The Protector || An ATLA Fanfiction

2

"Well it isn't the Fire Nation" Suki whispers, watching from the brush.

Two people dressed in Water Tribe clothing stand on the beach, watching the water as another person rides the elephant koi. "They could still be dangerous" I whisper, looking towards the great beast that felt so heavy. "How did they even get here with that thing?"

"How should we proceed, Suki?" Avani asks, watching as the boy out in the water get chased by the Unagi. Suki watches carefully, narrowing her eyes.

"Euna, can you shake things up a bit? Then the rest of us can move in" she questions, looking to me.

I smile, cracking my knuckles. "It would be my pleasure." Once the other person was on land, I step froward, clenching my hands tightly. The ground begins to shake, the three people stumbling. I look to Suki, who guides the other warriors forward, catching the three.

--

"You three have alot of explaining to do" Oyaji, the leader of our village states.

"And if you don't answer all our questions, we're throwing you back in the water with Unagi" Suki snarls. 

The Water Tribe boy thrashes against his restraints. "Show yourselves, cowards!"  Rolling her eyes, Suki pulls off their blindfolds. The boy looks confused, then angry. "Who are you? Where are the men who ambushed us?"

"There were no men. We ambushed you. Now tell us, who are you and what are you doing here?" Suki replies coldly. 

"Wait a second, there's no way that a bunch of girls took us down" he chuckles mockingly. 

Scowling, I shoot a piece of the earth out of the ground, the hard rock just under the boy's chin. "I would watch your tongue if I were you. Unless you want to be dinner for Unagi."

"No, don't hurt him! He didn't mean it. My brother is just an idiot sometimes" the girl cries out, eyes wide with fear. Suki rests a hand on my shoulder, and with a sigh, I lower the rock back to the ground. 

"It's my fault" the other boy with tattoos says quickly. Odd, I had never seen such things before. "I'm sorry we came here. I wanted to ride the elephant koi."

Oyaji was angry, something I never saw. He had always been a kind old man, being strict when he needed to, but never this. "How do we know you're not  Fire Nation spies? Kyoshi stayed out of the war so far. And we intend to keep it that way!"

"This island is named for Kyoshi? I know Kyoshi!" the boy cries out with a smile. A feeling forms within my stomach as I take a step forward.

"Ha! How could you possibly know her? Avatar Kyoshi was born here four hundred years ago.  She's been dead for centuries" Oyaji says sourly. 

The boy speaks softly. "I know her because I'm the Avatar."

"That's impossible! The last Avatar was an airbender who disappeared a hundred years ago" Suki hisses.

Stepping forward, I look to the young boy, and for a second, he looks exactly like Kyoshi. "Avatar Kyoshi told me you were alive" I breathe quietly, his brows raising. Just to be sure, I slowly take his hand, listening to his heart. Turning to the others, I smile brightly. "It's true. The Avatar has returned."

Suddenly the boys hand pulls from mine, as he launches himself high in the air, the gathered crowd gazing in amazement. Pushing away from the crowd, I head back towards the forest. If this was true, then what would be coming on the shortest day of the year?

--

"He's merely a child. How has he survived the past hundred years without aging?" I ask, pacing back and forth.

"You ask me questions I cannot answer" Kyoshi states blandly.

"Surely you can tell me. Is he fully realized? Will he end the war? What will this bring to Kyoshi Island?" I ask quickly, shaking my head. 

"Perhaps you can ask him yourself" the past Avatar says, her figure walking through me, and into the young Avatar behind me.

"I'm Aang" the boy grins, holding out his hand. Already, he was different from Kyoshi, who never smiled. 

"Euna" I reply, shaking his hand. "I have been chosen by Avatar Kyoshi to protect her home alongside the Kyoshi Warriors, so I assume that we are connected the same way she and I are."

The young Avatar looks to me with respect. "It's nice to meet someone who actually knows about the Avatar. You must have so much information on my past lives!" the boy speaks quickly, walking around. "Can you teach me earthbending? Oh that would be so cool!"

"Slow down" I sigh, barely able to understand the boy. "You're telling me you don't know how to earthbend?"

Aang sighs, looking around the forest. "I don't know if you know, but I've been frozen for over a hundred years."

I raise a brow. "Then we have a lot of work to do. Come sit with me."