Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Water, earth, fire, air... Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. Then, everything changed when the fire nation attacked. Only the Avatar, master of all four elements, could stop them. But when the world needed him most, he vanished.
A hundred years passed and the new Avatar, an air bender named Aang, was discovered. Now travelling by his side are Katara and Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe, and Ashlynn... An ex-member of the Fire nation, and Prince Zuko's lifelong companion...
"So Aang, you going to tell us what Avatar Rouku said to you while you were in that chamber?" Katara asked as she watched Aang pace back and forth along Appa's back.
Aang sat down, trying to calm his nerves as he explained. "Avatar Rouku told me that I need master all four elements by the end of next summer, because a comet is going to arrive then… And if I haven't defeated the fire lord by then, he will use the comet to destroy the whole planet."
"Wow, that's intense," Ashlynn responded. Aang nodded, and twiddled his thumbs as he continued to try and calm his nerves.
"Listen Aang, you've already got air bending down. The rest of the elements shouldn't be too hard for you, nor should they take very long," Sokka reassured him. "But Sokka- We are still weeks away from the North Pole! I'm not going to be able to learn all of the elements in time!' Aang shouted back at him.
"Aang, you need to calm down. If you want, I can try teaching you what I know," Katara offered. "Really- You'd do that?" Aang asked in bewilderment.
"Yes, I would. But, we need to find a good source of water first," She answered.
"Down there!' Ashlynn said, spotting a waterfall and a large lake at its base in the distance. Sokka turned Appa's reins towards the lake, and landed him several minutes later.
Appa ran right into the lake and sighed with relief as the cool water washed over him. Aang laughed, and began pulling off his clothes so he could go swimming. "Aang, we're here to learn water bending," Katara reminded him. Aang hesitated, then nodded with regret. "We can play later, anyways."
"Sokka and I can give Appa a bath while you guys learn water bending," Ashlynn suggested. "Wait, what? I don't want to clean Aang's pet while they're splashing around that's hardly fair, I shouldn't have to labor while they're having fun!" Sokka complained.
"Oh, Sokka… What else are you going to do? Just lie around? And we're not splashing around; I'm teaching Aang water bending. Ashlynn, it'd be great if you and my brother would give the hard-working Appa a well deserved bath," Katara smiled.
Ashlynn giggled, and grabbed the spare bison scrub-brush they'd carried with them in their luggage. Sokka groaned in disbelief and follow her over to where Appa was basking in the sunlight.
"Hmm, we should get his toes first. Those can't be good," Ashlynn said. Sokka nodded, and crawled up on top of Appa's exposed stomach and motioned for Ashlynn to hand him the scrub brush.
After scrubbing Appa's toes, Ashlynn and Sokka worked together to scrub his tummy. Every so often Appa would let out a satisfied sigh, forcing the two workers to plug their noses to fight back the stench of Appa's breath.
"Ah man, we've been scrubbing all day. I wonder if Aang has learned anything cool yet," Ashlynn pondered, and turned to look at the avatar and his water-bending teacher. Just then, Aang built a wave up, and sent it soaring over Appa and the campsite they'd set up. The force of the water knocked Ashlynn and Sokka right off Appa's stomach and into the lake. It also washed their supplies down the river.
"That's… enough practice for today," Katara sighed. "Yeah- Good job Aang, you washed our stuff down the river," Sokka said angrily. "Well, there's got to be a town nearby where we can get more stuff," Aang grinned sheepishly.
The closest town was a pirate trading facility. It was rundown, and stank of fish. Each of the citizens looked rugged, and unkind.
"Look, we don't have a lot of money so let's spend it wisely and get out of here," Katara said, and glared at Aang for buying an animal whistle without the group knowing till' he produced it.
The group wandered amongst the stores, trying to find one that suited what they were looking for, and suited their price range as well. As they skimmed the docks where pirate ships were anchored, a seller came and requested that they looked amongst his shop. Aang was only too eager to follow the man into one of the pirate ships, which appeared to be his shop.
Katara, Sokka, and Ashlynn followed and looked around his shop, which appeared to be filled with antiques. Katara was thrilled when she spotted a water-bending scroll nestled in a miniature scroll-holding bookcase.
"Wow, this is amazing! Where did you get this?" Katara said, looking at the moves the scroll presented. A second pirate emerged from the darker confinements of the ship, and responded with a cackle. "If you're looking to buy that missy, you'd best be running off. We already got a buyer, unless you want to put buy him with 200 gold pieces," the pirate cackled.
"We should leave soon," Ashlynn whispered to Sokka whilst Aang haggled a price to get the scroll. "I don't know, I want to look at their boomerang collection," Sokka whispered back excitedly.
"Come on guys, let's go," Katara demanded, and dragged Sokka and Aang and Ashlynn out of the shop. "What? Katara, I wanted to look at the boomerang's…" Sokka sighed disappointedly.
"I'll just feel better when we get back to camp," Katara said, rubbing her arms as if she were cold.
"Hey, you kids!" one of the pirates shouted as the team trotted away from the ship. "Hey, maybe they want to trade for that scroll now!' Aang said, and turned around to greet the pirate. However, as the team turned around, several other pirates flooded into the area, and cut them off. "You kids aren't going anywhere," one of the pirates sneered, and every pirate protruded a weapon.
"We need to get out of here, they aren't here to trade," Ashlynn said. The team agreed, and they all turned around and began to run from the ambushing pirates.
The pirates chased the group right into an alley way, which signaled a dead end. The head pirate pointed his dagger at the group, and cackled a threat in their direction. He then thrust his arm forward, and threw the dagger at them. To deflect it, Aang sent a gust of wind flying in the direction of the pirates. The dagger, along with the pirates, flew backwards and into the main street.
"Guys, grab onto me, I'm going to fly us out of here," Aang said as he opened the wings of his glider. Katara and Sokka quickly grabbed onto Aang's legs, and Ashlynn wrapped her arms around Sokka's waist as Aang took off.
Back at the camp, everyone sat for a moment to catch their breath. Appa had hardly budged an inch since they'd left.
"I usually look up to pirates, but those men were just plain mean," Aang said. "Yeah, that's why I took this!" Katara said, and showed them the water bending scroll from before.
"No way,' Aang said, and grinned as he saw Katara open the scroll. "Well, it's no wonder they were trying to kill us… You stole their stuff!" Sokka shouted at his sister. "Sokka, it's only probable that those pirates stole this scroll from a water bender. It's only fair that I take it back!' Katara defended herself.
"It doesn't matter Katara. You put our lives in danger. We could have been killed!" Sokka scolded her.
"Well we're all going to die anyways if Aang doesn't learn how to bend all the elements. You know how crucial it is for him to learn these techniques!" Katara shouted back.
Ashlynn sighed in annoyance.
"Whatever…" Sokka said, and walked off to be alone.
"Well, we've already got it. So, we might as well learn from it," Aang said. Katara nodded happily, and together they walked off to go learn the new techniques they'd found. Ashlynn looked off in Sokka's direction, and thought for a moment about going to cheer him up. She decided upon it, and followed his trail.
Sokka was propped up against a tree with his eyes shut. Ashlynn went and sat down next to him.
"You know, you shouldn't be so down. We got back in here in one piece, and that's something to think positive about," Ashlynn said with a quiet laugh to fill in the awkwardness. "I guess so," Sokka responded without opening his eyes.
"Hey, why don't we go watch them? Those are advanced techniques, and they're bound to suck at it," Ashlynn suggested. Sokka opened one eye and peered at her. He thought for a moment, and then nodded. Together, they stood up and walked over to where Katara and Aang were practicing.
Aang was holding the scroll open for Katara as she tried to teach herself a move named 'the water whip'. On her first attempt she accidently whipped herself. Sokka laughed in enjoyment.
"Aang, you've got gimped. Katara didn't get the scroll for you, she only got it for herself," Sokka explained.
Katara growled at Sokka. "Aang can have his turn once I've learned the water whip…"
Katara tried again, and this time accidently whipped Momo. She let out an angry cry, and began cursing her inability to perfect the move so quickly.
"Don't worry Katara, you'll get it down. You just need to shift your weight, like this," Aang said, and after one try perfected the water whip. Katara, now ticked off beyond reason, shouted back at Aang, cursing his ability to be so perfect while she was stuck being amateur.
"Why don't we just throw the stupid thing away? You're so naturally talented, so you don't even need the scroll," Katara finished. Ashlynn and Sokka exchanged nervous glances, and then glared at Katara, telling her that she was over the top.
Katara glared back, then looked at Aang and saw him quivering.
"Oh my- Aang, I'm so sorry. Here, you can have the scroll. I didn't mean to get out of hand like that," Katara said, and gave Aang the scroll.
"It's alright Katara," Aang said as he took the scroll.
Later that night, after Aang and Sokka had fallen asleep, Ashlynn heard Katara get up. She remained motionless, letting Katara think she was still asleep. When Katara had left the area, with the scroll, Ashlynn got up and followed her trail to the riverside.
Katara was continuing to practice the water whip, and each time she failed she cursed her failure again and again.
"Katara," Ashlynn said, making it clear she was there.
"What? Oh, Ashlynn… I…" Katara stuttered, trying to make up an excuse as to why she was out there with the scroll.
"It's alright Katara, I won't tell," Ashlynn said. Katara nodded a thank you, and together the two sat down to work out Katara's stress.
"I'm just so envious. Aang is so perfect and he learns everything so quickly. I mean, he got everything on his first try… And I'm still here struggling…" Katara said.
"When I was younger, I used to participate in the fire nation schooling talent shows. Mostly, it was just kids who competed in fire bending. Whoever had the cooler moves usually won. I was never gifted with fire bending. One year I decided to use flame-colored ribbons, and do a dance that would look like I was fire bending," Ashlynn said, recalling the memory as best she could.
"Turns out, one of the other kids who couldn't fire bend as well was doing the same thing as I. So for me, instead of it becoming a competition to win the talent show, it became a competition to be the better ribbon dancer."
"Did you win?" Katara asked.
Ashlynn smiled. "I practiced every day. I would go home, to the palace, and watch Zuko fire bend. I'd try and copy his techniques with the ribbon. On the day of the show, I tripped and sprained an ankle."
Katara winced, imagining the emotional and physical pain Ashlynn must have had.
"I didn't get to perform. However, I didn't stop that hobby either. I continued to practice til' I got real good at it. It became a kind of game between Zuko and I. It felt good to know that even though I wasn't a fire bender, I could still do something that other people couldn't do," Ashlynn finished.
"Why are you telling me this?" Katara questioned.
"Aang is the Avatar. He's always going to be better at this. He's always going to learn it faster, and have better reflexes. Yes, you'll learn slowly, and you'll get hurt in the process, but someday you'll be a water bending master. You just have to keep it up," Ashlynn said.
Katara realized the relationship between her struggle and Ashlynn's story. "Thank you," she nodded, and stood back up to practice more.
Then, an iron clanking was heard from nearby. Ashlynn stood up, and motioned for Katara to follow. Together, they hid behind a bush, and peered through at the river. Coming up the river, towards them, was the pirate ship.
Katara gasped. "We have to go get Aang!"
Katara stood up from the bush, and turned back towards camp. At the same time, the two of them sprinted. Katara bumped into a pirate, and Ashlynn bumped right into the unexpected Zuko.
"Ashlynn," Zuko angrily greeted her, and grasped her wrists as they flew up in a natural reaction to shield her face.
Zuko forced Ashlynn to turn around, and he bound her hands. At the same time, the pirates bound Katara. Both girls were tied to a nearby tree, and were then interrogated.
"Tell me where the avatar is," Zuko demanded.
"How about you go jump in the river and drown first," Katara snarled.
"Zuko set us free. This is mutiny Zuko! You've completely lost your mind!" Ashlynn hissed. "Silence, Ashlynn. You're a traitor to me, and a traitor to your kingdom. You'll be treated like one," Zuko responded.
"Don't tell me you don't care, I know---"Ashlynn started, and was then slapped across the face by a guard pirate in an attempt to silence her. She bit her lip to fight back an oncoming stream of tears.
"Now, in case you don't understand my position, I'm trying to capture the Avatar to regain something I've lost… my honor," Zuko explained to Katara.
"Perhaps, if you tell me where he is, I can give you something you've lost," Zuko offered, and held up Katara's lost necklace.
"My necklace," Katara gasped.
"Enough of this- You promised us the scroll," the head pirate demanded. Zuko showed him the scroll, and threatened to burn it. "You help me find what I am looking for, and I'll give you back your stupid scroll," Zuko said. The pirate leader gasped, and then reluctantly nodded, not wanting the valuable scroll to be burned.
"Search the woods for the boy, and then meet me back here," Zuko ordered. The pirates nodded, and then scattered to the inner forestry, leaving Zuko and his body guards with Ashlynn and Katara.
Katara noticed Ashlynn was quivering, and saw a few stray tears run down her face. After a few moments of silence, Katara spoke.
"How can you treat her like this? She was your best friend. I find it hard to believe, but she was. She was loyal to you, she followed you. Why would you treat someone like that… like this?" Katara shouted at Zuko.
"Loyal? Let's say someone in your petty water tribe had stolen this necklace, and your brother teamed up with them to keep you from getting it back, would you call him a faithful brother?" Zuko explained.
"This is so entirely different, Zuko! This is abuse. You sat back and watched one of those men hurt her. You allowed that to happen, and---"
"Katara, stop," Ashlynn muttered, hanging her head. Katara bit her lip to hold back more things she had to say to Zuko.
Zuko glanced regrettably at his old friend, and then turned his back on her.
When the sun had just begun to rise, the pirates returned with Zuko and Aang.
"Oh, Aang... I'm so sorry, this is all my fault," Katara said.
"Now," the pirate leader said, "hand over the scroll."
Sokka burst out laughing. "You're handing over the Avatar for a stupid scroll? You've got to be joking."
"The Avatar?" one of the pirates question. "Yep, and I'll bet he's worth a heck of a lot more than that puny scroll," Sokka responded.
"Shut your mouth, you water tribe peasant," Zuko ordered.
"You can keep the scroll… We'll get a hundred with the price this kid will sell for," the pirate leader said.
"You'll regret you ever said that," Zuko muttered, and together he and his guards sent trails of fire in the direction of the pirates. Together, the pirates evaded the attack, and three smoke bombs in the area, clouding their positions. While the pirates and the fire benders were fighting amidst the smoke, Momo crawled down from a tree and chewed through the ropes that tied Katara and Ashlynn.
"Thanks Momo," they said in unison, and ran towards the heat of battle.
On the other side of the smoke cloud, Sokka and Aang had emerged. Katara ran past them, and ordered them to follow her. On the side closest to Ashlynn, Zuko and the pirate captain were having a one on one battle. Ashlynn charged at the group and let out an angry cry as she did so.
She ran right into Zuko and shoved him over with all her might to get back at him for earlier. As she did so, the pirate captain's blade came down upon her, and cut a mark from the base of her neck and trailed down her back to her right side. She screamed in pain, then wearily got up and ran after Sokka, Katara, and Aang. The adrenaline kept her mind off her new wound.
Katara and Aang were water bending the pirate's ship off the shore and into the river.
"Everybody in," Katara demanded. Aang and Katara ran up the ramp into the ship. Ashlynn stumbled, and fell on one knee. Sokka gasped, and lifted one of her arms around his shoulder.
"Help, she's hurt!' Sokka said as he slowly helped her up into the ship.
Aang quickly set a path for the boat down the river, and then joined Katara and Sokka in trying to stop the bleeding from Ashlynn's wound.
"We're in trouble," Aang said, and pointed behind them. Ashlynn sat up, and looked around with everyone else. Zuko's steam ship was being commandeered by the pirates, and was headed straight for the ship.
"I'll be alright guys, it's just a scratch," Ashlynn said, and stood up. Sokka tossed her his club, and pulled out his boomerang. "Go sit in a corner, and use that to defend yourself," Sokka ordered as the steam ship caught up to the pirate ship. One by one, the pirates hopped onto their ship and began assaulting the group.
Aang and Katara worked together to use water bending on the pirates, washing them off the ship and into the river. Ashlynn thrust the club at any pirate who got too close to her. She cried in pain each time as she felt the wound split further each time she lifted her arms.
Ashlynn scouted the regions around the ship, and saw that the ship was ready to float down a waterfall that led to certain death. "We got to get off this ship you guys," Ashlynn shouted. Everyone noticed the waterfall, and began working harder to find a way off the ship.
Aang blew on his animal whistle, and then ordered Katara to help him stop the boat with water bending.
"It's working Aang! The ship is stopping!" Katara said.
Ashlynn sighed with relief as their water bending stopped the ship right at the peak of the waterfall.
"That's great, but we have another problem," Sokka said, and pointed behind the ship, where the steam ship was floating right towards them. Before they could do anything, the steam ship rammed into the pirate ship head on, and tossed the ship on its side.
Ashlynn, Sokka, Katara, and Aang all lost their balance and fell off the ship and began to plummet down to the water below. As they fell, preparing for sudden death, Appa flew in. It was clear he'd heard Aang's animal whistle.
Saving them once again, Appa flew underneath them and caught the group upon his back. He then carried them away into the sky, leaving Zuko and his Uncle Iroh and their guards behind.
"Aang… I still owe you an apology," Katara said later that day as Appa continued to fly them through the sky. Ashlynn listened intently, feeling better now that the group had wrapped her torso in thick bandages to help heal the wound.
"You were just so good at water bending… I got competitive, and I put us all in danger… I'm sorry."
"It's alright Katara."
"Besides, who needs that scroll anyways," Katara grinned.
"Is that really how you feel?" Sokka said, and pulled out the scroll and waved it around in Katara's face.
"The scroll," Katara exclaimed, and reached for it.
"Wait wait, what did you learn?" Sokka asked. "Stealing is wrong," Katara said without hesitation. Sokka smiled, and handed her the well deserved scroll.
"…Unless it's from pirates," Katara joked. Aang laughed, and for the moment, Ashlynn was happier than she'd been within those past few days.