Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender, or any of its corresponding qualities.

Hello all. This is my second fanfic, and I intend it to be rich and good and all that wonderful fanfic stuff. I've never written for Avatar before, but I find that I like it and its just an all out good topic to write.

Okay that was dumb.

But moving on.

This is Chapter one of 'The Backfire'. I don't know how long it will go - I'll just know when to end it, it COMES to me like that.

Anyhow... Chapter ones are always short for me. Expect something greater then this one for Chapter two! Sit back and enjoy everyone, and reviews and even ideas and opinions are GREATLY appreciated!

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"Do we REALLY have to come back this way?"

"Yes, Sokka. Aang is sick—"

The avatar's nose wrinkled, and his eyes widened. Sokka and Katara stared in horror, then wrapped their hands over their hands for protection as Aang let out an amazinly powerful sneeze. Appa grunted at the immense blow of air on the back of his head, and glanced to the side.

Aang wiped his nose and sighed, patting the bison softly. "Sorry boy."

"You're a monster with that cold of yours," Sokka remarked, grinning widely. "You could bring down the Fire Nation with a couple sneezes—"

Katara and Aang both threw Sokka fairly unamused looks.

"Uhh…" Sokka grinned widely and rubbed the back of his head, probing his mind for a way to get out of the center. "SO, why are we coming back this way?"

Katara sighed. "Aang. Is. SICK!" she shouted at her brother, konking him over the head with her fist. "Hey!" Sokka frowned and rubbed where he'd been hit, giving Katara a lip-jutting glare. Katara rolled her eyes and pushed his face away.

Aang laughed, and told Appa to disend, and they began their way towards an oh-so-familiar forest setting…

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"This seems so irregular for the Avatar," Zuko muttered.

Iroh glanced at him, and smiled. "We are sure we saw him come this way, so irregular or not, we're on his tracks."

Zuko glanced from his rhino to Iroh's, then back at the troops behind him. "Did we really need to bring them?" he asked, and Iroh nodded. "I hear there are unfriendly people hiding here. One must always be wary where danger is imminent…"

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Aang's smile lessoned as he slid off Appa, and looked around. He coughed and wound up yawning soon after, sliding to the ground with his hand on his stomach. "I could use a nap…"

"I'm sure you could," Katara giggled, patting his bald held. Aang put on a wide, catlike smile and closed his eyes.

Sokka didn't partake. Instead, his eyes kept focus on the trees, his nerves obviously on edge. "We should move quick. What if Jet and the freedomfighters see us? I don't have any doubt they continued their lifestyle after we left…"

Aang's eyes popped open. "You're right. Let's just get the berries for my cold and leave."
Katara nodded, and began letting her eyes roaming over the different bushes. "How do we know which berries?"

"They're the big yellow ones with purple dots in the middle."

Sokka laughed. "Is there even such things?"
"Yes," Aang said, smiling big "And they're what I need – and they only grow here. So let's get looking so we can leave soon…" He laughed as Momo tackled his head, clinging to its hairless surface then skittering to his forehead. Aang giggled and threw the lemur up then caught him again, beginning to spin the creature around on an air scooter.

Katara and Sokka attempted to ignore that, and continue searching. Howeer, it was at that moment—

"Avatar…"

The group gasped, and looked in the direction of Zuko, Iroh, and the rest of his Fire Nation goonies. Zuko had leapt off his monsterous beast, and began walking in the direction of Aang and Momo. Momo squealed and hissed, before leaping off to Appa. Aang stood up, looking prepared to fight.

Then, he sneezed.

The air blow blasted him off his feet and to the ground, and he groaned. "Aang!" Katara rushed to him, and helped him sit up. "Are you okay?"
Aang gave a shakey thumbs up.

Sokka turned towards Zuko. Perhaps he would have to take charge of this…

Zuko smiled bitterly. "So, the great Avatar is sick? I can't complain with that," he said, and Sokka sneered. "Give up, poneytail."

Zuko raised an eyebrow, and glanced to Sokka's own stubby excuse for a 'poneytail.'

Sokka realized this, then yelled loudly, rushing at Zuko and pulled out his dagger.

Zuko lifted his arms to plow Sokka over in one swift strike of fire when an arrow shot into the ground between them, and they abruptly stopped. A second arrow shot into the ground, mere inches from Zuko's foot.

Everyone's eyes widened.

The rhinos spooked and backed off, flaming arrows now being shot towards the beasts.

"No!" Zuko turned around, but they were already blundering off in a blind stampede, and the forest was beginning to grow alight. Sokka was now backing off, Aang and Katara mounting Appa, and pulling Sokka up next.

Zuko's blood ran cold as he felt alone, his men and uncle having been driven off, the arrows—

Someone had to be shooting.

His eyes slowly turned to the sides and up, feeling as though his heart would stop at that moment, seeing the archer high in the trees who had caused all this, now aiming a murderous arrow straight towards him...

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Gasp.

What will happen?

Who knows... Wait and find out in Part 2!