked down to him, "Well there is something going on there, but it's still in peek condition- so to speak."

The boy smiled, "Well I'm glad it's not destroyed."

Keara wasn't quite sure why he had said it, but she guessed that some sort of war must be currently underway. "Thanks," was her simple reply before she sighed and looked at the damage her friend had caused to the ship, "You and your messes Drake. Now I have to clean this up."

"No need for that," Sokka said with a smile, "It'll keep them off our tails for a while."

"Sokka," Katara said with the roll of her eyes.

"What?" Sokka asked, "It's true. Or do you like them on our tails all the time?"

Keara raised a brow, "I don't know what your problems are between one another, but I know that this can be a real nuisance, not to mention it makes me feel bad, so I'd rather fix it."

"Unless you're planning to pay for repairs that's not possible," Zuko said angrily.

"I don't have money, but I can have it repaired rather quickly."

"Really?" Zuko said with slight interest, but he was mostly agitated.

With a nod Keara turned to assess the damage. "I've fixed things on a lesser scale before, but this should be little different when it comes to the technique." She held out her right hand and did her best to align her fingers with the holes from her distance. Once satisfied she completely straitened her fingers, causing a red flickering substance to extend from them, no thicker than her very fingers.

"She's a firebender!" Sokka cried.

The flames curled around the jagged metal Drake had bent inward and tied themselves tightly about them. When the flames gave all signs of stillness Keara curled her fingers so that all five threads could come into her palm, her other hand grabbing the area just above her right hand. She began to tug hard on it, as if she was trying to drag something far too heavy for her.

Drake, feeling his friends struggle, carefully wrapped his powerful tail around her and pulled gingerly so as not to harm her in his attempt to help. Within seconds the screeching noise of metal on metal was heard as the bent plates came back into place, though the edges were still quite jagged.

With a sigh the flame ropes dispersed into the air as if it had never existed. Moving slightly Keara positioned herself at an angle from the jagged metal. She stooped down to get a better view for a split second before standing back up and bringing her right arm up, wrist past her neck. In a sharp, but decisive motion her arm was flung outward, sending flames in the direction of the metal she wished to fix.

The flames hit the metal deck about a foot from the target and slid right to its intended destination, dispersing once it was a foot past it. The metal seemed to slide for a split second before it stopped and hardened once again, revealing the smoothness that had been returned to it.

Everyone was shocked by the display of her power, everyone except for Iroh that is. The old general merely nodded in approval and stroked his beard for a moment before speaking, "Mighty impressive for one so young. Where did you say you were from?"

"Another world," Keara said absentmindedly. At Drakes huff of disapproval she made a face and laughed nervously, "Oops."

"Another world?" Aang, Zuko, Sokka and Katara said at once in sheer surprise.

Iroh was clearly surprised, but he did not burst out like the younger ones had. "So that was what that black mass was about. I was wondering if my old age was catching up to me."

Keara laughed, "Nope, not yet at least." She looked to Drake and smiled for a brief moment before a frown came to cross her. "You made a dent on your landing Drake."

Drake looked under him to see that he had indeed made a rather large dent on the deck from his rough landing. With a simple motion of her hands Drake knew to get into the air. With him out of the way she whipped her arm outward once again, sending a blanket of flame out across the large dent.

"Well that has to sit there a moment," she mused. She looked up to her friend and caught sight of the dent in the ships tower and sighed. "Drake you are a one creature demolition squad!" She used the same method as before to cover the dent with the scorching flame.

With the tower now heating her turned back to the deck, counted to five and then lifted her hand into the air. There was a sharp sound like that of metal vibrating as the dent leveled itself out to where it had been before they had arrived. As she closed her hand into a fist the blanket of fire dispersed into the air, leaving her to finish with the tower.

When everything was back to how it was supposed to be Keara sighed and shook her head. "Now Drake, land and don't make a scratch on this ship." Drake gave her look before lowering himself back to the ship and settling down.

"What great technique and patience," Iroh pointed out, "You have been taught very well. I wish my nephew would have even half your patience."

"Uncle!" Zuko screamed.

Keara gave a soft laugh, "Time teaches everything to a diligent learner." She turned to her friend, "Well Drake, I think we'd best be off before you cause anymore damage."

"Hey," Aang said as a great idea came to him, "Do you think you can lead us out of here?"

Keara raised a brow at the boy, but before she could speak Zuko had begun, "You're not getting away Avatar!"

With the shrug of her shoulders Keara picked Aang up and jumped upon Drake. "Let's get going. Head wherever you like for the time being."

"Hey!" cried Sokka, "Give Aang back you rotten firebender."

"Sokka, she's helping," Katara said quickly as she jumped on the back of a giant bison, "Now let's go." Once the boy was safely aboard, grumbling all the while, she said, "Yip, yip," and bison took off into the air steadily.

Zuko growled from the deck, "Follow them!"

They ships crew ran back to their positions as quickly as possible and tried their best to follow the retreating group. However it proved impossible as the dragon was hastily flying away and somehow the bison, known as Appa, was keeping up.

Aw, poor Zuko's ship was damaged for about five minutes. Lol. So Keara's a firebender and Drake is a dragon. Hmm, interesting. Is Zuko ever going to be able to catch up to the group now that Drake is with them? Or is he to be left in the dust?

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Thanks!