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Chapter 5: Waterbending

Aang paced back and forth across Appa's saddle panicking about what Roku said about the comet. Kitty sighed and said "Aang calm down we can work on waterbending as soon as we get you and Katara a couple of water skins so we always have water on us. You will at least have some understanding of waterbending before we reach the North Pole."

Later they landed by a waterfall and Kitty found some edible fruit. "Guys, I am going into town to see if I can find a couple of water skins for Aang and Katara. We can meet up back here if you want to go into town too. Remember not to spend it all in this town." They each had 50 gold pieces and headed towards town. Kitty found seven well-made water skins that were on sale for one gold piece. This would make it so Aang, Katara and Kitty to have two water skins for whatever they chose and Sokka had one to have drinking water in.

|| Later that Evening Kitty POV ||

I was walking around window shopping when I heard a pirate saying they had lost the waterbenders and monk. I just had a feeling this was about Aang, Katara and Sokka, I inched closer sticking to the shadows. When I saw Prince Zuko walk up to the pirates I knew I had to get back to camp as quickly as I could.

||CAMP Almost Dark||

"Did you guys have fun stealing from the pirates today?" I ask as I walk in to camp. They all froze.

"We don't know what you're talking about" Aang tried to lie unconvincingly

"I don't care either way but we have to move. Zuko is here. So let's all fill up our water skins and move farther away from the village. Appa cannot fly as well on the night of the new moon so let's move as far away as we can before it gets too dark to fly. Did you learn any waterbending Aang?" I ask as I toss two water skins to Katara and Aang and one to Sokka.

"Aang is a natural at waterbending" I can hear a little bit of resentment in Katara's voice.

"Katara you have to remember that Aang has done this in past lives so and he has a good teacher. The moves you learned you had to figure out by trial and error." I say softly so the boys would not here. "Let's move farther away from town and then we can set up camp and practice"

[Later]

"Katara, you know I am almost a master of waterbending right?" when I received a nod "let's go to the river and practice we have a little bit of time before it gets too late and we will have trouble getting back to camp." When we reached the edge of the river I continued "show me what you have figured out."

I watched and nodding happy, for not having a teacher she had figured out enough to get a good understanding of the basics. "Okay. For creating a giant wave you have to move from a crouch to standing as tall as you can with your arms over your head shifting your weight through the stances." After a couple of tries she had created a decent sized wave, "now try the single water whip."

It was getting pretty dark and she was still having a little bit of trouble with the water whip. We heard what sounded like a crash and when we went to investigate the noise it turned out to be a fire nation ship. We turned to run back to camp when we saw a pirate to the left then we ran right into Zuko.

"Going somewhere" he asks.

"Yeah actually I am so if you will excuse me" I say as I edge around him never turning my back to him. This time he was prepared and I knew that he probably would not hesitate to throw a fireball at my back.

+SNAP+ I turn just enough to see several of the soldiers and pirates creating a ring around Katara and I. I knew that this was very bad. I grabbed for my naginata but chills went up my spine as I realized it wasn't there, I had left it at camp because I didn't think I would need it. Zuko smirked.

"Well look what we have here." I glare at him getting the feeling he knows that I cannot take them all on, and win, without any weapons.

"Katara, run get Aang and get him out of here I'll provide a distraction make sure he gets away ill catch up later" I mutter softly to her. I create a large dust cloud and make sure she gets away. I throw sever soldiers and pirates into the river then I take off full speed. Hoping I have enough time to get away +CRACK+ a foot impacted with my ribs and I went rolling into a tree. I gasp for air my ribs ached. I get back up and continue to lead all of them on a merry chase through the woods after half-an-hour I think I have lost them I slow down slightly. Suddenly fire springs up in a circle around me, they had herded me into a trap and now I was too exhausted to bend. The fire prince walked up calmly through the fire. I circle making sure to keep him in my line of sight but I forgot about the pirates. One of them manages to het a chain around my arms and legs causing me to fall. They drag me back to where they docked the boats.

"You are going to tell me where the he is and I won't hurt you or your two friends" he orders I just bared my teeth in a snarl refusing to answer. "You see I need him to restore my honor" I saw his uncle sigh. He sends the pirates and his soldiers to find Aang.

I was naturally curious and I knew about the fire nations honor ritual the Agni Kai seeing his scar I wondered what happened. "So you want my brother to attempt to take back your honor which you most likely lost in an Agni Kai with someone in power. You realize that using this way to regain your honor will only end up with a 12-old boy dead and the world on the brink of destruction? The best way to regain your honor is to grow stronger, perfect your bending and challenge the one who gave you that scar to another Agni Kai."

"I could never beat him. He will always be stronger." I hear Zuko mutter the last part probably thinking I wouldn't hear it.

"With an attitude like that and all that anger, rage and hate you hold inside it is no wonder. Fire is a pure element it can consume you if you don't practice restraint and it is an aggressive element but it is not meant to be fueled by anger, rage and hate. Fire can also be calm and relaxing if you stare at a small fire and only concentrate on that fire your worries melt away." As I was distracting/lecturing them I had been gradually loosening the knots.

"What would you know about firebending?" he asks enraged

"I actually listened when the monks were lecturing about the elements" I reply I see the pirates had come back with the other three tied up. After Sokka created a conflict between the two groups and Momo released Katara I went and figured out how to control the fire nation vessel the other three all followed me I say "Sokka, go raid the ship for anything we can use on our journey Aang, Katara keep lookout we don't want them sneaking up on us we need to get far enough away then call Appa." We head downstream "Aang call Appa. Sokka did you find anything? Katara is there anyone following us?"

"I found some money, a well-made boomerang a couple more water skins and this sword" Sokka says he hands me the sword, gives the water skins to Aang and Katara and money keeps the boomerang.

"Pirates catching up" Katara says. Aang blows on his whistle.

"Okay grab hands and jump Appa's almost here" I say then we leap over the edge just as Appa passed under us.