Left Behind

Chapter 4: Storm Clouds

A soft voice intersected her dreams.

“Rynn! Wake up,” Sokka laughed, shaking the girl in her bed roll.

“Wha?” Rynn blinked, opening her eyes to find herself staring at Sokka. “Oh, good morning.”

Sokka laughed. “C'mon, get outta bed! Katara's gonna come fishing with me, you game?”

“How did you manage to talk her into that?” Rynn joked, pushing herself up onto her elbows.

“Ha ha,” Sokka said sarcastically. “She conceded willingly.”

“Sure, sure!” Rynn laughed.

“So, you coming? Gran-gran says we gotta leave soon with the tide or we won't be able to leave till sundown.”

Rynn opened her mouth to agree. She would love to spend the day out of the waves with Katara and Sokka, but she remembered she'd already promised Nadi that she'd babysit Kato.

“I'm sorry,” Rynn apologized. “I've already made arrangements for today.”

“Oh,” Sokka said, his grin fading rapidly into a frown. “Always another day, I suppose.”

Rynn nodded. The situation was turning awkward fast. She attempted to cheer up the tone. “Hope you get lots of fish. Maybe we'll have some salmon tonight!”

Sokka lit up. “With Katara around, no way!”

They both laughed.

“I'll see you this evening, Rynn,” Sokka said, back in his usual optimistic mood. He waved and exited the hut.

Since she was already awake, she rolled out of her roll and pulled her pants and boots on.

Kato was still sleeping peacefully when she went to check on him. His dark brown hair was slightly touselled and curled over his eyes.

She sat beside him and rested her eyes. Ten minutes later she checked outside the hut and found the sun had already risen high into the sky, signalling mid-morning. Rynn returned inside to wake Kato.

“Where's mum?” the little boy asked.

“She went to help the other women build some more huts,” Rynn explained. “So now you're stuck with me.”

Kato frowned. “I wouldn't exactly say stuck.”

Rynn grinned. Classic little brother.

“So what're going to do today?” Kato asked.

Rynn shrugged. “We could go to the ice fields and I could show you some of my Waterbending.”

Kato lit up. “Yes please!”

Brother and sister left the tent, snacking quickly on left over seal jerky. Rynn informed Kanna where they were headed and they were off, marching across the plains.

“This should be far enough,” Rynn commented, stripping off her coat.

Kato stopped beside her, panting, and agreed. Once he had caught his breath, he said, “Now show me some Waterbending!”

“Right,” Rynn nodded.

She leveled her fingers by her chest and took a deep breath, ready to channel through one of the several Waterbending forms she and Katara had been practicing.

She extracted water from the ice, leaping forward while simultaneously moving the water behind her shoulders. She landed, feet slightly apart and bended down low, arching her back, so that if any fireballs flew toward her head they'd sail straight over her. Rynn twirled on her feet, spacing her steps deliberately, moving thorugh them slowly with control. She brought the water vertical beside her. With a final swish of her arm, the water came cascading down.

“Nice,” Kato said, applauding.

“Thanks!” Rynn grinned.

Then his face fell, and he scrambled backwards, slipping on the ice.

“Kato?” Rynn asked. Her brothers face was a mask of fear, and as she approached him it only escalated. “Kato!”

He raised a shaky finger and pointed to something behind her.

Rynn spun around. A beam of powerful blue light was soaring into the sky, breaking apart the clouds. The origin of the beam was somewhere before the horizon, floating on the horizon.

Sokka. Sokka was out there.

She prayed to the moon spirit that he'd be safe.

“Kato,” she said, racing toward the terrifyed boy. She grabbed him and hugged him tightly. “It'll be okay!”

He shivered. “It's not that...” he whispered. “It's the ship.”

Rynn spun again, searching desperately along the horizon for a boat or a sail. But she didn't need to see it, because a second later she saw the sightest disturbance in the sky. It simply looked like a storm cloud, but she knew better than that.

It was black soot.

The Fire Nation were here.

Hey guys, thanks for reading! Please comment, tell me what you think of it, I literally brain farted this out in about half an hour ^_^ Dedicated to Gaaraloverstorm3000 as always.

Sorry I have uploaded anything in a while, I've been quite busy with exams at my school and other things. Hopefully things will get rolling with the Korra fanfic, I'm hoping to get at least a few more parts done by next week, but it's me so that probably won't end up happening ;P

I'll try though, I promise! ~Mel