Hey ya'll! Took an break from writing while I got my life together, but I'm getting back into it! Bit by bit anyway. Hope ya'll enjoy!
I own nothing.
Katara: The Next Avatar
Chapter Two
The Avatar Returns
Within the comfort of their igloo, Katara stirred tonight's stew, heating it as she waved her hand absent-mindedly. The rest of her small family had already settled in, with Hakoda giving her brother instructions based on their latest spar. Sokka was getting better every day, but hasn't gotten close to beating their father yet, despite his obvious handicap.
Envy pricked her heart as she divided the stew into bowls. All the combat training went to her brother, but wasn't she the Avatar? If anyone should be learning to fight, it should be her! Although, she was the only bender in the village. And Gran-gran's lessons could only go so far.
She needed a master. She needed to learn! She needed to leave this village.
She walked to the campfire with the warm bowls, passing them out to her family. Sokka accepted his gratefully, chowing down immediately. Hakoda took his as well, setting the bowl to the ground before picking up a spoon with the same hand. It took time, but he eventually got used to only using one arm. After passing the last bowl to Gran-Gran, she sat down to eat.
"Remember to keep your guard up too, son." Hakoda continued. "It won't matter how strong you are if your defenses are down."
"Mm—hmm!" Sokka grunted, his mouth full. Katara rolled her eyes, elbowing her brother. "Ow! What was that for!" he demanded.
"You're not listening!" Katara admonished. "You're too busy chewing."
"I was listening!" Sokka defended. "I'm just hungry!"
"Pff, you're always hungry." Katara stated, chewing a sea prune. "You get to learn how to fight, at least take advantage of that."
"Katara…" Hakoda said warningly. Katara huffed before standing up, finished. "I'm going out."
"It's nightfall, Katara." Hakoda said. "Be careful out there." Katara simply glared his direction as she left. Hakoda sighed to himself at her anger. He knew she wanted to go, but he still wasn't sure if she was ready. But as soon as the Fire Nation knew she was out there, they'd stop at nothing to kill her. Or worse. "Sokka, go after her. Make sure she comes back safely." Sokka nodded, leaving without a word. Sokka has shared his views on the matter before as well, saying that if Katara can fight the Fire Nation, then she should end the war as quickly as possible. But having said his piece, he elected to follow his father's leadership. Kanna also gave Hakoda a look but said nothing. Seemed like everyone but him wanted Katara to lay low.
Was it really too much to ask?
xXx
Around the same time at night…
"So…this is the final resting place of the Avatar." Iroh said solemnly. "What a dreadful sight."
The Fire Navy ship had finally found the wreckage of the Water Tribe ship, long forgotten by it's previous owners. Illuminated under the moonlight, it was currently in pieces, having been smashed to bits by an imposing iceberg. The soldiers had searched the remains for any sign of their quarry but found nothing.
Until they got to the iceberg.
Prince Zuko stood, shaking before the remains of the last airbender. The cold had partially preserved the Avatar, leaving the body halfway recognizable. Though the skin was blue and black with patches missing from the frostbite, and face was practically skinless, the arrow tattoos left an outline over the young man's body. Not to mention the airbender garb. It was definitely him.
And Zuko…didn't know how to feel.
On one hand, he found the Avatar! He had found more than anyone else had found in the last century! But these remains…he'd only bring back a corpse. It won't be enough for father. Especially if it decayed further as they sailed back.
So close…yet so far…
"Prince Zuko," Iroh said gently.
A moment passed before Zuko stopped shaking, the fireball in his hand flaring and sputtering. "Uncle." He said sharply. "If the airbender is dead, then he must have reincarnated to the next nation, right?" The older man grunted out a yes.
"Then the Avatar, the living one, is still out there." Zuko growled. "And now we know where to look." He whipped around to his crew. "Load up! We're leaving!"
"Hmm," Iroh stepped forward, kneeling down to inspect the corpse with his own fire in hand. "By the looks of it, this young man was in his 20s, not too much older than you, nephew."
"What does it matter!?" Zuko shouted. "We need to find the Avatar! Who knows how old he is by now!"
"Patience, Zuko." Uncle admonished. "If you're truly going to face the Avatar, we must learn what we can." He felt the old clothes, the fabric was clearly dated, but wasn't worn from time. "Over the course of 100 years, these clothes should be in tatters. And the body wouldn't even be here unless…"
"Unless what?" Zuko demanded, his patience waning.
"A corpse in such extreme cold doesn't decay quickly, Prince Zuko." Iroh explained. "This body could've been here from the start of the 100-year war. But," he gestured to the fabric. "These clothes would've been ripped to shreds by the elements over such time, but they're still in one piece."
Steam flowed from the teen's nostrils as he stomped forward. "We can speculate forensics later, Uncle!" he said through gritted teeth. "But if I'm to restore my honor and return home, we must act now!"
Uncle stood up, having learned what he needed. "Very well, nephew. What's our heading?"
"Where do you think?" he spat, pulling out a map. "The if our airbender is dead, he'll have reincarnated to the next nation!" He traced the map, focusing on a small plot of ice nearby. "Next stop…the Southern Water Tribe."
xXx
"Hra! Hy-YAH!" Katara yelled, striking an ice wall with her water blasts. Under the full moon, her power over water increases greatly, giving her the power to vent and make it hurt. "HrrAAAHH!" She managed to freeze her next blast into ice before striking her target, creating cracks in the tall ice wall she created. She whipped the water around, trying to form a blade of water like Gran-Gran once described, but she only managed to splash the imposing wall rather than slicing it to pieces.
"Gah! Useless!" She threw the offending water away, launching it out of the village. "If we…went north…" She blasted again. "…like I suggested…" And again. "…I'd already have mastered water!" Her next blast, bigger than the last, obliterated the wall into icy sludge.
"Ha…ha…hoo…" She panted, catching her breath in the cold. Even if she was the Avatar, she was still human. And humans get cold at this time of night in the south pole.
"Feeling better?" Someone snarked behind her.
"Not right now, Sokka." She replied. "And no. Not yet." She drew the surrounding snow towards herself, forming a large wave before sending it over the sludge, wiping the icy floor clean. "Now…now I feel better."
"Good. Let's get you home before you catch a cold, oh powerful Avatar." Sokka smiled. Despite his posturing, Katara learned to appreciate her brother's general disregard for her status as Avatar. The other kids looked up to her and the adults put her on a pedestal. But Sokka? Sokka kept her honest. Even if his constant wise-cracks got old.
"How long was I out here?" She asked, now calm.
"Three hours, believe it or not." Sokka griped. "One of these days, you're actually gonna freeze your butt off out here. I had to head back in like 6 times to warm up!"
Katara laughed at that. It seemed funny for some reason. "You know, you didn't need to stay out here. I'm fine on my own."
"Please, you would've stayed another two hours if I wasn't here." Sokka chuckled as they walked back. "Who's gonna save the world if you freeze to death?"
Katara's eyes darkened, remembering the source of her ire. "Nobody, if I don't leave the village already." Sokka groaned knowingly. "Don't groan at me!" Katara snapped. "If I really am this 'Avatar' like dad says, why won't he let me go be the Avatar?"
"Dad says we need to keep ou-"
"Come on Sokka! You know I'm right!" Katara kept on. "Sometimes I wonder if I even am the Avatar. Look!" She punched her fist forward. Neither air nor fire shot out. "I can't firebend. I don't know the first thing about airbending. And there's no rock or ground for a hundred miles!" They finally approached the village, the igloo still glowing from the campfires within. "How am I going to save the world?" Katara cried out.
Sokka looked away. He knew she was right of course. But just like his father, he cared about his sister's safety more than anything. Including the world.
"I…I don't know Katara." Sokka admitted. "But trust me. You are the Avatar. We saw you airbend that day. There's no doubt about it." He turned to her, giving her the warmest hug he could muster. "You're special. More than me, or anyone else here. That I'm sure of."
Tears dropped onto Sokka's coat as Katara hugged back. "I just…thanks Sokka."
"Anytime. Now let's get you inside." They started forward when…
Rumble….
The ice beneath them began to shake. The two siblings stumbled for a moment but stood their ground. The rumbling grew every moment. It was dark, so they didn't see it at first.
Black snow. Just a little bit, but that's all it took.
"Katara! Get inside!" Sokka shouted, pulling out his club.
"No!" Katara protested. "I can fight!"
"Not a chance!" Sokka stopped her in her tracks. "We can't risk you being discovered. Go home! Dad and I will handle this!" By now, Hakoda had already jumped outside, weapon in hand. Katara grit her teeth, not wanted to back down. Sokka tried to argue further, but now wasn't the time. He quickly ran to the outer wall, his father waiting.
"Dad! The Fire Nation!"
"I know son, but from the looks of it, it's just one." He said sharply, inspecting the snow. "This could just be a scare tactic, or they're just passing. Either way, gear up." He turned to Katara, who stubbornly followed her brother to fight. "Katara, go home and stay there. Now."
"I can help!" Katara argued. "Let me help Dad!"
"I said go inside!"
"But I'm strong! It's just you and Sokka! You can't-"
"LISTEN TO ME!" Hakoda thundered. "There's no time! If you're discovered now, we'll never beat the Fire Nation!"
"But Dad!" Katara shouted back. "If they're here to kill us, you'll die! Please!" Hakoda knelt down, gripping her shoulder.
"Katara, listen to me!" Hakoda ordered. "Even if I die, or get captured, or anything, you are more important!"
"But…"
"No arguments!" He snapped, speaking over the sound of the distant ship and cracking ice. "You'll have your chance one day. But for now, hide. Hide and protect Gran-Gran. Do not come out for anything, you understand?!"
Katara bit her lip, tears streaming down her face. Sokka returned in full warrior gear, passing a second weapon to the Chief. Shaking, she slowly nodded, running back to camp.
Hakoda let his breath out. That's one thing taken care of. He stood, running over to the watchtower. He saw it in the distance, a dark grey ship with a plume of black smoke. It was close, within a 10-minute journey by their speed.
"Now then…" he whispered. "What do you want?"
xXx
Despite the Chief's strict instructions, Katara peeked out the igloo as the invasion approached. Sure, her bending had reinforced the ice wall between their village and the ocean, but it would soon prove to be insufficient.
"Please be ok…please be ok…please be ok…" she whispered to herself. Kanna had tried to pry her granddaughter away from the window, but to no avail. Sure enough, the ice wall she worked so hard on started to crack.
The Fire Navy ship's gangplank landed right onto their wall, crushing the ice with its metal blade. Sokka hadn't realized that the Fire ships were so big, a fact Hakoda was all too familiar with. As steam billowed from the interior, three warriors marched down the gangplank with all the authority in the world. Sokka tensed to charge them, but Hakoda held him back. A full-on invasion would involve more soldiers, and the ship, as big as it was, was too small for an invasion force. It looked more akin to a scouting ship.
This wasn't an invasion. They were here to talk.
Flanked by two Firebending soldiers was a young man with a scar over his left eye. He was clearly a teen, only a year older than Hakoda's own son. His entourage wore the distinctive skull-like masks of a Fire soldier, but the boy merely wore a helmet, marking him as the leader. Despite his youth, there was no lack of malice in his golden eyes.
Hakoda took quick notes about the invading party. No weapons, so they must be all firebenders. Too small for a fight, but still prepared for one. There were probably more inside if things went south.
On the other side, Zuko in turn took note of the adversaries before him. Two warriors, one clearly younger than the other. The elder one's missing an arm as well. Clearly not the best options for battle.
Either they're hiding their strength, or this is all their pathetic village has to offer. The invaders stopped a few feet ahead of the enemy, a standoff. The silence was deafening as the two leaders stared each other down.
Then he spoke, loud enough for Katara to hear.
"Where is the Avatar?"
Hakoda's breath hitched, but only for a moment. His son had no such composure, tensing up further at the demand.
"Before anything, introductions are needed." Hakoda called back. If anything, the Fire Nation sure cared about their honor. "Identify yourself!"
Zuko grit his teeth. These peasants were in no place to demand anything. But answer he did. "I'm Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation! Heir to the Throne!"
Hakoda nodded. "Hakoda of the South. Chieftain of the Southern Water Tribe."
"Good, now answer me!" Zuko demanded. "Where. Is. The. Avatar?"
"I don't know where you've been living," Hakoda answered. "but the Avatar died a long time ago! No one has seen him for the last hundred years!"
Zuko smirked, surprising the warriors. "Yes, dead. But not gone. The last known Avatar was an airbender! Making the next one a waterbender!" He lit his fist alight as he yelled. "I know you have him!"
Hakoda's eyes widened. Him? They don't know it's her!
He can use this.
"I'm sure you've noticed, but our village isn't big enough to grace the Avatar's presence." He replied with practiced grace. "If anything, he'd be with our sister tribe to the north! If he's alive, that is."
The young prince growled lowly. He was clearly frustrated. Desperate. Sokka didn't move an inch, listening to his father fight with his words. Katara watched as well, praying that they'd just leave.
Then Zuko went to plan B.
"If you don't turn him in right now…" he waved his hand, summoning more soldiers from his ship. Four more firebenders and about five swordsmen climbed out. "…I'll slaughter every pathetic peasant in this excuse for a village!"
That was enough for Sokka.
"HRAAAAAAA!" Sokka screamed, sprinting at the enemy with his club raised.
"Sokka, NO!" Hakoda bellowed. Zuko sneered, waving his soldiers back as the boy approached. Sokka nearly hit him…before Zuko kicked the weapon away! With the same foot, he kicked Sokka right off the gangplank and into the snow.
Zuko cracked his knuckles lazily, speaking load and clear. "Soldiers. Kill them all!"
And then, that was enough for Katara.
A highspeed jet of water barreled right into the fire prince, taking him off his feet, right as Hakoda moved! The soldiers hesitated, looking around for the Avatar. Hakoda whirled back, seeing Katara outside the igloo, having attacked the Prince. She expected to see anger in her father's eyes. Fury! Betrayal!
But not a smile. A small, sad smile.
Zuko got up, furious. "I said kill them a-"
"STOP!" Hakoda roared, his booming voice halting the force. Then, slowly, he raised his hands in surrender.
"Fine…you got me…" he said defeated. Sokka looked up in disbelief as he scrambled out of the snow. Katara, still hidden, looked on in despair.
Hakoda looked up, smirking. "I'm the Avatar. You caught me."
Zuko shivered, heating himself up to dry off with his inner fire. "Finally!" he yelled. "You're done hiding then, coward?" he asked mockingly. Hakoda clenched his fists, not daring to look back at the prince's true target. "I am." He answered. "Do what you will, but leave this village alone."
"NO-OMMM!" Katara tried to yell, but she was being held back by Gran-Gran, who ran out to get Katara. The young girl struggled and yelled through her grandmother's mitten, but it was no use. Hakoda was using her water attack to trick the enemy! Did he know she would do that? Or did he plan it on the fly?
Zuko looked out to the village. Some of the peasants within were peering out, with a girl fighting to approach but being held back. Must be family or something.
He nodded, sending his soldiers to apprehend the Chieftain.
"DAD NO!" Sokka yelled. He sprinted back to his father to defend him, holding his arms out. "I WON'T LET YOU TAKE HIM!" But a hand gripped the boy's wrist from behind.
"Sokka." Hakoda said softly, so they couldn't hear him. "Watch out for her. She's our only hope, understand?"
Sokka cried fat tears, but no sound came out as the soldiers gripped the mans biceps, leading him to the ship. Meanwhile, Katara fought harder against Kanna, trying to reach her father. Zuko turned back, marching back into the monster of a ship.
"Set course for the Fire Nation! I'm going home!" he announced. She watched as her father followed, escorted by the enemy. The gangplank rose, preparing to sail again. She got one last glimpse of her father's face before it closed, a sad frown falling over his features.
And with that, they set their course, and pulled out of the ice. Only then did Kanna let go.
"NOOO!" Katara screamed, running forward. But the ship was already setting off. "DAAAD!"
xXx
Zuko paced the deck in rare form. He's done it! He has the Avatar in chains! Normally, he might be concerned that he's just a waterbender, but it was common knowledge that the south had been cleared of waterbenders of all kinds. Any remaining waterbender had to be the Avatar in his book.
Iroh, on the other hand, wasn't so sure himself.
Out on the deck, Hakoda held his head high as he was bound at the ankles and arms with thick chains. One wrist meant some improvisation was needed. Zuko watched in satisfaction, ensuring the Avatar couldn't possibly twitch, let alone bend.
"I have to ask," Zuko gloated. "Where have you been these last hundred years, anyway?"
Hakoda said nothing, choosing to glare instead. Zuko shrugged it off.
"Doesn't matter I suppose. Take him below deck!" He ordered, sending the man away. As the man was shuffled away, Iroh approached to speak some sense into his nephew.
"Zuko, I know you're excited, but you should have caution…"
"Did you see it, Uncle?" Zuko exclaimed. "That attack was more powerful than any other waterbender! It has to be him!"
Uncle grunted in thought. It was a powerful display, even with the full moon boosting his power. Even so…
"I've seen my share of waterbenders, Prince Zuko." Iroh explained. "The way they move when they fight, how they direct and redirect their energy, it's truly fascinating." He set a hand on the boy's shoulder. "But this man…doesn't move like a waterbender, nephew."
Zuko glared his way at the suggestion. "But you saw it didn't you? Who else could've done that? That kid?" Iroh chuckled.
"No, not that young warrior. Perhaps someone in the backround?"
"Why are we even talking about this?" Zuko asked. "No one else there could have that kind of power uncle!"
"And if you bring your father a man who may not be the Avatar, then what?" Iroh asked calmly. Zuko took a sharp breath. "Looks can be deceiving, nephew. Be cautious."
Iroh left the young prince to his thoughts. Doubt was starting to seep in. But if the lame Chieftain isn't the Avatar…
…then who is?
xXx
The sun began to shine over the destroyed village as Katara looked over the waves. She hadn't moved from that spot since they took him.
Her father. The one who got on her nerves with his caution. The one you yelled at her for defying him.
The one who saved her. Cared for her. Loved her.
It wasn't long until Sokka approached from behind. Now that the villagers were settling down, he had to care for her now. "Katara…I-"
"I'm going after that ship."
"…huh?"
Tears streamed down the girls cheeks, turning to ice in the cold wind. "He turned himself in for me. Now I have to go save him."
"Katara, I think-"
"No Sokka! I'm not staying here! I know I'm always arguing with him, but we can't let the Fire Nation do this! We lost mom already! I can't lose him either!"
"Katara, just-"
"What!?" Katara whirled back. There he was, holding a backpack.
"Are you gonna talk all day, or are you coming with me?" Sokka asked, gesturing to the small canoe he beached nearby.
In that second, light could be seen in Katara's eyes. "SOKKA!" she cried, hugging him. They separated, running for the canoe. The vessel was packed lightly, with enough food and water to last several weeks.
"Wait Sokka," Katara asked. "If we're just rescuing Dad, do we need all this…"
"Yes we do, cause we're leaving." Sokka stated, shocking Katara. "Prince Snuffy will just come back if he sees us come back here. Especially once he finds out you're the Avatar. Dad's good, but they'll figure out soon that he can't bend anything. They'll just come back after that, so we're rescuing Dad, then heading north."
"When did you plan this out?" she demanded.
"Dad and I planned for this a while back." Sokka explained. "He'd give himself up to save you and we'd run as fast and as far as we could. Whoever's after you won't waist time hurting the village if you're within tracking distance." Katara was about the yell when he continued. "But he didn't know that I revised the plan a bit. Instead of running, we're going to rescue him, then run. It's risky, but we can't leave him to the Fire Nation. I don't care what he says." With the canoe packed, he stood up. "Let's go get him…Avatar."
"Right!" Katara yelled. "Let's…"
"Wait!" a voice called. The turned to see Kanna walking down. With extra sleeping bags.
"You'll need these as well." She said, tears in her eyes. "I knew this day would come."
"Gran-Gran…" Katara started.
"Shh…Shh, there isn't time." She interrupted, giving Sokka the luggage. "You're our only hope, my little waterbender." She said, hugging Katara. "You're destiny-bound. And you will prevail. You…are the Avatar, child." She hugged Sokka as well. "Be nice to your sister." She chuckled.
"Now go, you two. Before it's too late." With a nod, they both climbed into the vessel. But Katara thought of something.
"Sokka, how are we going to catch up with that warship in a canoe?" she asked. Sokka raised an eyebrow.
"How do you think, oh mighty Avatar?"
xXx
Hakoda sat as comfortably as he could in his iron bindings as the ship rocked back and forth. His limbs were bound, but not so tightly that he couldn't move. No water in here, after all. He always had his sealegs, but this particular ride was making him nauseous for some reason. The dungeon below deck was no joyride, after all.
If he was lucky, no one would realize he was faking until hours later, with Katara's escape certain. If she managed to escape and master the elements, his sacrifice would be worth it in the end.
Eventually, the door ahead of him opened, temporarily blinding the crippled man. "What is it?" he grunted.
"Just thought you'd care for some company." An older man walked in, his large size taking up the Chief's view. "And maybe some tea, if you care for it." He said with a smile.
Hakoda sneered at the teapot. "Like I'd drink anything of yours." The man belly-laughed, pouring himself a cup.
"One teapot. All that one man needs." Iroh took a long sip as he sat down, passing the prisoner a cup. "It's considered unwise to poison your own tea."
"…" Hakoda hesitated, but what did he have to lose? Might as well. He accepted the tea. Jasmine by his taste, brewed to perfection. The two men sat for a while, sipping in silence.
"…do you care for it?" Iroh asked.
"…honestly? Best I ever had."
"Oh-ho! Is that true? Do they have tea in the water tribes?"
"…Earth Kingdom has parties sometimes. They don't really compare; I have to admit." It also calmed his nerves, and the nausea.
"I have to ask." Hakoda spoke.
"Please do." Iroh answered.
"Why bother having tea with the enemy? As the Avatar, I could simply bend that boiling water down your throat, kill you instantly." Iroh chuckled again.
"Perhaps…if you were the Avatar in the first place."
Hakoda frowned. So that's what this is. "And who said I'm not?"
"If you were, you would've done so by now." Iroh reasoned.
"I could be biding my time."
"You're too smart for that," Iroh countered. "an ample opportunity waits for no one."
"True," Hakoda admitted. "But you still have no way of knowing."
"Indeed." The old general stood, leaving the teapot. "But they say that life hits you like a flailing koi fish. Till next time." And with that, he was gone. Hakoda took one last sip before setting down. Maybe some shut eye will calm him down some…
xXx
"There it is!" Sokka pointed as they sped along. "Aim us to the right a bit!" Katara adjusted their course, using the waves to send the canoe forward at high speeds. Their small size helped too, easily catching up to the warship without being noticed. As soon as they were close enough, Sokka swung a rope to the ship's anchor, tying them to the larger ship.
"Ok, we're on. Now we sneak on board, grab Dad, and escape without being noticed." He explained.
Katara frowned. "I said it before and I'll say it again, there's no way we're gonna sneak our way through!" They both climbed the rope a quietly as possible, making it to the anchor. "They'll see us as soon as we make it on deck!"
"C'mon, have a little faith!" Sokka whispered as he climbed the chain onto the deck. He helped Katara up when…
"Hey you!" A soldier had just walked out to deck! He drew a sword and charged!
"Can I say it?" Katara deadpanned, drawing water from overboard. Sokka rushed the swordsman, knocking him out with his club. "Not a word!" Sokka snapped. More soldiers rushed out to deck to meet them. Sokka, despite his previous defeat, fought in earnest and overwhelmed the soldiers one at a time. But Katara was a whole other story, blasting and freezing each man in place before they got close. "Let's go!" Katara yelled, bringing a stream of water with her. The two rushed in the ship, clubbing or blasting whoever was in their path. They came to a stop at a fork. "I'll go left! You go right!" Katara yelled, Sokka following suit. Katara kept running, trying to find her Dad as quickly as possible. She burst into room after room, with no dice. She ended up in a rather regal room, running in to search.
SLAM!
She turned! It was Zuko, who had slammed the door shut with anger in his eyes. "Looks like my uncle was right. Looks do deceive. Isn't that right, Avatar?"
Katara took a stance with her stream of water, glaring with all her might. "You should never have attacked my village!"
"Hmph." Zuko took his own stance, low and wide, and struck! Katara dodged the first fireball, then the other, sending her own water to intercept. Zuko simply fired into it, turning it into vapor. They danced around each other, dodging and countering with neither side giving in. But Katara was running out of water!
Zuko sent one last fire blast at her! She hit the deck, sending the water to the teen's feet and freezing it! He slipped on the ice, crashing to the metal floor. He looked up in fury, but she was gone!
And the door was open.
xXx
"Sokka!" Hakoda cried. "How…what are you doing here?" Sokka rushed in, using the keys he got from a knocked-out guard.
"No time to explain, we got the canoe on the side ready for our escape. We just need to make it to the deck!" The boy wrenched the iron door open, inspecting all the locks on the chief's limbs. "We'll be gone before they know it!"
"Sokka," Hakoda said angrily as his son unlocked his limbs. "You brought her with you didn't you! I said to take care her!"
"No choice, Dad!" Sokka argued. "I know her well enough to know that if you were ever captured, she'd go after you, whether I'm with her or not! So, I'm here, making sure she's not alone!"
"You could've stopped her! Talked sense into her!" Hakoda took the keys, unlocked his own feet as Sokka worked on the chains.
"Like it or not Dad, she's the Avatar! If I don't have the power to stop her, then she's too strong to be babied! Of course I want to protect her, but I want to help her end this war more! Why don't you?" They finally got all the chains off. Sokka moved to lift his father, but Hakoda stood up himself.
"We'll talk about this later, but let's get out of here first!" Hakoda said. "And we will talk." With that, the two rushed out to the deck. As they ran through the ship, they ran smack dab into Katara!
"Katara!" Hakoda yelled. "You shouldn't be her-"
"KEEP RUNNING!" She shouted, pushing them through the hallways. They ran through the halls, up the stairs, and out into the open! They were almost out!
But alas, the soldiers had wisened up to their arrival. They were surrounded!
"Looks like I underestimated you." Zuko growled from behind. Before anyone could make a move, Katara waved her arms!
WHOOOOOSH!
A powerful wave crashed into port side, washing the soldiers down! The three of them ran for starboard, jumping for the canoe!
"RAAAAAAAHHH!" Zuko screamed as he sprinted for the family, grabbing Katara's wrist!
"Get off!" Katara yelled, blasting Zuko in the face with water. But she was too close to the edge! In retaliation, Zuko sent his own volley, overwhelming the girl! She fell over the edge!
"Katara! NO!" Hakoda yelled. Katara hit the water, sinking out of sight. "Katara! KATARA!"
Down in the depths, Katara sank. The ship was getting further away as she drifted in and out of consciousness from the impact.
Then light began to shine. Her body moved on its own as her eyes glowed white with energy! A cyclone of water surrounded her, sending her through the water and high into the sky! When she emerged, they saw not a helpless water tribe girl…
…but a powerful, terrifying Avatar.
The cyclone arched down as she landed feet first onto the deck, moving the water into a ring with the grace of a master. The ring exploded outward, hitting all the soldiers and Zuko right off the ship! Sokka clamored back onto deck to see Katara standing among her defeated foes, her eyes glowing with focused fury, before fading completely. He managed to catch her before she hit her head.
"Sokka! You got her?" Hakoda called.
"Yeah! One sec!" He carried his sister to the edge, dropping her to Hakoda's open arms. He checked her pulse as Sokka climbed down. "Katara, wake up! Katara!"
And sure enough…
"D…Dad? Sokka? Are you alright?" Hakoda cried happy tears as her eyes fluttered open.
"You're asking me that?"
As Sokka climbed down, he spotted the Fire Prince struggling on the edge of his ship. They had to be gone before he recovered! He hopped in and cut the rope!
"NO!" Zuko yelled. "You're not getting away!"
"Pretty sure we are!" Sokka called back. "Katara! Full speed ahead!"
"Right!" Katara shook herself off, bending the canoe forward at top speed, passing between the ship and a nearby glacier. Zuko climbed aboard, shooting fire blasts after them. But they were just too fast! Uncle stepped out to deck after a refreshing nap.
"Zuko? What are you doing out here?"
"UNCLE!" He shouted. "Help me shoot them down!" Uncle and Zuko stood together quickly, moving in formation to launch a large fireball!
"Incoming!" Hakoda called. Katara gasped at the attack but eyed the glacier next to the ship.
"Hang on!" she yelled. With all her might, she sent a blade of concentrated water through the glacier! The resulting avalanche blocked the fireball and buried the warship, with the impact sending the trio further out to sea!
"YES!" she whooped. "Did you see that?"
"Yeah…" Hakoda said softly as his kids celebrated. "I sure did…"
xXx
Zuko examined the damage with barely restrained fury. The avalanche buried the entire front half of the ship. It would take too long to track them down at their current speed!
"Well, now…" Uncle commented. "The Fire Nation's greatest threat…turned out to be a little girl."
"That little girl, uncle," Zuko gestured to his buried warship. "just did this. I won't underestimate her again." He turned to his crew. "Dig the ship out now!"
As it were, they were a little busy melting the ice from their comrades and paid no heed to the prince.
"…as soon as you're done with that."
xXx
The sun was beginning to set when they finally slowed down. As fantastic as her waterbending was, she couldn't do it forever and collapsed from her exhaustion. Hakoda and Sokka kept them going with their paddles while Katara recovered. The were far enough now that they couldn't be followed by Zuko, or anyone else. And Zuko saw them heading north, so he wouldn't be headed back south to hurt their tribe. Everyone was safe.
Not that everyone was happy about the methods.
"How could you two come after me!" Hakoda admonished, admittedly half-hearted. "You were safe! Both of you could've escaped without risking your lives!"
"How could you?" Katara shot back, gulping down water. "You gave yourself up and hid the real plan from me!"
"Keeping you alive was the higher priority! You're the key to saving the world!"
"Well I can't save the world without you, Dad!" Katara yelled. "Without either of you!" She bent the water from the sea into her hand, letting it flow through her fingers. "I…I don't know what I'm doing…or what I'm supposed to do! How do I save the world?"
Meanwhile, Sokka rummaged around in his bag before pulling out a map. "Well, we can start by figuring out our next destination. We should head to the mainland as quickly as possible. We're sitting turtleducks out here."
"Agreed." Hakoda took a look at the map as well. "But we'll need to make a stop along the way to rest and recover." He pointed the strip of islands to the west. "These are the Southern Air Temples. We pass them all the time on expeditions, but the temples themselves are inaccessible. You have to be able to fly or be an expert climber to get that high up." He looked to the stars as the sun began to dim. "Northwest will be that way. We'll camp there for the night and continue in the morning."
"But where do we go after? The Northern Tribe?" Katara asked.
"Ultimately yes." Hakoda answered. "But's a long road to our sister tribe. We'll need to acquire better transportation on the way there. Ostrich-horses are common and would work for long land travel. Then we'll need a boat for the last legs of the journey."
"Don't we need money for those things?" Sokka asked. Hakoda sighed heavily.
"Yes, so we'll do odd jobs from time to time. Or hitchhike." He turned to Katara. "No matter how, we will get you to the North Pole. You asked how you were going to save the world, Katara?"
"Yeah?"
"We're going to do it together. That's how." Hakoda smiled, a real one too. "We'll need allies as well. Can't have too many friends out there."
Katara nodded happily. She looked out to the horizon as they paddled northwest, taking in her new reality.
She was the Avatar. And one day? She would save the world.
Reviews
To CAD270895
So you wish it, so it shall be!
You'll see!
To fabian1nina1
Thanks! Will do!
To BlackStarSherrif
Thank you! Unlike my other stories, this one has a pretty planned out progression, so I'll have a better time with updates.
To vivinene
We shall see :P