Come What May
By Gigawolf1
Chapter 1: Confrontation
Through the Earth Kingdom's latest generic city, posters filled the streets. The Fire Nation wanted the Avatar, plain and simple. No one in their right minds would give up the Avatar to the enemy who had slaughtered their people and killed their loved ones.
The other posters, therefore, were the bigger threat to the four who walked the barren streets. The posters that promised money from the Bei Fong fortune, that were spread by the Earth Kingdom's only Avatar Hunters. The duo of Master Yu and Shin Fu promised a fortune of the Kingdom's richest man to whoever could bring his daughter to them. Master Yu had almost not come along, for he had doubts as to the situation.
His employer wanted his daughter back because he thought the Avatar had kidnapped her. It made sense, since she was blind. But he had been there, with the girl's father, when she had defeated a group of Earthbenders, including the man who worked with him. She did not seem to be kidnapped, as she was the one who insisted on leaving. He had taught her basics, but she had gotten much stronger without any instruction.
Shin Fu, on the other hand, had seen her many times. In Earth Rumble V, she had defeated The Boulder easily. No one beat her until Earth Rumble VI, when the Avatar faced her. He knew she was tough, but loved money enough to risk his life for it. Even he knew that one shouldn't be able to see when one was blind, but she looked right at him when she beat him.
Four others were in the city, other than the Avatar and his friends. Two were the Earthbending pair, who you know from before. But for those who do not know, the two were little more than an annoyance to even the weakest of benders in the group. The remaining two were no pair, and in fact were against each other. But still, they knew not of the presence of the other. Each was on their individual journey.
As for the Avatar, there is little to tell. Sokka complained, Aang remained bored, Katara had nothing to do, and Toph took in the sights, quite figuratively. This group may not have seemed like much, but Aang was the only person in the known world to wear yellow clothing regularly, and with good reason. Aang was the Avatar, and the last Airbender.
As the last Airbender, Aang was the only known person in the world to be able to move air. Within the world there were four elements, but ever since the Fire Nation slaughtered all the Airbenders a century earlier than today, only three had counted.
Katara and Sokka, younger sister and older brother, found Aang frozen at the Southern Water Tribe, where they lived. He had fled mere days before the Hundred Year War. The last Airbender revealed himself to the Fire Nation's exiled noble, Prince Zuko, within 24 hours of awakening. He needed to find a way to end the war, as was his duty as the Avatar.
As the Avatar, Aang has the power to bend all four elements. Already a master of Airbending before being frozen, he began his quest to master Waterbending, Earthbending, and Firebending before summer's end. Because he needed much time to master the elements, he searched for those who had already mastered the elements, in hope that they could teach him.
And so his small group came to be. He had traveled the world with Katara and Sokka, looking for a Waterbending Master. Upon finding one, the found Master declared Katara as a Waterbending Master. Later, he found Toph, who used Earthbending to see the world around her. She had enough skill to become Aang's Earthbending Master. Though Sokka could not use any form of Bending, he was a skilled warrior.
It was in this general city that three of them were surprised by Master Yu and Shin Fu, who flung stones at them. Toph, having sensed them from far away, blocked their attacks and trapped them in earth. Katara took water from a small jug and froze their heads, keeping them from Earthbending out of their predicament. The group ran until Toph told them to stop.
"Someone's on the rooftops, and there's another who's coming down the street. One's a girl, but the other one looks weird, as though he's been injured somehow. He looks like a monster!"
They stood in the middle of the street as they heard the footsteps of the girl come down the street. Garbed in Fire Nation clothing, she looked injured and tired. Aang looked at her, and recalled how she had attacked them in Omashu. From behind, they heard the soft landing of the Blue Spirit.
The Blue Spirit stared at the girl for only a moment, before leaping over the Avatar and attacking her.
AN: My first Avatar fic has a lengthy first chapter… Master Yu and Shin Fu aren't very important if you ask me, but I will include them.