Chapter 3
Ripples in the Pond
"Looking for me?"
"You're the airbender?" Zuko asked incredulous, "You're the Avatar?"
I stared at Aang and Zuko as the two moved slowly. Circling each other. Zuko seemed disgusted that this child, dressed in an apprentice monk's garb, armed with only a wooden staff was the one he had spent years looking for. Aang on his part remained focused and solemn.
"I've worked years, meditating, studying, training for this. You're just a little kid!" He spat. Aang paused, cocking his head in confusion.
"Well you're just a teenager." The two began circling again, like boxers in a ring, looking for the right moment to strike.
Zuko's fist shot out, sending a stream of fire at Aang. The young airbender spun it away with his staff. More fire, once again Aang protected himself. I could all but feel the tribe slowly backing away until the only ones were Aang, Zuko and I. Another wave of fire, this one much larger, flew towards Aang. He once again spun his staff. This flame wasn't fully dispersed. Remnants of the fire flew over the population of the tribe. I heard several people scream. Suddenly the fire was gone and Aang was standing erect, staff by his side.
"If I go with you will you leave everybody alone?" Zuko made no reply but a single nod. He pointed his soldiers at Aang. I watched as Aang was restrained and marched up the metal plank. Katara refused to just stay in place. She rushed towards the plank, stopping a good foot away from the bottom.
"Aang!"
"It's okay Katara, take care of Appa for me while I'm gone." Aang smiled causally as though this was nothing to be worried about. The plank rose until I could no longer see him. The boat slowly pulled out of the ice and vanished around an iceberg.
Everything was silent for a long time.
"Aang was the avatar?" Katara murmured softly. I looked at my friends for a moment before walking away.
I had a bison to find.
In the end it was Appa who found me. The two ton behemoth lowed* when he saw me and hurried over. I helped close the gap by approaching the giant animal. Appa sniffed me, his breath washing over me, warm and musty. He lowed again as if asking 'where is Aang?' I petted his nose before looking around and trying to figure how I'd get on. Appa, to my surprise dropped to the ground before looking at me expectantly.
"Thanks Appa. I owe you a treat." Appa grunted in reply. I laughed before using his legs to clamber up to his back. Ignoring the saddle completely, I carefully stepped onto his head and grabbed the reigns between his horns.
"Okay boy," I said, "Aang needs our help. Yip-yip!" To my delight Appa responded to my plea by slowly ambling across the plain. I didn't ask him to fly, my mind preoccupied by what had occurred. Had I done anything to change the course of events and if I had would it help or harm? The possible future of this world could be decided by my choices. I could not, would not sit idly by and watch my life pass by me. Besides I had made an oath. I pulled myself from my thoughts. I was over thinking this. If I paid to much attention on what was supposed to happen I would become to scared to act at all. I leaned back on Appa's head. The sky glowed yellow turning the snow into a plain of molten gold. It was beautiful.
"Appa!" I looked up. Katara was running at us, waving. A huge smile almost split her face. Sokka stood next to the crack in the ice, a canoe filled with items for a long trip beside him.
"I thought you guys might want a lift!" I called. Katara looked shocked for a split second before grinning again.
Appa was loaded very quickly, all three of us working together made the work easy. Then we climbed on and headed off. Katara and I took Appa's fuzzy head while Sokka lounged in the back. I clutched the reigns and snapped them to a cry of 'yip-yip'. Appa groaned before he lowered himself to the ground. I could feel the great muscles tensing. Then he shot into the air. My heart jumped to my throat but after the initial shock I let out a whoop of excitement. Sokka and Katara cried out as well, shock and excitement evident in their voices. Once Appa levelled out above the water Katara looked at me.
"Do you know where they are?"
"No," I admitted, "but they can't have gone far. They've only been going for half an hour tops," Katara nodded absently.
"Besides," I added, "they're going to the Fire Nation, we know in the general direction they're heading."
It was Sokka who spotted the ship first. As we got closer I was able to see Aang and Zuko on the deck. Both stopped and looked up when the dark shadow of Appa blocked them from the sun. I grinned and waved when they saw us. Aang grinned and waved back. He didn't expect the attack that came from Zuko. I should have.
Aang his the water hard. Even from here I could hear the slap of his back as he impacted. I knew just how cold the water here was. Hypothermia was a real danger that killed just as surely as drowning. A scream tore through me. Katara shouted his name. Sokka stared at the water, unable to say a word. I didn't know Aang. Not as his own person at least but I knew of him. I had watched him on TV and come to care for him. Aang was a smiling, naive boy who grew to become a strong, able young man. He was an optimist, was good with animals and was willing to give a second chance to anyone if they were just willing to ask. Later, Sokka would tell me that when Appa swept low to the ship I didn't wait for him to land. I jumped. I didn't remember any of it. One moment I was sitting on the bison's head, the next I was on the metal deck of Zuko's ship. Legs burning, my hand stinging with bleeding knuckles while Zuko was doubled over, gasping for breath.
The last two weeks or so I had been working more manual labour then I had ever imagined possible in my life. My muscles had become stronger then I had ever thought of. However I wasn't the only one with muscles. Zuko was ripped and wearing armour. It was purely because I had surprised him that I was able to effect him at all. I didn't wait for him to get his bearings. He barely had time to straighten before I went to slap him. My hand never connected. Zuko's own hand caught mine around the wrist. I started as he glared at me.
Aang shot out of the water. He hung there above the ship, suspended, eyes and tattoos glowing. Zuko in shock let go and I stumbled back. The avatar state was terrifying, every primal instinct inside me was screaming run. I quickly backed up, making plenty of distance between Zuko and myself. Aang dropped onto the ship with enough power to make the metal shake. The water he was controlling swung around, knocking off all the soldiers on deck, including Zuko. I stared at Aang amazed. He was so small, his head was about level with my chest and yet he held so much power. Aang turned to me, still in the Avatar state and touched my gloved hand.
A current of electricity ran through my body and suddenly it wasn't Aang standing there but Avatar Kyoshi. The tall female warrior dressed in green looked down at me, regal as a queen.
"Hello Madison," she said, "I was wondering when I would get to talk with you."
Two things struck me at once. The first was that this was Avatar Kyoshi, the woman who created not only Kyoshi island but also the Kyoshi warriors. It was the second realization that caused my heart to leap.
"Do you know a way to send me home?" I blurted out excitedly, "is that why you contacted me." Throughout my time in this world I had thought upon occasion that while the people here wouldn't know how to send me back home one of the avatars or even a spirit might. I would be able to see my family and friends again. I would be able to see him again. I looked at Kyoshi, hoping with everything in me that she knew a way to get me home. I didn't belong here in this world and maybe she knew that and was here to fix it. Kyoshi looked at me and her blank face changed to one of sorrow.
"I'm sorry Madison. Neither I nor any another avatar has come across this sort of situation before."
"Then why did you contact me," I snapped, "how did you contact me anyway. I'm not in the spirit world am I?" I looked around but my surroundings hadn't changed, they just seemed to be on pause. Katara was halfway off Appa, suspended by air. Sokka was hurrying down the bison's tail back to me. Kyoshi shook her head her makeup making it hard to identify with her.
"No. I'm contacting you from within your mind. Although I probably could have brought you to the spirit world as you've been there before."
"I have?"
"Yes and that is part of the reason I am here. You passed through the spirit world before coming to the south pole. Your presence, even in the spirit world has been like a pebble tossed into a calm pond." She paused before continuing on, face serious. "The full effects of your existence here has yet to be seen but they soon will be." I frowned.
"So what do you want me to do?"
"Nothing, there is no way to stop this. Even sending you home would not stop the changes you have already created. I simply ask that you do what you think is right. Only you can act upon the knowledge you have. Remember, that knowledge will not be relevant forever." I nodded before looking away nervously. Kyoshi refused to let me get away so quickly, she caught me in a piercing gaze, "Do not worry about your actions to much. A single butterfly moth flaps a wing-"
"And causes a hurricane, I know the theory."
"Then you have no reason to fear it." Kyoshi assured before vanishing, leaving Aang in her place. Time continued as the airbender's eyes rolled up into the back of his head and his legs collapsed from under him. I quickly grabbed him before he could hit the ground and eased him down to the cold metal.
Katara and Sokka rushed over to make sure he was okay but I waved them off.
"I'll get him to Appa, Katara can you watch our backs, Sokka grab his staff for me okay?" Aang's eyes fluttered open.
"Don't say anything Aang," I told him gently, "I have it covered." He nodded faintly as I slowly helped him back to his feet. Once he was standing I guided him to Appa. As we walked he began to lean on me less and less so by the time we were at the bison's tail he was able to scramble on himself. Katara rushed by next, scampering up the bison's tail. Sokka came last, boomerang in hand causing me to think that he had to cut himself out of the ice. I was right behind Sokka to get to Appa's saddle. Aang, sitting on his bison's head snapped the reigns "yip-yip"
"Pala, you're bleeding." I looked up at Katara. I had forgotten about my split knuckles. Now that I had been reminded of them though they began to sting like crazy. I looked at my hand and winced. All four knuckles of my right hand were split and bleeding. Some of the blood had dried around the wound. Katara took my hand with a practised gaze looked it over, assessing the damage. She was about to speak when Sokka cried out. On instinct both of us ducked.
Aang went soaring over our heads, flying towards the giant ball of fire shooting towards us and batted it aside with his staff. The fireball hit the side of one of the icebergs causing it to collapse on one end of Zuko's ship. Aang flew backwards and was quickly caught by Katara, Sokka and I. The three of us pulled the young airbender back onto the saddle. As soon as Aang was safe Katara dug into the pack perched on the end of Appa's saddle. She pulled out a brown bag that I recognized as a medical kit. Inside would be a bone bowl, a splint, bandages, salves for cuts, burns and bruises, items to ward of restless spirits and anything else Kanna could think off that would ease the journey. Katara true to form pulled a small jar of ointment out of the bag and began spreading it on my injury. While she worked she began to talk as she was wont to do.
"Sokka, Aang are either of you hurt?" Both boys shook their heads but Katara didn't seem to fully believe either of them. I winced as my knuckles began to sting even more then before.
"Ow."
"Sorry, this salve is going to burn for a bit but it will stop infection. I think you'd rather not lose your hand." I nodded in agreement. Back at home I would have believed it was a complete over exaggeration here though, if an infection wasn't treated right away it could lead to blood poisoning or lock jaw, both of which were fatal. I felt slightly guilty when I realized that illnesses that I was completely immune to were not only still prevalent but lethal for thousands of people in this world everyday. It made me feel like I had cheated somehow. Once Katara was done wrapping my hand she moved on to the boys. Sokka had nothing but a couple of bruises and they both agreed that the salve needed to be saved for more important things. Aang had a couple of nasty rope burns on his wrists but Katara was sure they wouldn't need treating.
After Katara was assured that everyone was going to be okay she leaned back on Appa's saddle allowing herself a moment to calm down. Aang crawled to the edge of Appa's saddle and sat there, balanced on one foot. There was silence for a long time. Finally Katara spoke.
"Why didn't you tell us you were the Avatar, Aang?" Aang didn't reply for a moment, to busy staring into the yellow and pink sky. He didn't even look in our direction but kept his eyes firmly fixed anywhere but us.
"Because... I didn't want to be." Sokka and Katara looked at each other with puzzled expressions, almost as though they couldn't understand. I paused and tried to look at it from Aang's perspective.
"I guess it was a lot of responsibility to suddenly thrust on a twelve year old." I said, keeping one eye fixed on Aang to see his reaction. Aang nodded, still not looking at us. I sighed. Maybe going to sleep would be the best thing for this particular issue. Katara seemed to be thinking along the same lines.
"I don't know about you but it's getting late. How 'bout we pull out the sleeping bags and sleep on it." Aang nodded once again before hopping onto Appa's head. The three of us still on the saddle shared a look. Aang was really upset about this and I was beginning to doubt that he would recover from whatever it was upsetting him. I had a sneaking suspicion I knew what it was. I decided to leave it for whenever he would be willing to share. I smiled and touched Katara's shoulder.
"Leave him to his thoughts," I said softly, "sometimes people just need to be alone." Katara nodded and passed me the sleeping bag she was holding. I accepted it graciously before pulling off my heavy outer garments and boots then crawling into bed. A few seconds later Katara took her place beside me, Sokka to her right.
I lay in bed, staring up at the stars for a long time. Everything had happened so quickly and I needed time to fully process it all. Zuko was clearly a lot more dangerous then I had really thought. He wasn't just some bad guy turned good, Zuko was a real person who was struggling to find just who he was in the world. Undoubtedly he would pose a serious threat to us, a lot more serious of a threat then he had been portrayed as in the series. I was a little disappointed that I hadn't met Iroh as he was one of my absolute favourite characters and I really wanted to get to know him as a person. On the other hand he was the most skilled and dangerous firebenders in existence only topped by Ozai because he had no conscience.
I sighed deeply before deciding to take all the information I had on the Avatar world and its storyline. I had watched the entire series through twice and some episodes a lot more times. I had read both The Promise and The Search all the way through and had seen bits and pieces of The Legend of Korra but had been overall disappointed with the series except for some of the theories it had created.
My mind wandered over to my confrontation with Kyoshi. My stomach churrned as what she had said finally hit home.
Neither I nor any another avatar has come across this sort of situation before
Unless another spirit had come across this I would never be going home. I felt a lump grow in my throat. Memories of my family assaulted me. I whimpered and screwed my eyes closed.
Go away. Go away. I don't want to think about this.
Who knew what happened to my family anyway. Had they died in the quake like I practically did. Were they alive but homeless or were they untouched but grieving because they thought I was dead. I tried to choke back a sob but failed. I cried myself to sleep that night. Inconsolable with the thought that I would never go home again.
A/N
*lowed is just a deep sound that cows are known to make based upon the definition I read in the dictionary.
