The previews for chapter one: Captured

Katara has a strange dream where a black figure pushes her into the water. Then a very familiar person calls her name. The next dream she has, this person kisses her. What will she do? Too bad she doesn't have time to think about it because Aang and Katara and Sokka come across an abandoned temple- at least what they think is abandoned. When they are captured and find themselves in an absolutely beautiful room, what will they do? Well, Aang tells tales of a Spiritbender he used to know, and her son. They meet a beautiful girl named Kiara who is called the 'one.' She treats them as guests in "her" temple. Sokka tries to impress a beautiful woman, but fails. No one knows that the beautiful girl is the key to more power than you could dream of- and more.

Chapter one- Captured

Aang, Katara, and Sokka hopped on Appa. They had a long day ahead of them, and who knows what it would bring? Each of them were silent, absorbed in their own thoughts. Aang worried that he wouldn't learn firebending so he could finally defeat the firelord. Katara worried almost the same thing; except she worried that Zoku would find them and catch them. He was ruthless to try to catch Aang, for whatever reason he had. Something kept nagging her though, and whatever situation her friends and her were in, the same thing was always at the back of her mind. How did he get that scar? She didn't care about him, but it was just her curiosity that was killing her. Sokka, on the other hand, was thinking about something totally different. (Take a guess.) Did they have enough food for him to get seconds that night? Or were they running out of food? Katara looked up at Sokka, his tongue hanging out of his mouth. She shook her head and fell into an unwanted sleep.

She dreamed about Aang and Sokka. Both of them were falling, getting faster and faster. Appa swayed back and forth, trying to catch them, but had no luck. They fell past him. Neither of them were screaming, and it looked like they were knocked out. Katara spun around and saw a figure surrounded by darkness. An unearthly light was around the darkness. It reached a long arm up, touched her, and Katara was shot out into a void. She looked down and saw Aang and Sokka about to reach the water that was below them, but Katara woke just before they crashed into the sea. In the last second before she awoke, she heard someone call out her name. It sounded like… Zoku?

Aang started to shake Katara. Her eyes opened in fear and she jumped up, knocking Aang down with a thud.

"Oh, sorry Aang," she apologized as she helped him up onto his feet. "You just frightened me. I'm not used to having someone wake me up."

"Oh, that's okay. Sokka spotted an airtemple in the distance. I've never heard of one this close to the north pole, though." Aang replied with a confused look.

"That's strange."

"Think it'll have food?" Sokka asked, but more to himself because he knew that Katara and Aang wouldn't answer.

"I'm sure it'll have food, Sokka." Aang and Katara said in unison. Aang blushed wildly but Katara pretended that nothing happened. Sokka grinned evilly.

"Someone has a little crush," He muttered loud enough for Aang to hear him. He glared at Sokka but didn't protest. It's not really a crush… more of a little…more of a… good friendship that I want to extend! He thought. Deep down inside, though, he really wanted Katara. He loved her, and after all that they had been through, Aang thought that they would be together by now. The fantasy hadn't come true, yet, but maybe, just maybe, someday it would.

Katara, though, had someone else on her mind. It was Zoku. Why had she heard him in her dream? Who was that black figure? Why did she fall of Appa? Maybe if she slept again she would have the same dream but Aang wouldn't wake her up. That must be it!

"Aang, please don't wake me up this time. I need my sleep." Katara instructed him. He curtly nodded as he looked at the temple in the distance. She eased herself down and closed her eyes, but it was a long time until sleep claimed her.

This time her dream was different, though. She was in a glass forest. The trees around her sparkled and made loud ringing noises when she moved. Katara looked around slowly and decided that the road she was on would take her out of the forest. For a long time, it seemed, she walked. Finally, she saw an end to the road where the sun shone brightly. As she stepped out of the canopy, she found that she was in a field of red poppies. They swayed in the wind so it looked like the ground was moving. Katara suddenly got a burst of energy and flung herself out into the poppies. She kept running and running, never stopping though the field was great in size. As she neared the center, the black figure from her other dream appeared before her. Just like last time, it reached its arm out and touched her slightly, which sent her hurdling above the poppies. The setting changed and once again, she was falling to the ocean. Katara looked below her and saw Aang and Sokka hit the water with a crash. They didn't come back up. She heard Zoku's voice again, but fainter. As she neared the water, she saw that Zoku was standing on it, his hands stretched upwards as if he were intending to catch her. About 30 feet above the water, she began to slow down. Zoku caught her softly. Katara noticed two strange things about him: One, he didn't have is scar. He really was quite handsome without it. Two, the anger and hate were gone from his eyes. Firebending was a very hard element to master. You had to have concentration and anger. They needed peace too. Little did Katara know, before Zoku was banished, he planned to stop the war, the war that one foolish firelord had started all those years ago. Back in the dream, Zoku was placing Katara on the water, which she could surprisingly walk on (O) and he kissed her lightly on the cheek. (We all knew that was coming) Her eyes opened in surprise and he leaned in to kiss her on the lips. She willingly accepted, first of all, being dream Katara, and also because he wasn't like the Zoku she knew at all. This one was kind and caring. As the kiss deepened, Katara woke up, feeling slightly disgusted and slightly disappointed. She wanted to know why Zoku had kissed her. Was he even Zoku?

Katara looked about and saw that she was next to Appa on the ground. A shining temple was before her. It was painted many colors, the main ones being gold, silver, and black. It was gorgeous.

"You woke up just in time!" A voice called from above. Katara jumped, startled at the sound.

"Oh… what am I in time for?" She asked to Aang, whose head was just visible above Appa.

"Sokka and I were going to go explore this place, but now you can come too!" He called. Katara smiled.

"What are we waiting for then? I'll race you inside!" She challenged. Even with her head start, Aang jumped over her and gracefully opened the doors with his airbending. Sokka lagged behind; trying to finish the apple he was going to eat before they went. Unfortunately, Momo rushed up onto his shoulders and stole the remaining core. Sokka sighed deeply and swung his foot at the creature to scare him away.

"This place is beautiful, Aang. I'm surprised that nobody is here. I don't think that firebenders would find an airtemple here." Katara stated.

"Katara…. I have a weird feeling about this place. I didn't feel it before, but now I can. I don't think firebenders came here. People still live here, I know it." Aang told her. Then he sighed.

"What's wrong?" Katara asked when she saw Aang's solemn expression change to a surprised one.

"That statue! It blinked!" Aang said and looked over his shoulder to see if there was another statue. Katara spun around and looked back at Aang.

"Umm… Aang? Do you realize that there isn't a statue?" He ran to the pedestal it was standing on. He looked back at Katara.

"Where's Sokka?" He asked.

"He was right behind us last time I checked. Momo stole that apple from him…"

"And then he ran back to Appa..."

"And then he followed us in here!" Katara finished. As they had this conversation, neither noticed the growing shadows, stretching nearer and nearer to them with every inch. And obviously, that wasn't good.

"Aang, Katara?" Sokka called to the darkness. One moment he was turned away from them, and the next moment, a bubble of darkness was around him. He wished he could go back home where shadows didn't have minds of their own.

"Drop the food." A sharp voice called out. Sokka took one last bite and threw it in the direction of the voice.

"You imbecile! When I say drop the food, you drop it. You don't eat it!" It screamed at him.

"Well, imbecile is just a fancy way of saying idiot!" Sokka challenged.

"I know!" It shouted back.

"You don't even know me!"

"Your point?"

"Look at you hiding in the shadows! You're not even brave enough to come and fight me yourself!"

"That's it!" A woman stepped out behind Sokka and put a knife to his throat. It had a name etched into it: Sierra. "You better listen to me," whispered the woman into his ear, "or I will shed you of your skin, inch by inch."

"Okay, okay," squeaked Sokka. More guards stepped out of the shadows and grabbed him. The shadow suddenly disappeared and Aang and Katara were nowhere in sight.

"We already have your friends. You'll be joining them in the guest quarters." She told him. Sokka's expression went from fear to confusion.

"Guest quarters?" He asked.

"I do not take prisoners, only guests."

"O, joy." Sokka said sarcastically, and they took him away.

"Aang, what happened?" Katara asked when she awoke. She had taken a very hard hit to her head, and forgot what happened just before she was knocked unconscious.

"I… Don't know. My head hurts." He said.

"Finally, you guys are awake. I've been waiting forever!" Sokka exclaimed.

"Sokka! Are you okay?" Katara ran up to her brother and hugged him.

"I'm fine, I'm fine! This girl told me a bunch of legends while I waited. She said that one of them was real though. I couldn't believe it."

"Tell it to us, Sokka." Aang ordered.

"How much are you gonna pay me?" Sokka asked, greed etched on his face. Katara slapped him on his head. "This is what I remember. Long ago, there were eight elements, not just the regular four. They were: Ice, Spirit, Shadow, Water, Earth, Air, Light, and Fire. The world is much bigger than the four nations think it is. Ice, Light, Shadow, and Spirit seemed to shrink away into the terrain until there was nothing left of them, but there are still cities where no one from the four nations would think possible. Ice lived in the middle of the ocean, near the North Pole, creating their buildings and ground out of ice. Light created their cities in the sky out of light which nobody could see. Shadow lived in the darkest places, bending the light even darker if anyone was in sight. Spirit created their homes inside mountains and volcanoes, using the fire and the earth to as a cover-up, so no one would ever find them unless they were meant to. The Spirit nation was the most powerful of all, being able to control what all the nations could control, and more." Sokka finished.

"Is that true?" Katara asked.

"It sounds true to me. I… I had… I had a friend who could bend the shadows at will." Aang said hesitantly.

"What was her name? Tell us about her!" Katara said.

"Her name was Sierra, but everyone called her the Hunter, because she hunted things. She found things for people and gave them back for a price. She called me the Hunted because I was constantly losing things that she would have to find. Once in a while, when she got really mad, she could control fire. I guess she was a Spiritbender. Anyway, she was about 25 and had already had her first child, which she named Aang, after me. He was about three when I last saw him, and I guess he must have passed away by now, but he knew things other people didn't. He could… I guess he could predict the future. He talked even when he was a month old, like spirits possessed him. It only happened sometimes, but when it did happen, it was useful. He told me not to run away, but look what happened." Here Aang let out a small, fake laugh. "He once predicted what would happen to his great-granddaughter. 'She will be the one. She will stop the war that cannot be stopped. She will be the last Spiritbender. She will kill any who stand in her way. She is, immortal. She is, a goddess.' That's when his little thingy ended. When you guys are buying food and supplies, I ask people if they see anyone by his description he predicted one day. 'Black and red hair, black eyes, dark cloths, and a tattoo of a wolf on her left shoulder.' When we were in Kyoshi, somebody told me her name was Kiara. He told me that it meant dark child, and he was surprised that her name fit her personality so well. He said it was… unsettling."

"Aang, she is out there somewhere. He predicted that she will stop the war, that she will be the last Spiritbender, that she will kill anyone that stands in her way, which means Zhao and Zoku, that she is immortal, that she is a goddess. Aang, we have to find her!" Katara stood up on the bed.

"Who would believe something like that?" Sokka said with a little bit of a waver in his voice.

"You do, Sokka." Aang said.

"I know!" He shouted.

"But Aang, this woman could kill a countless number of people. We have to find her!"

"I know, Katara."

"Aang, Katara! I think I know where she is! She is here! The girl who attacked me and brought me here, she had a wolf on her left shoulder. She had black hair with red streaks, and black eyes! She was wearing dark clothing! She's here!" Sokka shouted, overly exited.

"Calm down." Katara ordered and he sat down and breathed deeply. A loud knock on the door caused them all to jump.

"Come in!" Aang called. The girl, who the group thought was Kiara, walked in. She looked directly at Aang's eyes, which no one really looked into anymore. Not even Katara and Sokka could.

"You're the Avatar." She stated.

"Yes, and you are a Spiritbender." Sokka said sarcastically.

"I am a Spiritbender." She snapped at him, making him stop his stupid sarcasm and shut up.

"Yes, I am the Avatar. Is your name Kiara?" Aang asked calmly.

"Yes it is. Come with me." She started to walk out with Aang at her heels. Then she stopped. "All of you." Katara and Sokka leaped to their feet and scurried out the door.

She led them to a giant hall. It was black and white, with blue on the ceiling to serve as the sky. A few people came in and set a table down in front of them. A man strolled in. He had a jacket on that was floor length, black, and covered with badges and medals. Clearly, he had a high rank. He curtly nodded his head to Kiara before turning to Aang, Katara, and Sokka.

"You're the Avatar and you are his friend and you are his girlfriend." He said with a rough voice that sounded like it had been covered with a cloth.

"Well, I am the Avatar, but she isn't my girlfriend." Aang told him, looking at Katara to see if she was blushing too, and indeed she was. Sokka glanced at them and smiled, wanting them to finally get together.

"Come and sit, then. Avatar, and his friend, and his friend who is a girl," said another person who walked in when they were having that small conversation.

"We will eat and listen to your tales." Kiara said as even more people walked in. One was a girl who caught Sokka's eye. She had black hair and a fine face. Sokka raised his eyebrows. Will Sokka impress this beauty? (Find out next time, in chapter 2! No, I'm not that mean.) The girl saw Sokka staring at her and she rolled her eyes. She would tell him she wasn't interested, but not after toying with him for a few minutes.

She strolled up to him and looked him in the eye. "What's your name, mister?" She asked.

"Sokka… what's your name, beautiful." He replied dreamily.

"My name is Shadow, Sokka. Unfortunately I'm not interested in a relationship right now. I have a life." Shadow told him, watching his face turn from dazed to shock. "But don't worry. There'll be other girls who come along." She reassured, taking a glance at Kiara. Then she took a seat at the table.

"Tell us your tales, please." Shadow said. Aang started at the beginning, telling of his sad past, and of their adventures, just leaving out the part when Zoku saved him. He knew that would always be a secret, but in Zoku's mind, it never happened.

"Wow…" said Shadow after he finished. "I wish I could do something that exiting, but everything here is so dull. Things never happen here."

"That is a wonderful story. Please, tell us of your real 'adventures.'" Kiara said. The four glared at her.

"I think it was a very wonderful story, Aang. Katara, Kiara can help you with your waterbending, and she can help Aang with all the elements, and she can help you with your earthbending." Shadow said.

"Earthbending? I'm no earthbender." Sokka told her.

"I think you are. We'll have to find out! Come on!" Shadow grabbed Sokka's hand and they were gone.

"Well, I guess I have to babysit you two. I'll teach you both waterbending tactics. Only simple ones, though, because the girl can't handle it." Kiara said.

"I can't handle what?"

End

How'd you like it? Will Katara and Kiara get into a fight? Or will they have a new friendship after Aang, Sokka, and Shadow lock them in a room together until they sort out their differences. Will Katara and Kiara get back at them by locking Shadow and Sokka in a closet? What will happen in the closet? Find out next time on Keeper of the Shadows