Today's prompt: spirit
Happy Reading!
"The Blue Spirit? Who the hell is that?" Sokka says as they pass the 10th wanted sign with a painted photo of an angry looking mask.
Katara stops to look at the photo, reading the description in detail. "'Wanted for crimes against the Fire Nation, theft, and arson'."
"Sounds like our kinda guy, what does he look like?" Toph asks. They were heading back to the upper ring of Ba Sing Se after searching all day for Appa.
"It's just a blue spirit mask." Aang explains.
"Oh blue, my favorite color!" Toph sarcastically replies.
Katara rolls her eyes, "Haha, very funny, Toph."
"Thank you, I'm here all week!"
A few hours later as Katara is making dinner, she realizes she's out of cabbage for her stew. If she weren't so caught up looking for Appa, she would have remembered to buy cabbage from the cabbage guy that was robbed yesterday.
As she walks down the street she starts to get a bad feeling, like something was following her. The sun was almost completely gone from the sky and the moon was nothing more than a small sliver tonight. The usually busy streets silent as the curfew of Ba Sing Se is almost near.
Clutching her bag closer to her chest, Katara moves more quickly down the streets, hoping to make it back to the other's before nightfall.
But that wasn't the case.
"Hello, sweetheart. What's the rush?" Two figures emerge from behind a building stepping into her path to the upper ring. They were both middle aged men, wearing what seemed to be rugged old clothes, warn and torn from old age. One of the men had a thick black beard and short black hair. While the other was bald and missing a few teeth.
The man with the dark bears steps towards her as she takes a step back, "Awe, we'll be nice with you. Won't we Toshi."
"Yeah, real nice." He gives her a sinister smile before diving for her. But that was their first mistake. Uncorking her waterskin, Katara forms a water whip swatting back at her two attackers, pushing them away so she could run in the direction towards her home.
She makes it about a yard away before a wall of rock breaks out in front of her, thwarting her path to freedom.
"Uh-uh." Her attacker says. "No escaping tonight, young lady. Who knew there was a Waterbender among us."
"I bet she's worth a lot in the trade, boss."
"Oh she will be." The words sent a chill up her spine.
They want to sell me?!
"I don't think so!" A deep voice rings out from above. A dark figure cloaked in black jumps from the roof swinging two twin Dao swords ready to fight.
Katara's eye widen in shock.
"You're the Blue Spirit!" The bald man yells.
His partner crouches down in a wide spread motion before a boulder rushes towards the Blue Spirit.
"No!" Katara yells, warning the Spirit of the on coming attack, but he's much quicker than she expected. He jumps over the rock with ease and uses it to flip and land in front of the two men.
With quick precision, the Blue Spirit fights against the two Earthbenders. Keeping up with each of their attacks. Katara knows she could help, but she's rooted to the ground watching the fight unfold before her.
It doesn't take long for the two Earthbenders to grow tired against the quick attacks of the Blue Spirit. Eventually the Blue Spirit has them cornered and the two Earthbenders are begging for mercy. With a quick motion of his swords, the Blue Spirit pushes the men back and they find themselves running off in the opposite direction from where they once came.
"That was amazing!" Katara runs up to the Spirit, forgetting he was a wanted criminal. "How can I ever thank you?"
The Spirit turns to her, finally seeing the person he had saved.
It's the Avatar's Waterbender…if I follow her maybe I can-
No.
Zuko's thoughts come to a halt. He can't jeopardize his and Uncle Iroh's new lives over his selfish need to restore his honor. If anything, it'd be the dishonorable thing to do.
But I could go home.
The Blue Spirit shakes his head and turns away from Katara, ready to leave her and head back to the Jasmine Dragon. But before he could run down the closest alleyway, a soft hand grasps at his arm.
"I really would like to thank you for saving me back there." Her eyes full of gratitude. Zuko felt his heart jump into his throat. He knew the Avatar's Waterbender was attractive, but he never had a chance to really look at her before, and under the moonlight she was absolutely glowing.
Wow.
He finds himself leaning towards her, completely forgetting he's wearing the Blue Spirit mask. When he's inches way, she places her hands on the mask and pulls on it slighting, freeing the bottom portion of Zuko's face. She leans up to meet him, placing a short chaste kiss on his lips before pulling away.
She smiles to herself, a soft blush settling across her cheeks. "Thank you."
Before Zuko could move to catch her, bring her back into his arms, she's off running back to her friends, away from him.
He feels the urge to follow her, not to find the Avatar, but for her.
Maybe one day…
