Inutenshi:Heyo peoples! This is the first Avatar fanfiction I've ever made. Please bear with me if it sucks. I don't owe any of the main characters, justsomerandom made up characters, a few locations( you will be notified which), and most of all, THE PLOT! Speaking of which, heres the summary.
It's been two years since the journey began. The Avatar and his friends have failed in defeating the Fire Lord before the prophesized comets landing. The Fire Nation is nearing world domination, but could a traumatic incident for Katara and a moment of compassion from Zuko change all that?
" blah " Talking
" blah " Thinking or little voices in the character's heads...I get those a lot...
Inutenshi: There you go. Now. On to the first chappie!
Chapter One: Hide and Seek
Appa's large, furry body splashed and skidded along the surface of the water as he neared the shore. Aang lay against the beast's head, holding on with all his strength. Behind him Sokka and Katara clung to each other and Appa's saddle, the waves splashing against them. Momo lay curled up in the back of Sokka's shirt, cowering and screeching in fear.
"Just hold tight guys! We're almost to shore!" Aang assured them.
Frighten cries ripped from their throats as wind caught under Appa, pulling him up then forcing him back onto the ocean top.
In the distance, the clouds were dark, nearly black, with smoke. Prince Zuko's fleet was on their trailhotter than they'd been for the past month. The scarred prince clutched the rail in anticipation.
"Faster! We've almost got them!" He shouted into the pipe that led down into the engine room.
"Yes sir!" A voice echoed in reply.
Below, in the steaming engine room, sweating soldiers ran about, feeding coal into the boilers. The furious flames licked at their overworked bodies and the smoky air constricted their breathing, but they kept on working. Some couldn't handle it and collapsed under the pressure of their work.
"Don't you think you're working the men and yourself to hard?" Iroh asked, stepping up beside his nephew.
"This is hardly the time for your lectures uncle!" Zuko shouted, his heated hands grasping the rail even tighter "The Avatar is almost within my grasp! I've no time to talk of such petty things!"
Iroh gave him a hard look before sighing heavily and returning to his seat.
"I only pray, my nephew," He paused to sip his tea. "That your obsession with the Avatar will not change your men's loyalty to you."
Zuko's hands grew hotter, until they burst into flames and melted the rail out of shape.
Aang tugged Appa along by the reigns, Sokka and Katara beside him. Every few minutes they'd hear the shouting of the soldiers behind them and they'd have to increase their pace.
Katara began to stagger slightly, but she tried her damned hardest to keep going. Momo nuzzled her cheek in an attempt to comfort and encourage her along. She smiled lovingly at the worrying lemur and continued to push herself along. Sokka grabbed her hand and helped her to keep up with him.
"Aang! Aang, wait! We can't keep going like this!" Sokka shouted.
"Come on, guys! We can make it!" Aang called back. "I spotted a pond a little further from here before we hit the water! There's a cave behind the waterfall. I know we can make it, so we've gotta keep moving!"
As they ran, they could feel the earth shaking underneath them.
"Aw shit!" Sokka cursed, pulling Katara along and increasing his speed. "Aang! They've brought out the rhinos!"
The saddles sitting atop the Komodo Rhinos shifted with each heavy step. Zuko hated riding them, but it was the faster than searching for the Avatar and his little gang on foot. Though it wouldn't be difficult to follow them anyways. Their bison's tail had dragged along and left an easy trail in the dirt.
"Fools..." He snickered, a satisfied smirk gracing his pale lips.
"Alright! Listen up!" His voice boomed.
"It seems that our little friends have left us a trail." He said, pointing to wide mark along the ground. "But just to be sure, I want you to search this whole island! Once the Avatar is in our hands, we can all return home to the Fire Nation!"
The men cheered.
"Leave the Avatar alive! If his friends try to interfere, do not show any mercy. Is that clear!"
The soldiers roared excitedly and set off on foot and atop the rhinos to search the island.
Sokka fell back against Appa's side, dropping the stick he'd used to prod the small camp fire. Katara laid her weary head on his shoulder, with Momo sleeping away in her lap. Aang sat next to Appa's head, gently stroking the thick fur and commending the giant for his hard work.
Outside, the sun hung half way in the sky, its rays sparkling in the waterfall that concealed their location. Each stream of water glittered like small diamonds, leaving crystal-like patterns among the cave walls.
Katara sighed heavily, watching the light glitter on her tan skin. Lifting her head from Sokka's shoulder, she looked around the cave for something that might catch her interest.
Nothing...
Nothing, but rocks and water.
Her mind wandered back through the last two years when they'd met Aang and started their journey. Only a month after their travels began had she turned fifteen. Now she was at the age of seventeen, Sokka eighteen, and Aang fourteen…or a hundred and fourteen. Aang had already mastered air, water, and earth, but they couldn't find a firebender to teach him that wasn't out to kill him.
They'd run out of time, the comet had already landed, and now the Fire Nation was extremely close to world domination.
About two years ago – Fire Nation: Red Desert
The comet's crater scarred the Red Desert's surface. Broken pieces of the fiery rock lay scattered for miles around the massive hole. The three of them sat atop of Appa in shock and awe as they were stared down by Fire Lord Ozai. He stood proudly on the outside of the crater as if daring them to come at him. Not far from them was Prince Zuko's and Admiral Zhao's separate battalions.
"So the rumors are indeed true." Ozai laughed. "The fabled Avatar is no more than a child. I'm disappointed in you Prince Zuko. You failed to bring even this small boy to me."
The prince's glare was angry and full of regret. The Admiral grinned.
Sokka placed a hand on Aang's shoulder and whispered.
"Remember, Aang. We'll distract the army and Ozai. You have to destroy the comet."
The young Avatar nodded.
"We can do this Aang." Katara assured, handing him two canteens of water and taking two for herself.
He nodded once again. Appa took to the skies with a might roar and sped towards the crowding firebenders. The army aimed and fired as the bison descended on them, but an air shield knocked each blast away. Appa crash landed on them, crushing many under his immense weight. The three human's leapt from the saddle, leaving Momo behind to throw large stones while Appa stomped and trashed his tail.
"Go Aang!" Katara yelled.
Aang held out his staff, twirling it like a spinning blade and plowed through the blockade.
"I got your back Katara! Do it!" Sokka fought off the firebenders as his sister prepared for an attack.
From the two canteens, Katara formed two large, menacing water cobras. The serpents bent to their creator will, slithering through the massive gathering. One was boiling hot and viciously whipped the soldierswith its powerful tongue and tail. The second was at freezing temperature and froze any part of the soldiers it touched.
Aang was almost through the mass of soldiers when a blast of fire broke through his spinning staff and knocked him back. Quickly dusting the cinders from his clothes he stood to face his challenger. Zuko came at him, his fists flaming with each throw. Zhao suddenly came from Aang's other side. The Avatar fended them both off with his staff, barely avoiding their fiery attacks. Both charged at him, one seconds after the other, trapping him so if he dodged one he'd be struck by the other. But Aang had other plans. He raised his staff and hit the ground, sending him up into the air. The firebenders crashed into each other, sending Aang into a fit of laughs as he opened his glider and soared towards the comet.
Avatar Roku had come to Aang the week before with a warning and as he'd said, the earth started to rumble violently and the comet began to crack. Light and fire oozed out of it, as if drawing in the firebenders. With a smile of triumph, the Fire Lord strode forward a few steps, his feet teetering on the edge. Zuko shook his head and looked up at the light streaming into the sky. His eyes widened in fear as he watched Ozai fall forward into crater and be enveloped into the comet's fire.
Zuko bolted for the crater, calling out to his father. The stones from the comet too began emitting a bright light that erupted into flames. Aang was so close. A few moreyards and he'd be able to extinguish the burning prophecy.
Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be.
The comet cracked in half, sending wave after wave of flames into the battle. The fire forced Aang back and buried itself into every firebender's body, empowering them. Zuko finally reached the crater, preparing to jump in and save the Fire Lord, but slipped in when the fire burrowed itself inside his body. The comet continued to crack until it exploded, the pieces scattering across the planet and spreading its power to every firebender within its reach.
When everything had cleared, not many had survived. Zhao, along with many more soldiers, had been killed by their extreme closeness to the comet and the overpowering strength it gave them. Fire Lord Ozai was no where to be found. The only person known to have survived such a close proximity were about2 dozen soldiers andhis wounded son, who lay alone in the crater and pulsing with energy.
Appa shook himself free from the collection of ash, stone, and bodies that covered him. Aang, Sokka, Katara, and Momo emerged from underneath the shelter the flying bison had provided at his own expense. The Avatar looked out across the battle field and he realized…
"…I've…I've failed…"
Appa only had enough strength to take them to a small island outside the Fire Nation. It had taken over half a year for him to recover from such terrible wounds. About sixty five percent of his fur and flesh was severely burned, he'd temporarily lost sight in his right eye, and he needed help eating. They could never thank him enough for what he'd for them, but he seemed welcome when they'd discovered an abundance of moon peaches on the island.
Shortly after they'd all healed, the fire prince picked up on their trail and continued to pursue them. And Aang continued trying his best to be the Avatar hethought he could neverbe.
Present
That blasted Prince Zuko had been running them ragged for the past two month, giving them barely enough time to stop at markets for supplies. Shaking off the memory, the gears in Katara's mind started turning as she thought of a reasonable excuse to leave the cave before she went insane. She thought for a bit, unbraiding then re-braiding her long hair that now reached her knees. He stomach answered first with a loud, angry growl.
"Saved by my hunger!" She thought thankfully.
She started to stand, but was instantly tugged down by Sokka.
"Where do you think you're going?" He whispered gruffly.
She pulled her hand back and stepped towards the cave entrance.
"Okay. One: My legs are stiff. Two: My ass is going numb. And three: I'm hungry."
Her brother stood, his face twisted in disapproval.
"There's no way you're going out there!"
"Sokka's right." Aang said, keeping his gaze on Appa.
"There are too many Firebenders and who knows what else out there. It's not safe."
Katara huffed angrily.
"Have you two forgotten what I am? I'm a Waterbender! And just in case you've also forgotten. Water puts out fire. As long as I've got my canteen," She patted the animal hide sack on her hip. "There's nothing to worry about."
Ten more minutes of arguing with the concerned boys, Katara managed to talk them into letting her go and only to search for her if she'd been gone longer than an hour.
"One hour and that's it!" Sokka repeated.
"I know!" She said, parting the waterfall, leaping onto one of the stones of the pond, and sealing the water like a curtain behind her.
Sokka returned to his spot, arms folded, and his face locked in a pout.
"If you keep sulking, you're face will stick like that."
"Hmph! Shut up, Aang..."
Katara's stomach groaned louder the further she journeyed into the woods. She'd come across some fruit, but the tree trunks where too tall and the bark too smooth for her to climb and she couldn't tell which berries were poison or not. If she asked Aang or Sokka, they'd probably end up sick or more likely, dead. She had yet to find any forms of animal or human life on the island, but she knew she wasn't alone. Firebenders were lurking about.
Not only that, but she had been getting a chill, prickling feeling in her spine since she'd left the cave.
No Firebender could've made her shiver this way.
Close behind her, among the sound of her own steps, was a second pair.
"Sokka?" She called out.
No one replied.
"Aang? Momo?"
Still no response.
She quickened her pace, but as she did so did the second. It grew louder, heavier, faster.
The forest felt almost alive. Maniacal laughter echoed around her, surrounding, and suffocating her common sense. Ahead, she could see the pond and waterfall. Just a little further and she'd be safe from the hounding demons on her tail.
"Almost there! I'm almo-mmmph!"
Large, dirty hands wrapped around her head and sealed themselves tight over her mouth and chest, preventing any screaming and movement except for kicking. It wouldn't have helped. The body behind her was clothed in armor.
"Well, what's a pretty lil' thing like you doing out in these parts?"
The voice of the hand's owner was deep and mocking, thundering in her ears like a drum. His breath reeked of alcohol and some other nasty scents she couldn't place.
"Hey boys! Looky what I caught?" Her captor called out as he dragged her back into the depths of the woods.
Three more men appeared from the trees. The tallest had a scar across his left cheek. The shortest one was missing a small portion of his left ear. And the one of middle height had a patch over his right eye. By their unruly clothing and armor, she figured that they were either thieves or rogue samurai.
"Ooooh...Nice piece of young flesh you got here boss." The shortest one grinned, prodding Katara like he was inspecting an animal.
The tallest one snickered and wiped the trail of drool from his chin.
"Can't wait to get ma hands on 'er!"
The middle one slugged him in the shoulder.
"Yur a sick perverted bastard, you know that?" He said jokingly.
"Dun' you be talkin' 'bout him you sick fuck!" The boss laughed as he gagged and bound Katara.
She watched and listened in horror as these strangers continued speaking about her, the things they were going to do to her, how they would share her and, if they were feeling generous enough, how they would kill her.
Inutenshi: Okay that's all for now. I'm not going into detail on what happens to poor Katara. I think it's quite obvious.
Katara: T.T Poor me...
Inutenshi: O.o...Where'd you come from?
Zuko: We're just figments of your imagination you bend to do you bidding. pats Katara's shoulder -.-'
Inutenshi: O.o''' Um...Sure. Anywho...I like reveiws. Let me now if you loved it, liked it, could care less, hated it, or absolutely loathed it. Luvz to you all!
Next Chapter: Help Me