The Lost Waterbender (Avatar: The Last Airbender Fanfiction)

The Metal Arm

"Aang! I know swimming is fun and all, but should you really be exposing yourself like that? Cover up!"

Aang peeked up from where he was floating in the water. "What? I'm wearing trunks."

Toph threw her arms in the air. "It's your tattoos I'm worried about. What if someone sees you?"

Katara smiled as she wrung water out of her hair. "There are walls all around us. It's completely safe."

I sat on a nearby rock. I had been with them for two days, and they had decided to take a break from flying. We were in what looked like a volcanic crater. Instead of lava, it was filled with water. The tall walls and cool waters were the perfect place to relax. But I couldn't.

I had wanted to know my real family my entire life. But, now that I knew then, I didn't know what to do. It was just so shocking and unexpected for them to appear, and now I didn't know what to do around them. I wasn't sure if there was some way I had to act, or if I had to prove to the group I was useful in some way.

Then there was the fact I just wanted to get to know my siblings, but I didn't know how. Then I watched as Katara practiced her waterbending. She seemed really good. Master worthy good. I jumped to my feet, ready to do some sister bonding.

I approached where Toph was sitting. When I first learned she was blind, I was absolutely astounded. Then she explained how she was so used the vibrations in the earth to see, was Aang's earthbending teacher and invented metalbending, and I was even more astounded.

"Hey, Mara!" Katara called. "Come over here! I'll show you some bending!"

It took me a second to realize she was talking to me. Sokka and Katara called me Mara, which I guess was my actual name. Toph and Aang called me Badger, but that's the only thing they knew me as.

"Yeah, sure," I said. I waded over to Katara and stood across from her. I couldn't help but notice she was looking at my bad leg. Well, if I had a long-lost sister I would be expecting her to come back in one piece too.

"Show me what you've got," Katara grinned.

I took a stance and swept a small wave across the surface of the water, accident dousing my brother, who was floating nearby.

He spluttered and sat up. "Katara!"

I felt my face redden. "Uh, sorry, Sokka. That was my fault."

Sokka sighed, a defeated look on his face. "I forgot I have two waterbending sisters now."

Katara laughed and turned back to me. "That's was good for someone who's never had a master, but your technique is odd."

I tilted my head. "Odd in what way?"

"Well, it looks like you're firebending with water," Katara answered. She put her hands on her hips. "Did you learn from that person you told us about- Alkabar?"

"Alkazar," I corrected. "And yeah, I just kind of incorporated my bending into the fighting he taught me."

Katara smiled kindly. "Well, I hate to burst your bubble, but I don't think you'll get too far like that." She began bending water into a tentacle around herself.

"Waterbending, as opposed to firebending, is more fluid. No pun intended."

I copied her movements. It felt a lot different than normal. Alkazar had shown me quick jabs and punches. Katara had me doing long sweeps of the arm and wide leg stances. However, the water responded a millions times better.

I looked up as Aang appeared above us on the ridge of the crater. He jumped down into the water before disappearing down some sort of water slide, shouting in delight. I smiled at his joy.

Katara and I worked for a couple more hours until night fell. When we were done, I was exhausted, but my waterbending had improved more that day than it had over the past three years. I was pleased with myself as we ate dinner.

I had my bad leg stretched out, as I usually was when I sat down. Sokka an Katara were both taking quick glances at it, thinking I wouldn't realize it. I continued eating my stew and pretended not to notice. Now I had to prove to more people my limp didn't affect me that much.

That night I lay on a spare sleeping bag. Surprisingly, I slept pretty well outside.

Then everything changed when the assassin attacked.

I was awakened by Toph's confused warning.

"Guys, you're going to think I'm crazy, but it feels like a metal man is coming."

I looked at her in confusion. Suddenly Aang grunted. I glanced over to see him rubbing his eyes because some sort of light beam was shining in them. I followed it to the top of a cliff above us and my vision fell on...

Is that a metal arm?

Suddenly Aang leapt up and bended a huge jet of air. Just as he did, an explosion appeared from out of nowhere, sending all of us flying backwards. I slammed into a rock and hit my head.

Toph slid to a halt and sent rocks flying towards our attacker. To my astonishment, he blew them up.

With his head.

Aang prevented another explosion from hitting us with his airbending. Katara attempted to attack him with water, but only got the same result as Toph. Sokka pulled me behind some rocks, and the rest of them joined us. We took cover as the man kept creating rays of explosions.

"This is crazy!" Sokka said. "How are we supposed to beat a guy who blows things up with his mind?"

"We can." Aang stood up. "Get on Appa I'll try to distract him." Aang leapt up the cliffs and out of sight, avoiding explosions from the man.

We all boarded Appa. I'd only flown on him once or twice, but it terrified me. I sat in the center with my eyes shut and thought about solid ground.

Appa took off and we flew after Aang.

"There!" Katara called, pointing. Sokka
steered Appa in the direction she had shown. Suddenly, Aang exploded out of a tall rock pillar, jumping right over the attacker's head. The man sent an explosion ray right under Aang, sending him higher than Aang intended. Luckily, Sokka steered Appa under him. Katara reached out her hand and pulled Aang on.

"I'm okay," he panted, safely seated on Appa. Well, as safe as you can get flying hundreds of feet in the air on a ten-ton flying monster.

"Well, that was random," Toph said.

"I don't think so," Katara said darkly. "I get the feeling he knows who we are."

I rubbed my arms as goosebumps appeared. "Does this kind of thing happen to you guys a lot?"

"Weren't you involved in an explosion that left you with a limp?" Sokka said indignantly.

"Yeah, but that explosion was made with blasting jelly," I retorted. "Not a hole in someone's head."

"Let's just get out of here," Katara said. "I want to get as far away from him as possible."

"No problem." Aang took the reins from Sokka and steered us into the night.