''Water. Earth. Fire. Air. My grandmother used to tell me stories about the old days, a time of peace when the Avatar kept balance between the Water Tribes, Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation, and Air Nomads. But that all changed when the Fire Nation attacked. Only the Avatar mastered all four elements. Only he could stop the ruthless Firebenders. But when the world needed him most, he vanished. A hundred years have passed and the Fire Nation is nearing victory in the War. Two years ago, my father and the men of my tribe journeyed to the Earth Kingdom to help fight against the Fire Nation, leaving me and my brother to look after our tribe. Some people believe that the Avatar was never reborn into the Air Nomads, and that the cycle is broken. But I haven't lost hope. I still believe that somehow, the Avatar will return to save the world'
Katara's thoughts were broken when her older brother Sokka spoke "it's not getting away from me this time" he says determined as he stares intently at the fish swimming in the freezing water. They are both dressed in the southern water tribe's attire, that being thick blue coats with fur and gloves to keep them warm. It's cold all year round in the South Pole but the few people living there became accustomed to the cold. Living in snow houses or tents and living of the fish Sokka was currently trying to catch.
"Watch and learn Katara this is how you catch a fish" Sokka says in a braggy tone but Katara isn't very impressed and instead she leans over the edge of the canoe to see a fish. Hesitantly, she removes her left glove. She takes a deep breather and with a look of trepidation begins to motion with her hand. Suddenly, a globe of water containing the fish bursts out of the water.
"Sokka, look!" she cheers proud she managed to do it but is struggling to keep the water under control.
"Shhh. Katara, you're gonna scare it away. Mmmm... I can already smell it cookin'!" Sokka says dismissively still staring at the fish.
"But Sokka! I caught one!"Katara struggles with the orb of water as it floats closer to Sokka, who raises his spear to strike a fish. When he cocks his arm back he burst the bubble of water. The fish falls back into the sea and Sokka gets drenched in icy water. "Hey!" Katara exclaims annoyed.
"Ugh! Why is it that every time you play with magic water I get soaked?" Sokka says annoyed as he tries to dry himself off.
Katara looking slightly offended says "It's not magic. It's Waterbending, and it's-" but is cut off by Sokka "Yeah, yeah, an ancient art unique to our culture, blah blah blah. Look, I'm just saying that if I had weird powers, I'd keep my weirdness to myself" he mutters annoyed.
"You're calling me weird? I'm not the one who makes muscles at myself every time I see my reflection in the water." she smirk as on cue Sokka is making a muscle and looking at his reflection in the water. He turns to Katara and gives her a look. Suddenly the boat is bumped; they look up to see they have entered an ice packed area. Sokka begins to work frantically to manoeuvre the canoe between the icebergs using the ore.
Katara and Sokka yell as their canoe is heading straight for large icebergs. "Watch out! Go left! Go left!" Katara yells. The canoe threads its way through the ice pack but icebergs continue colliding all around them. Each time they manage to avoid getting crushed between the colliding icebergs, but their safety margins decreases rapidly each time. Finally the canoe is crushed when three icebergs collide at once. Sokka and Katara jump out in time onto one of the icebergs.
Now safely stuck on an iceberg Katara breaths "You call that left?"
"You don't like my steering. Well, maybe you should have Waterbended us out of the ice." Sokka counters
"So it's my fault?" Katara says defensively.
"I knew I should have left you home. Leave it to a girl to screw things up." This makes Katara's anger boil over and she point accusingly at her brother "You are the most sexist, immature, nut brained". As she gets angrier, the iceberg that they are sitting on begins to heave back and forth. And even worse a larger iceberg standing tall behind them seems to crack every time she swipes her arm.
Katara continues on her rant "Ugh, I'm embarrassed to be related to you! Ever since Mom died I've been doing all the work around camp while you've been off playing soldier!"
Sokka can see the iceberg cracking behind her and becomes anxious "Uh... Katara? But she doesn't take any notice and keeps talking "I even wash all the clothes! Have you ever smelled your dirty socks? Let me tell you, NOT PLEASANT!" and with another yell and swift arm movement the ice cracks again.
"Katara! Settle down!" Sokka yells trying to calm her down but its ineffective. "No, that's it. I'm done helping you. From now on, you're on your own!" As she finishes, the iceberg behind her splits open entirely. It disintegrates and the major pieces fall into the water, pushing their iceberg away. They hold on tightly so they don't fall into the water, Sokka keeping a protective arm around his sister, they may fight but they're still family.
As the water settles Sokka removes his arm and looks at the water "Okay, you've gone from weird to freakish, Katara. Katara with an amazed face looks at the water as well "You mean I did that?" "Yup. Congratulations." Sokka deadpans.
They both are leaning over the edge of the iceberg raft. Suddenly, the water just in front of them begins to glow an incandescent blue. They move backwards on their raft as another, lighter coloured iceberg breaks the surface. It's not that rare for icebergs to rise out of the ocean but this one seemed different to the rest making the two stare at it.
Katara walks to edge of their iceberg raft to get a better look. Deep in the ice, a figure of a boy is seen. He has blue arrows on his fists and on his bald head. Suddenly, his eyes glow and his arrow markings glow white. Behind him another figure can be seen with a protective arm around the boy but it's too dark to make out his face.
"He's alive! We have to help." Katara exclaims grabbing Sokka's hockey stick type spear, pulls down her hood and turns to go to the boy. "Katara! Get back here! We don't know what that thing is!" Sokka yells after her finally coming back to his senses.
Katara ignores him and skips across a few little icebergs to arrive at the one in which the boy is trapped in. Sokka follows trying to catch up and when he does she begins to use the hockey stick to whack the ice. After a few big whacks, she cracks open the ice and they are blown back by what looks like air being released, as if the iceberg had a hollow chamber within it. The iceberg then cracks from top to bottom and explodes open. A huge shaft of white blue light shoots straight into the heavens.
Elsewhere
An iron hulled battleship with a spiked prow is cutting through the sea nearby. On that ship stands a young man on the foredeck dressed in red, his hair is black like coal and tied into a pony-tail. He is staring intently at the shaft of light in front of the ship. The left side of his face is badly scarred around his left eye, but he is still able to see out of it.
He speaks in a low gruff voice "Finally." He turns to address someone behind him; "Uncle, do you realise what this means?" Behind him sits an old man seated cross legged at a low table, drinking tea and playing a game involving domino like objects. "I won't get to finish my game?" he says as he places another domino, his kind and gentle face seeming uninterested. "It means my search - it's about to come to an end." the boy says firmly with an annoyed face. His uncle groans but the boy ignores it and says "That light came from an incredibly powerful source. It has to be him Uncle Iroh!"
Iroh finally looks up from his game and replies "Or it's just the celestial lights. We've been down this road before, Prince Zuko. I don't want you to get too excited over nothing. Please, sit. Why don't you enjoy a cup of calming jasmine tea?" he says smiling but Zuko explodes with anger "I don't need any calming tea! I need to capture the Avatar. Helmsman, head a course for the light!" he yells pointing to the light shining in the distance.
Back at the iceberg
Sokka is stood still shielding his sister from the blast that just happened. When it settles they look up to see residual blue light still swirling around the top of what is left of the iceberg. Suddenly, the boy appears, his eyes and arrow markings still aglow as he takes a step towards them. Sokka raises his spear and yells "Stop!"
The energy he had seems to fade and he passes out sliding down the side of the ruined iceberg to Sokka and Katara. Katara gasps and lunges forward to catch him as he falls. Once holding him she looks him over seeing he is a boy no older than 12, a bald head and his body is aligned with blue arrows. He is wearing a mustard yellow outfit with an orange shoulder cape like a poncho and orange shoes.
Sokka pokes the boy in the head with the blunt end of his weapon which annoys Katara. "Stop it!".She gently turns him over so that he is lying on his back as he begins to wake up. He slowly opens his eyes. He whispers in a weak voice "I need to ask you something." "What?" Katara asks. "Please... come closer." the boy says still whispering. "What is it?" Katara asks gently.
The boy's voice suddenly becomes excited and energetic "Will you go penguin sledding with me?" ha asks with pleading eyes and a childish voice. Katara more than confused replies "Uh... sure. I guess."
The boy lifts himself to his feet appearing to use the air as he starts to rub the back of his head, "What's going on here?" the boy asks
Sokka looking bewildered asks "You tell us! How'd you get in the ice?" and starts poking the boy again with his spear "And why aren't you frozen?" The boy absently brushes away the spear "I'm not sure."He seems to think for a moment and gasps as a low, animal like noise is heard from behind the snow hill and he begins to frantically climb back up the ruined iceberg. He jumps over the lip of what is in fact now a crater and lands on a huge furry animal. "Appa! Are you all right? Wake up, buddy."
He leans down and opens one of the beast's eyes and closes it again in a failed attempt to wake the creature. He hops down and tries to lift the animal's huge head, but again without effect. Katara and Sokka come around the corner and their mouths drop in shock as the see the monster, whose mouth opens and licks the boy trying to wake him up,. "Haha! You're okay!" He gets up and shakes himself off a bit with a yawn.
"What is that thing?" Sokka asks in complete shock taking a step back. "This is Appa, my flying bison." the boy replies like its obvious leaving Sokka to deadpan "Right. And this is Katara, my flying sister." The boy is about to reply when they hear a groan from behind them. All three of them move around Appa to see a teenage boy lying in the ice. He looks tattered and beaten, covered in a few noticeable scratches and his clothes slightly dirty, Katara thought the boy's clothes looked strange but this boys clothes looked like none she had seen before. Slightly tight dark blue trousers and a bright orange shirt with words that none of them can make out because of the deep red that has seeped into the shirt. He is also wearing a blue jacket with a zip and hood. His hair is raven black and his skin slightly tanned, he appears older than the rest of them.
The three quickly rush over to him but the young boy is the first to speak "hey, are you alright?" he asks gently as he lays a hand on his shoulder. The older starts to stir and opens his eyes leaving the others to marvel at his sea green eyes, getting lost in the colour and pattern, almost drowning it. He takes a few seconds to adjust and come to his sense but when he does he sees others kneeling around him. He quickly stands up on his pained legs and pulls out what first appears to be a metal stick but when he presses it, it turns into a bronze sword. Sokka would be drooling at it if it wasn't aimed at him.
He quickly pulls the bald boy behind him and points his sword at Katara and Sokka. He doesn't know why but he feels the need to protect the boy even if he has no idea who he is. "who are you?!" he demands in a deep threatening voice holding some strength to Sokka and Katara. Sokka had pulled his sister behind him and is holding his spear at the new guy.
Before the misunderstanding can get any worse the young boy touches the older boys arm making him flinch slightly but he tries to hide it "it's okay, were all friends here" he smiles. Sokka just mutters under his breath "I wouldn't go that far" but never the less the guy lowers his sword and turns to the boy "you okay kid?" he asks. "I'm fine, the names Aang by the way." He says with a welcoming smile. "Percy Jackson" the other replies simply still trying to adjust to his surroundings only now just realising the cold against his skin but he can't see to bring himself to care.
"Are you okay Percy, you look hurt" Katara finally speaks. Percy looks at her and tries to shrug it off "I'll be fine, just a few scratches" and to Percy they were just scratches compared to what he has dealt with in the past but to the others they look really painful. Katara is about to protest but Aang speaks first seemingly starting to realise something "wait! Do I know you?" he ponders rubbing his chin for a moment before his face lights up with the answer. "yeh! You were there in the storm, you saved me and Appa!"
Percy rubs the back of his neck still very confused by everything, how did he get here, why is he here, who are these people and why is he in what he assumes in the south pole but he ignores those questions to reply "uh I guess?" Aang surprisingly hugs him "thank you!" leaving Percy flustered. "Umm no problem kid" leaving Sokka and Katara to just watching the exchange silently.
Aang lets go and turns to Sokka and Katara quickly "So, do you guys live around here?" he asks. "Don't answer that! Did you see that crazy bolt of light? He was probably trying to signal the Fire Navy." Sokka accuses. "Oh, yeah, I'm sure he's a spy for the Fire Navy. You can tell by that evil look in his eye." Katara jokes back as the boy puts on an innocent face.
"The paranoid one is my brother, Sokka and I'm Katara." Aang starts to reply while holding back a sneeze "I'm Aa..Aa... ACHOOO!" he sneezes and flies off the ground and into the air before dropping back to the ground gently like nothing happened "I'm Aang, nice to meet you" he smiles. The others including Percy just stare at him amazed and confused while Aang sniffles and rubs his nose.
"You just sneezed... and flew ten feet in the air." Percy says incredulously. "Really? It felt higher than that." Aang replies looking up to where he just flew into the sky. Katara gasps with understanding "You're an Airbender!" "A what?" Percy asks but Aang replies "Sure am." Sokka waves his hand in front of him dismissively "Giant light beams... flying bison... Airbender...magic swords... I think I've got Midnight Sun Madness. I'm going home to where stuff makes sense." Sokka turns to walk off but stops at the icebergs edge realising he's stuck there with no boat.
Aang notices and asks "Well, if you guys are stuck Appa and I can give you a lift." he says before he Airbends himself onto Appa's head, behind him sits an enormous saddle. Aang sits waiting holding the reigns that are attached to both of Appa's horns. "We'd love a ride! Thanks!" Katara replies as she climbs on Appa.
"Oh, no... I am not getting on that fluffy monster." both Sokka and Percy reply at the same time making them look at each other. "Are you hoping some other kind of monster will come along and give you a ride home? You know... before you freeze to death?" Katara replies smugly. Sokka tries to come up with an excuse but gives up and climbs aboard leaving Percy stood there on the ice not sure what to do. He doesn't think these people mean him any harm and he can't stay on an iceberg floating through the sea forever.
"You coming soldier?!" Sokka yells after him, the word soldier making Percy annoyed "don't call me that" he says but not too maliciously. He looks over at Aang who in turn is looking at with a wanting look on his face. Percy knows nothing about these people but just decides to follow his gut. Percy sighs "looks like I'm sticking with you kid" he reply finally jumping on the creature effortlessly making Aang smile, glad his new friend can come.
"Okay. First time flyers hold on tight! Appa, yip yip!" Percy's eyes widen "wait, flying!" he is about to protest and jump off when Appa flaps his huge beaver tail and then launches into the air. He spreads his legs wide, but then comes right back down into the water with a huge splash. He begins to swim them forward leaving Percy relived, he's not even fazed by the sight of the creature, he has definitely seen stranger. Percy becomes deep in thought about his current situation, he knows the fates sent him here for something but he doesn't know what. Maybe these people can help him figure it out or at least explain to him where he is.
Shaking the reigns again Aang says "Come on, Appa. Yip yip." Sokka doesn't looked shocked "Wow. That was truly amazing."
"Appa's just tired. A little rest and he'll be soaring through the sky. You'll see." Aang smiles.
Elsewhere
I'm going to bed now. Iroh says yawning. "Yep. A man needs his rest. Prince Zuko, you need some sleep. Even if you're right and the Avatar is alive, you won't find him. Your father, grandfather, and great-grandfather all tried and failed". Zuko doesn't seem changed by his words "because their honour didn't hinge on the Avatar's capture. Mine does. This coward's hundred years in hiding are over."