Read Author's note at bottom pleeze!

Gyatso and Kara: Prodigies of an Avatar

Chapter 22- Paranoid

Wiping her cheek, Kara got up from her seat and walked out of the house. She couldn't take it anymore. Why was she getting all of these feelings at one time now? It has been five years, She thought, why am I thinking about this now, it's too late. He's probably forgotten about me.

She sat down next to Appa with her legs put up to her chest. Her arms were wrapped around her legs and dug her head into the cocoon she had just created. She had gotten the curse of her mother, the curse of being in love of an early age- even younger than Katara. And what was even worse was that she loved a man-boy that was a world away from her, she was only thirteen when she realized her feelings. Her thirteenth year, Kara wrote twelve letters (one a month) to her love, each one she put her heart on with every signature. None were replied.

Kara's love was perfect. Passionate, brave, hard, soft . . . he was a prince. . . She had to get over him, and quickly.

"Ahh!!" She screamed ferociously. She hit her head against Appa's leg in frustration. She got up and pushed him away from her head. But, all she could think of was his eyes. Deep, beautiful, strong-golden eyes. And just like that, he came back into her mind.

Gyatso and Co.

Gyatso looked at King Bumi nervously as he and the gang sat in the throne room. They were giving the King a proposal about the war, and the maniac wouldn't hear it. The king would rather work on the Cabbage Merchant Protection Act than the war effort. What happened to Uncle Lam?

The older twin cupped his mouth with his hand thoughtfully, then was stopped when he felt a few growing bristles of hair making a small mustache on him. He had to borrow Rika's "knee-knife", as she called it.

"King Bumi, with all due respect, you seem really inevitable to the world's problems." His light blue eyes focused on the ancient man.

"Well, maybe if you took a test you would find out more about how much you do not know?" The King raised an old eyebrow mischievously, a dark plan forming in his mind. "You are a Water-bender aren't you, sonny?"

Gyatso knew better than to fall for the trick, and silenced his group before they said anything.

"King Bumi, I listen to my father, you know. His life stories were my bedtime ones, sir, and you will not trick me."

"Oh, darn, you caught me and my old ways! Well, this old man needs some sleep. Why don't you children sleep, yes-sleep in the Crystal Cavers. I bet that Roku would like some candy before he sleeps, and there are three beds in there. I suppose the two brothers can share?" The old King said innocently.

Gyatso looked at his friends questioningly, and then shrugged. There's no harm in having candy before bed or in sleeping at the crystal caverns . . . is there?

"Sure, we'll do it."

The Crystal Caverns

Snuggled in their purple, green, and blue sheets, the teens (and pre-teen) slept peacefully after a feast of rock-candy. Rika hated sleeping in the dark because her mother died in the dark, so the candles were on bright. Regardless, the boys were comfortably sleeping.

Suddenly, the candles were blown out softly. Rika's eyes popped open excitedly with a start. Her body sat herself up quickly, and her finger high in the air.

"What is not right?"

She walked over to Gyatso and took his arm softly. She was alarmed by the flex of his muscles in his sleep. The teen shook them softly until he woke up and their eyes met.

"What is it, Rika?" He yawned tiredly

"The lights went off, I can tell as soon as they did, and my finger went up."

The lifting of the finger was very important. Whenever something happened, Rika's index finger jumped up. When the boys went to rent a boat (attempted to), her finger went strait up. The same happened when Roku got poisoning from Iroh not cooking the fish through enough.

"Ooookay," He got up after stretching. "I will protect you, kiddo."

"Do not make fun of the finger," Rika said tensely pushing his outstretched hand off of her shoulder.

Just as she did that, the girl felt strong arms pull her down to the ground. The arms wrapped around her stomach and pulled her into what seemed like an abyss.

"GYATSO!!" Were her last words before disappearing.

Gyatso went up into his fight stance before something started to pull at his legs. He hastily slashed it with water, and the hand retracted. As he started to run to his remaining friends, he felt hands all around his toes. They were attached to the floor!

"Iroh, Roku, get up now!" He yelled taking two blocks of wood (or what felt like it) and rubbing them together to make a fire. The material made a purple glare, and he then realized that it was just rock candy-and it was flammable.

The hands began to get stronger and pull his legs down. He held on to Roku's arm, waking the boy up. Roku saw Gyatso being pulled down into the floor and struggled to pull him up. Meanwhile, Iroh remained sound asleep.

"Iroh, get up!" Roku screamed sweating to pull his friend up into the bed.

Suddenly a white projection hit the walls with light. The wall showed a little girl playing with a small Jade Lilly. She had a smile on her face and was sitting on the top of a mountain. There was a little boy staring at her a little over three feet away from her. When their eyes met, the two looked away with light red cheeks.

"Kara?" Gyatso looked up once he was finally up.

Then the wall flashed to another show. The same little boy hugged the same little girl tightly as they began to walk on separate ships. You'll always be my Katara. The boy whispered to himself watching the girl's ship leaving.

Iroh woke with a start, and the showing closed swiftly. The candles were lit as well.

"What's going on?" He asked wiping sweat off of his face looking like he was about to cry. He quickly recovered a strait face and looked at the floor. On the ground were a bunch of hands on the ground holding a series of things. From coal, to paper, to jugs. Iroh burned every hand with ease, but one dodged every hit. The hands were delicate and soft, and kept on pulling on his night pants as if trying to climb up him. Again he pushed it aside.

Roku bent down to the hands and took them. The action surprised him when he felt a shiver up his spine. He stretched himself and saw a little of the hand come up. Seeing this, the boy used all of his strength to pull the body up, and to his shock a thirteen year old, Water Tribe healer came up gasping for air. Her body fell half on Roku's and still clutching his hands she closed her tear-filled eyes.

The rest of the boys ran over to the two and placed Rika on the bed softly. They looked at the ground to see that the hands turned back into dirt, and there were supplies on the ground.

Bumi came out of the shadows with a small smirk on his face.

"Load this stuff onto your ship and leave for the swamp. Now tell me again that I don't care about the war effort. . ."

Okay, so it has been one long time!!

The boys will be put on hold until the girls(and Li and Kuz) get to the Swamp. That will be the epic meeting! :-)

Romance is in the air, and if you didn't get the couple by now you need to reread. Also review and give suggestions. I really take them to heart.

God Bless,

Leelee488512