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.
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"So the wind's looking pretty good," Sokka said, pulling a line and putting the sail in a better position. "I think we might even make Kyoshi ahead of schedule!"
It was a beautiful day to sail. The wind was strong but not overbearing, there was not a cloud in the sky and above them the sun shined with a warmth that made the two siblings feel like it was smiling upon them.
"That's a relief," Katara replied, letting out a sigh and looking out across the water. She stretched out her hands and started trying to focus, moving her hands.
A stream of water sprung from the ocean, flowing in between her hands and coursing around her fingers as Katara practiced.
"Well, while you're playing with magic water, I'm going to check our maps," Sokka said, heading inside the cabin.
The water dropped from Katara's hands. "It's not magic it's-!"
But he was inside and out of earshot, so she simply growled in frustration and started again.
She was going to need to be her best so that she could help Aang when they found him again.
---
"There it is!" Aang said, pointing down at the village made of igloos and snow.
During his time at the temple, the pair had accidentally taken an unexpected visitor. On their first day back in the air, a Lemur who had stowed away in one of the bags on Appa's saddle had woken up and accidentally flew off of Appa before frantically flying back to the bison.
Aang adored the little guy immediately, naming him Momo and allowing him to stick around. Of course that did mean the supplies that Aang had hurriedly tucked away were being eaten a little faster than he'd like. Hopefully, that wouldn't matter so much since they were now in sight of civilization.
Appa rumbled as his rider took him down for a landing outside the village walls.
As he expected, there was a line of grown adults at the gates, wearing less than pleased faces. At the front, was Gran-gran, who looked livid. And shocked. "What are you doing here?"
"Look, I know I'm not supposed to be here," Aang let out like a machine gun for words. "I shouldn't have gone on that ship after Katara told me it was forbidden. I didn't listen. It was bad and I am bad and I'm really, really, really sorry. I just need to talk to Sokka and Katara and you'll never see me again, I promise."
Gran-gran blinked, her mouth turning from a shocked anger to an annoyed frown. "Answer me this one question. Are you the Avatar?"
Aang's eyes nearly bugged out of their sockets at that question. He gulped and sharply inhaled. "Yes, I'm the Avatar. I left the nomads when they told me because they wanted to send me to another temple. I got caught in a storm and that's how I got frozen in that iceberg."
"For some reason, I believe you," Gran-gran grunted. "But, I am afraid you have wasted your time. Sokka and Katara have left the village."
"What?" Aang asked with a thunderstruck expression. "Why, where did they go?"
"They left for the North Pole the day after the Shrine to Avatar Kuruk became active," Gran-gran replied. "Their first stop was going to be Kyoshi Island where they'd purchase additional supplies and then hopefully they'd meet you at the North Pole while you were learning to Waterbend."
Aang blinked. "They were coming to help me?"
Gran-gran nodded. "They were. Now get out of here and go find them!"
"Can I have some supplies first?" Aang asked with a sheepish look. "A flying lemur snuck into mine and ate some of them."
"A lemur," Gran-gran deadpanned.
On cue, the flying Lemur flew out of the saddle and landed on Aang's head.
The old woman started massaging her eyes. "All we have is some jerky, but you can have some, alright."
"Oh, never mind then," Aang said, hopping twenty feet in the air and landing on Appa's head. "I'm a vegetarian. I'll find something on the way. Come on, Appa! Yip-yip!"
---
Zuko and Iroh were sitting in their newly constructed hideout that had been walled off from the rest of the crew. In the center was a table that Uncle had procured from the markets of the pier that had a Pai-Sho board carved into the top. On the wall was a board with a map and communications ostensibly about the Avatar pinned to it.
All they said was that there had been no sightings of him at all since the shrines had lit up and the communications between the army and navy were getting more frantic with every passing day.
But they weren't talking about the Avatar, they were talking about the Prince's real goal.
"The week of Winter Solstice?" Zuko asked with a frown. "That's the closest date they can get me in?"
"It will be a while before we can get everyone we need in place," Iroh replied with a shrug. "The white lotus has a few captains they can get stationed in the blockade that will let you in."
"Alright, I guess I can wait," Zuko said with a frown. "I just need something to do in the meantime."
"Well, if you decide to join the order, I imagine we'll have things for you to do," Iroh pointed out. "Though I understand why you've decided to take a step back and think it through."
"It just seems like a bad idea to tie my loyalties down until I absolutely have too," Zuko replied with a shrug. "Sure, they can help me...disappear, I don't see why I need to right this second."
Iroh gave a sage-like nod. "Perhaps we can begin by looking for Waterbending scrolls?"
"That's a good idea," Zuko nodded. "A trade hub like this has to have a few around. But there's not really a point unless those scrolls also talk about the philosophy behind the bending. Is there?"
"I suppose not," Iroh answered. "There's not really a way we can judge our performance otherwise, is there? Tell me, Zuko, what do you think a firebender can learn from Waterbending?"
Zuko blinked. "Well, you developed that lightning redirection form you told me about by watching Waterbenders, right? So maybe a better way of bending lightning?"
Iroh hummed. "Maybe, but I'm wondering if that's not a shallow way of looking at it."
He only got a shrug in response. "Probably."
---
"Land!" Sokka called, pointing straight ahead at the island in front of them.
Katara, who had just woken up, walked out of the cabin rubbing her eyes and yawning. "We finally made it!"
"Yes!" Sokka shouted enthusiastically. "I hope they take Water Tribe money because I am starving!"
At that second, the boat was rocked by a massive wave, the boat nearly capsizing as it was shoved out of the way. A massive shadow fell across the boat as a twenty-foot tall dorsal fin poked out of the water and blocked the sun. Sokka's heart stopped while Katara's blood had frozen in their veins.
The two siblings looked at each other and then around them as other dorsal fins stretched out of the water for a brief second before sinking beneath the water.
"Let's get ashore," Sokka said quickly.
"Yes. Let's."
They took the ship into the shallows, starting to work on circling the island, looking for a port. The massive cove they had come to looked like it should have had a dock or something built out from the shore, but there was nothing.
As they orbited the island on the sea, they only saw more of the same. No docks, ports or anywhere to bring their ship into for a resupply.
"Maybe their village is hidden?" Katara suggested with an uncertain expression.
"Probably. We'll bring the boat back into the cove," Sokka replied, turning the sail with a push of the lever. "And go looking."
So they did. Sokka took extra care to avoid the massive fins that periodically sprung out from under the water, each time making the hairs on the back of their neck stand up at attention like they were in an army. When the boat finally ran ashore, both of the water tribe siblings let out the tense breath that they didn't know they were holding.
"You know, if we had a bigger boat, we could probably catch one of those," Sokka pointed out, licking his lips.
"Come on, Sokka," Katara replied, rolling her eyes. "Let's see if we can find a village or something."
"Yeah, just give me a second to grab Boomerang and my club."
---
"There really aren't any water bending scrolls in the Pier?" Zuko asked with shock.
"No, Prince Zuko," Lieutenant Jee replied with a shake of his head. "This isn't the Poles, and they aren't exactly going to be keen on just handing scrolls out like candy."
Zuko let out a disappointed sigh. "Figures. Alright, perhaps we could put the word out that there's a buyer interested in obtaining these scrolls."
"If I may, your highness," Jee began. "Last night when the crew when I was off duty, I heard some rumors shared between some of the traders. Apparently, there's a tribe of water benders that lives independently of the poles."
Zuko blinked. "Really? Where did these traders say they were?"
"A place called the Foggy Swamp," Lieutenant Jee replied, pointing toward it's spot on the map that Zuko had been sitting at. "I did some research and the swamp does exist, though it's reportedly infested with hostile spirits. As for the benders, there's more than one account of them I was able to find. They're real, alright."
Zuko's eyes narrowed. "That would take weeks to get too. Alright, lets make plans to head over there following the Winter Solstice. If we don't find information on the Avatar by then, obviously we'll need to try a different track. Thank you, Lieutenant."
"Thank you, your highness." Jee bowed.
"Will that be all?" Zuko asked.
"Yes," Jee replied. "By your leave."
Zuko nodded and Jee left Zuko's private war room, just as Iroh entered. "Did he tell you about the swamp benders?"
"Have you met them before, Uncle?" Zuko asked with an analytical expression.
"No, but I had heard whispers about them during my march to the wall of Ba Sing Se," Iroh responded, sitting down. "Though I had also heard that they were not just water benders, but plant benders."
"Plant benders?" Zuko asked with an intrigued and delighted smile. "Okay, that I got to see. After Winter Solstice."
Iroh hummed. "Don't want to miss the window, do we?"
"We do not," Zuko replied with the smallest frown. "Uncle, if the White Lotus were to help me disappear, where would they send me?"
"Well to be honest, Zuko, they would likely send you to Ba Sing Se," Iroh replied. "We haven't had agents there in decades, as I've been told."
"What would I be doing there?" Zuko asked.
"You would be trying to find out why Ba Sing Se has not done anything to formally join the war," Iroh responded. The conversation halted when a Yeoman knocked on the door and walked in with lunch. After the Yeoman left, they continued. "It would be up to you to find out why."
"They'd want me to to get involved in the war?" Zuko asked, looking decidedly unimpressed.
"No," Iroh shook his head. "You'd only be an initiate. They'd just want to know why the Earth King has not responded to the Fire Nation's repeated incursions on it's massive wall. I got through and they still have not responded. Your job would be to find out and report back. Easy."
"And that's it?" Zuko asked, sounding a little confused.
"That would be it," Iroh nodded. "Of course, if you progressed beyond the rank of initiate, you might be asked to do more..."
"No, no," Zuko hurriedly shut him down, shaking his head. "Initiate is good."
Iroh suppressed his frown. "It's your choice, Prince Zuko."
---
"Appa, there it is!" Aang shouted, pointing down at their island destination. With a rumble, Appa descended down upon the cove, right next to a wooden sail-boat that was very clearly Water Tribe. "They're definitely here alright!"
Aang hopped aboard the boat and saw the blue sleeping bags on the floor, which just added to Aang's enthusiasm. I'll get to see Katara again! It's going to be so awesome.
His attention was pulled when a rumble sounded, followed by something heavy hitting the ground. Appa was laying on the ground.
"Alright, you rest boy," Aang said, twirling his airbending staff and snapping the wings open. "I'll go and look for them."
He jumped into the air and hooked his ankles around the bottom, flying forward on bent gusts of air. Sometimes he wished he could fly without his glider; much like Appa did. But he wasn't entirely sure how he could pull that off whenever he thought about it. Maybe he could ask his old buddy one day how he did it and try to figure out the answer.
But until then, he had to find Sokka and Katara and pick them up.
He glided through the trees, turning and dodging around the tree branches as they came. If he remembered right from what he saw above, the main village was near the center of the island, so he'd probably run into them over there.
"Wait, who are you?" Aang heard loudly to his left. "Where are the men who ambushed us?"
"Sokka!" Aang cheered, making a sharp turn toward the sound of the voice.
"There were no men, we ambushed you!" Rebuffed a female voice as Aang took a perch in a tree among the leaves. "Now tell us, who are you and what are you doing here?"
Sokka and Katara were tied straight to a large wooden post apparently at the entrance to their village. The two looked unharmed for the most part, but clearly annoyed.
"Don't mind him," Katara said diplomatically, but quickly. "We're just travelers from the Southern Water Tribe, we came here to replenish our supplies for our trip to the North Pole."
"And how do we know you're not Fire Nation spies?" This came from an old man that was standing among the female warriors. "Kyoshi Island has stayed out of the war and we intend to keep it that way!"
"Why would we spy for the Fire Nation?" Sokka asked sounding both confused and insulted. "They've attacked us a bunch of times! We even have a ship trapped in the ice back home to prove it!"
"That doesn't prove anything," The first girl pointed out. "They could just be Fire Nation colonials dressed in blue."
"Hey no," Sokka started trying to sound as stern and authoritative as possible. "No! Would a Fire Nation Colonial, whatever that is, have a Water Tribe club and boomerang?"
"Yes," The old man replied, hefting said club in one of his hands. "Best we feed them to the Unagi. We can't be too careful."
Not good! Aang thought, jumping into action immediately. He landed between the warriors dressed in green and his friends, blasting the opposing force with enough wind to knock them off their feat and send them flying.
"Aang!" Katara shouted, sounding relieved. "You're here!"
"Glad I found you," Aang said, before turning his attention back to the Kyoshi Warriors. He blasted them with another gust of wind, forcing them against the trees of the forest before leaping forward and grabbing Sokka's club and boomerang.
With a single leap, Aang jumped back and cut the siblings free with Sokka's boomerang. "Come on! Appa's on the shore by your ship, let's get out of here!"
The trio, now reunited, bolted down the path laid for them, running past the warrior women who were struggling to get up.
"Wait, how did you find us?" Sokka asked, hoofing it as quickly as his legs could carry him.
"Your gran-gran said you were heading to the North Pole," Aang explained as they ran. "She told me your first stop was Kyoshi Island, so here I am!"
"Wait!" The voice of the warrior from before sounded from behind him.
Aang, not particularly in the mood to potentially lose the only friends he had in the world right now, stopped and sent yet another severe blast of air directly at the pursuing warriors, sending them scrambling as they made to dodge the wave.
They came to the shore and when Appa saw them, he stood up with a rumble.
"Get on the saddle, get on the saddle!" Aang shouted, helping both Sokka and Katara up onto the saddle. He hopped onto Appa's head and grabbed the reins. "Quick, Appa! We gotta get out of here! Yip-yip!"
Right as Appa started to lift off, the Kyoshi Warrior broke the clearing. Their leader, a girl with short brown hair outstretched her hands in an attempt to call them back. "Wait! We-"
---
"...didn't know...you were friends of the Avatar," Suki found her volume decreasing as the flying Bison took off, leaving her and her warriors in the dust. With a groan of annoyed embarrassment, she rubbed her eyes with her fingers and thumb.
"Well," One of her other warriors began. "At least we didn't feed them to the Unagi."
That just made Suki groan even louder.
---
"We're flying, we're flying!" Sokka shouted enthusiastically. "So long, you crazy-!"
He was stopped when he caught sight of Katara's somewhat smug expression.
"Yeah, I mean...we're flying," Sokka amended, adopting a cool and calm exterior.
"It's okay, Sokka," Aang beamed with the largest smile either of them had ever seen on a person. "Flying is awesome!"
"Thank you so much," Katara said, wrapping Aang up in a hug and kissing his cheek, making him turn pink. "I thought we were done for!"
"It was nothing, really," Aang downplayed with a bashful expression. "Really, it was fine. I'm sorry you had to go through that. I didn't know you guys had left the Tribe."
"Well, it was Katara's idea," Sokka replied, pointing the finger of blame at his sister. "She figured out you were the Avatar and decided she wanted to help. I couldn't let her go on alone, so here we are."
"How did you figure out I was the Avatar?" Aang asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Call it a gut feeling," Katara answered. "But the fact that the Iceberg was glowing when we broke you out of it like how the shrine of Avatar Kuruk was glowing kind of clinched it for me."
"Oh. The shrines all lit up?" Aang asked.
"Like a sun," Sokka replied. "What happened?"
Aang looked down at the saddle. "I went to the Southern Air Temple and...I found my old Mentor. Gyatso. He..."
Katara found herself, again, wrapping an arm around the young Avatar's shoulder in support. "I'm sorry, Aang."
"It was my fault," Aang replied, taking a deep breath. "So, I need to make it right; and in order to do that, I need to master the four elements and I can't do this alone."
"Look, we were pretty much ready to sail across the world to help you out," Sokka replied with a shrug. "So don't worry, we're here. First stop is the North Pole, right?"
"Right." Aang nodded. "I need to learn Water, then Earth, then Fire."
"So you've pretty much already mastered air, then?" Sokka asked, his eyes narrowing.
"Got my tattoos a few months before I wound up in that Iceberg," Aang replied with a bright grin.
"Oh so that's what those mean," Katara said with a nod. "I was wondering...but Aang? What do you mean when you say it's your fault?"
Aang took a deep breath. "I don't really want to talk about it. Lets just say that I never wanted to be the Avatar and leave it at that, okay?"
Katara nodded. "Okay."
It was then that Sokka's stomach grumbled. "Aw, man? Do you have any food on this Bison?"
"Barely. Check that bag," Aang replied, pointing at one of the saddle bags. "It should be enough until we get to Whaletail island where we could gather some more supplies."
"Do they have meat there?" Sokka asked quickly.
"Uh," Aang began, remembering that the siblings were indeed not vegetarians like he was. "Yes, there should be some edible creatures there."
"Yes!"
---
Author's Notes: Well, that was over kind of quickly. Personally, I don't want to go over every single possible thing that could happen in this fic since I don't want it to take too long, so I hope you guys can forgive me if we skip past a few things or get them over with quickly.
In this chapter, I actually wanted Sokka and Katara to get captured by a passing Fire Nation patrol boat but that idea died pretty quick when I figured out that I couldn't get it to play out the way I wanted it too. So, I decided to shelve the idea, possibly forever. But then I remembered that they were going to run into complications on Kyoshi Island anyway and went with a more condensed version than what I had planned.
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. You guys are the best. Thank you for your continued support.
Until the next time!
~Fulcon
