Fire and Aether

Chapter 2: The Avatar Returns

    Rose, Aang, and Katara came back to the village and the children ran up to them excitedly.
    Sokka looked fighting mad. "I knew it! You signalled the Fire Nation with that flare, didn't you?!"
     Rose stepped closer, trying to be the peacekeeper. "It was an accident, Sokka! I swear!"
     He softened at her expression. "There was this booby trap!" Aang continued. "And we sort of...we boobied right into it."
     "Katara, going on that ship was dangerous! Now we could all be in grave danger!" Gran Gran said.
     "But it wasn't her fault!" Rose responded.
     "I was the one who told her to go on the ship!" Aang confessed.
     "Aha!" Sokka said. "The traitor confesses! Warriors, away from the enemy!" He added, nodding towards the children who ran to his side. "Rose, you may stay but your friend is banished from our village."
     "No thanks." Rose responded. "Where Aang goes, I go. He's my family so you'll have to banish us both!"
     With that, she took her brother's hand. Katara began arguing with Sokka about how Rose and Aang weren't the enemy and how if they were banished, then she'd banish herself too. She took Aang's other hand and the three started off.
     "Katara," Rose said, pulling away, "you need to stay here with your family. Aang and I will go."
     With that, Aang got on Appa and Rose on Crystal and they left. They had scarcely got far, however, before they saw the ship.
     Rose cursed. "We've got to help them, Aang!"
     "Way ahead of you!" He shouted.
     Together they made their way back.
                           * * * * *
     Meanwhile, everyone was preparing for battle. A bunch of large men got Zuko into his armor. Sokka, on the other hand, had to prepare himself.
                         * * * * *
     The ship cut through Sokka's defenses like butter, leaving the village unprotected. The ramp lowered and Zuko appeared, stepping down the ramp with two guards following.
     Sokka took his chance, rushing forward, only for Zuko to kick him--quite literally--out the way. The disgraced prince made his way the rest of the way down and paced in front of the villagers.
    "Where are you hiding him?" He asked at last. He grabbed ahold of Gran Gran and gestured. "He'd be about this age. Master of all elements?"
     No one answered. No one moved. No one even breathed.
     Zuko threw the old woman back into the crowd. "I know you're hiding him!"
     Sokka got back up and attacked Zuko, throwing his boomerang. "Show no fear!" One child piped up, tossing him a spear which Sokka caught. He then ran towards Zuko but Zuko broke it into pieces and hit him in the head with it, knocking the boy onto the ground.
     That's when the boomerang came back and hit Zuko in the head, catching him off guard and making him have to readjust his helmet.
    That split second was long enough for Rose and Aang to come out of nowhere and knock Zuko down. The villagers cheered.
     Zuko got back up and his soldiers surrounded the villagers. Rose stood up and pulled a sword out of the aether.
     "Looking for me?"
     Zuko looked at her confused. Her long red hair waved in a wind of her own creation, her cloak partially revealing her white dress.
    She was beautiful, he realized.
    "You're the Avatar?"
    Rose stood up to her full height, fire burning in her eyes. "I am Rosalia, Princess of the Aether Realm. And yes, I am the Avatar."
    Behind her, Katara and Sokka gasped in shock.
    "You're a girl." Zuko spat out in anger.
    Rose smiled. "Yes. I'm a girl. What of it?"
    "And I'm her Guardian." Aang said, running forward protectively.
    "You! You're just a child! Step away! This is between me and the Avatar!"
    Rose nodded. "Go away, Aang! This is my fight!" She pushed him aside and turned to Zuko. "If I go with you, spare them."
    Zuko moved closer to her until they were inches apart. With a look, he finally responded, "Deal."
    Rose bowed in surrender and the guards took her hands. Zuko immediately began belting out orders.
    "Rose, don't do it!" Aang said.
    "Don't worry about me." She said, winking.
    Aang got it then.
    Once Rose was on the ship, Aang went to speak with Katara who then turned to Sokka and began ranting again until Sokka said he was on their side.
    Gran Gran then offered them supplies and let them know that now their destinies were  intertwined with Rose's. They then got on Appa to chase after Rose.
                          * * * * *
    Zuko had taken Rose's sword when they boarded the ship. "This is a beautiful sword, much like its owner." He said, running his eyes along her form. "It's a pity that you're the Avatar."
     "Well, at least if I have to be kidnapped and imprisoned my jailer is attractive. " Rose sassed back.
     Zuko chuckled in response. "This sword will make an excellent gift for my father."
    "I hope so. My father gave me that sword."
    "Take her below deck. But be gentle."
    "Bestill my racing heart." Rose sarcastically sassed.
    "And take this to my chambers." He said, handing the sword to Iroh.
    Iroh handed the word off to a guard and followed Zuko.
    The guards took Rose below deck. Once they were out of sight, the one behind her grabbed her from behind. "Pity we have to take you to the Fire Lord. The prince is right. You are quite beautiful."
    "Fuck off!" She shouted, falling backwards through a portal she created. The portal took her further into the ship and she made a break for it.
                            * * * * *
     Rose fought her way through several guards, fighting them off easily, cutting her bonds with a knife she created out of thin air.
    Finally, she found her sword and made to grab it when the door shut behind her, leaving her alone with the Fire Prince.
    "Looks like I underestimated you. Blame it on the looks or the fact that you're a girl." He said, laughing. "Oh well! I won't this time!"
     The two began to fight. Unfortunately, Rose had used too much of her power and was now too weak to make a portal or summon a spirit. She had to count on her airbending and sword to help her escape.
     Luckily, she managed to trap Zuko and ran for the deck of the ship. "Ok, girl. Now it's time to fly." She whispered to the baby dragon.
    Crystal flew into the air and became full sized. Rose was about to mount her when Zuko came running from nowhere and grabbed her.
    "You're not going anywhere!"
    That's when Aang and the others showed up. Luckily so too because Rose was getting too weak to fight alone. Aang jumped off Appa and the two began to fight Zuko. At one point, Zuko knocked Aang into the water, and Rose grew angry.
     At that moment, she went into the Avatar state and used her magic to waterbend before she passed out.
     Katara cautiously tried waterbending and luckily, managed to pull Aang out who knocked out the remainder of the guards before they all either jumped on Appa or Crystal and took off.
    Rose woke up just as Zuko got back on the ship with Iroh's help. The two men firebended and Rose had enough time to deflect it, burying them under snow.
     "Good news for the Fire Lord. She's just a girl." Iroh replied, dryly.
     "That girl did this!" Zuko reminded. "She maybe pretty but she's dangerous. And I will not underestimate her again."
      He had a weird feeling about that girl but he assumed it was because of his nerves or his anger at being outwitted.
     But there was something in their teasing and sassing of each other. How could she find him attractive? With his scar? It must've been a trick, he thought.
     But still, he wondered. And he wondered what that weird feeling was....
                         * * * * *
     "Why did you never tell us you were the Avatar?"
     Rose shrugged in response. Her guilt overwhelmed her. "Because I never wanted to be." She finally answered.
     "But you can end the war!" Katara reminded.
     "How?"
     "By mastering the elements! You've got aetherbending and even airbending down! Now you just have to master waterbending, earthbending, and finally firebending."
     "We could learn waterbending together!" Rose said, hope returning to her face.
     "And Sokka can knock some firebenders heads in on the way. "
     "Sounds good to me."
     Rose smiled. "Then we're in this together. But before we go to the North Pole, there's somewhere we have to go."
     "Where's that?"
     "My home. The Aether Realm."