I know I took my sweet time with this chapter but there were certain things about it that gave me problems and other things that I wanted to get just right. Anyway, here it is. If there's anything amiss with the Avatar mythos just let me know so I can correct it. Enjoy!

Newb storiest, Nephritiri, Teen Freak, Realfanficts, Tsukikage1213. Thanks for your reviews guys.

Chapter Three

We Meet Again

All of them grabbed onto Katara's arms and pulled with all their might but the force that now held her refused to let go. Katara clenched her teeth from the agony of being pulled form both directions. As though the pool grew tired of the contest an electric jolt surged through them and Katara pulled into the opaque red waters.

"KATARA!" In the time it took Aang to right himself Katara's arm disappeared beneath the surface and the pool dried to nothingness. He held to fistfuls of snow in his hands. "Katara….."

PRESENT DAY…………….

(Himalaya Mountains)

In the shroud of night the howling blizzard that overtook the mountain peaks covered nearly everything. Indeed a trek up the mountain was a journey not to be taken lightly, or possibly not to be taken at all. And yet a band of travelers hiked up the treacherous mountainside. Many a explorer have sought the monastery sitting atop he peak for wisdom and guidance. However this new group, armed to the teeth with assault weaponry have not come for council. It is something else they seek, something hidden within the monastery walls. The one leading this hostile force paused just before a pass and observed the near monastery through a pair of binoculars. He saw no guards of any kind nor did he see any fortifications. With a simple hand gesture he assured his team onward.

-----

A young monk approached the closed doors of a room down a long corridor. In his hastened journey he failed to notice another Monk approaching from the opposite direction. He was older than the young one, much older, and held a visage of experience and wisdom. He intercepted the pacing young monk.

"Brother, what is the trouble." The protégée bowed his head.

"Forgive me, there is no trouble. I am merely late in delivering the abbot's mail." The old monk glanced momentarily at the door behind him.

"I think she would be far more irate if you neglected her tea. Do not trouble your thoughts like this." The young monk took in his words in earnest and after one more bow they parted ways. Despite what his superior had told him, the bald headed novice approached the door with notable apprehension. He tapped the on the door and waited. Soon a voice told him to enter. Enter he did, pushing the door open and seeing the head priestess' figure in the lit of the candles throughout the room.

"Priestess?"

"You can come in," she said quietly. "Is that my mail?"

"It is." She smiled.

"I've told you, you don't need to bring it to me. I'm perfectly capable of fetching it myself." The young monk appeared slightly abashed.

"Forgive me, Nayia." Nayia rose from her seat and slowly approached him. She took the bundle of letters from his hands.

"Calm down, there's nothing wrong with being a little courteous. Come and sit with me for a moment. I was just about to have some tea." He bowed his head and sat across from her. "Its funny, this tea recipe is my brother's. I swear he's so blockheaded at times."

"How is your brother?" She sighed.

"To be honest, I don't know. I haven't heard from him in a while. I was hoping one of these letters would be from him." She brushed her hands over the pile of envelops, moving them apart and not seeing address she wanted. "But I suppose it was too much to hope."

"Priestess please do not loose hope, I am sure he will send word soon."

"I hope so; I don't think I could go much longer without knowing if he or Shandrey is okay."

"His wife."

"Yes, finally. I swear they spent years avoiding it."

"I am confident you will be able to endure, you carry a taxing burden as it is." Nayia adopted a rather nervous expression. Her hand drifted to a chain around her neck. She took her fingers from the gold links and quickly picked up her tea.

"Don't remind me."

----------

Two monks walked in humble silence down the halls of the monastery. It was a wonder how they were able to navigate the way back to their rooms with their eyes softly closed. As they rounded a corner, two red beams aimed at their chests and then followed two whispered shots. The monks fell and their attackers pulled them out of sight.

----------

Nayia breathed in the steam from her tea. Her visitor slowly drank the last remnants of his own and set it down.

"I thank you for your invitation priestess. With your permission I will return to my duties." Nayia nodded.

"I've never met anyone who loved doing their chores more. Alright, if it would bother that mu-" She halted her speech, then turned her head toward the window. The monk regarded her curious as she slowly rose to her feet. She slowly walked towards the window, staring at it as though she were expecting a ferocious beast to burst through it.

"Priestess?" She turned back to him.

"Sorry, I guess I just got this feeling-"

CRASH!!!

Both Nayia and the young monk staggered back as several black clad operatives burst through several windows along the wall. Several red targeting beams emanated from their weapons. They wasted no time in unleashing a hail of machine gun fire upon the fallen novice.

"NO!" She felt one of them grab her arm and her instinct for survival took it from there. In a flash Nayia twisted her arm around his until a loud crack was heard. With all her strength she hurled the screaming man into another which was bound for her. A knife was slashed in her direction. Four times he swung the razor sharp weapon at her, and four times Nayia dodged the swings effortlessly. The second he attempted a lung she grabbed his arm and forced the blade from his hands. "HA!" Her foot found his chest, sending him soaring backwards. She could see him pulling his backup from its holster, thus she was left with only one option. The long knife left her hand in a spinning flurry and landed itself within his throat. The three masked operatives now either lay dead or incapacitated. Nayia swiftly moved down to the young monk's side. It was of course hopeless but she found she was checking his pulse anyway. Fighting back tears, she gently closed his eyelids.

Nayia then knelt down beside one of the unconscious attackers and looked him over. She searched for anything that might identify him, but his body was completely covered. Nayia was undeterred however. She undid the coat zipper down to his chest and pulled the heavy collar away from his neck. Burned on his skin was the mark of a single large flame, displayed in its foreground appeared to be the symbol for infinity. Nayia's mouth hung open at the sight of it and she quickly withdrew her hand.

"Oh no…" Her back suddenly arched and her teeth clenched. Behind her another ninja clad operative had shot her with a taser. The two wired needles that stuck in her back delivered several painful jolts, which finally brought her to the floor in a frenzy of winces and twitches.

----------

The remaining monks that happened to be spared were brought to the main entrance and held in the large hall facing two very large doors. They were promptly forced down on their knees. The monks asked no questions about the reason for this attack nor did they make any inquiries about their fate. They all simply remained silent. The two doors ahead of them opened, allowing passage for the squad leader. He entered with two more of his loyal soldiers behind him. Held tightly upon his back were two identical swords, though one was slightly shorter than the other. He approached what he deemed to be the eldest monk and motioned for his men to pick the old man up. Once they were eyelevel the hardened mercenary removed his mask. His hair was brown but slightly grayed in some areas and tied in a long ponytail.

"Your fellow monks need not die here today old man."

"If we were to fear death as you suggest," began the old man. "Then we would fear life as well."

"I have not the time for this old man, where is your abbot?" He received no answer. "Whether by your assistance or the competence of my own men I will find her. The only difference is that if I get what I want by the latter then you shall pay for it."

"I am sure I will." The monk sat back down. The mercenary was moments away from ordering the execution of every robe clad man in the room when another door was opened and a familiar voice was heard.

"LET ME GO!" He turned and saw two of his men towing Nayia by both her arms. His eyes narrowed at the sight of her. She spotted him as they drew closer and she silenced. The mercenary turned away from the monks, his attention was now elsewhere. "Mifune," she said with spite.

"Nayia, you have grown much since last I saw you. I am happy to see you remember me." She tugged at her captors but they held her at bay.

"I remember only a coward and a traitor, who sacrificed his honor for wealth. My brother was wrong to have spared you." Mifune tilted his head. Extending a hand toward her, he took some of her hair and moved the strands between his fingers.

"If only you believed differently about me. I would to think things could be different between us."

"They were, once. But that was before I knew what you really are. A sword for hire. And now what? You're working for the Order now?" He shook his head.

"A man must make a living; I'm just doing so with the ways I know best. Now enough of this banter. I know you are guarding the Star Crystal." Nayia looked away from him. "Give it to me."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Tell me where it is."

Still Nayia only shrugged. "Must have this monastery mixed up with another one. I can understand it I do it all the time." Mifune's face now grew nasty and he began reaching for one of his swords.

"Mifune." He turned and Nayia could now see that another had joined their company. She wondered how they failed to notice her as she was no more than three feet behind him. The woman held no expression of any kind and her eyes seemed cloudy. The sleeves from her robe went past her hands and along each cuff were several strands of fabric. "Allow me," she said in a monotone.

"Allow you what?" asked Nayia. Mifune stepped aside regardless of her question. Nayia's eyes snapped back to the woman. "What are you doing?" A hand appeared from the curtained sleeve, a long slender ruby ring around her middle finger. "Who are you?!" She twisted the ring around until the red rock was within her palm, which she held out toward Nayia's face. "NO! Don't!" A red vortex shot from the ring, connected to Nayia's forehead, and forced her to her knees. Nayia's mouth hung open and her eyes were crossed as they couldn't help but look at the funnel which was causing her so much agony.

"One of you will now tell me where the Star Crystal is, or I will kill her." The woman's ultimatum didn't fall on deaf ears though the monks were still adamant about keeping their silence. For they knew that Nayia would expect no more or less of herself. Nayia's vision was now starting to blur and grow dark. The unaffected woman bearing down on Nayia closed her eyes.

She saw several flashes of past conversations between Nayia and other monks.

She saw her last visit between her and the young monk from a moment ago.

She then saw a day when Nayia drew the chain around her neck and faced an ornately decorated bust of Avatar Roku.

She pulled her hand from Nayia and the young girl fell to the floor with a loud gasp.

"Be wary Ring," warned Mifune. "We are not to damage the crystal's guardian." The one so named 'Ring' turned to him with yet still a stone expression.

"That was before we knew the location of the crystal. She bears a key around her neck." Mifune bent down and tore the gold chain from the moaning Nayia. He held it up and sure enough a small gold key dangled from the end.

"Mifune…" He looked away from the chain and back down at Nayia. "Please….don't…" He looked away and pocketed the key. "You don't need to serve them." He returned a slightly angered look down at her.

"I serve no one." His snowy boot then covered her vision and all she knew was darkness.

MEANWHILE, Paris……………….

The sudden upbeat sound of music rang throughout the corridors and halls of the Louvre museum in Paris. The orchestra was instructed to play something of a different nature for their next number. What they now played seemed to be mix of jazz and classical. A gathering hall was filled with guests dressed formally and from countries abroad. Dozens of ice sculptures decorated the tables spread throughout the large room. Every golden chandelier was lit and not a single candle was dimmed. The buzz of chatter and conversation resonated like a swarm of bugs.

Outside on a balcony a lone guest stood leant on the stone railing, away from the music and away from the crowds. She was dressed in royal blue silk dress which hugged her figure quite nicely. Her normal long ebony hair now had a large portion of it wrapped in a bun and kept together with two ornate chopsticks. She checked her watch for the hundredth time that night and sighed. It was clear to her now that this night was never going to end.

"Shandrey?" She turned to find the only one she wanted to see that night.

"Lee."

"Shandrey why are you alone?" She hugged her arms to her body.

"I don't think I can stand it much longer."

He smiled and walked closer to her. "I will not see my wife in a state of distress on a night such as this." He took hold of her arms. "I will not see you cold either." She smiled back at him.

"I don't understand why they put us through this. We found the egg and brought it back and now they're making seem as though we just saved the world…" Under her breath she muttered; "..again…"

"It is a valuable piece of history; one which was believed to be lost. For that they consider you a champion for the past. And they wish to honor you." She nodded with a smile but it quickly faded. She backed away from him with a frown.

"Wait…"

"Shandrey?"

"They did invite you didn't they? I mean it was the both of us who risked our lives to get it back…and everything." Lee remained silent. Shandrey now grew stern and placed her hands on her hips. "Lee, tell me the truth. Are they shining this whole thing on me?" He said nothing but merely lowered his head with a small smile. Shandrey's mouth hung open as she now felt hurt for her spouse. "They didn't…"

"They want and only need one hero Shandrey. I am content that they chose you."

"But how could they just leave you out like that? It's not fair!" He raised a hand to calm her.

"It matters not to me, please just go back inside. The sooner you do so the sooner this night will end." She folded her arms, swinging her gaze to a spot down below them. He offered her his hand and waited. Still Shandrey remained stubborn and rooted on the spot. Finally she sighed in defeat.

"Fine, I'll do it for you. But this is the last time we recover anything for them." Lee chuckled and took her hand.

"Agreed." Shandrey ignored his hand and was quick to opt for entwining her arm around his instead. They entered the hall and immediately they, or rather Shandrey, were met with mass applause. She smiled though she couldn't stop thinking about the second they would be able to leave. A tall bald man finished clapping and guided them to a podium which stood next to a covered display. Much to Shandrey's dismay Lee retreated to the background. She looked back at him but he gestured for her to continue. The museum curator quieted the crowd and cleared his throat.

"Welcome ladies and gentlemen. It ees my great pleasure to introduce our guest of 'onor tonight. Miss Shandrey Yen-Mah." Again the hall was filled with applause. Shandrey folded her arms.

That would be Mrs. Leonidas Moristu, thank you very much.

"For years since our freedom as a species was taken from us, many amazing and priceless pieces were lost. But today we 're reunited with an irreplaceable piece of hee'story. Ladies and Gentlemen I present to you the lost Faberge Coronation Egg." He pulled the silk sheet away to reveal a display containing a magnificent golden egg along with its several accessories. Yet another wave of clapping came about from the egg's introduction. He turned to Shandrey and shook her hand. "We owe you and your bodyguard a debt of gratitude." Shandrey raised an eyebrow. Lee was willing to allow the unconscious insult to go but such was not the case with Shandrey, for she was still upset about the previous offense. She took her hand away and faced the audience.

"Well thank you Mr. Curator guy." There followed some scattered chuckles and an uneasy smile from the curator. "You know you go all over the world, you happen across a few artifacts and suddenly you're a celebrity. Isn't life just grand?"

Shandrey what are you doing? She heard her husband's voice within her mind.

Just responding in kind, now if you could get out of my head for just a minute please.

Shandrey then continued. "I mean, you know you're famous when people start getting everything about you wrong. For instance…" She stepped down toward Lee, grabbed his hand, and tugged him back up with her. "This man here would be my husband thank you."

"Well we 're very 'appy for you both-"

"Yes I can see. Getting that egg wasn't really what you'd call easy and it was nearly sent to you in a box rather than in person. So from now on perhaps you should show some more respect for the people who brought this to, whoever they might be."

"I beg your pardon?" asked curator.

"We're done here; get someone else to find your loot." She them pulled a thus far silent Lee out of the hall, behind them a flurry of talking and snubbed whispered erupted. They reached the main entrance where their coats were handed to them. "French," she muttered. Lee thanked the boy and tipped him. The seasoned samurai quickly caught up with his spouse.

"Quite a performance."

"Oh shut up."

A hand and a gasping mouth breached the waters of Seine River. A cloud escaped Katara's mouth from the frigid water. She moved her arms about and her wide eyes darted about in every direction. It went everything she knew about swimming but Katara did not but panic, thus she steadily sank back beneath the surface.

Shandrey and Lee always preferred to walk wherever they went. The night was cold but not unbearable; ergo they walked from the museum. Arm in arm they gradually moved along an old fence which ran alongside the Seine River.

"What is wrong Shandrey?"

"Nothing Lee, I got back at them I'm good now."

He was not convinced. "The small matter of my misrepresentation would not usually have been enough to enrage you like that. Of course it is irritating but you are reserved than that."

"And?"

"Something is disturbing you." She whined a little and leant against his shoulder.

"This just may be the most selfish thing in the world but……I'm bored." Lee arched a brow. "I mean sure we've been doing some treasure hunting but for some reason that's still not enough."

"So you desire some other form of adventure?"

"I really don't know what I want Lee." She groaned and shook her head. "Let's just change the subject, please."

"Very well, I have not seen you practice your waterbending for some time. Are you not still devoted to your art?"

"Oh yes," she said with a smile. It quickly faded however when she realized something. "I just haven't had a chance to put it to use." Lee hugged her tighter, sensing her needs. "What's wrong with me?"

"Nothing, at least nothing that I can plainly see."

"Not funny, butter knife boy." They stopped by a pair of pay-per-view binoculars. "Maybe…..I'm just not needed anymore." She looked at him square in the eyes. "Lee, am I obsolete?"

"Obsolete?" he asked incredulously. "You are not a piece of machinery Shandrey. No one is useless. And even if there are no more battles to be fought, weather they be between two people or nations, would that be so terrible?" Shandrey hated this. He had boxed her in with a question she could only properly answer one way.

"No, and I hate it when you do that by the way." He lightly chuckled. As he thought of nothing now but the woman with him he began to see something. Shandrey felt the change in his grip and looked up at his scanning demeanor. "What is it?"

"Something is in the water." She looked and indeed saw something large bobbing along the surface. In the darkness it was hard to tell exactly what it was. Then as it drifted closer Shandrey's mouth dropped.

"Oh my God, its no something-it's a someone." With a wave of her hands Shandrey raised the water before her and froze it into a slide. She quickly moved down beside the floating form of Katara. She looked back up at Lee. "Lee, catch her!" Shandrey then pressurized the water around Katara and literally popped the hypothermic waterbender up into the air. Lee's powers caught her in mid air and gently lowered her to the ground. Shandrey promptly returned to Lee's side and bent down beside Katara.

"Is she alive?"

Shandrey paused, feeling her pulse. "Barely, we'll have to be extremely careful when warming her. If we do it too quickly the shock could kill her. First we have to do something about her lungs." So saying Shandrey closed her eyes and placed a hand over Katara's chest. Distinguishing between the water in lungs and the water in her blood was not an easy task. But Shandrey was by no means a novice waterbender. Soon she let out a breath of relief and when she moved her hand away a stream of water exited Katara's mouth. She tossed the water aside. "There we go, let's get her someplace warm." Lee removed his coat and wrapped it around Katara's shivering person. He then gathered her up and they quickly made their way back to their hotel.

ELSEWHERE………………….

The proprietor of a pawn shop stood behind the counter trying to verify the authenticity of an Omega watch, naturally the item he held was undoubtedly a knockoff. The bell on the door rang, alerting him to the presence of a customer. He looked up and he saw, with one eye hidden behind his small magnifier, a man with shoulder length sandy hair.

"Dirk?"

"That's me." The one so named 'Dirk' proudly declared. He seemed to be quite pleased with himself at the moment.

"Haven't seen you in months, I got the impression you were finally behind bars." Dirk chuckled derisively and threw a small pouch on top of the shop owner's fake watch. The shopkeeper stared down at the small package then returned a perplexed gaze back up to Dirk. "What's this?"

"That is what will send me off to retirement for the rest of my life." The shopkeep undid the cloth container and his mouth opened slightly at its contents. Inside was a dazzling gold fish no bigger than the man's palm, an intricate web of scrollwork led his eyes to a deep blue gem centered in the fish's body. "Pretty good huh?"

"Is it real?"

Dirk replaced his grin with an irritated frown. "Of course it's real. Besides aren't you supposed to be able to determine that? I brought it here 'cause I need to how much it'll get me."

"Where did you find this?" asked the shop owner. Dirk felt obliged to humor him for a moment. It was after all quite a sight to behold.

"I volunteered to be a clean up guy at some research bid in Antarctica. They were studying ice structure-I don't know. All I know is one scientist about nearly wet himself when he found it. On my way to dinner one night I dropped by the researcher's tent and then promptly bought myself a one-way ticket home?"

"How did you sneak this out of the tent, by security-for that matter how did you get it through customs?"

"That doesn't matter now!" exclaimed a frustrated Dirk. "Those morons were too busy wondering what it could mean more than what it could earn. Look I just want to be on my way to Malibu as soon as possible so would you just do your thing and tell me how much its worth."

"Dirk I've never seen anything like this. I mean there's no doubt it's the genuine article but-" he faltered. His face even grew worrisome; as though he were afraid it would explode in his hands. He placed it back into the cloth and folded it up.

"What?"

The shopkeeper pushed it towards his customer. "Dirk, word will get out pretty quick about this thing and I don't want to be anywhere near it when some less than friendly people come looking for it."

Dirk rubbed his eyes. "So what are you saying?"

"I'm saying take your fish and get the hell out of my shop."

"Come on man, throw me a bone here."

"Please just go."

Dirk was persistent. "Just ballpark it for me." The shopkeep lowered his head.

"Dirk…"

"Forty thousand-fifty?"

"Leave!" Dirk rolled his eyes, snatched up the fish and walked out of the pawn shop. The clerk shook his head and went back to his previous engagement.

Outside Dirk examined the fish closely while he walked by a host of other shops. He found he was unable to take his eyes off its many facets. He smiled as he only began to imagine the bids he could place on it.

He began thinking out loud. "Who needs him anyway? I wonder how the water is in Malibu." As he made his way past an alley an arm outstretched with a silenced pistol and as they met a quiet shot at the base of his head brought Dirk to the ground. The shooter bent down to retrieve the fish, leaving the body with no regard as he left lying in the alley.

-----

Once again the doorbell rang and the shopkeeper didn't even look up. He instead sighed and shook his head.

"Dirk please don't make me call the police-ACK!" A strong hand grabbed him by the hair on his small head, forcing him to look up. The one who held him in his grasp was a man clearly in his fifties; one of his dark eyes was slightly grayed. "W-What do you want?!" He slowly produced the gold fish. Apparently the shopkeep's worst fears came true all too soon.

"Our mutual friend found this, tell me where. And be certain that what you tell me is the truth." His accent was European, possibly German. The gasping clerk blinked his eyes over and over again in an attempt to wake from this nightmare.

"I…I-I don't know!"

"Let me reiterate and rephrase; if you feed me lies or tell me nothing……I will burn this establishment to the ground and you will burn with it."

"ANTARCTICA!" He arched a brow. "Dirk said he picked it up in Antarctica." The shopkeeper was then let go and somehow his attacker was out the door in the same second. He stared down at the small bit of blood that had come from his nose and promptly headed out the back door.

Outside the man walked down the street to where he had momentarily met Dirk and paused, the body was no longer there. Sitting atop of a catwalk was the one who had stowed away the corpse. She held a deeply satisfied smile.

"Things would run faster if you would not take the time to have a meal while doing your job." She licked her lips and shook her head.

"Now now Simon, keep me not from the minute pleasures still afforded to me." He ignored her adorable little pout and walked on. Upon turning the corner she was already waiting for him, her superhuman ability to move in the blink of an eye was certainly handy at times. "Well?"

"Well what?"

"What did you learn from him?" Simon drew the fish and handed it to her.

"We have a trek to make my dear; I hear Antarctica is lovely this time of year." She glanced at him curiously.

"Where?"

"North….far North."

"But you said-"

"I know what I said, you should pay better heed to the clues afforded to you." Not impressed but confused by his answer she nodded. Looking about she spotted a homeless man sifting through a dumpster. The hungry fire in her eyes returned with a vengeance.

"Very well, just let me get something for the road."

There we go; I'm now off the hook for another week. Or at least until a certain friend of mine starts reminding me of my laziness (and you know who you are). Laters all!