The Savior of Jang Hui River

Chapter 1 : Prologue

A/N:

Hello all!

It's been years since I've wrote a new story, so bear with me for the first couple chapters, it's going to take a bit for me to get back into the swing of things. I also have not written anything from this universe before, but I am absolutely in love with the Gaang and their adventures, so here we are!

This is set right before the Painted Lady episode (3x3) but some things happen prior and during this episode that send the usual canon plot a little off course, so I suppose this could be considered an AU. The first few episodes will also be setting up the story and getting Katara's Painted Lady actions started before Zuko and the Blue Spirit come into the picture, so be patient for our fire prince's introduction.

I'll add another A/N at the end of the chapter explaining some more things that I feel might need some more details. I may even go back and reword bits of this first chapter once I've wrote another chapter or two.
This story is also available on A03 (archive of our own) under the name "blondebandit" and on FanFiction . Net as well , same story title.

Let me know what you all think!

Kim

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Katara cursed under her breath, darting down the alleyway to her right.

Surely that was fast enough, she thought to herself. I've got to lose them, or Spirits know what'll happen.

The young water bender stumbled to a halt as she reached the end of the alleyway.

Sokka and Aang just had to explore the weird metal factory...

Footsteps thundered, alarmingly close, and she scrambled to take in her surroundings. She was desperate to find something that she could use to fight off her pursuers.

She reached out, searching for any trace of her element.

The smallest amount of water called out to her from inside the building to her right, though she could tell it was badly polluted. The river that ran nearby was just out of reach.

I need to start paying more attention when we're flying on Appa...she thought to herself.

Katara could have sworn that they were somewhere past Crescent Island where Avatar Roku's temple was located, but she wasn't sure.

She pulled what little water she could from the source, watching it come out a small pipe sticking out of the roof. She formed it into a ball and held it close to her.

The steps grew even louder and she pushed herself close against the wall, hoping the crates would be enough to hide her from the soldiers.

What good would this small amount of water do anyway? she thought forlornly.

It was barely enough to form a water whip, assuming she could prevent a fireball from evaporating it.

Seconds passed and her heart beat violently in her chest, waiting for the men to call out in victory from discovering her hiding place.

Seconds became minutes and it was then she realized, she had been so caught up in her anxious thoughts that the soldiers must have passed the alley and continued further on.

~0~

A week had passed since Katara had become separated from the others. She'd spent the first few days in a panic, searching the surrounding woods and staring out over the open air above the water, searching for any sight of Appa or her friends. It was at the end of the third night that she'd given up, deciding they were long gone or captured by the Fire Nation.