Chapter Two: Rise of the Savior
DISCLAIMER: I claim NO OWNERSHIP of the characters in this story! Except Neo, I created him! WOOT!!!
Avatar Dimension, Southern Water Tribe outer limits, 9:30 am
"Let me get this straight, Toph is with her parents again, Zuko is off doing Fire Lord…stuff! And we're stuck here!? I love seeing home once in awhile, but it's still freezing!'' whined Sokka.
Katara and Sokka were of course dressed in their parkas, not for Aang though. The Avatar was wearing a familiar type of clothing he wore throughout half his first journeys with Sokka and Katara. As nostalgic as it was, an Air Nomad pendant was wrapped around his neck. He wore two brown gloves on his hands. He had a holder on his back for his staff.
"Come on Sokka, we get to finally rest! Something you should be more happy about than me and Aang combined!'' Katara replied.
"True, very true." he admitted.
The group hopped across some ice blocks, avoiding from falling in the freezing waters. After minutes of walking, the three stumbled upon the iceberg…the very one Aang was trapped inside for one-hundred years. "Well…look at that.'' Katara said, holding Aang's hand.
The couple gazed at the momentous piece of ice that kept Aang alive for a century. "Sure does make me look at then…and today.'' noted the Avatar.
"Shows how far we've come. Think about this for a moment,'' Sokka budged in, walking up to it.
"Just because Katara repeatedly beat it, she pretty much brought back hope to the world. You're famous for it Katara!'' Sokka said.
"Well, it's nothing to brag about.'' Katara said nervously, blushing. Sokka walked into the iceberg, finding a lump inside the center.
Sokka grabbed his club which was attached to his belt. Sokka raised it up. "Sokka!'' shouted Katara. The warrior immediately stopped.
"What are you doing?" she asked, walking into the iceberg's open center.
"Nothing to get rash about. Just found this lump.'' Sokka told her.
"Don't let your curiosity take you over. It could come back to haunt you.'' Aang said, helping Katara out of the iceberg.
"Oh, please. You're beginning to sound like Aunt Wu! Please! Refrain from making fortunes.'' Sokka said, walking out of the iceberg.
Aang and Sokka looked over at one spot, Katara in another. She heard a whistling noise. Katara looked up in the sky, seeing a black dot flying across the sky, a blue light coming from it. The black dot, however, was wearing a black cloak around it. The blue light in the hood brightened, causing the figure to groan. Katara looked away, thinking it as nothing. Suddenly a blue ball of energy shout down at the gang. Katara heard the ringing noise of it pulsating. Katara saw it coming closer.
"AANG! Look!'' shouted Katara, pointing up to the object. The Avatar spotted the incoming light. Aang held his arms back.
"WHAT IN THE WORLD IS THAT?!" exclaimed Sokka, holding his head.
Aang swung his arms in a diagonal form. The gust of wind pushed the ball of light to crash into the center of an iceberg, Aang's iceberg. In an explosion of light, it impacted the center, dead on. The cloud of white swarmed over to the three heroes. Aang swung his hands, turning the smoke cloud into thin air. Sokka ran up to it first. He looked left and right quickly.
"What was that?" said Katara, walking up further, with Aang by her side.
"Okay…first of all, whatever it was, it was sent from somewhere…or something.'' Sokka noted, turning to them.
"Good thing it didn't hit us.'' said Katara, giving Aang a gracious smile.
"True. Good job Aang!'' Sokka said, throwing his hand, which was holding his club.
His club flew out of his grip and drove itself into the center of the iceberg. An ice pillar, sprang out of the center of the water, glowing brightly. Sokka dared not to turn around, with a frightened expression. The tip of it showed a curled silhouette inside. It suddenly exploded, shooting a silver beam into the clouds above, opening the sky up. The gang hid their faces from the strong force of winds that came at their faces. High above in the sky, the cloaked figure watched the huge laser. The strange figure tilted its head. With an angry groan, it flew off. Waves of light drifted around the broken ice pillar. The white smoke cleared, the gang looked up at the top. A hole was made in the spot where the silhouette was. A pair of white gloved hands grabbed the edges. The gang gasped surprisingly. A pair of shoes identical to Sonic's came out, but were green instead of red. The figure jumped out and landed in front of the three, hidden by the mist. After a few seconds, the smoke cleared. It revealed; an eighteen year old teenager.
His hair was spiky and navy blue. He wore slightly baggy blue jeans, and wore a thin blue jacket and white t-shirt underneath. The gang didn't know what to think of it, much or less to say about it. The teen raised an eyebrow at them. "Uhhh…hello?" he greeted, waving his hand.
"Hello. Who might you be?" Sokka confronted the stranger.
"The name's Neo. Nice to meet you.'' he said kindly. His voice sounded familiar to Sonic as well, but an inch deeper. Sokka glared at him closely, observing him. Neo's gold eyes blinked, feeling disturbed.
"Okay, that's enough." Katara said, pulling Sokka away, and taking his place.
"Hi, my name's Katara.'' she greeted.
"And I'm Aang.'' said the Avatar, walking up to introduce himself.
"And don't forget Sokka!'' said the warrior waving his hand.
Aang and Katara gave him glares. Sokka's smile vanished, "I'll shut up now.'' he said.
"I'm kind've lost, could you help me?" he asked. The three remained silent.
"We know it's you. I just can't believe it!'' exclaimed Katara, hugging him by surprise.
"What? Who?" Neo blabbered confusingly.
"Sonic, it's good to see you! Wait till' we tell the others, well, if we find out a way to turn you back to a hedgehog.'' Sokka explained.
Neo gently nudged Katara off him, "Who's Sonic?" he asked.
"He's playing a trick on us. We get it, Sonic!'' said Aang, chuckling.
"How did you make it through that explosion?" asked Sokka.
"STOP!!'' shouted Neo angrily.
The three quickly made themselves silent. "I do NOT know who you are talking about! I'm not this Sonic character! My name is Neo!'' he yelled. The three in unison, gave him confused looks.
Neo put a hand to his face, then removing it. "Then…how about you just come with us…since your lost.'' said Katara, sounding like she's been drained of her emotions.
"It's the best we could do.'' Sokka added, turning to walk back to where they left Appa.
Neo lowered his head, feeling awkward. He didn't know to believe if they would continue pestering him or live up to their word. To him, it was worth a chance, and he had no other choice. Neo followed the three heroes to Appa. "Whoa, what is that?" said him surprisingly. Honestly this made the three believe even more that it wasn't Sonic, but one wouldn't give up.
The bison lifted up into the air. "So do you remember anything? Anything before you got out of the iceberg?" questioned Katara.
"All I can remember is someone speaking to me. Telling me to be ready for my future. Kind've weird if you ask me." he replied.
"Did you see the person talking to you?" asked the persistent Waterbender.
"No offense Katara, but I just need a break, okay?" he asked, holding up his hands defensively.
Katara turned her head away, feeling severely disappointed, but still not convinced. Appa reached the Southern Water Tribe village. Much more larger and lively, the once minuscule village has also became a town! After landing, the four headed to Katara and Sokka's house. Katara pushed through the blanket that draped in front of the archway. "Mommy!'' shouted Sonya. The six year old girl jumped into her mother's arms. Katara hugged her daughter back lovingly, smiling graciously. Sonya then hugged her father, Aang. Neo couldn't help but smile at the moment. Sonya saw the eighteen year standing in front of the doorway.
"Who's he mommy?" she asked, breaking from the hug.
"This is Neo, honey. We just met him.'' Katara told her, kneeling down beside her.
"Hi Mr. Neo! I'm Sonya!'' she greeted happily.
"Pleasure to meet ya'!'' he said, giving a thumbs up. Katara widened her eyes, that expression, that gesture, only Sonic would do it.
"Would you like some food Neo?" she asked, grabbing his hand, and pulling him to the kitchen.
"Uhhh…well, I'm not sure.'' Neo said nervously with a smile, as he was taken to the kitchen.
"Wow. She sure does know how to treat a guest.'' commented Sokka.
"We raised her well.'' said Aang, wrapping an arm around Katara's shoulder.
"What time is it exactly?" asked Katara, sounding tired.
Sokka walked over to spark power filled candles. They flicked six times. "Six o candle!" laughed Sokka. Aang and Katara gave him glares.
The moon was up in the sky. Neo sat on a small balcony, his legs hanging over the edge. He couldn't help but wonder about what the gang continued asking him. Who was this Sonic? In this setting, such thoughts could make you restless, so he pushed them aside for another time. Dressed in her white nightgown was Katara.
"You've ever done this before?" she asked.
Neo jumped a bit, looking over his shoulder. Katara walked up to stand to his left, resting her hands on the snowy rail.
"Not really. I can't remember the last time I looked at the moon.'' he replied.
Katara listened carefully at each word he said, paying attention for the slightest hint of something Sonic would say.
"So…nothing on your mind?" she asked.
"No. Not really.'' he replied plainly.
Katara looked off to the side with disappointment…but not hopeless. "If it's alright with you, could I try something?" she asked, looking back at him.
Neo looked at her, "What, exactly?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow.
Katara ran inside to fetch something. Neo turned his feet around the ledge and hopped off the railing, waiting for Katara to return. She came back, holding a small specially carved wooden box, and a smile on her face.
"You wanted to show me a box?" he said.
"No. Look.'' she said, opening it. Neo's eyes widened in unison. It was the Transformation Device.
"What's it called?" he asked, taking his eyes off it look at Katara. "Well…uhh…I actually don't know if it even has a name." she stuttered.
"I got it! Call it the Transformator!" she said.
"What does the…'Transformator' do?" he said.
"Put it on!'' she said holding the box closer to him.
"Okay, the name creeps me out enough, but I'm not putting that thing on!" he defended himself, stepping away.
"Just put it on your wrist! Please! Just do it.'' she begged.
Neo looked at the Transformator. It's blue glowing button has been gray the whole time she's had it.
Neo took in a sigh, "I must be crazy.'' He grabbed the device, and wrapped the buckle around his right wrist.
Neo looked at it for a moment, the light blinked gold, then went black. "Okay…like I said, giving me the creeps!" he exclaimed, making his attempt to remove it from his wrist.
Just like Sonic, his attempts failed. "What the? Why won't it come off?!" he exclaimed. "It's because you're Sonic! Don't you see?" she said.
"I told you…I'm NOT-'' A light surrounded his body. His height shrunk to three foot eight inches. Katara kept her arms to shield her eyes. Passing by the Southern Water Tribe was the mysterious cloaked figure. He immediately stopped when he 'felt' the presence of the Transformator. He groaned angrily. "What…is that?" said his dark voice. He saw the continuous glowing light coming from the building Neo and Katara were on. He groaned when the light on his forehead glowed brighter, making him grab his head. "I…must…have it.'' said the stranger.
Neo dropped to his knees, the blinding light still covering his entire body. The light finally began to dim. Katara lowered her arms, rubbing her eyes, then, gasped in shock. Neo was transformed into a hedgehog, identical to what Sonic looked like! His fur was navy blue, his shoes remained the same. Katara waited to see his eyes, hoping they would be green. Neo lifted his head up, they were still gold. Katara rested her shoulders, saddened by the sight. Neo looked at his hands. "What? W-What's going on?" he said, rising to his feet.
Katara was dumbfounded, he looked nothing like Sonic, but she still was convinced it was. It could be that his human form caused him to look like this as a hedgehog. Katara is as persistent as she is protective.
"Explain this! NOW!'' Neo demanded.
Katara remained silent to answer his question. Neo backed down. He looked at the Transformator again. Katara looked away for a moment to see a silhouetted figure standing on top of an ice hut, then jumping away. Her mind cut back to the moment she saw the same type of thing flying high above.