The Protector || An ATLA Fanfiction

3

"Kyoshi Warriors are taught to fight not with strength, but to use the force of enemies against them" I explain, circling the young Avatar. "While this can contradict traditional earth bending of trying to overwhelm enemies, I've found a balance between the two."

He watches intently, a small lemur hanging on his shoulder, mumbling quietly. "I stay quick on my feet when being attacked, using the earth to twist my opponent around" clenching my fist, the earth shifts under Aang, turning him around. "I remain planted like a rock when I must defend." A wall of earth rises in front of me, my feet flat on the ground.

Aang grins, looking to the ground. "Now, just try to move the rock."

He turns to a decent sized rock, focused. He grunts, thrusting his hands forward, but the rock stays in place. Frowning he tries again, shaking his head. "I can't do it!" he cries out. "Waterbending came easy."

"Earthbending is different from waterbending and airbending, so it might take you longer to learn" I state, trying to be patient, but the young Avatar has little interest. 

Suddenly voices flood the forest, young girls entering with high pitched screams. I look over to Aang, only to find a cloud of dust. The girls run past me, following the Avatar into the jungle. 

"The nerve" I growl, shaking my head. "He is impatient."

Kyoshi stands beside me, watching the girls run off. "He is a child, Euna. I didn't even know I was the Avatar at his age."

"Still, he must take this role seriously. He is the Avatar!" I sigh. 

The past Avatar places a ghostly hand on my shoulder. "He will mature over time. For now, let him enjoy his childhood."

~

I sit just beyond the beach, crowded around some brush, eyes closed. I feel the movements around the island, which included three more people. I felt the Avatar running from the girls, Katara stumbling with a basket, and the Water Tribe boy, Sokka standing alongside the Kyoshi Warriors.

I should be there, training alongside them, but like Suki said, I was disconnected from the girls. When I did join their training, it was awkward, filled with accidental bumps and hushed apologies.  

"Hey" a voice whispers, I was so lost in thought I didn't even feel his footsteps.

"Dad" I say, looking away from the water. "What are you doing here?"

"Thought you might enjoy this, since you were interrupted" he holds up a small slice with a smile. 

"Thank you" I reply, taking a bite. The soft cake melts into my mouth, a warm smile on my face. We watch in silence as the Avatar swims out in the bay, Katara and the other young girls watching him. 

"The Avatar is nothing like Kyoshi" he states calmly.

Shaking my head, I sigh. "He's just a kid, how can we put the fate of the world into his hands?"

"The same could be said about you" Dad replies, resting a hand on my shoulder. "You've watched over the island since you were his age, perhaps even younger. Don't underestimate him." Pulling away, he carries the rest of the cake up the hill. 

As he does, I feel something thumping along the beach. Closing my eyes, I rest my hand on the hard surface, but the harsh voice shouting through the air was an answer in it's own. "I want the Avatar alive."

"Go" Kyoshi growls softly.

Taking a breath, I step out of the brush, eyes narrowed. Before me was three men, riding rhinos. The leader was a boy, just around my age, but the dark scar that took half of his face made him seem older. "Kyoshi Island has remained neutral throughout this war, and will continue to do so. If you have ill intent, leave, or else you'll be fed to the Unagi."

The boy raises his only eyebrow, then laughs. "Oh really? I wouldn't want you to mess up your makeup. All I want is the Avatar, and if you give him to me, no harm will come to this village."

"You're lying" I hiss, keeping on my toes. "The second you have the Avatar, The Fire Nation will continue to take over the Earth Kingdom, and eventually you'll be back here."

"Then I see you give me no choice" he growls, suddenly blasting fire towards me. I slide along the earth, quickly sinking the rhinos to their knees into the ground. They howl with surprise, throwing the men off of their backs. 

"Leave this island at once" I boom, planting my feet onto the ground. 

The boy and the two other men get to their feet, utter hate on their faces. "I'm not leaving without the Avatar" the boy growls, moving forward with another blast of hot fire. Twisting my feet, the earth in front of me shoots up. With a grunt, I shove the earth forward, pushing the men and the rhinos towards the beach. 

The boy screams out, flying over the rock wall with fire pulsing from his feet. Determined, I pull rocks from the ground, shooting it at the boy, but he evades. He's getting too close. Pulling out the fans hooked to my side, I use what Suki taught me, jabbing the fans into his sides. 

He stumbles back, angrier than ever. Behind him, the men try to get the rhinos out. "Leave this island" I try again, but to no avail. 

"Do you want your village to burn?" he growls, a fireball shooting past me and into a nearby tree, which explodes into flames. Snarling, I kneel, gripping the earth. With a flick, the earth rises, bringing the boy up, before slamming back down into place. He groans, trying to get up, but I sink his hands and feet into the ground. Looking up, I clench my fingers, bringing my hands down. The two men cry out, sinking into the ground behind the rhinos. 

I look down to the boy, a cocky grin on my lips. "It seems that my makeup is quite alright. Now, would you rather be fed to the Unagi, or shoved underground?"

"I'd rather capture the Avatar" the boy states, before fire erupts from his mouth. Screaming aloud, I stumble back, waving my hands back and forth, the earth around us quaking. Next thing I know I'm pinned to the ground, the boy's weight pressing down onto me. "You could've done things the easy way, but now because of you, your home will burn" he hisses, pulling me to my feet. 

I protest, trying to pull away, but his grip is strong. Quickly tying rope around my wrists, he hoists me onto his rhino, getting on behind me. "And you'll get a front row seat" he whispers in my ear, a chill going down my spine.

What had I done?