Chapter 7
Even though the five masters searched hours for the lost students, they couldn't find them. "Let's give up. We can't find them and they know the way back to the Academy so they can come back anytime." said master Mako. " I agree besides Karana is the Avatar and her friends have pretty strong special powers. They can handle themselves." agreed his brother. So they and the gorls went back to the academy, hoping their students were alright.
In the morning Mai finally woke up from her unconciouness. "Ugh. Where am I?" she groaned. " We fought these strange guys yesterday remember? And well I tried to protect you and knock them out while you were unconcious but we were thrown down this cliff. Luckily there was this plattform where we landed." told her her brother. "Yes I remember." she said, then her eyes widened: " Ming, we have to find the others! Mayne they are hurt or they need our help!" "Yes you're right. But how do we get up there?" " Hey have you forgotten that I'm an airbender?" " Right. But can you bend two people that high in the air?" " Sure. Opal is a good teacher." Mai then started to create a huge air circle that turned itnto a small tornado that was strong enough to lift them both in the air and to the top of the cliff."See. I told you I can do it." she said proudly. "Greta job, sis. Now let's go find the others, he said. The twins both dissapeared in the forest, to serach for their friends.
Hadoka woke up first. It was dark i the earth tent but she could hear the bird's singing from outside. Carefully she nuddged her sister."Hey, Karana. It's already morning. So can you please tear down this earth tent. It's getting uncomfortable in here." she said. A groan came from her sisters lips:" Yeah,yeah just let me sleep a while longer." "No I won't. It's already morning or so and we need to find the others. So wake up!" said Hadoka and threw a small wave of cold water in her sister's face."Okay,okay I'm awake I'm awake." Karana spluttered. After she tore down the earth tent, the two sisters decided to search the forest for their friends.
Both girls were wandering through the forest, when they suddenly heared a strange rustling noise in the bushes. Karana and Hadoka moved imediatly in a fighting stance. Suddenly two figures broke out of the bushes, screaming and also in a fighting position. Karana quickly shoved Hadoka behind her and attacked the two figures with a few boulders, but after shooting a few of them she realized who the figures were. "Chang!Liang!" her sister cried and run to hug Liang. The two had developped a strong friendship in their short time of knowing each other. Karana slowly wandered over to the two brothers. "Sorry for attacking you boys." she said blushing a little bit in embarressment of her little attack from a few moments earlier. "It doesn't matter. I would jave reacted the same way." Chang replied. Their little chat was broken up from Hadoka screaming:" Guys look who is over there!" Everybody looked in the direction where the young girl had pointed in fear, bit soon everyvone looked reliefed because they saw that it was only Mai with Mimi on her shoulders together with her brother on Ping Ping.
After the kids catched up with each other about what happened ever since they got sepperated yesterday they discussed what to do next. "Does any of you guys know how to get back to the Academy?" asked Chang Mai and Ming. "Sorry. We don't. We had never been this far away from the academy before." replied Ming. "Hmm. Okay, I have a plan we need to find a way into the city. There we can stay in one of the abdoned buildings of the city and wait there for the masters to rescue us." explained Chang. "That's a smart plan. Let's do it. Go Team Avatar!" cried Hadoka. Everyone looked at her with curiousity. "What? Since Karana is the new Avatar I thought it would fit that we are the new Team Avatar." she said.
"New Team Avatar, huh? I like that. Go Team Avatar!" said Liang also. The others just shrugged their shoulders and then joined in also screaming:"Go Team Avatar!" bumping their fists together and then in the air. Then the six kids headed on the back of Ping Ping into the direction where they thougt that the city would lie.
Hours went by and they still hadn't found a path to the city. "Maybe we should sent Mimi to go check for a path. You can find almost everything when you are up in the air." suggested Mai. Without waiting for an answer from her friends, she whispered something to the young cat-owl and the animal took off in the air.
Finally the cat owl returned and said to Mai:' I discovered a path not far from here just follow me' "Guys! Mimi told me that there is a path not far from here. We should follow her." told Mai her friends. So the six kids followed the cat-owl until a small path came into view. Mai jumped off of Ping Ping and said: "I'm gonna help Mimi search for the city and a safe place to stay." And so the young girl took off with her wingsuit and flew together with Mimi over the heads of her friends.
They finally arrived at the city when it was already dark. Republic city still looked good, even though it was destroyed by several fights in wars and some of the spirit vines. Hadoka and Karana were stunned. They had never seen such a huge city before because they had only been in their small village and the urban villages before and had never ever gotten the chance of visiting a big city like Ba Sing Se or Republic City. "Wow. It's beautiful." whispered Hadoka. "Yeah. It is what it is. Let's go. We need to find a place to hide before we get caught by a patrol of the "Dark Lord" " said Chang a litzle bit harsh.
The children fonally managed to find an old abonded building in the urban area of the city. Chang and Karana managed to create a small fireplace with the wood that Ming had collected. Everyone tried to make themselves as comfortable as possible and so the kids huddeld together in order to keep each other warm. " So what are we gonna do? It's not like we can get away so soon from here." asked Karana. "I don't know I just hope the masters can find us here." replied Ming to her question.
The kids sat in silence for a few minutes until they were interupted by Hadoka who said: " Hey how come that we consider us friends even though, we know each other only for a few days and but we don't know anything from each other?" No one knew an answer to that. "You are right. We almost know nothing about each other." spoke Liang up. "Okay ,okay. How about we play a little game? Since Karana and Hadoka are siblings and Chang and Liang are too and me and Ming are also siblings we have the same backstory. That's why we do it like this: Karana and Hadoka start for example they both think of a question about me and my brother or Chang and Liang. Then the pair of siblings who was asked the question must answer truthfully to the question, okay? asked Mai.
Everyone nodded to her explanation. In order for everyone to understand the game Mai and Ming began. They discussed for a few minutes about a good question and then asked Karana and Hadoka: " So what do you guys love to do in your freetime?" "Well I like to enjoy wandering around outside in the nature. I love feeTling connected to the earth." replied Karana. "I like to read in ky freetime." said questions went on like this question until they didn't know any harmless questions,that wouldn't upset anyone.
But then suddenly Karana and Hadoka asked : "Hey Chang, Liang how come that you are orphans?" Both boys swallowed hard at that question. They hated talking about their past. "Oh sorry boys. I didn't want to upset you. You don't need to answer that question if you feel uncomfortable with." said Karana who relized their expressions when the question was asked. "No,no it's okay. Well were do we start. Oh, I know. Well first of all: We are no orphans. Our parents are alive. They kicked us out a few years ago because we refused to do what they want. But to fully understand their actions, we need to tell you the story right from the day were all our troubles with our parents began. So it was a day like any other...
Liang and I had just come home from a long day of we came home there was this strange man with our parents. They talked about us joining his child army. Back then we already heared what cruel things the "Dark Lord" has done and we didn't want to join the child they wouldn't let us argue with a lot of money they gave to Karo, that was the name of the "Dark Lord's" second commander, they bought us the best place in his army. ( "So wait. You guys are from a rich family?! I always thought you were poor because of your clothing and that." interupted Hadoka.) ( "Yes, we were rich. Do you want to know how it continued or not?" asked Chang not really happy about the interuption.) ( Hadoka:" Ohh. Sorry, continue on." ). Okay after we were in the army for a few weeks we began to really hate it there. They treated us badly and hit us when we refused to do as they said. Wich was quite often. ( Hadoka+Mai+ Karana: "THEY DID WHAT!?") (" Yes you heared right. They hit us. Not so hard like they other kids but..." began Liang but was quickly interupted by his brother glaring at him. " Ohh. Sorry, bro continue." *grins sheepishly* ) Well after several accidents and other things that happened we had an harsh argument about the army with our parents. During that they began to show another side then their caring side they always showed. They showed a cruel and threatening side that we both were afraied and terrified of. They fighted us during that argument.( Mai:" Your own parents fought you?!" ) (Chang: " Yes they did. And guys stop interupting that's rude.") ( Everyone: " Sorry. We won't do it again.") Liang and I managed to flee. We never knew what happened to our parents. They never searched for us or did anything to get us back. (*sighs*) I guess they never really cared about us at all. Until the masters found us we lived on the streets. It wasn't that bad at all: We found food, shelter and everything we need to survive. There is not much to tell from that days and yeah until the moment on where we entered the eating room at the academy until now you know how our story goes.
With that Chang ended his story about his and his brother's backstory. "So what about you Mai and Ming. Is there anything noteworthy we don't know about your live?" asked Chang. "Yeah what about your parents?" asked Liang curiously. Both twins looked at each oher bevor they began to tell their story alternatly.
We are the children of the great mastr Jinora and some stranger. Our father died long before we were born and our mother died six months after our birth in a battle. So both our parents died. ( Hadoka*gasps wih hand infront of mouth* " That's so sad. I'm so sorry you two." ) ( Mai: "It's okay. We never really knew them so we hadn't have the chance to grief.") Anyway after this tragedy the masters raised us in the academy. I discovered I could airbend at the age of three. That's very young I know and everyone found it weird since most benders get their bending ability with six to five or older. But it got real strange when I got the power to talk to animals. Everybody thought I was some sort of weird freak. But it got real strange, whenI/Ming/ got the power to control peoples mind. I mean I couldn't read their thoughts but I could read their fears and worrys and feelings. ( Chang: " 's what I really call freekish." ) ( Ming+Mai* both glare at him.) ( Chang: "Okay ,okay I'm quiet.") When we both got older we learned how to fight and bend. We even learned how to control our power and we learned that such powers could be quit usefull when you use them smartly. Well that's basically it. Until you guys came along nothing really special happened in our lives.
The twins closed their tale about their live."So you two now it's your turn. Tell us something interesting about your live." said Ming to Hadoka and Karana. "Yeah. How about your parents what happened to them and how did you discover that you are the Avatar Karana?" asked Mai. " Alright I will tell." said Karana.
I was walking home from school when I heared some strange voices. They sound threatening as they said to someone: "People like you are unwanted here! Go back to the south pole where you belong you little half blood breed." "Yeah. She thinks she belongs here but she doesn't." " Your right people like her have nothing to do in our village!" "Go away half blood freak. We don't need you here!" I quickly rounded the corner. I knew whoever they were threatening was either a firebender or waterbender or airbender. Our village was originally a pure earthbender village but as time went by more and more other benders came to our village and settled down and got children with the people there. Hadoka and I are such children too. Our father was a waterbender who fell in love with our mum when he came to our village. Children like me and my sister were not really apreaciated. Every child who had parents who could bend different elements were often threated badly. I guess it was because our village's president was an old guy who liked to keep the pure blood rule of his ancestors, which says, that two people who bend different elements are not allowed to have children. ( "Yeah,yeah we know. What happened when you round the corner? Who were the guys threatening?" interupted Liang) ( "I was just going to explain!" said an slightly angered Karana.) Okay, I saw that the person they were threatening was Hadoka! I couldn't let that happen so I screamed: " Leave her alone!" and moved infront of her to protect her from this guys. "Ohh, look whose there the other half of those half boold bratts." mobbed Caro, the leader of the group. He was a rich pure blooded earthbender kid who mobbed and threated every half blood kid in our village. Even those who were older than him! He and his group went to attack and suddenly, I don't know how it happened, I shifted into an untpical earthbending stance and bent away their attack with fire bending. ( Chang: " Wowyou just bended their attacks away with fire?! Just out of nowhere!? That's pretty cool.") (Karana*blushes*: "Thanks.")
The boys tried a few more attacks but I managed to doge each of them wih either fire or earth bending. Soon Hadoka had joined in and we and Caro's gang had a pretty harsh got into serious trouble with our parents and they with their parents. But it was totally worth it. Even though we needed to help to rebuilt parts of the village we had destroyed during our fight. It was totally worth it! And the best part was: Noone belived the boys that I was firebending! Except our parents. Speaking of them. (Hadoka: "Okay, I'm gonna interupt you there. I'm gonna tell that part.") ( Karana*annoyed* : " Fine. Go on sis." )
Okay. Our parents were the nicest persons we had ever , of course until we met you weren't really rich but not really poor father helped me alot after I discovered that I could waterbend. My ability to sense water and create it out of nowhere helped me to master the easy part of it soon. After we discovered that Karana was the Avatar when she was eight dad and I tried to teach her waterbending, but she has never been good at. She didn't even manage to bend a little bit of water. (Karana*glares at her*: "You didn't need to mention that.") However well not long ago a few people form the army of the "Dark Lord" destroyed our village. Our parents had gone out for the night. We managed to get out of our house alive, but when we saw our destroyed village we knew there were no survivors. We belived that they came because of Karana's status as the Avatar. We loved our parents very much and me really miss them, but we do enjoy being here.
The young waterbender ended with tears in her eyes. "I'm so sorry." said Mai with true pity in her voice she hugged both girls close and after a while the boys joined in and so the six friends fell asleep in a tight group hug, their animal companions also curling against them to keep them warm and safe and sound.
The kids were woken up by a strange sound. It sounded like breathing! Everyone shot up and into a fighting position. Ping Ping growled threatening and even Mimi tried to act dangerous. "Whoever is there come out!" said Chang who was standing in a protective way infront of the others. "Relax young one. I'm not going to hurt you or your friends." said the stranger. "Then why are you here? What are you doing in our hiding place?" asked Ming now as he took a step forword and stood now next to Chang."I could ask you the excact same question young man. You were in my hiding place first." repied the man calmly while pointing around in the old abdoned building. The six kids let their deffence drop." Who are you?" asked Mai curiously. Now all the kids stood in a line.
An man stepped out of the shadows. "I think you two can answer that question perfectly Mai and Ming. " he said while showing his face that was hidden under some hood. Airbending tattoos came into view. Said children gasped:
"Now. That's impossible... you are dead..."
A/N: I hope you still like this story. If you couldn't guess the brackets in the stories the children were telling were interuptions. They were supposed to be like the one's in the episode 'Remambrances'. ; )