A/N: Wow. I am so sorry guys. This update took way too long and I apologize. I have been so busy lately and I hope my awesome readers will stay with this story to the end. I AM going to proofread this with a much stricter eye, it has been pointed out to me that too many errors have been slipping by. As always please review, good or bad I really need some feedback. Enjoy!
After his hasty departure from New Ozai, the young Kai found himself walking down the heavily trodden earthen path to Gaoling. Gaoling was one of the Earth Kingdoms bigger cities that has yet to be conquered. Once again disquised as a refugee, Kai would have to hide his progidous firebending to avoid being attacked. Not that he couldn't defeat whoever dared fight him, he needed to remain low profile so as not to alert the avatar of his presence.
Gaoling was a fair distance from New Ozai, but if he kept going through the night, he should make it there by daybreak. Since his leaving the Fire Nation, Kai had discovered that night was his only companion these days. It helped hide his identity and there were few people to question him.
As he kept walking the monotonous pace allowed his thoughts to stray back to a certain princess. What was she doing right now? Was she also thinking of him? These thoughts seemed to make time speed up. The last time he looked, the moons postition indicated it to be around midnight. Now he looked and it was around four in the morning. A few more hours and he would be within destinies reach.
The Avatar would be captured, he would be headed home, and he would return to Azula.
It seemed that any thought of Azula made time leap. He was staring at the large stone walls surrounding the town of Gaoling. As he made his way to the gate, a large man dressed in Earth Kingdom armor approached him.
"Who are you and why are you here?" The young man asked.
"I have traveled all night. I am a refugee, my town was burned by the Fire Nation." Kai lied.
"What is your name?" The young man advanced towards him.
"Lee, sir. My name is Lee."
"Well, I'm sorry, but your luck has run out. We received word of your arrival in Omashu you Fire-scum!" The young man shot to large rocks at Kai's wrists before he could block them and pinned him against the wall.
"You think we didn't know the Firelords favorite little minion was in the Earth Kingdom? When we heard you were coming here we couldn't help but feel honored to know that we would be the soldiers who put an end to you."
As the young earthbender pulled his arm up to perform, Kai made his move. He charged a ball of lightning in his hands and shattered his rock restraints. He shot his foot up and caught the chin of the soldier, sending him sprawling on the ground. Almost simultaneously he shot his fists out at the other two guards who were not fast enough to avoid them. The sapphire blaze that extended from his limbs caught both guards in the chest and sent them flying backwards. All three men, defeated in less than a minute, remained down. Entering the city limits the young Kai turned back to address the weaklings.
"You thought you could hide the Avatar from his destiny, but not anymore. I have arrived to claim my prize and if I have to, I will burn this whole city to the ground." And with that, the triumphant boy turned and walked into the city of Gaoling.
With the newly risen sun at his back the young firebender walked into the center of the city square. The city was already bustling with people.
"I am looking for the Airbender!" The young Kai announced. "He is wanted for crimes against the Fire Nation!" The words Fire Nation and airbender got a few looks from the people but nobody seemed to mind him.
Suddenly a plan formed in his head. Looking around he noticed a cart full of cabbages with the elderly man pushing it. He suddenly launched a ball of blue fire at it and it burst into flames almost immediately.
"My Cabbages!" The merchant was almost in tears. Good. Suddenly everybody was watching him silently.
"As I said, I am looking for the airbender! Should anybody have any information regarding his whereabouts he will be greatly compensated."
After nobody spoke up he became enraged. He shot out his hand and set a group of shops ablaze. The people started panicking and ran and hid inside their homes. All except one. This particular man had long black hair a stern face and looked angry.
"I am Xin Fu. And I may have some information you might like." He was obviously a business man. "The Avatar took one of my contestants and I have been hired by her father to retrieve her. We could work together, you can have the Avatar and I get the young girl."
"They have been here already?" Kai was getting mad again.
"And left" Was the reply he recieved.
"Where did they go!?" He shouted at the man.
"They are probably going to Ba Sing Se. Free from Fire Nation persecution." The man sneered at Kai.
"Not for long." Immediately Kai turned around and shot the earth peasant with a nice blast of fire and sent him hurling back towards the now burnt cabbage stand. When the man awoke it was dark, he was injured and the Fire Scum was nowhere to be found.
Immediately after leaving Gaoling, Kai found an ostrich-horse he could ride. It wasn't pleasant and not very fast but it was still faster and easier than walking. It wasn't hard to follow the Avatar. His furry flying beast was shedding. Leaving a nice trail of white fur to follow. Along the way though, the trail of fur was met by the tracks of a machine. A Fire Nation tank train no doubt. So he undoubtedly had acquired a competitor. Who though? Zuko no longer has the pull to get one of these. They wouldn't just trust anyone with one of these. It doesn't matter. He would find out soon enough. In the distance he could see a small deserted village, and the tracks of a mongoose dragon pointing directly towards it.
As he rode, he thought up his plan. He would let whoever was on the mongoose dragon wear the Avatar and his company out, then go for the kill. He would have to kill the people on the lizard, as they wouldn't just hand over the most wanted man in the world. Then he could take the dragon back to the harbor and he would get to go home. A war hero.
As he drew nearer, he dismounted and ran to the village. He could now hear voices. They were talking. One voice was childish. Almost innocent. The other he thought he recognized but he dismissed it. As he found the source of the voices, the main road, he emerged from the shadows and was in utter shock.
Standing there, not twenty feet from him, was the Princess Azula. On his left was the Avatar, a young boy. And just past him was the Ex-Prince Zuko.
A:N/ OOOH! How evil am I? What a cliff hanger! Again, I'm sorry this took so long and how short it is. (Thats what she said!) Bare with me please. Reviews people! I need them and you've got them. If you have any suggestions for another story that you would like to see, inbox me. Thanks guys, you've been great!