ATLA/LOK Fem Imagines

Hostage*

I kinda wrote this for shits and giggles, so it's a bit goofy.

The sound of trees rustling in the wind behind me gently coaxes me from my sleep. I sit up to find myself lying in Katara's sleeping bag alone. Sobbing loudly, I curl up in the bag. They promised to never leave me.

Unfamiliar voices surround the camp.

"We must be close. Even though the fur trails have ended, I can hear the little twerp crying."  A royal voice explains to someone.

Aang and Katara told me that there are bad people who are trying to come after us. I don't know why since they're all so kind.

The zipper to my bag slowly unzips, exposing me to the world. I peer up to find a tall teen with dark hair and a wicked smirk. Two other girls stand behind her, one's even taller than the girl in front, and the other is shorter with kinder features than the other two.

The leader coos mockingly, "What's a little girl like you doing all alone out here?"

I start to sob again, making the leader recoil in disgust.

The softer-looking teen hushes," Azula, you're scaring her. "

I whimper, " They left me.... "

All three girls look at me with a glimmer of softness in their eyes. I raise the back of my hand up to wipe my face.

"They said that they would never leave me, they promised!" I hiccup pathetically.

The tinier teen sits on her knees in front of me," It's okay, they'll come back for you. "

The taller woman cuts in, "Ty Lee, don't give her false hope."

The leader, who I'm guessing is Azula, taps her chin in deep thought. I continue to cough and hiccup while staring up at them.

She announces, "Mai, Ty Lee, go in the direction of the broken trees. I'll follow the fur."

Ty Lee asks, "What about her?"

Azula groans in frustration, "We'll come back for her after. For now, we leave her here where it's safe. I'm sure we can find her a better place to live."

The kinder teen picks me up from the bag and cradles me in her arms. I cuddle into the warm embrace and hold back another cry. The older teen, Mai, folds up my blanket.

I ask childishly," Where are you guys taking me? "

Ty Lee taps my nose the way Katara does. I scrunch my nose up in a loud giggle.

"We're gonna keep you somewhere safe, where nothing can hurt you."

I peer up from my hidden spot against her shoulder, "Nothing?"

She nods exaggeratedly, "Of course, all you have to do is wait right here, and we'll all come back once we fight off the monsters."

The girl holding my bag snorts from behind us as Ty Lee walks me to a large tree. She jumps up and places me on a sturdy branch. She jumps back down and hops onto a Mongoose Lizard.

I sit there in the tree, grinning. At least those girls are coming back for me. I hum to myself for a while, waiting for them to return. Someone calls out for me, pausing my hums.

"Rose! Where are you?! Rose!!"

I yell back, after realizing it was Aang calling, "I'm up here!"

A rustling of several feet comes from the group of older kids.

Katara asks calmly, "How did you get up there?"

I shrug mindlessly and wait for them to come to get me.

Sokka yells, "Don't worry! I'm coming!"

He starts to slowly climb up the tree. Toph rolls her eyes and uses her bending to shoot herself up in front of me, standing on a tall pillar of stone.

She reaches a hand out for me, "Come on, kid, I gotcha."

I place my tiny hand in hers and wrap my arms around her tightly. She brings us back down so fast that when we reach the ground, I fall on my butt.

Katara exclaims in disapproval, "Toph!"

I sit back up and pull the blind girl in a tight hug, "Toph, you saved me!"

She offers me a wide grin," It was nothing! "

I still don't let go, though. Toph laughs," Okay, munchkin.  You can let go. "

I shake my head squeeze her tighter, "No."

After several attempts to push me off, she lets me cling to her while the other three laugh at the blind girl's unamused expression.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I've been lying awake for hours. Everyone fell asleep. They tried to force me to nap with them, but I'm not tired! Not at all! I glance up at a sleeping Katara whose holding me close to her chest. I huff, knowing that if I move, I'll wake her up. I hate sleeping with Katara, but I have to. They all say I have to sleep with someone so that I don't get lost. Even Toph agrees!

I finally manage to slip away from her grip because I really gotta pee. I walk into a quiet area to go potty. When I'm done, I tiptoe to the stream and wash my hands.

A familiar voice calls out to me, "Don't you know it's not safe to be out by yourself?"

I turn around to face an angry-looking Azula. I give her a sheepish grin, "Hi...."

Without another word, she scoops me into her arms and carries me away. I grin stupidly, cuddling up to her soft bosom. She peers down at me with a calloused expression.

"Don't get too comfortable," She warns.

My grin widens at her softening visage," I can't help it. You're cuddly. This is better than snuggling with Katara every night. "

She watches me cuddle up to her while walking farther and farther away from camp.

"I told you we would come back."

"Yeah, you protected me from the monster."

Azula nods curtly," Sure...now that you are safe with us, you will never be left by yourself again. "

I frown, "But my friends, they came back."

A scowl settles upon her regal lips, "Yes, well, that was only after realizing that they need your power. If they never found out, they would have never come back."

A pout tugs at my lower lip, hurt by the apparent truth. My voice cracks as I speak up, "Really?"

She coos down at me adoringly, "Don't worry, I'm here now.  You're gonna be safe with me."

A smile slowly takes place over my frown as I cuddle back up to my new friend.