I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry...

I've been sittin' around talking to the moon for about a week or so with literally nothin' in my head to write... The chapter I said I had written in my head just vanished like POOF and I've been looking everywhere for it... All that coupled with preparations for my high school prom (which went well, despite the spiked punch) and my STUPID laptop refusin' to cooperate... All in all I'm terribly sorry for this horrendously late update... FORGIVE ME !

This chapter is goin' to be a bit weird... Just bear with me... It gets better... I think...

WARNING: in this chapter, almost all my OC's appear, so it might confuse you a little... Don't worry. I have each character's character (that sounded so weird) planned out...

Anyway I hope you guys enjoy this chapter... On with the story... But before that...

Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA or any of it's characters... This is a non-profit publication, so don't sue... Please...?

Chapter 9 (Day 4)

The Ride To The Mansion

(Tigerdillos And Werewolves)

Ty Lee's breath caught in her throat and her body stiffened. Her face paled and a small shiver of fear ran down her spine. She blinked slowly, foolishly hoping that the creature would be gone by the time she opened her eyes. She opened her eyes. Nope, it was still there. Ty Lee slowly and calmly raised her hands off Aang's unconscious body. She did not want to startle the menacing creature and provoke it to attack. Ty Lee rose to her feet and, with her hands now above her head, moved a few steps away, slowly. Taking a silent and deep breath, she tried to calm her skyrocketing nerves.

Ty Lee was shocked. 'What was a fully grown tigerdillo doing here? Were there more? Aren't tigerdillos only found in areas that provide a suitable and steady supply of food? So why would a fully grown tigerdillo be on a desearted island? An island that only housed fierce wolfhounds that would compete with it?' Ty Lee snapped out of her train of thought and re-aligned her focus on the ferocious creature in front of her.

Ty Lee slowly ran her eyes over the ferocious creature that was standing a few metres away. It was large, like the rest of it's kind, and most of the top of it's body was covered by horny plates of armor. It's face was creased in a menacing growl and it's mouth was filled with gleaming white teeth. It had well-muscled limbs that ended in razor-sharp claws. Claws that could rend her body into pieces effortlessly. Ty Lee swallowed and unconsciously took a wary step back. A small shudder ran through her body and her legs began to shake slightly.

Ty Lee was confused now. The tigerdillo hadn't attacked yet. And it didn't look like it intended to do so anytime soon. At first she thought the beast was assessing her as an opponent and waiting for the right time to attack, like Princess Azula did when she sparred, but after a few minutes had passed with little or no activity, Ty Lee's confusion began to bubble. It was just standing a few feet away, watching her intently with eyes that sent tendrils of fear curling around her body. 'Why is it just standing there? And why is it looking at me? Or maybe it is looking at Aang? Maybe it wants Aang ?' The thought caused Ty Lee to carefully and slowly turn her head to observe the still unconscious airbender. His chest wasn't moving and that could only mean one thing. He wasn't breathing. A small incoherent sound escaped Ty Lee's throat and the thought to run over to where Aang lay unconscious on the sandy ground, to see what was wrong with him crossed her mind, but as much as she wanted to, she couldn't. Unless she wanted to be tigerdillo chow. It was probably waiting for her to move so it could attack. Ty Lee slowly turned her head back to face the the creature only to see it staring at Aang with a hungry expression in it's eyes. Anger shot through her. Maybe she SHOULD provoke the tigerdillo and fight it.

It was a good idea. An excellent idea. It had just one flaw.

She, as good as she knew she was, was no match for a tigerdillo.

The wolfhounds compared to this creature were fluffy housecats, and they had nearly killed her. She had survived only because of Aang. This animal in front of her was stronger, faster and more dangerous than those three wolfhounds joined together and those wolfhounds had still put up a serious fight. They had even wounded Aang and he was the avatar. So she would most definitely be at a big, no HUGE disadvantage if she decided to fight this tigerdillo off. Fighting a fully grown tigerdillo under normal circumstances was a suicide mission in itself. Doing it while making sure said tigerdillo did not hurt Aang who was still, by the looks of it, unconscious was borderline impossible.

Ty Lee glanced at Aang again and was relieved when she saw that his chest had now begun to rise and fall, although it was doing so at a very, very slow pace. Ty Lee turned her head to face the tigerdillo again and slowly clenched her fists.

'THAT TEARS IT! I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS!'

The animal seemed to have heard her infuriated thoughts as a deep warning growl began to emanate from it's mouth.

Suddenly she heard a voice yelling.

"Kiwa ! Kiwa! Kiwa!"

A female human voice. A voice that belonged to someone yelling at the top of her lungs.

Ty Lee's eyes widened in shock. She had assumed that the island was uninhabited. 'Who else was on the island ? Who was this 'Kiwa' person ? And who and why was this female person looking for her ? Were there others on the island ? How had they survived ? Why were they he-

"Kiwa !"

Ty Lee swung her head in a wide arc, looking for the owner of the yelling female voice. She saw no one but the voice was getting louder meaning the yelling person was getting closer. That or she was yelling louder. Ty Lee looked around one more time and wondered whether or not she was imagining things. Suddenly without warning, the tigerdillo that Ty Lee had completely forgotten about let out a roar. Ty Lee was stunned. It wasn't too loud a roar but it had been loud enough to stun her out of her wandering mind. Ty Lee looked at the tigerdillo. It looked no different. It was still in the same position, with the same expression on it's feral face. Ty Lee blinked. She was confused. She did not understand what was going on. 'Who was Kiwa ? And who was the pers- Then she saw them.

Two of them.

Two human beings.

Two teenage human beings. A guy and a girl. Ty Lee blinked again to be sure she wasn't just imagining things. No. She wasn't. They were still there. Actually they were closer now and they had not yet noticed her. Then it happened. In an instant, the tigerdillo whipped around and leapt at the girl. Ty Lee's heart flew to her throat as she watched in horror as the tigerdillo crashed into the girl and knocked her over. Ty Lee involuntarily let out a small scream. Then she stopped. The girl was hugging the creature that had leapt at her. And she was laughing. The boy was looking at the two on the ground with a small smile on his face. Ty Lee just stood there nonplussed. Who hugs and plays with a tigerdillo like a pet and laughs while doing it? Ty Lee's mouth involuntarily fell open. The tigerdillo was purring pleasantly as the laughing girl stroked it's head and back.

"Kiwa, you naughty girl", the girl said in a pleasant voice. "Why did you run off like that?"

The tigerdillo chuffed in apology and glanced towards Ty Lee. The girl's eyes followed her beloved pet's movements and her stroking hand froze. Her eyes widened slightly in surprise and her left eyebrow slanted upwards. Her companion had the same surprised expression on his face. The girl nudged her beloved tigerdillo aside and rose to her feet. Then she began to advance tentatively. Ty Lee stiffened and raised her re-clenched fists in front of her, wordlessly announcing her intentions to defend herself.

"We're not here to harm you."

Ty Lee started. It was the boy that had spoken. He had a pleasant voice. Or maybe that was what he wanted her to think. This was a trick of some sorts. This was a-.

"We were sent to find the avatar ."

As soon she heard Aang's title, Ty Lee remembered that he was still lying on the floor. Blowing all caution to the wind and completely forgetting the two, no make that three possible assailants in front of her, Ty Lee turned and dashed over to where Aang was and knelt at his side. She glanced at his chest and was relieved to see that he was still breathing.

"Is that him", the boy asked. "Is that the avatar?"

Ty Lee barely heard him. Aang's breathing pace was slowing. His breaths were coming in short raw gasps, as if he was in pain. Ty Lee was worried. Something bad was happening to him. She quickly appraised his body with her eyes and saw nothing unusual. Nothing at all. 'Maybe it was an Avatar thing ?' Tears began to sting her eyes. He had to get better! She owed her current status as a living human being to Aang and she didn't know how she'd feel if anything bad happened to him. The sting of tears began to heighten. Ty Lee turned to the boy that had spoken to her.

"Help him", her voice sounded wretched and tearful. "Please."

"What's wrong with him?"

"I don't know. He just fainted", she began to sob. "Please just help him."

The boy nodded and walked over to Aang's limp body. He bent down and scooped Aang up like he was carrying a sleeping child. Then he turned and said something to the girl. She nodded silently and all of a sudden, from nowhere, a large stone sled broke out of the ground before Ty Lee's eyes. She was astonished. No one had made any bending movements. No had jumped up and jammed their foot or hand into the ground or anything. It was almost as if the sled had just crashed out of the ground of it's own volition. The boy nodded and said something else Ty Lee didn't hear to the girl before he walked over, with Aang in his arms, to where she was standing with her pet. He said or rather whispered something to her before he turned and carefully dropped Aang on the sled. As soon as the boy dropped Aang's back on the sled, the girl took off into the forest without so much as a word. The boy seemed unfazed. Instead, he barked something incomprehensible to his companion's pet. The tigerdillo spared a look at Ty Lee before it took off into the forest too, presumably after the girl.

The boy stepped onto the sled and motioned at Ty Lee with his outstretched hand. "Come on."

Ty Lee did not spare a moment. She wiped her teary face, rose to her feet, leapt forward and landed neatly on the sled. She knelt down next to Aang and put her hands on his chest. He was taking short laborious breaths and his body was quivering slightly. Ty Lee's worries were doubling now. 'Something very bad was happening to him. Something that ha-' A loud rumble interrupted her worried thoughts and the sled began to vibrate steadily. Ty Lee raised her head to see what was causing the noise and was stunned. They were no more at the beach. The sled was now cruising on the ground through the forest, weaving in between trees swiftly. Ty Lee looked at the boy. He was standing at the front of the sled. His body was bent forward, his right leg was bent at the knee in front and his left leg was extended behind him. His fisted hands were behind his back. Ty Lee glanced quizzically at him. He had a clean and youthful face, from what she could see kneeling behind him. He was tall, not too tall though he easily stood over her. He had short jet black hair and honey-complexioned skin. He was clad in dark green, body-fitting clothes. A pair of pants, black boots, a shirt whose long sleeves were folded at his elbows. 'So he's an earthbender', Ty Lee thought. He looked young and strong. Ty Lee's curiousity spun into confusion. 'What was he doing here? And who was the other girl?'

'I'll find out later. I just need to take things one step at a time'. Having decided that, Ty Lee turned her attention back to Aang. He was lying limply on the sled and he had gotten worse. Now he was letting out small groans and grunts of pain. Ty Lee carefully raised his head off the sled and settled it on her lap. It seemed to have helped as his groans faltered and his features relaxed a little. Ty Lee cupped his face and brushed off a small speck of dirt that had found it's way to his left cheek. Ty Lee at first did not register when the sled began to slow down until it just stopped. Then she noticed and looked up. The boy that had been controlling the sled had jumped off already. Ty Lee looked around to see why they had stopped. When she saw them, Ty Lee couldn't help the gasp that escaped her.

They were surrounded. By wolfhounds. And the girl that had run into the forest earlier was seated regally on one of the wolfhounds. Ty Lee looked at the girl but she didn't seem to be bothered by the fact that she was sitting on a deadly creature. Her pet tigerdillo was standing beside her on the ground. It looked as if they had been waiting. Ty Lee apprehensively looked at the wolfhounds. They looked a bit different from the ones that had attacked them before. They were six of them. They were huge and most of them were coloured various shades of brown. Except for one in front of her. It was coloured slightly darker than the rest of it's counterparts. It also looked bigger than the rest and had a certain air about it that conveyed it's authority and power to all. The boy was standing in front of it and he was actually talking to it! Ty Lee was stunned beyond words. 'What in Agni's name was going on here ?' Ty Lee glanced around furtively before she settled her gaze back on the boy. She was about to speak and ask him what was happening when he turned and spoke.

"Umm, we're here. That's the avatar", he pointed at Aang. "Let's go"

As soon as he finished his statement, everyone including the wolfhounds that had been standing as still as stone, jerked to life. The boy walked over briskly to the sled and Ty Lee clenched her fists and a hard look covered her face. She knew she didn't stand a chance against anyone in her current state, but she resolved to go down with a sword in her hand. The observant boy noticed her silent warning and stopped. He straightened and spoke.

"I'm sorry if this is a bit overwhelming for you. I sometimes forget myself. My name is Zaru", he motioned around, "And these werewolves are good friends of ours. "That's Lai and her twin Lia, Xieng, Tora and that's Ming over there." Zaru motioned to each werewolf with his right hand and a small nod as he introduced them, and each werewolf in turn acknowledged it's name with a small nod. The twins even nodded together. "That", he pointed to the girl seated queen-like on the werewolf introduced as Ming, "Is Karai and her pet tigerdillo Kiwa."

Ty Lee had a shocked look on her face. 'Am I hallucinating or something ? This is just- She remembered her decision to take things one step at a time. But this, this was happening in a flood no make that TSUNAMI of steps. Was there no end to the strangeness of events that happened on this island?! First there had been freak storms, then wolfhounds that wanted to kill her, Aang in the avatar state, getting lost, morning kisses (Ty Lee didn't think the kissing part was weird, that was me), Aang collapsing for no reason, a tigerdillo named Kiwa, Zaru and Karai, and now werewolves. Ty Lee had lived a very simple life in the circus. Even after Azula had recruited her, things had still been simple. This-this was a bit too much for her. Ty Lee took a calming breath and reasoned that she freaking out would not be good. At all. Especially since Aang was still unconscious. Ty Lee silently vowed to handle her current situation to the best of her ability.

Ty Lee slowly and carefully raised Aang's head off her lap. He groaned at the sudden discomfort but Ty Lee ignored him because there were more pressing matters at hand. She stood up slowly and put her hands together in the traditional greeting gesture of her homeland.

"My name's Ty Lee."

The boy, along with the werewolves gave a respectful bow. The largest werewolf stepped forward.

"My name is Kuruk. I am the leader of this pack and I welcome you, young one." His voice was deep and very strong. Like the voice of a umm well werewolf. His eyes were brilliant blue and they had an unnatural glow about them. "It would delight me greatly to stand here and exchange pleasantries, young one, but your friend, the avatar is in serious need of help."

Ty Lee blinked in shock for the umpteenth time that day. 'Did a werewolf just talk to her?' Ty Lee shook her head slowly and stepped back. It was beginning to look like her plan to handle things without freaking out or losing her mind would be harder than she imagined. Zaru moved past her and carried Aang while Ty Lee just watched with a dumbstruck expression on her face. He hefted Aang's body into his arms and turned around. He walked beside Kuruk and carefully deposited his body on the huge werewolf's back. Kuruk's deep voice rumbled again. "Ty Lee, for the sake of your friend, you will have to come with us."

"Go wha- Go where ?", Ty Lee stammered.

"Just hop on his back. You'll see." Zaru's smile was smug, like he knew something she didn't. "C'mon, we have to go. Fast."

Ty Lee swallowed and looked at Aang draped over Kuruk's large back. She would have to go with them, so they could help him. After all she owed Aang her life. He had saved her from the deadly werewolves so it was only fair she played a part in helping him. So this was for him. Ty Lee warily walked over to the werewolf and stopped.

"Just hop on.", Zaru's cheerful voice called out. Ty Lee swung her head around and saw him seated on Xieng, or was that Lai? Ty Lee turned and swallowed again. Then she mounted the werewolf. His back felt warm and strong.

"Whenever you're ready.", Ty Lee could feel the werewolf's back vibrating as he spoke. Ty Lee put her hand on Aang's body to steady herself.

"I'm ready."

As soon as the words left her mouth, Kuruk took off in a noisy blur.

Ty Lee had never been on the back of a bolt of lightening before but she was pretty sure this creature beneath her was just as fast. Maybe even faster, despite it's enormous size. The large creature had to be flying. Ty Lee hunched her body forward and lowered her eyelids until she was looking from behind her eyelashes. The trees and bushes were blurring past her at an unimaginable speed. Ty Lee turned her head to the left and saw Zaru on Xieng (or Lai) a few feet away. She turned her head to the right and saw Karai on Ming blurring beside her. Beside them, Kiwa ran with something that could loosely be called a grin on her feral face. Ty Lee couldn't help but grin too.

If someone had told her that she would get a ride on the back of a werewolf and that she would enjoy it too, Ty Lee wouldn't have believed them. She didn't even know that werewolves actually existed. But they did. And she WAS getting a ride on the back of a werewolf. And spirits she WAS enjoying it. Ty Lee swung her head backwards and saw the remaining werewolves running behind them. Then for no apparent reason, Kuruk began to slow his pace. Ty Lee looked around to see why the large werewolf was slowing but she saw nothing that would have caused the decrease in speed. Then from behind, Lai and Lia ( Ty Lee knew now they were the twins because they ran alike) dashed to the front. Now Lai and Lia were in front, Ming and Xieng at the sides, Kuruk in the middle and Tora at the back. Ty Lee looked at the positions of the running werewolves and a small frown crossed her face. There was something oddly familiar about the positioning of the werewolves. It was almost as if they were- Ty Lee stopped then and there and looked down at Aang. Then it hit her. The werewolves had switched from running randomly to running in a defensive formation. That's why Kuruk had slowed down and let the twins pass him. Lia and Lai would be the defensive shield in the eventuality of attack, Xieng and Ming with Karai and Zaru the offensive retaliation, Tora would be the reinforcement while Kuruk would keep Aang safe.

The twins began to slow down and the reduction in speed worked it's way backwards until all the werewolves were now running at a human pace. Then the twins skidded to a stop. The rest of the pack followed suit. Ty Lee looked at Zaru and then Karai. They were just as confused as she was. Kiwa began growling viciously. She seemed to be growling at something in the bushes to the right. Ty Lee looked at the twins. They both sniffed the air at the same time and swung their heads to the right. Then they both uttered one word with their unsurprisingly identical voices.

"Wolfhounds."

Ty Lee stiffened. She glanced around apprehensively. There were no wolfhounds in sight. Yet, but that could easily change at any moment.

"Go."

Ty Lee paused. Kuruk's voice sounded hard and almost angry. Ty Lee barely had time to ask what was going on when the pack leader surged forward. At the same time, the twins and Kiwa darted into the woods on the right.

Ty Lee was afraid now. She didn't think it was possible for the large werewolf to run any faster than before. But now she realized fearfully, that she was wrong. The werewolves were basically arrows from bows with the way they were running now. Ty Lee had to press down on Aang's back with her chest so they wouldn't get blown off the werewolf. She looked at Karai. Karai was also pressed forward. Ty Lee swallowed and looked ahead again, praying silently to the spirits that this unusual journey would end soon.

As if the spirits had heard her, the werewolves began to slow down. Again. Ty Lee raised her body off the still unconscious airbender and saw a large compound a few hundred yards away. Kuruk suddenly skidded to a stop. Ty Lee jerked forward and she had to push on Aang's body to keep herself from flying off the werewolf's back. Ty Lee looked at the rest of their entourage and then frowned. All the werewolves had stopped at the same point, like there was a line or boundary telling them to do so. Ty Lee heard soft footfalls as Zaru and Karai dismounted. She took the hint and dismounted too. Zaru came over and helped her drag Aang's body off the werewolf. The werewolf that seemed to be in a hurry. Ty Lee suspected that it had something to do with the twins and the wolfhounds they had mentioned.

Kuruk confirmed her suspicions with his short farewell. "I would love to stay and assist in any way I can, young one, but there is an urgent matter that I must attend to. Zaru, give my regards to Xen and Lin for me. Tell them I'll come when I can." And with that he and the rest of the pack turned and dashed away.

While Ty Lee just stood there gawking at the place where the large furry werewolves had stood. Zaru and Karai, on the other hand wasted no time at all. They promptly turned and ran towards the castle, Zaru still carrying Aang in his arms. Ty Lee whipped her head around. 'Why were the runn- AANG ! Ty Lee jerked to life and tore after the running duo. They got to a rock wall that opened on it's own to admit the running teenagers. Ty Lee did not falter. She had to ensure that Aang would be fine. She didn't care if she was foolishly charging into a trap. Yet somehow, she didn't believe that this was a trap. They ran past the mansion walls into the courtyard. Ty Lee didn't even spare a look around. She kept her eyes on Aang's head as it bobbed up and down with Zaru's movements.

They turned left and came into view of a large building. Karai suddenly jerked to the front and Ty Lee took this as a hint that their run was almost over. She was tired but she wasn't going to stop now. Not for anything. Karai got to the double doors first and she literally punched them open.

"I'll get father!", she yelled.

Zaru basically flew into the building and Ty Lee followed hot on his heels. Zaru's blinding speed began to reduce as he ran into a long windowless corridor. His voice began to ring out. "Mother ! Mother ! Mother !"

He got to a T junction of corridors and Ty Lee could clearly hear a responding female voice to the right. He heard it too and charged to the right. Ty Lee followed faithfully. They burst through the only door at the end of the corridor and came into a small room. There was a woman in the room, and as soon as Zaru entered, she collected Aang from him and deposited him neatly on the nearest bed. Zaru, without pausing, turned and ran out without even taking a moment to regain his breath. Ty Lee did not know why Zaru had not yet collpased from exhaustion. After all, he had run for almost five minutes without stopping and he had been carrying Aang the entire time. 'He must be really strong.' Ty Lee on the other hand was out of breath. She rested her palms on her knees and took deep breaths to calm her racing heart, keeping her eyes on Aang the entire time.

The woman didn't even look at Ty Lee. She, with her surprisingly strong hands, ripped Aang's tunic open and Ty Lee's eyes automatically began to search his body for anything unusual. And there was something unusual. Two large dark blotches were on his back. Right on the shoulders. The same place where the wolfhounds had attacked him. Ty Lee let out a small whimper. The woman heard and looked at her. At first the woman looked at her curiously, then a new look slid into place on her face. A grim look.

"What did this ?", the woman asked.

Ty Lee couldn't help but her notice that the woman had said 'What' not 'Who'. Disregarding that, she replied. "Wolfhounds."

The woman nodded and carefull turned Aang over so he was lying on his stomach. She turned and walked over to a table covered with bowls and bottles near the wall and began to mix something in a small mixing bowl. Ty Lee couldn't tell whether or not Aang was breathing. She didn't even know whether he was still alive. Ty Lee looked at the woman. She had turned away from her mixing and was now looking past Ty Lee as if there was something behind her. Ty Lee turned and saw Karai walking into the room. A man entered immediately after Karai did.

The man smiled. "Hello, Ty Lee."

And that's it..

For now...

I apologise once again for my late update... The last of high school (Graduation) is behind me. Now I'm just another 16 year old that has finished high school...

About the werewolves... They're like the ones in Twilight... Y'know, tall dark and dangerous... What can I say...? I love Twilight... I'm especially in love with the werewolves... How they run and attack as one single, organized body... So I borrowed that idea (and a few werewolves) and used it... But that's all I borrowed... There will be no vampires, hybrids, newborns or anything like that... Drac promise...

Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter... I know it's a bit confusing... But that's what I got...

The next chapter will explain pretty much everyone's origins...

Review ! Review ! Review !

Oh and one more thing... I can't believe I forgot to say this at the beginning... REVIEW !

Til' Next Chapter...

Tha' Drac Lord out !