1. The Three Waterbenders

**Avatar: Rapid**

**by**

**Brandon Rice**

**A/N**: A original Avatar story using my friends from the Sonic the Hedgehog Rapid Board for the main characters. Enjoy! Set 100 years after Aang is freed from the ice by Katara and Sokka.

Water. Earth. Fire. Wind.

Many years ago, the Fire Nation launched a war that lasted many years in an attempt to dominate the other nations.

However, they failed, and as punishment the Fire Nation was crumbled and became the weakest of the four nations.

There was peace for one hundred years... however, that all began to change.

The Sons of the Fire Nation began to grow ever more power, and they began to thirst for revenge.

However, unknown to all, a new Avatar walks the world...

**Book One: Adventure**

**Chapter One: The Three Waterbenders**

----

"Yes, just like that class." A tall man with a dark face, dark glasses and long hair said to a group of youngsters who were standing in a snow covered field, practicing the ancient Water Tribe traditional dance. The ages of the group ranged from mere children to older teens, but the pale faced man was in charge of them all. For the most part, the class was doing well -- except for a student in the very back.

At the rear edge of the class, two young women were dancing spelndidly; on key and on note. However, the young man between them looked as if he was having a seizure standing upright, rather than dancing. There was something odd about the young man. While every other person in the waterbending tribe had smooth hair and dark skin, he had wild hair that stood up on end, and a cream complexion that made him the odd man out. He also seemed to be wearing heavier clothing than the others -- as if he got colder easier.

"This is so boring." The wild haired boy complained to the girls on either side of him.

"Aww, relax Sama, this is a tradition for our tribe. Or something." The girl to his left told him, not really enjoying the dancing either.

"Yeah, you're right Joha." The girl on the left nodded. "... but it IS pretty boring." She added as a afterthought.

"I prepose we ditch class, grab lunch, and use our waterbending to make a giant ball of water that will soar through the clouds!" Sama said boldly as he missed a step on the dance and wound up landing in the snow on his face. After jumping back up and shaking his head like a dog, Sama turned to the two girls and gave a puppy look. "C'moooon! You know we should be learning something more fun!"

"Like what?" Joha asked.

"Like preperations for combat!" Sama said striking a dramatic pose -- and then falling over again.

"They don't teach combat preperations anymore, it's been a hundred years since the last war." The other girl -- Crystal Rose -- told the fallen water tribe oddball.

"Yeah, well, then at least we should be learning how to waterbend!" Sama said standing back up -- as he moved his hands it appeared that all the moisture on his clothes flew off into a ball between his palms, which he then threw over his shoulder.

"Well, aside from the elder and a few of the older guys, we're the only three waterbenders in the tribe." Joha reminded him.

"It's still more fun to waterbend that it is to sit around and dance all day." Sama said, but neither of the girls who he was facing said anything else. Instead they both slinked back and looked at Sama with frightened looks. He blinked, then he felt breathing on the back of his neck -- as well as water drops falling on his hair. "Let me guess, that waterball I threw hit someone, right?"

"Yes it did hit someone -- me -- your teacher." The dark haired teacher spun Sama around and was glaring at him. "Do you see the look in my eyes? Do I look amused?"

"... You're wearing sunglasses." Sama pointed out. With a mighty bonk on the head, Sama fell backwards into the snow. He looked up at the teacher with a expression of rage -- but the two girls quickly grabbed either of his arms and held him back.

The teacher was shaking with anger. He looked like he might strike the boy again, but then a stern voice called out and everyone turned around.

"Yoshino, that is enough. I need the three waterbenders." It was another man who was the teachers age and had a scar on his face.

"Iruka, I'm am in the middle of teaching dance!" Yoshino cried out, clearly upset that he wouldn't get to finish his dancing or his beating of Sama.

"Doesn't matter, I need them." Iruka said, and without another word he brushed right past Yoshino and led Joha, Crystal Rose and Sama down a snow-covered path towards the main city, leaving Yoshino to sulk and yell at the other dance students.

After a long walk down the snow covered path, Iruka stopped and turned around to the three benders behind him. They were at a fork in the road. Down the path they came was the icy field where Yoshino was training, down the left was the village and to the right was the home of the leader of the Water Tribe. Iruka turned to the three and pointed towards the area straight ahead of them which had no path.

"We're going down to the shore to learn waterbending." Iruka told them, to which all three of the youths gasped.

"Really? That's kinda ironic cause I was just saying --" Sama decided not to finish his sentence since Iruka, Joha and Crystal Rose were all walking away from him, leaving him to sigh and follow along behind. It took a few minutes, but eventually they reached the snowy shore outside of the village where icy water met frost-covered ground. Iruka turned to the three benders and then began to explain.

"Our tribe, while decendants of a great Water Tribe Warrior and hero, has never had luck with Bending. Over the years, fewer and fewer waterbenders were born into the tribe until the point that none developed whatsoever. Only our Elder and the Northern Water Tribe has Benders anymore. It was fifteen years ago, while the all of you were children, that you were brought to this village because we had need to repopulate our tribe with benders." Iruka explained. "I came with you all, because eventually you'd need a teacher."

"So, now you're going to teach us?" Joha asked, a eyebrow raised. "No offense, but we've pretty much figured it out ourselves."

"Oh I'm aware. I believe the whole village became aware during the fish incident." Iruka said darkly, and at this comment both girls glared at Sama, who sighed.

"Okay, okay! I talked them into helping me divert the river just a little... I didn't know the samon were spawning, nor did I know the water would overflow and wind up in the middle of the village." Sama crossed his arms, and his three companions all sweatdropped at memories of the incident.

"Anyway, so you don't have to teach yourselves, and so that our village isn't flooded with fish again, I'm going to train you the right way." Iruka told them.

"Sounds good." Crystal Rose smiled, and a day of training began.

----

However, while the three youths were busy learning to Waterbend, another meeting was underway at the Elder's home. He was in a fabulous gigantic house, made of ice like all the others, and in the midst of his home was a hot spring. Standing in front of that hot spring was a man with dark hair and a pale face, he wore a Fire Nation Uniform.

"I am impressed, Lord Sandaime, that your waterbending is so advanced you can have a hot spring that does not melt the ice around it, yet stays hot all year round." The Fire Nation man said as he looked down at the Elder Sandaime who was sitting in the hot tub. Apparently he liked to relax, and wasn't worried that he was in a meeting.

"Yes Commander, our bending skills have increased over the years. However, you did not come here to admire our abilities or to watch me swim, so why don't we go ahead and get on with the meeting, if you do not mind skipping the pleasentries." Sandaime said knowingly.

"Very well," The Fire Nation Commander nodded. "I come to offer a trade as preposed by our Nation's Lord."

"Oh? A trade? I am curious. Please continue." Lord Sandaime was a very specific man. You had to explain things to him slowly, because if he was not interested in what you had to say he would send you away. If he was curious, he would ask for a bit more information.

"The Fire Nation has developed new and powerful technology." The Commander revealed. "Technology that will change the world. Due to security reasons the technology and how it is constucted is kept a tight secret, but our Lord respects your people. He would happily supply you with some of our creations."

"I see." Sandaime was silent, but he did not like where this was going. Such powerful technology, if it was that, would not come at a cheap price. "Please explain."

"Our Lord will supply you with a wealth of new technology in exchange for the location of --"

"No," Sandaime said before the Commander could even finish. The Commander seemed taken aback.

"I have not even --"

"I do not care. There are but two things here that you could ask, and neither of them are for trade. You are welcome to restock your supplies, but then I ask that you take my reply to the Fire Lord."

The dark haired Commander seemed put out, but he smiled in a dark way and bowed his head to the Elder of the Water Tribe of the South. "Very well, sir, however we dare not sail away at night when the ice is near invisible in the sea. Let us stay on our ship on your coast until dawn, then we will leave. Darkness will fall soon, after all." He said silently and polietly.

"Very well." Sandaime replied.

The Commander turned and exited the room, escorted by two other men at his side. One of them was young and wore a helmet over his face, concealing it from the Water Tribe. The other was a older man with a gray topknot on his head and a devious smile on his face. He was a older man, but seemed to be in prime shape and had carried a dagger on his belt.

"They denied the most generous request of our Fire Lord," The Gray Haired Warrior grinned to the Commander. "You know what that means, the Fire Lord gave us orders."

"I am aware General Rong. Have our men find out whom the Elder cares for and escort them to our ship." The Commander said -- though Rong was a higher rank, this was the Commander's mission and Rong would respect his choices.

"I agree. Let it be done." General Rong turned to the masked young man and nodded -- giving him the mission. This masked fellow headed into the city, under the guise of buying supplies, and began his hunt for someone important to the Water Lord.

----

Meanwhile, back at the snowy field, Iruka was teaching the three youths. He seemed to be grinning from the corner of his mouth as he watched them. His eyes traveled to Joha, who was forming a long stream of water that flowed up into the air for several feet and then looped around in mid air and returned to the earth, swirling around her person.

"Very good Joha. Keep it up." Iruka then turned to Crystal Rose, who was bending a ball of water to float in front of her and circle around her head and between her open arms. Iruka was impressed.

"Excellent! The two of you have amazed me. Crystal Rose, your waterbending is splendid. Joha, you have a remarkable technique and style, and Sama --" Iruka turned to the oddball of the village and he stopped, his mouth dropped open a bit. Sama was sitting on the ground absorbing water from the snow beneath him and using it to create a big ball of water above his head.

"Sama, I would not advise using the water from the snow. This is a frozen lake, if you absorb too deeply from beneath you, you may turn the ice into water once more and fall throu--oooooooooooooueeee!"

Iruka suddenly fell through the ice he was standing on and fell into the water. So did Sama, Joha and Crystal Rose. Apparently Sama had taken more than just the ice beneath him, but the ice beneath them all. Quickly Iruka used his own bending to throw them back onto the ice and away from the intensive cold waters that could be fatal. Several angry looks flew to Sama and he sighed.

"Sorry, that was a accident." He looked up -- they all had looks of untrusting disbelief on their faces. "Seriously! That WAS a accident! I swear!"

"Just wait till later, we'll get you back." Joha said darkly, which made Sama gulp. However, Iruka rubbed his chin. The boy should be informed of the truth. With a sigh, Iruka quickly pointed back towards town.

"Crystal Rose, Joha, please return to the village and get indoors and into something dry before you get sick." Iruka informed them.

"What about me?" Sama asked, tilting his head.

"You and I are going to go for a walk." Iruka told him, and Sama didn't like the sound of that.

----

Joha and Crystal Rose arrived in the town within a few minutes, and they both hurried to a large house in the center of town just behind the local shop and the next-door tavern. After drying and changing they headed back out and walked down the snowy path, when suddenly a voice reached their ears and they both turned to see a girl running up to them.

"Hey! There's some guy looking for you Crystal Rose!" The girl said as she tried to catch her breath.

"A guy looking for me?" Crystal Rose blinked twice. "It wasn't that Inuku guy, was it?"

"No! It was one of those Fire Nation soliders who showed up. He was in the tavern and was asking about you." The girl informed her, which caused Crystal Rose to turn to Joha and tilt her head like a confused dog. Joha shrugged and grabbed her sister by the hand and pulled her towards the tavern. Crystal Rose sweatdropped a bit, since she didn't exactly know if being looked for by a foreign solider was a good thing or not.

As they arrived in the tavern, they found the Fire Nation Solider. He was still in his helmet and was sitting at a table in the dark. It seemed he was treated with respect and kindness, though some were still apprehensive of the war one hundred years ago. The Solider seemed a bit surprised as Joha and Crystal Rose sat down across from him.

"What do you want?" He asked the two teenagers.

"I, uh, heard you're looking for someone named Crystal Rose." The girl of the same name said, trying to play it cool.

"What? No, not someone. Something. I'm looking for the Ice Flower, which I believe your tribe calls 'The Crystal Rose'." The Fire Solider replied.

"Ooooh!" The girl, who had been named after the flower, wiped her forehead. "Okay, I see. I guess our friend was mistaken. See, that's my name -- I was named after the flower."

"Why is that?" The Solider asked.

"Well, our mom and dad never really told us." Joha said, with a small sigh. "We never actually got to meet them."

"Ah... my apologies." The Solider bowed his head. "I'm sorry for the confusion."

----

"Why are we here?" Sama asked Iruka.

Iruka had led Sama to the most spiritual and sacred place in all the South Pole. It was a large, frozen river upon which sat a gigantic ice sculpture. Iruka was smiling as he approached the sculpture and then turned around to face his student.

"Sama... it's time I tell you the reason you're not like everyone else." Iruka said, and Sama's heart missed a beat. He had known it all along, there was something off about him.

"I'm... not from the Water Tribe, am I?" Sama asked, sitting down and sighing, placing his elbows on his legs and his chin in the palms of his hands.

"You were born in the Earth Kingdom." Iruka told him, and Sama felt his heart sink. That is why he had never fit in. His skin, his hair, his eyes -- he was from Earth Kingdom, that made sense to him now.

"I see..." Sama's voice cracked and he held back a tear.

"What I'm telling you is not bad news. At least, not to me. You see, almost seventeen years ago, when you were just a baby, my brother was traveling the world. He came upon a Earth Village that had been devistated by a plauge. He was a cleric and believed in healing people, so he tried to help, but when he arrived everyone in the village was dead. He found a young couple in the middle of town, the man was a Earthbender and his love a young airbender. The man had died, but the woman was still clinging to life. She begged my brother to take her young son away from the village, and my brother honored her dying request. The child was at her home, a few feet away. While my brother believed the child would surely have died from the plauge. Still, when he reached the house he looked for the child and he found him. That child was lying in a small crib, his eyes glowing like the sun. My brother was shocked and he swept the child from the village. He called that child 'Sama', for he never knew the real name and besides, that child managed to survive a plauge that killed everyone else."

"I... I survived that? I was from the Earth Kingdom? Iruka... I don't understand. How did I survive?" Sama asked, now very confused.

"When my brother told Elder Sandaime about what he found, the Elder believed he had the answer to that very question. Still, he put you in my care. I raised you, along with Joha and Crystal Rose since their parents were lost to sea in that tragic accident. I worried that when your sisters learned to waterbend you would feel left out, but to my surprise you learned it as well. It was then I knew Elder Sandaime was right about how you survived. While I believe it with all my heart, there is only one way to truly know."

Sama scratched his head. As Iruka told him this story, Sama's eyes flicked to the ice sculpture. There was something familiar about it, though he had never seen it before -- this area was restricted with the punishment of banishment for any unathorized people who came here. Even the mischevious waterbender Sama never broke that rule, for he feared to be seperated from his sisters. It was then he realized that Joha and Crystal Rose were not his real sisters, and his sadness grew even greater.

"Sama... this ice sculpture is that of a Flying Bison. A animal that Airbenders used to tame many, many years ago. When this village was built by the great war-hero Sokka, it is said that the Avatar Aang who was great friends with him created this during the village's construction, and he proclaimed that someday, when the world was in danger, the new Avatar would touch this sculpture and begin his journey." Iruka told him the legend from one hundred years ago.

"So... what does that have to do with me?" Sama asked, completely clueless.

"Touch the sculpture, Sama." Iruka instructed him, and Sama became even more confused.

"Didn't you say the Avatar is supposed to--"

"Touch the sculpture, Sama!" Iruka demanded, and Sama quickly approached the sculpture of the flying bison. He shrugged and placed his hand on the sculpture. Suddenly a fierce wind picked up and the sky began to glow with a bright green light. Iruka gasped, and Sama yelled out. This was the freakest thing to happen to him in his life, and he had been known to do some crazy things during his pranks.

Suddenly the ice melted away, the wind calmed and the sky was normal once more. Instead of a sculpture of a flying bison, there was a gigantic, furry bison with six legs and a arrow-shaped patch of black fur on it's fluffy white head. Sama yelped again and tried to take a step back, but he tripped and fell on his rump in the snow. The giant bison sniffed him, and then it made a odd noise that Sama hoped was a noise of approval. Next thing he knew, the Bison opened it's mouth wide enough to swallow him.

"Ahhhh!" Sama screamed, but instead of being eaten alive, Sama was licked gently by the giant tongue. He blinked. "Ooookay, Iruka, do you mind explaining?"

"It's just as Lord Sandaime said... you are the Avatar."

----

"What in the world?" The Fire Nation Solider looked out the window and saw the sky burning with green light. His eyes widened. He may have found a better prize than the one General Rong and the Colonel were looking for! A flash of light like that... prophecy and prediction said that the sky would light up like a great fire whenever the Avatar's destiny was revealed. Was it possible that the new Avatar was one of the Water Tribe? If so... the Solider needed to find him! Even if he failed to bring the spiritual flower of the Water Tribe back to General Rong, the Avatar was a prize ten times better!

"What could that be?" Joha asked, looking out the window as well.

"I don't know... but... isn't that the direction Iruka and brother went?" Crystal Rose realized, and Joha's eyes became a bit wide. They knew Iruka was a skilled waterbender and a veteran warrior, but Sama was just a dumb kid who had a knack for finding the worst trouble possible.

"We should go see!" Joha said at once, standing up.

"It could be dangerous," the Fire Solider saw his chance and would not let it slip away. "Let me come with you, please. I cannot watch people run into danger without wanting to help."

"While I'd normally get into a debat as to if you mean 'people' or 'girls' when you say 'people', right now I think we need to save our brother from himself, and whatever that light is." Joha said as the three rushed out of the door. The Fire Solider was pleased.

----

Sama looked at the giant bison and he blinked again. Then he turned to Iruka, still very confused. "A-Avatar? What do you mean, Avatar? Like in the legends?"

"Yep." Iruka said simply.

"B-but wouldn't that mean I have to master all the bending arts and travel the world?" Sama asked once again.

"Pretty much." Iruka nodded.

"But... I don't want to! I never asked for this! C'mon, Sensei! This can't be right! I mean, I'm a goofball. I... I can't even control my waterbending. You were there before when I accidently used a lot of the lake instead of a little!" Sama reminded him. "And you were there when I made the fish incident, and when I lost control of that giant ball of water and flooded the bakery! Isn't the Avatar supposed to be the strongest bender in the world?"

"Not even the Avatar can just instantly know things. Waterbending takes time, young Avatar." Iruka told him.

"Don't call me that! Gaaaah! This is a lot of pressure!" Sama, who was horrible under pressure, clutched his head and fell down against the flying bison's fur. The bison made a noise and licked him again.

"It seems the bison likes you, at least." Iruka smiled, trying to cheer up his adoptive son.

"Yeah, but... I don't even know how to care for a fish, let alone this giant bison!" Sama moaned.

"Flying Bison." Iruka corrected him.

"Say-wha?"

"It's a Flying Bison. Giant Bison are a completely different species. From the Air Nation arrow on it, I'd say this is a flying Bison." Iruka was rubbing his chin, and he was smiling. "And they DO say the Avatar Aang created this so-called-statue, and according to the stories I heard, he had a flying bison."

"Flying Bison? I have a flying bison?" Sama blinked twice. "That is the most awesome thing I have ever heard in my life."

"Iruka! Sama!" Joha was calling their names as she, Crystal Rose and the Fire Nation Solider appeared in the distance, closing in on them fast. "What was that light?"

"Heeeeeey! Guess what? I've got a flying bison! Isn't that cool?" Sama was smiling like a fool. The three arrived, and Crystal Rose looked up at the giant bison with wide eyes. Joha's mouth was open, and she poked it in a furry leg. The bison licked them both as a result.

"So... nasty." Joha moaned.

"Aww, get over it! Just bend the spit off you!" Sama grinned. "And guess what else?"

"You're the Avatar." The Fire Solider said, and Sama turned to him, as did Iruka and the two sisters.

"Yeah! Wow, you're good, uh... who are you?" Sama scratched his head. The Fire Nation Solider took a defensive stance as if he was about to attack, and Joha's eyes became wide.

"What are you doing? Didn't you say you wanted to protect us?" Joha asked.

"I lied. My mission might be a failure, but when I bring the Avatar to General Rong, it will make up for it!" The Fire Solider didn't wait for another word. He punched his fist forward and flames shot out at Sama. However, a shield of ice rose up from Iruka's waterbending and he stood in front of the three teens.

"I have raised these three as my own," Iruka said proudly. "I will not allow you to hurt them."

"Fool, you will die!" The Fire Solider growled arrogantly.

"I doubt it," Iruka's feet slid in the snow. "From the sound of your voice, you're hardly older than my students."

Two punches and kick later and fireballs came at Iruka; but Iruka used the water in the air and from the snow to block it, and then he drew a dagger and slashed at the Fire Solider. The Fire Solider jumped backwards and landed in a crouched stance, then he thrust his open-palmed hand forward and his flaming fingers caught Iruka by the chest and sent him flying backwards in a great blast of fire.

"Iruka!"

The Fire Solider stepped forward, towards the two waterbending sisters and their brother between them. He raised his fists and prepared to defend whatever they had. Quickly Joha made some movements with her arms and water coiled around the Fire Nation Solider, but he laughed and jumped through the makeshift watery prison.

"You're all just students. I'm a master." The Solider was lying, as he had not mastered firebending yet, but he was more advanced than the three water siblings. He threw a fireball at Joha and she flinched -- but Crystal Rose managed to throw a ball of water at it in mid air and stop it. She and her sister both attacked, making jets of water fly. The Fire Solider was thrown back, but not defeated. He stood up, and he laughed.

"Excellent form! Now, however, you will learn my most powerful attack." The man made several motions with his arms and legs, and then he stopped and simply snapped his fingers; a explosion rocketed beneath the two girls and caused them to plummet into the icy water as the ground ice cracked and broke. Sama quickly ran towards his sisters, but the Firebender shot him in the chest with a bolt of flame.

"You're going nowhere, Avatar, except with me! The Fire Nation was defeated by you one hundred years ago, but that defeat will be avenged! Our new technology will make us the strongest nation in the world once more!" The Solider ran at Sama, throwing flaming punches and kicks, and while Sama tried to waterbend his way out of it, he was hit in the stomach and fell near Iruka.

"Oww... geez, I can't... I can't do a thing." Sama closed his eyes, tears leaking from them. "Avatar... yeah right, the Avatar's the most powerful bender of all, and I can't even block a basic fire punch... I'm not Avatar."

_"Sure you are!"_

Sama looked up as he heard a unfamilair voice on the blowing wind. Looking around, he saw no one, but he could have sworn he had heard someone's voice. Sama could hear the screams of the girls as their attempts to use waterbending to escape were stopped by the Fire Solider. He heard the great flying bison snore behind him. He saw Iruka fallen and injured. He tried to get up, but he failed.

"Some Avatar I turned out to be... lost my first fight and let down the most important three people in my life..." Sama growled.

_"C'mon! That isn't true at all!"_ It was the voice on the wind, again._"You're me, and I'm you, and you're also everyone else who was us before us. You can become a great Avatar!"_

Sama looked around for the voice, but it seemed to come from the very wind around him. "I'm not strong enough! Please, help me... help me save them!"

"_Uhh, this kid's gonna need a lot of work Appa. Well, you look after him, that's what I froze you for! Hey, Sama, just say the right words and this'll all be over!"_

The voice on the wind seemed to disappear. Sama wasn't sure who Appa was, or what the voice meant by 'the right words'... but something inside his heart suddenly spoke to him. He lifted his head to the giant sleepy bison. "Appa?"

The bison grunted. Sama took that as a yes. Now if only he understood... but, somewhere inside him, he did understand. Like he had done this before, but as someone else. So he said the first thing that came to mind. "Yip, Yip."

Suddenly with a roar the flying bison -- Appa -- sprung into action. It leapt right over Sama and landed on the ice beside the hole. With a smack of it's tail, the whole ice began to crack, and the girls were able to climb on as room was made in the water for Appa. Sama grinned and ran to grab Iruka and get him onboard, and while he did that, the Fire Solider growled and threw a flaming punch at Appa -- but the giant bison knocked the man down with one of his giant furry feet. As Sama and Iruka ran onto Appa's back, the Bison shot up into the sky, and was flying.

"Wha-What hap-ap-pened?" A freezing Joha asked as she rubbed her shoulders and chattered her teeth.

"Appa saved us." Sama said.

"G-G-Good." Crystal Rose was cold too. "Th-en let's g-go home."

Iruka was unconcious, the girls were freezing, and Sama was bruised, but Appa at least didn't have a scratch on him. He did have a fierce hunger, being frozen for one hundred years -- again. Suddenly a ball of fire hit Appa, and the flying bison roared. The three waterbenders looked over to see the Fire Solider standing on the ice and still throwing fire. Joha and Crystal Rose pulled their bending powers together and hit him with a stream of water, knocking him into the hole in the ice.

"Hahah! Serves you right!" Sama shouted.

They flew back towards the village, but not all was well. While they had escaped alive, Iruka was hurt, so was Sama, and the Fire Nation seemed to be up to something.

---- ---- ---- ---- ----

**Character Profiles #1 - #3!**

**Name**: Sama

**Gender**: Male

**Age**: Seventeen

**Style**: Avatar

**Profile**: Sama was raised as the oldest son of Iruka, only to learn that none of Iruka's 'children' are really his, and moreover he is not even really brother to Joha and Crystal Rose. This doesn't change how he acts towards them in the slightest, however. He makes light of being the Avatar and even becomes a big egotistical at times, but in truth he is scared of his fate, especially as political pressure begins to loom towards a war. All he really wants out of life is to fulfil his duties without letting them change who he is. He is a prankster and a goofball, and doesn't seem to be the reliable Avatar type at first glance, but that is untrue.

**First Apperace**: Book I Chapter I

**Name**: Joha

**Gender**: Female

**Age**: Sixteen

**Style**: Waterbender

**Profile**: Joha is the younger sister and therefore the youngest of the three children Iruka raised. She holds the utmost devotion to her siblings, although she's known to be the sarcastic voice of the group. While she enjoys teasing Sama, she sometimes gets as good as she gives from her sister. Being a waterbender gifted in the flow of water, she specializes in offensive attacks, although like her sister she is skilled at both. Joha is middle-child of the three and she's known to go ice surfing in the water whenever she can. Sama and Crystal Rose are her family and she treats them as such.

**First Apperace**: Book I Chapter I

**Name**: Crystal Rose

**Gender**: Female

**Age**: Sixteen

**Style**: Waterbender

**Profile**: Named after the legendary flower of the Water Tribe, Crystal Rose lives with Joha and Sama in the middle of town. Joha is her biological sister, while Sama is her adopted brother. She's a waterbender who specializes in the pull of water, and therefore she is best at defensive and healing moves. Though I wouldn't sell her short on her offensive moves, since she's got many tricks up her sleeves. Personality wise she's a sweet and caring girl who typically plays the voice of reason, but if angry she can be a fierce waterbender. Her brother and sister are everything to her, and she hates being away from them.

**First Apperace**: Book I Chapter I


	2. Southern Showdown

**Avatar: Rapid**

**by**

**Brandon Rice**

**A/N**: A original Avatar story using my friends from the Sonic the Hedgehog Rapid Board for the main characters.

Water. Earth. Fire. Wind.

Many years ago, the Fire Nation launched a war that lasted many years in an attempt to dominate the other nations.

However, they failed, and as punishment the Fire Nation was crumbled and became the weakest of the four nations.

There was peace for a hundred years... however, that all began to change.

The Sons of the Fire Nation began to grow ever more power, and they began to thirst for revenge.

Then, two sisters of the Water Tribe discovered that their adoptive brother is the new Avatar.

Now they may be the only hope to save the world.

**Book One: Adventure**

**Chapter Two: Southern Showdown**

On a Fire Navy ship, the Commander was sitting in his room sipping from a hot cup of tea as he looked out the window, waiting for a sign from the Solider he had sent into the village to discover the location of the Ice Flower. 

"Tell me, Commander Orochi, why don't we just attack and take it ourselves? The new weapons make us greater than any pathetic Water Tribe." General Rong said.

Orochi, the Commander, looked up at Rong and smirked. "If we attack now, they can use the Flower to incease the strength of waterbending. They say Sandaime is a powerful waterbender, and if he used it's strength we would lose. However... if we wait and play the game smartly, we are guaranteed victory."

"We have a ship! We have cannons and the new weapons!" Rong insisted. "We can do this!"

"For a respected General of high fame, you're not very smart, are you?" Orochi asked, and Rong's body shook his rage and fury. He turned away and went out the door to find another room. Orochi crossed his hands and smiled in a dark way. He knew what Rong was doing, and he knew how stupid it was. Still, while Rong caused a huge problem, Orochi could use it as the needed cover to pull off his own plans, for which the Fire Lord would reward him greatly.

----

"What is he doing?" Joha asked as she came out of her room and into the living room of the home where she, her siblings and Iruka lived in the center of the Water Tribe village. She was refering to Sama, who was sitting in the middle of the floor meditating.

"I think he's meditating." Crystal Rose nodded, looking over at Joha.

"Doesn't that require concentration, patience and a powerful will?" Joha asked once more.

"Yeah. I don't know how he manages to do it either." Crystal Rose smirked and they both giggled a bit. Sama seemed to be oblivious to the two of them making fun of him, as he was busy trying to do... something. He wasn't sure what, but he figured if he meditated maybe he'd understand some Avatar-ish things he had to do. So far, none were coming to mind.

"I don't think I can do it." Sama said, giving up and opening his eyes. "I mean, I'm all quiet and not moving, but all that's happening is my legs getting sore from not moving. Come on, let's just go see the Elder."

----

The home of Elder Saturobi Sandaime was in the Northern most edge of the village. The reason was because this was the Southern Water Tribe, so having their elder face the north was to show their siblingry with the Northern Water Tribe thousands of miles away on the other side of the world. As the three young waterbenders headed for his temple, they were suddenly stopped by a obnoxious voice.

"Hold it!" It was Elliot, a mean boy with incredibly thin eyes and a incredibly huge face. He looked like a bulldog walking on two legs. At his side was his small sidekick, a younger boy named Timothy who wore a pointy orange hat on his head. It was well known that Elliot, who was from the richest family in town, was a jerk to everyone -- especially Sama, Joha and Crystal Rose. He had teased them all their lives for not having real parents, and he called their waterbending a 'freak art' that is only used by people too weak to fight with fists. Elliot's father was a famous seal hunter and supplied the town with blubber, so Elliot thought he owned the place.

"What do you want?" Joha asked, narrowing her eyes.

"I wanted to tell your dumb brother something!" Elliot snapped. "And treat me with RESPECT, woman! I'm the heir to the blubber business!"

"That's obvious, from just looking at your gut." Joha replied without missing a step. Elliot's face reddened and he growled in anger.

"That isn't funny! You shut up! And you!" He spun around and pointed at Sama. "You owe me MONEY!"

"How do I owe you money?" Sama asked, tilting his head to the side.

"Your dumb stunt in dance class yesterday, when you hit Yoshino with a water ball! After you left he got so mad he made us do extra dancing, and I got tired and fell down and ruined my pants in the snow! Leather can't get wet you know!" Elliot growled.

"First off, you should never wear leather pants. Seriously, baaaad image." Sama said as Crystal Rose made a gagging face. Elliot was fuming. "Secondly, it's not my fault you can't dance. Now get lost, I have to see the Elder!"

"Shut up!" Elliot roared, approaching the three of them once again. "You owe me money for new pants! Now pay up!"

"... You're rich, remember? You brag about it every few minutes. So... why the greed?" Crystal Rose asked logically.

"Shut up! I want my money!" Elliot was snarling like a dog. Joha looked like she'd say something, but Sama stepped forward and began to speak in a overly dramatic voice.

"Silence mere mortal! Hold thy tongue when in my presence!" Sama said, and instantly both of his sisters groaned. "For while you may be rich, I am... The Avatar!" Sama struck a dramatic pose.

"Pfft, whatever. You're the biggest loser in town. I mean, just look at your hair! If someone like YOU is the Avatar, I think I'd rather eat my gym shorts than show you any respect." Elliot said, and Timothy laughed.

"But... I am! Really!" Sama insisted.

"And you're so humble, too." Joha's sarcasm was like a whip on Sama's ear. "Come on, let's just go see the elder. We'll let Elliot get back to his seal blubber empire."

"Hey! Respect the seal blubber!" Elliot roared in anger.

"Respect you killing seals?" Crystal Rose was angry now. Her eyes were dark. She had once had a pet seal, when she was a small child. Well, in reality it wasn't a pet, but there was a seal who used to hang out on the shore and Crystal Rose would feed him fish. She had first discovered she would waterbend when she used her ability to help catch a fish, when she was just a small girl. "I'd never respect someone like YOU!" She yelled at Elliot.

"Why... Why you little water-witch! Go back to playing in the puddles!" Elliot growled, insulting her and her waterbending.

SMACK!

Elliot felt the sting of a jet of water hitting him in the chin. Apparently Joha had taken offense to his bad mouthing her sister and had hit him in the face with some of the water from the snow on the ground. Elliot roared and looked like he'd punch someone, when suddenly a stern, old voice spoke.

"That is enough." It was the Elder, Sarutobi Sandaime. He was the best waterbender in the village, and he was also their Chieftian. That made his word law, and not even the spoiled son of a blubber king would be able to tell him off. Elliot said some very profane things and then grabbed Timothy by the arm and pulled him off towards the tavern.

"That guys a joke." Sama began to say just before a fist hit him on the head. He fell to the ground and looked up at Sandaime with confusion. "Why am I the one being hit?"

"Being the Avatar is not a game," Sandaime said sternly, and Sama flushed. "It is a serious responcibilty! All Avatar's usually find out when they're sixteen, but for you we had to wait a extra year in hopes you'd mature... apparently we were wrong. You need to learn patience, that is why your meditation failed."

"Wha-- how did you--!"

"Come with me please. All of you. It is time you learn real waterbending from me." Sarutobi Sandaime walked back towards his gigantic shrine he called home, and Sama shrugged, looked at his sisters, and started following him. Crystal Rose and Joha looked to one another, and then followed their brother.

----

"Sir!"

On the Fire Navy Ship, Commander Orochi was still sitting in his quarters drinking his tea. General Rong had returned and was sitting in the other side of the room, reading a scroll that apparently contained firebending techniques. That is the moment when the same Solider who was defeated by Appa ran into the room, still soaking wet and still covering his face with a helmet.

"What is it?" Orochi looked up at the young solider who had only narrowly escaped the icy demise that was planned for him by the giant flying bison.

"I don't think we need the Ice Flower anymore!" The young solider said in a single breath, and Commander Orochi was unfazed. Rong, however, stood up and glared at the young man.

"Fool! That flower is why we came! The Fire Lord himself demanded it! If we return empty-handed, we can all expect sever punishment!" Rong roared, from experience. He wore no armor, only a thick robe which he opened to reveal his chest; sever burns covered him from his lower neck to his waistline. "Do you see this? This is what I got when I failed ten years ago!"

"We wouldn't be single handed, General. I found a prize much better than a waterbender's flower." The Fire Solider said darkly. "I found the --"

"Avatar?" Commander Orochi interrupted, and the solider and the general were both shocked and turned towards him.

"Yes! How did you know?" The solider asked.

"I saw the light in the sky, and the Avatar Aang, was from the Air Nomads. Therefore, the next Avatar has to be discovered in the Water Tribe. Why do you think the Fire Lord wants that flower? A waterbending Avatar... if that Avatar used that flower, it would make him strong enough to flood the world with great tidal waves." Orochi said, standing up at last and looking at General Rong and the Fire Solider. "We were sent to get the flower so that when a new Avatar appears, he or she cannot use it... but getting the Avatar instead is even better! Prepare for a full-assault!"

General Rong bowed and quickly left the room, giddy as a schoolgirl that he would finally get to use the newest technology in real combat. Orochi looked at the Firebender Solider who stood in the doorway.

"Very good work."

----

Far away from the South Pole, in Fire Country, two young men walked through the streets. They wore black outfits to fit in, and they had hats on over their heads. They also carried what appeared to be walking sticks. The younger of the two scratched his head beneath the triangle shaped hat, but the older one smacked his hand.

"Leave your hat on or they could see our tattoos." The older man said to the younger.

"Right." the younger one replied, keeping the hat covering the blue arrow tattoo on his hairless head.

They were on their way towards a Fire Nation Military Station, where the Fire Lord himself would be meeting with his generals. They were here on a simple, ninja-style assassination mission. They would slip in silently and murder the Fire Lord where he sat. They knew of the evils the Fire Nation had been researching and developing, and they also knew the only way to stop them would be to kill their Lord.

"You ready?" The older Airbender asked.

"Yeah." The younger Airbender replied.

They arrived outside of the gigantic fence. It was metal with large spikes at the top that stuck out at a thirty-degree angle on both sides, and one stuck straight up in the middle. Climbing the fence was no option, not only because of the spikes from the top, but equally large, metallic, sharp spikes protruded from the side of the fortress walls. The two unknown airbenders stood at the edge of the fence, where the younger looked to the older.

"You go first," The older one said to the younger one. "I'll keep watch for guards on this side. Once your on the other side of the fence and the area is clear, send the leaf up and I'll join you. If there is trouble on the other side, send the pinecone up."

"Hai!" The younger one took his 'walking stick' and flipped it around. A glider was formed from the red curtains on the side and he jumped up using airbending to push him high enough that he could avoid the spikes, but low enough that he could avoid attention. He gently landed on the other side, again using airbending to slow down. When he did land softly on the ground he looked to his left, then his right, and then straight ahead. Seeing that the guards were near the other end of the yard, he pulled a crisp brown leaf from his pocket and sent it over the fence with a gust of airbending.

The older airbender saw the leaf, and then he too jumped the fence. Once they were on the other side and together, the two airbenders created airballs for them to float on. That way it eliminated the sound of footsteps and made them almost completely silent. They hovered quickly to a large tree near a small pond and hid behind the rose bushes to the side as the guards walked by. They noticed that the two guards walked the same path on every go-round of the property.

There were two teams of guards, two guards on each team. The airbenders waited for the next two to walk away to the distance, with the intent of getting to the other side of the fortress yard. As they walked away, the other two appeared on the right path. The older airbender nodded, and the younger one came running out. The two guards noticed only when it was too late, because the younger airbender swung his staff and made a gust of air that knocked the two guards onto the ground. The older airbender wasted no time, before they could cry out he sent several large rocks into the air with his airbending, and watched as they came back down on the heads of the guards, knocking them unconcious.

Nodding to the younger airbender, the older one hid behind the tree as the younger airbender used a gust of wind to push the unconcious guards into a patch of bushes so they wouldn't be seen. Then the younger airbender jumped up and held onto a tree branch just as the first pair of guards returned. Apparently they hadn't heard a thing, and they just continued their walk. Once they were out of sight, the younger airbender jumped back down and he and his older equivelant moved on, jumping onto the roof of the inner mansion of the fortress and sneaking in through a window on the roof.

That window was the bedroom window of someone who was sleeping. The airbenders used their bending to silently cross the room and get to the door, sneaking out. They had no idea that the sleeping girl was the Princess of the Fire Nation, and daughter of the man they were coming to kill.

The two airbenders creeped down the hall, floating on airballs. Rather than one large ball that they could sit on, they each made small ones for their feet that would let them float in a standing posistion, in case something happened and they need to jump off and run fast. The two airbenders creeped down the hall and approached a giant golden door that had blood red trim. There were two guards outside, but the two airbenders threw needles which they guided with their aidbending. The needles struck the guards in their necks and infected them with a potent posion that rendered them unconcious. With the guards successfully dispatched, the two airbenders looked to one another.

"This is it, we go in there and take out the Fire Lord. That should stop whatever evil they're planning." The older airebender grinned.

"Alright..." The younger one nodded, his breathing having increased slightly.

They concentrated their airbending and broke the door down, sending it flying into the depths of the chamber and knocking two of the Fire Lord's generals he was meeting with down into the pit of fire around the Fire Lord. The airbenders ran quickly forward, waving their staves to blow the other guards down. The Fire Lord stood up in his seat but the airbenders combined their powers and blew the flames in front of him directly onto him, consuming the Fire Lord in flame.

"Yeah! That should do it!" The younger airbender shouted happily.

"Fools," The Fire Lord's voice shook the walls of the chamber. The flames that were coming at him had twisted around his body and instead he tossed them right back at the two airbenders. "You have signed your death warrants."

The airbenders screamed.

----

"I have a question, Sandaime-sensei." Sama asked. He was now in the middle of his Avatar training, and he had to create a thin pole of ice and balance on it -- on his head. So he was currently upside down, scared out of his mind and trying not to fall.

"What does this have to do with being the Avatar? It teaches you balance, for you are the balance between the four elements." Saturobi Sandaime replied.

"No, actually that wasn't my question. I was wondering... if I'm not really from the watertribe, how come the last Avatar, Aang, was a Airbender? Should the next Avatar be a actual waterbender?" Sama asked, curious as to the answer.

"There was a natural born Waterbender, born in this very village. However, while he was just a child he was killed in a accident. That is why, when the next Avatar was discovered in a town with naught but dead Earthbenders, you were brought back here so that the cycle is not disrupted. As far as I am concerned, you are the Waterbeing Avatar and the Earthbending Avatar. Perhaps that was unwise of us, but we feared to have the cycle break... now I fear it will mean a extra responcibilty for you." The Waterbending Elder said somberly.

"Oh." Sama was distracted, and as expected he fell off the ice pole and landed on the ground. After climbing into a sitting stance, he rubbed the back of his head which was sore from the fall. "Uh... Sandaime-sensei? I, uh, well... would you and Iruka-sensei not tell my sisters that I'm not really their brother? I... I'd rather they hear it from me."

"Of course." The Elder nodded. "Now get back on the pole."

Sama sighed.

----

"You know what I just realized?"

Joha was lying on her bed backwards, her hair hanging off the foot of the bed. Crystal Rose was walking around the room, using her waterbending to clean a bunch of white fur off of the walls.

"That having a shedding flying bison right outside your open window is a bad idea?" Crystal Rose suggested, raising a eyebrow as she washed a bunch of fur onto the floor and out of the room on a stream of water that headed right out the front door.

"Huh? No, I realized that a while ago," she said and then she sat up on the bed. "but just now I realized that when Sama leaves the village to go learn other bending, we're going to have to go with him."

Crystal Rose stopped washing the hair and turned around to her sister. "What do you mean?"

"Trust me, if we're not there with him, he's going to get himself in trouble. You remember that time you got sick and I stayed home to take care of you and we let him go to class alone? Yoshino-sensei was so mad I thought he'd feed him to a seal." Joha giggled, remembering the experience.

"Oh yeah... that's true." Crystal Rose smiled. "Well then, I guess we'll go along for the ride."

"Plus, you know what else... the dream!" Joha said with a gleam in her eye.

"Oh not i_that_/i again!" Crystal Rose sighed, sitting on the bed beside her sister. Joha glared.

"Yes, that again! I've had that dream five times in three weeks, it has to be a vision or something. I'm telling you, one day I'm going to be attacked by a Lionbear and a handsome guy with a sword is going to save me." Joha said, her eyes sparkling with small hearts. Crystal Rose shook her head.

"Yeah, yeah, keep dreaming. Lionbears don't live in the South Pole." Crystal Rose reminded her.

"I know that!" Joha snapped. "Yet, they i_do_/i live in Earth Kingdom, and Fire Kingdom, and we'd be going there with Sama when he goes to learn other bending, so, you know."

"So that's the real reason you want to go." Crystal Rose grinned knowingly.

"No! I want to support my older brother and be a good sister! If I happen to meet a beautiful warrior who will save me from a Lionbear, that's just a benefit." Joha smiled sheepishly.

"Does that mean if you run into a Lionbear you're just going to let it attack you?" Crystal Rose asked.

Joha shrugged. "Eh, why not?"

----

Sama was leaving the elder's house now. It was late and he was tired; he had spent all day learning new, high-level waterbending. It was a pain in the rear, and a pain in just about every place else. His body hurt from all the times he had fallen off the pole. Just balancing was difficult enough, but when the elder wanted him to start bending while balancing on the pole it became sheer ridiculous to think he could do it on the first, second or even tenth try.

Now Sama was in a lot of pain, he was tired and cranky. Luckily it was dark now and he was allowed to go home. He wanted to get back to his house and eat something. He wasn't sure which girl was cooking or what they were making, but he just hoped that Iruka wasn't making dinner. Iruka's food always tasted like old boots.

However, a few feet from his house, he heard a whistling noise in the air. He looked up and saw a bright light, which crashed into the house to the left of him. It exploded into flames and the icy walls began to melt and flames spilled all around onto the ground. Sama quickly used his waterbending on the melting ice and extinguished the fires, but he heard the whistling again in the air. He saw several more fireballs soaring down towards the town.

"This can't be good." Sama said knowingly as he threw water at the fireballs in the air, but there was no way he could get them all. In a matter of half a minute several more houses were hit, and the town was being engulfed in flames. People were running out into the street and screaming, and Sama was afraid. He ran towards his house, intent on warning his sisters but just as he arrived a larger-than-usual fireball landed on his roof and destroyed the entire house in a matter of seconds!

"NO!" Sama yelled, but a minute later he saw waterbending from down the street. His eyes quickly latched onto the vision of his sisters and Iruka using their waterbending to try to stop the fireballs. Relived that they were alive, he ran as fast as he could towards them and started to help.

"What the heck is going on?" Sama asked.

"Looks like the Fire Navy ship that was here earlier decided to attack," Iruka told them, and all three of the youths gasped. "They wanted the Ice Flower of the Village, but the Elder refused to give in!"

However, a moment later the fireballs stopped raining down from the sky. The four waterbenders paused for a moment in a suspicious moment of silence, and then the sound of footsteps echoed. Iruka quickly realized what it was.

"Panicked people?" Joha suggested.

"No, that clang on the ground only comes from Fire Nation's boots. There's foot soliders running through the city. Luckily our bending can beat their swords, and it's night when the moon is in the sky -- why would any Fire Nation Solider, even a bender, risk a fight against the Water Tribe when the moon is lit and our power is at it's greatest?" Iruka wondered.

Around the corner came a batallion of soliders in fire nation uniforms, led by Commander Orochi. The soliders all held odd weapons; long devices that looked to be made of a combination of metal and wood, and they held them at their side until they saw the waterbenders when they rose them up to their shoulders and aimed the other end at the group. Orochi had a similiar device, but it was smalled and fit in just one hand. He smirked.

"Waterbenders? Hmm... then one of you must be the new Avatar! You're coming with me, so speak up now." Orochi demanded.

"Avatar?" Sama choked. "You mean you're attacking our village, killing people, just to find me?" He cried out.

"Baka!" Joha yelled at him as he revealed his identity. Sama sweatdropped. Orochi smiled.

"Good, then we don't need the others." He aimed the odd metal and wood handheld device at Iruka. Iruka threw a water whip at Orochi, bending the liquid from the snow, but Orochi pulled the small trigger on the strange device and the nozzle erupted with a burst of fire and a small piece of metal flew forward, went right above the water whip, and struck Iruka in the stomach.

Iruka cried out and fell to his knees. The three siblings all gasped.

"Wha... What IS that?" Sama wondered aloud.

"This? I call it a gun. New invention of the Fire Kingdom. Pity you get only one shot per load, but no matter. I can do this as well!" Orochi held up his hands after putting the gun back in his sash, and Iruka quickly dove up to his feet. Orochi fired a blast of fire at Sama, but Iruka took the hit instead.

"Iruka!" Both sisters screamed at once. Sama was stunned.

"Idiot, died for nothing." Orochi approached with a grin, and his troops behind him all aimed their guns at the three teenage waterbenders. "We don't need the women, kill them but make sure you bring the Avatar back alive." Orochi commanded. However, there seemed to be something really wrong with Sama. He was looking down at Iruka with tears falling from his eyes.

Then he looked up, and those eyes were glowing brightly. Orochi took a step back, unsure of what was happening.

Sama thrust his hand forward and the air blew so hard that when the soliders fired their bullets flew back at them and hit them, killing some of them and wounding others. Orochi was impressed and he turned around and fled quickly. He knew what the Avatar State was from the stories about Aang one hundred years ago, and he wasn't stupid enough to fight it.

Sama held out his hands towards the beach, several spouts of water rose up and hit the village, extinguishing any fires that remained. Then, Sama hit the ground, his eyes closed and back to normal, completely unconcious. Leaving Crystal Rose and Joha to sit on their knees and cry about the man who had been like a father to them all their lives and his death, as well as the attack on their village.

The fight was over, but the journey was just begun!

----

**Chapter Notes:** Sarutobi Sandaime is named after the Third Hokage from Naruto. The one who is in charge of the village in the beginning of the manga. Timothy and Elliot are named after the mean children from Secret of Mana, since the game is old, if you want to see them I suggest a hilarious flash sprite comic. It's fantastic! Huh... where was I? Oh yeah! Commander Orochi is named after Orochimaru, one of the main villains of Naruto.

**Character Profiles #4 - #6!**

**Name**: Commander Orochi

**Gender**: Male

**Age**: Unknown

**Style**: Firebender

**Profile**: Orochi is a expert firebender and the Commander of a ship in the Fire Navy. He's considered one of the best Firebenders in the Fire Nation and is a favorite of the Fire Lord, who trusts him explicably. However, Orochi has not yet been promoted to a high rank because he has been too busy working with his new technology to focus on missions and rising ranks.

**First Apperace**: Book I Chapter I (Name not revealed until Book I Chapter II)

**Name**: Iruka

**Gender**: Male

**Age**: 27

**Style**: Waterbender

**Profile**: A waterbending teacher and the adoptive father of Crystal Rose, Joha and Sama. Iruka is a good favored man who usually helps those in need and has a bit of a stern side. He doesn't have a big role in this, and really is only here as a omage to Naruto, which pwns.

**First Apperace**: Book I Chapter I

**Name**: Saturobi Sandaime

**Gender**: Male

**Age**: 94

**Style**:Waterbending Master

**Profile**:Just like Iruka, he's only really here as a omage to Naruto. He's the Elder of the Southern Water Tribe and is considered the best Waterbending expert in the southern half of the world.

**First Apperace**: Book I Chapter II (Mentioned in Book I Chapter I)


	3. Farewell

Water. Earth. Fire. Wind.

Many years ago, the Fire Nation launched a war that lasted many years in an attempt to dominate the other nations.

However, they failed, and as punishment the Fire Nation was crumbled and became the weakest of the four nations.

There was peace for a hundred years... however, that all began to change.

The Sons of the Fire Nation began to grow ever more power, and they began to thirst for revenge.

Then, two sisters of the Water Tribe discovered that their adoptive brother is the new Avatar.

Now they may be the only hope to save the world.

**Book One: Adventure**

**Chapter Three: Leaving Home**

**Author's Notes**: This chapter will be the beginning of the actual adventure.

Also, sorry CR! I said I'd have this done in six minutes half a hour ago, but my dad came home and bothered me. Anyway, here's chapter three. I hope it cheers up CR's bad day.

Also! Thanks to CR for the picture of Sama

deviantart . com /deviation / 34241665 /

----

The two airbenders were now running for their lives. Their mission to assassinate the Fire Lord was a failure. He was much too strong of a bender, and now they were running in the hopes to save their own lives. Bursts of red and blue flames came from behind them, and they took turned turning and using air attacks to blow the fire away so it wouldn't burn them. The two airbenders moved as fast as they could, running away from the Fire Lord and his minions as they chased them through the castle.

Finally, the older airbender swung his staff and knocked over some giant stone statues of previous fire lords and they blocked the path of those who chased them. Running quickly up the stairs, they ducked into a room on the right. Without realizing it they had run into the room of the Fire Nation's Princess, where they first snuck into the fortress. This time, however, the Fire Princess was not asleep. She was sitting on the edge of her bed, fully dressed and holding a knife in one hand.

"Hello, assassins." The Princess said cheerfully. The Princess of the Fire Nation, was a very pretty girl with dark hair and matching eyes. She was not the kind of person who you wanted to be on the bad side of, in fact insulting her at all was a almost givin death sentence. The airbenders turned around and held their staves at her, but she just laughed at them in doing so.

"What will you do? If I scream, every guard in this castle will be coming towards this room -- and that's only what I'll do if you're lucky." The Princess growled. "If you're unlucky, like you've seemed to be so-far, you'll have to fight me personally." She held up her hands, and revealed burning hot fireballs dancing inside her palms.

"A firebender," The younger airbender held his staff ready, but the older shook his head. "Let's get her!"

"No! We can't afford to attract the attention." The older said at once. Then he used his airbending to push the window right out of the wall and he jumped out onto his staff. The young was frozen, looking at the girl and wondering if he should follow his partner or stay here.

"Too slow!" The Princess growled and threw two balls of fire at the airbender. He was able to block them with his staff, but some of the flames hit his leg and left a scorch mark on his ankle. Growling in pain, the airbender followed his friend out the window before she could attack again, flying on his glider.

The Princess watched them fly away, and then she started throwing fire out the window after them.

----

"Send word to the Fire Lord, tell him of our discovery of the Avatar, we need the Navy here to --" General Rong was speaking to one of the messengers on the ship, when Commander Orochi shook his head and stood up. He was in his situation room once more, which consisted of a black marble floor with red pillows set up all around. There were no chairs, but there was a small table low to the ground which Orochi sat by with his legs crossed indian style as he drink tea from the saucer on top of the table.

"Do not send word to the Fire Lord." Commander Orochi reinstructed the messenger.

"What? He must know we have found the Avatar! We need additional forces to defeat him!" General Rong roared.

"Do you not remember the stories of Aang?" Commander Orochi asked, looking up at the older, rounder man. "According to the stories, when Aang entered that Avatar State we saw that boy in earlier, he destroyed a entire Fire Nation Naval Fleet that was supposed to be attacking the North Pole! It was one hundred years ago, and a different Avatar, but this boy could do the same."

"Then what do you suggest?" General Rong spat hostily. "We do NOTHING?"

"No, General. I suggest we do things in a easier manner. We will contact our spy inside the Water Tribe and see to it that the Avatar boy is led away from the village, subdued and apprehended quietly. Besides, General Rong, do you not want to make up for your lost honor? Why do you think it is that I, a mere Commander have say over your, a famous General? I can help you restore your honor in the Fire Lord's eyes and we shall both be rewarded splendidly."

General Rong narrowed his eyes, but he obeyed. Rong went deeper into the ship to write a letter to the spy inside the Water Tribe. The person who would be able to get closer to the Avatar than they could, and stop him before he could attack in any way.

----

"Where are you going, Avatar?"

Sama stopped dead in his tracks. He spun around and saw Yoshino, his mean dance teacher. Ever since he was a child, Yoshino had not liked him and had been cruel to him in all his classes. Yoshino taught more than dance, you see, he also taught fishing, craftsmanship and he taught about survival. Sama didn't know why Yoshino didn't like him. His sisters said it was because Sama was cruel to him, but in truth Yoshino had been cruel when Sama was just a child, long before he had ever been cruel to the teacher.

"Yoshino-sensei..." Sama was standing in the street, it was the dead of night and Sama was loading several of his belongings onto Appa, the giant flying bison who was sleeping outside of his house. It didn't take a genius to know what was going on.

"The Fire Nation attacked here, Sensei." Sama told him, looking down. "Iruka-sensei... died... saving me. My sisters could have been killed too... I, I'm going to live at the Northern Water Tribe and finish my training. They're much better protected than we are, you know? I won't be putting anyone in danger this way."

"Do you know why I don't like you?" Yoshino asked, speaking very frankly. Sama blinked and looked as if he hadn't heard that right, but Yoshino nodded and Sama realized he had asked exactly what Sama thought. Shaking his head, Sama indicated 'no' without actually speaking.

"It is because of Iruka's brother." Yoshino told him, leaning against the wall and looking up at the stars. "He was my best friend. All my life, he was my best friend, we were like brothers growing up, Me, Konoha and Iruka! I was the best man at his wedding. He married my little sister. We were real brothers, then, and it was wonderful. Then... then he got sick, when he saved you from that Earth Kingdom Town.

"He came back, very excited, telling everyone that he had found the baby Avatar! Oh, we were all excited. It was a only a few months ago a child had been born in this village that was to be the Avatar -- that child had been HIS child, and his wife's. My nephew was the Avatar! Then, his child died of a illness.

"So when he found you, we all thought it was fate giving back what it had taken... but no... Konoha got sick, from the same illness you and only you survived! My sister tried to heal him, but she only made herself sick in doing so. They both died soon after. I... I was supposed to raise you, but I blamed you for my sister! That's why it was Iruka who raised you... I wanted to hate you. I truly did, but... I can't."

Tears leaked from beneath Yoshino's glasses, it was clearly a painful story to tell.

"I-I'm sorry... I never knew, nobody told me." Sama looked down, his own eyes watery. This was a eye opener, but not a good one. Once again, his presence in this village was only bad. Maybe he'd have better luck at the North Pole, on the other side of the planet.

"No, do not be sorry. It is me who should be sorry." Yoshino sighed. "Iruka, though his brother died, had never once hated you. I never understood why, and it torn me and Iruka apart for all these years. I felt like Iruka betrayed my sister's memory, and his brother's... but in reality he knew what I know now; that neither of them would be sad that they died so that a new Avatar may come into this world. Especially in today's world, when the Fire Nation is so dangerous."

Sama was taken aback. Here, Yoshino had come and admitted that he hated him, and then he had apologized. Now Yoshino dropped down to his knees and began to cry harder and grabbed Sama's leg. "I'm sorry brother! I'm sorry that I hated the very person you died to protect! I am a horrible person!"

Sama blinked. He wasn't good at this kind of stuff. He assumed he should just tell Yoshino that it would be okay, and that he forgave him for being mean for so many years. However, before Sama got a word out, there was another voice speaking. Not Yoshino's, but that of a man called Van, he was the family bodyguard to Elliot's father, the man who made money from Seal Blubber. Most people in town didn't like him for killing all the seals, so there were attempts on his life routinely. Van was a Earthbender who came to guard him, and he usually didn't talk much to anyone.

"Mr. Van, can I help you?" Yoshino asked, turning to the bodyguard with suspicion.

"Yes," Van replied. "You can reveal yourself... Fire Nation Spy Yoshino!"

Sama gasped, and Yoshino's eyes widened (still no one could tell from the glasses). "What are you talking about?" Sama asked.

"Yoshino... is a spy for the Fire Nation. He will take you to the Fire Lord so they can use your powers to destroy their enemies and unite the world under the Fire Lord's will." Van said seriously, and Sama gasped and jumped away from Yoshino, now standing between the two of them about six feet to the left of Yoshino, and to the right of Van.

"That is a lie!" Yoshino yelled.

"Think of it, Sama, he hates you. He has betrayed you." Van told the boy, and Sama looked at Yoshino with his eyes full of confusion. Was that why Yoshino had been apologizing and telling him that sad story about his sistser and Iruka's brother? Because he had just sold him to the Fire Nation?

"You... You said you were so close to Iruka-sensei's brother, and then you'd betray him and sell me to his killers?" Sama screamed at Yoshino.

"No! He is a liar!" Yoshino took a step towards Sama, but Sama gasped and ran towards Van, standing in front of the mysterious Earthbender and looking at Yoshino with hatred. Van's face split into a smile and grabbed Sama by the neck with his hand and began to squeeze so hard Sama could not breathe. Sama scratched at his hand, but he was passing out much too quickly. Yoshino ran forward at Van, pulling a knife, but Van stomped on the snowy ground and from beneath the snow a spike of earth came shooting out and hit Yoshino beneath his foot, sending him flying backwards and breaking his leg.

"Avatar! Run!" Yoshino yelled, but Sama was still being squeezed by the neck. Van was planning on rendering him unconcious so he could take him back to the Fire Navy Ship without trouble. Yoshino threw his knife at Van and hit him in the leg, but Van's metal boot was the only thing hit and he wasn't hurt at all. Growling, Sama began to move his arms and bend the water. It shot towards them, but Van hit him in the stomach so the water couldn't attack Van. Instead it hit Sama in the face and he began to choke even worse. Luckily, the water made his skin very moist and slippery and Van lost his grip for a moment, which was long enough for Sama to punch him in the arm and force him to let him go. Sama fell onto the ground and scuffled backwards on all fours like a crab.

"You're going to regreat that!" Sama yelled at Van, his voice hoarse from being strangled. "I'm sure any minute my eyes will start glowing like before and I'll be able to whoop you!" Sama paused. However, the Avatar State did not occure again. He tried to move and escape, but Van kicked the ground and a slide of dirt shot underneathe him and knocked him down. Sama tried to stand again, but in the same fashion Van knocked him down again. Sama looked to Yoshino, who couldn't escape, and that's when he realized running would only cost someone else their life.

"Run Avatar, Run!" Yoshino yelled again, but Van kicked the dirt and Yoshino flew up in the air and came back down, right on his wounds.

"I'm sick and tired of people dying for me, okay?" Sama stood up and spoke to Yoshino, through his eyes were on Van. "So just shut up and live while I fight him!"

Van smiled and his dark eyes seemed evil in the twilight hours. He stepped on the ground and spikes of earth shot out from beneath Sama, he was hit and flew to his side, hitting the ground and brusing his body. His forehead had a large, bloody scrape across it's length. Sama looked for some way out, but he saw none. He did see that Van was standing in the snow, however, and that meant water! Sama quickly made the moisture in the snow cover Van's feet and turn into ice, freezing Van to the spot. His feet were stuck to the ground veiled in a sheet of ice unable to escape. Sama then ran to Yoshino.

"Yoshino-sensei! Are you alright?" Sama asked, looking down at the wounded pale faced man. His glasses were broken and lying off to the side, and his face was bloody and bruised. He nodded and then grutted in pain.

"I can't move. You should --"

"Stop telling me to run away, would you?" Sama growled. "I already beat that guy!"

"Did you?" Sama turned around as Van's voice roared out. The Earthbender was using his arms to move the ground and break the ice free of his feet. Sama freaked out and wanted to jump away, but he realized if he didn't stay Yoshino would take the majority of the attack and he would surely die, just as Iruka had. He couldn't allow that to happen, so he stood and started to make a barrier of ice which he hoped would take the attack.

"Fool! I control the ground beneath you!" Van shot another wave of dirt through the ground and despite the ice shield Sama made, both he and Yoshino were thrown back several yards. They both crashed onto the snowy ground just outside the town, near where the training took place before with Iruka, the place where he found Appa and where the Fire Bender had first attacked.

Van came walking up again, and Sama, though his eye was now swelling up, stood up and prepared another futile attempt to fight against Van. However, as Van took another step forward, his face suddenly fell and his eyes looked afraid.

"Eh? Am I doing the glowing thing?" Sama asked, but obviously he was not in the Avatar State or he wouldn't be talking in his normal voice. Van turned around and started to run backwards, but he was forced to stop as he saw Joha and Crystal Rose standing behind him. As soon as Sama's eyes fell onto his sisters he gasped. "Run! He'll hurt you!"

However, neither of his sisters would move. They were both smiling in a fiendish way and as Van began to approach them, Sama was afraid for a moment. However, as Van approached, both waterbenders moved their arms and from beneath Van the ground exploded and a torrent of water shot up and covered his entire body, and it quickly froze, leaving him trapped. Sama blinked.

"Wha...?"

"We're standing on ice!" Joha smirked to her brother.

"That's why he was afraid, no earth for him to bend!" Crystal Rose put on a happy face and ran over. She spotted Yoshino and gasped, looking down at him and his various injuries. "You don't look so good sensei."

"Yeah, I know." Yoshino sighed.

"Hey, can you heal him? You have been practicing healing a lot." Joha said to her sister, reminding her of her lessons. Sama blinked a couple of times and then nodded furiously to Crystal Rose, his head moving so fast he got a bit dizzy.

"Y-Yeah, help him... urgh... I don't feel so good anymore." Sama was all spinny.

"I'll try!"

"No. Relax young one, I will take care of him." The three siblings turned around and as the Elder, Sarutobi Sandaime. He was walking towards them, with nearly every able bodied warrior in the South Water Tribe. Sama stood up and looked at the Elder, while the two sisters ran over to him.

"What's wrong?" Crystal Rose asked, tilting her head. "What's with all the troops?"

"We are going to defend our home from the Fire Navy. However, you must leave." Sarutobi Sandaime said, pointing a aged finger at Sama, who gasped and his face fell. He already knew it was true he had to leave home, but to have it be a order and not his own choice was like a knife plunged deep into his heart and twisted. Sama felt pain in the bottom of his stomach and he sighed and nodded to the Elder.

"I'll go." Sama said sadly.

"That's not fair! Why does he have to leave?" Crystal Rose asked. "My brother shouldn't be sent away because he's the Avatar! Besides, if it's a fight I'm sure he could help!"

"It is not because he is the Avatar, nor is it just him who must leave." The Elder said sternly, and all three of the siblings looked at the Elder in surprise. Sarutobi Sandaime looked at the group and then began to explain these words that seemed to put confusion and dispair into their hearts. "You are the Waterbenders of this village. You must go to the North to learn your heritage. That, and that alone, is the key to your victory. Crystal Rose, Joha... you must go to the North Pole as well, for you are the last waterbenders of this village. You must go and learn waterbending so that our tribe's waterbending heritage is protected, should this village be destroyed."

"So you want us to just leave? And let you all die?" Crystal Rose asked, her face filling with both anger and sadness. "You can't be serious!"

"I have never been more serious. The three of you must leave here." The Elder said in a somber and grave voice. He sighed and looked as if he regreated what he was forced to say, but it was the truth. Their staying would only endanger everything and everyone. In the North, they could be safe and they could finish their training. "To our sister village you must go. I apologize, but this is the way it must be."

----

A few hours later, outside of their house, the three siblings had Appa packed with stuff and they sighed and climbed onto his back. They were sitting in the saddle, with Sama holding onto the ropes. He let out a sigh and tugged on the reigns, saying the words that Aang's spirit had helped him discover and Appa slowly rose into the air, carrying the three siblings high above their village and out towards the ocean.

"I always wanted to see the world..." Crystal Rose sighed, pushing one of the strands of hair out of her face. "This sure isn't what I had in mind."

"It's my fault for getting you mixed up in this." Sama sighed. Joha hit him, which caused him to wince.

"How is it YOUR fault your our brother? As for the Avatar thing, just stop with the pity party! You're supposed to save the world, so let's go teach you how to bend so you can do that. And by the way, if you wince when I playfully punch you, no way you're going to beat the Fire Nation." Joha's burning sarcasm was probably as hot as the Fire Nation. Sama sighed, but he did feel better a little So did Crystal Rose, that is, until she saw something.

"Fireball!" She yelled, and luckily Appa turned in time to avoid them being hit with the fireball. The three teens looked over the side of the furry beast and saw the fireball falling towards their home. Looking back they could see a Fire Navy Ship sailing towards the village.

"We have to go back and help!" Sama yelled.

With no objection from the others, Appa turned around and headed down towards the Fire Navy ship. As they flew along the side, they could see the canons explode with massive smoke and fire as gigantic balls of flame went at their village. Crystal Rose began to moved her arms into a stance and sent a jet of water up at the ship, hitting one of the soliders who stood at the edge of the Fire Navy Cannon and knocking him off the side of the boat. They had stopped the cannon from firing, but they had also attracted some unwanted attention.

"It's the Avatar! Shoot them down!" General Rong yelled. Several balls of fire went off and came at them. Appa was able to avoid them and fly up high again, but it looked like they were no match against the ship. Crystal Rose grabbed Sama's sleeve and tugged it,then she pointed. Sama saw the ground and could see the fire falling onto the ground.

"We have to help somehow," Joha sighed. "We can't fly away and watch everything we've known in our lives to be destroyed."

"I have an idea." Sama flew up at the ship and flew low over the deck. Several Firebenders ran forward and threw blows at Appa, but Appa smashed a cannon with his tail, causing it to misfire and hit the deck. The ship was severly damaged and Appa flew up and away from the deck, as Joha and Crystal Rose used their waterbending to extinguish fireballs being thrown at them. As the giant bison flew up into the air, Commander Orochi looked up from his perch on the deck and he smiled.

"... Call of the assault. Prepare to move in on foot." Orochimaru called to General Rong.

"What? But we are winning!"

"I have much bigger plans for this town than simple murder and mayhem." Orochimaru's face twisted into a horrible grin. "Trust me, we may not have the Avatar, but we have the next best thing: his home town. He'll have to come back eventually, and when he does he'll find everyone and everything he loves my prisoner. We can use this."

----

Appa flew away, and the three on board were all grief stricken and upset. They could not bring themselves to cheer up in this moment when they knew their home was in danger, despite their efforts. Speech was none at all, and it seemed like this was the beginning of a long and difficult journey.

----

**Character Profiles #7 & #8**

**Name**: Yoshino

**Gender**: Male

**Age**: 26

**Style**: Waterbender

**Profile**: His sister married Iruka's brother, and their child was supposed to be the Avatar. However, that child died... then Iruka's brother Konoha found baby Sama, the new Avatar, and got a new chance; but he and his wife died of the disease that killed Sama's real parents. Yoshino grew up hating the Avatar who he blamed for his sister and Konoha's deaths, and who he blamed for his bad relationship with Iruka. That's why he was always such a mean teacher.

**First Apperace**: Book I Chapter I

**Name**: General Imuh Rong

**Gender**: Male

**Age**: 68

**Style**: Firebending Master

**Profile**: Imuh Rong was once the favorite of the Fire Lord's servants, and he was even hand picked to be his daughter's personal tutor in the arts. That is, until rebels took over a Fire Nation city. He was sent in to stop them, but then the rebels began killing women and children to make the army back off. Rong did not care and sent his troops in anyway -- but it was later revealed one of the families who died was his best friend's, and when the Fire Lord congradulated him about his victory he was very rude and paid dearly for that by being burned. The Fire Lord called him a weak failure, and then he was put under the command of a lower ranked officer, Commander Orochi.

**First Apperace**: Book I Chapter I


End file.
