PARADOX

Chapter Four: Coming Clean and Captured

I had just taken down a Carribou-goat when a giant pillar of light exploded into the sky. I dropped my bow in shock before regaining my sense and picking it back up. Kovu threw his head back and howled a greeting.

It had been six years since I had woken up in the abandoned ship, and nearly two since I had actually remembered where I was. Most of the time I had forgotten I was in the Avatar the Last Airbender universe, it was almost easy to forget when I needed to spend all my time gathering food so I could survive. I was now in a thirteen year old body, but mentally I was twenty-four.

I sighed, I had unconsciously been waiting for Aang to reappear, and now he has.

Tonight was a drop-off night, but first I had to pack my supplies for tomorrow. I was going with them somehow.

"Kovu, haul." I ordered as soon as I had the dead animal on the sled. Kovu eagerly grabbed the bar I had attached to the sled for precisely this purpose. As we walked back to the ship that had become my home in the past six years I mentally made a list of all the things I would need to do before I left.

Move my herd of Carribou-goats, the herd had grown, it now had eight females, one male, and 9 fawn/kids.

Collect the spears and give them to the tribe so they could hunt better.

Give the water kegs to the water tribe, they needed them more than I did.

Give the tribe what smoked jerky I didn't take with me.

Pack two changes of clothes, two water skins, a bag of money, my duo dao swords, my bow and arrows, small dagger, journal I had actually written in, jerky, scrolls on firebending, scrolls on the dao swords, and two hammocks I could use as a sleeping bag.

We reached the ship and I quickly packed my things then loaded up the weapons and kegs onto the Carribou-goats. The fawns carried the smaller weapons so they didn't get hurt.

I snuck into the town that night leaving the dead Carribou-goat where I normally left food and then making an arrow out of ice pointing to the spot I planned to make the Carribou-goat pen. I made the pen forty feet by forty feet, then I unloaded the Carribou goats before herding them into the pen. I made a water trow out of ice for them then left them to their own devices.

I carved a note on the ice that made up the door of the pen.

The next morning all the villagers, and Aang went to see the pen. Aang had been told the story by Katara as they had traveled to the village via Aang's Flying Bison.

"For years I have provided for this village. I have masqueraded as a spirit. I have lied. I'm not anymore a spirit than I am a man. In providing for you I have forgotten one of the most important proverbs. "Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day, teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime." Now I'm sure you already know how to fish so I'm just going to give you stuff that will make your life easier. The Carribou-goats are tame. You can milk the females. The spears are for fishing or fighting whichever you need and finally the kegs are for storing things. In one of the kegs is a supply of jerky I hadn't gotten around to eating. I believe it will serve the village better than it would have served me. I now beg your forgiveness for hiding my true nature, that of a human, and wish you all the luck in the world."

I watched from the top of the hill as the villagers read off the message I had carved into the ice and wondered what their reaction would be.

Finally I heard a chant start up. "Art-e-mis! Art-e-mis!" The whole village was cheering... for me.

I smiled, they still liked me even though I had lied for so long. I created a small ice tent and settled down to wait for Zuko and his crew to arrive. Kovu laid beside me and the gentle up and down motion of Kovu's chest lulled me into a light slumber.

I was woken up by the shrill screams of women and children. I was up instantly an arrow notched into my bow quickly after that. I aimed and released the arrow. It flew swiftly and hit Zuko's ponytail slicing off several strands of hair.

Kovu carried me closer to the battle so I was planted protectively in front of the small crowd of villagers. I swung off of Kovu's back easily leaving my bow on his back along with my quiver of arrows. They were a better long range weapon anyway.

"Next time it won't be just your hair getting cut." I told him casually, as though I shot at people everyday.

"Who the hell are you?" Zuko snarled angrily.

"Some call me Artemis. My name's Kiara." I responded easily. There was a general chatter in the crowd behind me. They obviously didn't expect me to be so young or a girl.

Aang stood several feet to my left holding the staff defensively in front of the crowd of women and children.

"Men, subdue her." He ordered. Instantly the six men that had been behind him attacked me. I swung a wall of ice up blocking the six simultaneous fireballs and extinguishing them. I turned the ice into water and sent it back at them like a whip knocking most of them off of their feet.

My stance was a mixture of firebending forms, dao sword katas and waterbending forms. I easily froze the water around the firebenders freezing them to the ground.

Before I could turn to defend myself. Zuko had latched an arm around my neck and had me pressed against his armor covered chest. His other hand was in front of my face holding a fireball threateningly.

"Release them water-witch." Zuko ordered me surprisingly calmly. I waved my hand and the ice melted into water. Zuko didn't release me though.

"Avatar, unless you give yourself up the girl is going to die." Zuko said almost cruelly. I shuddered at the tone of his voice. Would her really do it though? I really didn't want to find out.

"If I go with you do you promise to leave everyone alone?" Aang asked. Looking at the villagers and me.

"No Aang!" Katara yelled.

I shuddered as Zuko moved the flame closer to my face. I closed my eyes flinching back into him and away from the fire as far as I could.

"I will leave the village in peace." Zuko agreed.

Aang nodded. One soldier took his staff and two more grabbed each of his arms. Zuko put the flame out but kept a hold on my neck.

"Head a course for the Fire Nation. We're going home." Zuko said not letting me go as he headed toward the ship.

"You said you'd let her go!" Aang protested even as his hands were bound behind his back. I felt my arms also being tied.

"I said I would leave the village in peace. She's not the village." Zuko said. "We can't have waterbenders loose. Too dangerous." Zuko explained.

I felt myself knocked to the ground when Zuko pushed me forward to fast for me to regain my feet. I yelped as I landed face first. I struggled to regain my footing. I made it to my knees before I couldn't push myself up any further. I never really realized how much I used my hands until I couldn't use them anymore.

I whimpered as I was hauled to my feet harshly by my arms wrenching them harshly nearly pulling them from their sockets.

I felt a tear slip out of the corners of my eyes.

Aang looked at me concerned and looked at Zuko and his men angrily.

We reached the deck to meet a portly smiling man. "Ah, Prince Zuko you have found the Avatar, but who is this young lady." Iroh said.

"She's a waterbender." Zuko answered simply.

"Take the Avatar and Waterbender to the prisonhold. And take this to my quarters." Zuko ordered handing Aang's airbending staff to his uncle.

I was shoved along beside Aang down into the belly of the ship.

"I bet you've never fought an airbender before. I bet I could take you with my hands tied behind my back." Aang taunted the soldiers. The soldier behind us told him to shut up. The soldier in front of us brought out a key to unlock the door and Aang drew in a deep breath breathing out sending a gust of wind into the one guards back and sending his own body launching back into the other guards front. I quickly followed Aang as he fled the corridor.

"Slow down, please." I begged trying to keep up with Aang's air enhanced speed.

Aang seemed to realize my problem and with a little maneuvering I managed to cut his and my binds. He let me onto his back then raced off. I felt slightly nauseous at the speed we were going. We evaded several more guards. But Aang had to look in every room for his staff. Finally he found it. I slipped off of Aang's back as he raced into the room to get his staff. I followed him more cautiously. But I guess it didn't help because Zuko slammed the door behind me with a slam.

"It seems I underestimated you two." Zuko said casually. "I won't make the same mistake, again." Zuko said he took a firebending stance.

I moved into a mirrored stance. And grabbed Zuko's dao swords off the wall holding them in front of me defensively. Aang moved his staff in front of him defensively. Zuko launched two blasts of fire at both of us. Aang used his staff to dissipate Zuko's attack. I stepped forward dodging around the fireball and launching a counter strike, slashing at Zuko's arm hoping to slow his firebending down.

Zuko dodged my attacked, and grasped my wrists tightly making me drop the swords. I cried out in pain as he squeezed my wrist harshly. I fell to my knees in pain and grit my teeth tightly trying to ignore the pain as a hissed breath escaped from between my teeth.

Zuko was suddenly launched away from me by a blast of air and then Aang used the mattress to knock him around some more. We got up and ran. Aang slinging me over his shoulder and carrying me.

He reached the map room and ran toward the open air flinging his glider into the air and jumping on it with me still on his back.

Zuko suddenly grabbed at mine and Aang's ankles. I yelped in shock as we fell out of the sky. We hit the deck and rolled harshly. My head bashed harshly against the metal rail of the ship and everything went black.

I woke a few minutes later just as a giant wave of water, controlled by Aang who was in the Avatar State, flooded the deck knocking most of the firebenders down. I groaned as I forced myself to my feet stumbling. Aang stopped glowing and Katara ran to him cradling Aang's head to her chest.

"Hi Katara, Sokka. I dropped my staff." Aang whispered.

"I got it." Sokka yelled as he grabbed the staff. Zuko grabbed the end of the staff even as Sokka grabbed it.

Sokka made a face then hit Zuko in the forehead three times knocking him back off the ship. I stumbled toward the bison even as three guards came after Katara.

I quickly grabbed a bunch of water off of the ship and froze the three men where they stood.

"On to the giant flying bison." I ordered my voice slightly slurred due to the hit I got.

Sokka easily lifted one of my arms around his shoulder as he led me up Appa's tail. I collapsed into the saddle.

"Yip, yip! Yip, yip!" Sokka yelled.

Appa eagerly took off.

A giant fireball flew at us but Aang used a burst of wind to send it into the iceberg knocking it to the ship below.

I finally allowed myself to give into the pull and fell asleep still leaning against Sokka's shoulder.