Avatar The Last Airbender Fan Fiction ❯ Precious Illusions ❯ Wanted Dead or Alive ( Chapter 8 )

Authors Notes: Right, I think I didn't make it clear, but all those things Azula was holding in the other chapter covered her face, he couldn't see her. Also, I know how shaky this whole idea is. It's not supposed to be completely realistic, just take into account that it isn't only the hair that's changed.

`Did it hurt when you fell down from heaven?'

Disclaimer: Is not mine, I could never make up something so beautiful and predictable as it, though I do wish I had Zuko (I would lock him in my room and never leave). I do not own the songs either. It belongs to Nickelodeon (I think) and its creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. Or any of the songs.

 

 

Warnings: language (the f word is used twice in the fic), a bit of violence, emotional turmoil, insanity, yuri (light and far away), shoujo ai, mentions of shounen ai/yaoi. Original characters, made up avatar creatures (that's all the warning I can think of off the top of my head).

 

Wanted Dead or Alive by Bon Jovi

Chapter Eight

Wanted Dead or Alive

 

Aang sat in a meditative pose. He really didn't feel anything off balance with the spirit world, but the people had sworn they had been seeing some apparition around this area during the night. It caused general havoc and would be gone with some of their things in the morning. It looked like he would have to tell the villagers that there was no spirit or fire bending ghost, that it was someone in their town or living near the outskirts that had been causing all the mayhem. Aang did not look forward to it, they would deny it up to the point where he produced the person, preferably caught in the act with witnesses.

 

“Hey, let me guess, nothing's wrong?” Katara came and sat next to him. Aang smiled lazily. He could hardly believe it some days that he was lucky enough to end up with such a beautiful and kind person like Katara.

 

“Not with the spirit in this area at least,” he sighed and stood, stretching his aching muscles out as he did so.

 

“The villagers aren't going just accept that,” said Katara with a sigh.

 

“No, but can we tell them and then hightail it out of here anyway?” asked Aang clasping his hands and giving Katara what he hoped was a cute hopeful look.

 

“No, we have to help, you're the avatar and…” Aang sighed; Katara still loved o give lectures.

 

“Yeah, yeah, I know. But there's been tons of avatars before me that isolated themselves and only concentrated on the big issues. Sure they didn't leave any great impact but I've already defeated the Fire Lord, what more should I be expected to do?” Katara looked unimpressed by his plea. “What about Jet?”

 

“Jet is happy following us around and meeting new children,” said Katara. “Don't frown like that, he's not even our kid, we're just watching him for gran… what's wrong?”

 

“Sokka,” the avatar whispered. Katara sighed herself. Not one had seen Suki's death coming. He had lost her and his daughter in one foul instance. At first no one had wanted to tell her brother that not only had he lost his love but his child. At first it had been a shock to Katara, her brother had gotten Suki pregnant, he was not old enough and nowhere near mature enough to take care of a child. But looking at him, seeing how he looked when there was even the barest hint of talk about the girl or even children, no one with any sympathy would ever be as cruel as to say so. No one even tried to scold the boy for knocking up his dead girlfriend.

 

“He would have made a great father,” Aang thought out loud. Katara choose not to comment only hummed softly. “Hey, is that Appa?”

 

“You're just…” but no, that definitely looked like… “It's Sokka, he must have found something!”

 

“Halleluiah!” shouted Aang. Katara smile with kind eyes and grasped her necklace.

 

Sokka landed on the ground and seemed to be attempting to hide a devious smile. That alone gave her hope that maybe he had found something that could give Aang some reason again. Or maybe even something to distract Zuko -- from what she heard the Fire Lord was close to breaking down. They tried to keep in contact, but the teen was still getting used to having to go to so many meetings, meeting so many people, and getting through all his paper work. She'd felt worse hearing about how some of the kingdom fought Zuko. That they clung to their old ideals not letting go that they were not once again trying to overrule every kingdom, that they had been wrong. It was hard. They had been brought up on the ideas that their way of life and everything they had was the best and that everyone else was uncultured and crude. They had thought that by becoming what they had, by controlling all of these other places they would be spreading their proper ideals to the world.

 

“Katara, Aang!” Sokka jumped off Aang and got both of them in a tight hug. “Boy is it good to see you two! So, I found what we were looking for. There's this place up on a kinda small mountain, not that tall, but they have their own temple, and they're currently suffering from an attack from a nearby spirit. Oh, and Aang they said the reason something about building there the first time the spirit was there because they felt it would be the spot where air benders would come.”

 

“Seriously?” Aang asked.

 

“Seriously,” said Sokka going for dramatic effect.

 

“Yes! Thank you so much Sokka!” Aang practically skipped on the air. “Come on Katara we have to go and convince Zuko's people that he needs to take a trip to where the air nomads and the new ones are going to be. We could say that I think the spirit is waiting for resolution for the wrongs committed to its people because of the Fire Lord, and only he can fix it. Or something like that.”

 

“But Aang, what about the village?” asked Katara.

 

“Oh yeah, I forgot,” the avatar sounded depressed and for a second Katara felt bad. “I have an idea, where's that ink well?”

 

Aang quickly wrote a note, blew on it to dry, folded it and put a rock on it.

 

“There, that should explain the situation to them,” said Aang proudly.

 

“Aang,” Katara sounded as if a lecture was on the way.

 

“No time,” the air bender said with excitement. He picked up Katara around the waist and hoped onto Appa, Sokka was already getting himself settled on Appa's back for the ride. “Yip, yip.”

 

When they reached the fire kingdom Katara couldn't help but feel apprehensive, for such a long time this place had represented her fears and been the cause of all the anger she had. Now it was run by a friend, by someone who was trying to do right and correct the wrongs of his ancestors. Still, Katara had heard the many people who hated the prince not based on his own actions but those of the ones before him. She had heard people say that he was just like his father, only weaker so the avatar could manipulate him. Or that Zuko had been true to his father until he realized that by joining the avatar could he become Fire Lord. She boiled every time she heard it, her water bending wanting to lash out and strike the people who dared to question someone who had suffered so much in his life.

 

The fire land looked burned; everything appeared to have a red tint. Confusion floated in the air, mourners, haters, and children. Many people were starving and the rich hardly spared those unfortunate souls a glance. Zuko helping to rebuild what was lost was sucking the money in taxes from his people. Many could hardly afford to feed their own families, but any time that Zuko tried to back out of a major issue he was called on it by other nations who would not hear about how his people were suffering pointing to their own people and showing how much they had suffered under fire nation rule.

 

Zuko came running out to greet them, his formal robes almost tripping him in the process. All their eyes widened and Katara felt a small seed of fear start to grow until she saw his face.

 

“Zuko what happened?” asked Aang, Zuko took a deep breath and they suddenly didn't know what they could do.

 

----

 

“So now, the last person to pick up on this trip would be Toph, and then we'd have the whole gang with us,” said Sokka happily as they started flying into one of the outer, but larger cities in the fire kingdom.'

 

“Are you sure this is where the tour took her?” asked Sokka looking down on the city.

 

“There's some fire benders who wanted to fight her, plus there are some earth benders in the fire kingdom,” said Zuko with a shrug, he had thought that the tour would be a thing to help contact others to the earth kingdom, of course it had them beating on each other, but that would help with aggression, he hoped.

 

“I can't believe that she still does these fights,” said Katara crossing her arms in disappointment.

 

“These fights are mostly staged, just for show; though I'm sure Toph could take them on if they were serious. She's only been convinced once to throw a fight, and she won her title back quick enough,” said Aang.

 

“Well, I suppose she always did like coning people,” said Katara. “And I feel bad sometimes for yelling at her.”

 

“Why, because her parents disowned her?” asked Sokka.

 

“Just because they got a son that they think they control is no reason to reject a child just because she didn't turn out the way that they wanted. Plus, what kind of politics is that? I mean she's best friends to the avatar,” Katara had her arms crossed and pouting.

 

“Hey, this get away is for all of us,” said Aang. “A chance to see the world as a group again. I mean, sure Zuko's advisors might be a bit pissed to find out he went without escorts like we agreed on, but, damn, I'm the best escort there is.”

 

“Right? What's better protection than the avatar?” agreed Sokka. “Hey, I think I hear the fight! Oh, and look, there goes one of competitors, up and out!”

 

They flew down and the waited only a few minutes before Toph came flying at them.

 

“You guys have great timing, I just sent the last competitor flying!” said Toph happily, and pushed some hair from her sightless eyes.

 

“Do you have some time off?” asked Aang.

 

“I only travel with this group when I want; if I disappear they'll just build up the crowd's moral by making a big build of competitors. Why are we going on an adventure, we are way overdue to do so,” said Toph, she started climbing onto Appa's back.

 

“But don't you have other places scheduled?” asked Katara.

 

“I already told you what they'd do,” said Toph making a shooing motion. “Plus, this is more important.”

 

Katara decided to drop the conversation. She could never really win with Toph, Toph would be Toph after all.

 

“Hey, who's this?” asked Toph her hand feeling out the outline that she didn't remember. The person under her hand giggled in a dignified sort of way.

 

“Toph don't be rude,” Katara scolded. Toph took back her hand and held it up in a show of surrender.

 

“Yeah yeah, I see you're still the wet blanket of our group,” said Toph with a sniff. Katara glared but then blushed as everyone started laughing.

 

----

 

The skies were clouded when they started to reach their destination. Sokka was pretty sure he had the right direction and place. But while he was alright with direction he was a horrible map maker from memory. He could get it after he'd studied it, and he could study a map. But he had problems with doing it from a basic placement of things, he was working on it, but like public speaking he was better at making it into a joke than anything else.

 

“What the..?” Toph held tight to Appa as the flying bison bucked in the sky to avoid crashing into something.

 

“Is that..?” Aang's voice was soft and airy, like he'd seen a miracle.

 

“Is that what?” asked Toph, completely lost.

 

“I'd suggest you give the one in yellow some pointers, she crashed into me when I came here,” Aang was off in the sky, and Sokka climbing onto Appa's head to take over.

 

“Wait, are there air benders here?” demanded Toph, not for the first time wishing she would see with her eyes.

 

“Oh my,” said the woman next to Toph, her delicate hand over her mouth.

 

“Sokka, you jerk, why didn't you tell us that there were actual air benders here?” demanded Katara, her voice so much exasperation as it was awe.

 

“I thought it'd be a nice surprise for Aang,” said the water tribe teen. They watched Aang fly with the three other air benders while landing Appa. When they landed they ran to the top steps of the temple where a dozen other teens and children watching the three air benders with wistfulness in their eyes.

 

“That's it, just back up a little and, opps,” the girl tripped and fell, though not breaking anything.

 

“Hey, it's Saki, right?” asked Sokka coming and offering a hand to the girl. She smiled and nodded. “Well, that's a better landing then last time.”

 

“Best one yet,” said the girl with a smile. “I hope you will help me improve.”

 

“I intend on helping to teach and start the air bending practices again,” said Aang bowing to Saki and the rest of the group. The small band of air benders quickly tried to follow their lead, a lot of clumsy attempts at bowing were attempting.

 

“Sounds like fun,” said one of the teenagers with a touch of melancholy.

 

“Are you really going to teach us air bending?” asked one of the little ones.

 

“He's going to help,” corrected Saki.

 

“But he's the air bender,” said one of the boys.

 

“But Saki promised that Mai, I mean Azi, was going to teach us,” whined one of the kids.

 

“My mother says Azi's a dirty…” sneered another one, and soon they were a pile of bodies.

 

“A dirty what?” asked Aang, looking at the pile of grumpy children who were trying to rip each other apart. The kids all looked at him and blinked. A motherly woman came and started scolding them and breaking the pile apart to find if any of them had been injured.

 

“I'll explain inside, you all can go to your rooms for studying while your teacher is out god knows where,” said Saki dragging the avatar inside.

 

“I can't believe that there are still air benders,” said Aang happily. “I had thought that I was the last one!”

 

“That's the impression that we had hoped to leave on the world,” said Saki sadly. “To be an air bender was dangerous, especially right after the attack. You see, they thought they had gotten all of us. If even one of us became exposed to the Fire Lord we could easily be eradicated because there weren't that many of us left, there still isn't.”

 

“I can't believe it,” said Aang. “But we will do everything to start the temple back up again.”

 

“I hope you don't expect it to be exactly the way it used to look,” said Saki with a small smile. “When you start over again it hardly happens the same way twice.”

 

“We'll be happy to give any assistance that we can,” said Zuko, bowing to the girl. She looked at him in interest.

 

“You have very official looking clothing,” said a mid forties man coming from one of the hallways.

 

“I'm Fire Lord Zuko,” said Zuko, his voice proud. Saki gasped a little, her eyes wide.

 

“In that case we are honored to have your help, but I'd advise you to limit your wandering to around the temple until the people become used to the idea of you being here, many people remember and have suffered under the last Fire Lord and I'm afraid they will direct that at you if they see you,” said the man. “Saki, have you seen Azi?”

 

“No, she was dragged out by one of the hunting groups the other day, if I had to guess she'll be back with them,” said Saki, regaining her bearings with little difficulty.

 

“The children are growing restless,” he sighed. “I hope that we'll see more of each other, I'm sorry I must depart so quickly but I have to make sure none of the ancient scrolls are destroyed by eager young hands.” The man left his sword following his movements.

 

“So Azi is a bender, did she almost expose you guys before the war ended and that's why you're so mad?” asked Sokka.

 

“No, she's not a bender, she's insane, literally. She'll go through spells where she visions of people she's known from her past and also times when she's out of it or more scary than usual,” said Saki. “But she's more dangerous to herself and she's good with kids.”

 

“So she becomes docile around children,” said Katara with a soft smile.

 

“Um, not exactly. In fact, none of us want to know what she does to them to make then obey her, but they do as they're told and still want to see her the next day,” said Saki with a small laugh. “Don't worry she's not making them believe in her crazy beliefs, Elder Fin interrogated some kids and then her. He doesn't exactly approve, but none of us really want to be the one to take of them, they can be rather scary when they get in their moods. Doubled with air bending that not even we understand, well, they're more than a handful.”

 

“You leave your kids with someone who is certifiably insane?” asked Aang, hardly believing his ears.

 

“I can't even say she's a nice girl,” said Saki.

 

“I heard that, who's he..?” a young girl came into view. Tall, with some gentle curves, a narrow face, and blue hair; she seemed frozen looking at them.

 

“Azi!” called out Saki, she ran to the other girl and opened her arms and said happily. “The bald one is the avatar, and the teen in fancy red robes is the fire king!” she squeaked when Azi fell onto the ground in a deep bow. Saki blinked her friend in wonder for a few second. “I'm sure that's not necessary.”

 

“Not at all,” said Zuko, his voice kind. The girl stood, but her movements were stiff and her blue bangs hid her face.

 

“They say you're going to be teaching the little ones air bending. What makes you qualified when you're not even an air bender?” Azi glared at Aang until she smiled uncomfortably and took a few steps back from her face. The girl sighed and seemed torn for a second before she blew one bang up and crossed her arms.

 

“No one here, not even the air benders know how to air bend. I was taught the sword where there were also fire and earth benders studying, even those of us without any bending learned some of the basic forms. Plus, I've studied the scrolls and can accurately describe what is supposed to happen, and I'll have Gato to give the demonstrations,” said Azi, her voice was clipped and irritated. Saki was giving her friend a weird look, but just smiled at Sokka sweetly when he looked at her questionably.

 

“Oh, well, then I guess that's okay. You sound sane,” said Aang, the girl glared at him. Her jaw worked and then she glared at Saki.

 

“I needed to inform them on the whole situation. It would be a little awkward if you went into one of your spells and they had no idea what was going on,” said Saki with a shrug. Azi huffed and looked at the group; she seemed less than impressed on the whole with their arrival.

 

“Azi! You're… what the hell happened to your hair?” the chubby teen asked. He bit his lip to stop the laugh that wanted to break free.

 

“The Kish thought that I would look better like this,” said Azi dryly.

 

“Maybe it's his way of showing he that he accepts you,” said Gato with a chuckle.

 

“That's what he said, and now he has to use that stick to get around for the next few days,” said Azula, Gato chuckled and shook his head.

 

“At any rate, they want you to know you're welcome to join in on the hunts any time you wish,” said Gato. “Who are these guys?”

 

“I'm Aang, the avatar,” said Aang before Saki could make introduction again. He smiled widely at the dumbstruck look the guy was looking.

 

“My name is Katara, of the water tribe.”

 

“I'm Toph, the best damn earth bender ever!”

 

“I'm Zuko, Fire Lord,” said Zuko. In a second the kid was right in his face.

 

“Really?” Gato said and then started doing an odd inspection of the stunned fire bender. “I'd always pictured you as more scary and overbearing. Ow, nasty scare you got there. All in all you must not get a lot of respect, I mean; you're not all that imposing to look at. Well, maybe that scar, but definitely not with these rags.”

 

“These are my casual clothes,” said Zuko, a little angered by what the boy was implying.

 

“Casual clothes? Dude you need to take a better look at what you're wearing, you can't do anything casual in these fine cloths, is this silk?” why didn't Saki tell them that there was more than one insane residing at this temple? “Oh, hey Sokka, how are you doing?”

 

“Alright,” said the water tribesman conversationally.

 

“Well, I'm off,” said Azi while rolling her eyes. Gato's focus went back to the girl, still holding Zuko's sleeve in one hand.

 

“Going to get that blue out of your hair?” asked Gato with a smile.

 

“No, I thought I'd keep it, matches my look doesn't it?” said the girl dryly. Gato just smiled at her and Azi made to leave before bring assaulted by a ton of little bodies all shouting her name. She was then dragged away by said little creatures looking shocked and obviously a little scared that the little things had known so quickly that she was back. Saki broke into soft laughter and Gato just looked back so he could shake his head at Master Tuk.