AN: Hey all, back from my holiday now and posting my update for Carry On My Wayward Son, hope you all enjoy it and leave a review.
Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson or Avatar the Last Airbender.
( - )
(Last Time)
"The first rule of killing innocences, Suki, is that a few always survive." Percy replied stoically as he continued to make his way through the trees, looking for the group's transportation as he did so. "It wouldn't be too farfetched to think that a few Air Nomads survived the massacre and went into hiding, slowly rebuilding over the years as they did so. For all we know there could be an entire society of them hidden somewhere out there in the world."
"Maybe." Suki replied, a bit uncertain this time, as somehow she didn't think that that was the case, after all surely they would have shown themselves by now if it were true.
Before either of them could say any more on the matter though, they were both silenced as they found themselves in a clearing right next to the treeline, near the beach. A clearing which was currently being used by a massive slumbering beast, one which had six legs, massive horns and a thick coat of white fur.
"A sky bison." Suki muttered in awe, before she turned to look at the equally surprised Percy with a smirk. "Well it looks like we've found out how they got to the island."
( - )
Chapter 4
( - )
(On Kyoshi Island)
Walking through the forest, both Percy and Suki led the odd looking column of people as they swiftly headed toward the village. Leading as they did so the three young intruders, all of whom had their hands bound in ropes, and had bags tied over their heads, with a half dozen Kyoshi Warriors flanking them on either side their hands on their weapons , ready to use them at any moment if either the Waterbender or the Airbender acted up.
As for the two animals the intruders had travelled with, the lemur was currently being kept in a cloth bag, as for the giant sky bison, well that was just lumbering along after them. The giant, six tonne fluff monster being slightly too big, and far too strong to easily incapacitate it, not without killing or seriously wounding it anyway. That being said the creature had been mostly docile, just following the group, its eyes fixed on their captives.
Personally Percy thought the creature would remain that way, unless of course they harmed one of the captives, at which point it would attack and they would have to either drive it off or kill it. Looking behind him at that thought, Percy glanced back and eyed the giant creature warily, after all the bison was colossal, and had huge horns and a giant maw, if it wanted to cause some damage, then it would, and the only way Percy thought he could stop it, was if he killed it.
"Will you stop worrying please?" Suki muttered as she saw Percy looking behind them again.
"I'm just being cautious." Percy replied with a shrug, his gaze moving back to the smirking Suki.
Suki rolled her eyes at that, but didn't reply as the group emerged from the forest's tree line and began to approach the village, their arrival drawing a lot of attention as the civilians all started to gather up curiously, Han being quite obvious amongst them as he shouldered his way forward till he was at the front.
Also noticeable was the dozen or so Kyoshi Warriors who were watching from their perches on nearby rooftops, six of them holding nocked bows and arrows, whilst the other six had their hands on their swords or battle fans, all of them prepared to attack at any moment.
"Who are these strangers you've brought here, Suki?" Han asked loudly, coming to a stop a few feet in front of the crowd as he glared suspiciously at the three bound figures, and the massive six legged, bison behind them.
In response to that question, three of the Kyoshi Warriors pulled off the hoods, revealing two dark skinned teens who were wearing Water Tribe clothing, and a bald twelve year old in monks robes, with a blue arrow tattooed prominently on his head.
"We found these children swimming in Unagi Bay, we didn't recognise them as natives to the island, nor did we know how they got onto the island. As such we took them into custody until their motives and their presence here can be explained." Suki replied promptly, her gaze moving from the prisoners to Han.
"Potential spies then, a bit young don't you think?" Han queried with a scowl, before his gaze moved to their bound hands, and the red marks he could see on their wrists from where the ropes had chaffed. "And is binding them like that truly necessary, they're just children."
"One of them is also a Waterbender, whilst the other is an Airbender." Percy spoke up bluntly, not quite as soft hearted as Han. "As such, precautions were taken."
"An Airbender." Han muttered his gaze moving to the bald monk, his eyes trailing up to the blue arrow tattooed on his forehead. "They're supposed to be extinct, unless..."
"He's the Avatar, that's what I thought, Percy however…" Suki replied with a sigh, before looking over at the taller man.
"Was not so convinced. The kid could potentially be this Avatar guy, but he could also be just a normal Airbender, one who might have come from a sect that survived the massacre. After all he is a child, and the Avatar lived one hundred years ago, so unless he's gone through the cycle once more in that time without anyone noticing, he looks too young, unless he's somehow immortal…." Percy spoke up abruptly, his sea green eyes moving to the frowning monk, quite confident that he was as old as he looked, after all he certainly acted like it.
"Aang is the Avatar!" The captured girl suddenly spoke up passionately. "My brother, Sokka and I both found him frozen in the ice near the South Pole, and were on our way to the Northern Water Tribe so he can learn Waterbending."
The crowd of villagers all muttered at that.
"So you're trying to tell us that the reason the Avatar has been missing for the last hundred years, was because he was frozen in ice…?" Suki asked dryly, a less than impressed expression on her face.
"Yes, that's exactly what we're saying!" The boy, Sokka shouted out, struggling with his bindings as he did so, before he glared at Percy. "And if that guy hadn't attack then we could have explained that to you!"
Han looked over at Percy expectantly as he heard that.
"I acted in self-defence." Percy replied bluntly. "The one with the ponytail attacked me, and I incapacitated him. Then the other two also attacked me, and I responded in kind."
"You surprised us!" Sokka shouted back, his face a little red as he realised he was the one to start off hostilities.
"I confronted you to find out who you were, and what you were doing in a forbidden area of the island." Percy replied brusquely, an unimpressed look on his face.
"Look we didn't know it was forbidden." The girl spoke up, trying to be diplomatic. "Anyway, I'm Katara of the Southern Water Tribe, behind me is my brother Sokka, and the other one is Aang, and he is the Avatar."
"Prove it then." Suki said bluntly, her arms crossed in front of her.
"Ha fine, get ready for it!" Aang said loudly, a grin on his face now, before without another word he exploded a blast of air from his mouth and propelled himself about twelve feet into the air, shredding the ropes around his hands as he sent out a blast of air from his hands. Only for him to then float back to earth and begin spinning a marble in a circle between his two extended palms with Airbending. "So what do you think?!"
The crowd of villagers all let out cheers and shouts of excitement as they saw this, very entertained by the boy's antics.
Percy though wasn't quite so easily moved, as he instead just swung his left hand forward, sending out a blast of water that struck the boy, only for it to freeze a few moments later, encasing the boy's hands, arms and legs in ice and once again incapacitating him. "So you're an Airbender, surprising, but not impossible."
"If you're the Avatar show us you can wield another element." Suki added on, her arms crossed in front of her.
"He can't, he hasn't been able to learn any of the other elements yet, that's why we're taking him to the Northern Water Tribe, so he can learn Waterbending." Katara shouted out, her eyes fixed on Percy as she had to hold herself back from interrogating him about his abilities, and maybe even convincing him to show her a few things, Aang to, that could come later after all, first things first they needed to make sure they weren't imprisoned.
"Then why should we believe he's the Avatar?" Suki demanded.
"Faith, you have to have faith!" Katara snapped back, tearing her eyes away from Percy and instead looking at the older girl.
Suki and Percy glanced each other as they heard that, unconvinced looks on their faces. Han however clapped his hands together in front of him, a smile spreading across his face now. "And that's what I'll have then. For now I believe your young friend is the Avatar, and as such I welcome you and your friends to the island, for as long as you want to stay."
Percy looked at Han incredulously as he heard that, ignoring how the rest of the village went wild. With one young man going so far as to start yelling out in excitement and crazily waving his arms in the air, a large amount of foam pouring out of his open mouth as he did so. Before in the next instant that very same guy dramatically fell to his knees, his eyes rolling into the back of his head as he then passed out.
Ignoring all this Percy instead met Han's shrewd gaze, with his own curious sea green eyes.
"Now untie the prisoners and get them something to eat." Han then continued magnanimously, waving for the Kyoshi Warriors to do the so. "Percy, Suki a word if you please?"
Percy nodded at that, turning away from the cheering crowd as he instead followed Han a few metres away, over near the base of the slightly weathered statue of Kyoshi's founder, Avatar Kyoshi, Suki following along after him.
"What's going on Han?" Suki asked immediately. "Percy made a good point back there. How can we be sure that kid is who he says he is?"
"We can't." Han replied with a shrug. "Maybe he is the Avatar, and maybe he isn't, for now I can't say for sure. What I can say though is that the boy represent hope, hope that the world has long since been lacking, and if giving the boy the benefit of the doubt gives my people hope, then so be it."
"And if it turns out the kid is lying?" Suki asked abruptly.
"Then I will then have to deal with the fallout from that. For now though, I am choosing to believe that that boy is who he says he is." Han replied firmly.
"As you say." Suki replied with a stiff nod.
"Percy?" Han asked his gaze now firmly on the other man.
"You're the boss." Percy replied with a shrug.
"Good, now come on it's been a while since I've seen my people so excited." Han then said, clapping the other two on the backs as he brushed past them and walked towards the centre, where the three kids were being mobbed by curious villagers.
Watching him leave, Suki absentmindedly rested her hand on her hip before she sent Percy a curious look. "So what do you think?"
Percy shrugged at that. "The kid maybe the Avatar, but I hope he isn't."
"Really?" Suki asked in confusion.
"He is a child, barely twelve, and yet people will expect him to defeat the Fire Nation and save the world. It is all too much for anyone to bear, let alone a child. And with everyone putting their hopes on this boy, what do you think will happen when he fails?" Percy asked, more than used to expectation himself, after all he had been the child of the Prophecy before and knew the pressure that came from that.
"Well aren't you pessimistic today." Suki said with a smirk, bumping his hip with her own as she did so.
"I like to think of myself as a realist. The Avatar only promotes stagnation, as people rely on him or her to keep the balance and maintain order, they absolve themselves of responsibility, and as such become reliant, too reliant. Just look at the state if the world now, had the other Nations fought against the Fire Nation straight away instead of relying on Avatar to save them, then this war could have ended years ago. Instead people hung around waiting for someone to save them, never taking the initiative for themselves." Percy replied, his tone calm and measured as he aired his grievances.
"That's hardly the most popular view to have of things." Suki replied, her expression more curious than ever.
"Do you disagree with me?" Percy asked honestly.
"Not entirely, but I do believe the Avatar is a good figurehead, a symbol that people can gather behind. Which is something I think the world needs at the moment." Suki replied carefully, before she looked away from Percy and over at the grinning, bald kid. "But I am a bit leery about placing all these hopes in the hands of a child."
"I think that's something we can agree on." Percy replied as he too looked at the kid, who even now was just acting like the kid he was.
( - )
(The Next Day)
Sitting on the village's pier the next day, Percy absentmindedly dangled his legs over the side, his feet submerged up to the ankles in the cool sea water. Letting out a contented sigh Percy closed his eyes and took a deep breath, the scent of the sea filling his lungs and the breeze blowing around him with a feather light touch.
Opening his eyes Percy lazily looked around, his gaze moving from the small fishing boats that came and left the island's docks, some of them coming in for a day with their catch, whilst others were going out, setting sail to catch fish further afield in the deep ocean far away from Kyoshi's coastline.
Similarly Percy could see slightly larger merchant ships, many of which were either anchored up in the bay or tied to the docks, the large and ungainly vessels all waiting around as their crews filled their bellies with salted fish and shellfish, or unloaded their own haul of wheat, grain and many other type of food, a lot of which didn't grow on the small island.
All in all it was a day like any other as people happily went about their lives, the one hundred year war all but forgotten for the moment as they just went about business as usual. Glancing to the side Percy smiled as he saw a younger girl, a fisherman's daughter, excitedly telling tales to some of the merchants and fishermen, her hands moving flamboyantly as she seemingly part explained, and part acted out whatever she was saying.
Chuckling at that Percy looked away, his gaze instead going over to the village, where he could see many of the villagers going about their usual lives. Some of them using looms to weave cloth, whilst others were creating baskets, baking bread or churning butter. He could even see two people repainting the statue of Avatar Kyoshi, the one that stood in the middle of the village, all in 'honour' of the Avatar's arrival.
Despite that though, just like at the docks, there was a sense of normalcy in the village, one which spoke of contentedness and satisfaction.
A sudden chorus of shrieks and screams quickly caught Percy's attention though, cutting through the tranquil atmosphere Percy was enjoying and immediately drawing his focus, as he twisted around and saw the 'Avatar', Aang, showing off to a group of young island girls. The bald headed monk showing off as he first started doing two handed press ups, before he changed so he was doing one handed ones, until finally he stuck his two hands behind his back and started using Airbending instead. Letting out great blasts of air from his mouth as he bobbed up and down.
Rolling his eyes at that Percy looked away, the slightest hint of irritation rising up in him as he saw the brat pissing about. It was a bit irrational he knew, but the kid annoyed him, his arrogance as he strolled around the village, and his sheer childishness as he paraded himself around like a clown.
If that brat truly was the Avatar, then the world was fucked.
Another round of screams drew Percy's attention again, as he looked up only to see a half dozen of the young girl's chasing Aang as he jogged away, passing by the Water Tribe girl he arrived with as he did so. The girl looking no more impressed than Percy was as she scowled after Aang, before she turned around, her blue eyed gaze meeting Percy's for a moment, before he quickly turned around and looked back out at the sea, internally cursing as he did so.
After all he had seen the look the girl gave him, both when he defeated her and her little friends, and also when Han accepted her and her friends into the village. It was a look that told Percy that she desperately wanted to speak to him, or rather interrogate him.
"Ermm excuse me, it's Percy isn't it?" The seemingly polite voice of Katara spoke up from behind Percy, causing him to grimace before forcing a neutral look on his face as he turned around to look at the younger girl.
"Katara?" Percy asked, taking his feet out of the water as he did so and crossing them under him as he turned to face her. "Is there something you want?"
The girl paused as she heard that, a suddenly nervous expression passing across her face, before she seemingly found some resolve. "Yes, I want to ask you about where you are from? Which of the Water Tribes are you native to"?
Percy didn't answer a first as he heard that, his gaze moving up and down Katara as he pondered what he should tell her, before deciding to just be honest. Who knows if he is he might be able to shoo her away. "Neither."
"Neither?" Katara asked, her brow furrowing in confusion. "How's that possible? You're a Waterbender, I know you are, I've seen it."
Percy tilted his head to the side at that, before without a word he raised his hand and summoned a globe of water around the size of a football out of the sea and made it hover above his hand. "I am."
"Then how? If you aren't from either of the Water Tribes, then how can you be a Waterbender?" Katara asked in confusion, her brow furrowing as she looked down at him as if he were a problem that needed solving.
Percy blinked in surprise at that, completely taken aback by how naive the girl was, and how small her world view was. "Since when did a Waterbender have to be from the Water Tribe? Yes, there are a lot of them there, but I am sure there are Waterbenders in the Earth Kingdom to and in the Fire Nation. Waterbenders who migrated for work, or fled during a raid and settled elsewhere, or were captured and have since chosen to settle down. I am sure there are many factors for why they are out there. But either way Waterbenders, just like with Firebenders, Earthbenders and Airbenders, none of them are just restricted to any one Nation, Kingdom or Tribe. No they are simply people, and people move around all over the place…"
Katara looked taken aback as she heard that, her entire world view suddenly turned upside down as things she had once thought of as fact, such as the different Benders all staying with their native country, was put into question.
"So does that mean you are one of those Waterbenders that grew up outside of the Water Tribes?" Katara asked, not sure what else to say now.
"Yep." Percy replied, popping the 'p' as he did so, but not expanding on his answer, after all he was sure some of the more 'gossipy' Kyoshi natives would start telling tales about him, such as the commonly held belief that when he said he wasn't from around here, it meant he had grown up in the Spirit World…
"Ok…" Katara trailed off awkwardly, before she looked around, her gaze flickering over the bustling docks and her face scrunching up slightly as she got a whiff of the fish they were loading into a nearby merchant vessel.
"So, how are you enjoying your stay?" Percy finally asked, deciding to cut the girl some slack and be nice. After all she had shown a lot of guts coming over to talk to him, especially since he had kicked her and her friend's arses early.
"It's nice here, peaceful." Katara replied, a slight smile on her face now as she sensed what Percy was doing. "I'm surprised this place hasn't' been touched by the war yet?"
"It's a small island, quite far away from any of the large Earth Kingdom cities, and is lacking in a large amount of natural resources like timber or coal." Percy replied with a shrug, after all Kyoshi was predominately a fishing village and a small, neutral, commercial trading port, one which had ships from all three of the remaining Nations visiting it. "Plus it wouldn't be in the Fire Nations interests to expend a large amount of resources attacking the island, especially when some of their traders use it, not just the North Water Tribe and the Earth Kingdom."
"Wait a minute, you help the Fire Nation?" Katara suddenly asked in shock.
Percy cocked an eyebrow at that. "Not really, we are just neutral at the moment, trading with everyone equally, and because of that neutrality we are left in peace, plus we get the resource we need to survive, such as wheat, grain and other agricultural goods from the Earth Kingdom, furs, meat and leathers from the Water Tribes, and coal, iron ore and salt from the Fire Nation."
"Do you really think that that neutrality will last? Don't you know the Fire Nation are monsters?!" Katara suddenly snapped, her temper obviously flaring at the thought of the people of Kyoshi trading with the Fire Nation.
"Of course it won't, eventually the Fire Nation will conquer one of the other Nations, which will free up more resources for them to conquer the other one. Then after that it will simply be a case of mopping up the last free places so they can ensure they have absolute control." Percy replied abruptly, not at all under any assumption that that would not happen if things continued as they were. He'd even warned Han of what would happen, and was more than aware that the village leader knew of the threat.
"Then why?! If you know what will happen, why do you stay out of the war?!" Katara snapped.
"Because the island is small, our standing forces are miniscule compared to the other Nations, nor do we have the natural defences of the Northern Water Tribe's glaciers. That being said I am an advocate of sending some of our forces to the Earth Kingdom, at most half, but even that amount would be so small as to be inconsequential. Fortunately though it would also likely be unnoticeable." Percy replied with a shrug, knowing as he did that although well trained the Kyoshi Warriors would not last long against a large contingent of Fire Benders. Just as he knew that he too would fall if the full might of the Fire Nation came to this island. Sure he would make them work for it, and could likely decimate a large portion of their fleet with his powers and slay many soldiers, but he wasn't tireless, nor was he a god, only half of one.
Katara didn't reply to that, not at first anyway. Instead she just looked at him curiously for a moment. "Then what does that mean? Are you just going to spend the rest of your life on this island cowering from the war?"
Percy scowled as he heard that, not appreciating the girl's tone, nor her implication. "No, I believe I will be heading to the Earth Kingdom soon."
Katara looked at him expectantly at that, only to frown when he didn't expand on his point.
"And when will you be leaving Kyoshi? After all if the boy is the 'Avatar' like you claim, shouldn't you be getting him to the North Pole as fast as you can, so he can start mastering the other elements, there is a war on after all?" Percy then asked dryly, more than capable of being catty himself, especially when the girl in front of him was being snotty.
Katara scowled at that, but managed to rein in her temper before she snapped at the older man. "We will be leaving soon, we just need to re-provision first, flying by sky bison isn't exactly comfortable you know?"
"I'm sure." Percy replied dryly.
A silence followed after that, as Katara just looked down at him, her blue eyes boring into his placid green ones. A few moments later though the silence was broken as Katara let out an exhausted sigh.
"Look, I think we might have gotten off on the wrong foot, and I apologise for that." Katara then said, taking a deep breath beforehand, as if apologising for being a brat was such a hardship. "The reason I came to you wasn't to start an argument."
"Ok?" Percy asked, pretty confident he knew just what the girl was after.
"Yes, I came here to ask whether you could teach me some Waterbending." Katara continued, her tone expectant as if she thought Percy couldn't refuse. "Aang too, if he ever stops playing around with those girls."
"Oh really?" Percy asked, a bemused smile on his lips. "And why would I do a thing like that?"
"Well you said it yourself, Aang needs to learn Waterbending, and we know you're a good Waterbender, I mean we saw that first hand." Katara replied, trying to stoke his ego now, only to frown as she saw he looked unmoved. "Plus if you do help us then we could give you a lift to the Earth Kingdom, and you can teach us during the journey, and who knows stay on until we reach the Northern Water Tribe?"
Percy cocked an eyebrow at that, not all that sure on why she would expect he would want to join a childish twelve year old, a bratty fourteen year old, and over confident sixteen year old on a road trip, or air trip, to the Earth Kingdom or Water Tribe. Sure there might be some fun shenanigans involved, but he was twenty one and wasn't too keen on becoming a babysitter.
"Also it is kind of your duty to train the Avatar so he can bring balance and peace to the world, or at least train him until we find a proper Master of Waterbending." Katara then continued, noticing the disinterested look on Percy's face and changing to go with a different argument now.
For Percy though that last ill thought out comment decided things for him. First off, his only duty was to himself and those he cared for. Secondly, he didn't like the ideology behind the Avatar. And then finally there was the assumption that there was a better Waterbender out there than him. It might be a bit egotistical, and the girl might be oblivious to whom she was speaking to, but he was Percy Jackson, the Son of Poseidon the God of the Sea, and perhaps one of the most powerful Demigods to have ever lived. No two-bit, 'Waterbending Master' would have better control over his element than him, his pride wouldn't allow it.
"Yeah…, I'm going to say no." Percy replied bluntly. "I think I'll make my own way to the Earth Kingdom. Though if I do see you about, I'm sure I'll probably lend a helping hand if needed."
"No, how can you just say no!" Katara snapped, her temper flaring once more.
"Just like that, no. No I will not teach you Waterbending, nor will I teach your buddy the Avatar, on top of that I won't teach your brother how to fight either. Partly because I'm not sure how good a teacher I would be, but mainly because I just don't want to."
"But the world…" Katara began, only to be cut off by Percy.
"Got along just fine before humanity and the Avatar were here, and will be fine long after we're extinct." Percy replied with a shrug.
"Then the people…" Katara tried again.
"Will have to start learning how to solve their own problems, and not wait around for the Avatar to come along and fix their problems for them." Percy once again cut her off.
Katara glared at him as he said that, before she stomped her foot and marched away. "You know nothing!"
"Maybe, but I think I'm a bit wiser to the way of things than a fourteen year old." Percy muttered to himself as he saw Katara march away in a huff. Knowing as he did so that he did not know everything, his knowledge on spirits was pretty much none existent after all, as was his knowledge about the origins of Bending and the politics and culture of the Fire Nation, Water Tribe and Air Nomads.
Despite that though Percy was a veteran of two wars, and had been in life and death situations and had seen the damaged caused when people lay their hopes on a single person to solve all of their problems.
"Hmm, now what." Percy then muttered to himself, before he looked past the distant figure of Katara and saw that the village's tavern had just opened, the owner, a kindly woman called Mei opening the shutters and door even as he watched. "Maybe a mug of ale, to quench my thirst?"
( - )
(Elsewhere on the Island, with Suki)
"First form!" Suki shouted as she fluidly swept her body through number of motions, her left leg bending, as her right leg slid along the floor, her arms working in perfect synchrony as she thrust her right hand out, and kept her left hand tucked to her side.
From there she pivoted on her heel, shifting round as she brought her left arm up in a block, only to then thrust out her right fist, her legs then twisting round as she first did a crescent kick, then following that up immediately with an axe kick, before it was finished off with a back kick.
Behind her twenty other armoured, Kyoshi Warriors went through the exact same movements, their bodies all flowing through a number of kicks, punches and blocks as they performed their patterns, building up their muscle memory as they started from the first pattern, form one, and gradually built up to form ten, each pattern getting longer and more complicated, as well as harder and more tiring. Still it was this repetitive practise, and the other training they did that kept their martial skills sharp, and their bodies strong.
"Now form two." Suki commanded, once she finished form one, her right hand extended in a punch, with her right leg slightly forward and her left leg slightly back.
The sound of metal being unsheathed followed this command, as all the Kyoshi Warriors, including Suki withdrew their battle fans from their belts and unsheathed them with a flick.
"Begin!" Suki then ordered, once again flowing through a set of attacks and blocks as she practically danced across the wooden floor of their training hall. The women around her, all of them fully fledged Kyoshi Warriors, most active, though some inactive, copied her. All of them taking a couple of hours out of their day, despite some of them being off-duty, to keep their skills sharp.
This for Suki was somewhat of a routine, as she was on duty patrolling the island and overseeing the docks five days a week, with her then spending a few hours in the afternoon every day to train, though she did occasionally sack it off to go spend time with Percy. Though she justified that by her also spending some of her morning with him, joining him in his own personal training sessions, or sparring with him.
Today though something soon spoiled her routine, because half an hour into their training session, they were interrupted by the misogynistic, Water Tribe boy, Sokka visiting them. The tanned, dark haired boy nonchalantly leaning against the door frame to their training hall and looking in on them.
"Can we help you?" Suki asked as she finished practicing the fourth form, her breath coming out slightly faster now, though her battle makeup was still in pristine condition as not a drop of sweat had fallen from her brow yet.
"Hmm, oh sorry no, I didn't mean to interrupt your dancing lesson, I was just looking around for somewhere I could train." Sokka replied with a grin, absentmindedly scratching the back of his head as he pushed away from the door frame.
Suki tensed slight as she heard that, a sudden flare of irritation rising up within her. It was hypocritical to be angry at that comment, she knew that. After all Percy often called their training dancing, but that was different, they knew Percy and they liked him, just as they knew his teasing was just that, friendly teasing.
This Sokka boy though, he was different. He was a stranger, and yet was mocking their skills, and that pissed her off.
"This is where the Kyoshi Warriors train." Suki replied, pushing down her irritation as she instead tried to be pleasant. "If you want to do some… 'training'… of your own, there are some empty clearings in the forest." Suki then continued, her tone turning slightly mocking at that and a few of the girl's behind her laughing, some of them having seen the 'great warrior's skills' when he had picked a fight with Percy earlier.
"Huh, well I suppose I could, after all I was the best warrior in my village, and I do need to keep my skills sharp." Sokka replied, oblivious to Suki's sarcasm.
"Oh really, you were the best warrior in your whole village?" Suki asked with mock awe, the girl's behind her laughing again as they saw Sokka standing straighter, and puffing up his chest slightly.
"Yeah, that's right, I could even show you a few moves if you fancy?" Sokka replied, a confident grin now on his face as he crossed his arms and looked at Suki challengingly.
Suki's amusement grew as she heard that. Once upon a time she might have found such bravado a bit cute, but now she felt nothing but pity for the boy. After all he was in for a rude awakening if he thought whatever skills he had picked up in his village were enough to deal with some of the powerhouses out there in the wide world.
"Oh go on then, show me these moves of yours?" Suki replied coyly, her arms open in challenge now, wondering as she did so whether this was how it had been for Percy when she had first challenged him all those years ago.
Sokka paused at that, before with a slightly uncomfortable look he sunk into a low positon, facing Suki head on as he tried to think of some bullshit move he could show them. "Ok, now this might be a bit hard, but try and block this."
With that said Sokka then lunged for Suki, throwing out a simple and obvious right hook as he tried to take her by surprise.
In response though Suki merely grabbed his wrist, giving it a tug as she pulled him off balance, only for her to then unload a side kick into his unprotected ribs, causing him to let out a grunt. Following that up, Suki then gave his arm another tug, before she let go of it and instead went low and drove an elbow into his gut, knocking the air out of his lungs and sending him sprawling backwards.
A few moments later Suki then grabbed his wrist, pulling his body round and then pinned him to the ground as she slammed her knee into his back, one hand holding his arm behind his back, whilst the other was on his greasy ponytail, forcing his head onto the hard, wooden floor.
"So, what was that you were saying?" Suki asked, as she looked down at Sokka, the whole manoeuvre having than less than twenty seconds from start to finish.
"Ahhh, get off me!" Sokka grunted out, his tone tinged with pain.
Suki blinked at that, before she released him, somewhat regreting her actions now as she realised she had just beaten up an untrained civilian, which was basically tantamount to bullying. "Sorry about that, I got a bit caught up in the moment, I didn't mean to hurt you like I did."
"Ah, you didn't hurt me, you just caught me by surprise is all." Sokka replied, rubbing his arm as he did so and now sending Suki a wary look.
"Yeah, I'm sure." Suki responded, her guilt fading a little at this response and her irritation rising as she realised that his own ego wouldn't allow him to admit she was better than him. "Anyway, as I said there are some empty clearings in the forest that you could use if you want." She then continued, biting down on her initial response as she instead decided to at least try and be courteous.
"Huh, oh yeah, that's fine… thanks." Sokka replied uncomfortably, still rubbing his arm before he turned and started to leave, looking over his shoulder a couple of times as he did so.
"Suki are you alright?" Lin, one of her lieutenant's spoke up, a concern expression on her face as she looked over to Suki.
"Hmm, yeah, I'm fine. I'm just a little annoyed by that kid's attitude." Suki replied, already dismissing Sokka now, her mind already made up on just what kind of a person he was. "But anyway, let's go on to the next form, form five!"
The rest of the Kyoshi Warriors nodded at that, even as they started to go through their patterns, with Suki leading them. Only now her mind wasn't on what she was doing, instead she was more interested in tracking down Percy after this and challenging him to a spar so she could relieve her pent up frustration, and also spend time with her friend.
( - )
(In a small port just off of the Earth Kingdom coast)
News travels fast, that is one things so many people don't seem to understand. Even when it is spread by word of mouth it travels fast, and that is just what had happened. As over the course of a single day news of the Avatar had spread from Kyoshi Island.
With it having been started off by an oblivious, gossiping young girl from Kyoshi, who told a deep-sea fisherman, who in turn told another fisherman he met on the waters from the mainland, who then told a shopkeeper at a port town he had to travelled to in order to sell his wares, who then spoke to an out of uniform solider he sold his fish to, who then told the cook on the metal Fire Nation warship he served on, who then served it to their young Lord, the Exiled Fire Nation Prince, Zuko. Mentioning as he did so the news he had heard.
Which meant that over the course of a single day, the news of the Avatar being on Kyoshi Island had found its way to the ear of one of his foes. An exiled Prince, one who was tasked by his father, the Fire Lord, to track down and capture the Avatar, all so he could regain his lost honour and his place as the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation.
"The Avatar is on Kyoshi Island?!" Zuko demanded, leaping to his feet his red robe flapping around him as his golden coloured eyes locked on to the now nervous cook, the glow from the torch which lit his chamber, casting his face in an eerie light and revealing the hideous burn he had on one side of his face, the red scar covering his left eye and a large portion of his face.
The man nodded his head at that, somewhat taken aback by the Prince's vehemence, his eyes widening as he took a step back. "Yes Prince Zuko, from what I heard he arrived just the other day."
Zuko nodded at that, his golden eyes gleaming with satisfaction, before they locked on the cook. "Leave us."
The cook bowed at that, before he quickly scarpered, pulling the heavy metal door behind him as he left the Prince and his Uncle, Iroh
"You're going to go after him, aren't you?" Iroh asked from his seated position at the table, his eyes shifting from his nephew, to his nephew's untouched dinner.
"What do you think? I need to capture the Avatar, my honour depends on it!" Zuko replied harshly, his mind moving back to how he had first come across the Airbender in the South Pole and had even captured him, only to be thwarted when the kid proved himself far cannier than his age would suggest.
"Very well then." Iroh replied with a nod and a sigh.
"Good, I will go and tell the captain." Zuko replied firmly, before he made to leave the room.
"Are you going to finish your food?" Iroh called after his nephew as he saw he was about to leave, leaving behind his steaming fresh fish as he did so.
"Yes! I was saving it for later!" Zuko snapped back, grabbing his plate of food before he stormed out of the cabin.
"Aww," Iroh grumbled as he watched his nephew disappear around the corner with his meal.
( - )
AN: So what do you all think? There was a little world building, and character development, as well as plot progression.
That being said I know some will question the interactions in this chapter, but personally I can't see a reason behind why a twenty one year old man would want to go on a road trip with three children. Nor why he would teach them, when he doesn't agree with the purpose of the Avatar. Similarly a more world wise Suki, would not be all that impressed by Sokka, certainly not with how he acted at this point in the story, especially when she would likely unconsciously compare him with Percy.
That being said the relationship between Percy and Suki and Team Avatar is not friendly, but nor is it unfriendly. It is amiable at the moment, if a little tense as personalities clash, and the difference in maturity makes itself apparent.
That being said news still travels fast, and Zuko and his Uncle are now heading to Kyoshi. Though things will be a little different from canon this time, which I'm looking forward to, especially the interaction between Iroh and Percy, as for some reason in canon Iroh didn't take part in the attack on Kyoshi.
Thanks for reading and I hope you leave a review.
See you later.
Greed720.