PARADOX
Chapter Eighteen: Return of Old Friends
We landed near a beach in a forest.
Aang found a weapon that looked like a large tooth attached to a long handle while he was looking for firewood.
"Hey look! A sword made out of a whale's tooth." Aang said holding up the weapon.
"Give me that." Sokka said snatching it from Aang's hand. "This is a water tribe weapon. See if you can find anything else." Sokka ordered.
Sokka, Aang and I spread out to look. Katara came by and asked if someone lost something. Aang answered "No we found something."
Sokka brushed a few leaves off of the front half of an arrow. He rubbed his fingers over the tip over the arrow. His fingers came away with soot. "Its burned. There was a battle." Sokka deduced rubbing his hand along a scorch mark on a tree trunk. "Water tribe warriors ambushed a group of fire benders. The fire benders fought back but the warrior drove them down this hill."
We ran down the hill following Sokka to the beach where he stopped.
"What happened next?" Aang asked.
"I don't know. The trail ends here." Sokka answered.
"Wait look." Katara said pointing to a boat that had been pushed up onto the beach.
"Its one of our boats." Sokka yelped excitedly as he rubbed his hand along the hull.
"Is it dad's boat?" Katara asked.
"No, but its from his fleet. Dad was here."
We set up camp by the boat. Sokka and Katara were hoping someone was around since the ship was in sailing shape.
I laid against Appa's side. Aang was using Appa's front foot for a bed and Katara was using her sleeping bag. Sokka was still up poking at the fire when I drifted to sleep.
"Whose there!" Sokka yelled and I woke up with a jolt. I grabbed my dao defensively, but put them back down when both Sokka and Katara yelled the intruder's name in familiarity.
"Sokka, Katara." He hugged both of them. "Its so nice to see you." He said. "You've grown so much."
"Hi. I'm Aang." Aang said with a bow.
"I'm Kiara." I introduced even though I knew I would be ignored.
"Where's dad?" Sokka asked.
"Is he here?" Katara asked.
"No, he and the other warriors should be in the eastern earth kingdom by now." Bato said shivering when a fierce wind blew from behind him. Everyone shivered.
"Ugh. This is no place for a reunion let's get inside." He said putting an arm each around Sokka and Katara. He gestured for Aang and I to follow.
Bato led us to the abbey he had been staying at since he was injured. I liked the smell of the perfume. I rarely used perfume, but I liked the smell when I did.
Sokka made a lame joke about Appa smelling. Appa doesn't smell, much. I used him as a giant pillow most nights, I would know. Bato said something about Sokka having his father's wit. I snickered behind a hand at that.
We were soon sitting around a fire in Bato's room. He had a pot of the most foul smelling food ever... stewed sea prunes. Yuck!
I quickly stopped Aang from eating them. No one deserved to eat those things.
Bato, Katara and Sokka talked about stories from their pasts, and we were left out. It wasn't a conscious thing they just were too wrapped up in the euphoria of rejoining one of their tribe.
"Come on, Aang." I whispered grabbing his sleeve and leading him out. "They just need time to talk to each other. It has been over two years for them."
Aang nodded followed me.
"Come on, Aang. I can show you a water bending trick I made." I said. Technically I didn't come up with it. It was actually made from another tv show I watched, Naruto.
I stood at the shore and made grand sweeping gestures creating a large dragon of water. It was hard to keep its shape and make it move but it was worth it to see Aang's awe of my move.
I finally released it and it fell back into the water.
"That was so cool. How did you do that?" Aang asked eagerly.
"Well it was a lot of practice. I also made a couple other moves but they're not as impressive." I said modestly. They were also from the tv show.
"Show me." Aang demanded eagerly.
"Um okay." I said trying to think of which one to do first.
I took a deep breath and swung my hands upward like I was raising a wave. I large amount of water levitated over my head. I breathed out freezing the water into sharp, thin, needles. They looked like acupuncture needles. Then I flung them at the ocean and they hit the water with thousands of tiny splashes.
"Wow." Aang muttered.
I took another breath and recalled the water again. It rose obediently. This time I formed them into kunai and shuriken. Throwing knives and throwing stars, and froze them. They were larger than the needles thus more damaging.
"Can I use you as a target for the next one?" I asked. "It won't injure you." I assured when I saw his worried look.
"Alright." He muttered reluctantly.
I used water bending to surround him with an orb of water. My modification of a water prison jutsu, only I didn't have to be touching it for it to hold. Of course other elements could probabily break out but for soldiers without bending it would hold.
Aang waited for a second before using air to blast out of the top.
"That wasn't really useful against benders." Aang commented.
"Its meant for foot soldiers. Non-benders." I explained.
We sat talking about small things and I explained why Katara and Sokka were unconsciously ignoring him.
We were staring up at the stars when we heard a whinny. A ostrich-horse raced up to use the man on the back standing in the stirrups to gain more distance with his sight.
"I'm looking for Bato of the water tribe." He said.
"We know Bato." I said.
"This needs to get to him." He said handing me a scroll. The map to Katara and Sokka's father. I tucked it in my belt.
"I get it to him." I promised.
He ushered his mount onwards immediately.
"Come on, Aang." I said leading the way back to Bato's room.
"Bato, mail." I said handing him the scroll.
He pulled it open eagerly staring at the map.
"Its the map to the rendezvous point. I'll leave tomorrow night. That way we can spend a little longer together." Bato explained to Sokka and Katara.
"Good. I'm going to go to sleep for the night. Goodnight everyone." I said finding a comfortable animal skin to sleep on.
Dream
I was sitting on the old brown couch that was in my house before I had been transferred to the Avatar world.
"How?" I whispered out loud worried if I spoke too loud the dream would shatter around me.
Suddenly my parents and brothers appeared around me. Dad was sitting on my right on the couch and my mom was sitting on my left. My brothers had taken the arm chair and the foot rest respectively.
"What's happening?" I asked confused.
"Its a dream stupid." My one brother stated.
"Of course it is. But why am I dreaming of you?" I asked.
"Because its what we all wanted." My other brother interjected. "You disappeared without a trace. No note, no phone call, nothing. All your clothes still in your drawers. All your belongings where they laid. Nothing to indicate you moved at all. Hell, your cup was still half full of tea. Its like you were a dream we had all had and one day we just woke up."
"We wanted to see you. We had no clue where you went. You were all set to go to college in the fall and then you disappeared. We filed a missing persons report. But there was no trace of you. We knew you were alive, we just didn't know where." Dad claimed.
"All your friends called. They tried to help us find you. They posted messages on Facebook. They made videos on YouTube. Heck one of your teachers paid to have your disappearance posted on the news. Pictures in the newspapers. Missing person posters. We and they tried anything they could think of." Mom interrupted.
"I'm sorry. I don't know what happened. I was sleeping and then I woke up in an abandoned ship in the Avatar the Last Airbender world." I said.
"Avatar?" Bob asked.
"We haven't watched that in years." Jay interjected.
"I don't know if I would appear in the show or not but you could check." I added.
"That's okay. As long as you're alive and well. You are well aren't you?" Mom asked.
"I'm fine. I'm traveling with Aang, Katara, and Sokka we're at the Bato of the water tribe episode. I've changed a few things so you could check and see if the episodes changed any." I told them.
"Tell us all about it." Dad ordered.
So I told him all about my six years in the South Pole. My companion Kovu. And all the things that happened.
They in turn told me what was happening in their lives. Bob was working as a retail clerk in a pro-sports shop. He got to test most of the new equipment. A dream come true for him. Jay was a co-owner of a garage. He had went to a technical school for two years after high school. Dad's business was booming. He had hired two more of his friends to work for him. Mom had finally kicked her psychological problems. Such as the feeling she was fat and her insistant need for medication that she didn't actually need.
We talked for what seemed like ages and I learned about my friends and other family members.
My best friend Maddie, went to school for accounting and became a successful accountant. My other friend Sammy was a successful writer. Something I wanted to do when I was in high school. I suppose I could write a book in this world. But somehow it wouldn't feel the same.
My gram had had her 87th birthday while I was away and she was still kicking. Bingo every friday, kareoke every other Saturday. My aunts were still doing whatever they did before I left. My youngest cousin Gary, was ten now. My other cousin was a senior in high school. Somehow she miraculously still had the same boyfriend she had had in seventh grade.
Bob was going out with a skater girl who had a lip piercing, and a nose piercing. Jay had a girlfriend who was a little shorter than him, rather plain looking but as my dad said as sweet as sugar.
My teacher was still teaching at the high school and she was still hoping I would be found and would return to tell her what happened.
I was telling my mom about the fortune that Aunt Wu gave me and wonder what it could mean when the room shuddered around me. The surrounding room went blurry and faded away.
"I love you guys." I said before I disappeared.
"We love you too, baby girl." My dad answered even as my surroundings disappeared and I was suddenly looking at the back of my eyelids.
End Dream
I pried my eyes open reluctantly. I wouldn't be able to go back to my dream anyway. I told myself as I forced myself to get up.
Was it real though. It was a dream that much was clear. And suddenly a quote from one of my favorite series came back to me. "Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean it is not real?"(Deathly Hallows, p.723).
I really hoped it was real. That meant I had really talked to my parents and brothers.
"Hey, Kiara. What's wrong." Katara asked suddenly looking at me concerned.
"Just a dream." I muttered softly.
"Hey, Katara can I borrow one of your dresses. I ripped a hole in my shirt and need to sew it." I explained.
"Sure. Just make sure you return it." She told me handing me one of the short sleeved dresses she owned.
I ducked under the fur shifting around until I had slipped the dress on and my shirt off. I had learned to do that early on because it was so cold if I got undressed in the ship without the layer between myself and the cold.
I slipped out of the furs dressed with Katara's dress with my own pants underneath.
"Hey, you two coming? I'm going to show Sokka my boat." Bato said.
"I will." Katara said eagerly.
"I'm going to sew my shirt then go visit the sisters." I replied. "Have fun."
"Sure. Meet you at the abbey?" Katara asked.
"That'll work." I replied.
I dug out a needle and the thread and began sewing. I wasn't excellent at sewing. I could make passable stitches that wouldn't break after a few days of rough wear but other than that they weren't too good.
As soon as I was done with that I headed over to the court yard of the abbey.
"Madame Superior?" I asked approaching the woman Bato had spoken to when he first brought us to the abbey.
"Yes, friend of the avatar?" She asked.
"Just call me Kiara. I was wondering if you could teach me about perfume?" I asked humbly. I had always been interested in the meanings of flowers and this was a sort of branch off of that.
She studied me for several seconds before nodding briskly.
"Ty Lynn!" She called for one of the sisters. A younger woman with brown hair barely peeking out from under her head wear came over immediately.
"Yes, Madame Superior?" She asked.
"Take Miss Kiara out and teach her about the flowers that are used for perfumes." She told the lady. She bowed and turned to lead me out. I bowed quickly to Madame Superior and followed Ty Lynn.
"Come, Miss Kiara. We have a lot to cover." She tossed over her shoulder.
"Just Kiara is fine." I told her as I followed her brisk pace.
"Very well, Kiara." She said as she knelt down by a beautiful flower bush. It had three blooms on it. The biggest was in the middle. The flower was white with red on the inside. The leaves curved as they extended outwards and it had a yellow bud in the middle.
"This is the White Jade bush. Its almost identical to the White Dragon bush, but see how the petals on the flower curl counter clockwise? That's one of the ways to tell its the White Jade. The leaves are another. It only is pointed at the very tips of the leaves. White Dragon bushes have three pointed leaves. Got that?" She asked turning to me. I nodded.
"The leaves cause a horrid rash, especially if ingested. But if you boil the petals it releases a very soft scent that is perfect for perfume and that will not cause an allergic reaction." She explained.
She led me over to another plant. This one looked like a mix between baby's breath and Brown-Eyed Susans. It had the same coloring as Brown-Eyed Susans but looked like baby's breath.
"This is Badgermoles Breath. Its a rather strong smelling flower that is used in smelling salts. You have to crush the pollen center of the flower to release the scent." She told me.
She went through several more flowers, such as the Phoenix Flowers which only grew from dirt mixed with ashes from a fire; and dragon's tongue which looked like foxglove, and had the same properties.
Ty Lynn was half way through explaining a flower called Arctic Blossom which only bloomed for several weeks during winter when we were interrupted by a howl.
My head snapped up instantly towards the noise. Kovu. I shook my head. It couldn't be Kovu. We were too far away for one. Plus everything would remind me of him. He was a best friend that I had to leave behind.
I turned back to my lesson as soon as the howl stopped. We were continuing our lesson when we were interrupted again. This time it was by a sniffing noise and the rustling of branches as a large mammal shoved its way through the undergrowth. It was large, big enough to hold three people on its back comfortably. It had no eyes that were visible and its nose looked like a picture of a star nosed mole I had seen before. It was lean and built for speed as was obvious by how fast it rushed into the clearing. It had sharp teeth and a black stripe went all the way down its back.
Ty Lynn screamed in fear and I had to swallow a lump in my throat. Shit why were they here? I thought about it for a minute before I realized I was closest to them and I was wearing Katara's dress.
The dominatrix lady sat up straighter.
"So this is your girlfriend? No wonder she ran away. She's way too pretty for you." She stated looking at me.
I felt my face heat up. I wasn't used to getting complimented on my looks.
Zuko jumped down from the beast, ignoring Jun's comment. "Where is he? Where is the Avatar?" He demanded.
"He left. They're long gone." I lied bluntly.
"How stupid do you think I am?"
"Very, considering you left that open like that. Run!" I ordered shoving Ty Lynn towards the abbey and sending a wave of water at the four opponents I had. Jun managed to hang on to her beast my sheer luck but Iroh and Zuko were knocked over. Zuko sputtered angrily as he stood up wiping water off of his face.
The shirshu towered over me threateningly. Apparently it didn't like getting wet. A snarl escaped from the surroundings but it wasn't from the shirshu. Then a black blur knocked the shirshu away from me. The black blur became recognizable.
"Kovu!" I squealed in joy. Not that I would ever admit I squealed to anyone.
He wagged his tail softly twice before holding it stiff and upwards towards the shirshu. It was clearly a challenge. The creature snarled back at Kovu lashing out with its barbed tongue. Kovu leaned to his right making the tongue pass harmlessly overhead.
"How the hell did that get here?" Zuko demanded of no one in particular.
I shrugged. How was I supposed to know.
Kovu leaped forward bitting the shirshu hard as he could before jumping backwards to avoid a second lash of the tongue.
"Kovu, guerrilla attacks." I ordered. He whined an understanding and went to work. I had taught him this for when he was facing young male Carribou-goats whom were still at full fighting strength. He would rush in, do a little damage and retreat so he wouldn't get hurt. He would repeat this until the Carribou-goat was dead or until it fled.
"Retreat!" I barked when I saw Jun about to hit him with her whip.
Kovu leaped back almost a full body length back.
"Bloody beast." Jun swore looking at her injured shirshu.
"Take care of it!" She snapped at Iroh and Zuko.
She was trying to calm her shirshu down so she could help it.
"Grandpa." I ordered Kovu. Which was used to mean don't use teeth. Because some grandpas are toothless. It was an order I gave when I wanted him to herd a female Carribou-goat and calf without injuring them.
He leapt towards Zuko snarling slashing his paw towards him threateningly but not nearly as fast as he could move. Zuko jumped out of the way and threw a fire ball at Kovu.
"Fire!" I called. Kovu dropped to the ground rolling in over several times to make sure it was completely out and he hadn't had any embers smoldering in his fur.
"Away to me." I called. Kovu circled counterclockwise around Zuko who turned slightly to keep both of us in his sight.
"Speak up!" I ordered. He snarled leaping towards Zuko in a feint. Zuko jumped away shooting a fire ball in retailiation.
I wasn't really paying attention so I didn't notice when Iroh snuck up behind me and held me in a pin.
Shit.
"Kovu! That'll do!" I called Kovu off. It would be safer for me to stop while I was ahead.
"Kovu. Warn pack." I ordered even as I was hit by the shirshu's tongue while Iroh and Zuko held me still in front of the large beast.
Kovu looked torn. He hesitated for a second before bounding off towards the abbey.
I felt like a board. Maybe that's how Neville felt in the Harry Potter series when he was hit with a full body bind.
I was loaded onto the back of the shirshu and it followed the stronger wave of Katara's scent to the Abbey. When we reached the abbey the only ones around were the sisters and they were all mostly hidden in the doorways.
The shirshu circled several times confused.
"What is it doing? It's just going around in a circle." Zuko complained.
"Way to answer your own question." I murmured sarcastically from where I was paralyzed laid over the back of the saddle like some prized hunt.
The shirshu looked up to see Aang gliding downwards with Katara's coat draped over his glider. The shirshu leaped upwards trying to strike the boy with its tongue. Everyone fell backwards off the saddle including me. Unfortunately I couldn't catch myself so I landed quite hard and rolled to a stop only a few feet away from the irritated creature.
"Up!" Jun demanded using the whip.
The shirshu jumped up and Jun jumped to it back.
It leaped towards Aang only to be tackled from the side by Appa. It hit the wall hard and Iroh went to check on Jun while Aang and Zuko had a fight.
Jun got up whipping her shirshu back into action against Appa.
Both Zuko and Aang were tossed into the tiles of the roofs of the buildings.
I twitched my fingers trying to regain my motion.
I saw Iroh slip a vial of perfume into his robe sleeves after trying it on himself.
Zuko and Aang were now fighting around a well, a rather stupid move on Zuko's part considering Aang can use both air and water.
Appa rushed forward scaring him into retreating. Then the shirshu came back and lashed Appa several more times with its tongue.
One of the ladies moved over to me and held a vial under my nose. I wrinkled it at the smell but was now able to stand up at least.
I looked around and found Katara and Sokka hiding in one of the doorways.
"Katara! That thing uses its nose to see. Let's give it something to look at!" I called.
"The perfume?" Madame Superior asked.
I nodded.
She motioned several sisters to roll out five of the great containers filled with perfume. I used my water dragon to send a large amount of perfume to attack the shirshu itself and the area around it. It lashed out wildly striking first Zuko, then Jun. Iroh leaped forward and held Jun as she fell.
We used some of the smelling salts on Appa to wake him up and quickly got out of there, Kovu came out of nowhere and quickly got on Appa's back. He was nearly too big to fit. I worried about later when the group would grow.
"Katara, look what I got you." Aang said holding out her necklace.
"Aang. How'd you get that?" She asked taking it and putting it around her neck.
"Zuko asked me to be sure I got it to you." Aang said.
"Aw that's so sweet of Zuko. Would you give him a kiss for me when you see him?" Katara asked.
"Sure." Aang agreed and I had to hold onto my laughter.
Katara leaned over and kissed Aang on the cheek. He blushed and twirled his thumbs and I hid my face in Kovu's fur to avoid the embarrassing scene.
A/N: Sorry this is so late coming guys. I had this whole chapter almost completely done but my computer turned off unexpectedly and I lost almost half of it. Its okay though. The second version is better than the first one. I think I'm just going to go to updating once a week since I'm now working on two stories at once. Please review and let me know what you think.