Meh. So tired. I does not like sleeping on couch. Thank you for the faves and the reveiws guys. Keep it coming. I also got an actual cover for this story. I found it very Avatar-y.
Hopefully know we are staring to get a bit of a plot and adventure going. I really like Suki. She is one of my favorite Avatar characters, and I hate it how she doesn't get included in a lot of stuff. She is one of the few 'girlfriend' characters out there that are actually fully developed. And I love me some empowered female characters.
So Long and Thanks For All the Fish!
...
You could say Suki was a rather experienced girl. It took her years of training to become a Kyoshi Warrior. She learned the art of fan, she learned how to through a punch, she learned how to put the ceremonial make up on just right, and she learned how to use her innocent look as a weapon. She had fought Azula, she had been thrown in prison, she had escaped prison, she aided Aang in the final battle, and she became the Fire Lord's body guard. She had skill. Skills that did not include flying.
Suki's stomach felt like it was shoved up into her throat. The rush of falling down was not a pleasant one. Her eyes watered as air slapped against her rapidly falling form. The blue lights were gone, and all that greeted her was darkness.
Someone was screaming. No. There was more than one person screaming. Suki could barely make out three other forms in front of her. Suki closed her eyes. She would not panic.
She opened her eyes.
What she could see- 1) Two of her friends falling to their dooms. She couldn't make out exactly who. 2) A cave wall surrounding her at all sides. It looked like one could easily climb up or down it. But reaching it would defiantly be a problem. 3) A ledge about fifty feet below, which the impact of hitting would turn her into a Kyoshi pancake.
Suki furrowed her brow. She needed to think of a plan. She opened her mouth, but her words were lost in the wind.
She looked around again. This could be the end. It looked like no one else was coming up with any other good ideas. Suki closed her eyes again to keep the tears from falling. Then someone grabbed her hand.
"Aang!" Suki exclaimed. Above her was the shape of glider along with two forms grabbing hold of the Avatar's waist.
A wash of relief washed over the warrior as she began to laugh.
…
"You said this was going to be fun."
Suki, Katara, and Zuko sat on a ledge Suki spotted earlier with only the small camp fire Zuko provided for light. Katara was vigorously combing through her tangled hair while the three of them waited for Aang to get back from searching for the others.
"I don't think Katara and Aang were counting being thrown down a hole by angry earth bending badgermoles as fun." Suki sighed. Her hair was also rather messy, and she began to comb through it as well. Suki wasn't really looking forward for another Zuko and Katara fight.
Surprisingly Katara didn't want to fight.
"Not now you guys." Katara muttered. She slipped to the floor and began to rub her bandaged arm. She looked tired.
Zuko followed Katara to the floor and came up rather close to the water bender.
"Sokka and Toph may be dead. And it would be all my fault." Katara sighed. She peered over the edge that the three of them were waiting on. Katara put her head in her hands.
"They'll be fine. Toph is a the best earth bender in the world. Aang will find them." Suki assured. She also sat on the cold ledge. If they were going to wait, might as well be sort of comfortable.
Katara lifted her head and smiled. The three of them sat in silence around the small flame that gave them light.
Time passed. Sokka. Where were you?
Suki felt a pang of guilt. She wasn't really worried about Toph at all. Just Sokka. But who could blame her right? Sokka was the first boy she ever really fell in love with. Sokka was Sokka, but she loved him. They were there for each other, and Suki didn't know what she would do without him. Plus she was a virgin when she met him. So he owes her.
"Sooo. Zuko…" Katara started. She turned to look at the Fire Lord bathed in the shadows of the tunnel.
"Yes?" inquired Zuko. One eyebrow raising lazily.
"You... and Mai… Are not together anymore huh?"
"Yup. She ended it a month ago."
"Why… why didn't you tell us?" asked Katara. A look of concern forming on her face.
Zuko turned to Suki.
"It was supposed to remain a secret."
Suki turned as red as beet under the Fire Lord's gaze. Okay. So maybe the only reason she knew about Mai leaving was because she was ease dropping on the love birds. They had been squabbling lately, and it was Suki's job to protect Zuko.
A million possible sentences flew through the warriors mind. The only word that managed to escape her lips was. "Sorry."
"The truth would have escaped eventually." Zuko ran his hand through his shaggy hair.
Katara placed a hand on Zuko's arm, and Zuko smiled. Suki raised an eyebrow. She got the fact that Katara was the momma of the group. But there was something going on here, weather the two of them were aware of it or not.
"Hey look! Aang is back!" piped Suki. The bald boy glided unto the edge of the rock. With one flick his blue glider turned back into his usual staph. Katara shot up and ran to the edge to greet the Avatar leaving the fire bender in the dark.
"Aang!" Katara yelled as she grabbed the Avatar in a hug. Aang returned the favor and hugged her back.
"Did you find Sokka!" questioned Suki as she raced up to the two. Zuko followed.
Aang's grin fell.
"No, but we have bigger problems," sighed Aang.
Something turned in the pit of Suki's stomach. Aang didn't find Sokka. Or Toph. Toph was also missing. They both were.
"What do you mean bigger problems?" said Zuko.
"Bigger problems as in the top of the hole those badgermoles created for us is closed. We can't get out of here," reported Aang.
"Can't you just earth bend the top of this cavern we fell down away?" wondered Katara.
"That's another problem. My earth bending isn't working."
"Aang, how could your earth bending not be working? Are the rest of your elements not working either?" Suki didn't know much about bending, but she did know about the Ty Lee's ability to block Chi. Maybe Aang had been exposed to something in the cave.
Aang shook his head. "I can still air bend, fire bend, and water bend. It's just the earth bending that is not working. I tried to open up a whole for us to get out of, but it was no use. We're trapped for now."
"Maybe this has to do with those Badgermoles," pondered Zuko.
"Maybe," Aang shrugged.
A silence fell among the four of them. They all had moved to sit around the camp fire again. Suki stared at the flames.
What were they going to do? Aang couldn't break the rock that kept her from- kept them from escaping. Aang couldn't break the rock that kept her from her friends Aang couldn't break the rock that kept her from Sokka. He could be hurt and Suki wouldn't be there for him. Or worse- Sokka could by dying and she wouldn't be there to save him. And Suki was a skilled warrior. And no warrior would be sitting around doing nothing when two of her fellow soldiers could be in trouble. Not to mention that one of them was her boyfriend.
"Everyone up!" Suki barked. Her fellow comrades jumped at the sudden noise. Suki stood up and the rest followed.
"We are going to get out of here," declared Suki. "Katara, Zuko, and I are going to start climbing down the rock wall, while Aang scouts ahead. We are getting to the bottom of this shaft, and are going to find Sokka and Toph."
"What if there is nothing down there?" asked Katara.
"Well we'll just have to find out won't we?" Suki said bluntly. She crossed the three of her friends and grabbed onto the stone wall. She got a good grasp on the rocks and began to climb down.
"Sounds like a plan," said Aang. He unleashed his glider and began to descend into the darkness.
"Aren't you coming Katara?" Zuko questioned as he too, grabbed a good hold on the wall.
"What if we fall? Did I mention that I am not good at falling to my death in pitch blackness?" said Katara with her hands on her hips.
"Um. Didn't you hear me screaming earlier?" replied Zuko.
"I know I did! I was convinced you were Sokka at first, by your girlish screams!" called Aang from somewhere below. Suki let out a laugh.
Katara was not convinced.
"Look. If you fall, I'll catch you," sighed Zuko. He didn't look too thrilled at the fact he screamed like a girl. Zuko began to climb down into the darkness, leaving Katara alone.
Katara mumbled something about should have listening to a whiny blind girl and an annoying Fire Lord, and followed the fire bender down.
Suki was a rather experienced girl. She had skill. Flying no. Leading yes.