Avatar The Last Airbender Fan Fiction ❯ Avatar: Doomsday ❯ The Pit and Cero ( Chapter 2 )

Standard Disclaimer: I don't own anything in this story aside from my own original characters and concepts. Avatar: The Last Airbender and all of its characters are property of Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. I own nothing and make nothing from this work.

Summary: Takes place shortly after The Boiling Rock, Part 2. Ever wonder what happened to Mai and Ty Lee during Sozin's Comet? Prison escapes, chimera monsters, freakish firebenders, secret takeovers, dragons, sibling rivalries, and evil spirits. It's all here.

Man,less than a week on the net and already over 50 hits. Bonus! Now if I could get a few more reviews...

Enjoy!

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Chapter 2: The Pit and Cero

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Mai nearly stopped in her tracks as she caught Raijin's whisper. Iroh knows that he's here…and Iroh just broke out of prison. I remember Azula ranting about that for days. The pale girl fixed a steely glare at the back of Raijin's shaggy head. …just what are you planning?

After a few minutes of walking the trio was forced into a shoulder-to-shoulder line as they faced a large iron gateway. The gate itself was a slate gray in color and mixed with the depressing atmosphere of the prison while still managing to add an aura of nervousness.

Ty Lee rubbed her arms nervously. Somehow I don't think that door is to keep someone in…but to keep something out.

“Alright,” one of the guards - the leader, apparently - spoke up. “Cero, you already know what's going to happen so I'll let you explain it to your little friends here.”

Raijin ignored the guard's comment and asked a question instead. “You got any gifts for me?”

The guard cracked a grin. “Surprisingly, yeah, I do. The Baron says that you each get a sword for this one.”

Raijin snorted and shifted slightly. “How very kind of him; make sure to thank him for me, Zian.”

The guards all let out a laugh. “Will do,” Zian chuckled before he sneered at Raijin. “Now get in the Pit and try not to die. Life without you around here would be even more boring.” With that, Zian and several of the other guards walked away, leaving only three spear wielding guards.

“What's going on, Rai?” Ty Lee asked nervously.

Before he could answer, the large gateway began to open, making horrible creaking sounds. Immediately, the three prisoners felt the sharp blade of the guard's spears against their backs. “In you go,” came the gruff voice of one of the guards.

Raijin, Mai, and Ty Lee all stepped beyond the gateway with no resistance. As soon as they were clear the gate quickly slammed back down to the ground, leaving them trapped on the other side. Mai and Ty Lee quickly scanned their surroundings.

They were in a large arena-like area. It was in the shape of a perfect square and stretched maybe a hundred feet from one side to the other. Directly across from the door they entered stood an identical door with two guards stationed in front of it. The ground was a mixture of gravel and hardened sand. The walls that created the arena stretched up around thirty feet from their base on the ground. Atop the walls were dozens of seats to give a view of the inside of the arena.

“What is this place?” Mai wondered aloud.

“This is the Pit. It's a fighting arena where the prisoners are used to entertain the guards by battling one another or whatever they bring in for us to fight.”

“They watch you fight for fun?” Ty Lee asked, shocked and disgusted at the same time.

Raijin nodded. “Sounds like something Azula would enjoy, huh? Anyway, you don't have to worry about fighting any humans in here. They stopped having people fight me a few months after I got here.”

“Why doesn't that comfort me at all?” Mai asked sarcastically. Raijin shrugged.

“Probably because it shouldn't comfort you; instead of people, I get to fight monsters.”

Mai sighed. “Beautiful,”

Slowly, the seats atop the walls of the Pit began to fill with guards. Atop the walls there was a general feeling of excitement and joy at the upcoming fight. Bets were being made while others discussed past battles in the Pit. Some even speculated on what type of creature it would be this time and who the girls accompany Cero were.

Down in the Pit, however, Mai and Ty Lee glared around nervously while Raijin eyes remained deadlocked on the deck of seats directly in front of them, particularly a large golden throne in the center of the seats.

Finally, all the seats were filled - around sixty in total - save for the throne. A hush fell over the crowd as a lone trumpet blared out, signaling the appearance of the Kurosaka's warden. The man who appeared was rather tall and slender. His skin was slightly tanned from the sun and he was clothed in gaudy crimson robes and golden accessories. A finely combed beard stretched down from his jaw to his chest that shook with every movement.

In the silence the girls could actually hear Raijin's teeth grind together at the sight of the man.

“Who's that?” Ty Lee whispered to Raijin.

Mai interjected before Raijin could speak. “I've seen him before; he's a friend of my uncle's. His name is Baron Seipher.”

“His name is Baron? What a funny name!”

“No, his name isn't Baron, that's his ti-” Raijin was cut off.

“Greetings, my friends!” the robed man bellowed as he stood in front of his golden throne. “It is once again time for us to witness our dear Cero in another fight to the death!” the crowd exploded at this declaration. The Baron smiled and motion for silence from the crowd. He continued, “Now for this battle you will notice that Cero has been joined by two others, both traitors to the Fire Nation.”

The crowd now exploded in a mass of jeers and curses directed at the girls. Mai didn't bat an eye at it but Ty Lee seemed a bit stunned by the crowd. Raijin laid a hand on her shoulder and gave it a slight squeeze. “Ignore them,” he whispered.

Seipher continued on. “Now as this week's opponent is a little special, I have decided to give Cero and his friends here a little present.” A guard approached Seipher carrying a platter of several weapons. The Baron pulled three from the platter and dismissed the guard.

“For the two traitors, we have a short sword for each of you.” The robed man tossed two worn and slightly rusted short swords. “And as for you, Cero, we have an exquisitely made sword.” Seipher nonchalantly tossed the weapon down into the rocky sand of the Pit.

Raijin stared at the weapon before and blinked. With a scowl, he yelled up at the Baron. “What in Spirit's name is this?”

Seipher snorted snobbishly. “It is a sword of course.”

Raijin hefted up the `sword' which was no longer than his palm and was about as sharp as a feather. “This isn't a sword! It's a butter knife!”

Baron Seipher shrugged. “Knife…sword…whatever. You have your blade, Cero. Now use it and die.” He gestured to a pair of guards that stood in front of a large iron door opposite of the door the group had entered through. “Release the beast!”

The two guards yanked open the large gateway and immediately bended a ring of fire around themselves. Raijin's lone silver eye hardened as it peered into the darkness of the open gateway.

“Quick, what are your fighting specialties?” he muttered to the girls in a low voice.

“Throwing knives and senbon,” Mai told him.

“Taijutsu with chi blocking techniques,” Ty Lee whispered to him nervously.

Raijin was silent for a moment. A screeching cry rang from the darkness of the gateway. Whatever it was it was coming closer.

Raijin snapped into action. “Mai, give me your sword now!”

The stoic girl quickly handed the rusty blade to Raijin. The single eyed man quickly scanned the sword's blade for imperfections in the steel.

Come on, come on…found one!

“There!” Raijin cried as he twirled the blade and positioned it alongside his forearm. With a wicked yell, Raijin slammed the blade into the wall.

Within seconds, the rusted steel blade had shattered into dozens of small steel pieces.

Another screech echoed throughout the arena. Raijin ignored it and grinned at Mai. “And there are throwing knives for you.” He glanced at Ty Lee “Looks like you and me are just gonna have to wing it.”

Mai quickly knelt and picked up the sword's shattered remains while Ty Lee tossed Raijin her sword and took up her typical martial arts stance.

Finally, with one last furious screech the monster revealed itself from the shadows. It slunk forward on all fours much like an Alley-Puma. Its fur was an ugly mix of a muddy orange and yellow. It walked on four thin but powerful legs with a pair of large ivory talons on each foot. Two large feathered wings folded down across its sides from the beast's shoulder blades. It had the head of a very large hawk.

Ty Lee and Mai stared at it in disgust. Raijin's stare was one of pity, hatred, and grim determination.

“What is it?” Ty Lee asked as the creature stretched its bizarre body.

“It is another of my father's creations.” Raijin said as he began to advance slowly on the flexing beast. “He takes the parts of different animals and mixes them as he sees fit. If he finds them useful, he keeps them. If they are a waste, well, they get sent here. It looks like this one is part Messenger Hawk and Tiger-Wolf. Just pray that it can't fly.”

As if on command the freakish monster spread its mutated wings and screeched into the sky unheeded.

“Nice choice of words,” Mai said with a glare. Raijin slapped himself in the forehead.

“Just shut and try and clip its wings from the ground.” He glanced over at Ty Lee. “We have to try and get it closer to the ground so that Mai has a better shot. Any ideas?”

The hybrid Tiger-Hawk tore down from the sky in a deadly roll, ivory talons glistening in the sunlight. Raijin hurled his rusty blade at the beast, hoping to force to break its roll and regroup in the air, giving Mai a clear shot.

Instead, the freakish chimera managed to roll around the thrown sword and raced towards Raijin as a blur. Eye wide, the prisoner managed to dive and roll out of the way of the Tiger-Hawk's full grasp but couldn't completely escape the monster's long talons as they slashed a pair of jagged twin cuts across his bare back.

“Rai!” Ty Lee cried as the crowd exploded in celebration at first blood.

“I'm fine!” he grunted. The chimera had swooped back into the sky and dive bombed back down again, this time heading straight for the pink clad girl from behind. “Look out!”

Before Ty Lee even had a chance to turn around several pieces of a broken sword ripped into the creature's side, blood spattering across the gravely sand of the Pit. The hybrid screeched in pain as it began to climb back in the higher altitude.

Before it could even react, Ty Lee had leapt inhumanly high and was now firmly attached to its back.

Raijin pushed himself up from the ground with a grimace and blinked at the sight of Ty Lee clinging to the back of the Tiger-Hawk. “How'd she do that?”

Mai frowned and dropped her arms when she saw that she couldn't get a clear shot with Ty Lee sitting on its back. “She used to work in a circus.”

Raijin trotted over and retrieved the thrown sword from the ground. “No kidding? So, she's right at home up there?”

Mai shrugged. “More or less,”

High above, Ty Lee was frowning as she scanned the chimera's back for chi areas to block. “Ohhh! This is so hard! I don't know where to hit! Guess I just have to guess.” Her hands blurred as she jabbed the Tiger-Hawk several times between its misshapen shoulder blades. Almost instantly the hybrid monster's right wing went limp and it began a speeding downward spiral.

Raijin paled. “Well that can't be good. Hold on Ty Lee!”

Mai rolled her eyes. “She was in the circus. She'll be fine.” Her golden eyes hardened as she launched several more blades that sliced across the Tiger-Hawk's good wing. It stopped its spiral and simply began to plummet towards the ground.

Ty Lee screamed. The crowd of guards cheered wildly.

Raijin discarded his sword and yelled up to Ty Lee, “Jump!”

With a yell, the pink clad girl dove off the top of the beast and landed in Raijin's open arms. He looked down at her, “You alright?”

She blinked and spoke in a woozy voice. “Why are there three of you?”

Raijin shrugged and set her on her still unsteady feet. She still leaned on him heavily. “Don't worry; I'm the one in the middle.”

The hybrid monster crashed into the ground with a screeching grunt. The crowd cheered at the impact but was disappointed that none of the prisoners had been hurt.

As soon as Ty Lee was steady Raijin grabbed his sword from the ground and began to walk towards the Tiger-Hawk. “It isn't dead,” he spoke as he got closer. “Don't let your guard down.”

With an agility that was stunning for its size, the beast rolled to its feet and screeched wildly. Mouth open, it launched a large thorn from its beak. Raijin's blade, though rusty, sliced through the thorn with relative ease.

In the stands the Baron scowled something fierce.

Mai prepared to send out a more blades when she realized she was out. She frowned. I hate prison.

Ty Lee poked at one of the halves that the Tiger-Hawk had shot at them. She looked over at Raijin, “How did you know that was going to happen?”

“My father always likes to add in something a little special to try and kill me with. He tried fire once but that didn't work out too well for him. Since then he's used thorns, needles, and generally anything sharp and pointy.”

Ty Lee sweatdropped. “Oh,”

Growl building in the chimera's throat, it leapt at lone eyed man with its talons shining in the mid-day sun.

Raijin hesitated a moment and as spun around the creature at the last second, slicing a long, bloody cut down the beast's flank as he did so. Before the hybrid could turn to lash out at him, he brought the rusty blade down again, this time slicing deeply into a hind leg.

Ty Lee blinked as Raijin moved. “Wow…he's so fluid with that sword.”

Mai nodded. “Yeah, he almost looks a bit like a waterbender when he moves.”

Ty Lee nodded emphatically. “I know! He could have been in the circus too!”

Finally, the Tiger-Hawk collapsed from blood loss. Raijin tossed the sword to the dirt and began to walk away. He hadn't gotten more than ten steps when the defeated chimera exploded in crimson and orange flames. Ty Lee and even Mai jumped in surprise.

Raijin didn't so much as flinch.

Turning back to the flaming corpse of the Tiger-Hawk, Raijin lifted his silver eye to meet Baron Seipher's molten gold pair. “You have no regard for life at all, do you?”

The Baron sneered down at his prisoner but said nothing. The crowd remained deathly silent.

“That's fine,” Raijin shrugged. “My regard for human life has dropped quite a bit too.”

Suddenly, the fire burning the dead monster's corpse flared a hellish black and ripped away from the charred body. Raijin jerked his left arm back smoothly and the black fire followed suit, curving around his back like a stream of water. Then, Raijin lashed his right arm out the fire burst forth in a stream that smashed into the portion of wall right below Seipher. Instantly the sound of many arrows being notched into their bows could be heard.

It all happened in the span of four seconds.

Raijin let his hands drop to his sides and walked over to Ty Lee and Mai, pointedly ignoring the sword he had been using. He ignored the shocked looks the girls shot him, instead asking if they were alright. They simply continued to stare.

Raijin sighed. And this is why I took up swords…

xxxx

Meanwhile, standing in the crowd of guards stood one guard that appeared a bit larger than the rest. His thick silver/gray beard had been pulled into a small knot as to fit underneath the facial plate of the helmet. His armor was uncomfortably tight due to his size, muscles pressing firmly against the steel plating.

The Dragon of The West thumbed his beard in thought. After a moment, the man nodded to himself and absentmindedly fingered the cool Pai Sho tile in his pocket as he exited the Pit's crowd.

Tomorrow perhaps? Yes, it will have to be if they intend to help the invasion. The old general sighed. I need a good cup of tea…

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Explanations about...

Raijin's Sword Trick: Okay, I'm sure some of you find Raijin breaking the sword into pieces a bit hard to belive but let's think about it for a second. In the episode The Beach, Zuko sent a teenager as large as him flying across the room with a single handed shove. It's based on a cartoon! Some things won't make sense in reality. However, you also have to look at the sword; it was old, rusty, and utterly dull as it was. Take that into account, along with Raijin claiming to be one of the best swordsmen in the world...and ta-da! Instant shattered sword!

Anyway, review and tell me what you think! I' really curious to know what people think about Raijin and his skills or if Mai and Ty Lee are OCC at all. It drives me insane when a character is OCC!