Author's Note: I do not own "Avatar: The Last Airbender" or anything related to it. All I own is Artymis and Anduril. You cannot borrow those two unless you have my confrimed "Yes." Thank you for your time.
Dedication: This story is dedicated to WinterMoon Alchemist. She is my buddy, a sister-figure, and a great person to talk to. This story is for you,Winter Moon Alchemist (use to beWinter Rose Alchemist)!
- Scarred-
Artymis opened her eyes. At first, all she saw was light. She smelled the air, it carried the scent of seawater. She felt a soft cold breeze past by her cheeks and pull her hair back. The light that she saw before herself began to fade and revealed a baby blue sky. And the sun was hiding behind thick clouds, you could only see a very faint glow from the golden sun. The horizon, she could see, was the ocean and ice.
Ice? she thought as a gust of wind flew right in front of her, carrying sparkling stuff from the ice.
Artymis blinked several times. Last time she remembered, she was on top of the ocean. Confused, she looked down to see what was right below her. Expecting to see ground covered ice or snow, she found she was sitting in mid-air!
"Wha - AHHHHHHH!" Artymis began dropping down.
She estimated she was at least twenty yards above the ground or more. Thinking of something really quick, the young girl positioned her body up and down as if she was going to dive into water. It seemed like she was going to crash but instead she whistled softly and a gust of wind whipped itself around her and trapped her in a small, transparent tornado. The tornado slowed her down and she was able to land on the snow on her feet.
She looked up to a few gasps. There was a fifteen-year-old boy and a fourteen-year-old girl, Artymis guessed they were brother and sister, clutching a spear that pointed at her. The girl's eyes widened and she lowered down the spear, the brother tried to refuse but his amazement took over.
"Uh, hiya!" Artymis said nervously.
She was just a few feet from these strange people when the boy rose an eyebrow and said, "Uh, hi?"
The girl smiled warmly. "Hi, I'm Katara. This here is my brother, Sokka." Katara received a glare from her brother, who finally lowered his spear. Katara somehow felt this girl was kind and could be trusted.
"Hi, I'm Artymis." Artymis said with a nervous smile.
"Artymis?" Sokka repeated with an annoying voice, "What kind a name is that?"
Artymis raised an eyebrow at him and said, "What kind of name is Sok -" She couldn't finish because she sneezed and jumped up in the air and came back down on her feet.
"Whoa!" Sokka said, backing away a little, "How did you do that?"
"Do what?" Artymis asked, confused.
"You jumped, like, ten feet in the air!" Sokka said.
"Ten feet? Felt like twenty or more." Artymis replied, looking up thoughtfully.
Katara gasped. "You must be an Airbender!"
"A what?" Sokka said, taken back. It couldn't be, but judging by her clothing: tight orange pants with a yellow skirt that had cut on the sides, an orange sash around her waist, a yellow long-sleeved shirt with an orange shawl, and a pair of dark brown hiking boots. She sure dresses like one... Sokka thought.
"Yup, I am." Artymis said and asked, "Is that a big deal? I mean, Airbenders - you could find them in the Southern and Northern Air Temples."
Katara and Sokka blinked in confusion. Sokka had no idea what she meant by that, but Katara felt like Artymis somehow had no idea what happened.
"Artymis? Don't you know?" Katara asked.
"Know what?" Artymis asked.
I shouldn't tell her, Katara thought, It'll hurt her like it hurt me about my mother.
"Nothing...just, you know why were you in that iceberg?" Katara asked, quickly changing the subject.
"The Iceberg? Well..." Artymis didn't want them to know. "Um, are we in the South Pole?"
Katara had a feeling she was keeping a secret but she knew what it felt like so she went along. She'll find out later.
"Yeah."
"Hey, you guys, not to be rude or anything but we, like, gotta go!" Sokka said furiously.
"Why?" Artymis asked. "I mean, you guys had coats on and I'm used to this kind of weather."
Katara blinked again in confusion. "You don't know?"
"Know what?" Artymis asked.
There sure are a lot of "You don't know" today, she thought and listened to Katara's shocking news:
"The Fire Nation has gone completely out of control. The Fire Lord had ordered his army to invade all the other nations. They're destroying everything!"
Artymis blinked at first and begin laughing, "That couldn't be true!" she said.
"Why not?"
"Listen, no offense, but I know everyone in every nation." Artymis explained. "I even know people in the Fire Nation. And everyone there is nice. So, I would think this was a big understanding."
Sokka shook his head and Katara's eyes turned to confusion. "Artymis, just how long have you been in that iceberg?"
Artymis looked up thoughtfully and answered with doubt, "Um...a minute or...an hour...?"
Katara looked at her strangely. No, that couldn't be...
"Artymis..." Katara said softly.
"Hmm?"
How could the Waterbender say it? "I think you had been in the iceberg...for a hundred years."
Artymis stopped breathing for a moment. A hundred years? A century? No! Impossible!
"But," the Airbender muttered, "that's not possible, right?" she asked with doubt.
"I think it is," Katara said, sympathy in her eyes.
Artymis sighed. Then, so much had had happened while I had been gone...
"So, a lot has happened, huh?" She asked.
Katara nodded her head. Sokka did feel a little sympathy for the Airbender. She's been gone for years and she doesn't know what happened to her kin. Artymis looked up and smiled brightly like there was no bad news. She clapped her hands together and said brightly, "Enough of that! I'll catch up. But I want you to meet somebody!" Katara and Sokka just stared at her. Surprising reaction.
Artymis turned around and climbed into what-was-left-of-the-iceberg and the brother and sister heard her voice. "That's a good boy! You ready? Ah, you hungry?"
Sokka came over to Katara and whispered to her, "Who's she talking to? And, what if it's hungry? She'll feed us to it!" Katara frowned.
"I heard that!" Artymis shouted, which left Sokka shocked at her far-listening.
"Um, no you didn't! And we gotta go - NOW!" Sokka replied.
"Have you guys ever flew on a dragon?" Artymis asked.
"Um...no." Katara answered loudly and uncomfortably.
"Really? Perfect!"
A large silver blur flew right out of the iceberg. Katara and Sokka gaped with horror and excitement as a great silver dragon hovered a few feet from the water. The silver dragon had piercing blue eyes that harden on Katara and Sokka. Artymis was riding on it and she smiled.
"This is Anduril!" She introduced and patted on Anduril's thick neck. "It's okay, boy. Katara and Sokka are friends."
"Whoa," Sokka and Katara whispered.
"But I thought Airbenders ride on Bison." Katara asked.
"We do - but I found Anduril when he was an egg and couldn't leave him! Besides, he's so cute!" Artymis explained quickly. Her smile faded as she looked out to the horizon a bit. A metal ship was heading their way, but was going through difficult times moving through the ice thick patches, not around.
An enemy? she thought and wondered if it pirates or the "now evil" Fire Nation.
"Quick - hop on!" Artymis shouted below. Anduril whipped his tail out, Katara and Sokka grabbed hold of it and held on tightly. He slashed his tail in the air and above Artymis.
"THIS WASN'T WHAT I HAD IN MIND!" Sokka shouted as the hard air hit his face.
Both Katara and Sokka let go and landed behind the Airbender. Katara panted and Sokka's face was in pain.
"Everybody ok?" Artymis asked and said before anyone could say anything, "Ok. Let's go!" Anduril took off with the speed of light. "Um...where?" She asked with a small laugh.
Katara thought for a moment then answered "To my tribe - the Water Tribe!"
"Which way?"
"Turn around and don't stop!"
Artymis nodded and placed her hand on her dragon's neck and said "You hear that? Head south!" He turned around with a roar and flew south to the Water Tribe.
An hour later, Anduril kept flying on for about an hour now and in just a matter of minutes, a small village came in view. It was very small and a not-so-very-high ice wall surrounded it in a semi-circle. There seemed to be children playing and an old woman standing by her house.
"That's our tribe!" Sokka said, pointing it out.
"And that's our Grand-grand!" Katara said, nodding towards the old woman.
"I'll be pleased to meet her!" Artymis quoted as Anduril landed with a soft thud on the ground outside the semi-circle wall.
There were gasps and children peaked around to see Anduril, who roared up at the sky. Katara jumped down and ran to her grandmother, who embraced her tightly. Sokka fell to the ground in an attempt to jump down. Helanded face-downin the snow. He let out a groan of pain.
"Katara, Sokka. Who is this?" The old woman asked. Her white hair was in the same fashion as Katara's. Her clear blue eyes were on Artymis, who slid off of Anduril and looked at the woman. She could see a family resemblance between her and Katara. Katara explained to her people who Artymis was, when she was finished, someone said "Impossible! An Airbender?"
"Oh, it's possible." Katara said brightly.
Artymis walked up to the people and bowed down in respect. "It's an honor, really."
"Well, any friend of my grandchildren is a friend of mine." Katara's grandmother said with a smile.
When it looked safe, a swarm of children crowded around Artymis, though there wasn't that many - they were a fuss. "Whoa! You're pretty!" A little girl said. "You're really an Airbender?" A boy asked in excitement. "Can you make a tornado?"
"Now, now," Grand-grand said softly, "Time for us to go to bed, it's already nighttime."
Artymis and Katara looked up to see the sun had already settled and the stars started to sparkle.
"Guess it is." Artymis said.
"So much had happened that I guess we lost track of time." Katara said and smiled.
Everyone started to go back into the village. Katara said, Artymis could sleep in with her. Before they entered, Katara realized they forgot somebody. She turned around and saw Sokka, asleep on top of the snow.
Typical Sokka.
Katara sighed. She bent down and picked up a lump of snow and smoothed it into a ball. With a smirk on her face, she hurled the snowball at Sokka, who quickly stood up in a blur.
"What? What is it?" Sokka panicked. Katara laughed and hugged her stomach. "What?" He snapped.
"Nothing, just -" Katara couldn't bring herself to speak for she was laughing too merry and too hard.
Sokka had to laugh now, now that Katara was being hit by snowballs by him. "Revenge!" He shouted.
"Oh, yeah?"
Katara hurled another snowball at him and the Battle of Snowballs began. Laughter followed by merry shouts. But it was shortened by their grandmother, who said they must get inside or their catch their death. The brother and sister obeyed their grandmother, and even though their game lasted not very long, it was so much fun that they had not had in a while.
Katara went into her own tent, who she was now sharing with Artymis, while Sokka went to his own. When Katara got inside the tent, there was a candle burning brightly that lit the tent up a bit. Artymis was sitting up and seemed to meditating. Quietly as she could, Katara tip-toed to her bed and took off her furry coat. Artymis, however, stopped her meditation and turned to Katara.
"Thanks, Katara, for letting me sleep in the same tent with you." Artymis said.
Katara just smiled at her, "Oh, it's ok. But are you sure you don't want the bed? I'll be more than happy to take the floor."
"No, no, no, no. It's ok." Artymis said.
Katara nodded and laid in her bed under the warm blankets. Artymis laid on a rug on the floor. She laid her head on the pillow and covered herself with the blanket about up to her waist. There was silence as darkness crept into her room.
"Hey, Artymis?" Katara said in a low voice.
"Hmm?"
"Could you...teach me how to Waterbend?" Katara asked.
Artymis sighed and shook her head, "I can't. I'm sorry, I'm just an Airbender."
"Oh!" There was a disappointment in Katara's voice.
"But...I bet I could take you to the North Pole, if you like. There are bounds to be many Waterbending masters! What do you say?"
Katara's eyes widened in delight and she nearly screamed, "Really? Oh thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"
"Ok, you can stop, as long as you stop screaming, please?"
"Oh, sorry!" Katara laughed, "Good night!"
"Night!" Artymis said.
An hour or more passed, and the fifteen-year-old still couldn't get any sleep. Giving up on sleep, Artymis got up quietly and walked out of the tent. She passed the walls of the Water village and began to run into the snow. She must have ran for at least a quarter of a mile, stopped for only one short break, and kept on running, the wind blowing hard against her face.
Prince Zuko stood at on the ice patch that the light beam had once been, but was now gone. He stared up at the night sky and looked back at his ship. His Uncle Iroh was standing at the front, and he gave a sigh.
"Prince Zuko, the avatar is not here. The avatar must have never been here." Iroh said.
Zuko turned around halfway saying, "Uncle, the - " He stopped. He could see, with light from the full-moon, that a figure was running on the ice continent. "The avatar." He whispered.
"What?" Iroh asked him.
"I'll be back!" Zuko said, and started to jump from small ice patch to small ice patch, and finally reached the ice continent. With the avatar, he thought and smiled at himself as he began to sneak on the running figure.
Artymis stopped running and bent down to catch her breath.
Next time I run, I better be up for it! she thought to herself and laughed at it. Artymis stood up straight and began to walk very slowly forward. How lovely the moon is tonight.
She gently hugged herself and closed her eyes. She loved the moon. When it was half, an eclipse, or full -anytime. She just loved how it was a light in dark places, like the sun is. A memory came back to her, but she quickly pushed it away. It was all in the past, a hundred years ago.
Artymis let go of herself and began singing a little something she knew from her childhood:
Oh bright star in the dark sky
Will you not give me your light?
Will you protect me through the night?
Will you hold me through the night?
Will you shine so bright in the night?
Oh bright star in the dark sky,
Keep shinning so bright...
Artymis smiled. She still had not forgotten the little lullaby. She continued to stare into the moon.
Zuko was close behind the figure. It was there, he found out, it was a young woman. Her back was turned to him, so he could easily attack her since she was a woman and obviously not the Avatar.
In the palm of his hand, a small fireball was created, Zuko knew he couldn't leave a woman from the Water Tribe escape. He was about to hurl it at her, when a song - more like a lullaby - escaped from her lips. It was very short but still beautiful.
Zuko...felt calm. For the first time in two years, he actually felt calm. The fireball died in his palm as he took only one step forward.
Why do I feel...so strange? he thought.
"Who are you?" He called out, his voice not so loud or low.
Artymis heard a footstep behind. Her eyes narrowed and she bit her lip. An attacker. Her hands slowly formed into a fist. But she didn't hear a footstep or anything, just a voice:
"Who are you?" The voice didn't sound rude or anything, just curious.
Artymis turned around and saw a young man. Around her age, maybe a year older. He had black hair in a high ponytail and golden eyes. There was a burn on his left eye to his ear. He wore a Fire Nation's solider uniform and armor. Artymis suspected, obviously his clothing, he was a Fire Nation solider. She better be extra cautious, since Katara told her about the Fire Nation going berserk.
"Who am I?" Artymis repeated his question, "That's kinda rude!"
"Just answer my question!" The young man seemed to be losing his patience.
Let's just see how much he has, Artymis thought. Boy, I am a prep, huh?
"First answer mine, then I'll answer yours." Artymis said, "Who are you?"
The young man froze and his eyes narrowed as he groaned of low patience.
"I asked you first!" He said loudly.
Artymis put her hands on her hips and asked again, "So who are you?"
"Do you have any idea who you're dealing with?" He asked rudely.
Artymis looked up thoughtfully to the night sky as if it was a question to ponder about for a while. "No, not really."
The man groaned in frustration.
Uh, maybe I'm overdoing it... she thought.
Prince Zuko groaned in frustration and glared at her.
Wait a minute, he thought as he took a good look at her clothing. Her clothing seemed to represent the Air Nation... She's an Airbender - that's impossible though! he thought and gasped.
"What?" She asked.
"Who and what are you?" He asked, his hand behind his back.
"Well, that was even ruder!" She said, she then sighed, "Fine. My name is Artymis. I'm a commoner. You?"
Zuko rose an eyebrow. "A commoner?" What she was wearing, is it clothing for an Airbender?
Artymis rolled her eyes at him and said, "Yeah, a commoner!"
"But your clothing...is fit for an Airbender." Zuko pointed out. "Why do you wear it?"
"'Cause I want to." She answered.
Little brat! he thought and was about to make a new fireball, but decided against it. Maybe she can be of some use to me...
Artymis was still looking at him. It looked liked he was thinking really hard. "Um, who are you?" She asked in a much softer tone, she assumed she should probably talk softer instead of aggressively.
He looked at her with his golden eyes and said, "I am a Firebender. I am also Prince Zuko, if you didn't know."
Artymis' eyes widened at this and her hands dropped. "A Prince?"
"Yeah, why, do you hate me too?" Prince Zuko asked, even though he knew the answer.
"Um, I really don't know about you so..."
"Don't know about me? Where have you been?" He asked.
Artymis lowered her head so her long hair got in the way of her face. "Yeah, about that. Well, you could say that, I ran away..." Her voice drifted off. She looked up and smiled. "But, may I ask you, what is a prince like you doing out here, away from his home?" She asked, she somehow wanted to know him more that what the eye sees.
Zuko looked away from her.
Oh no, I hurt his feelings!
"I..." At first his voice drifted off and then he said clearly, "I am hunting for the Avatar."
Artymis let out a gasp. "The Avatar? Why?"
He looked at her and answered, "To claim what was lost to me."
Peace to his world and everybody's?
"Hasn't the Avatar been gone for more than 100 years?" Artymis asked.
"Yes, so it is my duty to find him." He said.
"Him?" Artymis repeated, heat rising in her cheeks, "You know it's a boy?"
"Well, most of the Avatars in the past were male...so yeah." Zuko asked her "Have you seen him lately?"
She shook her head and said, "No, I'm sorry."
He sighed. He seemed very disappointed.
I guess Katara was wrong about the Fire Nation. Not all of them are bad. Prince Zuko seems nice...
She turned her face up towards the moon. "Do you ever notice how lovely the moon is?" she asked.
"No, I never really have time." Zuko answered.
"Do you have time now?" Artymis asked, turning to him with a smile. He gave her a startled look.
"I guess I do..." He said, looking up.
Artymis studied the moon. It looked so beautiful with no stars. She realized she was looking at it for about an hour, and Zuko was studying her.
"What?" She asked, out of the corner of her eye, she saw him. He was gazing at her.
"Um..nothing!" He stuttered.
Artymis shook her head, "What?" he asked. This girl was too complicated to understand.
"Nothing...I should be going back," She said.
Artymis bowed her head to him and began walking away when a hand grasped her arm and stopped her. She turned her head around, Zuko was holding her arm.
"Your Highness," She teased a little. "What is it?"
He didn't smile really, but he did indeed let her go. Artymis shrugged and began to run at normal speed. From a short distant, she could hear the prince shout a question:
"When will I see you again?"
Artymis stopped and called out to him: "Soon!" With that, she ran again towards the Water Tribe, the moon as her light.
Prince Zuko stood there in the snow, like a statue. He also began retreating the steps back to his ship.
"How soon will we meet?" He asked himself as he walked across the deck of his ship.
(Next Morning)
Artymis stretched her arms out and yawned. She look around herself and saw Katara, still sleeping. Artymis, with a smile on her face, got and gently shook Katara's shoulder.
"Katara?" Artymis whispered, "Katara!"
Katara turned and groaned, "What?" She opened her eyes and shut them again. "Artymis, it's too early!"
"No, it's not!" The Airbender argued, and pulled the sheets off of Katara, who was still wearing her clothes since yesterday.
"Artymis!" Katara said, hugging herself from the cold. "It's so c-cold!"
"No it's not, you whiner!" Artymis said, "How 'bout we go exploring, just the two of us?"
"Well," Katara was pulling on her coat and drank from her flasket. "I don't know..."
"Oh, come on!" Artymis whispered, "I know you love to explore - it's quite obvious! So let's go!"
It was true, Katara did want to explore, so maybe this wouldn't be so bad...
"Alright!" The Waterbender agreed, "Let's go!"
(Half an Hour Later)
"Artymis!" Katara was chasing the spirited Airbender and yelling, "We're not allowed to go in there!" Katara tugged at Artymis' arm.
"Why not?" Artymis asked, "It looks like an abandoned ship to me."
"It's a Fire Nation navy ship!" Katara explained, "The Waterbenders managed to get this ship."
Artymis looked up and down at it. "Sounds like an adventure to me!"
Katara sighed.
Artymis began to walk towards the ship. She now wore a new outfit. She had told Katara earlier, "I did respect my Nation. But since there wasn't many female Airbenders, they gave me this really uncomfortably clothing. I like a change for once. Wearing the same thing for 115 years gets irritated!" So Artymis pulled on a long white skirt that had a very wide slip in front to expose her legs. But she wore a white skirt that went about half an inch above her knees and a pair knee-length white boots. She wore a white sleeveless shirt on and white gloves that nearly covered her entire arm. She looked more like a White Lady from those fantasy stories than an Airbender.
Katara also noticed there was a necklace around Artymis' neck, like Katara had her own necklace. The black fabric choker had a small, round blue stone carved by a Waterbender. This necklace was her grandmother's, who gave it to her mother, who gave it to Katara. Katara felt strong and close to her mother while wearing it, perhaps it was Artymis' mother's?
"C'mon!" Artymis called from the deck of the ship. Katara pushed the memories of her mother away and rushed to the ship.
Artymis walked form the rail of the ship and explored the inside of it. It was very dusty and pretty old, but looked very fun to explore for the Airbender. She entered a room and saw her reflection in a small mirror. She touched her necklace with her finger.
The necklace had a golden chain and a redualar triangle (A/N: I think it is!) shape with four round jewels at each point: red for Fire, blue for Water, green for Earth, and yellow for Air. There was an intersection in the middle of the shape that brought out the form of a white rose. This necklace was precious to Artymis.
She also took a good look at herself. Her emerald eyes were dark and attractive. Her medium brown hair was in four layers down to her shoulders. Her lips were a natural light pink color. Her skin was natural, not too tanned or pale.
She put her hand down and ran out of the room and down the hall. She bumped into Katara.
"Hey, you're finally here!" Artymis joked and pulled Katara's hand to the room that she discovered earlier. It was the room where they controlled the ship and all.
The girls entered. Katara hesitated at first, but went on anyway. The moment both she and Artymis stepped in the room and the doorway out was blocked. They gasped and looked around for an exit. Artymis pressed her face against the window and saw a bright light of a firecracker on the surface of the ocean. She gasped as well as the Waterbender.
"It was a trap! A booby trap!" Katara yelled.
Oh great, the Airbender thought and wildly looked around, how do we get out of here?
"Any close-by navy Fire ship will be here - fast!" Katara warned, looking around them for exits too.
Artymis looked at the dirty window; she pounded her fist hard against the surface - it didn't crack. Oh great! she thought and walked to the center of the room and looked up. There was a small, rusty air vender. Anything will do! With that thought, Artymis clapped her hands together and lifted them up towards the air vender. A gust of wind flew straight up through that hole and created an exit.
"Come on!" The Airbender cried, she bended down and positioned her hands to give Katara a boost to go up. Katara jumped lightly on her hands and hung on the vender. She managed to crawl up and out the pipe of the ship. Artymis did the same, though her boost came from a powerful jump. Once she jumped out of the pipe, Artymis and Katara ran for their lives. That trap had set up a firework and it was to signal to other Fire Nation allies to come.
Artymis didn't know whether Prince Zuko would come and help them or not...considering his goal of the Avatar.
Prince Zuko was gazing out in the distance. He was standing very still and Uncle Iroh was staring at him, a worried expression.
"Prince Zuko," Iroh said, "You have been acting very strange since last night you ran off. What is it?"
Zuko was quiet for a moment, then he began "I met someone, uncle."
"Someone?" Uncle Iroh questioned.
"Yes, her name was - LOOK!" Zuko pointed at the sparks from a recent firecracker. "A calling from one of our own. Head there!" He commanded.
"No! It was my fault!" Artymis said, begging.
When the girls got back to the tribe, Katara's grandmother was quite angry. Saying, that they should've known better than to wander off in a ship - especially a Fire navy ship. Over and over again, the Airbender said "It wasn't Katara's fault, ma'am. It was mine." and Katara would say "No - it was mine!"
"Enough!" The grandmother said loudly. "Katara - you should've known better than to run off like that!"
"I'm sorry." Katara muttered.
No, you don't have to be - I'm the problem here! Artymis thought. "I think...it would be better for me to leave." She said.
Katara's head snapped at her and she objected, "No! Artymis!"
"No - I need to leave." Artymis said, and bowed her head to the old woman, "I'm sorry."
With that, the Airbender begin to walk away.
"Wait - Artymis!" Katara was about to sprint, but Sokka held her back. She turned to her brother and glared at him.
"Katara - that girl has been nothing but trouble since we found her! I mean, she nearly got you killed!" Sokka explained.
"But -" Katara didn't finish her sentence, she just dropped her head.
(An Hour Or So)
A Fire Nation ship landed in front of the Water Tribe. Many Firebenders came and grouped up everyone in the village. Sokka and Katara neared their grandmother as the young man, Prince Zuko, came forth and stared at each and every one of them. At first he hoped to see Artymis among them. He didn't.
She must've left early, he thought. A bit of disappointment in his thoughts.
"Which one of you is the Avatar?" He yelled.
Avatar? Katara mouthed to herself.
When no one answered or moved, Prince Zuko grasped their grandmother and pulled her to the front. "The avatar is a man and about her age - old."
Silence.
"So you're covering him up, huh?" He asked, "We'll see about that." He threw the old woman back to the group and fire began to burn in the palm of his plan.
He began to hurl fireballs in different directions. Katara used her waterbending, she concentrated hard and let it flow through her. Sokka tried to do warrior strategy, he managed to throw down a couple of guards. The brother and sister worked together.
"Sokka - we have to go now!" Katara yelled as she dodged more fireballs.
Sokka's spear broke into two halves as a Firebender cast fire right in the middle. Katara's ice walls of protection melted, but it gave her people time to escape. Prince Zuko avoided the water whips and hurled more fireballs. The fight between water and fire was tough and short.
In a spilt second, Zuko was half-covered by snow as well as his soldiers. He growled and looked upon the intruder. His golden eyes widened. Standing there, in front of the Water Tribe, was Artymis. She was standing in battle mode, the wind around her.
"What are you doing?" She asked him, anger flashed in her green eyes. "Attacking a tribe that has done nothing to you?"
Zuko just stared at her and asked, "Why have you come back?"
"To see what the commotion was about!" She said, "Why are you attacking?"
"To hunt for the avatar - why else?" Zuko answered.
Artymis stood straight up and asked, "Hunt? To kill?" Her face and eyes didn't have anger anymore, but confusion and a bit of pain.
"No, that wouldn't work!" He shouted, his eyes holding much anger. "To bring him to my father!"
So Katara was right, she thought to herself and gazed at the Fire soldiers who had spears and fire their hand, the Fire Nation has been let loose. Sokka and Katara were back-to-back and ready for battle. I can't have them fight for a battle that isn't theirs! Pressing a hand to her chest, she revealed herself:
"Your Highness, I am the Avatar."
Prince Zuko's expression was now full of shock. He stared at her. "You're the avatar?"
Sokka mouthed to his sister 'I knew it!' and Katara gasped.
"Yes." Artymis said.
"Prove it!" He demanded.
Taking off her gloves, Artymis outstretched her arms and hands in front of her. Closing her eyes and concentrating really hard, a very faint glow was on her skin. A faint blue mark was on her arm. It was a long thick line on her arms and an arrow on her hands. There was also a small arrow pointing downwards on her forehead that wasn't there before. These marks, as other nations know, were only on Airbenders.
Katara stared at her and the marks. She's an Airbender and the Avatar who had gone missing for a 100 years!
I sense trouble, Sokka thought as he stared at the lost Avatar.
"So, you are the Avatar - said to be dead for 100 years." Zuko slowly said.
"Yes," Artymis said irritated, the glow on her head and arms were gone and she pulled her gloves back on. "And if you promise to leave these people alone, I'll go with you willingly - no struggle at all. Deal?"
There was a pause. Both avatar and Firebender stare at one another. "Deal," Zuko said and turned to his men. "Guards, take her away!"
A pair of guards each took of Artymis' arms and led her to the ship. Though the guards held her tightly, Artymis glanced behind her and smiled weakly. Hope in her eyes, but it quickly faded as the steel door lifted up and shut her out of the outside world. Artymis could feel her positive feelings fall.
Prince Zuko walked passed her and did not look at her. He seemed mad somehow. It wasn't because she lied of who she really was, or the fact that the Avatar is a female. It was something else, but Artymis didn't know what. She knew one thing though:
She was now a prisoner for the Fire Nation.
Katara watched the Fire ship sail away. Determined to get her friend back and not let the Fire Nation win, she ran back to her tribe and gathered a few needs and supplies. She then ran to one of the Water boats that was only for emergency.
This is! she thought and ready for a trip to win back a friend.
A shadow descended over her, high from the sky.
"Take her below deck!" Prince Zuko commanded.
The two guards took Artymis down below the deck where usually all prisoners stay. The avatar, Zuko noticed, kept to her promise. She did not struggle at all. But he also noticed she was looking at him, out of sadness. He ignored her and turned his back on her. His Uncle Iroh was staring at him suspiciously.
"What?" Zuko snapped.
His uncle shook his head, "Nothing." He then noticed the commotion among the crew. "So, you did capture the avatar?"
"Yes, I did." The prince said out of relief.
"Why that face?" Iroh asked.
"What face?"
"Never mind."
For a while, Iroh asked his nephew had he managed to capture the avatar. "Oh, and Zuko," Iroh asked "The avatar is an Airbender as the cycle is?"
"Yes." Zuko answered and went to the control room of the ship, his uncle followed him.
Suddenly a roar tore at the sky. Everyone's eyes shot up. A silver dragon flew over the ship with great speed.
"A dragon!" The crew yelled.
The dragon whipped its tail over the deck and swooped a few crew members over board.
Zuko and his Uncle Iroh watched as their crew took cover.
"Anduril!" Artymis popped out on the deck and smiled at her friend. "You came back!" She untied the rope around her wrists and smiled at two people: Katara and Sokka.
"Come on!" Sokka yelled, as he fought off a few people from his sister.
"Can you two cover for me while teach someone a lesson?" Artymis asked.
"Make it quick!" Katara yelled, performing a few waterbending tricks.
"Cover me!" With that, Artymis made her way up to the control room of the ship, where the prince was.
"Missed me?" She asked at the doorway.
Prince Zuko turned around and his eyes widened at the sight of her. "You? Who set you free?"
"I did, of course!" Artymis said, with a smile on her face.
"So, you're the avatar?" Iroh said.
"Yes, and I am very sorry to break my promise and harm you Prince Zuko, but..." Artymis sent a whip of wind to the Fire prince. He fell back to the window. "I need to!" Artymis sent another wind whip at the captain, the captain fell against he floor and passed out.
Iroh was about to step in, but his nephew advanced forth. "I'll show you!"
Zuko and Artymis began to battle. Zuko hurled many fireballs at her, which missed. Artymis sent wind after him and it missed too. They hurled and dodged 'till the Airbender thought of a trick. She stood behind Zuko, and just as she thought, he turned to hit her, but she followed him like a shadow. Prince Zuko now knew how to play her game, he turned around and was too quick for her. They were face-to-face now. He grabbed her wrists and hissed "We had a deal!"
"Had my fingers crossed!" Artymis said. She stepped on his foot and the prince at once fell down. "Bye-bye!" Artymis jumped out a window, which she had broke during hers and Zuko's battle, and landed on the silver dragon's back at once. Katara and Sokka were behind her.
"Hey!" Artymis said, glancing behind her and smiled.
"Good to have you back!" Katara said, with a smile on her face too.
"AVATAR!" A fierce voice shouted, they looked down.
Prince Zuko was running on the edge of the deck. He was about to throw one more fireball, but dismissed the idea as he watched the avatar fly away. He just stared at her as she did to him. She disappeared above the white clouds. At that moment, Zuko felt that something - though he didn't know what - had started between him and Artymis.
He felt scarred.
Artymis watched him drift away, below the clouds. She pressed a hand to her heart. It was thumping fast.
Why does my heart beat so fast? she thought as she looked forward and the clouds passed them. Anduril moved swiftly and majestically.
Even though she didn't know how or when it began, Artymis knew she was scarred.
Author's Note: I am not sure if I edited this chapter correctly. If you see any mistakes, please contact me and tell me where and what, I will gladly fix it. Also, I am not sure if this chapter is all so great, your reviews will tell me if it is or not. Yes, I know Appa (Aang's bison) is not in here - he will though, very soon. I just thought that Artymis should be different and have a silver dragon. And I apologize if this chapter took almost two months to update. I couldn't remember how the first episode. Sorry! Don't expect chapter three on this story for at least two months - school and other things are keeping me away from my computer! If you, readers, have any ideas, please don't be afraid to tell me (I don't bite) and I might add them in this story.