Chap.3

Stage 1

"So how much money do we have left?" asked Katara, as they walked into the town. Thankfully, they had managed to find this trading village after Appa had been flying for only twenty minutes. The bison had landed some distance away and was currently hiding in the forest with Momo. After all, it was difficult enough to keep moving with an Avatar who was the last of his people. Walking into the unfamiliar town with that Avatar's giant flying bison and lemur was just asking for someone to come capture them.

"Not that much, since Aang got to carry it last time." Sokka said, as his eyes flashed from shop to shop, looking for anything that even resembled a food stand.

"There may not be much left, but I spent it well." Aang replied.

"Um Aang, you spent it on a miniature harpoon." Katara replied.

"Yeah, but just of the fish we can catch now." The young Avatar said eagerly.

"Aang it was for six year olds. It won't catch anything bigger then a shrimp." Katara reminded him. "Then we'll eat shrimp." Aang said nonchalantly, as he looked around the market.

Katara sighed, but she had to smile a bit at Aang's confidence. How does he stay so positive all the time? She thought to herself, though not for the first time. I guess it's either that, or sink into crippling depression. She answered herself a moment later. Such contradictory thoughts always came up when she thought about Aang. He was very much a child, but he was destined to save the world. He was the last of his people, but he kept a positive attitude. He could be extremely powerful, but he could also need to be held and comforted. Katara often wondered how Aang would learn to accomplish his destiny, but she also knew she would do everything in her power to help him succeed. It's what Mom would want me to do anyway. She thought.

Suddenly, Sokka let out a cry of "Food!" and ran over to a fruit stand. Grabbing a couple of papayas, he turned to the old, gray-bearded shopkeep and asked, "How much?"

"Four steel pieces for all of 'em." Was the reply. Sokka's face fell, as he realized they didn't have that kind of money.

"Cheer up kid. You could have 'em, if you can find something else I might want." The shopkeep replied as Katara and Aang came up to the stand.

"Let me try." Said Aang, eager to hone his haggling skills. Walking up to the shopkeep, he placed his arm on the stand and said, "I think I can name a better price for those fruits."

"Oh?" asked the shopkeep, imitating Aang's pose. "How about…" began Aang, as he reached into his sleeves, then with a flourish withdrew, " three copper pieces?"

The shopkeep's reaction was first surprise, then a smile. "Sorry kid, I think you'll need to work a little bit harder at this."

"Fine, how about…" another flourish then, "three copper pieces and a valuable artifact?" "Um Aang," said Katara, as she got a look at the item he was offering. "that's just a piece of seal-bone…"

"Shhh. He doesn't know that." Aang whispered back. But when he turned around, the shopkeep was laughing. "You're creative kid, I'll say that." He got in between guffaws. "Listen, make it three pieces again, and you've got a deal."

"Huh? Why?" asked Katara in surprise.

"Your friend made me laugh. That's good tender these days." The shopkeep replied, his laughter fading. "Besides, I think your brother is starting to look at the wood of my stand like it's a five course meal." Katara turned and indeed, Sokka was staring at the stand a little too intently.

"Guess you're right. Thanks. Good to see someone cares about strangers around here." Katara said. Nodding his agreement, Aang took one of the papayas and tossed it to Sokka, who immediately began to devour it. "Here you go." The young Avatar said, as he slid the three copper pieces over to the shopkeep.

"Thanks…" began the man as he reached for the money, but as his hand moved it grasp it he stopped. Aang looked up in confusion, and then realized the man was staring at the back of his hand. Realization came into the boy's mind, but too late, as the shopkeep breathed, "Air-Bender tattoos….." "Oh no." Katara muttered, as she began to back away from the stand.

Aang began to move as well, but before he could, the shopkeep began to scream, "The Avatar! He's here!" At the sound of his voice, there was the sound of pots breaking as people started in shock. But when Katara turned to see who was coming, her face fell as she saw two men dressed in Fire-Nation armor moving towards them.

"Aang! Sokka! Run!" she yelled out. "But I'm not done yet!" Sokka moaned, as he looked up, bits of papaya on his face. Aang just grabbed him and began to run off. Katara moved to join them, but then saw a large rain barrel. As the soldiers moved in, she suddenly whipped around and bent the water inside the barrel. It rose up from its confines and whipped outwards, knocking the two soldiers to the ground. Once they were stunned, Katara turned and ran after her friends, as the two soldiers struggled to their feet.

"Perfect." The shopkeep said, as he watched the group of children run from the Fire-Nation soldiers. Turning around, he walked into the alleyway next to his stand. It was dingy and dark, even in the middle of the day, which suited his purpose flawlessly. The shopkeep walked down the alleyway, until he reached the very end. Once there, he looked around, making sure he was alone. After a moment, he decided that all was well, and began his task. Suddenly, the shopkeep's eyes began to glow, as the air around him crackled with energy. His fingertips began to spark, as his hair stood up, infused with electricity. His body became covered in energy, which swarmed over his entire being. There was a crack of thunder, and then the high-voltage power vanished, as did the image of the shopkeep. The man in silver stood there then. He waited for his power to dissipate, then reached behind his flowing cape. From within its confines, he drew a long, elegant staff. The staff was bronze, covered in strange runes and topped by a small crystal orb in a silver holder. Below the orb, embedded within the staff's holder, was a round silver gemstone. The man in silver looked at the stone a moment and then it began to glow. Seeing that glow, the man spoke, though seemingly to no one. "They are being pursued. Stage One is complete."

"Good. We will proceed with Stage Two." Said the man in black as he received the message. The man stood in an empty warehouse, near the docks of the town. A few boxes littered the floor but the place had been abandoned for years, which was why the fellowship had chosen it. In his hands, the man held a powerful-looking long sword. The blade was sharp and polished, and should have gleamed in the sunlight that streamed in through the windows of the warehouse. But it remained dark. Separating the blade and the handle was a hand guard shaped in the image of a bat, it's wings curving over the blade. In this guard's center rested another glowing gemstone, this one black. It was through this stone that the man in black received the words of his companion.

But as he spoke, the glow from his black gemstone dimmed, as his companion broke off communication. Nodding his acceptance, the man turned to set that stage into motion. Behind him stood the rest of his fellowship.

Turning to the men in red, white, and blue, he gave them their instructions. "The Avatar is being pursued. You two must make sure that he and his allies are captured and brought onto Zuko's ship."

The blue and white men nodded. Suddenly, the man in blue began to change. His body began to become transparent, and almost totally fluid. As he looked up, the blue man's body began to break off and rise into the air, almost like he was evaporating. Within seconds, he had vanished. The man in white looked up as well, and around his body, white energy began to flow, moving almost like the winds. He too vanished in seconds.

Turning to the man in red, the black man then asked, "You are sure you know what to do?" "If the Avatar is as young and emotional as we believe, my plan should accomplish all that we need." The red man replied.

"Good. Remember, you must wait until the Avatar is captured before you enter Zuko's ship." The man in red nodded, and suddenly, his body was engulfed in flame. The flames burned out in seconds, but when they disappeared, so had the man in red. "All the pieces are moving into place." The man in gray said, as he moved to stand behind the man in black. "Indeed. But we still have one more thing to put into motion." The man in black replied.

"Right. I almost forgot." The man in gray said. The two companions turned around, as the man in green pulled a large bundle out from behind a storage box. Depositing it on the ground, the group watched as the shopkeep that the silver man had impersonated and had also bound and gagged, raised his head. There was stillness a moment, then the man in black nodded. The woman in gold came forward then. Standing in front of the shopkeep, she looked at him a moment, then raised up her right arm, which was covered in a strange gauntlet, with its forearm guard slightly raised. The shopkeep looked at it a moment, then his eyes widened in horror, as a long blade suddenly popped out of the woman's gauntlet. He began to thrash and screamed as the woman came closer to him. But the woman gave no notice. Gently she placed the blade onto his chest, point first. The man's screams reached a fever pitch under the gag. But then, the woman slashed down, cutting through the ropes that held the man.

The man's screamed stopped then, as he stared in amazement. Rising unsteadily to his feet, he undid the gag and stared at the woman. "Go." She said to him. The shopkeep shook his head in stunned silence, and then ran out of the warehouse.

"Will he talk?" asked the man in green as he watched the man run.

"It won't matter. He doesn't know who or where the Avatar is. And even if he did, neither the boy nor anyone else would believe him." The man in black replied. "Soon enough it won't matter anyway."