Book One:
Water
Chapter Thirteen:
The Blue Spirit
"Absolutely not. The Yu-Yan archers stay here. Your request is denied, Commander Zhao."
Commander Zhao was not impressed with his fellow's soldier's refusal of his request. He needed the archers to help him capture the Avatar and his Protector. The boy and girl had slipped past him once, he wouldn't allow it to happen again.
"Colonel Shinu, please reconsider. Their precision is legendary, the Ya-Yan can pin a fly to a tree from 100 yards away without killing it. You're wasting their talents as mere security guards."
The Colonel scowled and replied, "I can do whatever I want with their talents, they're my archers and what I say goes."
Zhao frowned, and refused to back down "But my search for the Avatar-"
"Is nothing but a vanity project. We're fighting a real war and I need every man I've got, Commander," Zhao tried to protect but Colonel Shinu cut him off "That's final! I don't want to hear another word about it."
The screech of a messenger hawk sounded, distracting the two men from their argument. The hawk flew towards the Fire Nation Prison, coming to a smooth landing on top of the battlements.
Shinu held out his arm, and the hawk came to rest upon it. The Colonel took out the message, read it, and then gasped in shock. The message was something the man had not been expecting at all.
"News from Fire Lord Ozai?" Zhao took the message and read it himself, before smirking "It appears I've been promoted to Admiral. My request? Is now an order."
The other man bowed, before departing down the steps that led down to the floor below the battlements. Admiral Zhao, smirked maliciously, pleased with this unexpected but welcome outcome.
No one noticed a figure wearing a blue oni mask, slip away into the shadows.
0o0
Sokka was sick.
Currently, we were staying in an old village's ruins. We had set up camp in one of the higher up buildings, with intact roof and three walls, the fourth wall being open, and leading out onto a small balcony that looked over the valley.
I had made the decision to set Appa down and to stay here when I noticed how badly Sokka was coughing, and how high his temperature was. As of right now, my friend was snuggled up tight into his furred sleeping bag, laying on Appa's second right leg, as Aang, Katara and I tended to him.
Sokka coughed harshly and I winced, as I sat by the fire, stirring a pot of hot tea made with lemon, and honey; it was an old Air Nomad recipe, one Monk Gyasto had made for me and Aang when we had been small and had gotten sick.
Katara wiped at her older brother's brow, worry darkening her face "This should bring your fever down."
The pale skinned, sweaty older boy smiled and said nasally and a little slurred "You know what I love about Appa the most? His sense of humour."
Katara smiled indulgently and replied softly "That's nice. I'll tell him."
The bison let out a rumble, as if he was answering, which made Sokka chuckle and say "Hahaha, classic Appa."
Aang returned then, from went I sent him out to go search for some ginger root to add to the tea. I sighed, knowing by the downcast expression across the younger airbender's face that he hadn't managed to find any.
"How's Sokka doing?" Aang asked, concerned
Katara sighed "Not so good. Being out in that storm really did a number on him."
The Water Tribe boy was shivering in his sleeping bag, looking sickly pale, covered with sweat. Any time the older boy spoke his voice sounded stuffed and blocked from his runny nose, and he ended up coughing harshly and painfully.
I hated to see my friend this way.
"I couldn't find any ginger root for the tea, but I found a map." The Airbender produced the said map, and laid it out across the ground "There's a herbalist's Institute on the top of that mountain, we can probably find a cure for Sokka there."
I shook my head, Katara beating me at voicing disagreement "Aang he's in no condition to travel. Sokka just needs more rest. I'm sure he'll be better by tomorrow."
I almost believed the waterbender's words, until she started coughing harshly herself. I sighed, knowing that now we definitely wouldn't be going anywhere by tomorrow, now that Katara was sick too.
"Not you too!" Aang whined worriedly in response to the coughing fit.
"Relax it was just a little cough, I'm fine-" Her body betrayed her, and the girl was taken by another coughing fit.
Aang lowered his hands from protecting his face from Katara's coughing.
"That's how Sokka started yesterday, now look at him! He thinks he's an earthbender."
"Take that you rock!" Sokka swiped at the air with a closed fist, lost in a haze where he was bending and punching rocks.
Aang rolled up his map, determination and worry flashing in his eyes as he stood with his glider staff In hand.
"A few more hours, and you'll be nonsense like that too. I'm going to find some medicine." He snapped open his glider wings, before a crack of lightning sounded and he stilled "Uh maybe it's safer if I go on foot. Keep an eye on them, guys."
Momo and Appa let out noises as if to agree, as Sokka laughed "You guys are killing me."
I looked up from what I was doing and said concerned "Be careful Aang. No…no risk-taking, no getting into trouble. Promise?"
He smiled, hand held out as if he was taking an oath "Promise."
Then he jumped off the balcony to the valley below, before running so fast using his bending, so all that was left behind was dust.
I sighed.
Looks like it was just me, to care for my sick friends, alone. Raiu chirped before settling on my shoulder. Well, maybe not completely alone then, I thought with a smile.
I got up from beside the fire, now with two cups of steaming tea in hand rather than the initial one. I held out one to the younger girl, and Katara once again tried to protest that she wasn't sick, that she was completely fine.
I gave her a stern look "Drink your tea little miss, no…no arguments." The girl huffed but after receiving another stern commanding look from me, she did as told.
I knelt beside Sokka and lifted his head up slightly. The poor guy was so confused and delirious with his fever, it took some moments before his blue eyes focused on me clearly enough to recognize me.
He reached up to tug on a curl of my hair before I gently set his hand back under the covers.
"Mina! Mina, can you tell me a story?" he slurred, waving his hands "You tell the best stories!"
I smiled kindly down at him, "Tell you…tell you what, you drink your special juice, and I'll tell you a very…very special story."
The boy cheered, before breaking out into another round of coughing. I helped him drink his tea, making sure he swallowed all of it, before taking the two cups from the Water Tribe siblings.
I then helped Katara out of her heavy fur parka, and then set to work rubbing a cool peppermint paste I had made onto the girl's upper chest and collarbones, and neck, before doing the same to Sokka.
The peppermint would help with their congestion and relieve the aches and strain on their body.
I tucked the two siblings back into the sleeping bags and placed an extra blanket over each. I made them drink another cup of lemon and honey tea, as well as a hot tincture made with some leftover valerian root I had stored to help them sleep easier.
With the two passed out for the moment, I got to work with other chores that needed doing.
I gazed out, looking for any sign of Aang.
There was none.
I sighed and went back to mending one of Aang's shirts.
I was worried, but I couldn't leave Sokka or Katara when they were so sick. I had wanted to go with Aang, to help him with finding a cure for the Water Tribe sibling's sickness; I didn't for two reasons.
Reason one was because I couldn't leave my two friends to fend for themselves like this. And reason two was because I had to let Aang do some things on his own.
Aang was the Avatar, and at some time he would need to learn how to cope with being and doing things on own, with his own strength and power. I couldn't mother him and hover over him forever.
What was I going to do if and when he found love and got married someday? Join him on his honeymoon because I worried too much about him? No.
Aang was strong, capable, and smart. Yes, he was twelve years old, but that was why this task of finding medicine would be good for him, it was simple and easy and gave him a taste of doing something by himself without me looming over him.
I just hoped he managed to keep his promise and not get into any trouble.
0o0
"We haven't been able to pick up the Avatar's trail since the storm."
On Prince Zuko's ship, things were going fine. Well as fine as could be expected after surviving a vicious storm and losing the Avatar's trail because of it. Surprisingly Zuko wasn't as enraged as he could have been.
The young teen stood arms crossed by Lieutenant Jee's side as he showed his Prince a map of their current route.
"If we keep heading east-"
A shadow loomed over the bridge causing the men inside to quiet and gaze at the approaching ship with confusion.
Zuko was not impressed "What do they want?" he wondered aloud, arms crossed, gold eyes narrowed.
"Perhaps, a sporting game of Pai-Sho?" his uncle spoke up.
The old man had been wiping the floor with three of the crew for the better part of an hour now. It was quite comical to watch, though those losing to the retired General didn't find it so amusing.
Three soldiers from the other ship came abroad; a wanted poster was bandied about, depicting the Avatar on it. They wanted information about the young Airbender boy, and his companions to it seemed.
"The hunt for the Avatar has been given prime importance. All information regarding the Avatar must be reported directly to Admiral Zhao."
Iroh smiled, focused locked onto his tile which he moved, taking his opponent's piece "Admiral Zhao has been promoted? Well good for him."
Zuko was not so happy for the man. Ever since that day he had fought an Agni Kai with the older man, he had hated him. The older man was pompous, arrogant, self-entitled. Not to mention over-bearing, immoral, and his ugly countenance didn't help matters.
"I've got nothing to report to Zhao. Now get off my ship and let us past." The prince requested, quite politely considering who he was dealing with and who they worked for.
"Admiral Zhao is not allowing ships in or out of this area." The one in charge stated,
Zuko lost his temper, and snapped loudly back in a command "Off my ship!"
The three men left.
General Iroh barely noticed, too involved with his Pai-Sho game, and once again winning another round against his nephew's crew. The older man grinned, pleased and delighted, not noticing, or rather not bringing attention to Zuko's sudden bout of brooding.
"Excellent, I take the pot. You are all improving. I am certain you will win if we play again."
Needless to say after so many losses, no one volunteered to play another round.
0o0
"Says here the Avatar can create tornadoes and run faster than the wind. Pretty amazing."
A Fire Nation man was sat, reading the same information on the wanted poster that had been shown to Prince Zuko earlier that day. The two Fire Nation soldiers were hidden high up in a hideout in the trees, acting as sentries and an early warning should any trouble come their way.
The second soldier, who had been gazing out from his telescope, snorted and scoffed "Ah that's just a bunch of Fire Lord Propaganda, there's no way that's true."
The man would soon eat his words.
Aang raced past at increased speed, leaving dust in his wake. The soldier's little hideout was blown away by the force of the wind the Airbender was using to speed past, rumbling their clothes and messing up their hair.
A horn was sounded, signalling the Avatar's approach.
0o0
I suddenly got a bad feeling.
I shot up from where I had been reading my book, a shiver of warning running down my spine. I wasn't sure what was wrong, I only knew something was. I would get these feelings from time to time, and they had never led me astray before.
I stood to my feet, about to head off to find Aang, when Sokka's voice stopped me dead.
"Katara, please, water."
I froze, hesitant. Aang was in trouble, or he was about to be or- the more likely option- he had caused trouble somewhere. I should go and look for him, he had been gone too long, surely it didn't take this long to get some medicine?
"Listen carefully Momo, I need you to take this to the river, and fill it with water," Katara spoke voice rough from coughing.
I shook my head, as I made my way over from where I had been sitting by the fire, and took the water pouch from the girl. She continued to talk to Momo, instructing him on how to get water. I inhaled, and then exhaled, suddenly feeling exhausted.
Momo wasn't there. He was curled up with Raiu by the fire, asleep. Katara was hallucinating.
I smoothed Katara's blanket over her and said with a soft smile "Katara, sweetie, you need to…to rest. Go back, to sleep."
The Water Tribe girl moaned and tried to sit up, "No, Momo water. I need you to get water. Got it?"
I shushed her and tucked her back in again.
It took over an hour, with me wiping at the girl's brow with a cool cloth, feeding her water, and humming an old Air Nomad lullaby before Katara drifted off to sleep. After she was down and out for the count, I turned to Sokka.
I held a damp cloth of his forehead, and fed him his own share of water, before telling him that story I had promised him.
"It all started 9,928 years ago. It began, well it began as you might expect. In a simple city, there lived a boy. Not a plain boy or a simple one, by any means oh no. this boy…he was special."
Sokka relaxed at the sound of my voice, a dazed smile on his face.
"His name…was Wan."
0o0
Aang had raced up the mountain, in a hurry, speeding right into the place where he was sure he could find some help.
The old women that was the herbalist, puttered around the house, a cosy place situated right next to the temple. Her cat was a cute fluffy creature and followed her everywhere.
"Hello I'm sorry to barge in like this but I need some medicine for my friends. They have fevers and they've been coughing and-" rattling off his friend's symptoms at top speed, worry and concern as loud and obvious as the thunderstorm approaching.
The old women smiled, fixing something together, with a pestle and mortar "Settle down young man your friends are going to be fine. I've been up here for over forty years you know."
The old women shuffled over to another table, her green robes, and long white hair, whipping about her as she did.
"There used to be others, but they all left years ago. Now it's just me and Miyuki." The cat purred as she pet it.
"That's nice." Aang deadpanned, confused as to what else he was supposed to say.
The women ignored him, still stirring away "Wounded Earth Kingdom troops still come by now and again. Brave boys. And thanks to my remedies they always leave in better shape than when they arrive."
"That's nice," Aang repeated, even more, befuddled "Are you almost done?" he asked grey eyes wide with impatience franticness.
The old women walked off, searching the plants and herbs around her as she said "Hold now, I just need to add one last ingredient. Oh, sandalwood, no that won't do, banana leaf ah nope, ginger root uh uh, now where is that pesky little plant?"
Aang blinked, then dragged his hand down over his face with a groan.
This was going to take forever.
0o0
"Is everything ok? It's been almost an hour and you haven't given the men an order."
General Iroh found his nephew shooting fire blasts into the air and off the ship, venting his frustration and anger in the only way he knew how. The teenage boy stopped bending at his uncle's voice and scoffed over his shoulder.
"I don't care what they do."
"Do not give up hope yet. You can still find the Avatar before Zhao."
It was a nice encouraging thing to say, but not helpful really. At least Zuko didn't think so.
The scarred boy turned around, gold eyes filled with desperation and frustration "How uncle? With Zhao's resources, it's just a matter of time before he captures the Avatar!"
He turned back around, gazing at the grey water, and the smoky horizon. General Iroh said nothing, silent and contemplative behind his nephew.
"My honour, my throne, my country. I'm about to lose them all."
There was nothing but the sound of the wind in reply.
0o0
"Oh here's what I was looking for! Plum blossom."
Aang had never felt more relieved in his entire life. Thank the spirits this long awkward and frustrating experience was over finally. He had been waiting an hour as the women looked done the right plant, and he was done and fed up.
He went to take it, eager to get going and return to his two friends and his older sister "Finally. Thanks for all your help."
She smacked him with a wooden she had on hand "Hands off, what do you think you're doing?"
Ok, now the Airbender was really confused. That was the cure for his friends, the one he had waited pretty much forever and a day for, and now he wasn't allowed to take it to them? Why?
"Taking the cure to my friends." He replied rubbing his sore and abused hand.
The women smiled and cackled, lowering the weapon, before placing the bowl before her cat "This isn't a cure, it's Miyuki's dinner. Plum blossom is her favourite."
Aang deflated, tired and wanting to leave as soon as possible "What about my friends?"
The women chuckled "Well all they need is some frozen wood frogs. There's plenty of them down in the valley swamp."
"What am I supposed to do with frozen frogs?" A disgusted wary look came across the young monk's face.
The old women grinned "Why, suck on them of course."
"Suck on them?" he exclaimed, even more, disgusted and now just plain horrified.
"The frogs' skin excretes a substance that'll cure your friends. But make sure you get plenty. Once those little critters thaw out they're useless!"
There was a pause. Nothing but silence.
"You're insane aren't you?" Aang asked.
"That's right."
If Mina were there with him, she would have scolded him for being so rude, especially to someone who had helped him, and given him the information he needed to help his sick friends; but even his sister would have had to admit this woman was crazy.
Noticing him still standing there, the old women glared, and pointed her spoon at him "Well don't just stand there all day! Go!"
Some of Miyuki's dinner came flying off the spoon, to land smack dab on the centre of his face, covering his eyes and making it look like he was wearing a mask of sorts.
Aang decided that was a good time to get going.
0o0
Aang was expecting an ambushed when he left the Herbalist's hut.
He barely managed to take a few steps out into the fierce wind that had started up, before arrows came flying at him. Two embedded into his trouser legs, halting him where he stood, leaving him unable to flee.
More arrows by the dozen came screaming out the cover of the trees at him, and Aang air bent a shield of air around him, blasting the arrows away, before tugging one out of his trouser leg hem.
He held it aloft, now seeing the men perched in the trees around him "Uh, I think you dropped this."
They continued to fire at him in response.
He pulled the last arrow out of his trouser leg, before making a run for it. The archers had him surrounded, blocking the way to the stairs down off the mountain top. He spun around dodging and ducking arrows as he went.
Aang then saw there was one option left to him.
He dove off the mountain.
He used his airbending to slow his descent, causing him to crash into trees and their branches on the way down. He hopped from branch to branch, ducking and swiping at more arrows sent his way.
He emerged from the trees, landed on the ground then took off running into the muddy swamp.
The frozen wood frog he had found was shot out his hand, startling him.
Aang trudged through the muddy thick cold water as fast as he could, picking up the frozen frogs and placing them in his tunic as he went. He didn't get far, before four arrows came at him, and then pinned him to a fallen tree trunk, rendering his left arm useless.
Using some of his waterbending skills, he drew a shield of ice before him, shielding him from the nest three arrows before the fourth broke into pieces.
More arrows came hurtling at him, pinning his other arm down. A net was shot at him, for good measure.
Aang felt terrified. He was trapped, with nowhere to go.
He almost wanted to cry.
0o0
He was taken captive and now was being held in a Fire Nation prison.
The prison had three outer walls, all made of hard thick steel, with barred gates and windows. Soldiers were posted at almost everywhere, leaving no chance of anyone able to sneak in or sneak out.
Aang was placed high in the tower, his arms chained to two poles at either side of him, his feet chained to the floor. The firelight from the braziers on top of the poles flickered and left the room dark and gloomy and with an oppressive feeling.
The young Avatar tried to get loose, rattling the steel chains clasped at his wrists as he did so.
Aang huffed out a sigh. Mina was not going to be pleased with him. She was going to be so cross with him for breaking his promise, about not getting into trouble. That is if he managed to escape the place first.
The door opened and a man walked in.
He was dressed in red and black armour, clearly a soldier, and going by some of the crests on his uniform he was important. Aang glared at him.
"So this is the great Avatar. Master of all the elements. I don't know how you've managed to elude the Fire Nation all these years, but your little game of hide and seek ends now."
Aang gritted his teeth and snapped back at the monkey looked man "I've never hidden from you. Untie me and I'll fight you right now."
The man huffed out an amused derogatory huff "Uh, no." the man turned back to him where he had been facing the door "Tell me, how does it feel to be the only Airbender left? Do you miss your people?"
Aang glared before his head dropped and his shoulders slumped, as grief hit him hard.
The man smirked at him, before continuing in a patronizing tone "Oh don't worry, you won't be killed like they were, and how your little Airbender friend will be," those words caused Aang to go back to glaring death at the man "See if you die, you'll just be reborn and the Fire Nation will have to begin its search for the Avatar all over again. So I'll keep you alive. But just, barely."
He sneered viciously and coldly before turning to walk away. Aang inhaled deeply, before blowing a blast of air out his mouth, knocking the man into the wall, then to fall onto the floor, hard.
"Blow all the wind you want, your situation is futile, there is no escaping this fortress, and no one is coming to rescue you."
The door slammed closed, leaving Aang alone in the dark room.
0o0
It was well into the middle of the night, and I was more worried than ever.
Aang had been gone a long time, almost too long. I had quickly left the two siblings for a little while to go hunt him down at the Herbalist Institute, but the crazy old women there said Aang left some time at about before midday.
So where was my little brother? And what in Great Anil's name was he doing?
Sokka was coughing again, and asking for water. Katara answered as I made my over, telling her sick older brother that Momo would be back with said water soon. I sighed, very tiredly.
Momo was snuggled up with Raiu on my own bedroll the two lemurs fast asleep. Katara was still hallucinating Momo going out for water. The only positive right now that I could see was that Sokka seemed to be past the seeing things stage.
I gave my two friends another cup of water, and another cup of lemon and honey tea, before tucking them back into their sick beds. Sokka went without a fuss, falling asleep quickly.
Katara was more stubborn.
"I don't wanna sleep, Mina. M'not tired." The younger girl whined, and never had she sounded so young.
I gazed down at her, with one raised eyebrow, and folded arms. I tried to tuck her in again, and once again the Water Tribe girl resisted. I wasn't having it. I had tended to Aang when he had gotten sick in the past, and he was a heck of a lot more stubborn than Katara.
Aang was a hyper, excited, overly curious, goofy fun-loving 12-year old kid. Getting him to stay cooped up in bed all day, even when sick was a challenge. A challenge I had faced and won many times before.
If I could keep Aang in bed when ill, and not even so much as flinch at the wide teary eyes when begged to be allowed to stay awake, then Katara would be no trouble.
"Bed. Now." I ordered, gently but none the less firmly.
Katara groaned, and her ocean blue eyes stared up at me "Please, M'not tired Mina. Honest."
I felt my lips twitch slightly in amusement at her attempt to sway me "If the polar-bear puppy eyes from Aang won't work on me, yours most certainly won't. Quiet, Sleep, now. Or I'll bring out the cough tincture again."
At the threat of being given my strongest- and most horrible tasting- medicine Katara swiftly snugged into her blankets and her sleeping bag and clamped her eyes tightly shut.
Sokka spoke up then, not asleep as I had thought "No, no, no, no icky medicine Mina, it's sooo gross!"
I levelled a stern but kind look at him and said: "Back into bed with you too young man, or I will give you the 'icky medicine'."
Sokka laid down and went silent.
Not another peep was heard from my charges. Good. They needed to rest. I knew acting like a stern, bossy mother was wrong, seeing as I wasn't Katara and Sokka's mom, but I knew it would work, and it had.
I would apologise for being so…weirdly motherly when they were, and if they remembered of course.
I looked out from the balcony, my earlier worry returning.
"Aang, where, in Anil's name are you?"
There was still no sign of him.
0o0
Aang tried to struggle free, but it was useless.
The two poles which his wrists were chained too kept his arms outstretched and his ankles were chained into the hard metal floor. There was no way out, and no way to get out of the cold chains. He was trapped.
He slumped, an ache starting in his shoulders as his weight was completely put on them.
It was useless.
Mina and the others didn't know where he was. They all thought he had gone to the Herbalist Institute, they wouldn't suspect foul play, that he had been captured. Why would they? None of them had seen signs of the Fire Nation close by.
He was a prisoner.
0o0
It was surprisingly and laughably easy to sneak into the stronghold.
Zuko dressed all in black with a blue oni mask, rolled under a carriage, and clung to the underside of it, as it came to a stop at the stronghold gates. He rolled out, and swiftly hid in the back of the Komodo dragon rhino drawn carriage before the guard could discover him underneath.
The all-clear was given, and soon as there was a chance, Zuko hopped out, slipped past some unloaded crates, and then high-tailed it up the tower stairs, out of sight.
Admiral Zhao was heard giving a speech to the troops stationed below the balcony he stood upon.
"We are the sons and daughters of Fire, the superior element. Until today, only one thing stood in our path to victory. The Avatar. I am here to tell you he is now my prisoner!" cheers from below "This is the year Sozin's comet returns, to grant us it's power!" another cheer "This is the year the Fire Nation breaks through the walls of Ba-Sing-Sa and burns the city to the ground!"
While the pompous man made his overconfident speech, Zuko snuck around the last wall of surrounding the tower. Upon the battlements, he noticed a sewer drain, with the grate being easily big enough for him to slip through; which he did.
Almost there. Soon he would have the Avatar and be on his way to returning home to his country, to his throne, to his people.
Angering Zhao by taking the Avatar right out from under his nose was just a bonus.
0o0
The frozen frogs were thawing.
Aang felt panic. He needed those frogs for Katara and Sokka, the Herbalist had said they needed to suck of them and to make sure they were frozen. Once they thawed they'd be useless.
They escaped his tunic, crawling away still half frozen across the cold floor.
"Don't leave frogs. My friends are sick and they need you. Please go back to being frozen."
He tried to struggle free again in order to catch the frogs before they escaped. The chains were too strong and he watched as they slipped under the cell door.
"No, come back!"
The frogs didn't listen.
0o0
The four guards standing outside the cell door where the Avatar was being held were surprised to see a helmet come crashing down the hall at them.
The first guard disappeared around the corner to the right, to investigate. There was a sight of flames, a cry of surprise, and then nothing.
The second and third guard followed the first round the corner. They found him hanging by his wrists from the ceiling, gagged. They soon joined him, hanging from the ceiling. The fourth guard still stood by the cell door, went to sound the alarm. The horn was shot out from his hand by a dagger.
A black-clad figure wearing a blue oni mask came charging at him. He fired a powerful fire blast at the intruder. A bucket of water was thrown on him, dousing the flames.
Zuko, who was the figure, took the last guard out.
Then he made his way inside the cell.
0o0
Aang screamed as the blue masked figure came at him with dual swords.
There was a chink, then a thud, as the manacles around his wrists and feet were sliced apart by the swords that he had thought had been aimed at him. Aang was incredibly confused. So very very confused.
"Who are you? What's going on? Are you here to rescue me?"
The masked figure didn't say a word, only gestured the young monk forward as he strode through the door.
"I'll take that as a yes." Aang drawled as he followed behind.
The fourth guard was trussed up on the floor, and Aang winced as he passed him. Then he noticed his half-thawed frogs still crawling away down another corridor, and felt to his knees to grab at them.
"My frogs. Come back, and stop thawing out."
The blue oni masked figure returned, grabbed Aang by the collar and dragged him backwards, away from the corridor.
"Wait! My friends need to suck on those frogs!" Aang's voice echoed down the corridor.
0o0
Long ago, bending in its purest form did not occur in people naturally. No, if one wanted to bend and control the elements at that time, then they had to go to the guardians of bending. The Lion Turtles.
It was somewhere far west, that one such being existed. This lion turtle granted those who were worthy the gift of firebending. For you see humans were not capable of handling more than one element, and not permanently.
It was the little village that was situated on top of the lion turtles back, that the first Avatar was born and lived.
His name was Avatar Wan.
But before he became the Avatar, he was a thief.
He stole food, and other such things from the noblemen, three brothers who lived in the richest, biggest house in the village. He did so frequently, but he did not do so out of callousness, or for greed. He did it to provide for his friends and himself.
Wan was invited on a hunt into the spirit wilds, and when he returned, he did return the gift of firebending as he was told by the lion turtle that protected his village. So, as punishment, for using it to break into the noble men's home, he was banished.
But the lion turtle wasn't without mercy or compassion. He allowed Wan to keep the fire, and the young man entered the spirit wilds on his own, with only his firebending for protection.
So it was, that Wan's journey to becoming the Avatar, began…
"How many times do I have to tell you Momo? We need water. Wa. Ter."
Katara's voice drew me out of my book.
It was a very interesting book that I was reading. Monk Gyatso had gotten it for me, for my 12th birthday. A gift, for not only a special occasion but for gaining my mastery tattoos. To this day I still do not know where he got it, or how.
Books and information of the Avatar were scarce, and now probably even more so, now the nations were at war.
"Oh forget it. Aang please hurry."
I stood to my feet and made my way over towards the two siblings.
"Who's this Aang kid you keep talking about your highness?" Sokka questioned softly, dazedly.
I saw Katara glare at him in annoyance.
Sokka was sleep-for-hour, take his medicine without much of a fuss kind of sick person. Katara, I noticed, was the stubborn as heck, fussy, easily cranky type of sick person. Sokka was easy to deal with like this, Katara? Not so much.
I made the two drink another peppermint tea, and then a glass of water.
They both feel back to asleep soon after, leaving me to worriedly bite at my lip, wondering where on earth Aang could have gotten to.
I was conflicted to the extreme. Sokka and Katara needed looking after, and neither Momo, Raiu nor Appa could take care of the two if I were to leave to go look for Aang. But if I didn't go look, I constantly worry about him, scared that something bad had happened.
I gazed out at the ruins below.
I hoped Aang would be back soon. If he wasn't I'd go and look.
0o0
The masked figure and Aang snuck out swiftly.
They silently as possible made their way through the sewer drainage pipe, before climbing quickly through the grate, and heading towards the inner wall surrounding the tower. The guards that were posted did not see them in the cover of the darkness.
Small mercy, to Aang's relief.
What neither of the two knew, was that Admiral Zhao had found the trussed guards hanging from the ceiling and upon barging into the Avatar's cell and found it empty. The orders he was giving to a scribe to write a full transcription of his speech to the Fire Lord, along with testaments to his greatness from the soldiers, was forgotten.
The alarm was raised.
And neither Aang nor his rescuer knew until it was too late.
The rope they were using to climb up the wall was cut, and they quickly fell to the ground. Aang used his airbending to create an airball beneath them, to cushion their descent enough not to break bones.
"The Avatar has escaped! Close all gates immediately!" Zhao's order rang out.
Aang took off, telling his rescuer to stay close, as they made their way towards the shutting gates before them.
A contingent of guards stood in the way, spears at the ready. Aang blasted them back with one powerful airwave, before continuing to run for the exit. The masked figure was engaged with converging soldiers before Aang noticed he wasn't behind him.
The young Airbender snatched a spear from one guard and turned it into a makeshift staff. He knocked the guards circling his saviour away, before using the staff to air blast the masked figure up onto the battlements.
Aang followed, hooking his feet around the masked figure's middle, before using the spear shaft to fly across to the second surrounding wall by twilight it swiftly above his head. Spears were thrown at them, and the dual swords of his rescuer cut them apart before they could hit.
The two escapees landed hard on the second walls battlements as Aang's strength gave out.
A guard went for Aang before the masked figure chucked him clear over the wall. More soldiers came after them, scaling the second wall with ladders. Aang blasted them down with airbending while his masked saviour knocked them away with his swords.
Aang hopped onto one of the ladders and ordered the masked figure to hop onto his back. The two then used the remaining two ladder-like vaulting poles to make their way across to the third and last surrounding wall.
The third ladder, unfortunately, was set on fire from below and they didn't make it to the third wall.
They missed grabbing the wall by inches and fell to the ground in a heap.
Fire blasts were sent at them furiously and Aang shielded the two of them with air before an order rang out from Zhao.
"Hold your fire! The Avatar must be captured alive."
Suddenly two swords were crossed over Aang's throat.
Zhao stood still, as Aang became frozen and stiff in his rescuer's grasp. Aang wasn't sure whether the masked figure was bluffing or not, but he didn't dare move just encase. The young monk just hoped that if he got out of this, Mina never found out.
She would smack him hard about the head, twice. And then possibly ground him for good measure.
Zhao ordered for the last gate to be opened, and when Colonel Shinu objected, he demanded the order be followed, his tone suggesting he wouldn't ask again.
The gate opened, and the masked figure backed up slowly, his swords still crossed over Aang throat.
The two had almost made it to the cover of the forest behind them when an arrow fired by one of the Yu-Yan came hurtling at them without warning.
Zhao had ordered the archer to knock out the thief, but leave the Avatar unharmed. He would deliver both to the Fire Lord. The thief would be tried and punished for helping the Avatar escape Fire Nation control, and the Avatar? Well, that didn't need explaining.
The arrow struck true, knocking the masked figure unconscious.
Aang gasped, and then struck up a cloud of thick dust in order to give himself and his rescuer cover and to block the prison stronghold's sight.
Aang pulled the slightly askew mask off and then scuttled back swiftly at the face behind the mask.
It was Zuko, Prince of the Fire Nation. The teenage boy who had been hunting him and his friends- but more him- since their first encounter in the South Pole all those two weeks or so ago.
Aang made to run…but then he stopped.
He took in Zuko's fallen form, and he hesitated.
By the time the guards got to their position, Aang and Zuko were long gone.
0o0
I had given in after two hours and gone searching.
It was about an hour away from dawn and Aang hadn't returned to their little campsite within the ruins. I left Katara and Sokka fast asleep, and tucked in in their sleeping bags, commanding Raiu to watch over them and keep Momo out of trouble. I told Appa not to let the two lemurs squabble and got a groan of assent from the bison in return.
Then I set off, to look for my wayward little brother.
I knew he wasn't at the Herbalist's, so I went looking around down by the river, thinking maybe he was still looking for frozen wood frogs like the old herbalists had told him to get.
He wasn't there.
But a ripped piece of his yellow and orange tunic was. The piece of dirty, torn fabric from Aang's clothing was pinned to a fallen log by an arrow.
There were signs of a struggle all around the forest, and the river, and I felt fear strike me near dead. Had Aang been captured? And by who, if so? There were no signs of Fire Nation anywhere near here. At least, none that I had seen.
I was trekking through the forest when a flash of yellow and orange caught my eye.
"Aang?" I called very softly.
If it had been anyone else, they wouldn't have heard me, not even a little. But some few airbenders were gifted with heightened hearing, a perk to having airbending, being able to hear sounds most couldn't.
So when I called out, only one person answered, and it was the one person who would have the ability to hear me call in the first place.
"Mina?"
I ran forward, pushing bushes out of my way.
I felt the most powerful wave of relief I had ever felt, upon finding Aang sat safe and sound on a protruding tree root. I lunged forward with a happy cry and brought Aang into a tight and reassuring hug.
He hugged back just as tightly, shaking like a leaf.
"Aang! Thank Anil you're ok. I was so worried." I pulled back, crossing my arms and frowning at them "Where have. You. Been?!" I demanded, relief replaced with anger.
Aang winced.
Then he explained everything.
He explained how most of his time was wasted by the Herbalist women, who in his opinion was little off the beaten path, so to speak, and kept him hanging around her hut, looking for this plant and that herb, before telling him it wasn't a cure for him, but her cat's dinner. After which she sent him off to look for frozen frogs.
He had been ambushed by archers and taken prisoner by the Fire Nation who close by in a stronghold about an hour's walk from our current position.
He then told her how he had managed to escape, before having to take a rest here in the forest on his way back.
Then he pointed out the reason he had needed to rest for a moment, instead of coming straight back.
I felt my jaw hit the ground, and my eyes go so wide I was sure they'd fall out the sockets.
"Is that…is that Z-Zuko?!" I exclaimed, seeing the prone prince's body nestled gently in a nest of leaves, cradled by more tree roots.
Aang nodded, rubbing the back of his neck "Uh, yeah, it is. He saved me from the Pohuai Stronghold, and I have no idea why, but I just couldn't…I just couldn't leave him there, it felt wrong after he helped me!"
Aang was gesturing so widely in his desperate attempt to explain, and possibly stop me from being mad at him, that he nearly whacked me in the face.
I grabbed his wrists, and lowered his hands "Whoa, easy." Then I let him go, to stare at Zuko.
The prince looked much younger, and so much more peace when he was deeply asleep like he was now. Usually, he was frowning or scowling, or making a brooding expression the few times I had come face to face with him.
The peaceful contented look on his face now suited him much better than the scrunched scowls.
I shook my head, to clear it of such odd thoughts, before turning back to my little brother.
"I understand," and I did "You did the right thing not leaving him behind."
Aang blinked. Once, twice, three times, before saying innocently with his grey eyes watering a little "Really?"
I nodded and gave a gentle smile "Really really. He saved you so…maybe he's not so bad after all." the last part was more an unsure question than a statement, but I did feel it might be a little true.
Aang grinned, slumping in relief "So you're not mad at me?"
I rolled my eyes, and shoved him with a hand to his forehead, "Oh no I'm mad at you, but for getting yourself caught up in more trouble though, not for being the good person I helped raised you to be and doing the right thing."
Aang bit his lip, and then shrugged "I suppose that's fair enough. I'm sorry, I worried you."
I huffed and then sat down at his side "As you should be. And to make it up to me, you're grounded and on dish duty for a week."
Aang tried to protest with a long clear whine "But Minaaaaaaaaaaaaa."
I shook my head, and crossed one leg over the other, every bit the stern older sister image "No buts, or I'll make it two weeks grounded on dish duty."
Aang quickly went quiet. It took all my efforts not to laugh at how adorable that was.
There was silence for a little while, as Aang sat and thought quietly to himself, while I quickly checked on Zuko. The prince had a concussion and would have a terrible headache for a while, but he was fine.
I gently floated up out the ravine Zuko's leaf mattress was placed, and then lowered myself down to sit by Aang again once done.
"You know what the worst thing about being born a 100 years ago is?" my brother asked softly "I miss all the friends I used to hang out with."
I frowned. Was Aang talking to me? Or was he talking to…?
"Before the war started, I used to always visit my friend Kuzon, the two of us, we'd get in and out of so much trouble together, he was one of the best friends I ever had. Like Mina and Jian and Huan, Kuzon's older twin brothers were good friends. And all three were from the Fire Nation. Just like you."
I spun around to see where Aang was looking. Zuko's eyes were open. He was awake.
"If we knew each other back then, do you think we could have been friends too?"
I bit my lip, gaze hovering between the grey ones of my brother, and the amber eyes of the one who hunted us. Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, my eyes went. None of us moved or made a sound.
I turned my full attention to Zuko, waiting for his answer.
He shot a stream of fire at Aang in reply.
I ducked, and Aang jumped into the trees and raced away.
I stood there, frozen in that deep amber gaze for a moment.
I then sped away, leaving nothing but a breeze behind me.
Guess we got our answer.
0o0
"Where have you been Prince Zuko? You missed music night. Lieutenant Jee sang a stirring love song." General Iroh greeted his nephew.
Zuko continued to walk away, not turning to look at his uncle as he called over his shoulder "I'm going to bed. No disturbances." He rubbed his head, where he had been by that arrow, a headache forming.
General Iroh let him go in peace.
0o0
The two of us returned to camp exhausted.
Aang was tired from all the running, and being chased and escaping prison, and I was just as tired from staying up all night taking care of our two friends and then going out to hunt for him.
Aang shoved two frozen frogs into Katara and Sokka's mouths, with a heavily dazed tone "Suck on these, they'll make you feel better."
The 12-year-old collapsed with a groan onto Appa's tail, as I slumped down onto my own sleeping bag, which was rolled out by the-now cold- fire.
I was too tired to do much more than cuddle up in my blanket; I didn't even so much as look at my book, which I had been so engrossed in earlier. Taking care of two sick people for half the night, then scouring a forest for Aang for the rest of it, had wiped me out.
Neither Aang nor I had any strength to move from the places we had collapsed into.
"Aang how was your trip? Did you make any new friends?" Sokka asked, his voice slurred and muffled by the frozen frog in his mouth.
I heard Aang exhale, and then the sound of him turning over from his back to his right side "No. I don't think I did."
Sokka hummed, and then said to me "Mina? Did you make any new friends?"
I sighed heavily, sadly "No Sokka. I didn't."
Aang and I were so exhausted from the night, we said nothing more.
The sight of bright orbs, intensely looking at me, was the last thought to cross my mind.
As I drifted off to sleep, I felt the burn of amber eyes.
0o0
Zuko was laid out on his bed, wiped out and done from his busy night of rescuing the Avatar.
The red flag with the three-pronged red fire emblem caught his focus. It seemed to mock, the sight of it, bringing to mind the Avatar's words from earlier that morning after he had woken.
"All three were from the Fire Nation. Just like you. If we knew each other back then, do you think we could have been friends too?"
He turned away, leaving the flag at his back.
He fell asleep, haunted by two pairs of different shades of stormy eyes.
0o0
I was woken briefly from my doze, by Sokka.
"Mmmmm, Mmmm. This is tasty."
Then the sound of frogs croaking came, followed by exclamations of surprise and disgusted. Coughing and spluttering and noises of complaint were heard.
I smiled a little, knowing the Water Tribe siblings had discovered they had been sucking on once frozen frogs from the swampy river.
I snuggled deeper into my sleeping bag, Raiu purring in my ears.
I drifted off to sleep again, a small smile at my lips.
0o0
Mina (Aged 15) - Faithful Sky
Aang (Aged 12) - Peaceful Soaring
Katara (Aged 14) - To pull and push
Sokka (Aged 15) - Inquire and block
Momo- Peach
Raiu- Thunder
Appa- the Last character of the written name means cypress.
Zuko (Aged 16) - Awaken rank/ vertical high
Iroh- A type of Chinese flower
Jian- Strength
Huan- Fortunate.