The World of Avatar, this evening
BOOK THREE:
FIRE
CHAPTER ONE:
THE AWAKENING
As Sokka followed the fox spirit down the causeway, the light around him dimmed, until all he could see was the tuft of white fur on the end of the fox's tail, and then not even that. He kept walking straight ahead, through the pitch blackness, until he lost track of time. Was it five minutes? Ten? He could still carry Momo Jr.'s cage without his arms falling off, so it hadn't been TOO long, but... who knew? The ground underfoot changed from asphalt to stone, and then... to metal?
And then there was heavy fabric in his face, and he was falling, and Momohead's cage clattered to the floor, and it was bright again and he was blinking in the light. He pulled the giant red tapestry off of him and stared at the solid metal wall where it must have been hanging, where he must have just walked through. Fandom was WEIRD.
And this was a Fire Nation ship. It had better be the one Aang had written about commandeering, because otherwise? He was SCREWED. He dropped his bag, pulled Momo Jr. out of his cage, and snuck out down the hallway. There was a brief moment of panic as two guys in Fire Nation uniforms chased him out onto the deck, and then... "Momo?"
Momo was there, getting his chin scratched by two Fire Nation soldiers who looked AWFULLY familiar. One of them was his dad.
Sokka eeped and tackleglomped him. "DAD!!!"
After a few moments of surprise, Sokka was mobbed from all sides for a group hug.
"Two and a half YEARS?" Aang asked. "Really?"
"I THOUGHT you looked a little taller," Bato chuckled.
Toph jabbed a finger at his chest. "Don't even think for a SECOND we're going to let you get away without telling us every single little detail."
Sokka waved them all down. "I will, I promise. But first, more importantly -- what's our situation?"
"It's pretty much the same as it was when Aang wrote you a few days ago," Hakoda answered. He was glad that his son was actually being responsible for once, and the smile on his face made Sokka's heart leap. "We've been working on a modified version of the invasion plan."
"It's our invasion plan," Katara cut in bitterly.
"Yes, your plan," their father continued. "We won't be able to mount a massive invasion without the Earth King's armies, but the solar eclipse will still leave the Fire Nation vulnerable. So we're planning a smaller invasion -- just a ragtag team of friends and allies from around the Earth Kingdom."
"Actually, it was my plan," Sokka reminded them, "and we're scrapping it. The Fire Lord's our enemy, not the Fire Nation soldiers. We're going to try to do this with as little killing as possible."
Katara threw up her hands. "Great. Why don't both of you leave us -- AGAIN -- when I need you most! Then you can come back later with a NEW plan and pretend you still care!" She stomped off, leaving everyone staring.
"I'd... better go talk to her," Hakoda mumbled, as he hurried after her.
Sokka watched them both go, still blinking in confusion. Aang -- still weak from the lightning that struck him a few weeks back -- limped up to Sokka and put a hand on his shoulder. "A new plan -- good," he said half-heartedly. "I probably would have failed at the invasion, anyway."
Sokka put one hand on top of Aang's and squeezed comfortingly, and used the other hand to facepalm. "Have you all gone NUTS while I was gone?!??! When did this turn into the boat to Sad Town?"
Toph shrugged and raised a hand. "I'm good."
[NFI, NFB. Stolen and modified from episode 301 of Avatar.]
FIRE
CHAPTER ONE:
THE AWAKENING
As Sokka followed the fox spirit down the causeway, the light around him dimmed, until all he could see was the tuft of white fur on the end of the fox's tail, and then not even that. He kept walking straight ahead, through the pitch blackness, until he lost track of time. Was it five minutes? Ten? He could still carry Momo Jr.'s cage without his arms falling off, so it hadn't been TOO long, but... who knew? The ground underfoot changed from asphalt to stone, and then... to metal?
And then there was heavy fabric in his face, and he was falling, and Momohead's cage clattered to the floor, and it was bright again and he was blinking in the light. He pulled the giant red tapestry off of him and stared at the solid metal wall where it must have been hanging, where he must have just walked through. Fandom was WEIRD.
And this was a Fire Nation ship. It had better be the one Aang had written about commandeering, because otherwise? He was SCREWED. He dropped his bag, pulled Momo Jr. out of his cage, and snuck out down the hallway. There was a brief moment of panic as two guys in Fire Nation uniforms chased him out onto the deck, and then... "Momo?"
Momo was there, getting his chin scratched by two Fire Nation soldiers who looked AWFULLY familiar. One of them was his dad.
Sokka eeped and tackleglomped him. "DAD!!!"
After a few moments of surprise, Sokka was mobbed from all sides for a group hug.
"Two and a half YEARS?" Aang asked. "Really?"
"I THOUGHT you looked a little taller," Bato chuckled.
Toph jabbed a finger at his chest. "Don't even think for a SECOND we're going to let you get away without telling us every single little detail."
Sokka waved them all down. "I will, I promise. But first, more importantly -- what's our situation?"
"It's pretty much the same as it was when Aang wrote you a few days ago," Hakoda answered. He was glad that his son was actually being responsible for once, and the smile on his face made Sokka's heart leap. "We've been working on a modified version of the invasion plan."
"It's our invasion plan," Katara cut in bitterly.
"Yes, your plan," their father continued. "We won't be able to mount a massive invasion without the Earth King's armies, but the solar eclipse will still leave the Fire Nation vulnerable. So we're planning a smaller invasion -- just a ragtag team of friends and allies from around the Earth Kingdom."
"Actually, it was my plan," Sokka reminded them, "and we're scrapping it. The Fire Lord's our enemy, not the Fire Nation soldiers. We're going to try to do this with as little killing as possible."
Katara threw up her hands. "Great. Why don't both of you leave us -- AGAIN -- when I need you most! Then you can come back later with a NEW plan and pretend you still care!" She stomped off, leaving everyone staring.
"I'd... better go talk to her," Hakoda mumbled, as he hurried after her.
Sokka watched them both go, still blinking in confusion. Aang -- still weak from the lightning that struck him a few weeks back -- limped up to Sokka and put a hand on his shoulder. "A new plan -- good," he said half-heartedly. "I probably would have failed at the invasion, anyway."
Sokka put one hand on top of Aang's and squeezed comfortingly, and used the other hand to facepalm. "Have you all gone NUTS while I was gone?!??! When did this turn into the boat to Sad Town?"
Toph shrugged and raised a hand. "I'm good."
[NFI, NFB. Stolen and modified from episode 301 of Avatar.]