ATLA Little Bender

Object of Affections

The two girls peeked through the bushes to find out what the noise is; Elaria felt her heart sink. All at once, the visions threatened to assault her but she pushed them back.

They need to get out. Now.

"Pirates," Elaria groaned, with her anxiety it came more like an odd exasperated whimper. She gripped Katara's arm, "We need to go now!" She steadfast said. The girls turned around only for arms to grab them both. Her aggressor held them behind her back. Elaria tried to rip her arms away, stomp on their feet, knee them in their makers, anything that would make them let go of her. Beside her, she saw Katara fighting against another Pirate's grip. Her eyes lost track of her when Katara ripped away and bent water in his face, she caught her freedom briefly but then collided into another man's chest. Elaria was held with her back facing him but she knew who he is the moment she hears his voice...

"I'll save you from the pirates..." Zuko told her friend. 

Finally, Elaria managed to throw her head back and inadvertently hit her aggressor jaws. He let her go with a grunt. Elaria twisted her body and blasted air at him. Throwing him against a tree. She turned with a huff to find Katara gone- she groaned. She needed to find her, but Aang and Sokka needed to know the danger they were in... 

Momo chittered behind her and Elaria jumped in fright. "Oh, this is perfect! Momo I need you to go back to Aang and Sokka wake them up, either of them and shows them this-" Elaria grabbed the Waterbending scroll she had kicked to the bushes and handed it to Momo. "Sokka would know that Katara wouldn't have given up the chance for practice. The lemur chittered before it flew off. Elaria could only hope that Sokka slept lightly for once in his life. 

She stepped over the collapsed body of the pirate. Half tempted to go back and tie him up for a taste of his own medicine. She didn't have any time to waste. Elaria treaded after the large mob of footprints with caution. Taking slow and quiet deep breaths to stop her fidgeting as she followed them. They hadn't noticed that she was even there. Only the Pirate that threatened her.

A simmering fury building from its roots inside of her.

It's Zuko. If it's him. How dare her cousin work with them. Pirates. 

As if taking her father wasn't enough. Now he feels the need to do this?

She could hear the shuffles of the firebenders, including her cousin not far from where they caught the girls off guard. 

"Tell me where they are and I won't hurt you or your brother," Zuko threatened her friend. Elaria had only seen her cousin a handful of times during his intimidations; before she accepted her place to not do anything but now... this is personal when it involved her new family. 

Elaria closed in on the group. Her heart beating so loud despite her efforts that she was positive one of them would be able to hear her. Getting caught by Zuko no longer meant going back to her chambers in the Fire Nation palace, it meant certain death. 

Katara growled at him in rage. "Go jump in the river!" she yelled into his face. Zuko pulled away, glaring at her briefly before he tried another method, "Try to understand. I need to capture him to restore something I've lost, my honor, my family." 

The waterbender didn't even bother to pretend to sympathize with him. She jerked her head away from Zuko. Her cousin sighed, "Perhaps in exchange, I can restore something you've lost." Zuko held Katara's treasured necklace to her neck. 

"My mother's necklace! How did you get that?" Elaria watched with baited breath as Katara freaked out over the necklace; she knew exactly what it meant to her friend, and she wouldn't judge Katara if she gave in. Her eyes widened as she watched her cousin turn red in- embarrassment? For a moment she didn't know if she wanted to gawk or snarl.