Chapter Text
There is grace in hiding, lurking in the shadows as you carefully measure your opponent and their weaknesses.
The Kyoshi warriors know this better than most, hiding in alleyways and rooftops as they keep the village safe (both from outsiders and their own people). Knocking sexist men down a peg or two as well as rooting out fire nation spys.
But today, there is a different threat.
A battered old fishing boat, listing slightly to the right as it closes in on the outskirts of Kyoshi Island. Navy sails tattered and blackened with a thick layer of soot. The hull singed and warped beyond recognition, wooden slats pitch black and burnt far past repair. It crashes to shore and practically collapses into kindling, smoke curling in the air as someone stumbles out of the wreckage. Dead on their feet as they lurch towards the treeline.
The warriors of Kyoshi watch as the man calls out for help, eyes narrowing in suspicion as he unknowingly approaches their treetop hideout. Red painted eyes immediately softening as they notice the bundle cradled in his arms.
And so, suspicions culled, they descend from the trees. Light on their feet as they carefully approach the ragged man.
“Please,” he begs, watery blue eyes fixing on each warrior in turn, “sanctuary!” He falls to his knees and curls in on himself, holding up the fur lined bundle in a desperate plea. Foolishly, a soft-hearted warrior steps closer, gingerly pulling back the fabric and revealing the treasure cradled within. Quiet gasps sounding through the crowd as she drops her hand in disbelief.
It’s a little girl. A sleeping infant with the lightest dusting of soot across her nose. A well-loved necklace clutched between her pudgy fingers, the yin-yang charm gleaming softly atop the furs. Polished moonstone and tumbled obsidian circled around one another in a tight embrace.
“My daughter...please, protect her…” the man pleads, arms shaking as he struggles to hold her steady, “or the fire nation will kill her too...” Hesitantly, with the man's frantic insistence, someone gathers the girl in their arms. Wary of their sharp-cut leather gauntlets as they hold the babe close to their chest.
“Who are you?” they question, staring down at the man as he shakes at their feet.
“Her name is Y/N Y/L/N, after her late mother,” he insists, ignoring the question as his voice grows weaker, “I’ll see you soon, my love,” And with that, he crumples forward and falls to the ground. Refusing to rouse even when a knife is pressed--gently--to his throat.
“Get a healer!” someone orders, driving everyone into action, “go, go!”
The warriors erupt into a flurry of motion, picking up the mystery man and rushing him to the village as fast as they can. Waking the healer and bustling about as they search for some way to help.
The man dies that night.
And the orphaned Y/N Y/L/N is adopted into the Kyoshi warriors.
* * * *
Many Years Later
Spirits, are you bored.
You fall to the ground with a groan, leaning back against a barren tree trunk as you look out over the horizon. Crossing your legs and resting your elbows on your knees. You can see the entire shoreline from your high up perch, light glancing off the glistening waves like firelight over abalone. Bright, mesmerizing, and familiar. If you close your eyes and focus, you can almost remember when you first arrived on the island. Swaddled in furs with a necklace clutched in your little fist.
Practically on instinct, you reach up and thumb the charm of your necklace. The smooth stone warmed from your skin and nestled comfortably beneath the silk of your kimono. The habitual motion is calming, and soon enough you forget your burning troubles. Washed away like footprints in the sand.
“I thought I’d find you here.”
And your troubles are back.
“I already told you, leave me alone,” you huff, glancing away as your best friend and confidant, Suki, sits down beside you, “and how’d you know where I was?”
“You always hide here,” she smirks, “you’re predictable.”
“Am not!” you protest, grateful for the childish banter.
“Are to,” she echoes, smile slipping from her face, “listen, I just want to talk.”
“What else is there to talk about?” you grumble, an edge of contempt creeping into your tone, “you heard what Oyaji said, I’m not allowed to leave.”
“He didn’t say that,” she sighs.
“He may as well have,” you argue, “face it, as long as the fire nation is trying to take over the world, I’m stuck here. So Kyoshi Island is gonna be my home for the next one hundred years.”
“Hey, I hate it as much as you do,” she points out, squeezing your arm in solidarity, “we both want to help in the war. But unless something big happens, we’re staying put.”
“Yeah, like anything ever happens here,” you scoff, bumping her shoulder playfully, “my fans are dying for some action, not just stoking the fire pit.”
“I don’t remember the last time my katana’s seen the light of day,” she jokes in turn, shifting to face the horizon and balking at what she sees, “Y/N, look!”
“Very funny, Suki. There’s nothing--spirits above! ” you jump to your feet, staring wide-eyed as schools of elephant koi breach from the glittering waters of the bay. Scales shimmering in the sunlight as they dive in and out of the gentle waves. Squinting, you watch as a tiny speck of a person balances atop the leaping fish. Two others standing on the shore as the smaller one frolics in the waves, “who would be stupid enough to swim with the unagi?”
“Outsiders,” Suki says darkly, rising to her feet and watching the frilled fin of the unagi peek out from the waters, “let’s see who gets to them first.” Invigored, you take to the trees, leaping from branch to branch as you make your way down to the shore. The other warriors joining in formation as you sneak up on the now reunited trio.
It’s a strange group, that’s for sure. A water tribe boy with a warrior’s wolf tail, a similarly dressed girl with strands of hair looped around her ears, and a bald, tattooed kid wearing a loose fitting orange shawl. If that’s not weird enough, a chittering winged lemur winds around their ankles like a cat. And a hulking, six-legged monster lows as they rub their furry head against a tree trunk.
Spies.
Without a moment to lose, you leap down from the branches and surround the strange group. Weapons held at the ready as you quickly and easily overpower the trio, leaving them trussed up and helpless in mere seconds (even the lemur is tossed into a bag). And despite the kicking, flailing, and overall resistance; you manage to drag them into town. Tying them to a tall, wooden pole and ordering someone to fetch Oyaji, the village leader.
“Hey, watch it!” the older boy shouts, flailing about as you tighten the rope around his midriff, “you’re gonna wrinkle the leather!”
“Quiet, Sokka,” the girl hisses, obviously the smarter of the two.
“Polar leopard skin is hard to come by, Katara!” the boy--Sokka--retorts. Blindly thrashing his head from side to side as he tries to break free, “no way am I letting this guy--”
“You have more to worry about than fashion, trust me,” you threaten, giving the rope an extra tug as you finish the knot. A nervous, almost indiscernible ‘eep’ slipping past his lips as you step away.
“She seems nice,” the youngest of the group remarks, a wide, oddly genuine smile spreading across his blindfolded face.
“She?” Sokka protests, a scowl downturning his lips, “there’s no way a girl--”
But before he can finish his sure-to-be sexist remark, Oyaji steps in. Saving him from a grisly death at the hands of a pissed off Y/N, “you three have some explaining to do.”
“And if you don’t answer all of our questions, we’re throwing you back in the water with unagi,” Suki tacks on, earning a gleeful smile from you. You have no patience for sexist men, and Sokka seems to fit the bill.
“Show yourselves, cowards!” Sokka goads, the three outsiders blinking in the sudden light as you rip off their blindfolds. Revealing the army of Kyoshi warriors standing right before them, “who are you? Where are the men who ambushed us?”
This boy…
“ We ambushed you,” you correct, gesturing to your sisters in arms. Grinning wildly as you watch recognition dawn on his disbelieving face, “now, who are you, and what are you doing here?”
“Yeah right, I’m sure you took us down,” he rolls his eyes, “you’re just a bunch of girls!”
“Bunch of girls, huh?” you tease, looking to Suki and smirking as she grabs him by the collar. Eagerly joining in on the ‘threaten Sokka’ bandwagon.
“The unagi’s going to eat well tonight,” she growls intimidatingly, digging her fingers into Sokka’s fur-lined lapels.
“No, don’t hurt him!” Katara pleads, once again proving to be more sensible than the other, “he didn’t mean it. My brother’s just an idiot sometimes.”
“You got that right,” you mumble, crossing your arms over your chest as Sokka seethes. The two of you glaring at one another as Suki releases her grip on his jacket.
“It’s my fault,” the younger boy says earnestly, “I’m sorry we came here. I wanted to ride the elephant koi”
“How do we know you’re not fire nation spies?” Oyaji says suspiciously, “Kyoshi has stayed out of the war so far--” you and Suki share a meaningful look “--and we intend to keep it that way.”
The boy perks up, smiling once again as he says, “this island is named for Kyoshi? I know Kyoshi!”
Out of all the lies you’ve been told, this one certainly takes the cake.
And it seems that the others feel the same, considering the disbelieving looks they send one another as the boy looks on obliviously.
“Ha!” Oyaji laughs, saying what you’ve all been thinking, “how could you possibly know her? Avatar Kyoshi was born here four hundred years ago, she’s been dead for centuries.” You glance up to the top of the pole, smiling slightly as you take in the regal statue of Kyoshi. The vibrant paint is chipped and faded, but her power and grace still shines through the old wood.
“I know her because I’m the Avatar,” the boy confesses, tone somber as he looks at you all imploringly.
Nevermind, this lie took the cake.
“That’s impossible,” you scoff, “the last Avatar was an airbender, and they disappeared a hundred years ago.”
“That’s me!” he grins.
“Throw the imposter to the unagi!” Oyaji orders, all of you obediently whipping out your fans and advancing on the tied up trio. Reaching out to grab the fibbing boy when suddenly, the impossible happens.
A violent gust of wind picks up around you, the breeze far too strong to be natural. The silk of your kimono whipping about as the tattooed kid leaps off the ground and soars through the air. Tearing free from the ropes as he easily clears the towering wooden pole, landing on the ground and kicking up a wave of dirt as the crowd oohs and aahs .
“Holy Shu,” you marvel, taking a step back in shock, “you are the Avatar.”
The kid grins and bounds towards you, balancing on his toes and pulling three marbles from his sleeve, “now watch this!” He cups his hands and wiggles his fingers as the marbles spin around like a polar dog chasing its tail. Head whipping about as he searches for validation.
And boy, does he get it.
The village erupts into cheers, hope rekindled as a living legend stands before them (a bit younger than expected, but that’s okay). You even spot Suki’s ex foaming at the mouth and collapsing to the ground in a dead faint.
The other warriors quickly untie the Avatar’s friends, apologizing fervently as the two siblings jog up to meet the boasting Avatar. Their winged companion squirming out of the bag and landing on the boy’s shoulder with a series of indignant chirps. Pawing at the marbles as they spin in the Avatar’s palm.
Oyaji sweeps into a low bow, demeanor completely changed as he addresses the ragtag group of kids, “If you’d like, you three could spend the night in my home. It’d be an honor to host the Avatar and his friends.”
“Oh no, we shouldn’t--” Katara begins, immediately cut off by the two boy’s polar pup eyes, “well...I suppose we’ve been travelling long enough. But only for a little while!”
Travelling?
And like a glowfly lighting up a swamp, an idea ignites in your head. A plan for you to finally leave the place you’ve called home your entire life.
You were going to join the Avatar.
* * * *
Morning can’t arrive soon enough, and the second dawn breaks across the sky, you’re sprinting up the stairs to the Avatar’s room. Bursting through the doors and awkwardly sidestepping one of the servants as they serve the group breakfast.
“You!” Sokka shouts from the corner he’s sulking in, leaping to his feet and pointing at you accusingly, “what are you doing here?”
Without missing a beat, you sweep into a low, apologetic bow, “I came to apologize for yesterday. I didn’t realize you were with the Avatar, I thought you were fire nation.”
“Now that’s just insulting!” he laments, slumping down to the floor and scowling at the ground. Snatching a handful of sweets from the center table before returning to his brooding.
“Don’t mind him,” Katara says kindly, waving off her brother’s reproachful glare as she invites you to sit across from her, “I’m Katara, the one sulking in the corner is Sokka, and this is Aang.” The bald kid--Aang--sends you a cheerful wave, popping an egg custard tart into his mouth and following it with an absurd amount of sweet buns.
You sit down and offer them all a smile, “Y/N Y/L/N. Pleasure to meet you, uh, again.”
Aang returns the greeting and swallows the mouthful of food, sugar smeared across his cheek as he not-so subtly sneaks his lemur a snack, “ soo , I was wondering, what’s with the facepaint?”
“Aang,” Katara admonishes in a whisper, kicking him from beneath the table, “that’s impolite.”
“It’s fine,” you reassure, gingerly biting into a pumpkin pancake. Careful not to ruin your immaculately painted makeup, “it’s meant to intimidate opponents, and it imitates Kyoshi’s own style of dress.” You gesture to your whole outfit, “the uniform is pretty strict, but you’re allowed to get away with some things. Like this,” you reach beneath the silk of your kimono and hold up your necklace for them all to see.
“Coool,” Aang whistles, admiring the shining charm.
“Hey, that’s water tribe!” Katara realizes, leaning forward and eyeing your necklace, “where’d you get it?”
And just like that, the mood is soured. Your expression downcast as you sadly tuck the necklace away, “it was my father’s, or at least, I think it was. He and my mother died when I was just a baby.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Katara says empathetically, reaching up to clasp her own necklace, “Sokka and I lost our mother too, in a fire nation raid. This necklace is all I have left of her.”
“Well, we have that in common,” you smile tightly, clasping your hands in your lap and boring your gaze into the table, “the fire nation killed my parents as well." Seconds tick by in uncomfortable, yet companionable, silence. All four of you mulling over past loss, quiet in your solidarity, “on a happier note, what’s it like to travel the world? I haven’t stepped off this island since my father brought me here, and surely you’ve all seen some amazing sights.”
“Ah, the thing is,” Katara sighs, “Sokka and I have only just left the South Pole, and Aang’s been frozen for the past hundred years.”
“So unless you want to hear about ice, snow, and more ice. We’re not the ones to ask about worldly travels,” Sokka jokes, earning a small laugh from you.
“We saw some really awesome clouds on the way over, though!” Aang says reassuringly, “one of them looked exactly like Appa!”
“Appa?” you question.
“He’s my flying bison!” Aang answers, further elaborating as he notices your quizzical look, “six legs, arrow on his head, two horns…”
“Ooh, him,” you nod sagely, pointing to the lemur stuffing his face at the end of the table, “and who’s that?”
“That’s Momo!” Aang responds, holding out his hand and laughing as Momo jumps onto his arm and balances on his head. Offering the creature a plump wagashi despite Katara’s objections.
Watching him like this, it’s hard for you to make the connection that he is the Avatar. Master of the elements, protector of the world; twelve year old boy who has a pet lemur and eats sweets. It’s almost... sad , in a way. Knowing his destiny and just what lies in store for him.
But you put on a smile and laugh as Momo launches off his forehead, sending him sprawling on his back before he rights himself with a quick gust of air.
“Hey, if you want to travel, why don’t you come with us?” Aang eagerly offers, “we’re going to the Northern Water Tribe, and there’ll be lots of things to see along the way!”
“Are you sure?” you ask, trying to quell the bloom of hope in your chest, “I don’t mean to interfere...”
Katara thinks for a moment, ignoring her brother’s frantic ‘no’ as she thoughtfully strokes her chin, “it’d be nice to have another girl in the group...Oh, what’s the harm, I say she’s in!”
“Sokka?” Aang asks, blissfully unaware of his friend’s current dilemma, “what do you say, should Y/N come with us?”
The boy in question lifts a finger as if to say something, but eventually slouches forwards and sighs in defeat, “alright.”
You resist the urge to do a victory dance, rising to your feet and bowing deeply to your new companions, “you won’t regret this, I promise.” You straighten back up and glance out the window, freezing in place as you notice the sun’s position in the sky, “monkey feathers, I’m late!”
“Late for what?” Aang questions, watching on as you hike up your kimono and prepare to run out the door.
“Training lessons!” you call back over your shoulder, a wicked idea lancing through you like a harpoon, “Sokka, you’re free to join.”
He lets out a lengthy, exasperated sigh, “ fine, I’ll crash your little dance lesson.”
An evil smile pulls at your lips.
“See you there.”
* * * *
This is the most entertaining thing you’ve seen in weeks .
“Now, stand right there,” Sokka instructs you, a cocky smirk upturning his lips as he positions you in front of him. Taking a few steps back and assuming an offensive position, putting a bit too much weight on his back foot as he circles his fists, “this may be a little tough, but just try to block me.”
He lurches forward and aims a sloppy punch at your nose, a move which is easily blocked as you sharply jab your fan into his exposed armpit.
Injured in both body and ego, he stumbles back and rubs at his injured shoulder. Grasping at straws as he tries to rationalize his quick and pathetic defeat, “that was fine, I guess. ‘Course I was going easy on you.”
“Obviously,” Suki drawls in the background, raising a perfectly sculpted eyebrow as she scrutinizes the cocksure water tribesman.
Butthurt, he launches himself forward and sweeps out his leg in a flimsy kick, “let’s see if you can handle this! ”
You handle it just fine.
Smooth as butter, you duck beneath his outstretched leg and knock the other out from under him. Sending him flying across the room and landing harshly on his back, snapping out your fan and lazily waving it in front of your face.
“Argh!” he shouts, stumbling to his feet and jabbing a finger at Suki, “how ‘bout you and I have a go.”
“What, afraid you’ll lose?” you taunt, obligingly stepping out of the way and letting Suki take your place.
“No!” he protests unconvincingly, looking anywhere except at you, “there’s just plenty of Sokka to go around, yaknow?” You bite the underside of your cheek as you fight back a laugh, you and Suki sharing a look as she shifts into a ready stance, Sokka charging forward in a futile attempt to take her by surprise.
Unsurprisingly, it wasn’t a surprise.
Quick as a whip, she grabs his forearm and steadies a hand on his back, swinging him around like an elephant rat in a child’s fist. With a harsh push he pitches forward like an unbalanced iceberg, giving Suki an opening to loosen his belt and use it to bind his wrist and ankle together. The boy giving a few hopeful hops before tripping and falling flat on his face.
“Well, is there any Sokka left for the rest of us?” you say mockingly, untying the rope and waving him off as he retreats in shame. Head bowed to hide his embarrassed blush as he slinks out the door, “I think we’ve learned plenty for today, how about we let out early?” The other girls file out at your suggestion, with only Suki remaining as you step up to meet her.
She looks you up and down, gleeful expression slipping away as she notices that something’s up, “what’s wrong?”
You anxiously bite your lip, “I think...I think I’m leaving with the Avatar.”
“That’s amazing!” she grins, pulling you in for a hug, “you’re finally getting out of this place!”
“Yeah…” you trail off, homesickness pooling in your gut even though you haven’t left yet, “but strangely, I think I’m gonna miss this place. And you, of course.”
“I’d hope so,” she teases, patting you on the back and pulling away. Smile softening as she affectionately squeezes your shoulder, “I’m going to miss you too.”
You blink away tears and gently wipe at your eyes, careful not to smudge your painstakingly applied eye makeup. And just like when you were kids, the two of you effortlessly slip into easy banter and lighthearted jokes. Running through new forms and old, laughing even as you mess up horribly.
So you’re a bit surprised when Sokka makes another appearance.
“Uh, hey Suki, Y/N,” he says awkwardly, shuffling from one foot to the other.
“Here for another dance lesson? ” you huff, “I’m sorry, but training’s over.”
“Wait, just...hear me out,” he implores, clasping his hands together as if praying.
“What do you want?” Suki sighs exasperatedly, narrowing her eyes as she crosses her arms over her chest.
Deferentially bowing his head, he lowers himself to his knees and solemnly stares down at the ground. A humble move that completely throws you for the loop, “I would be honored if you would teach me.”
“Even if we’re girls?” Suki retorts, though you can tell that she’s softening.
“I’m sorry if I insulted you earlier,” he apologizes earnestly, “I was wrong.”
Well, this is certainly a pleasant turn of events.
“We normally don’t teach outsiders,” Suki muses, “let alone boys.”
“Please make an exception, I won’t let you down,” he vows, bending his spine and almost pressing his forehead to the floor.
“Alright,” she acquises after a moment of thought, “but you have to follow all of our traditions.”
You grin in agreement, catching on to her plan, “and we mean all of them.”
“Of course,” he agrees, blissfully ignorant of what lies in store for him.
This’ll certainly be fun.
* * * *
Watching Sokka--fully outfitted in Kyoshi warrior outfit and makeup--run through basic forms with Suki is certainly an... enlightening experience. It takes every last bit of your self control not to burst out laughing.
But, shockingly, he improves exponentially in the few hours he spends training. Even managing to topple Suki once or twice despite the odds. And as if that isn’t crazy enough, the two of you finally rebuild the shaky foundations of your friendship. With Sokka ultimately accepting you as a soon-to-be member of the group.
So of course, everything is fated to go wrong.
“Fire benders have landed on our shores!” Oyaji announces frantically, out of breath from sprinting around town, “girls, come quickly!”
There is no fear as you prepare for battle, no hint of anxiety as you run out the door to what very well could be your end. Only determination, and a spark of readiness that’d been laying in wait your entire life.
And now, it’s time to fan that flame.