Destined Meetings

It was a normal day inside the Fairy Tail guild. Everyone was relaxing, talking to each other and having a good time. Even Team Natsu was having a good time, especially Lucy who was sitting in her favorite spot drinking a strawberry shake. Erza was eating her favorite food strawberry cake. Speaking of Natsu, he and Gray were butting heads like they normally do. Happy was chewing on a fish he had in his mouth. Everything should be going smoothly for everyone.
"I get the feeling that today's going to be like every other day." Lucy said to herself. "Then again, I might want to..." She was then cut off and knocked back by Natsu, and he fell on top of her as both were sent to the floor.
"...Watch out for Natsu when he and Gray fight like idiots." Lucy muttered, annoyed.
"Flamebrain was the one who started our fight. I just finished it." Gray declared, making Natsu angry.
"Your clothes, Gray." Cana reminded him.
"AW MAN!" Gray exclaimed, noticing he was wearing nothing but boxers.
"You think you won that fight, Ice Princess?!" Natsu demanded as he got off of Lucy.
"I don't think I won that, I knew I won it." Gray replied.
"We're not done." Natsu said, as he ignited his fists.
"Good, I'm looking forward to round two." Gray said, covering his fists in ice.
Lucy picked herself up off the floor and returned to her spot.
"Are you okay, Lucy?" Mira asked the blonde as she cleaned glasses behind the counter.
"Yeah. Getting fed up with Natsu and Gray acting like idiots." Mira nods at her statement.
"Are you going to pick a job today? Do you know when your rent is due next?" Mira asked.
"Soon and I was actually considering picking a job." Lucy answered. She then walked across the guild hall and towards the request board.
She looked at some posters. The jobs today were varied, catching bandits, finding a lost magic book, protecting a house full of items. Most didn't interest her, but she eventually came across another one and read it.
Mysterious figures causing problems in the nearby forest
Help find and put a stop to them
Reward: 300,000 jewels
"Hmm, interesting." Lucy muttered.
"Yo Luce, whatcha doin?" Natsu asked. He was rubbing his head after being struck by Erza.
"Just looking at some requests. This job looks interesting." She handed the poster to Natsu, who then proceeded to read it.
"Okay, let's do it." He declared.
"Did you guys find a job?" Gray asked the two.
"Yeah." Lucy showed him and Erza the job.
"All right then. We'll take the job." Erza said as she walked over to Makarov. "Master Makarov, we found a job we'd like to go on." She showed him the poster.
"Okay then. Good luck and return safely." Makarov said. They nod and exit the guild.
They headed to a train station, boarded it and later arrived in the town they were supposed to be. The five then met the town's mayor.
"Thank goodness you're here. There's a mysterious group of individuals causing trouble in the forest and the townspeople are panicking." The mayor explained.
"We'll find out what's going on." Erza informed him.
"Thank you. Please find them and stop them or drive them off if you can." The mayor said.
"You got it!" Natsu exclaimed.
Team Natsu then headed to the forest and began to search for the mysterious figures the mayor told them about. Natsu used his enhanced smell of smell to try and find anything.
"Have you found anything yet?" Gray asked him.
"I've got a scent and it's probably those cloaked figures the mayor informed us about." Natsu explained.
"Let's keep searching." Erza ordered.
They continued exploring the forest as Natsu kept using his sense of smell to try and find the figures. The others were keeping a lookout as Lucy started to feel uneasy.
"Lucy, you look desperate. Is there a problem?" Happy asked.
"I can't help but feel we're being watched." Lucy admitted.
"Is that's true, those cloaked figures must be nearby." Gray said.
"My, my. You're right about that." A voice said. It was one from a manic male.
"What was that?" Happy asked.
"Would it be one of those mysterious figures?" Natsu asked.
"Be prepared for anything." Erza said, drawing her sword.
"Oh, you guys want to fight me? Good, I was starting to get bored walking around the forest." The manic male voice said.
"Show yourself!" Natsu demanded.
"If you insist." The manic male voice said as a beam of energy was fired at Team Natsu, but they dodged the attack.
"Nice try! Come and fight us for real!" Gray demanded.
"You guys are such brats, you know that?" The manic male voice stated as something emerged from the trees. It was a male with crimson eyes, semi-long dark green hair and dark blue snake-like tattoos on both sides of his cheeks. He wore a dark grey cloak with dark red demon shapes all over the cloak. He was holding a dark green and black guitar.
"So, you guys are from Fairy Tail? I can see your marks." The man flashed a twisted smile.
"Are you one of the mysterious cloaked figures that's been causing trouble around here?" Lucy asked.
"Oh, we've got ourselves a smart one, huh? You are correct, Blondie. The name's Zack. So, what do you guys intend to do now that you found me?"
"We're going to stop you from causing any more problems." Gray answered.
"Oh, yeah. Well then, bring it on." Zack challenged.
Natsu charged at Zack with his fist covered in fire, but Zack strums his guitar and releases a sound wave that pushed him back.
"Natsu!" Happy cried out.
"What kind of magic is that?" Lucy asked.
"Sound Magic. Do you like it? I always loved playing music." Zack told them.
"We're not gonna dance to whatever tune you're playing." Gray said as a clear magic circle formed in front of him and when it disappeared, he was holding a bazooka. Gray then fired a blast of ice from the bazooka, but Zack played his guitar again and unleashed multiple sound rings that shattered the ice.
"You're just toying with us, aren't you?" Gray asked.
"Maybe I am..." Zack answered, smirking.
"Enough!" Erza shouted. She runs forward and swipes at Zack with her sword, but he played the guitar again. This time swords made of sounds emerged from the ground. Erza dodges them and attempts to attack Zack again, but it was blocked by his guitar.
"Oh, you're as good as you are hot, but I didn't come here for you." Zack said, before kicking Erza away.
"Just what are you?" Lucy asked.
"I'm the world's worst nightmare and I'm yours too, Lucy Heartfilla." Zack answered, shocking her.
"How do you know my name?" Lucy questioned him.
"I ain't tellin." Zack said.
"Zack!" A calm male voice said. This time it was a man with cyan eyes, spiky gold hair and a red X on the right side of his cheek. He was wearing the same dark grey cloak with dark red demon shapes and crooked wings all over it.
"What's up, Tor?" Zack asked.
"It's time we returned to meet up with the others." Tor answered.
"But what about the Heartfilla girl? She's right there." Zack pointed out.
"Bring her with us. The master wants her." Tor added.
"Now you're talkin." Zack replied as he played his guitar and produced a sound barrier around Lucy. The two then leave with her in tow.
"Lucy!" Happy cried.
"Hey! Get back here!" Natsu shouted.
"We can't let them get away with taking Lucy!" Gray added.
"Let's go after them." Erza ordered as the three give chase. Zack turns to see Team Natsu pursuing them.
"I knew they'd follow us." Zack said.
"Doesn't matter. Throw them off our trail." Tor replied.
Zack played his guitar and summoned sound fists to knock the trees down, but Natsu incinerates them and they keep pursuing the two. Zack's guitar then generated two sound waves, but they dodge them. Gray fired a blast of ice at the two, but Zack deflected it with his guitar and unleashed more sound waves. Erza ran towards Zack, but he strums the guitar again and produced a huge explosion that sent Lucy and Zack flying in different directions. This freed Lucy from the sound barrier and she attempts to get away from the two.
"Oh no you don't." Zack said, blocking her escape.
"Get out of my way! I need to see if my friends are alright!" Lucy demanded.
"No can do, you're coming with us conscious or not." Zack said.
"Wanna bet." Lucy took a Gate Key off her key ring.
"Open, Gate of the Lion, Loke!" Lucy called out as Loke emerged from the Celestial Spirit World.
"How can I be of assistance, babe?" Loke asked her.
"Take that creep out." Lucy insisted.
"With pleasure." Loke said as he charged Zack. He dodges Loke's attack and unleashed sound rings at Loke who dodged them. The lion spirit went on the attack again, but Zack struck him with the guitar.
"You okay?" Lucy asked him, concerned.
"Yeah." Loke nodded, before getting to his feet.
"Let's turn up the volume, shall we?" Zack asked as he played his guitar again and knocked the two back. Loke quickly recovered though and grabbed Lucy.
"Wow. My ears were practically bleeding when you played that." Loke said.
"Some people have no taste in music. Here maybe this will make you love it." Zack said as he unleashed sound flames which headed towards Loke. He dodged the flames and attempted to kick Zack, but he struck the lion spirit with the guitar again. Loke recovered for a second time and went on the offensive, but Zack produced three sound waves that pushed him back.
"This guy's tough." Lucy noted.
"Sorry Lucy, I'm doing everything I can to try and land a hit on this guy but his music's a pain." Loke apologized.
"Maybe you should return to rest." Lucy advised.
"You sure?" Loke asked.
"Yeah, I'm sure. I don't want you to keep being beaten like this." She insisted.
"If you say so. Good luck." Loke told her before returning to the Celestial Spirit World.
"That was too easy." Zack sneered.
"Shut your mouth! I may not be that strong, but I can still take you out." Zack laughed at her statement.
"YOU take me out? Please." Zack scoffed as he played his guitar again and unleashes sound fists. They punch Lucy despite her attempt to dodge and she gets knocked back against a cliff.
"See? You can't defeat me no matter what you do, so be a good girl and let's get going already." Zack told her. Lucy noticed the cliff and even though it's a stupid idea, she believes it's her only way to escape Zack's clutches so she walks backwards towards the cliff.
"Really? That's your next best option? You don't even have anywhere else to go." Zack stated.
"I would rather die than go anywhere with you." Lucy said.
"So what're you gonna do? You gonna jump down?" Zack asked as Lucy got closer and closer to the cliff edge.
"Goodbye." Lucy said as she began falling from the cliff edge.
"Lucy!" A voice called out. Natsu was running to the cliff edge as fast as he could to try and catch her.
"No you don't!" Zack shouted. He produced a sound hand to try and grab Lucy, but it grabbed her Gate Keys instead.
Natsu tries to grab Lucy, but she had already fallen off the cliff edge.
"LUCY!" Natsu shouted as she fell. He then turned to face Zack.
"YOU CREEP! I'LL KILL YOU!" He exploded.
"Hey, I wasn't the one to make her fall off. It was her own stupidity." Zack replied.
"SHUT UP AND GIVE THOSE KEYS BACK OR I'LL TURN YOU TO ASH!" Natsu shouted.
"Bring it on, Fairy boy." Natsu charged as Zack ran up to him, then a clash erupted.
Lucy kept falling as she saw the water below and braced herself for her inevitable end.
"I guess this is it." Lucy said in her mind. "My decision is gonna be the end of me now. Natsu, Happy, Gray, Erza, everyone in Fairy Tail...goodbye. I'm sorry if I'll worry you all." Lucy said as she got closer to the water.
Before she fell in, a bright light appeared and engulfed Lucy much to her surprise and confusion as she was now in a white place.
"What? What's going on? Is this what happens when I die?" Lucy asked as she drifted in the white place.
The white place suddenly disappears around Lucy much to her additional confusion. She's now in the sky and continues falling from the sky until she hit the ground and five seconds later she opened her eyes and began looking around before finding out she was on ground that was white and cold.
"Is this...snow? But there wasn't snow before." Lucy said as she got up and looked around.
"I thought I was gonna land in the water I saw after falling off the cliff." She added before starting to shiver.
"Brr, it's really cold here." Lucy said as she reached for her Gate Keys, but only felt her right hip.
"Wait a minute, that creep Zack must have taken them before I fell. Now what do I do?" Lucy asked herself.
"NATSU! HAPPY! GRAY! ERZA!" Lucy shouted, but got no response.
"I should start looking for them. I hope they're alright." Lucy said as she began to walk through the snow.
Elsewhere a young boy and girl were sitting in a canoe that was drifting through the water.
"It's not getting away from me this time. Watch and learn, Katara. This is how you catch a fish." The boy confidently announced.
Katara wasn't impressed with her brother's statement. She looked over the edge of the canoe and into the water, finding a fish. Katara took her glove off and let out a deep breath. She began to move her hand, which caused a globe of water containing the fish to burst out of the water. A happy expression formed on her face.
"Sokka look, I did it!" Katara cried.
"Quiet Katara, you'll scare it away." Sokka whispered, still looking at the fish.
Katara was performing circle motions to keep the globe of water in the air and moving it around.
"But I caught one!" She exclaimed.
The globe starts drifting over to Katara and over to Sokka, who still isn't paying any attention. He raised the spear and burst the globe releasing the fish while causing himself to get soaked.
"Hey!" Katara protested.
"Ugh! Why is it every time YOU play with magic water, I get soaked." Sokka asked, annoyed.
"It's not magic! It's Waterbending and it's..." Sokka cut her off as he wasn't very interested.
"Yeah, yeah an ancient art unique to our culture. Blah, blah, blah all I'm saying is that if I had weird powers I'd keep them to myself." Sokka said.
"You're calling me weird? I don't make muscles of myself every time I see my reflection in the water." Katara shot back with a half-smile as Sokka displayed what she was talking about as he turns and glares at his sister. The two then feel shaking and were shocked to see the canoe was on the dangerous rapids and heading towards a ice barrier. Sokka paddles in a attempt to steer clear of the ice chunks and gains enough speed to prevent the canoe from being crushed by two icebergs behind them.
"Watch out! Go left! Go left!" Katara instructed, yelling as she sees floes of ice moving closer together in front of the canoe.
For a while the canoe avoided the ice, but eventually it was crushed by the ice as the siblings slide across it.
"You call that left?" Katara asked, venting all her frustration at Sokka.
"You don't like my steering, well maybe you should have Waterbended us out of the ice." Sokka shot back.
"So it's my fault?" Katara asked, pissed off as she stood up.
"I knew I should have left you at home. Leave it to a girl to screw things up." Sokka commented in a rude and irritated voice.
"YOU ARE THE MOST SEXIST, IMMATURE, NUT-BRAINED...I'M EMBARRASSED TO BE RELATED TO YOU!" Katara shouted while swinging her arms back. A crack then ran through the iceberg. "EVER SINCE MOM DIED, I'VE BEEN DOING ALL THE WORK WHILE YOU'VE BEEN OFF PLAYING SOLDIER!" Katara kept shouting, unaware she was cracking the iceberg.
"Uh...Katara." He pointed with his right hand at the cracking ice behind her.
"I EVEN WASH ALL THE CLOTHES! HAVE YOU EVER SMELLED YOUR DIRTY SOCKS?! LET ME TELL YOU...NOT PLEASANT!" Katara continued to shout, ignoring what her brother was trying to tell her.
"Katara, calm down." Sokka said, practically begging her to stop.
"NO, THAT'S IT! I'M DONE HELPING YOU!" Katara shouted. That broke the iceberg completely. Sokka gasped and Katara turned around to see the iceberg crack enough to burst and sent the ice they were floating on back. He shielded her and then they lay down on the ice trying to stay on it until it stopped moving.
"Okay, you've gone from weird to freakish Katara." Sokka sassed.
"You mean I did that?" Katara asked, amazed.
"Yep. Congratulations." Sokka replied sarcastically.
A bright glow from under the water sent the siblings moving back on the ice. Then a iceberg emerges to the surface and Katara approaches it, despite Sokka trying to stop her. The two then see something in the ice. It was a small and large figure. They gasped as the figure's eyes and what looked like arrow markings glow white.
"He's alive! We have to help him!" Katara exclaimed before grabbing Sokka's club and running over to the iceberg.
"Katara, get back here! We don't know what thing is!" Sokka protested, fearing whatever it was could be dangerous. He was ignored as Katara proceeded to whack the ice with the club, attempting to free the figure. After several strikes, the ice cracked from top to bottom causing an explosion and a burst of light.
Meanwhile Lucy was still walking through the snow and saw a beam of light in the sky which shocked her.
"What is that?" She asked. "I should go over and find out what's going on." Lucy starts running as fast as she could while trying to ignore the cold weather.
Out on the ocean, a young boy with black hair that was tied in a ponytail. He wore red and black armor and had a scar on the right side of his face.
"Finally." The boy said to himself. "Uncle, do you know what this means?" He asked, turning to a old man sitting at a table behind him and playing some kind of card game.
"I won't be able to finish my game?" The boy's uncle guessed.
"It means my search has finally ended." The boy said. The man sighed and placed a tile on the table as the boy pointed at the beam of light.
"That light came from an INCREDIBLY powerful source. It must be him!" The boy said as the beam of light died down.
"Oh, it's just the celestial lights. We've been down this road before, Prince Zuko. I don't want you to get excited over nothing." The man said, placing what looked like a tile with a air symbol on the table. He then placed a tile with a fire symbol on the table.
"Please sit. Why don't you enjoy a cup of calming Jasmine tea?" The man offered.
"I don't need any calming tea! I need to capture the Avatar!" Zuko yelled sharply turning, his face contorted in fury.
"Helmsman, set a course for the light!" Zuko commanded, pointing at where the light shined and the man continued playing his game.
Zuko wasn't the only one that noticed the burst of light.
Someone in a suit of red and black armor was looking out towards the ocean, before he turned to the side and saw the burst of light. What was unique is that he held a pair of swords in both of his hands.
'It would seem my old friend has been found after all this time.' The figure thought to himself. 'I believe a reunion is in order.' He began walking towards the village located near the shore.
As the mist settled, Sokka held his sister protectively but then let her go as they see what was happening. They got up and Sokka held his spear up, but then lowered it as they see a blue figure emerging from the remains of the iceberg.
"Stop!" Sokka demanded, pointing the spear at the figure.
The blue figure suddenly stands on top of the crater and looks down at the two, then fainted. Katara caught the boy before he hit the ground. Sokka then proceeded to poke him with the club, annoying his sister.
"Stop that!" Katara exclaimed annoyed, pushing the club away.
She then laid him gently against the ice and his eyes slowly opened as he looked up at Katara.
"I need to ask you something?" The boy questioned her in a weak tone.
"What?" Katara asked, curious.
"Please come closer." The boy said.
"What is it?" Katara asked softly.
"...Will you go penguin sledding with me?" He asked, excited.
"Uh, sure I guess." Katara responded, confused as she sat up. The boy quickly jumped to his feet.
"What's going on here?" The boy asked, somewhat confused.
"You tell us? How'd you get in the ice? And why aren't you frozen?" Sokka questioned.
"I'm not sure." The boy admitted as he pushed the spear away.
They then hear a gruff noise and the boy ran off towards the sound.
"Appa! You okay?" The boy asked as he looked at the bison's eyes which were still shut.
"Wake up, buddy." He said.
The boy opens the bison's eye but it closes again. Then the boy jumps down in front of the bison trying to lift his head. Katara and Sokka walk around to the other side and gasp in shock upon seeing the large, hairy creature as he begins licking the boy.
"You're okay!" The boy exclaimed, hugging the bison.
"What is that thing?" Sokka asked, pointing at the bison as he and Katara came closer.
"This is Appa, my flying bison." The boy looked back and introduced him.
"Right. And this is Katara, my flying sister." Sokka mocked sarcastically, earning a glare from Katara.
The boy was about to reply when he heard Appa inhale deeply and sneeze, sending a green blast of snot out of his nose. The boy quickly dodges, but Sokka's clothes were completely covered in it disgusting him. He begins squealing and trying to remove the snot, as Katara struggles to hold in a giggle.
"Don't worry, it'll wash out." The boy reassured him as Sokka still tried cleaning his clothes.
"So do you guys live around here?" The boy decided to ask.
"Don't answer that! Did you see that crazy bolt of light? He was probably trying to signal the Fire Navy." Sokka ordered, pointing his spear at Aang.
"Oh sure, Sokka. I'm sure he's a spy for the Fire Navy. You can tell by the 'evil' look in his eye." Katara replied to Sokka sarcastically. She then pushed her brother out of the way.
"The paranoid one is my brother Sokka. You never told us your name." Katara stated.
"I'm A...A-A-A-A-ACHOO!" The boy sneezed, sending him straight up into the air. Five seconds later, he landed back in front of them.
"I'm Aang." Aang introduced himself while rubbing his nose.
"You just sneezed...and flew ten feet in the air." Sokka stated in disbelief as he pointed up to the air.
"Really? It felt higher than that." Aang admitted. Katara realized something and gasped.
"You're an airbender!" She gasped in realization.
"Sure am." Aang confirmed this. Before anything else could be said, Sokka thought he started hearing something. Looking around he asked, "Do you guys hear something?"
Aang and Katara looked around as well. It wasn't long before they all looked up to the sky and saw something falling. Sokka looked over to the airbender and asked, "You didn't happen to throw something when you went up, did you?"
Aang only shook his head as the thing in the sky drew closer. Taking a closer look he said, "It kind of looks like a person with a shield of some kind."
As the man drew closer, Katara noticed that the person was falling right towards them. Grabbing both boys' arms, she pulled and said, "Watch out! Move!"
All three kids and Appa then jumped backwards as the man impacted the ice where they once stood. The impact created a giant mushroom cloud and sent a lot of ice flying, thus making Aang, Katara and Sokka cover their faces. Luckily, the ice shards didn't hit the kids nor Appa. Lowering their arms, the three looked towards the crater as the air cleared of the dust.
Aang, being the brave one at the moment, tiptoed towards the crater. As he got closer to the crater, he could see the thing more clearly. The person in the crater was a man dressed in a blue covered uniform, had a blue helmet and the round grey shield was on his left arm. The uniform itself was decorated with red and white at the man's midsection, a white star on his chest, not to mention the attachments to his belt. Aang crept down into the crater and got closer to the man. Just as he was about to see if the man in blue was still alive, a familiar spear with its butt bone appeared and started to nudge the man in the head. Both Aang and Katara looked to Sokka with a raised as he kept going. Aang quickly slapped the spear away and said, "Stop it!"
Aang gave the Water Tribe teen an annoyed glance just as the man started to stir with a groan. Looking down, all three kids watched as the man's eyes twitched open. When he did open them, the first thing he saw was three pairs of eyes staring down at him. It made him jump a little, and him jumping made them jump a little. Looking around, the man first noticed that he was surrounded by ice which it started to groan as more cracks started to appear.
"Move it!" The man said. All four of them ran and climbed out of the crater as the bottom of it gave way. Water could be seen as the cracks let it in. When all four were in the clear, the man looked to the children with a raised eyebrow as they took a deep breath. No one said anything for a moment. Sokka then broke the silence and asked, "Now who are you?"
The man shook his head, trying to process everything that just happened asked, "Wait, wha-?"
"Now. Who. Are. You?" Sokka asked again more slowly. The man then hesitantly held out the shield-less hand and said, "Name's Steve, Captain Steve Rogers."
"Nice to meet you Steve." Aang said as he took the older man's hand and shook. Then with his free hand, he introduced the Water Tribe siblings, "And these two are Sokka and his sister Katara."
Steve nodded to the two before starting to look around again. He saw the ocean and all the ice bergs. Looking back to the kids he then noticed that Sokka was walking around him. Taking a chance the young Water Tribesman asked, "So if I can ask, Steve, where did you come from, and what exactly is with your 'uniform'? And you're a captain for who now, exactly? And you wouldn't happen to be another Airbender?"
"Well, this uniform is what I wear when I go to help people." Steve explained. This peaks Katara's curiosity as she asks, "What kind of help do you do?"
"The saving kind." Steve looks to her and tells her. This makes the three kids gasp in amazement. Steve then said, "As for where I'm from, it's a little hard to explain." Then he said, "And I was made a captain because it was part of a gimmick until I became an actual a soldier back during the second World War."
"Second World War?" Sokka questioned. Steve then decided to explain, "As I said earlier, where I'm from is a little hard to explain." He was about to keep going when he heard a growl from behind, and looking back he saw Appa standing right behind him with the bison standing incredibly close. Steve looked back to the kids, as Aang quickly remembered and said, "Oh, I forgot, that's Appa, my flying bison."
Looking back to the bison, Steve said, "Uh, hi."
Appa's response was a big lick against Steve. Steve moved away and wiped himself off, then he looked to the kids again. He then further explained himself, "Let me just say, where I came from is a place called Earth. And when I said the second World War, that's the time when I got my powers."
"Powers?" Katara asked with a skeptic eyebrow. Steve laughed, knowing that it did sound a little farfetched, as he said, "Let's just say that I'm not an ordinary soldier. Back during the war, my government wanted a way to help win the war, so they decided to create a super soldier program."
"Giant light beams...flying bison...airbenders...super soldiers. I think I've got midnight sun madness." Sokka said exasperated, before walking away. "I'm going home where things make sense." That was before realizing they were stranded with nowhere to go.
Steve looked to the other two kids and asked, "What's an airbender?"
"Well, if you guys are stuck, Appa and I can give you a lift." Aang offered as he airbended himself onto Appa's head.
"We'd love a ride. Thanks!" Katara said, getting on Appa.
"Oh no...I am not getting on that fluffy snot monster." Sokka protested immaturely as Katara began to climb up.
"Are you hoping some other monster will come and give you a ride home? You know...before you freeze to death?" Katara sassed.
Sokka was about to respond, but couldn't think of a argument and sighed in defeat. The two were now on Appa's back. Sokka was sulking while Katara was excited.
"Okay. First time flyers, hold on tight! Appa, yip yip!" Aang said.
Appa raises his tail up and down then makes a huge jump and soars in the air for a few seconds but then belly flops into the water and begins drifting through it slowly.
"Come on Appa, yip yip." Aang said, trying to get Appa to fly.
"Wow. That was truly amazing." Sokka mocked.
Even though Katara and Steve shot him a glare, Aang defended the bison by saying, "Appa's just tired. A little rest and he'll be soaring through the sky. You'll see." He explained. Katara smiled at him and he smiled back. When she turned and looked, she was still smiling.
"Why are you smiling at me like that?" Katara asked.
"Oh, I was smiling?" Aang asked and she smiled again.
"UGH!" Sokka groaned in disgust and stuck his tongue, causing Katara to glare at him again.
She then noticed something in the distance. Someone was walking through the snow.
"Hey, what's that over there?" She asked, pointing at someone. Aang and Sokka look at what she's pointing at.
"It looks like someone's walking through the snow." Aang said. As the figure was still walking through the snow, they suddenly collapsed.
"Oh no! We should go and help that person! Appa, take us over there!" Aang instructed. Appa lumbered through the snow.
As Appa stepped through the snow Aang jumped off and ran over to the figure. It was a blonde-haired girl. He checked her pulse then picked her up and placed her arm over his shoulder before airbending both of them onto the saddle with Katara and Sokka.
"Is she okay?" Katara asked.
"She's breathing. She's just freezing cold." Aang answered.
"We should warm her up." Katara said as she grabbed a blanket and placed it over the girl.
"She should be okay now." Katara added.
"I sure hope so. You know something? I've never seen an outfit like this before." Aang admitted.
"She might be a spy for the Fire Navy." Sokka said.
"Knock it off, Sokka. It doesn't look like she's from the Fire Nation." Katara told her brother, then turned to Aang.
"What is it, Aang?" She asked.
"There's something about her that's...familiar. But I can't explain it. There's something magical about her too." Aang said, then added to his first statement.
"Magic, huh? Great." Sokka said sarcastically.
"Be quiet, Sokka. We should take her back to the village." Katara added.
"No!" Sokka protested this decision.
"Sokka, if we don't take her there, she'll freeze to death!" Katara shouted. Sokka tried to reply, but came up with nothing and sighed in defeat.
"Fine. But I'll watch her if she does anything Fire Nation like." Sokka stated.
"I'LL watch her!" Katara replied curtly.
"Let's get going." Aang said as he whipped the reins and made Appa swim through the water again.
Zuko was standing on the deck of the ship and staring out at the distance when he is approached by his uncle.
"I'm going to bed now." The man called out, yawning.
"Yep, a man needs his rest." He added, but Zuko wasn't convinced.
"Prince Zuko, you need some sleep. Even if you are right and the Avatar is alive, you won't find him. Your father, grandfather and great-grandfather all tried and failed." The man pointed out.
"Because their honor didn't hinge on the Avatar's capture, mine does. This coward's hundred years in hiding are over." Zuko retorted.
Meanwhile Appa is still swimming through the water and Aang is laying down on his back with his arms tucked under his head. As Steve sat looking at his shield, Katara crawls over to the front of the saddle and leans on the front before placing her head over her arms to see Aang.
"Hey." Katara called down to him.
"Hey. Whatcha thinking about?" Aang asked nonchalantly.
"I was wondering, you being an Airbender and all, if you had any idea what happened to the Avatar?" Katara questioned.
"Uh no, I didn't know him." Aang started. "I knew people that knew him, but I never met him."
"Oh okay, just curious." Katara replied before checking on the girl to see how she was doing.
"She's looking fine. I hope she's warming up." She added and then the girl's eyes start to open slowly.
"I think she's waking up." Katara said. Aang and Sokka make their way over to the girl and her eyes are barely opening.
"W-what's g-g-going on?" The girl asked in a weak tone.
"Don't worry. You're okay." Katara said, reassuringly.
"We found you collapsed in the snow and wanted to help you." Aang explained.
"T-thank y-y-y-you." The girl said.
"You're welcome." Aang said.
"By the way, do you have a name?" He then asked the girl.
"L-L-L-L-L-Lu-u-ucy." The girl said before drifting back into unconsciousness.
"What kind of name is L-L-L-L-L-Lu-u-ucy?" Sokka asked, earning a punch to the shoulder from Katara.
"Ow! What was that for?" He asked.
"Don't mock her and don't make fun of her name! I think she meant to say Lucy." Katara answered, reprimanding her brother.
"Well, at least she's okay and we know her name." Aang said.
"I think she needs some rest. Let's leave her alone." Katara instructed.
"I think we should get some sleep too." Aang stated.
"Yeah. Good night." Katara told him.
"Sleep tight." Aang replied.
Lucy who was asleep had a dream as a storm brooded overhead and the lightning split the sky followed by loud roars of thunder which wake her up. She looked around and it started raining then she saw Aang sitting on Appa's head holding the reins while screaming in terror as they all go down and crash into the water. This knocked them out but Aang's eyes and tattoos glow as he slammed his fists together and created a sphere encasing himself, Appa and Lucy. The air sphere was then covered in ice as a voice calls her name.
"Lucy! Lucy! Lucy! Wake up!" A voice said. It was Katara and she woke up quickly, gasping for breath.
"It's okay, Lucy." Katara reassured her. Lucy looked around her quickly.
"What?" She asked, looking at Katara next to her. She then looked around again and found herself inside a tent.
"Where am I?" Lucy questioned her.
"You're in our village at the Southern Water Tribe." Katara answered.
"Water Tribe?" Lucy asked, confused as she nods.
"We found you freezing to death and decided to bring you here." Katara informed her. Lucy then removed the blanket covering her body.
"Um Katara, right? Thanks for helping me." Lucy said.
"You're welcome. Come on, get ready. Everybody's waiting to meet you and Aang." Katara said. Lucy started to get up. As she did, Katara noticed the pink mark on the top of her right hand. She then dragged Lucy out of the tent. Aang was outside as he ran over to Lucy.
"Hey. I'm glad you're alright." Aang said, smiling.
"Thanks, um Aang, right?" Lucy asked. Aang nodded.
"I'm a Airbender." Aang said.
"Airbender?" Lucy asked him, confused.
"Come on." Katara said as she led them to a group of women and children.
"Aang, Lucy I want you to meet the entire village. Entire village, Aang and Lucy." Katara introduced them to everyone. Aang bowed while Lucy waved, but they backed away.
"Uh, why are they all looking at me like that?" Aang asked. "Did Appa sneeze on me?" He began inspecting his clothes.
"Well, no one has seen a Airbender in a hundred years. We thought they were extinct until my granddaughter and grandson found you." An old woman explained as she approached the two.
"Extinct?" Aang and Lucy asked her at the same time.
"Guys, this is my grandmother." Katara introduced her.
"Call me Gran Gran." Gran Gran insisted.
"It's nice to meet you, ma'am." Lucy said.
"Likewise. You're lucky Katara and Sokka found you otherwise you would've frozen to death. You wear such strange clothing." Gran Gran said.
"My clothes aren't that weird." Lucy said as Sokka grabbed Aang's staff and her whip.
"What are those? Weapons? You two can't stab anything with these?" Sokka asked, examining them.
"For your information, it is a weapon but I only use it for defense." Lucy said, taking her whip back before punching Sokka in the head. "That, and you should know better than taking something from people without asking, idiot!"
"My staff's not for stabbing." Aang replied as he bends air to reclaim the staff.
"It's for Airbending." He said as he opened the staff and it turned into a glider with red wings.
"Magic trick! Do it again!" A little girl cheered.
"Not magic, Airbending. It lets me control the air currents around my glider and fly." Aang explained.
"Wow. That's interesting." Lucy said.
"You know, last time I checked, humans can't fly!" Sokka stated, clearing not believing him.
Steve had a smirk on his face as he said, "I once thought that nothing would surprise me anymore." He moved towards Sokka and put a hand on the teen's shoulder, saying, "But I believe that there are many more surprises to come."
"Says you, smart mouth." Lucy said, earning a glare from Sokka.
"Check again." Aang said as he jumped into the air with his glider.
He starts gliding through the air doing loops as the villagers watch him with amazement.
"He ought to be a better flier than Happy." Lucy said.
Aang looks down at Katara and Lucy with a smile on his face. He was so distracted and slams into a tower made of snow. Aang pulled his head out of the snow and takes his glider.
"That ought to hurt." Lucy grimaced.
"My watchtower!" Sokka exclaimed, running to his watchtower.
Katara and Lucy run over to Aang and help him out of the snow.
"That was amazing." Katara said as Aang stands up and closes his glider. Sokka ran over to his watchtower and tried to repair it, but the snow just fell on top of him.
"Great. You're a Airbender, Katara's a Waterbender. Together, you two can play around and waste time all day long." Sokka said before walking away.
"Waterbender?" Lucy asked, confused
"You're a Waterbender?" Aang asked.
"Well...sort of. Not yet." Katara explained.
"Okay I'm lost now. What is an Airbender and what is a Waterbender?" Lucy asked.
"Well..." Katara was then cut off by Gran Gran.
"Okay Katara. No more playing. It's time for chores." Gran Gran said as she and Katara walk away.
"I told you, Gran Gran. He's the real thing. I finally found a bender to teach me." Katara said.
"Katara, try not to put all your hope in that boy." Gran Gran said.
"But he's special. I can tell. I sense he's full of much wisdom." Katara replied as she looked back and saw Aang playing with the children. His tongue was now frozen to his staff.
"Sthee? Now my tongue ith stuck to my sthaff." Aang said, making the children laugh.
"What about the girl?" Gran Gran asked. They turned to see Lucy helping Sokka rebuild the watchtower.
"She's nice, even though we just met her today. I think she's special too, but I don't know what she does." Katara said.
Meanwhile Natsu and Happy were walking through the forest after the battle with Zack. He had Lucy's Gate Keys in his possession. While they were walking, they find Erza and Gray in a different part of the forest.
"There you are. Where's Lucy?" Erza asked, but Natsu stayed silent.
"She asked you a question Ash for Brains, so answer." Gray said.
"Here." Natsu said, showing them the Gate Keys.
"Lucy's Gate Keys. What happened?" Erza asked.
"When I finally found her, she was approaching a cliff edge and she...fell back. I tried to save her, but it was too late and Zack tried to take her, instead he grabbed the keys. I attempted to grab her, but she had already fallen off the cliff edge." Natsu explained, shocking Erza and Gray.
"She can't be..." Gray stops talking.
"Maybe she survived and we haven't found her yet." Gray pointed out.
"That cliff was very high! You can't expect someone to survive a fall like that!" Natsu snapped.
"Calm down, Natsu. Maybe she did in fact survive. Let's just try and search for her." Erza said.
"Okay. Oh by the way, were there any other cloaked figures?" Natsu asked.
"Just two for me." Gray answered.
"I encountered three more, but I fought them off." Erza said.
"Okay. Let's look for Lucy!" Natsu exclaimed.
"Aye!" Happy cheered and they start searching through the forest.
Zuko's ship continued sailing towards the iceberg where the pillar of light emerged from. He was currently training against two Fire Navy soldiers as his uncle oversaw it.
"Again." His uncle said in a commanding tone.
Zuko launched a fireball at his opponents. They dodged and launched their own balls of fire to counter Zuko's attack. Zuko dodged it and reappeared on the other side of the deck.
"No!" His uncle said as he stood up. "Power in firebending comes from the breath, not the muscle!" He corrected the prince as he prepared to demonstrate the right way to do it.
"The breath becomes energy for the body. It extends past your limbs and becomes fire." He said demonstrating what he was saying.
"Get it right this time." He ordered.
"Enough! I've been drilling the sequence all day! Teach me the next set. I'm more than ready." Zuko shouted.
"No. You are impatient. You have yet to master your basics. Drill it again!" His uncle commanded as he sat down.
Zuko angrily turned around and threw a kick, which shot a strong fire blast that knocked down one of the guards that was still standing.
"The Sages tell us that the Avatar is the last Airbender." Zuko said as he faced his uncle. "He must be over a hundred years old by now. He's had a century to master the four elements. I'll need more than basic Firebending to defeat him." He reasoned, before ordering. "You will teach me the advanced set."
"Very well. First, I must finish my roast duck." He said as he started eating.
Meanwhile in the Southern Water Tribe village, Sokka paces back and forth.
"Now men, it's important that you show no fear when facing a Firebender. In the Water Tribe, we fight until the last man is left standing. For without courage, how can we call ourselves men?" Sokka said to a group of children.
"I gotta pee." One of the children said raising his hand.
"Look, until your fathers return from the war, they're counting on you to be the men of this tribe and that means no potty breaks." Sokka said, trying to be stern.
"But I really gotta go." The small boy said urgently.
"Okay...who else has to go?" Sokka asked. All the kids raised their hands, making Sokka slap his forehead. The little boys then walk away.
Katara and Lucy then approach Sokka.
"Have you seen Aang? Gran Gran said he disappeared over an hour ago." She asked.
Aang then emerges from a small igloo bathroom stall as the kids go to the bathroom.
"Wow! Everything freezes in there!" Aang said and the children laugh. Then they hear a kid shout 'whee' and see Aang on Appa's back and his tail is propped up like a sawhorse and used Appa's back and tail as a slide landing in a pile of snow as the children, Katara and Lucy start laughing.
"Stop! Stop it right now!" Sokka shouted as he ran up to Aang.
"What is wrong with you? There's no time for fun and games with the war going on!" Sokka said.
"War?" Aang asked as he got off Appa.
"What war?" Lucy asked.
"You're both kidding right?" Sokka asked.
"PENGUIN!" Aang shouted, startling the creature and causing it to run off. He then ran after the arctic bird at high speed.
"He's kidding right?" Sokka asked.
Later Katara and Lucy search for Aang, then they enter a area full of penguins that are waddling and making noise. Then they begin their search for Aang.
"Aang?" Katara called out.
"Aang? Where are you?" Lucy asked, then they see Aang trying to catch a penguin but it waddled away.
"Hey, come on. Wanna go sledding?" Aang asked as he lunged at the penguin but falls flat on his face and laughs.
"You're very hyper, aren't you?" Lucy asked, helping Aang to his feet.
"I'm great with animals." Aang said as he starts imitating the penguins making Katara and Lucy giggle.
"Aang, I'll help you catch a penguin if you agree to teach me Waterbending." Katara said.
"You got a deal. There's just one problem. I'm an Airbender, not a Waterbender. Don't you have somebody in your tribe who can teach you?" Aang asked.
"No. You're looking at the only Waterbender in the whole South Pole." Katara answered, sadly.
"The ONLY one?" Lucy asked and Katara sadly nods.
"This isn't right. A Waterbender needs to master water. What about the North Pole? There's another tribe up there, right? Maybe they have a Waterbender that can teach you." Aang suggested.
"Maybe, but we haven't had contact with our sister tribe in a long time." Katara replied. "It's not exactly turn right at the second glacier; it's on the other side of the world."
"But you forget that I have a flying bison. Appa and I can personally fly you to the North Pole. Katara, we're gonna find you a master!" Aang declared.
"That's...I don't know. I've never left home before." Katara admitted.
"Well you think about it, but in the meantime can you teach me how to catch these penguins?" Aang asked.
"Okay. Listen closely young pupil. Catching penguins is a very ancient and sacred art. Observe." Katara said as she took out a fish and threw it at Lucy as the penguins start to surround her.
Moments later the three were sledding down glaciers on the backs of penguins.
"I haven't had this much fun since I was a kid!" Katara exclaimed.
"You still are a kid!" Lucy said.
They continue to slide across the frozen landscape then enter the tunnels and have periodic gaps where sunlight pours through then they emerge from the tunnels and get off the penguins. They stand up dizzy and waddle off, then the three walk forward and look at something.
"Wow. What is that?" Lucy asked.
"A Fire Navy ship and a very bad memory for my people." Katara replied as Aang and Lucy walk over to it.
"Guys, we're not allowed to go in there. It could be booby-trapped." She informed them.
"I'll have to agree with Aang. You can't let your fears stop you and have to face them head on." Lucy said as they enter the ship and Katara follows them.
After climbing up and entering the ship through a hole they walk around the dark corridors then stop in a darkened area full of weapons.
"This ship has haunted my tribe since Gran Gran was a little girl. It was part of the Fire Nation's first attacks." Katara explained.
"Okay back up. I have friends all over the world, even in the Fire Nation and I've never seen any war." Aang said.
"Same here. I didn't realize you guys were fighting a war." Lucy added.
"Aang, how long were you trapped in that iceberg?" Katara asked.
"You were trapped in a iceberg, Aang?" Lucy asked as well.
"Yeah and I dunno how long. A few days maybe?" Aang guessed.
"I think it was more like a hundred years!" Katara said, shocking him and Lucy.
"What?!" Aang and Lucy asked at the same time.
"That's crazy. Impossible even. Do I look like a hundred-twelve year old man to you?" Aang argued.
"Think about it. The war is a century old. You don't know about it because somehow, you were in there the whole time. It's the only explanation." Katara said. Aang was shocked to the core as he walked backwards and sat down.
"A hundred years. I can't believe it." Aang said.
"I'm sorry, Aang. Maybe there's a bright side to all of this." Katara suggested.
"I did get to meet you and Lucy." Aang said.
"And we're friends now, right? So it should be a bright side." Lucy said.
"But what about you, Lucy?" Katara asked.
"What about me?" Lucy asked.
"You said you didn't know about the war going on either. You don't know what bending is and when we found you, you collapsed in the snow. I doubt a human can live outside on the snow. Where did you come from?" Katara asked. She then took a deep breath.
"Well, I'm from a kingdom called Fiore." Lucy started.
"I've never heard of it." Aang said.
"I don't think anyone here has. And no one in Fiore even knows about this hundred year war or about bending. You see, Fiore is a kingdom where wizards reside and if you don't know what a wizard is, it's someone who's skilled in magic. You might think it's similiar to bending, but it's something completely different." Lucy explained.
"Magic huh, that's neat." Aang said.
"And I guess I'm not the only one who doesn't know about this war because you said no one in this Fiore place knows about it either." He added.
"What about when we found you in the snow? How did you end up there?" Katara asked.
"Well back in Fiore, my friends and I were on a job. There are guilds that wizards reside in and they accept jobs there. The guild me and my friends are a part of is called Fairy Tail. Anyway, we went on a job and encountered some strange individuals that were causing trouble. They were mainly after me though, so my friends and I fought against one of them. During the battle though, I was captured so my friends tried to help but then the strange individual caused us to be separated from each other. I fought against him, but he was overpowering me and tried to capture me again. I was approaching a cliff edge and the only way to escape was to fall off the cliff edge and while I was falling, a bright light appeared and the next thing I knew I ended up in the snow. Then I saw a beam of light in the sky and followed it, but then the cold temperature got the better of me and I collapsed. That was probably when you guys found me." Lucy explained as she sat on the floor.
"Sounds like you had a rough time." Katara said.
"Yeah. My friends are probably worried about me by now. I just hope they're okay." Lucy replied.
"What are your friends names?" Aang asked.
"Their names are Natsu, Happy, Gray and Erza and they're my best friends." Lucy said sadly. Aang then walks over to her.
"I'm sorry, Lucy. We didn't know." Aang apologized.
"Hopefully, I'll find them someday." Lucy said.
"You'll find them. And hey, I'm sure they're looking for you too." Katara said, causing Lucy to smile at them.
"Thanks, guys." Lucy said.
"Come on. We should get out of here." Katara said as Lucy got to her feet.
The three continue to walk around the Fire Navy ship and they enter another dark room.
"Aang, we should get out of here. This place is creepy." Katara said and then Aang's foot drags a trip wire on the floor. Behind them the door was blocked by a grate and they were now trapped.
"What's that you said about booby traps?" Aang asked nervously. Machinery in the room started to operate and steam begins to pour out of some equipment, then a bright red flare was shot out of the Fire Navy ship and into the sky leaving a trail of smoke. The three looked and saw the flare in the sky.
"Uh oh." Lucy muttered.
The flare then explodes with a shower of small sparks and Aang spots a hole in the ceiling.
"Hold on tight!" Aang ordered as he picked Katara and Lucy up and jumped out of the ship through the hole in the ceiling. He starts to hop down while still holding Katara and Lucy until he landed on the ground.
"The last Airbender. Quite agile for his old age." Zuko said as he observed Aang.
"Wake my uncle! Tell him I found the Avatar..." Zuko ordered as he watched Aang, Lucy and Katara running from the icy area where the Fire Navy ship is and then he looks over at the Southern Water Tribe.
"...As well as his hiding place." Zuko added with a determined expression on his face.