Giving Up (Avatar: The Last Airbender)
- Thread starter Fulcon
- Start date
- Location
- USA
Because the cute and adorable are only canon fodder in my eyes.
...I'm just kidding. I don't know if he's going to kill Momo or not.
- Location
- Omega
Please don't.
Imagine Aang just turning into a feral animal kid, 'kay?
Don't kill theanimals! They're endangered!
Omake - Modus_Tollens: No, you do it!
Modus_Tollens
SCREAMING AT THE APOCALYPSE
- Location
- ALSO SCREAMING.
I am now picturing Aang and the prince falling into a routine of each trying to get the other guy to fix the planet.
"You do it. He's your dad and its your throne."
"Man the hell up. You are the cosmic scion of four elements and the balance of the world. Do your damn job."
"I bend air, air and more air. I can maybe bend a cup of tea around enough to be fun at parties. You are the guy juggling fire, smoke and lightning here. You be the Avatar. Three elements beat one!"
"Three elements are about to."
"You do it. He's your dad and its your throne."
"Man the hell up. You are the cosmic scion of four elements and the balance of the world. Do your damn job."
"I bend air, air and more air. I can maybe bend a cup of tea around enough to be fun at parties. You are the guy juggling fire, smoke and lightning here. You be the Avatar. Three elements beat one!"
"Three elements are about to."
Last edited:
- Location
- USA
This image pleases me, and I can't figure out why.
I'm threadmarking this and you can't stop me.
Have a cookie, thanks for the laugh.
Realizations
- Location
- USA
The following is a fanbased work of fiction. Avatar the Last Airbender is the property of Viacom, Nickelodeon, Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Koniezko. Please support the official release.
---
It had been about a week since Aang's departure.
Sokka looked out across the horizon and saw that, still, there was no Fire Nation. He felt like he had done something nearly unforgivably wrong, but he couldn't figure out why. When they talked about it, Gran-gran had backed him up, pointing out how they all needed to do be reliable and that if Aang had accidentally signaled the Fire Nation, the village would have been wiped out.
The mental image make Sokka shiver.
He was probably just feeling bad about how upset Katara was with him. Yeah, that was it.
...something was wrong.
Sokka shook his head. He could think about that later, right now he needed to find Katara, who had been gone for an hour and he was starting to get worried that maybe she had run off to go find Aang on her own. He doubted it, but she'd done crazy things before…
She wasn't in the smoke-hut, wasn't in the village square and wasn't trying to eek out extra seconds of precious sleep. The last place to check would be…
He sighed and rolled his shoulders. "Gran-gran, I'm checking the shrine. Be back in a few."
"Be careful, Sokka," Gran-gran told him as he left.
Sokka walked out to the ice flows and made a hard left, circling around the walls until he found himself at the back of the wall, then he went straight back until he came across a hole in the snow, a ramp going down into the underground.
It certainly didn't look like it, but the south pole wasn't all ice and snow. Beneath the thick layer of snow was earth and in that earth a cavern had been dug. Sokka walked down the ramp and came to the small alcove.
This was the home of the village shrine. The shrine was to the avatar; a piddling thing with a single statue of Avatar Kuruk. It was dark with very little in the way of lighting unless you brought a lantern.
Standing in front of the statue was Katara, who had hung a lantern on the wall and was standing in front of it.
"Hey, Katara," Sokka said, startling his sister. "You about done?"
Katara looked at him, glared, then turned back toward the shrine.
"Katara," Sokka started, before grunted. "Whatever. I just wanted to let you know the laundry hasn't been done and Gran-gran needs help with the seal jerky."
"You know what, Sokka?" Katara started dangerously, turning on her heel. "You can wash your own dirty socks today! And you know what else?"
Sokka took a deep breath. Here we go.
---
Aang hopped off of Appa's back.
Contrary to what he had been hoping for, the temple looked like it was deserted. A cold breeze washed over his face and sent a chill down his spine. He had never seen the temple so empty before. There was always someone flying around somewhere, walking down a path or jumping. But there was no one here.
Maybe it would have been better if he had a few friends to explore with him!
That thought just made Aang sigh in depression.
He walked up the stairs that were carved out the side of the mountain and passed the air ball field. He remembered setting time aside for a game every day while he was staying at the temple, playing with his friends.
That was before he was told he was the Avatar and then none of his friends wanted to play with him anymore.
Aang shook his head and caught himself looking at something decidedly...foreign. He blinked and stared at the snowbank, the chill of the mountain air seeping into his blood.
"No..."
He rushed forward and with a gust of air, knocked the snow out of the way, revealing only a helmet of black and red steel. Aang took it in his hands, his eyes wide and his heart having stopped.
He looked left and right. "Gyatso? Gyatso!"
His logical brain then caught up with him and told him that Gyatso was long, long dead. He had been gone for a hundred years. "Hello? Anyone? Is anyone there? Hello?"
He ran up the side of the mountain into the library. Rapidly, he looked everywhere, trying to find some inclination of where everyone was. But the only occupants of the library were himself and the rotten remains of the scrolls that Aang had once poured over to replace the one that he had lost so long ago.
Still frantically searching, he jumped out of the library and glided out on his staff, autumn colored wings stretching out above him. He came down to his old masters home, Gyatso and threw open the door.
That is when Aang first encountered the horrors of war.
In the center of the hut, lie Gyatso, the skeleton of the airbending master lying within the snow that had settled within the building. Around it's neck was the amulet his master and teacher had worn so long ago. Surrounding the impromptu grave were suits of black armor, the remains inside of them in varying states of crumbling to dust.
Aang stopped being able to breathe. He fell to his knees, his eyes starting to water as he desperately tried to summon his voice to deny the sight that lay before him. But he couldn't.
His eyes were not lying to him and this he knew.
And perhaps for the first time in a hundred years, the hut saw unnatural light.
---
Sokka and Katara were in the heat of battle. Well, as heated as an argument with a sibling could be.
"Look, I made a promise to Dad!" Sokka shouted, pointing up the stone ramp. "And he put the entire tribe in jeopardy!"
"Jeopardy from what?" Katara yelled back, putting a finger between Sokka's eyes. "He let out one measly flare and nothing happened!"
"But something could've!" Sokka bellowed.
"But it didn't!"
Their argument was cut short when the small alcove was filled with unnatural blue light.
Sokka and Katara's eyes both went wide as the statue of Avatar Kuruk's eyes were glowing bright like a pair of miniature cobalt suns that illuminated their faces.
Katara blinked. "Aang..."
---
Across the world, similar things were happening. On the opposite side of the world, the shine that the Northern Water Tribe had kept pristine shined. In the Earth Kingdom, their wall mural of the Avatar's from ages past startled the sages with it's sudden and violent burst of energy. In the very halls of the Fire Temple, the sages were scrambling to inform the Fire Lord that the one greatest threat to their conquest had reappeared.
Wherever there was a shrine, there was light. Candles would glow with spiritual power, statues would shine like the sun. There was not a home, town or city that did not know and understand this one, undeniable truth.
The Avatar, bridge between worlds, had returned.
It's too bad that a certain Fire Prince missed it because he was at sea.
---
On top of the Southern Air Temple, it was a disaster in progress. A hurricane threatened to rip and tear every body, stone and tree out of the ground and into the clouds. In fact, some trees already did. Flying Lemurs had already fled the mountain top as quickly as they could when they sensed the raw, elemental fury about to be unleashed.
For his part, Aang could not hear anything over the sound of his own fury. His omnipotent rage clawing through the winds and slicing through the trees. Appa was flying above the swirling vortex, looking down at his oldest and best friend and trying to figure out how to help him.
But the storm would rage on, for hours and hours until the sun finally set upon the horizon. Avatar Aang, in all his fury and all his power, felt his strength leave him as he slowly and gingerly set himself on the floor. There he lay, his face in his hands, sobbing uncontrollably.
I shouldn't have left, Aang thought. No, no, no…
Sensing that things were safe once again, Appa gently sat down beside Aang and curled around the boy.
"What do I do, boy?" Aang asked, embracing one of Appa's massive legs. "I'm the Avatar and I was supposed to stop stuff like this from happening.
Appa let out a low rumble, bringing his tail over Aang like a makeshift blanket.
"Now the nomads are all gone and the world's been at war for a hundred years," Aang groaned into his friend and animal guide's fur. "What do I do? I can't stop this! I'm just an airbender and all the friends I made over the years are dead!"
With another rumble, Appa slowly laid down next to the distressed airbender.
"I can't do this on my own." Aang shook his head.
At Aang's declaration, Appa let out a groan.
"Wait," Aang thought for a minute. "But I've got a new friend! But I got banished! If I just show up again, it'll just cause more problems."
Appa just looked down at Aang.
"Maybe if I go down there, apologize for putting everyone in danger," Aang started, creating a half-baked plan in his head. "Then maybe they'll at least point me in the right direction. Maybe she'll come with me, boy!"
Appa then yawned, rolling onto his stomach. Aang then saw that the sun had long since set.
"Alright, we'll leave for the South Pole again tomorrow," Aang said, suddenly awash as if things were going to be okay. Or at least, managed. "Thanks, buddy."
Appa let out an approving rumble.
---
"I think Aang was the Avatar," Katara said with conviction.
She was sitting in the Chieftain's tent, a bowl of soup in her hands, sitting in a semi-circle with Gran-gran and Sokka.
Sokka had frozen in the middle of spooning some soup in his mouth as he looked at his sister. "Really? Are you sure you're not just saying that because he was going to take you to the North Pole?"
"Sokka!" Katara snapped hotly. "I'm serious! Didn't you see the statue? It was glowing the same way the iceberg was!"
"Okay sure, the iceberg and the statue were glowing in the same, spooky way," Sokka allowed with narrowed eyes. "That doesn't mean they're connected!"
"Sure it does!" Katara argued hotly.
"How?" Sokka asked.
"The iceberg we found Aang in was glowing. He's the last airbender," Katara recounted with a glare. "The Fire Nation attacked the Air Nomad's to kill the Avatar, but they apparently missed one. Then, when we find an Airbender that's been on Ice since before the war, his ice berg is glowing, then a week later, the statue of Kuruk starts glowing the same way!"
"That's just all circumstantial," Sokka waved off, inhaling a spoonful of soup.
"But it fits!" Katara insisted. "I think Aang finally figured out what happened to the rest of the nomads and he started glowing again!"
"Gran-gran," Sokka began, turning to his elder. "Help me out here! Explain why Katara's wrong."
Katara huffed and growled in anger.
"Sokka, I know that Aang needed to be banished for the safety of the tribe," Gran-gran began. "His lack of respect for our rules and safety could not be ignored. But I think Katara is right."
"You do?" Both siblings asked at the same time.
"Yes, I do," Gran-gran replied. "My instincts are never wrong and I felt it in my bones that there was something off about Aang."
"Okay, so then what do we do?" Sokka asked with a glare. "If he really is the Avatar, what difference does it make to us? What do we do?"
"We pray," Gran-gran replied. "That the Avatar will bring balance back to the four nations as swiftly as he can."
---
Zuko had pulled into port just this past hour and was looking at the town's bulletin board with no shortage of smug satisfaction.
He was staring directly at a wanted poster with a Blue Oni mask painted on it with a bounty that had gone up by another thousand since the last poster he had seen, wanted for crimes such as military sabotage, theft, espionage and so on.
"Are you thinking of adding the Blue Spirit to our list of targets, your highness?" One of the crewman, a non-bender, said, walking past Zuko with a crate full of supplies on his shoulder.
Zuko smirked. "No. Just admiring the thing's gall."
"You think there's any truth to what they say?" The crewman asked. "That it really is a spirit exacting vengeance on the Fire Nation for trying to spread our glory everywhere."
"It wouldn't surprise me," Zuko answered with a nod. "Have you seen my Uncle?"
"I think he was visiting the local shrine," The sailor replied, gesturing behind him with his head.
"Alright, get that on board quick," Zuko ordered with a frown.
"Yes, your highness," The crewman replied.
Zuko followed the road that had been indicated. The shrine was just a small thing, built in a gazebo. Uncle Iroh was standing in front of it, talking with one of the villagers.
"Uncle Iroh, we're about to put out," Zuko called as he walked up to his Uncle. "I want us out of port before noon."
Iroh had this smug grin on his face and it took Zuko a second before he got the danger signals. "Prince Zuko."
Zuko got a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.
"Leaving port so quickly is wise," Iroh approved with a nod. "Now tell me, have you heard the good news?"
"...no."
"Shrine here lit up like a fireworks display yesterday," Iroh explained, gesturing to the gazebo. "Tell me, Prince Zuko. Do you know what that means?"
"No." This was a lie. Zuko knew exactly what this meant.
"It means," Iroh began with a grin that told Zuko just how much he was enjoying this. "That the Avatar has returned."
Zuko slowly shut his eyes and opened them again with the pains of a damned soul.
He felt as if something inside him was being violently stabbed to death with ice knives and had to resist the almost overpowering urge to throw his fists into the air and scream at the sky with all of his rage, pain and thwarted dreams.
As it stood, Zuko did swallow hard. "Do we know where he is?"
"No," Iroh shook his head. "But I think we should be on watch to make sure we can swiftly respond to reports of his presence."
"That sounds like a good idea," Zuko replied through grit teeth. "What do you recommend?"
"Putting out to sea as quickly as possible," Iroh replied with a smile. "And start our search anew."
Zuko's scarred eye was twitching.
"Perhaps Lieutenant Jee's suggestion to search the South Pole will hold water," Iroh theorized, stroking his beard. He didn't actually know if the Avatar was there or not, but he did want Zuko to get back on track traveling the world and hopefully, getting more ready to take the throne as Iroh knew was his nephew's destiny. "If not, then perhaps we might be able to pick up a trail and track him down."
"Uncle, it will take us over two months to get there," Zuko replied with an annoyed glare. "If anything, he'll either be in the North Pole or going to the North pole to amass an army if he isn't heading inland to the Earth Kingdom."
Iroh blinked and cursed his nephew's ability to logic out a problem. He wasn't nearly that clear headed a year ago.
"Our best bet is to sail around the northern coasts and wait until we either hear something about the Avatar amassing an army or moving somewhere," Zuko replied. "That way we can intercept him as he goes to the North Pole."
Iroh's eyebrow rose in fascination. Was his Nephew starting to fall back into his desire to hunt the Avatar?
"Realistically, though," Zuko began with a sigh and a small smirk. "The Avatar will sneak past our single ship and completely evade our cunning trap for him. But at least we were in the general area, right?"
Of course not. "It would be more effective if we used the feelers we've been putting out to gather information on his movements, in addition to using my contacts in the Army and Navy. So should we not move to the...equator? It would give us the greatest range of movement to respond and go in whichever direction we please."
Zuko thought this over. "Alright. We'll set up a base at the Merchant's Pier. I might be able to find something to help us...find the Avatar. And other things."
It's a start, Iroh thought. "I will go inform the helmsman."
---
Author's Notes: A little short for my tastes, but that's fine, I guess. I knew Zuko was going to find out much later than in canon, but how much later? Given how the entire world seemed to know and accept Aang was the Avatar, it only stood to reason that the entire world learned that the Avatar had returned, through what is likely the same method: Glowing Shrines. Zuko doesn't have a shrine aboard his ship, so he learned a day later than the rest of the world.
Shout out goes out too Melden V, Anders Kronquist, Ray Tony Song, Volkogluk, Aaron Bjornson, iolande, Martin Auguado, Julio, Jiopaba, Hackerham, Tim Collins-Squire, Maben00, Sultan Saltlick, Ventari, PbookR, Seij, ChristobalAlvarez, Aenor Knight, Apperatus, EPiCJB19, Seeking Raven and Handwran. Thank you for your continued support.
Until the next time!
~Fulcon
---
It had been about a week since Aang's departure.
Sokka looked out across the horizon and saw that, still, there was no Fire Nation. He felt like he had done something nearly unforgivably wrong, but he couldn't figure out why. When they talked about it, Gran-gran had backed him up, pointing out how they all needed to do be reliable and that if Aang had accidentally signaled the Fire Nation, the village would have been wiped out.
The mental image make Sokka shiver.
He was probably just feeling bad about how upset Katara was with him. Yeah, that was it.
...something was wrong.
Sokka shook his head. He could think about that later, right now he needed to find Katara, who had been gone for an hour and he was starting to get worried that maybe she had run off to go find Aang on her own. He doubted it, but she'd done crazy things before…
She wasn't in the smoke-hut, wasn't in the village square and wasn't trying to eek out extra seconds of precious sleep. The last place to check would be…
He sighed and rolled his shoulders. "Gran-gran, I'm checking the shrine. Be back in a few."
"Be careful, Sokka," Gran-gran told him as he left.
Sokka walked out to the ice flows and made a hard left, circling around the walls until he found himself at the back of the wall, then he went straight back until he came across a hole in the snow, a ramp going down into the underground.
It certainly didn't look like it, but the south pole wasn't all ice and snow. Beneath the thick layer of snow was earth and in that earth a cavern had been dug. Sokka walked down the ramp and came to the small alcove.
This was the home of the village shrine. The shrine was to the avatar; a piddling thing with a single statue of Avatar Kuruk. It was dark with very little in the way of lighting unless you brought a lantern.
Standing in front of the statue was Katara, who had hung a lantern on the wall and was standing in front of it.
"Hey, Katara," Sokka said, startling his sister. "You about done?"
Katara looked at him, glared, then turned back toward the shrine.
"Katara," Sokka started, before grunted. "Whatever. I just wanted to let you know the laundry hasn't been done and Gran-gran needs help with the seal jerky."
"You know what, Sokka?" Katara started dangerously, turning on her heel. "You can wash your own dirty socks today! And you know what else?"
Sokka took a deep breath. Here we go.
---
Aang hopped off of Appa's back.
Contrary to what he had been hoping for, the temple looked like it was deserted. A cold breeze washed over his face and sent a chill down his spine. He had never seen the temple so empty before. There was always someone flying around somewhere, walking down a path or jumping. But there was no one here.
Maybe it would have been better if he had a few friends to explore with him!
That thought just made Aang sigh in depression.
He walked up the stairs that were carved out the side of the mountain and passed the air ball field. He remembered setting time aside for a game every day while he was staying at the temple, playing with his friends.
That was before he was told he was the Avatar and then none of his friends wanted to play with him anymore.
Aang shook his head and caught himself looking at something decidedly...foreign. He blinked and stared at the snowbank, the chill of the mountain air seeping into his blood.
"No..."
He rushed forward and with a gust of air, knocked the snow out of the way, revealing only a helmet of black and red steel. Aang took it in his hands, his eyes wide and his heart having stopped.
He looked left and right. "Gyatso? Gyatso!"
His logical brain then caught up with him and told him that Gyatso was long, long dead. He had been gone for a hundred years. "Hello? Anyone? Is anyone there? Hello?"
He ran up the side of the mountain into the library. Rapidly, he looked everywhere, trying to find some inclination of where everyone was. But the only occupants of the library were himself and the rotten remains of the scrolls that Aang had once poured over to replace the one that he had lost so long ago.
Still frantically searching, he jumped out of the library and glided out on his staff, autumn colored wings stretching out above him. He came down to his old masters home, Gyatso and threw open the door.
That is when Aang first encountered the horrors of war.
In the center of the hut, lie Gyatso, the skeleton of the airbending master lying within the snow that had settled within the building. Around it's neck was the amulet his master and teacher had worn so long ago. Surrounding the impromptu grave were suits of black armor, the remains inside of them in varying states of crumbling to dust.
Aang stopped being able to breathe. He fell to his knees, his eyes starting to water as he desperately tried to summon his voice to deny the sight that lay before him. But he couldn't.
His eyes were not lying to him and this he knew.
And perhaps for the first time in a hundred years, the hut saw unnatural light.
---
Sokka and Katara were in the heat of battle. Well, as heated as an argument with a sibling could be.
"Look, I made a promise to Dad!" Sokka shouted, pointing up the stone ramp. "And he put the entire tribe in jeopardy!"
"Jeopardy from what?" Katara yelled back, putting a finger between Sokka's eyes. "He let out one measly flare and nothing happened!"
"But something could've!" Sokka bellowed.
"But it didn't!"
Their argument was cut short when the small alcove was filled with unnatural blue light.
Sokka and Katara's eyes both went wide as the statue of Avatar Kuruk's eyes were glowing bright like a pair of miniature cobalt suns that illuminated their faces.
Katara blinked. "Aang..."
---
Across the world, similar things were happening. On the opposite side of the world, the shine that the Northern Water Tribe had kept pristine shined. In the Earth Kingdom, their wall mural of the Avatar's from ages past startled the sages with it's sudden and violent burst of energy. In the very halls of the Fire Temple, the sages were scrambling to inform the Fire Lord that the one greatest threat to their conquest had reappeared.
Wherever there was a shrine, there was light. Candles would glow with spiritual power, statues would shine like the sun. There was not a home, town or city that did not know and understand this one, undeniable truth.
The Avatar, bridge between worlds, had returned.
It's too bad that a certain Fire Prince missed it because he was at sea.
---
On top of the Southern Air Temple, it was a disaster in progress. A hurricane threatened to rip and tear every body, stone and tree out of the ground and into the clouds. In fact, some trees already did. Flying Lemurs had already fled the mountain top as quickly as they could when they sensed the raw, elemental fury about to be unleashed.
For his part, Aang could not hear anything over the sound of his own fury. His omnipotent rage clawing through the winds and slicing through the trees. Appa was flying above the swirling vortex, looking down at his oldest and best friend and trying to figure out how to help him.
But the storm would rage on, for hours and hours until the sun finally set upon the horizon. Avatar Aang, in all his fury and all his power, felt his strength leave him as he slowly and gingerly set himself on the floor. There he lay, his face in his hands, sobbing uncontrollably.
I shouldn't have left, Aang thought. No, no, no…
Sensing that things were safe once again, Appa gently sat down beside Aang and curled around the boy.
"What do I do, boy?" Aang asked, embracing one of Appa's massive legs. "I'm the Avatar and I was supposed to stop stuff like this from happening.
Appa let out a low rumble, bringing his tail over Aang like a makeshift blanket.
"Now the nomads are all gone and the world's been at war for a hundred years," Aang groaned into his friend and animal guide's fur. "What do I do? I can't stop this! I'm just an airbender and all the friends I made over the years are dead!"
With another rumble, Appa slowly laid down next to the distressed airbender.
"I can't do this on my own." Aang shook his head.
At Aang's declaration, Appa let out a groan.
"Wait," Aang thought for a minute. "But I've got a new friend! But I got banished! If I just show up again, it'll just cause more problems."
Appa just looked down at Aang.
"Maybe if I go down there, apologize for putting everyone in danger," Aang started, creating a half-baked plan in his head. "Then maybe they'll at least point me in the right direction. Maybe she'll come with me, boy!"
Appa then yawned, rolling onto his stomach. Aang then saw that the sun had long since set.
"Alright, we'll leave for the South Pole again tomorrow," Aang said, suddenly awash as if things were going to be okay. Or at least, managed. "Thanks, buddy."
Appa let out an approving rumble.
---
"I think Aang was the Avatar," Katara said with conviction.
She was sitting in the Chieftain's tent, a bowl of soup in her hands, sitting in a semi-circle with Gran-gran and Sokka.
Sokka had frozen in the middle of spooning some soup in his mouth as he looked at his sister. "Really? Are you sure you're not just saying that because he was going to take you to the North Pole?"
"Sokka!" Katara snapped hotly. "I'm serious! Didn't you see the statue? It was glowing the same way the iceberg was!"
"Okay sure, the iceberg and the statue were glowing in the same, spooky way," Sokka allowed with narrowed eyes. "That doesn't mean they're connected!"
"Sure it does!" Katara argued hotly.
"How?" Sokka asked.
"The iceberg we found Aang in was glowing. He's the last airbender," Katara recounted with a glare. "The Fire Nation attacked the Air Nomad's to kill the Avatar, but they apparently missed one. Then, when we find an Airbender that's been on Ice since before the war, his ice berg is glowing, then a week later, the statue of Kuruk starts glowing the same way!"
"That's just all circumstantial," Sokka waved off, inhaling a spoonful of soup.
"But it fits!" Katara insisted. "I think Aang finally figured out what happened to the rest of the nomads and he started glowing again!"
"Gran-gran," Sokka began, turning to his elder. "Help me out here! Explain why Katara's wrong."
Katara huffed and growled in anger.
"Sokka, I know that Aang needed to be banished for the safety of the tribe," Gran-gran began. "His lack of respect for our rules and safety could not be ignored. But I think Katara is right."
"You do?" Both siblings asked at the same time.
"Yes, I do," Gran-gran replied. "My instincts are never wrong and I felt it in my bones that there was something off about Aang."
"Okay, so then what do we do?" Sokka asked with a glare. "If he really is the Avatar, what difference does it make to us? What do we do?"
"We pray," Gran-gran replied. "That the Avatar will bring balance back to the four nations as swiftly as he can."
---
Zuko had pulled into port just this past hour and was looking at the town's bulletin board with no shortage of smug satisfaction.
He was staring directly at a wanted poster with a Blue Oni mask painted on it with a bounty that had gone up by another thousand since the last poster he had seen, wanted for crimes such as military sabotage, theft, espionage and so on.
"Are you thinking of adding the Blue Spirit to our list of targets, your highness?" One of the crewman, a non-bender, said, walking past Zuko with a crate full of supplies on his shoulder.
Zuko smirked. "No. Just admiring the thing's gall."
"You think there's any truth to what they say?" The crewman asked. "That it really is a spirit exacting vengeance on the Fire Nation for trying to spread our glory everywhere."
"It wouldn't surprise me," Zuko answered with a nod. "Have you seen my Uncle?"
"I think he was visiting the local shrine," The sailor replied, gesturing behind him with his head.
"Alright, get that on board quick," Zuko ordered with a frown.
"Yes, your highness," The crewman replied.
Zuko followed the road that had been indicated. The shrine was just a small thing, built in a gazebo. Uncle Iroh was standing in front of it, talking with one of the villagers.
"Uncle Iroh, we're about to put out," Zuko called as he walked up to his Uncle. "I want us out of port before noon."
Iroh had this smug grin on his face and it took Zuko a second before he got the danger signals. "Prince Zuko."
Zuko got a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.
"Leaving port so quickly is wise," Iroh approved with a nod. "Now tell me, have you heard the good news?"
"...no."
"Shrine here lit up like a fireworks display yesterday," Iroh explained, gesturing to the gazebo. "Tell me, Prince Zuko. Do you know what that means?"
"No." This was a lie. Zuko knew exactly what this meant.
"It means," Iroh began with a grin that told Zuko just how much he was enjoying this. "That the Avatar has returned."
Zuko slowly shut his eyes and opened them again with the pains of a damned soul.
He felt as if something inside him was being violently stabbed to death with ice knives and had to resist the almost overpowering urge to throw his fists into the air and scream at the sky with all of his rage, pain and thwarted dreams.
As it stood, Zuko did swallow hard. "Do we know where he is?"
"No," Iroh shook his head. "But I think we should be on watch to make sure we can swiftly respond to reports of his presence."
"That sounds like a good idea," Zuko replied through grit teeth. "What do you recommend?"
"Putting out to sea as quickly as possible," Iroh replied with a smile. "And start our search anew."
Zuko's scarred eye was twitching.
"Perhaps Lieutenant Jee's suggestion to search the South Pole will hold water," Iroh theorized, stroking his beard. He didn't actually know if the Avatar was there or not, but he did want Zuko to get back on track traveling the world and hopefully, getting more ready to take the throne as Iroh knew was his nephew's destiny. "If not, then perhaps we might be able to pick up a trail and track him down."
"Uncle, it will take us over two months to get there," Zuko replied with an annoyed glare. "If anything, he'll either be in the North Pole or going to the North pole to amass an army if he isn't heading inland to the Earth Kingdom."
Iroh blinked and cursed his nephew's ability to logic out a problem. He wasn't nearly that clear headed a year ago.
"Our best bet is to sail around the northern coasts and wait until we either hear something about the Avatar amassing an army or moving somewhere," Zuko replied. "That way we can intercept him as he goes to the North Pole."
Iroh's eyebrow rose in fascination. Was his Nephew starting to fall back into his desire to hunt the Avatar?
"Realistically, though," Zuko began with a sigh and a small smirk. "The Avatar will sneak past our single ship and completely evade our cunning trap for him. But at least we were in the general area, right?"
Of course not. "It would be more effective if we used the feelers we've been putting out to gather information on his movements, in addition to using my contacts in the Army and Navy. So should we not move to the...equator? It would give us the greatest range of movement to respond and go in whichever direction we please."
Zuko thought this over. "Alright. We'll set up a base at the Merchant's Pier. I might be able to find something to help us...find the Avatar. And other things."
It's a start, Iroh thought. "I will go inform the helmsman."
---
Author's Notes: A little short for my tastes, but that's fine, I guess. I knew Zuko was going to find out much later than in canon, but how much later? Given how the entire world seemed to know and accept Aang was the Avatar, it only stood to reason that the entire world learned that the Avatar had returned, through what is likely the same method: Glowing Shrines. Zuko doesn't have a shrine aboard his ship, so he learned a day later than the rest of the world.
Shout out goes out too Melden V, Anders Kronquist, Ray Tony Song, Volkogluk, Aaron Bjornson, iolande, Martin Auguado, Julio, Jiopaba, Hackerham, Tim Collins-Squire, Maben00, Sultan Saltlick, Ventari, PbookR, Seij, ChristobalAlvarez, Aenor Knight, Apperatus, EPiCJB19, Seeking Raven and Handwran. Thank you for your continued support.
Until the next time!
~Fulcon
Last edited:
Jim Starluck
CO, ICS Vanguard
- Location
- Cincinnati, OH
The single biggest question I have after this update:
Will Aang leave the Southern Air Temple without meeting Momo?!
Will Aang leave the Southern Air Temple without meeting Momo?!
- Location
- USA
Love the story so far. But this line here is a massive leap between at least two gaps in Katara's knowledge.
- Location
- USA
It's just her intuition kicking in?
I didn't think it was that big of a leap to make, especially since Aang is the only other thing she knows that glows like that.
Modus_Tollens
SCREAMING AT THE APOCALYPSE
- Location
- ALSO SCREAMING.
And we know what happens next.
Zuko ends up having to make excuses as to why he isn't chasing the avatar, why this is not the avatar, and the avatar is in the complete opposite direction... while Aang mistakenly lands a bison on the deck of his ship. It might not be immediately, but it will happen. Search your feelings: You know this to be true.
Zuko ends up having to make excuses as to why he isn't chasing the avatar, why this is not the avatar, and the avatar is in the complete opposite direction... while Aang mistakenly lands a bison on the deck of his ship. It might not be immediately, but it will happen. Search your feelings: You know this to be true.
The two gaps I speak of are:
1. She has no idea where Aang went after leaving the village. I can concede that she imagines he went to look for his airbender buddies, but 2. She can't possibly know that the glow is triggered by strong emotions and tie that to 1.
- Location
- USA
EDIT:
Staaaaaahp tempting me to abandon my plans!
I don't think those are that big of leaps for Katara, especially not the second one. She's fairly emotional and she knows that she can cause serious destruction when she gets upset so it's not that hard for her to make the connection.
Staaaaaahp tempting me to abandon my plans!
I don't think those are that big of leaps for Katara, especially not the second one. She's fairly emotional and she knows that she can cause serious destruction when she gets upset so it's not that hard for her to make the connection.
- Location
- USA
I mean, I'm still not done. Also, I'm trying my best to write a chapter a day, which then immediately gets posted for your enjoyment.
- Location
- Australia
I thank you kindly and if needed do take your time.
New Journeys
- Location
- USA
The following is a fanbased work of fiction. Avatar the Last Airbender is the property of Viacom, Nickelodeon, Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Koniezko. Please support the official release.
---
"Katara, what are you doing?" Sokka asked, looking at his sister in alarm.
His sister was currently standing in a small boat, counting everything she had stocked within. She looked at her brother with a glare. "What's it look like I'm doing, Sokka? I'm leaving!"
The boat was perhaps the only sailboat the village had left, large enough to have a cabin to sleep in during any voyage. The sail was furled up and it was tied to the ice with a rope.
"You're what?" Sokka yelped in alarm. "Katara, you can't be serious!"
"Oh, I'm serious," Katara barked, hands on her hips. "He needs help and if he can't come back here to get it, we're going to him."
Sokka simply stared at her with a confused expression before responding. "Do you even know where you're going?"
"The North Pole!" Katara snapped in response. "Aang needs our help and that's where he's going to learn Waterbending."
"How do you know that?" Sokka asked with exasperation.
"Because he's only an airbender," Katara replied. "And the Avatar cycle goes from air to water, to earth to fire. So the first place he's going is the North Pole, since there's got to be a Waterbending Master there."
"Katara, the North Pole is on the other side of the world!" Sokka pointed out the obvious. "Do you have any idea how long it'll take you to get there by boat?"
"I don't care," Katara snapped. "Now if you aren't going to be helpful, go away."
"Do you even know how you're going to get there?" Sokka asked.
"I'll figure it out!" Katara shouted and stomped, causing the ice below them to start breaking. "Go! Away!"
"Alright, alright," Sokka quickly admitted defeat, turning tail. He took a deep breath and started muttering to himself. "Gotta find Gran-gran...and a map."
Grumbling to herself in frustration, she got to work organizing her load into the boat. "Shouldn't have let him go alone. I wanted to go but no..."
She bent down with her knees and picked up the box she just placed in the boat, moving it, slowly, into the cabin. "Family comes first."
She looked up at the sail and realized that she had only been been told how to sail once when she was a small girl and thus had only the smallest idea of how she was going to get out to sea.
"Katara?"
Katara growled in irritation as the sound of her Grandmother's voice. She walked to the main deck and saw that Sokka had called in reinforcements.
"You can't stop me, Gran-gran," Katara told her. "I should've left with Aang when Sokka banished him and now he needs our help."
"Do you know how you're going to get there?" Gran-gran asked with a frown.
"I'll figure it out!"
"Well, come ashore," Gran-gran told her. "Sokka brought a map."
Katara blinked and looked at her brother, who was indeed holding a rolled up leather map. Cautiously, she stepped over the railings and back onto the ice. As she did, Sokka unrolled the map on the ice.
"Okay, so the distance between us and the north pole is almost twelve-thousand five hundred miles," Sokka explained, pointing at the map. "That's one way. So if you sailed along the straightest path there, it'll take you months to get there. Months!"
Katara's eyes narrowed. "Months it is! What's the straightest path?"
"You're serious," Sokka replied with a gaping mouth. "You're crazy."
"Well you don't have to come with, Sokka," Katara told him sweetly.
Sokka groaned. "If you go, then yes I do."
"No you don't," Katara snapped sharply. "I can look after myself just fine."
"Katara," Gran-gran started levelly. "No, you can't."
"Sure I can, I'm a Waterbender," Katara replied dismissively.
"Without any training and you don't know how to use any weapons," Gran-gran continued to pour frozen rain all over Katara's parade. "If you intend to make the journey across the globe, you will need your brother's protection."
"And if you go, I promised Dad I'd keep you safe," Sokka pointed out with a frown. "And if I go with you, I can't protect the village."
"Sokka," Gran-gran started with an annoyed look. "Aang is the Avatar. If your sister is right, and I believe she is, then going to assist him is much more important that keeping our small and easily hidden tribe safe.
"But...but..." Sokka started, unable to talk. "But Gran-gran!"
"Katara," Gran-gran started with a serious expression. "Are you absolutely sure that going off on this quest is the right thing to do?"
She looked right into her grandmother's eyes when she answered. "Yes."
"Alright," Gran-gran nodded. "Sokka, what route are you suggesting?"
"If we travel along the coast of the Earth Kingdom, it'll mostly be a straight line through the Mo Ce Sea," Sokka replied, tracing the route along with his finger. "We can stop at a few of the villages to refill our supplies. If we cut through this center channel here, we can cut right through the Earth Kingdom to get to the north pole in five? Five to six months. Our first stop would be here at...Kyoshi Island? Just to refill our supplies before we come to the main coast."
"How long will it take us to get there?" Katara asked.
"Two weeks," Sokka answered.
"Okay, sounds like a plan," Katara said, rubbing her hands together.
"Do you have enough supplies for the trip?" Sokka asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes, I have enough," Katara replied.
Sokka had a disbelieving expression as he stood up and stepped into the ship, looking at where the supplies were stored in the cabin. "Yeah, no. That's not enough. Maybe if we were fat enough to eat ourselves, it'd be enough, but we're not."
"Well, it's not my fault you can eat an entire dolphin shark on your own!" Katara snipped, joining him on the boat.
"That was just on a dare!" Sokka rebuked sharply. "And it was just a baby!"
"Enough!" Gran-gran shouted, grabbing both siblings by their ears and pulling them back onto shore. "You are not going to be crossing the ocean bickering like toddlers! You will kiss and make up right now, or you're both forbidden from leaving the village!"
Gran-gran folded her arms and glared at the two siblings, who were looking at each other angrily at first, then...sheepishly.
"Katara," Sokka started. "I'm sorry I had to throw out your chance at getting a Waterbending Master."
"It's okay," Katara sighed. "I should've put my foot down when Aang insisted we explore the fire nation ship. This whole thing is my fault and I'm sorry for getting mad. Forgive me?"
"Yup!"
The two embraced in a strong, sibling hug.
"Good," Gran-gran let out a sigh of relief.
---
The trip to the Merchant's pier only took a few days in Zuko's ship. In spite of his irritation at how the universe was willing to give him the quarry he had sought only a year after he had stopped caring about it at all, this was turning out to not be so bad.
The crew had bought Zuko's explanation about waiting at the Pier to gain information on where the Avatar was going. Given the Pier's fairly central location with easy access to the Fire Nation, Ba Sing Se and a channel going to the North Pole, it was easy to see why the port was so successful.
Which meant that it would also be a haven for smugglers. Zuko knew that but he had overestimated the amount of time he had to actually complete his goal of going to Hira'a. So having easy access to smugglers, especially the good ones, was going to be at a premium; he didn't know when a lead on the Avatar that he couldn't afford to miss without raising the crews suspicions would show up.
Zuko liked the crew, but he knew they wanted to go home almost as much as he used too. Counting on them for the search for his mother was unwise.
Still, though, Zuko felt like he had hit some sort of wall. He had tried to hire the services of some smugglers before. Multiple times, as a matter of fact, to get him into the Fire Nation. But every single time, those smugglers found themselves snatched up or destroyed somehow before they could actually ferry him. The first one earned a fortune somehow and defaulted on the contract. The second one was lost at sea. The third one died in a firefight with a Fire Nation cruiser. The latest one was arrested. By the fire nation. If he could get in and rescue him, he wouldn't need his services in the first place.
It was almost like the entire universe was telling him to forget about his mother, follow his Uncle's advice go after the Avatar. Zuko had only one response.
No.
Now that that thought had been dealt with, it was time to make plans. Zuko had taken the crew ashore to establish a secret base within the Pier. A warehouse that had been sitting abandoned for nearly three years after it's previous owner died. So Zuko, under the assumed name of Lee, had purchased it. The crew was in the middle of renovating it to function as a proper base, for roughly ten of the crew, in addition to Zuko and Iroh to use.
Zuko was actually looking forward to using it. It was going to have a secret entrance, a room to store and sort through communications and keep tabs on each of the legitimate and seedy elements of the pier and an armory.
Though while his crew was busy building up their base, Zuko remembered that his Uncle wanted to speak to him. So the prince walked off, looking for his Uncle.
Uncle Iroh was sitting in the corner of the warehouse, meditating in front of a row of candles. It was a sign of his Uncle's mental fortitude that he was able to keep his focus even in the din of the construction. Zuko took a spot next to his Uncle and tried to join him. It wasn't like he was doing anything else while he waited for his Uncle to be finished. He was less than entirely successful, to his annoyance. The sound of hammers slamming into nails was difficult to tune out.
After a while, Iroh finally spoke. "Zuko, thank you for joining me. Would you be interested in a game of Pai Sho?"
There was something very odd about how his Uncle asked that question. But, again, he had already done his training today and he wasn't feeling overly anxious about anything, so he shrugged. "Sure, Uncle."
"Good," Iroh said with a nod, standing up.
They moved to a table that Iroh had set up on the outside of the warehouse and thankfully, the sounds of construction were much quieter on the outside.
"I feel that I must apologize, nephew," Iroh said, taking a seat and bringing out a box of Pai Sho tiles.
"For what?" Zuko asked with a frown.
"I had been pushing you to do what you want to do for so long," Iroh said, pulling the tiles out of their box and handing Zuko his set. "That when you finally did it, you did not go on the path that I had expected you too, so I began trying to push you back."
Zuko shrugged. "I didn't really notice."
"I credit your relaxed and flexible attitude for that," Iroh replied, setting the first tile, a white lotus in the center. "But the reason that I was pushing you back toward what you were assigned to do was because I was afraid that your sense of honor and responsibility departed with your spiritual wounds."
"Because I don't want to chase after the Avatar?" Zuko asked, setting his own tile.
"Because you want nothing to do with the land of your birth," Iroh answered.
"They made their bed with dragons," Zuko replied, looking off to the side. "It's their fault if they get eaten."
"I understand why you feel that way," Iroh said, placing his next tile. "And I understand the allure of a private and prosperous life. But I always thought you were destined for more."
"You were thinking I'd take the throne," Zuko clarified, looking over the tiles and muttering to himself. "I hate that opening..."
"I had thought your destiny was to lead the Fire Nation back to peace," Iroh replied. "But your destiny is determined by your choices. What you choose to do is up to you. But I believe you might be happy if you had the opportunity to find the Avatar and offer to help make things right."
"What makes you say that?" Zuko asked as he put down his tile.
"How you reacted after you learned the war with the Air Nomad's was not a series of battles, but a slaughter."
Zuko grumbled, watching his Uncle place the next tile down. "The only thing I want to do is stay out of his way."
"That is your choice." Iroh said. "But it occurred to me while I was meditating that perhaps it might be easier for you to focus if you found your mother. So, I checked around the Pier and I think I found a few...friends who would be able to help you."
"Really?" Zuko asked. His eyes narrowed, only briefly wondering where these friends had been for the past year. "Alright, who are they?"
"I can't tell you here," Iroh replied, stroking his beard. "But I can tell you how we are to be introduced."
Zuko's head tilted in interest. "I'm listening."
"First, let us restart the game," Iroh said, picking up his tiles.
The prince blinked, but did as his Uncle requested, scooping up his tiles.
---
After their 'game', the two had moved to a seedy bar, where an old man sat at a Pai Sho table, as was a common sight.
"May I have this game?" Zuko asked, placing a hand on the chair.
The old man smirked, looking up at the Prince with an amused expression. "The guest has the first move."
Zuko heeded his Uncle's instructions and placed a Lotus tile directly in the center.
The old man raised a fascinated eyebrow, cupping his hand toward Zuko. "I see you favor the white lotus gambit. Not many still cling to the ancient ways."
It took Zuko a second to remember the next phrase. "Those who do can always find a friend."
Iroh tapped him on the shoulder and Zuko remembered to cup his hands in a mirror of his opponent.
"Then let us play."
Then came the complicated part. Zuko did his best, Iroh only having to correct his placement a few times, before the two had created a lotus with the tiles they had placed.
"Welcome, brother. The White Lotus opens wide to those who know her secrets."
"I have yet to see them for myself," Zuko replied.
The old man hummed. "Very well, come with me. I have something to show you."
Zuko turned to Iroh, who simply nodded with a small smile. Zuko stood and the two of them followed the old man into what looked like a storage room. The old man turned on his heels.
"Welcome, both of you. I am Kung," The old man introduced himself with a bow. "I am assuming that your mentor here is your contact?"
"That is correct," Iroh said. After he introduced himself, he continued. "We need a way to smuggle junior here into the Fire Nation village of Hira'a, past the blockade."
"And for what purpose is that?" Kung asked.
"I'm looking for my mother," Zuko replied. "She disappeared when I was eight and I've always wondered what happened to her."
"Disappeared after a little court intrigue, eh?" Kung asked with a small smirk. "I'm afraid that usually doesn't bode well. But, we'll certainly see what we can do about getting you through the blockade."
"Thank you," Zuko replied. "Now, Uncle mentioned something about becoming an initiate?"
"That is the game we played," Kung replied.
"So," Zuko began. "Who are you?"
"We're an order dedicated to transcending the divides between nations, seeking to share ancient knowledge and truth," Kung explained. "Our order has undermined the Fire Nation's conquest for nearly a century, your highness and we've been very interested in you since you had abandoned your hunt for the Avatar."
"My great grandfather committed genocide," Zuko stated with all the gravitas of someone talking about the weather. "It's hard to hunt for someone when you can't even look him in the eye."
"So it is," Kung's eyes narrowed. "If you are serious about becoming an initiate, there is a trial that you will have to perform."
"Will I need to complete this trial before you get me past the blockade?" Zuko asked, eyes narrowing.
Iroh stepped forward. "No. I am a grand lotus, a way will be found past the blockade without that."
"Then what is the point of joining the order?" Zuko asked with a frown.
"Zuko, you want a life separate from the Fire Nation," Iroh pointed out. "The quickest way for a person of your noble stature to disappear is to have a network of support to allow them to leave. It just so happens that the Order can help you do exactly that."
The Prince's eyes went wide. "What's the price?"
"As an initiate, you may be called upon to complete certain tasks once you are relocated," Kung replied. "Though once you have proven your worth and have become a full member, we will only call upon you some of the time."
"What are these tasks?" Zuko asked, his eyes narrowing.
Kung simply leaned forward. "That depends; what skills do you possess?"
---
Author's Note: Going to be frank, I was curious on what Zuko would be doing while he was waiting for the Gaang to actually get together and make their way up toward his area. Then I remembered 'wait, the white lotus is a thing' and here we are.
Hope you enjoyed. It's going to take a bit longer than I expected for the Gaang to get together, but I think that's fine.
Shout out too Melden V, Anders Kronquist, Ray Tony Song, Volkogluk, Aaron Bjornson, iolande, Martin Auguado, Julio, Jiopaba, Hackerham, Tim Collins-Squire, Maben00, Sultan Saltlick, Ventari, PbookR, Seij, ChristobalAlvarez, Aenor Knight, Apperatus, EPiCJB19, Seeking Raven and Handwran. Your continued support helps make this possible!
Until the next time.
~Fulcon
---
"Katara, what are you doing?" Sokka asked, looking at his sister in alarm.
His sister was currently standing in a small boat, counting everything she had stocked within. She looked at her brother with a glare. "What's it look like I'm doing, Sokka? I'm leaving!"
The boat was perhaps the only sailboat the village had left, large enough to have a cabin to sleep in during any voyage. The sail was furled up and it was tied to the ice with a rope.
"You're what?" Sokka yelped in alarm. "Katara, you can't be serious!"
"Oh, I'm serious," Katara barked, hands on her hips. "He needs help and if he can't come back here to get it, we're going to him."
Sokka simply stared at her with a confused expression before responding. "Do you even know where you're going?"
"The North Pole!" Katara snapped in response. "Aang needs our help and that's where he's going to learn Waterbending."
"How do you know that?" Sokka asked with exasperation.
"Because he's only an airbender," Katara replied. "And the Avatar cycle goes from air to water, to earth to fire. So the first place he's going is the North Pole, since there's got to be a Waterbending Master there."
"Katara, the North Pole is on the other side of the world!" Sokka pointed out the obvious. "Do you have any idea how long it'll take you to get there by boat?"
"I don't care," Katara snapped. "Now if you aren't going to be helpful, go away."
"Do you even know how you're going to get there?" Sokka asked.
"I'll figure it out!" Katara shouted and stomped, causing the ice below them to start breaking. "Go! Away!"
"Alright, alright," Sokka quickly admitted defeat, turning tail. He took a deep breath and started muttering to himself. "Gotta find Gran-gran...and a map."
Grumbling to herself in frustration, she got to work organizing her load into the boat. "Shouldn't have let him go alone. I wanted to go but no..."
She bent down with her knees and picked up the box she just placed in the boat, moving it, slowly, into the cabin. "Family comes first."
She looked up at the sail and realized that she had only been been told how to sail once when she was a small girl and thus had only the smallest idea of how she was going to get out to sea.
"Katara?"
Katara growled in irritation as the sound of her Grandmother's voice. She walked to the main deck and saw that Sokka had called in reinforcements.
"You can't stop me, Gran-gran," Katara told her. "I should've left with Aang when Sokka banished him and now he needs our help."
"Do you know how you're going to get there?" Gran-gran asked with a frown.
"I'll figure it out!"
"Well, come ashore," Gran-gran told her. "Sokka brought a map."
Katara blinked and looked at her brother, who was indeed holding a rolled up leather map. Cautiously, she stepped over the railings and back onto the ice. As she did, Sokka unrolled the map on the ice.
"Okay, so the distance between us and the north pole is almost twelve-thousand five hundred miles," Sokka explained, pointing at the map. "That's one way. So if you sailed along the straightest path there, it'll take you months to get there. Months!"
Katara's eyes narrowed. "Months it is! What's the straightest path?"
"You're serious," Sokka replied with a gaping mouth. "You're crazy."
"Well you don't have to come with, Sokka," Katara told him sweetly.
Sokka groaned. "If you go, then yes I do."
"No you don't," Katara snapped sharply. "I can look after myself just fine."
"Katara," Gran-gran started levelly. "No, you can't."
"Sure I can, I'm a Waterbender," Katara replied dismissively.
"Without any training and you don't know how to use any weapons," Gran-gran continued to pour frozen rain all over Katara's parade. "If you intend to make the journey across the globe, you will need your brother's protection."
"And if you go, I promised Dad I'd keep you safe," Sokka pointed out with a frown. "And if I go with you, I can't protect the village."
"Sokka," Gran-gran started with an annoyed look. "Aang is the Avatar. If your sister is right, and I believe she is, then going to assist him is much more important that keeping our small and easily hidden tribe safe.
"But...but..." Sokka started, unable to talk. "But Gran-gran!"
"Katara," Gran-gran started with a serious expression. "Are you absolutely sure that going off on this quest is the right thing to do?"
She looked right into her grandmother's eyes when she answered. "Yes."
"Alright," Gran-gran nodded. "Sokka, what route are you suggesting?"
"If we travel along the coast of the Earth Kingdom, it'll mostly be a straight line through the Mo Ce Sea," Sokka replied, tracing the route along with his finger. "We can stop at a few of the villages to refill our supplies. If we cut through this center channel here, we can cut right through the Earth Kingdom to get to the north pole in five? Five to six months. Our first stop would be here at...Kyoshi Island? Just to refill our supplies before we come to the main coast."
"How long will it take us to get there?" Katara asked.
"Two weeks," Sokka answered.
"Okay, sounds like a plan," Katara said, rubbing her hands together.
"Do you have enough supplies for the trip?" Sokka asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes, I have enough," Katara replied.
Sokka had a disbelieving expression as he stood up and stepped into the ship, looking at where the supplies were stored in the cabin. "Yeah, no. That's not enough. Maybe if we were fat enough to eat ourselves, it'd be enough, but we're not."
"Well, it's not my fault you can eat an entire dolphin shark on your own!" Katara snipped, joining him on the boat.
"That was just on a dare!" Sokka rebuked sharply. "And it was just a baby!"
"Enough!" Gran-gran shouted, grabbing both siblings by their ears and pulling them back onto shore. "You are not going to be crossing the ocean bickering like toddlers! You will kiss and make up right now, or you're both forbidden from leaving the village!"
Gran-gran folded her arms and glared at the two siblings, who were looking at each other angrily at first, then...sheepishly.
"Katara," Sokka started. "I'm sorry I had to throw out your chance at getting a Waterbending Master."
"It's okay," Katara sighed. "I should've put my foot down when Aang insisted we explore the fire nation ship. This whole thing is my fault and I'm sorry for getting mad. Forgive me?"
"Yup!"
The two embraced in a strong, sibling hug.
"Good," Gran-gran let out a sigh of relief.
---
The trip to the Merchant's pier only took a few days in Zuko's ship. In spite of his irritation at how the universe was willing to give him the quarry he had sought only a year after he had stopped caring about it at all, this was turning out to not be so bad.
The crew had bought Zuko's explanation about waiting at the Pier to gain information on where the Avatar was going. Given the Pier's fairly central location with easy access to the Fire Nation, Ba Sing Se and a channel going to the North Pole, it was easy to see why the port was so successful.
Which meant that it would also be a haven for smugglers. Zuko knew that but he had overestimated the amount of time he had to actually complete his goal of going to Hira'a. So having easy access to smugglers, especially the good ones, was going to be at a premium; he didn't know when a lead on the Avatar that he couldn't afford to miss without raising the crews suspicions would show up.
Zuko liked the crew, but he knew they wanted to go home almost as much as he used too. Counting on them for the search for his mother was unwise.
Still, though, Zuko felt like he had hit some sort of wall. He had tried to hire the services of some smugglers before. Multiple times, as a matter of fact, to get him into the Fire Nation. But every single time, those smugglers found themselves snatched up or destroyed somehow before they could actually ferry him. The first one earned a fortune somehow and defaulted on the contract. The second one was lost at sea. The third one died in a firefight with a Fire Nation cruiser. The latest one was arrested. By the fire nation. If he could get in and rescue him, he wouldn't need his services in the first place.
It was almost like the entire universe was telling him to forget about his mother, follow his Uncle's advice go after the Avatar. Zuko had only one response.
No.
Now that that thought had been dealt with, it was time to make plans. Zuko had taken the crew ashore to establish a secret base within the Pier. A warehouse that had been sitting abandoned for nearly three years after it's previous owner died. So Zuko, under the assumed name of Lee, had purchased it. The crew was in the middle of renovating it to function as a proper base, for roughly ten of the crew, in addition to Zuko and Iroh to use.
Zuko was actually looking forward to using it. It was going to have a secret entrance, a room to store and sort through communications and keep tabs on each of the legitimate and seedy elements of the pier and an armory.
Though while his crew was busy building up their base, Zuko remembered that his Uncle wanted to speak to him. So the prince walked off, looking for his Uncle.
Uncle Iroh was sitting in the corner of the warehouse, meditating in front of a row of candles. It was a sign of his Uncle's mental fortitude that he was able to keep his focus even in the din of the construction. Zuko took a spot next to his Uncle and tried to join him. It wasn't like he was doing anything else while he waited for his Uncle to be finished. He was less than entirely successful, to his annoyance. The sound of hammers slamming into nails was difficult to tune out.
After a while, Iroh finally spoke. "Zuko, thank you for joining me. Would you be interested in a game of Pai Sho?"
There was something very odd about how his Uncle asked that question. But, again, he had already done his training today and he wasn't feeling overly anxious about anything, so he shrugged. "Sure, Uncle."
"Good," Iroh said with a nod, standing up.
They moved to a table that Iroh had set up on the outside of the warehouse and thankfully, the sounds of construction were much quieter on the outside.
"I feel that I must apologize, nephew," Iroh said, taking a seat and bringing out a box of Pai Sho tiles.
"For what?" Zuko asked with a frown.
"I had been pushing you to do what you want to do for so long," Iroh said, pulling the tiles out of their box and handing Zuko his set. "That when you finally did it, you did not go on the path that I had expected you too, so I began trying to push you back."
Zuko shrugged. "I didn't really notice."
"I credit your relaxed and flexible attitude for that," Iroh replied, setting the first tile, a white lotus in the center. "But the reason that I was pushing you back toward what you were assigned to do was because I was afraid that your sense of honor and responsibility departed with your spiritual wounds."
"Because I don't want to chase after the Avatar?" Zuko asked, setting his own tile.
"Because you want nothing to do with the land of your birth," Iroh answered.
"They made their bed with dragons," Zuko replied, looking off to the side. "It's their fault if they get eaten."
"I understand why you feel that way," Iroh said, placing his next tile. "And I understand the allure of a private and prosperous life. But I always thought you were destined for more."
"You were thinking I'd take the throne," Zuko clarified, looking over the tiles and muttering to himself. "I hate that opening..."
"I had thought your destiny was to lead the Fire Nation back to peace," Iroh replied. "But your destiny is determined by your choices. What you choose to do is up to you. But I believe you might be happy if you had the opportunity to find the Avatar and offer to help make things right."
"What makes you say that?" Zuko asked as he put down his tile.
"How you reacted after you learned the war with the Air Nomad's was not a series of battles, but a slaughter."
Zuko grumbled, watching his Uncle place the next tile down. "The only thing I want to do is stay out of his way."
"That is your choice." Iroh said. "But it occurred to me while I was meditating that perhaps it might be easier for you to focus if you found your mother. So, I checked around the Pier and I think I found a few...friends who would be able to help you."
"Really?" Zuko asked. His eyes narrowed, only briefly wondering where these friends had been for the past year. "Alright, who are they?"
"I can't tell you here," Iroh replied, stroking his beard. "But I can tell you how we are to be introduced."
Zuko's head tilted in interest. "I'm listening."
"First, let us restart the game," Iroh said, picking up his tiles.
The prince blinked, but did as his Uncle requested, scooping up his tiles.
---
After their 'game', the two had moved to a seedy bar, where an old man sat at a Pai Sho table, as was a common sight.
"May I have this game?" Zuko asked, placing a hand on the chair.
The old man smirked, looking up at the Prince with an amused expression. "The guest has the first move."
Zuko heeded his Uncle's instructions and placed a Lotus tile directly in the center.
The old man raised a fascinated eyebrow, cupping his hand toward Zuko. "I see you favor the white lotus gambit. Not many still cling to the ancient ways."
It took Zuko a second to remember the next phrase. "Those who do can always find a friend."
Iroh tapped him on the shoulder and Zuko remembered to cup his hands in a mirror of his opponent.
"Then let us play."
Then came the complicated part. Zuko did his best, Iroh only having to correct his placement a few times, before the two had created a lotus with the tiles they had placed.
"Welcome, brother. The White Lotus opens wide to those who know her secrets."
"I have yet to see them for myself," Zuko replied.
The old man hummed. "Very well, come with me. I have something to show you."
Zuko turned to Iroh, who simply nodded with a small smile. Zuko stood and the two of them followed the old man into what looked like a storage room. The old man turned on his heels.
"Welcome, both of you. I am Kung," The old man introduced himself with a bow. "I am assuming that your mentor here is your contact?"
"That is correct," Iroh said. After he introduced himself, he continued. "We need a way to smuggle junior here into the Fire Nation village of Hira'a, past the blockade."
"And for what purpose is that?" Kung asked.
"I'm looking for my mother," Zuko replied. "She disappeared when I was eight and I've always wondered what happened to her."
"Disappeared after a little court intrigue, eh?" Kung asked with a small smirk. "I'm afraid that usually doesn't bode well. But, we'll certainly see what we can do about getting you through the blockade."
"Thank you," Zuko replied. "Now, Uncle mentioned something about becoming an initiate?"
"That is the game we played," Kung replied.
"So," Zuko began. "Who are you?"
"We're an order dedicated to transcending the divides between nations, seeking to share ancient knowledge and truth," Kung explained. "Our order has undermined the Fire Nation's conquest for nearly a century, your highness and we've been very interested in you since you had abandoned your hunt for the Avatar."
"My great grandfather committed genocide," Zuko stated with all the gravitas of someone talking about the weather. "It's hard to hunt for someone when you can't even look him in the eye."
"So it is," Kung's eyes narrowed. "If you are serious about becoming an initiate, there is a trial that you will have to perform."
"Will I need to complete this trial before you get me past the blockade?" Zuko asked, eyes narrowing.
Iroh stepped forward. "No. I am a grand lotus, a way will be found past the blockade without that."
"Then what is the point of joining the order?" Zuko asked with a frown.
"Zuko, you want a life separate from the Fire Nation," Iroh pointed out. "The quickest way for a person of your noble stature to disappear is to have a network of support to allow them to leave. It just so happens that the Order can help you do exactly that."
The Prince's eyes went wide. "What's the price?"
"As an initiate, you may be called upon to complete certain tasks once you are relocated," Kung replied. "Though once you have proven your worth and have become a full member, we will only call upon you some of the time."
"What are these tasks?" Zuko asked, his eyes narrowing.
Kung simply leaned forward. "That depends; what skills do you possess?"
---
Author's Note: Going to be frank, I was curious on what Zuko would be doing while he was waiting for the Gaang to actually get together and make their way up toward his area. Then I remembered 'wait, the white lotus is a thing' and here we are.
Hope you enjoyed. It's going to take a bit longer than I expected for the Gaang to get together, but I think that's fine.
Shout out too Melden V, Anders Kronquist, Ray Tony Song, Volkogluk, Aaron Bjornson, iolande, Martin Auguado, Julio, Jiopaba, Hackerham, Tim Collins-Squire, Maben00, Sultan Saltlick, Ventari, PbookR, Seij, ChristobalAlvarez, Aenor Knight, Apperatus, EPiCJB19, Seeking Raven and Handwran. Your continued support helps make this possible!
Until the next time.
~Fulcon
Jim Starluck
CO, ICS Vanguard
- Location
- Cincinnati, OH
Was wondering when they'd show up.
- Location
- USA
White Lotus?
Yeah, I wasn't sure either. But they kind of just wormed their way into my plot and said 'here I am' and I just was boggling at how well they fit in everywhere.
- Location
- USA
- Location
- Australia
Oof. It's just that when Zuko starting questioning his life decisions and started to become a better person. I thought Iroh would try to mellow him the hell out and as he taught Zuko about the other elements and how you could learn from them. I thought it was all on the back of Iroh's mind to initiate him so he has somewhere to go to. Like a place, he could belong to.
- Location
- USA
You're right. It's just weird that everyone...that wasn't me saw it coming. You know?
Well, actually, I take that back. Most everyone else is going 'this is the first time I've seen this' so...I dunno. Point is, it makes total sense and I don't know why I didn't see it before.
SneakyWalrus
Is the Water Free?
Considering that Earthbending is heavily dependent on an incredibly firm stance and direct, forceful control over ones movements, I honestly think it'll instead be more of a clear boost in control and perhaps power. As Iroh says, Firebending comes from the roots, and Earthbending is all about that power stance.
- Location
- USA
Good point. Have a cookie.
Now, I have a question for everyone: What would a Waterbender gain from Earth Bending?