Disclaimer: They belong to Nickelodeon.
A/N: Just a little something I learned in my World Religions class: In the Hindu religion the Avatar was a representative of the Gods; they had a touch of Divine power; meaning they were the incarnates of the Gods (mainly Vishnu).
Chapter One: As They Were
A person could never expect things to turn out like they heard in those great stories from childhood; the ones with the righteous heroes having to win at all costs and then by some miracle achieving those ends along with the happily-ever-after ending. A normal person could only hope for anything near that great or adventurous. A journey that would have anyone crying for home within a few hours is what everyone failed to mention in those wondrous childhood tales.
That is something you think you would want your life to be like; adventure, thrilling, full of danger, and never a dull moment. Well, I am here to bring light to the small detail that life is never like what those stories say. Okay, maybe my life does not fall in that category, but I think that my life is pretty full of adventure and, if I must say so, danger. That is how it has been ever since my brother and I met Aang. Aang is the Avatar sent to us by the Gods. I know it might seem sightly far-fetched. He is only twelve after all. I had faith though and still do.
Aang is the last of his kind; the last of the Airbenders. The whole of his people had been whipped from existence by the Fire Nation. I suppose I should stop rambling on about things past. What I am here for is not the full journey of myself, my brother Sokka, and Aang. No, my tale is much more unique than those of our other adventures.
To tell you the truth, I am not even sure what I will tell you was reality or merely a dream brought on by my imagination. Who knows? Things that were real sometimes only seem as such a dream and there are dreams that seem as real as you or I. However, the dispute of whether what I experienced was reality or fictional creation is not the topic of my discussion. Nor is it of how long ago this occurred, for that would be almost five years to the current day.
For I believe what I experienced was as real as the air I breath, here is the story of one Katara of the Southern Water Tribe. . .
As the sun peaked over the bordering mountains of the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom, those waking up to its light would have known stranger days. However, others would have begged to differ. Just as the world celebrated the arrival of a new morning, located within the woods, a young water tribe boy celebrated the arrival of a new year. Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe was turning sixteen in the early days of the spring season and he was not going to let anyone forget about it. Not anytime soon, at least.
"Make way for the man." Sokka barged through camp after having had a breakfast prepared by his sister Katara. He was reveling in all the special treatment he was receiving. Too bad it was only in his mind.
"Well, the maybe the man should take up the responsibility at least to clean up his own mess!" Katara yelled pointing to his bed-roll and scraps of leftover food. She had just finished clearing away the remains of the campfire and that morning's breakfast. Aang was packing things onto his flying bison readying things for the day's travel.
"Why don't you make yourself useful and go find some food for us to take along? We won't be able to rest as long this time since you had to sleep all day." The Waterbender girl rolled up her sleeping bag.
"Hmph." Sokka made his way deeper into the woods heading for a nearby stream. "I can't help it if I finally find time to sleep without those Firebenders breathing down our backs."
"Whatever, Sokka."
Aang jumped from the back of Appa with Momo on his shoulder. "Hey, Katara, are we ready to go?"
"When Sokka gets back we can leave." She sighed. The days had been getting longer as each passed. With Aang being the Avatar there was sure to be excitement around each corner; and there was. The only thing, around each corner was exactly the same as the last.
Wake up at the crack of dawn only to travel for hours on end. Occasionally, the fire prince, Zuko would show up. He would fight the three trying to capture Aang so he could return home or something like that, then there was always his talk about 'honor', whatever he meant. Soon the group would be soaring away on Appa's back trying to outrun the Firebender's ship.
There was an exception for the last few weeks. It had been nice and relaxing allowing time to catch up on much needed sleep. The supplies were also replenished. Katara just hoped something happened. . . even if it involved something dangerous. She was getting desperate.
Rustling from the trees told both Aang and Katara that Sokka was making his way back to camp. Soon everything was ready and they made their way over the roving land on the back of Appa.
-----
That day had turned out pretty uneventful. The only thing Katara found pleasing aside from the temperature and setting sun was that Sokka had finally given up preaching on about how more grown up he had become.
"I think we'll stop soon. There's supposed to be a village nearby." Aang shouted back at the sleeping Sokka and dazed Katara. "Hey guys!"
Katara was brought back to reality. Who knew staring at the clouds could hypnotize a person? Sokka fell over onto his face after getting the wake up call. Complaining, he sat up and looked to Aang. The two made ready for a landing. Even if it was still another hour the tasks would prove useful in getting rid of the boredom the siblings felt.
"You know, I almost wish those Firebenders would show up. I'm about to die of boredom over here." Sokka threw out the words that Katara herself had thought hours before. She set back to work giving him a glare to hide the fact that she felt the same.
"Honestly Sokka. And you were just thanking them for the peace we've had all month." Gathering up the half eaten food, she placed it in one of the sacks on the side of Appa's wide saddle.
"Hmph." He felt he had been doing that more than usual. He never did like not having the answer.
The rest of the journey was in silence, to say the least. As the ground grew calmer with less wooded areas, the grass was able to reflect the dying light of the sun. With the mountains in the distance, it seemed like the light had grown softer. The shadows made no overbearingness; no lose of warmth was felt. Occasionally, the bison would pass over rocky outcroppings left from the thinning mountain range scattered out though flowing streams and rivers.
"I think this will be a great place to camp for the night. There's plenty of water from the streams and the village looks to be only an hour's walk." Aang guided his large friend to a grassy clearing then leapt from his back and onto the soft ground. Momo flew down to meet him.
"So, remind me again why we can't stay in the village?" The sixteen year old water tribe boy slid from the saddle landing ungracefully then stumbled to his feet.
"Because, from the map it looks too small. I don't think they'd have a play big enough for Appa to stay." It was as simple as that to the Airbender. If his friend could not go, then he would not either. Besides, Aang thought, I bet there are places to explore with all these rocks and trees around.
"Right. . . " Sokka left to go do his usual camp-time duties; gather the firewood and hunt for anything to eat. They had been eating berries, fruit, and old venison for long enough. He was getting tired of it; it was kind of hard though when Aang did not eat meat.. He left Katara to set up camp and Aang to settle Appa down for the evening.
"I'm gonna go look around. Let me know when the foods ready!" Aang ran off in the direction he had seen the stream earlier. Maybe he could catch a few fish for his friends for dinner. . .
"Sir! The Avatar has been spotted!" A young commanding officer came running through General Iroh's door. The ship had been running through the rough ocean waters for days. With the loss of the Fire Nation ship, a need for a new one arose. Zhao had done an excellent job in making sure the ship was useless. Hardly a scrap of metal was left in the water.
A few days after the siege of the Northern Water Tribe, Lieutenant Jee had found the raft of prince Zuko and General Iroh. Jee had searched, knowing things were not as they had seemed. Gathering what little crew there was from the small port not far from the North Pole water tribe, he set out on a new ship. A large wooden vessel was all that could have been spared; not the most ideal for a Firebender crew, but it suited their needs.
Now, with the water against them and a storm forming off the coast of a group of islands, the ship had been forced to detour. As imagined it took time to regain their original path. It had almost been three weeks since the last sighting of the Avatars large flying bison.
"Oh, excellent. Excellent." The general placed a cup of tea on the small table in front of him. "I suggest that you tell Prince Zuko of your news."
The soldier paled instantly. When General Iroh chuckled he stood up from his table.
"Relax. He should be merely meditating. I shall tell him at once." In the hall he turned to the soldier. "Return to your post."
Iroh always did enjoy teasing those who knew his nephew as the cold-hearted banished prince of their homeland. Now, though, they new just a little bit more about him. Zuko was honorable no matter what he believed.
Zuko still believed in needing his fathers approval; to regain his lost honor, his place on the throne. Lately, the general had noticed the lack of determined air surrounding his nephew. Maybe with the words of Admiral Zhao were still within him, he was beginning to see what had always been.
If your father had wanted you to return, he would have welcomed you back; Avatar or no Avatar.
Iroh stood outside the princes chambers. He was beyond the iron door. Without so much as a knock to acknowledge his presence, the old man pushed the heavy door farward and walked into darkness. Only the light of flickering candles told where Zuko was seated.
"Why are you here, Uncle?" Came the calming tones from before the flames.
Shutting the door behind him, Iroh spoke, "I bring word that the Avatar has been found."
"Good." Slowly, the prince stood up and walked toward his armor. Strapping each piece firmly in place, he thought again of what he would finally be able to do once the child was in his grasp. "Tell the captain to speed the ships pace. I want to reach land before nightfall."
"That can easily be done." Zuko's uncle helped to latch the final plate of armor across his chest tying it at the sides. "We may yet return home."
Of course, the general had no hope of wanting to return to those lands he had lived for his entire life. He did miss those lands, there was no hiding the facts. He did not, however, miss the rule of his brother. Iroh knew what Zuko only saw in small amounts. Fire Lord Ozai valued his honor and power far beyond anything else; his son was no exception to him. Lord Ozai had banished him without a second thought. Aside from the endless shame he had bestowed upon his son, Ozai had set him to a seemingly impossible task. Finding the Avatar when he had not been seen for over a hundred years. It had taken two years for the first ray of light to shine in the long chase for the Airbender.
And it seemed as if it had been so long ago now. Barely two and a half years and each time the Avatar had escaped. Each time they drifted farther away. Now the Avatar was so close; Iroh still did not think it would matter in the long run. The old general had a feeling that Zuko was thinking the same, he just was afraid to admit those thoughts to himself let alone his old uncle.
-----
"We should make landfall in a few minutes, sir." The captain noted that Prince Zuko was getting impatient.
"Fine." Turning to leave, Zuko looked to his uncle, "I'm going to catch him this time, Uncle."
"I know, Prince Zuko, I know." Iroh said as his nephew left. He knew Zuko was less likely to catch the child this time just like all the others. Before they had arrived in the main cabin, Zuko had insisted he go alone. He had wanted to make travel time faster and quieter. That left things quite out of the young Firebender's favor. Three on one was not a good pairing; not when one was a skilled Waterbender and the other the Avatar, master of all elements.
It had taken about an hour to gather the food and have it cooked. Sokka was setting up his sleeping bag while Aang had returned to the stream for more water. Katara had thought it a good idea to restock this evening and not wait until morning.
The water tribe girl gathered some brush from the scattering of trees and set it at the edge of the camp. It would make things easier for when the fire died during the night.
As the sun shifted closer to the mountain peaks, the night creatures became more active with slight rustling in the bushes. The birds settled into their nests and the area soon grew quiet. Aang returned ten minuets later and laid down beside Appa with the lemur Momo to keep the slight chill away. With the arrival of early spring, the air had gained a sense of warmth to it, but there was still a touch of winter.
The three friends sat around the fire talking about whatever happened to cross their minds since nothing of interest had happened that day. That was how it had been for the past couple of weeks. It seemed that all of their excitement had become dormant.
"You know, I just hope we reach some form of civilization soon. This peace and quiet is enough to drive a person insane." Sokka stated as he began tracing the shapes of stars as they appeared.
"We can visit that village tomorrow and see if there's anything there, but I think the closest town is a few more days from here." Aang noticed what Sokka was doing and began to catch on. "It's a port town so there should be lots of things to do."
"You mean lots of ways to get into trouble." Katara stroked the fire one last time before taking her place between her friend and brother.
"You have to admit though, we have more fun when there's trouble." Aang smiled. "Hey look! I see Appa." He pointed out each dot right down to the cluster of stars for the bisons brown eyes.
Momo started jumping up and down pointing upward.
"Momo found one. He says theres one that looks like Sokka being chased by a Platypus Bear." All but Sokka seemed to find it amusing.
"Ha, ha, ha. . . you just better be happy you're part of the family. . ."
"Relax, Sokka." Katara threw her arm up to the sky. "Why not try it for yourself? I know you see something. You started this first after all."
"No. . . I don't really- no." He turned away pretending to fall asleep.
"Oh, come on, Sokka! You found one earlier, I saw." Aang sat up.
"It's nothing; it was stupid anyway." He turned in the other direction only to find himself facing his sister.
"Sokka, the only way it could be stupid was if it had to deal with food."
Silence floated throughout the small campsite until Sokka turned back onto his back.
"Fine." Was all that he said as he traced the stars again finding his mark. "See those stars? The one blue one with the small white one?"
Both nodded and waited for the just turned sixteen year old to speak again. When he did, it was with such softness they had trouble catching his words.
"And those stars make the outline. Follow them around and I can see. . ." His voice died out like he was having trouble with the words.
Katara stared up at the sky retracing the lines Sokka had shown them. The bright blue star seemed to be something other than the eye. Looking harder she noticed something taking shape. It looked like a head and the blue star was at its base. Thats when she saw it.
Princess Yue. . .
It seemed that Aang saw the resemblance too.Aang had noticed a slight actraction between his friend and the princess, however. He remained quiet, not knowing what to say. How would he feel if the same were to happen to Katara?
Before anyone could utter a word, the campsite was surrounded in flames. Instantly, the group was on their feet. All thoughts of a peaceful night gone.
"Firebenders!" The fire had spread quickly and smoke was beginning to fill the area. It was becoming harder to see already.
"Katara! Sokka! Head toward the river! Well be able to lose them there!" Aang was gone the next instant. He was right. The clearing was not big enough to ride Appa away safely. There would be many Firebenders hidden waiting for an easy target; a giant bison in the sky was good for fire practice.
-----
Zuko was laughing to himself. They probably thought he had brought the whole of his men along with him. Well, the element of surprise was always a good one, especially when it was his to make. Now was time to strike while they were separate and dazed.
Running from the trees, Zuko sped through the sparse trees and overgrowth. He was not about to let them get their bearings together. He would win this time. He had thought about it for the weeks on end and now was the time to set his plan into action.
Taking out the two water tribe natives would be easier than the Avatar himself even if he was only a child. He was an extremely gifted child. There was a reason he was the Avatar.
Before Prince Zuko could make it through the last line of plants, a blast of water pinned him to the ground. With the breath knocked from him, he stumbled to his feet looking to his attacker. It was the girl. He had forgotten she was powerful in Waterbending.
"Out of my way. If you're lucky you won't get hurt." He took a stance and brought forth the warmth from his own breathing. The fire came easily to him.
"I don't think so. You'd have to have learned something by now. Sokka and I won't leave Aang." Katara stood in the midst of the waist deep water pulling a think stream up behind her. Just as Zuko was ready, she had been too.
"Well, too bad it doesn't look as if they feel the same." Fire flew from Zukos punches aiming to encircle the girl before him.
Katara was faster and split her stream of water toward both attacks. She had also been ready for what Zuko had planned next; a full frontal blast. Bringing up a wall of water, Katara stopped the fire quickly.
As the battle was sent back and forth it seemed as if both were equal in endurance. All that was left now was to see whose attacks would last the longest and still be strong enough. Neither budged all the while with the trees still blazing into the darkened sky.
With more fire on his side and without the need to create more, Zuko found his hole when the Waterbender left her side open thinking Zuko had made his initial blast. Katara was thrown from the waters edge and near the rocky mountain covering. The rocks were not so big as they were closer to the mountain range, but they were enough to cause an amount of pain.
Katara cried out trying to bring together one last blast from the river. She noticed Zuko had just as many injuries as she had with all of the ice she had thrown at him. Then again, knocking him into tree after tree did not feel too pleasant either.
"You're about to learn not to get in my way again." Prince Zuko was tiering out quickly. He had never imagined to have such a strong opponent in this girl.
"Again, I say, I don't think so. I'll stand between you and Aang for as long as it takes." She struggled to get up. "I won't let you take away this world's last chance at peace all for your stupid honor!"
"What would you know of my honor!" Zuko released the final fire that had built up. It impacted with the wave of water Katara had summoned.
The battle had lasted no more than fifteen minutes after the first couple of rounds. Now it was over. Each had spent every ounce of energy left inside their bodies. There was a blast from the impact of each element that sent both Fire and Waterbender crashing into the trees and rocks.
As the smoke cleared from the battle scene, only the light from the burning trees and shrubs could make visible the two bodies lying on the ground. Each still had the glow of his or her element encasing them. The battle was over and neither had won.
What no one was around to notice was there was more than the elements to the glowing light. . .
A/N: I found out what Appas saddle is called. It's a howdah. Thats what they use on elephants and camels only they are normally covered.
A/N(2): I hope that everyone enjoyed this chapter and hope that you will all tell me in a review. I look forward to reading them (it there were any grammer errors, sorry about that. . . I can't catch everything).Oh yeah, I'll be updating this story about once a month or so. I really want to finish my other story before I get too caught up in this one.