Hello, here is the next installment in my first Avatar story. Question though; does anyone know if Katara has a last name? As a fan of the show I'm probably a moron for not knowing this but, if anyone knows could you let me know please. And thank you very much Tsukikage1213, and Realfanficts for reviewing. I'm going to go ahead and dedicate this whole story to them. They've been there since the beginning of a lot of my stories, plus a lot of the plot was built on their ideas and characters. So this one is for you two. Thanks guys. Enjoy!
Chapter Nine
Katara's Mission
Before Shandrey could retrieve what she had forgotten, Lee stopped her. "There's no need to go to Jerusalem."
Shandrey blinked, but didn't question how he knew this. "If he's not there, then where?"
"He's just outside the valley." Ignoring her incredulous stare, he explained more fully. "He was never in Jerusalem, not since the end of the Occupation. He moved to Gotham, remember?" Shandrey slapped a hand to her forehead.
"I can't believe I forgot."
"We're all human. We all make mistakes."
Still shaking her head at her lapse of memory, she inquired, "So why is he here, now?"
"That I do not know. What I do know is that five days ago, something bad happened, and the next day, he left, not stopping until he reached Tokyo. The rest of the time he spent there, until he began m—"
He stopped, sensing something amiss, exclaiming "The river! You have to get to the river before someone gets hurt!"
Shandrey rushed out the door. Lee got up, following as fast as he could.
They almost weren't in time.
Shandrey hurriedly inspected Elm, barely taking notice of Katara in the background.
She shouted to Lee, as soon as he came into sight. "Quickly, get him inside. We need to get some food into him now!" As Elm lifted off the ground, she absently ordered Katara to grab his weapon, adding silently, "I just hope he's not lost too much to recover…" Just as Shandrey had told her to, Katara took up Elm's staff and followed them both back inside. Lee met her halfway and despite Shandrey's protests shared the burden of Elm's weight.
While Katara followed behind her mind was a flurry of new questions. Yes, he had produced something that greatly resembled fire. However that hardly meant that he was a full blown firebender. His staff by itself made her re-think his identity; after all, Aang's glider folded up into his staff. Could this, Elm, possibly be the Avatar that Shandrey spoke of? But the more she thought about it the more she began to doubt. Shandrey had also said that the cycle had been broken. Funny; how no matter what, Katara's thoughts were almost always inevitably drawn back to her friends, to Aang. Even Shandrey would or could not help her Katara would make a solemn vow to herself; never to rest until she found a path home.
REJOINING NAYIA…………….
Once again Nayia found herself walking through the wall of fire and emerging on the other side entirely unharmed. She halted, seeing that Hotaru was already engaged in a conversation with her right hand chevalier, Simon.
"These areas need improving but I.." Hotaru looked up, acknowledging Nayia's presence. "…But I already have something in mind which should remedy the matter. The man Mifune retrieved, has he begun his task."
"Yes goddess," replied Simon. "He has demonstrated reluctance and has one occasion suggested sabotage."
"For his sake I hope not," said Hotaru coldly. "Nayia, there's no need to stay barely within my chambers. Come closer." Nayia had no desire to be there at all, unfortunately whenever Hotaru asked something of her Nayia felt terrible until she complied. Nayia found a chair directly across from Hotaru. The aforementioned firebender craned her neck around to speak to Simon. "You may leave us." A slight bow of the head and Simon took his leave.
"You summoned me?" asked Nayia impatiently.
"I did, yes. First I don't think I properly thanked you for helping us retrieve the Star Crystal." Nayia nodded with her hands laced in her lap.
"Well don't sweat it. If I could I'd steal it and leave you an I.O.U." Hotaru chuckled somewhat sinisterly.
"Now I am glad I acquired you, few of my chevaliers are as amusing as you." Nayia rolled her eyes. "However, to business…" Hotaru drew from within her robes an envelope. "I understand you are a masterful practitioner of ninjistu." Despite her best efforts, Nayia felt almost flattered by the comment.
"I know a thing or two."
"Wonderful, you will be given twenty of my followers and you will school them in the disciple you that you have become so familiar with. You will give me daily reports on their progress, and you will irrevocably provide me with stealth warriors."
"Hotaru-"
"Pardon me chevalier, but you will refer to me as 'goddess'. Nayia would have loved more than anything to reach forward and sock her 'goddess right in the face, and indeed did so within the confines of her own imagination. Hotaru raised an eyebrow. Nayia began to feel sick to her stomach. "Nayia?"
"Yes…..goddess." And with that, the awful feeling left her and Nayia felt just fine. "What I was trying to say was, why would your followers listen to me? They hate me; they hate me because I have something they want."
Hotaru replied simply, "That matters not. You needn't fear reprisals from my followers. It is blasphemous to raise even a negative word against my chevaliers. However I sense you hold yet another reservation toward accepting." Nayia looked away from Hotaru.
"You want me to teach people how to kill…..people who are already misguided."
Hotaru's eyes grew livid. "You know nothing to presume such words!"
"I know what a lapdog looks and acts like, I should since I used to be one. Never will I just sit by and let someone else throw their life away like that."
"Think of it more as something to keep you busy, it is of course only temporary until I acquire the other three element crystals. At which time I will certainly have no further use for you." Nayia folded her arms. "Teach my followers, it is as simple as that. Now go." Nayia stood up and wanting to bite her tongue on every word said;
"Yes goddess." Nayia nearly speed walked out of Hotaru's presence and not a moment too soon. Not a second after she was gone Hotaru doubled over and began gagging. Like a shadow having always been by her side, Ring suddenly appeared and took hold of Hotaru before she collapsed out of her chair.
"My goddess…."
"my host…." Wheezed the firebender. "She weakens, I……I will need a new one soon."
"Shall I draw from your followers?" asked Ring tonelessly.
"No..." With Ring's help Hotaru righted herself. "The house where Mifune found the old man, he left survivors did he not?"
"As was in his report," said Ring. Hotaru nodded. She held her chest and breathed easily and steadily.
"Take Mockingbird, go back to that house and bring me a host."
"Yes goddess." Ring disappeared from Hotaru's side and once again she was alone. Hotaru opened her palm and from a massive amount of concentration managed to spark a small blue flame. Like a cramp in her stomach however, the pain forced her to stop and the flame died down.
"Pathetic……but it matters not, I have not long to live as a parasite for much longer."
Katara sprinkled some leaves into a steaming cup of water and handed it off to Elm. He sat in a corner against the wall with his feet propped up.
"Here, these are leaves from my homeland."
"Thanks," whispered Elm as he took it.
"Sorry." He looked at her through the rising cloud from his cup. "It's just a natural reaction I have….thing."
"Don't worry about it," said Elm. "Probably should've said something like, who I am." He and Katara exchanged a chuckle. Shandrey quickly trotted in carrying several books under her arms. Elm took a careful sip of the hot beverage, noting also the tomes Shandrey brought with her.
"Glad to see you're still quite the bookworm."
She set the pile down on the table and with an exhausted breath blew a strand of hair out of her face. Lee followed after her carrying two more books that Shandrey could not bring along on her first trip.
"I doubt it is a coincidence that our paths have crossed yet again," said Lee to Elm. "Especially when we both set out to find each other."
"My home was attacked by mercenaries. They took a friend of mine hostage. I don't know who they were or what they really wanted with him, but they were good…..they were really good. Had some sort of freaky tattoo on their necks, but I couldn't make heads or tails of it."
"I think I can," whispered Shandrey as she scanned one of the tomes. She continued to read it as she brought the page closer to Elm's vision and pointed to an illustration. "Was it this?" She tapped an image of a single flame wrapped in the never ending symbol for infinity. Elm placed his own finger over the insignia.
"That's it, that's one."
Shandrey took the book away and nodded. "Mmm hm."
"I saw the same symbol at the ceremony my friends and I stopped," said Katara. "The lead monk also had it stitched in his vestments. Who are they?"
"It's the Order of Eternal Flame," said Shandrey. "I've actually been watching them closely because I suspected they had some sort of connection to Hotaru but…" Her voice trailed off as more thoughts entered her mind. "….I never had any solid evidence. Least, not until you and Elm showed up."
"It would seem some form of them exists," said Lee rubbing the still healing portion of his leg.
"But I never heard of any Firenation sorceress or any bender ever being worshiped," said Katara. "If anything I'm sure Azula might've tried to get that much reverence."
"That's because Hotaru's worshipers supposedly gathered before she was even past the age of five."
"How is that possible?" asked Elm.
Shannon cleared her throat. "Well the legend says that….Hotaru reached back in time and appeared before a group of Firenation exiles. Using her skills in the dark arts it wasn't difficult to convince them that she was a divine power." Katara stared intently at the speaking Shandrey. "To consolidate her power Hotaru went in search of the four element crystals held by each nation. Because it's said that when all four of them are brought together they will share and exchange their power in order to create what some have come to believe is called The Force of Balance."
"That's a new one on me," said Katara.
Elm shrugged curiously "What would Hotaru want with that? Whatever that is?"
"Who knows, the force of balance could be nothing more than a late addition to the myth. But the element crystals are real, and Hotaru wants them."
"If that is so than Nayia is in danger."
"If they could find her," replied Shandrey.
"What's your sister got to do with this?" asked Elm.
Lee replied, "On our travels we discovered the Star Crystal of the Air Nomads." Katara seemed to appreciate this news more than anyone. "Nayia took it high into the mountains to keep it hidden. Recently I have felt a terrible sensation regarding her. I fear Hotaru may already have her."
"Well we'll try to stay positive," said Shandrey. "But it's obvious what we have to do; we need to get the rest of the crystals before Hotaru does."
"The world is a mighty big place," said Elm. Shandrey however only smiled and drew from behind her yet another large book.
"Big yes, completely unexplored?...No. Even if the crystals are gone or lost, we can still get them."
"How?" asked Katara. Shandrey now looked at her seriously. Both Lee and Elm glanced at one another curiously. Shandrey set her book aside and sat down beside Katara.
"Katara, it is time for you to stop playing dumb. You know exactly how." Katara gulped. "There's no way Master Pakku would've let you walk away with that scroll without telling you just what it does."
"And how can you know?" whispered Katara.
Shandrey shrugged. "Like I said; there are many things I wasn't sure of until just now."
"What does she mean Katara?" asked Lee. Without looking away from Shandrey, Katara replied.
"The scroll contains a ritual which will create a new Moon Crystal." Lee arched a brow and Elm nearly spit up his tea.
"Are you serious?!" he exclaimed. Shandrey retreated back to the table and turned her open book so she could read it.
"The scroll gives instructions, which are supposed to be used when present within a temple which corresponds to each crystal," she said in a low tone. She straightened and looked at each of them. "We know the Moon Crystal must be remade, as well as the Sun Crystal; it was destroyed when the Firenation's capital fell. The Star Crystal Nayia already has, as for the Earth Crystal……"
"What about it?" asked Katara.
"I'm not sure what the deal is with it, could be buried somewhere. But we can worry about that later. The important thing is I know where we need to go first." Once again she reached behind her, rummaging through the pile of books and upon finding her quarry flipped through the pages. Shandrey then smiled and showed each of them an illustration of an entrance to an ancient shrine.
"The architecture," said Katara. "I recognize it, within the Annals of Koi. The archive that Master Pakku took me into has the same columns and arches."
Shandrey nodded. "The Shrine of Tsukiyomi, The Moon God, is said to be located where the land is shrouded by a special lunar eclipse which occurs every sixty years."
"Where the hell is that supposed to be?" said Elm. Shandrey looked to Lee for a moment then shook her head.
"I don't know. I need to study past and present lunar activity in order to see where it lingers the most."
Elm looked more and more disheartened. "So how does any of what you just said help us?"
"It means we know what Hotaru is after, and chances are good that if we follow the clues correctly we're bound to run into each other."
"Or another abominable minion," added Lee. "That woman we fought, she cannot be of this earth. Nothing could have sustained a wound like that and not flinched." Katara rolled up the scroll and returned it within its ivory canister.
"Well what are we wasting time sitting around here for? Get to your moon studying so we can be on our way." She said to Shandrey and stalked off. Already having begun the process, Shandrey unrolled several large lunar charts and set to her work. Elm managed to score a piece of bread on his way to following Katara.
--
Sure enough he found her outside, lost in her own thoughts. She leaned forward against a wood railing and stared up into the sky; perhaps thinking of home, perhaps thinking of nothing at all. He cleared his throat as he approached.
"Oh…hi."
"Hey, sorry about sneaking up you and……"
"And getting thrashed?" she finished with a smile.
He shrugged haphazardly. "Sure, why not." He devoured the last of his meal, which was also his driving force and joined her. "So, I haven't really had the full story on you just yet." She glanced at him. "I mean, I can gather from the conversation we just had that you're not from around here."
"You could say that," she said through a sigh. Katara then began to regard him a little more seriously. "Shandrey told me…..that you're the closest thing they have to the Avatar. What did she mean by that?"
"Say what now?"
Katara now faced him fully and placed her hands at her hips. "Are you or are you not the Avatar?" Elm now used the railing and his staff for supports; more out of temporary laziness than necessity.
"I wouldn't call myself the Avatar."
"Then what are you are?" she asked impatiently.
"I was experimented on; an attempt to artificially recreate the Avatar's abilities. There were several test subjects, but they weren't as lucky as me."
"And how lucky are you?"
"I'm alive for one thing." Katara merely folded her arms and returned to looking out at nothing. "If it makes you feel any better then go ahead…call me the Avatar."
"There's only one Avatar, him name is Aang."
"Well I'm sorry, but I'm not him." Katara closed her eyes and hung her head.
"No…..you're not." Elm straightened up, took his staff in hand, and took his leave of her. The more time Katara spent in this distant future the more separated she felt from her home. She began to fear that if didn't return soon, she might forget her friend's faces or why she was fighting to begin with. Her eyes drifted back down to the pond where she had met Yue. Perhaps practicing some basic forms would help take her mind away from these thoughts.
GOTHAM CITY………………….
Mae worked tirelessly to maintain many things around the house whilst her husband was away. Both Amyah and Jasper had retired or rather decided to spend the rest of the night within their own rooms. Mae sighed as she thought about the talk she tried to have with her son soon after Elm had embarked on his journey. The end result was more or less the same as Elm's attempt. She hoped that while he was off saving the world yet again he might bring back something that could help keep their family in one piece. There was little she could do about it at the moment; best not to dwell…….too much.
Mae finished her chores and began taking the ever tiring walk back to her and Elm's room, carrying a basket full of laundry needed to be folded. She pushed open the door and came face to face with Ring. Mae gasped and dropped the basket.
"W-Who are you?! How did you get in here?!"
"You must come with me, now." Mae slowly reached behind her back to covertly form a long blade.
"I don't think so-" She brought her hand around but Ring's powerful beam knocked it from her hand. Ring slowly lowered her hand; a soulless expression ever clear on her face.
"It would be wise of you to comply." Mae shook her head and dashed from the room. Racing down the stairs she turned a corner and let out a frightened yelp at the sight of her children bound, gagged, and unconscious at Mockingbird's feet. She giggled devilishly, letting her foot rest on Jasper.
"They grow up so fast."
"Tanya….."
"You remember me!" Exclaimed Mockingbird happily. "That's so grand; we must be the last remaining Argonauts still alive and kicking! Well…..except for Elm that is." Mae continuously backed while Mockingbird came closer and closer, never noticing that Ring would block her path. "Tell me, how is my old boyfriend?" Mae's temper began to rise but she was cut short by a quick blast from Ring. Mockingbird contorted her face and flew up to Ring. "Must you always be such a killjoy?"
"We have no time for this foolishness. The Goddess requires a host post haste." Ring encased all three prisoners within a field of energy, making weightless and easier to carry. Mockingbird took both children and snickered while muttering under her breath;
"And we do live to please our goddess." As she was being taken away, Mae's lips breathed her husband's name.
Well? What do you think? I know there isn't much of the Avatar in this story, but don't count Aang and the gang out just yet. There's still plenty of story and who knows what else down the road. Well…….I know, hee hee XD. Until next chapter, Laters!