Chapter 2: Katara's Escape

Huzzah! Second Chapter! Sorry I haven't updated in a while. Well... let's get it started in here.( Kind of short chapter.)

Katara stared at her father for a moment, then ran outside crying.
Katara sat in a statue of the Hai Bei, crying while rain beat down on her, not bothering to water bend it away. Through the window of her house, she could see Yue and her father talking. Hakoda picked up the candle and blew it out. Katara thought for a minute, then made her decision.
Katara walked into the Family Temple and lighted an essense, and placed it in a hanging statue of a small dragon. She ran into her parent's room, taking the scroll and leaving her necklace. So far so good. She took her father's sword and put on her father's armor. Going out to the stable, she mounted Appa and sets off for the army. "Yip yip!"

Later in the night, Kana was awoken by a flash of lightning. Concerned, she ran to Katara's room and gasped. She took off to Hakoda's room.
"Katara is gone!"
"What? It can't be ... " Hakoda ran outside "Katara! No ..."
"You must go after her. She could be killed!" Yue ran after Hakoda, trying to keep him from falling.
"If I reveal her, she will be." Hakoda admitted sadly, staring off at the doors.
"Ancestors, hear our prayer. Watch over my little waterbender." Kana prayed silently.
In the Family Temple,
The tombs glowed, the symbols glowing blue, when the spirit of avatar Kuruk emerged.He called to the small brass dragon statue. " Lung, awaken."
The statue shuddered, erupting in smoke, and a small brown dragon emerged from the ashes. "I live! So, tell me, what mortal needs my protection, Kuruk You just say the word, and I'm there."
"Lung..." Kuruk spoke to the dragon, who ignored him.
"And lemme say something, anyone who's foolish enough to threaten OUR family, vengeance will be MINE!" the tiny dragon howled, getting carried away. "Grr ... arrgh ..."
"Lung!" Kuruk shouted, cutting off Lung's rants. "These are the family guardians. They ... "

Lung looked around at the statues and sighed. "Protect the family."
"And you, O Demoted One ... " Kuruk smiled.
"I ring the gong." sighed Lung again.
"That's right" Kuruk smiled aagain.." Now, wake up the Ancestors ..."
Lung frowned and raised the gong unceremoniously. "One family reunion coming right up. Okay, people, people, look alive! Let's go, c'mon, get up! Let's move it! Rise and shine! Y'all way past the beauty sleep thing."

"I knew it, I knew it. That Katara was a troublemaker from the start." the spirit of Kyoshi hollered.
"Don't look at me, she gets it from your side of the family!" Ummi raised her head.
"She's just trying to help her father! " Avatar Yang Chen pointed out.
"But if she's discovered, Hakoda will be forever shamed. Dishonor will come to the family. Traditional values will disintegrate!" Ursa said worriedly.
"Not to mention they'll lose the farm!" the Ocean spirit knocked it's head.
"My children never caused such trouble; they all rule the Fire Nation!" Ursa accused.
"Well, we can't all be royalty!" Ummi bit back.
No! Your great-granddaughter had to be a CROSS-DRESSER!" Kyoshi shouted at Ummi.
The Ancestors started to argue even more, when the ocean spirit grabbed Lung.
"Let a guardian bring her back!"
"Yes! Awaken the most cunning!" Koh smiled.
"No! The swiftest!" Kyoshi shouted again.
"No, send the wisest!" Won Shi Ton hooted , taking Lung in his talons.
Kuruk raised his staff to silence them.
"SILENCE! We will send the most powerful of all."
Looking around, he thought he caught the idea. "Okay, okay, I get the drift. I'll go."
All the ancestors stared at him and burst into laughter.
"Well, y'all don't think I can do it! Watch this here!" He took a huge breath and exhaled a pitiful flame. "Ah-hah! Jump back, I'm pretty hot. But I don't have to singe nobody to prove no point."
"You had your chance to protect the family." Kuruk looked down on the ex-guardian.
"Your misguidance led Avatar Roku to disaster!" Ummi pointed to Roku's beheaded spirit form.
"Yeah, thanks a lot." Roku frowned.
Lung blinked, then continued. "And your point is?"
"The point is, we will be sending a REAL spirit to retrieve Katara." Kuruk shouted.
"What? What? I'm a real spirit!" Lung jumped back, insulted.
"You're not even worthy of this thought! Now, awaken the Hei Bei Spirit!" Kuruk pointed at the wooden statuue of the Earth Spirit.

Lung frowned as he walked out the door."So you'll get back to me on the job thing." He asked hopefully, then was smashed in the face with the gong.
"Just one chance. Is that too much to ask? I mean, it's not like it'll kill you." He walked up to the panda statue and banged impatiantly on the gong. "Yo, panda- boy, wake up! You gotta go fetch Katara! C'mon, boy! Go get her! Go on! C'mon!" He climbed up on the statue, dragging the gong. "Grr ... arrgh. Grr. Hello? Helloooo? HELLO!" He hit the ear of the panda with the gong, and it fell off. Suddenly, the entire statue fell apart. "Uh-oh ..."
Nervously, Lung approuched the remains of the statue. "Uh ... Hai-Bai? Hei Bai ... Oh, man, they're gonna kill me!"
Kuruk peered out from the temple and boomed."Great Hei Bai Spirit! Have you awakened?"
Holding up the head of the Great Hei Bei, Lung mimicked a "mighty" voice. "Uh, yes, I just woke up! Um, I am the Great Hei Bei spirit! Good morning! I will go forth and fetch Katara! Did- did I mention that I am the Great Hei Bei?
"Go! The fate of the Water tribe rests in your paws." Kuruk bowed.
"Don't even worry about it. I will not lose faith." He tried as he lost his balance and tumbled down the hill, the Panda head landing on top of him. "Ow, ah, my elbow. Oh, oh, I know I twisted something." He mumbled as he lifted the head off. "That's just great, now what? I'm doomed, and all because Ms. Man decided to take a little drag show on the road."
Suddenly, Momo flew up to Lung excitedly. "Chirp."
Lung looked up and looked at Momo like he was crazy. "Go GET her! What's the matter with you? After this Great Wooden Pandy- dumpty mess, I'd have to bring her back with a medal to get back in the Temple! Wait a minute! That's it! I make Mulan a war hero, and they'll be begging me to come back to work! That's the master plan! Oh, you've done it now, man."
"Chirp!" Momo flew behind him as he ran towards the Gao-Ling camp.
As Lung ran, and saw Momo in tow, he yelled at him. "And what makes you think you're coming?"
Momo shrugged and churred again. "Chirp."
"You're LUCKY? Do I look like a sucker to you?" he snorted at the lemur.
"Chirp."
Lung was taken back at this comment. "What do you mean, a loser? What if I burn your ears and throw 'um across the yard, then who's the loser, or me?"
"Chirp".
Lung chased him out of the yard and down the road to the woods.