Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender
AN: Well hello again. Unfortunately this is not a new update. This is a revision of chapter three, which I have renamed.
Many thanks to the lovely Kimberly T for giving me some excellent advice on how to improve this chapter. There are many changes to this chapter so you might want to take a look.
Also I have drawn some fan art for this story. Yeah…I have drawn what I imagine Katara to look like after the events of the previous chapter (which also has smaller modifications that I recommend you look at to be able to understand this a bit better).
Here's the link /d5h00nz
I am dedicating this new and improved chapter to Kimberly T for such wonderful help.
I now give you Chapter Three!
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Katara laid her hand on the brown water skin, quickly twisting the lid off.
Nothing, of course it was empty. She hadn't reached the river before being attacked. She began to panic. Prince Zuko would eventually burn the whole hut down and she had no water. She had to think of something. She ran toward a collection of assorted pots and jars, searching for something to quench the flame.
Behind her, Aang called out to Zuko across the room, "Zuko, we've got to leave. Zhao's coming!"
Katara turned her head around and blatantly stared at the airbender. Aang talking to Zuko casually? Well not necessarily casually since he was informing him of the slimy, intimidating admiral coming after them. But, what was going on?
Zuko made no indication that he had heard Aang's warning, so Aang spoke louder, his tone far more urgent than before, "Zuko, can you hear me? We need to leave. Zhao is coming."
Zuko slowly turned toward the Avatar and his companion. To Katara's surprise, gone was his typical hateful glower. In its place was the sad eyes and blank expression of one who had been broken, "It doesn't matter anymore," he said his voice, a hollow shell of what Katara was accustomed to, "Let him come."
Aang stepped forward, "Zuko, I can understand if you're upset but you can't stay here. I'm not going to let you die in here."
Zuko shook his head and turned back to the burning tree, "Losing my life means nothing to me."
The whole situation was nothing short of absolutely bizarre to Katara. Who was this person posing as the Fire Nation Prince? The boy standing before them had not a drip of irritating arrogance or pride. Who was this broken down man?
She coughed as the dark smoke; surrounding the hut entered her lungs. The fire had spread. Katara jumped away as the table beside her was licked by the flames.
She had to do something quickly. They needed to get out of here and Aang wouldn't leave without Zuko. Convincing him seemed completely out of the question, and she had no water to quench the flames. So she did the first thing that came to her mind.
She took hold of the largest clay pot on the burning table threw it straight at the back of the prince's head.
OoOoOo
Katara sighed dejectedly as she picked up one of the mirrors Momo had retrieved for them.
Half of her hair was gone.
Her chocolate brown tresses were now reduced to a frizzy mess, reaching only to the base of her neck. She lifted the mirror of the ground and with a quick jab, broke it onto the stone floor. She carefully picked up one of the larger broken pieces and held them to her untied hair loopies.
"Well, might as well make it even," she said cutting the small strands of hair.
Beside her, Sokka was getting close to hysterical, a fluffy white cat in his arms.
"What is going on?!"
"We'll tell you later." Katara said simply. She finished cutting the remainders of her bun. She strung a bead into her hair to replace her hair loopies. Standing up, she addressed Sokka, "Right now we need to wake up Appa and get out of here."
"But, why?"
"Now!" she said firmly.
She climbed up to the large saddle resting on the top of the bison's back, her sleeping bag in her arms. Aang followed behind, dragging Zuko with him. Sokka confusedly gathered his belongings and followed suit.
Katara spread out her sleeping bag inside the saddle and promptly fell into it. Aang pat Appa's head and readied the reigns, before sitting down on the bison's head.
Sokka turned to Aang, a look of absolute bewilderment on his face. Aang nodded, "I'll tell you what happened," he said gesturing for Sokka to sit down beside him.
OoOoOo
Zuko was extremely frustrated that he yet again had woken up in unfamiliar surroundings.
At least the first time he had woken up in a cot. This time he found himself in the dirt, beside a pond, lying in a ridiculous position, a large ball of fur sleeping on his bare chest. He lifted the cat off him and onto the ground as he stood up.
And fell into the dirt on his buttocks.
He lowered his eyebrows in confusion. What was happening? Why did his head hurt so much?
"Argh!" shouted a voice nearby.
Zuko turned his head to see the Water Tribe boy, knee deep in the pond, staring intently into the depths below.
"It's taunting me," he said through gritted teeth.
Zuko wondered at that moment whether the Water Tribe boy was more unhinged than he suspected.
Zuko's ponderings of the condition of Sokka were interrupted as Aang literally swooped in and sat beside him.
"Good morning!" he said cheerfully.
"Morning," Sokka grumbled, eyes still roaming the bottom of the pond.
Zuko did not reply but attempted to get back onto his feet. This time he was successful in standing upright, though he did feel a little dizzy. He turned to the Avatar.
"What did you do to me?!" he demanded.
"Saved your life, you're welcome," someone muttered darkly.
The waterbender, Katara was sitting on one of the large rocks surrounding the pond, sending Zuko a look of resentment. He returned her glare with one of his own.
"I didn't ask for you to save me," he said coldly.
There was the distinct slapping noise and a cry of fury as the jumping fish managed to escape Sokka's clutches.
"I could use some help!"
Katara hopped off the rock and onto the sand, removing her shoes she stepped into the pond to assist her brother, followed by an enthusiastic Aang.
Zuko stood there and watched the three children wade in the water, searching for the bothersome fish. To his surprise they began to splash each other as they looked. Soon they completely disregarded the fish and began an all-out splash war. The whole affair was silly, innocent and childish.
He had to get out of there.
Careful not to make a sound, he quickly grabbed one of the Water Tribe sleeping bags and swung it over his shoulder. Gingerly he stepped out of the camp.
"You'll pay for that Sok- Where are you going?"
Zuko froze. He made no move to face his confronters as he spoke, "I'm leaving."
To his utter annoyance, Katara laughed, "Of course you're not. You can barely walk."
"That has not stopped me before."
Zuko heard footsteps behind him and a moment later, the sleeping bag was removed from his shoulder.
"You were going to steal my sleeping bag!" shouted Sokka.
Zuko shrugged. Aang stepped forward, "You don't have to leave."
Zuko shook his head. "I have no desire to be in the company of my enemy."
"We don't have to be enemies. We could be friends."
Zuko turned around, "To befriend the Avatar would be to completely betray my country and its morals."
Aang opened his mouth to speak, when a loud roar echoed through the forest. He stepped away from Zuko and bolted toward the noise.
"Someone's being attacked by a platypusbear."
"Sure just run toward the scary roar," said Sokka, as Aang ran into the thicket of trees.
"We have to go help them!" Katara said, already taking a few hurried steps toward the roar.
Sokka gave his sister a look of utter aggravation. Muttering darkly, he followed Katara. Zuko merely stood there eyes on the Water Tribe siblings.
"You're really going to ignore a call for help and run off while we're gone?" Katara said, casting Zuko the dirtiest of looks.
Though Zuko would never admit it, the waterbender's intense gaze of disapproval intimidated him to a great extent. There was just this fire he could see in her eyes that reminded him of another look of disapproval that he had received far too often for his liking.
He exhaled and reluctantly followed the waterbender and her brother into the woods.
OoOoOo
It was the most bizarre thing Aang had seen in a long time.
Before him was a platypusbear, standing on his hind legs in all of his furry glory attacking an old man. That in itself wasn't really that bizarre. Platypusbears are known to attack humans from time to time.
But the old man was whistling.
A cheery grin was on the man's face as he moved from side to side to avoid the platypusbear, "Well hello there. Nice day isn't it?"
Aang cupped his hands around his mouth to amplify his voice, "Make noise or run off!"
The man chuckled as the platypus bear swung its arms at him, "Whoa, close one."
Behind him Aang heard three sets of running footsteps.
"Run downhill, then climb a tree," Katara called to the man.
"Then punch him in the bill," said Sokka.
The man shook his head, still smiling, "No need. It's going to be fine."
The man gracefully sat down in the grass as the platypuss bear swung it's paw yet again. Aang jumped of the rock he was standing on, landing in front of the man and facing the platypusbear, "Whoa there," he said to the platypusbear.
He straightened his posture and sent the greatest gust of wind he could muster at the platypusbear.
The platypusbear simply looked down at Aang as if nothing had happened. It raised its giant paw, ready to strike when-
A resounding 'ROAR!' was heard as Appa approached the platypusbear from behind. The platypussbear stood stalk still. Aang noticed the large creature shiver slightly as it quickly returned to standing on all fours and scurried into the river.
Aang hurried over to the old man, followed by Katara, Sokka and hesitantly Zuko.
Sokka picked up a large, spotted, oval object on the ground, that Aang was sure he hadn't seen before, "Mhm Lunch!," he said examining the egg.
Zuko watched the old man curiously, as he stood up, "Lucky for you we came along."
The man walked over to them, "Thanks, but everything was already under control. Not to worry. Aunt Wu predicted I'd have a safe journey."
"Aunt who?" asked Aang.
The man smiled, "No, Aunt Wu, the fortuneteller from my village. Awful nice, knowing your future."
Katara's eyes went wide as Sokka and Zuko both rolled their eyes, "Wow it must be. That explains why you were so calm."
Sokka made an exasperated face at the man, "But the fortuneteller was wrong. You didn't have a safe journey you were almost killed."
The man returned Sokka's face with one that a parent might give to an ignorant child, "But I wasn't," He addressed Aang and Katara, "Have a good one."
He walked a few steps before stopping. He turned around, a wrapped package in his hands, "Oh! And Aunt Wu said if I met any travelers, to give them this," he said, handing the package to Aang."
The four watched as the man continued to walk away into the forest.
Katara looked from the three boys to the place where the man had disappeared into the woods, "Maybe we should go see Aunt Wu and learn our fortune. It could be fun."
"Fortunetelling is nonsense," said Sokka and Zuko in unison. They looked to each other suspiciously and turned away again.
Aang smiled upon ripping the wrapped paper, "What do you know, an umbrella."
Suddenly thunder crashed and rain began to pour onto them. Katara waterbended the water off her and hurried under the umbrella.
"That proves it!" Katara claimed.
"No it doesn't" Sokka said grumpily, as he attempted to cover himself with the large egg, "You can't really tell the future."
"I guess you're not really getting wet then," Katara replied coolly.
As Katara and Sokka began bickering, Aang looked thoughtfully at Zuko.
"You could come with us. You could see what Aunt Wu has to say about your future."
"I don't believe in that nonsense."
"We could get you some clothes too," He said smiling ruefully.
Zuko inspected himself head to toe. He had no shoes, no coat, and no shirt. He was dressed only in his black pants. He would most likely catch attention to himself.
He sighed, "I suppose I am in need of clothes."
Aang smiled, "Great!" he gestured toward the umbrella, "Come under the umbrella."
Zuko nodded reluctantly and walked under the umbrella.
OoOoOo
Well there you have it folks. I hope you liked the changes I made to this chapter!
I still need a full time beta, so please PM your recommendations or requests to beta for me if you have them!
Next Chapter: The Gaang will visit the fortuneteller's village, Aang will be aloof, Sokka and Zuko will be skeptical, many futures will be predicted and someone will make a reappearance.
Hugs Butterfly Kisses!
-MaddyTheFangirl