Avatar Flash Fiction

Week 7: Winner

2007-05-29T14:14:38Z

Alright! The week 7 theme is now closed.

The winner is rebbe for the fic Facade. Your description of Azula and Zuko and their relationship was both disturbing and fascinating.

Congratulations, rebbe! You get to chose the next challenge. :)

[Theme] Week 7: Special

2007-04-28T01:06:53Z

The week 7 theme is: Special. Maybe someone has a very special ability (obvious or not). Maybe someone is very special to someone else? Maybe there's a special occasion to be celebrated (or dreaded).

Can't wait to see what you guys come up with. :)

Week 6 - Closed

2007-04-28T01:00:59Z

Hello everyone! Week 6: Past is now closed. Since there were no entries there's no winner, so I will be announcing the week 7 theme momentarily.

Week 6 Extension

2007-03-29T04:27:58Z

Apologies all around for how absent I've been lately.

Since there have been no submissions for the Week Six Theme: Past, the challenge is being extended. So if you're working on something or just now getting ideas, you have until April 5 to post for this theme. :)

[Theme] Week 6: Past

2007-02-20T04:16:22Z

As the (throughly unworthy) victor of the last round, it falls to me to pick the theme for the next challenge, and I have selected: Past. This is an oft-used word with a plethora of meanings. Does it mean someone's history, the sordid details of the childhood and life? Or perhaps it means surpassing someone else, as in a race or competition? The choice is in your hands! Start your writing engines, everybody! You have until March Fifth to submit your entries.

Week 5: Winner

2007-02-18T04:17:50Z

This took a lot of time and thought because this was seriously tied. Two great entries with two totally different takes on the theme. After much thinking, 'tis time to pick the winner. The winner for this week's theme is:

pikabot with "Murder at the Haiku Club

Totally loved it! I can imagine Detective!Sokka so clear. I can't wait to see what you have in store for the next theme!

Mystery, Must Get Out

2007-02-17T04:11:46Z

Title: Must Get Out
Theme: Mystery
Pairings/Characters: Jet, Zuko, Iroh, Longshot, Smellerbee
Rating: G
Summary: It was looking hopeless when the man in the demonic mask arrived.

Jet’s breathing was light and quick, as if he couldn’t get enough air. “Longshot…Smellerbee….I’m sorry,” he said, the words heavy and thick. “I’m sorry I dragged you guys into this again.”

Smellerbee awkwardly smoothed the hair out of Jet’s eyes. “You don’t have to apologize,” she said, eyes glassy and watery.

Longshot lowered his bow briefly. “She’s right,” he said, staring forward towards the doorway. “You did what you thought was right. We made the choice to follow you.”

Jet closed his eyes and smiled, face tightening. “Just…didn’t think it would end like this.”

***

“Come, Prince Zuko,” Iroh said as they made there way through the dark, twisted hallways. “We must get out of here before the Dai Li notices us.”

Zuko said nothing but followed him, hands clenching hard on the blue mask he held. Iroh noticed and glanced at him, face showing concern even in the darkness.

“Zuko, you must stand on your own,” he said. “You must realize that you don’t have to hide behind that mask anymore.” He paused and took gently hold of Zuko’s shoulder. “Be proud of who you are and what decisions you make.”

Zuko looked down at the mask he held, brow furrowed. He’s right, he thought. But the idea of leaving the Blue Spirit was frightening. That angered him. He shrugged off Iroh’s hand .

“This isn’t the time to talk about that,” he said, eyes narrowing. “Let’s just get out of here.” Spying a large, stone door, he silently hurried over to it. Putting his hands on the cool rock, Zuko pushed the heavy door open. Almost before he could react, an arrow was shot, hitting the door dangerously close to his face.

Startled, Zuko stumbled back with a cry. “Someone’s in there,” he said, drawing out his broadsword.

Iroh shook his head. “You do not know who it is,” he said. “It may be a prisoner here.”

Zuko paused before slipping the mask on over his face. Stepping to the side of the doorway, he quickly glanced in, withdrawing quickly as another arrow whirled by.

“It’s three people,” he said quietly. “One of them is the boy that attacked me at the teashop.” He paused before adding gruffly, “He looks like he’s badly injured.”

Iroh shook his head. “I had wondered what would happen to him after the Dai Li took him. What will you do, Prince Zuko?” he asked, raising his eyebrows.

Zuko sighed deeply. That boy has been too much trouble. “You go ahead,” he said, motioning forward. “I’ll deal with them.” How, he didn’t know but he would think of something.

Iroh smiled and nodded. “Be careful,” he said. “You must let them know that you are a friend.”

Zuko rolled his eyes, though the motion wasn’t seen behind his mask. “Just go,” he said.

***

Longshot drew another arrow back, back straight as he aimed at the doorway. Longshot stood at Jet‘s side, holding her knife defensively and ignoring her tear-streaked cheeks.

Jet lay on the hard ground, drifting in and out of consciousness. He tried to focus on what was happening but it was hard. I hurt all over. All he wanted to do was go to sleep.

Smellerbee glanced at Zuko before walking up to Longshot’s side. “He’s drifting away,” she said. “If we’re getting out of here, we need to do it now.” She paused, making eye contact with Longshot. “I know. Did you see who’s out there?” Longshot shook his head and Smellerbee frowned.

“If it was the Dai Li, they would be in here already,” she whispered. “It must be someone else.” Before she could say anything else, though, a small rock rolled through the doorway towards them.

Longshot and Smellerbee both tensed, waiting for it to explode, but it did nothing but sit there. Ignoring Longshot’s wordless protest, Smellerbee stepped forward and gingerly picked up the rock. It had something written on it. Smellerbee hissed and held it out to Longshot.

“What does it say?” she asked, angered at her inability to read it. Longshot read it and looked at her, and Smellerbee’s eyes narrowed. “He’s not our enemy, huh?” she said.

Smellerbee looked back at the doorway and gasped. A person stood there, dress in all black with a demonic blue mask on. She’d seen that mask before, on wanted posters. Smellerbee immediately fell back into a defensive stance, brandishing her knife. A hand fell on her shoulder and she looked up at Longshot eyes widening as she realized that he‘d lowered his bow. She looked back at the man, who had his hands raised.

Smellerbee glanced at Longshot, who nodded. “Okay,” she said, looking back at the masked man. “We have to get out of here,” she said, motioning at Jet. “He’s badly hurt.”

The Blue Spirit went to Jet and knelt down beside him, gently putting his hands on his chest and feeling the damage. Jet moaned, flinching away from Zuko’s touch.

“Who…what…,” he muttered, eyes opening briefly. “Longshot, Smellerbee,” he called out weakly and Smellerbee hurried over to him.

“Shh, don’t worry,” she whispered. “This guy’s here to help.” She cut a glare at the Blue Spirit. It was both a warning and a threat. “So, what’s your plan?” she asked.

The man stood and motioned at Longshot. Longshot looked down at himself, puzzled, before stripping off his breastplate. He handed it to the man, who knelt beside Jet. Longshot blinked and stooped down too, lifting Jet as gently as possible.

Jet groaned, the sound pitiful. The Blue Spirit tied the breastplate around his chest in a makeshift split.

Smellerbee raised her eyebrows. “That’s a nice trick,” she said. “But how’re we going to get him out of here?”

The man motioned at Longshot and they shared a long stare before Longshot nodded. They stood, one at Jet’s head and the other at his feet. They lifted Jet up carefully, attempting not to jar him as they did so.

Smellerbee nodded. “I’ll lead the way,” she said, running to the door and peaking out to see if the coast was clear. It was and she motioned to them.

“C’mon,” she said. “This way.”

The four of them quickly ran through the dark, winding tunnels of Lake Laogai. They didn’t happen upon anyone; Dai Li or other prisoners.

“They must all be busy chasing Aang,” Smellerbee said, thinking back on the Avatar’s group.

The Blue Spirit paused, causing Longshot to stumble as he struggled to keep hold of Jet. Smellerbee looked back at the man and, while she couldn’t really tell because of his mask, he seemed troubled.

“Don’t worry about them,” she said. “They’ll be fine. I mean, they have the Avatar. C’mon, let’s go!” The man jerked, as if he was startled, and nodded.

When they made it the surface, the masked man and Longshot laid Jet down. Smellerbee breathed in the air, relieved to be out from underground, and sat beside Jet.

“We made it,” she whispered. “We’re out of there, Jet. Everything will be okay; you’ll see.” She glanced at Longshot before looking over at the man.

He stared down at them for a moment before turning, obviously intent on leaving.

“Wait,” Smellerbee said. “Who are you.” She knew he probably wouldn’t tell, that it would always be a mystery to her.

The man paused, shoulders tightening with that question. He shook his head and continued walking, throwing his answer out over his shoulder in a low, gravelly voice.

“No one.”

Mystery, Murder at the Haiku Club

2007-02-07T20:14:24Z

Title: Murder at the Haiku Club
Theme: Mystery
Pairings/Characters: Sokka, Aang, Katara, Kiyoshi, The Cabbage Guy, Azula, Mai, Ty Lee,
Rating: PG-13
Summary: AU. When Kiyoshi is accused of the murder of Chin, Detective Sokka, Private Eye, is called in to investigate.

I knew there was gonna be trouble from the moment he stepped through my door.

He was a short, scrawny little sonvabitch. The top of his head barely made it to the bottom of the sign on my door, and he didn't look like he could arm-wrestle a dying lemur. But I didn't let looks decieve me; His bald head and tattooed forehead proclaimed him to be part of the Air Gang. The Air Nomads had been all but wiped out by an ongoing turf war with the Fire Mafia, but as far as I was concerned that only made them more dangerous. A gang pushed up against the wall like that couldn't afford to forgive any slight, no matter how small or imaginary. Fortunately for me, I knew this member of the Air Gang from old times.

"Pull up a chair, Aang," I said in a grizzled voice, gesturing to the plush revolving chair that I had reserved for clients. My own chair was not half as comfortable, but that was the way I liked it. It made sure I was constantly on my toes. That split second of reaction time could mean the difference between life and death when a bunch of Fire Mafia goons broke down your door, guns waving wildly.

"Thank you," he said, pulling back the chair and sitting down in it. He swivelled back and forth for a moment, then asked, "How's business?"

"Shitty," I responded, pouring myself a glass of Cactus Juice brand bourbon. "Nobody wants to hire a tired old detective when they could just as easily go to their local Fire Mafia boss and get whatever they want done for cheaper, without having to worry about someone's pesky conscience getting in the way. You want a drink?"

"You know I don't."

"Right, right, old temperant Aang. 'Alcohol is the poison of the soul, degrader of the spirit' etcetra, etcetera. Of course, the Fire Mafia bosses are always as drunk as lords, so what does that tell you?"

"I'm not here to discuss the validity of my beliefs with you," Aang said through gritted teeth. "I am here to hire you."

"And what could the mighty and powerful boss of the Air Gang need my help with?" I asked, leaning backwards in my chair and bringing the glass up to my lips.

"You remember my grandmother?"

I certainly did. Kiyoshi was a tough old biddy. Born of a lowranking Earth Family boss and his trophy wife, Kiyoshi had clawed her way to the top with a calculating mind and a steady shot. Eventually, she'd split off from the four big gangs and formed her own little fiefdom at edge of Omashu City. Four square blocks of her own territory. Not even the cops would stand against her; inside her territory, you were safe even from the wrath of Don Ozai. Provided, of course, that you did nothing to anger Kiyoshi herself. God help you if you did.

Kiyoshi was old now, of course, but her personal army was still at the ready, and her son Roku had taken the reins. Nobody was eager to find out if Roku was as capable as his mother. The area of the city unofficially known as 'Kiyoshi Island' remained a safe haven.

Aang was Roku's son with an Air Gang prostitute. In a move that had puzzled gang leaders from across the city, instead of rejecting and vigorously denying the bastard like they were expecting, Roku took both the child and his mother into his care, and raised the child like any other.

Unfortunately, Aang had grown up-if you could call it that-to be a disappointment. Rather than staying at home and working to help preserve his family's neutrality, he had thrown in with the Air Gang at the first opportunity. He'd quickly risen through their ranks, but the higher he got, the lower the Gang fell. Aang was a nice kid, but he was an idiot at heart, and had no business running anything.

"How could I forget her?" I asked, taking another sip of my drink. Whatever Aang was about to put on my plate, I probably wouldn't be able to handle it completely sober. "She was a holy terror."

"The coppers think she killed some big hot-shot government official. Fellow by the name of Chin. They've got a case on her, and they're gonna try to put her away."

"Since when does Kiyoshi's family give a tin shit about what the coppers think?" I ask, genuinely puzzled. "Once you're inside Kiyoshi Island, you're untouchable. You should know that better than anyone."

"Untouchable to the local cops, maybe. But they've brought in the Feds. We can't keep them out, and if we try, they'll bring the hammer down on us, and hard. If we can't establish her innocence, within a week FBI spooks will be crawling all over Kiyoshi Island, turning over beds and digging up enough evidence to put an end to the Island forever."

"So whaddayou care? You turned your back on them years ago."

"Hey, I may no longer live in the Island, but my Grandma's my Grandma! I don't wanna see her in the joint. Unfortunately, my resources are a little depleted at the moment, so there's not much I can do. Hence, you."

I pulled out my pipe and sprinkled some tobacco into it. The pipe was one of my few luxuries. It was skillfully crafted in the shape of a dragon, with the smoke coming out of the mouth. Whenever I was thinking I would just pull it out and puff.

The bourbon was not a luxury. The bourbon was a necessity.

There was more at play here than was immediately obvious. Aang was an idiot, but even an idiot could see how his war with Don Ozai was going. He was looking for an out, and he needed it fast. Most likely figured he could get back in his family's good books by saving the Island's matriarch, and so ensure a safe place for himself when it all went down like a lead balloon with the Air Gang.

"Before I can take the job, I gotta ask you. Professional ethics and all. Did she do it?"

"I can't say for certain, but I don't think so."

"Of course you don't."

I blew three smoke rings, mulling it over in my mind. On the one hand, I would probably regret getting involved in the Kiyoshi family's trouble again. On the other, the rent and booze didn't pay for itself. I could hardly turn down a job at this point, especially not one that would pay as handsomely as this one likely would.

"All right, I'll do it. Where did it happen?"

Even before he opened his mouth, I knew I wouldn't like the answer.

The Haiku Club was a strange place. It easily won the dubious honor of Wierdest Brothel, which is an impressive feat in a city that is more or less built exclusively around sating all of mankind's base desires.

When you step over the threshold into the Haiku Club's interior, you may feel like you have just stepped into a first-year english class. All of the girls are trained to speak in verse. You can request a specific rhyming pattern or meter, if you like, but most people opt for the default haiku. Hearing a dame pillowtalk you in limerick gets irritating after a while.

I'd been to the place before, mostly for information. Mostly. I am rather proud of being the only person to earn myself a free night's stay by out-haikuing the owner.

Chin had arrived at the Club around ten o'clock PM. At eleven, Kiyoshi and some of her subordinates turned up for a meeting with the club's owner. The club was situated on the very edge of Kiyoshi turf, meaning that they paid a cut to Kiyoshi and were under her protection, but was less sure of that protection than most. Word on the street was they were meeting to discuss a solution to that problem.

At the stroke of midnight Chin, drunk as a judge's son, started getting rough with his girl. She screamed for security. Chin was uncooperative. Apparently he kicked up enough of a fuss that Kiyoshi left her meeting to investigate.

Chin was drunkenly ranting about how he was a powerful man in this town, he had friends in high places, he would see to it this club never ran again...the usual stuff. Kiyoshi told him to stop and get out. He ignored her.

Now, Kiyoshi wasn't just gonna sit still for that. Oh, no, not her. She was the lash, and she was the law. If you stirred the shitpot in her town, you had better be prepared to find yourself up shit creek, with your only paddle wedged in a highly uncomfortable part of your body.

She warned him once. He ignored her. She warned him again. He ignored her again. So she blew him away with her trademark sawn-off Earthbender Model 1901 shotgun.

That's the official story, anyways. That was last night, so by now the crime scene would have been dissassembled and cleaned up. Still, I hoped that I might find something the cops had missed.

No such luck. The whole room was bleached and polished until it hurt to look at. Whoever their cleaning company was, they were through. I might need to ask for their number on the way out. It would probably help business if my office was this clean.

The girls weren't saying a word to me, but I had not expected them to. I knew the drill; they would speak to the police, and nobody else. And when you consider the truthfulness of the stories they tell the cops, I think I came out ahead on that one.

I did manage to convince the owner to speak to me, but that wasn't very helpful either. All she would tell me was that Kiyoshi had been in for a meeting, and that Kiyoshi was currently in hiding. Not exactly the stuff of which great cases are made.

Just when I was thinking that the trip had been a total waste of time, though, she reached over the desk and handed me the card of the cop who had collected the crime scene evidence. My heart started pounding like a jackhammer at four in the morning. For the first time in weeks, something had finally gone my way.

"Absolutely not."

"Come on, Katara, you know me. I won't touch anything I'm not supposed to."

"That's Officer Katara. And the answer is no. If I get caught letting you in to see the records of an ongoing investigation, my ass is on the line. My career is still recovering from the last time I gave you a hand."

"Just give me five minutes in there. Please."

Katara blew out her cigarette smoke. She was putting up a good fight, but I knew that if I kept the pressure up, she'd relent.

"Where have you been, anyways? None of the family have heard anything out of you since Yue-"

"I know I haven't been in touch," I said, cutting her off. Yue was a long time ago, but she was still a raw wound I didn't feel like rubbing right now. "I'm gonna try to do better. Just please, let me see the records."

"The kids are both wondering why they haven't seen the uncle Sokka in so long."

"I'll come down and play with them sometime."

I could see her resistance melting.

"Well...alright. Five minutes, and that's it. And then you come down and play with the kids next week. And a family dinner."

"Done."

"Five minutes, though, and that's it."

My sister tries to act tough, but really she's a pushover. I got ten minutes.

Once I had the forensics in front of me, things started coming together. For starters, there was a bootprint in the blood that they claimed belonged to Kiyoshi, but any idiot could see that wasn't the case. The boot in the print was small and heeled. Kiyoshi was famous for her enormous boots. Those things were steel-toed, too. I'd once seen her kick a man to death with them, which was quite a sight. I'm telling you, you haven't lived until you've seen a geriatric patient kick a fully-grown man to death with steel-toed boots. Anyways, she wouldn't have worn heels if you'd put a gun to her head. That print did not belong to her.

Then I had a look at the witness statements, which I had hastily photocopied in the records room. I disregarded the staff's statements out of hand, but some of the club's patrons had stuck around to tell the police what they'd seen. As usual, the statements were varied, confused, and often contradictory. On top of that, whoever had typed them up was no great shakes with a keyboard. It was often hard to find meaning in the morass of typos and nonsensical sentences.

But all the accounts agreed that Chin had kicked up a fuss, Kiyoshi had come ou tto shut him up, Kiyoshi had pulled her gun, and then bang, Chin's on the ground, bleeding from a chest wound. I did notice, however, that only one of the witnesses had actually seen her fire the gun. All the rest saw her pull the gun, heard the bang, but had not seen her fire it. Interesting.

But the most significant bit of evidence the police collected from the crime scene was the photograph of the victim's body. The second I saw it, I knew that Kiyoshi was innocent. That gunshot wound wasn't cause by any Sawed-Off. The pattern was far too tight. The casual observer might be fooled, but I knew what I was looking at. If I was any judge, Chin had been shot with a Dum-Dum.

Dum-Dums are nasty little bullets with the point hollowed out. Instead of blasting right through a person, like a normal bullet, when they hit they flatten out, dealing a devastating amount of damage. To the untrained eye, a Dum-Dum wound can look an awful lot like a shotgun blast, but I knew better.

Of course, neither the boots nor bullets would be enough to sink the case against Kiyoshi. The cops could always claim that someone else had made the bootprint, and that she hadn't used her Sawed-Off Earthbender to kill Chin. But it was enough to convince me. Someone was trying to frame Kiyoshi. But who? And Why? Kiyoshi kept to herself, as long as you didn't try to start shit in her territory, and she was fairly well-liked in the Island. Who would try to send her to jail?

Maybe she wasn't the point, but someone wanted to off Chin and stick someone else with the blame. Kiyoshi was as likely as anybody.

Either way, I knew where my investigation would go next. Out of all the people in that club, only one claimed to have seen Kiyoshi fire. If she was being framed, then that person was almost certainly a plant.

A cabbage, to be precise.

Xu Lin was a down-on-his-luck entrepreneur. He'd come to the big city with a dream; he'd set up a store where he would sell all manner of Cabbage product. Cabbage juice, cabbage medicines, cabbage merchandise and, of course...cabbage.

He'd put the work in. He was passionate about the cabbage. It was a product that he believed in wholeheartedly. Unfortunately, he'd failed to take into account the fact that every single other person on earth hates cabbage. He couldn't move his stock. The he couldn't pay his rent. His whole operation was on the verge of collapsing. All of which makes him a prime candidate for some under-the-table dealings. If someone were to approach him and offer him a bid wad of cash in exchange for lying to the cops about Kiyoshi, it's hard to imagine him refusing.

As I stepped into his store, the first thing that struck me was the smell. It wasn't even the vile reek of boiled cabbage, or the opressively odorless smell of raw cabbage. It smelled like I'd just stepped into a cage that had far too many rabbits living in it.

"Can I help you?" the man behind the counter asked.

"Are you Xu Lin?"

"I am."

"Detective Sokka, private investigator. I'd like to speak to you about a certain statement you made to the police-"

I stopped talking. Every hair on the back of my neck was standing up straight. THere's no real way I could have known, none at all, but somehow I did. Maybe it was the sudden screech of brakes, or perhaps I heard the sound of a clip being locked in place. If you survive long enough in this line of work, eventually you develop a sense for when you need to move, move right now, or you may never get to move again.

"Get down!" I shouted, tackling Xu Lin and pulling him to the floor. The merchant squawked in protest, then shut up as a wave of bullets flew through his front window.

Goddamit, I'm just a guy with a Boomerang .357 Magnum, I thought as I drew my revolver. I didn't ask for all these machine guns and gang warfare.

"My cabbages!" Xu Lin wailed as the assault rifle fire ripped his stock apart. I fired two rounds in the general direction of our attackers, and grabbed Xu Lin by the shoulder and pulled him away from the window, keeping us both low.

I grabbed Xu Lin by the shoulder and pulled him away from the window, keeping us both low.

"Out the back way," I shouted, dragging him through the hail of gunfire. The shop was exploding around us as round after round pounded into the shelves and merchendise. I burst through the back door, bringing my revolver upin case they had posted a rear guard. They had. My Boomerang spat another round before he could even turn around, and he fell to the ground, dead.

My mind instantly identified both his hat and his suit. Our attackers were members of the Dai Li, the Earth Triad underboss' personal army. What the hell were they doing here? The Earth Triads were generally on fairly good terms with Kiyoshi. They were perhaps the last people I would have expected to be trying to put her behind bars.

There was no time to think about it now. Even over the sound of the own gunfire, there was no way they would miss hearing a magnum round go off in the back alley, and I only had three bullets in my gun now. I'm a decent enough shot, but not so good that I would be willing to play those odds. I pulled Xu Lin through the alley towards where I'd parked my car.

"There they are!" called out a voice behind us, and then the sound of Tommy Guns started up again. Fortunately we were far enough away that only a few rounds came anywhere near me, but I still turned around and squeezed off two rounds at them. Both missed, but the Dai Li agents ducked out of sight around the corners for a moment. Nobody wants to make an obvious target of themselves when some idiot's waving a magnum around.

I pulled Xu Lin over to my car, and opened the door. "Get in!" I shouted, shoving him inside roughly. I slammed the door behind him, then ran around the car and got in on the driver's side. I could see the Dai Li running down the alley, Tommy Guns held at the ready. I started up the car and drove away as quickly as I could.

Breathing heavily, I pointed my revolver at Xu Lin as I drove.

"Now," I said, "you're going to start talking. And what you say had better be worth all the trouble you just put me through."

As it turns out, it was even better than I had hoped.

As I stepped into the Fire Mafia Princess' office, I heard two pistols being cocked on either side of my head.

"Hi there, cutie!" A sickeningly chipper and enthusiastic voice called out to my right.

"Don't move," said a painfully bored-sounding person to my left. I raised my hands slowly. I had deliberately left my revolver out in the car; it wouldn't do me any good here, and might get me killed.

"Ty Lee, search him," the figure behind the desk ordered coldly. The girl to my right giggled.

"Oh, I love this part!" she squealed as she holstered her gun and began patting me down, running her hands all over my body. She lingered a moment longer than necessary in a few places.

"He's clean," she declared, moving away from me and straightening up.

"You can put your weapons away then, girls. Mister Sokka is not about to try to hurt me anyways, is he?"

"I take it you remember me, then," I said, my heart sinking in my chest. I'd been hoping that she'd have forgotten the role I played in exposing her connections with the mayor. Fortunately, I hadn't been counting on it.

"Of course I remember you. You cost me a year's work and a not-insignificant amount of bribe money when you exposed my dealings with the mayor. Well, ex-mayor at this point. In any case, I never forget those who inconvenience me like that."

I was starting to worry that coming here had been a mistake, but she dismissed my concerns with a wave of her hand.

"Ah, well, that's all water under the bridge at this point, isn't it? There's a new mayor in town, and he was even easier to get my hooks into. I assume you came here because you want something from me, so how can I help you? Need some money laundered? Police problems that need disappearing? Need somebody erased? Hmm?"

I thought carefully before I spoke. Playing word games with the Fire Mafia Princess was risky at best. Even when she seemed polite and friendly, she was always just one badly thought-out comment away from ordering your heart torn out and fed to the dogs. She was Don Ozai's only daughter, and the most likely candidate to take over the organization when the old man finally keeled over, now that her older brother was out of favor with the family. Although technically her title was Underboss, everybody called her Princess-except to her face. She wasn't known to have any problems with the title, but with Underboss Azula you didn't want to take any chances.

"Well, actually, I was hoping you could give me some answers with regard to a certain cabbage merchent by the name of Xu Lin," I said, weighing my words carefully.

"Oh yes, I heard you were sniffing around about that," she said with a smirk. "What would you like to know?"

"Just two questions," I responded. "Why? And why the Dai Li?"

"Why, those questions are so simple that I'll give you the answers for free!" Azula said. "As for the Dai Li, they were involved because Long Feng has ambitions that extend far, far beyond those of the Earth Mob's incompetant Boss, and Long Feng commands the Dai Li. And as for my own reasons...Chin was a nuisance and a fool, and Kiyoshi dared to mock the Fire Mafia. Don Ozai's hated her for that for years. And I do so love to keep my daddy happy."

"And for that you killed Chin and framed Kiyoshi?"

"Of course. It was too easy, really. Bringing Chin to the Haiku Club was simplicity itself, and dear Mai can be very discreet with her weapons when she wants to be. One shot from across the room, and it's goodbye to two annoyances."

"And then you paid Xu Lin to be there and tell police that Kiyoshi fired the shot."

"Bingo."

"I've gotten all I need here," I said, turning around. I felt a hand clap down on my shoulder and stopped.

"Azula hasn't dismissed you yet," Mai said, dispassionate as ever.

"Oh no, Mai, let him go," Azula said from her seat behind the desk. "I own the police too throughly for him to use what he learned today, and I want him to carry a message for me." She fixed me with a steely glare, and then said: "Crawl back to whoever hired you, and tell him that the Fire Mafia does not forget insults against it, nor forgive slights, no matter how small."

Mai's hand left my shoulder, and I walked out. As soon as I was out of sight of those three, my step developed an extra bounce. These people, I thought was a laugh. They'll pat you up and down for weapons, but they always forget to check the palm of your hand. I looked down at the tiny tape recorder that was hiding in my hand and laughed.

I fairly danced through the door of my office. It wasn't usually in my character to get so excited, but I had reason to celebrate: I was about to collect on a fairly large account. Admittedly it hadn't required that much detective work, but for the first time in weeks I was about to paid. This called for vices.

I threw my coat onto the chair, reached down into my minifridge and poured myself a glass of whiskey. I pulled out my pipe and started puffing. Then I sat down and turned on the television.

That last was a mistake.

"...In a shocking move today, famous Crime Boss Kiyoshi gave herself up to police at nine AM today, bringing an end to a weeklong manhunt. Kiyoshi was wanted in connection with a shooting that took place in a downtown club that killed-"

I turned the television off and scrambled for the phone, dialing Aang's number furiously. I could see half my commission vanishing in front of my eyes.

"Aang, Aang, what happened?" I asked, sligbhtly frantic.

"Kiyoshi turned herself in. She's trying to protect the Island by confessing and pleading guilty."

I could see what Kiyoshi had in mind. If the investigation continued, all sorts of dirt would turn up on the Island. If the feds kept looking, eventually the whole Island would be at risk. By turning herself in, Kiyoshi forced them to call off the investigation. Except...

"But, Aang, I can prove her innocence!"

"It's too late for that now. You know Kiyoshi when she's got a thought in her head."

Aang sounded so dejected. His one hope of getting back within the Island's safe confines had been dashed. Without Kiyoshi, Aang would have to appeal to his father, Roku...who was, if anything, even less forgiving than Kiyoshi had been, and more directly affected by Aang's actions. Aang's chances were slim. Even slimmer were his chances of survival sticking witht he Air Gang.

The poor guy sounded in such a bad way, I didn't have the heart to tell him that his bill was in the mail.

[Theme] Week 5: Mystery

2007-02-03T01:25:07Z

Hokay, nanthimus said it was cool so here's your new challenge guys: "Mystery". Whether it's the mysterious White Lotus Society, the mystery surrounding Ursa's departure, or the mystery behind the history of the Fire Nation royal family to Aang's parents. I hope there'll be some entries! I can't wait to read what you talented people come up with. :)

Quote, Fortunes Change

2007-02-01T02:21:31Z

Title: Fortunes Change
Theme: Quote
Pairings/Characters: Zuko/Jin
Rating: G
Summary: Jin and Zuko and what could have been. And what might be.
Notes:: The quote in this (which is bold) is a line from a song by The Killers called Change Your Mind. It's an incomplete quote...I hope that's okay!

He found Jin in the gardens. She was sitting beside the pond, looking up at the sky. The moon’s light shone down on her, playing with her hair and lighting up her eyes. He couldn’t see her face, but Zuko knew she was smiling.

He walked up to her quietly, making just enough noise to alert Jin of his presence. When he made it to her side, she glanced at him.

“Prince Zuko.” Not a greeting, just an acknowledgment. Zuko hid a wince, disguising it as a scowl.

“Are you suppose to be out here at night?” he asked.

“Are you going to tell on me?” she asked and he winced again, this time unable to contain it. She raised her eyebrows and continued staring up at the moon.

He stood there awkwardly for a moment, not wanting to walk away and not knowing why he was so intimidated by her. It’s stupid! She’s a servant here! Still, he couldn’t make himself sit beside her, not until she glanced at him.

“You’re looming,” she said, blinking. It wasn’t exactly an invitation to sit - I don’t need one! - but Zuko took it, sitting down beside her. He was careful not to allow his robes to brush against her, not know how she would react. Too much as happened. Jin had been working in the castle for a month now, and Zuko knew she had been avoiding him as best she could. She was very good at it.

Zuko knew she was angry at him. She had every right to be.

“You, uhm. What are you doing?” he asked after a moment, uncomfortable with the silence.

Jin smiled. “Looking at the moon,” she said, glancing at him. “I’ve finished my duties for the day.” It was a quiet sting, the reminder of her station and Zuko looked away.

“I wasn’t asking because of that,” he said. “I just…I was just wondering.” Silently, he berated himself. Why are you out here? He knew the answer, even he didn’t want to admit it. He’d wanted to see her.

A loud sigh distracted him from his musing and he looked at Jin. “What is it?” he asked, frowning.

Jin shook her head. “What is it?” she said, looking at him. “What isn’t it!?! Prince Zuko, why did you sit down with me?” she asked, eyes narrowing. “Why are you even speaking to me? I’m a servant, remember?”

“I know that!” he snapped. “You remind me every time we speak!”

“Because we shouldn’t be speaking at all!” Jin said, getting to her feet. Zuko stood up beside her, perplexed.

“What are you trying to do?” she asked, putting her hands on her hips. “What are you trying to accomplish?”

“I’m just trying to get home!” he said, crossing his arms over his chest defensively. It was funny how he had no problem facing down Fire Benders and Water Benders, but one defenseless girl was enough to make him want to run away.

“Yeah, but why do you need to talk to me to do that?!” she said, glaring up at him. “Prince Zuko, I don’t even know you! I knew a tea server named Lee who was sweet and clumsy. I knew a boy that didn’t even exist.”

“I exist!” Zuko said, stepping towards her. “That was me! The only thing that I lied about was my name. And…where I came from.”

Jin snorted, raising an eyebrow. “That’s all?” she said, the words biting. “Well, silly me! How could I have gotten it so wrong.”

Zuko shook his head. “Stop it!” he said. “Jin, you…I…on our date, I was as real as I’d ever been after my banishment.” It was true, Zuko realized. Despite the lies, I was myself during it.

Jin shook her head. “That’s actually kind of sad,” she said, gaze hard. “Prince Zuko, I don’t understand why you’re telling me this. You’re on your way home. I was just a, a stepping stone on your journey.” She shrugged. “I understand.”

“You’re…you’re okay with that?” he asked.

“Of course not!” she said, stamping one foot on the ground, eyes wide. “What do you think I am?” She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, rubbing her forehead. “Look, can I go now?”

Zuko was tempted to order her to stay, to sit with him. “Yes,” he said, sitting back down. He stared up into the dark sky, much like Jin had been doing. He heard her take a step and had to stop her. “You weren’t, though.”

He heard her pause and continued. “You weren’t a stepping stone. You were…a surprise. Ba Sing Se, living in the Earth Kingdom as a civilian…none of it was what I wanted. And suddenly, you were there, and I. For a moment, I saw a future for myself there.” He looked up at her. “I saw myself wanting to stay.”

She stared at him for a moment before rubbing her eyes; he was surprised to see tears there. “But I wasn’t enough , was I.”

It wasn’t a question so Zuko didn’t bother answering. He looked away from her. “I’m sorry.” The words were low, unfamiliar on Zuko’s tongue, but he had to say them. “But I still feel…something for you, Jin.”

He heard Jin sighed and looked at her. She was looking at the ground, hands clasped in front of her. “Don’t be sorry,” she said. “You can’t really help who you are.”

“Who I am?” Zuko scowled and shook his head. “How do you know who I am? I don’t…I don’t know myself. When I look in a mirror, I can’t even recognized myself.”

Jin paused for a moment before speaking slowly, quietly. “You’re Prince Zuko, the heir to the Fire Nation. Determined and loyal to your father and home. Unable to settle for anything l-less than what you were born for.” Her voice hitched and she looked away, wiping her tears away before looking back at him with a terribly fake smile. “That’s who you are, Prince Zuko. Even I, who never really knew you at all, could tell you that.”

Zuko bit his lip, staring at her with wide eyes. “Really?”

She nodded. “Yes. And I. I am Jin, just a servant in the palace of Ba Sing Se. That’s who we are.” She bowed. “And, if you don’t mind, Prince Zuko, I’m going to bed. Good night.” She turned and walked away.

Zuko paused for a moment, gathering his strength to stop the girl. “Jin, wait,” he called out, running to catch her.

“Fortunes change,” he whispered in her ear, ghosting his hands over her shoulders. “If I’ve learned nothing else, that’s it. Fortunes change.” His voice lowered until it was barely a breath against the back of her neck. “Y-you can never be ‘just’ anything to me.”

Jin bowed her head. “Thank you…Zuko,” she whispered before hurrying off.

Zuko walked back to the pond and sat. He looked up at the stars, which seemed to shine just a bit brightly.

Fortunes change.

Week 4 Extension

2007-01-24T22:56:20Z

Since there have been no submissions for the Week Four Quote: Theme, I'm extending the cutoff date to January 31, 2007. So, if you were working on something or planning to write but just ran out of time, you now have an extra week. :)

[Theme] Week 4: Quote

2007-01-09T02:36:35Z

Thanks!

The theme for this week is "Quote". It can be any quote you like. It can be from a poem, a song, or a line that someone's said. It can be anything, just have fun with the theme and work it. Can't wait to see what you guys come up with it! <3333

Week 3: Winner

2007-01-08T01:44:31Z

Ahaha, sorry guys. A day late, I know.

The winner for the week three theme is melisaku with What It Takes to Change the World.

I love how you were able to show the scope of Katara's life and just how important she is. Can't wait to see what you come up with for the theme of week four!

Resolutions, Mirrored Dragons

2007-01-03T00:21:18Z

Title: Mirrored Dragons
Theme: Resolutions
Pairings/Characters: Iroh, Roku's Dragon
Rating: K+
Summary: The parallels and meetings of Iroh and Roku's Spirit Guide.

Once again, the two Dragons mourned in silence. The first time had been almost a decade before, when the Dragon of the West stumbled into the spiritual realm in search of his dead son. Soul hurt as he was, he was able to see past his suffering to see a reflection of it in Roku's spirit guide. The pair paused together for a while, each letting the silence of the other acknowledge and absorb some of their grief.

It took a long time for Iroh to realize the second reason why the Dragon mourned. Specifically, it took until he and his nephew found the young Avatar. That was the key: the young Avatar, who had kept himself suspended in a display of skill far beyond his abilities. Iroh had a shrewd idea of how that happened. It would certainly account for Roku's mysterious absence every Winter Solstice of Iroh's long life: Roku was otherwise occupied keeping his current incarnation alive. And the Dragon was left to wait out the lonely century.

That brief encounter disturbed Iroh as much as it helped heal the raw edges of his loss. The Dragon of the West, after finally developing a way to defeat Ba Sing Se and its walls, resigned his post without revealing his master strategy to come home and acknowledge his younger brother's hold on the throne. The usurpation and suggestions of disgrace at his failure to conquer the Earth Kingdom never ruffled his calm, but he kept revisiting the encounter with Roku's companion to discover why it was engraved on his soul.

The loneliness of the Dragon was only the surface emotion. Beneath that, there was a terrible anguish compounded by helplessness. The sudden disappearance of Avatar Roku was still a mystery, but given the events that followed, it didn't take much imagination to suspect the Fire Lord. Eventually Iroh realized that even if Roku had not been betrayed directly, his ideals had. Immediately after his disappearance, the Fire Nation rejected the balance the Avatar had always represented and upheld. After being the companion and partner of Roku, it must have grown more and more difficult each year for the Dragon to watch as their work was undone and their message distorted.

Within a year of coming home, Iroh was convinced of the necessity of restoring the balance to the world. He spent his time learning about other cultures and developing the network of The White Lotus. Fire Lord Ozai approved, believing his brother to be making himself useful by studying the enemy for weakness and showing himself harmless by spending his limited ambition on a game. Gradually, Iroh shifted his focus from all of humanity to the heart of his nephew. In the years of voluntary exile, Iroh thought less and less about the Dragon. He no longer needed to revisit the reason for his shift of alliance; it was set bone deep. Even after the Avatar rejoined the world, his focus was on the banished prince.

That focus widened abruptly the day he saw the Roku’s spirit guide again. Chained and in a loincloth, mockingly addressed as the Dragon of the West by those who had no idea what it signified, he had his second revelation and encounter with the Dragon. In the first meeting, he had been curled up and withdrawn, pained too deeply by alternating hope and despair to become resigned. This creature was determined and purposeful, brought back to his former glory by the reappearance of the young Avatar borne on his back. From that moment on, Iroh spent his effort trying to give his protégé conscience and perspective, that he might find purpose and healing in aiding the Avatar.

Outward calm still unbroken, Iroh kept perfectly still within his crystal prison. In that decade since their meeting, he had understood the reason behind the Dragon’s anguish, but only now did he feel the depths of it. Betrayed by the royal ambition of the Fire Nation, work undone and message distorted. If he opened his eyes, Zuko might be able to look past his own soul hurt to see it mirrored in the Dragon. Iroh kept his eyes closed.

Happy early New Years Eve!

2006-12-31T08:06:20Z

Title: What it takes to Change the World
Theme: "Resolution" challenge
Pairings/Characters: Kataang/Katara, and some Aang
Rating: PG
Summary: When Katara was a little girl, she always knew she was going to change the world. Even though she's told that the Avatar has vanished for over a hundred years, she never lost hope.

If somebody told Katara back when she was young, that she was going to change the world someday then she would've believed them. The mere idea may sound outrageous to some, but ever since she was a little girl, she knew she was going to be somebody. She wasn't going to sit down and let the Fire Nation do whatever they pleased, and she wasn't going to let anybody bring her down either.

Her mother was her greatest source of strength and courage. Katara's mother was one of the best water benders in the South Pole, and was her village's pillar of strength. Everyone went to her mother for advice, seeking her wise wisdom. When Katara looked up at her mother, she saw herself in the future. One day, she was going to grow up to become a courageous and wise woman. She was going to be one of the best water benders in the world, and guide her people through the war.

Then the Fire Nation came, and Katara saw her mother fall down within the flames. She felt hopeless and shattered; she still had nightmares, and felt as if her dreams existed no longer. But then, her father told her about a being called "The Avatar", who will come to save them all. Hakoda told his daughter, that the Avatar will come to bring back balance to the world, and that everything will be alright. The downside was that the Avatar had disappeared for over a hundred years, and nobody's seen or heard of the Avatar since then.

Even with all the speculation of whether or not the Avatar was still alive, Katara never lost hope. She knew then, and still knows it now, that her destiny was always intertwined with that of the Avatar's. Her brother Sokka always made fun of her for believing in something that "wasn't real", but Katara knew that it was just her brother talking out of sarcasm rather than belief. Her whole village, and practically the whole world lost hope in the Avatar a long time ago. She couldn't blame them, because the Fire Nation tried their best to demolish and destroy all their hopes and dreams of a better life.

Whenever she looked up at the sky, or across the horizon, she wondered where the Avatar was. Was he still alive, biding his time until it was ready to strike? Was he really dead like everybody said before? Will the world ever find peace, even without the Avatar? Every time she did, she always felt a sense of calm and peacefulness. It was almost as if the spirits were reaching out to her, telling her to always keep her faith and hope.

And then she met Aang.

At first, she didn't know what to think of him. He was an air bender who was in suspended animation for a hundred years, and even though he never admitted he was the Avatar back then, she felt somehow connected to him. When her blue eyes met his gray ones, she knew that there was something about Aang -- something mystical -- that was hidden deep within him.

She was right; because it turned out that he was the Avatar. It's been a hundred years of war and chaos, and the Avatar had returned to the world to bring balance. The funny thing was that if it wasn't for Katara insisting to accompany Sokka on his fishing hunt, then they never would've founded Aang in the iceberg. If it wasn't for Sokka arguing and clashing with her, then they never would've found the iceberg in the first place.

Her Gran Gran said it best, that they found the Avatar for a reason. Now, their destinies are intertwined with his. Though Sokka tends to deny it, because he's not that big into mysticism, Katara always knew. Whenever she was close to Aang, holding him close when he needs comfort, or just being by his side, she felt right. Almost as if she was supposed to be here, helping him and supporting him throughout their journey.

So she smiles, and gives Aang kisses for support, holds him close when he's scared; whenever he needs her, she'll always be there. If he needs backup on a battle, he didn't need to call because she was always ready to assist. If he needed a lover's embrace, or a lover's kiss, then she would always be there to give him that embrace, or that kiss. (It took her awhile to realize how much she loved him, and she came to terms that Aang was just Aang, not the Avatar but just Aang. That's what she loved about him the most. He was this legend to others, but when he was with her, he was a real person.)

On their way to the final battle, she held on to Aang's hand tightly. She felt him tremble with the fear of disappointment, and the fear for survival. Katara told him that they were going to be okay, because they were going to live up to their destinies. They were going to defeat the Fire Lord together, and bring peace back to the world together.

"You can't do it yourself, Aang. That's why we're here with you." she told him.

He thanked her, and held on to her hand tighter. Her words filled him with new found hope, and a freedom he never even knew he had.

A few years later, the war has ended and peace was slowly building up between the nations. It was a lot of hard work, but they both faced it together. On the anniversary of her mother's death, she visits her grave and says a silent prayer.

She tells her mother of all the adventures they had, and the dangers they faced. (She also tells her about all the exciting new places she's been, and the people she met.) But the most important thing of all, she tells her mother that she lived up to her own expectations of herself. She helped change the world, and remarks to her mother's soul how she hopes she's proud of her.

[Theme] Week 3: Resolution

2006-12-23T06:13:29Z

Thanks so much! :D

Since the duration of this theme take us into the new year, week three's theme is: resolution. Breaking/making a resolution, or perhaps becoming resolute about an issue? Can't wait to see what you guys come up with!

Week 2: Winner

2006-12-23T02:28:25Z

A day late. Sorry, guys. I plead holidays.

The winner for this week is nanthimus with Hope.

You took a what if, added two realistic characters, and came up with a great flashfic. Looking forward to the topic you select!

"Shatter" - challenge

2006-12-20T21:07:27Z

So, I was trying to write down the idea I had in my head for this challenge, and this came out. I like what came out, but I know I could've done better. Either way, I hope you guys like it.

Title: "Under The Bridge"
Theme: "Shatter"
Pairings/Characters: A small dish of Kataang
Rating: PG (complete with Aangst)
Summary: Aang begins to lose hope, and the only person he blames is himself. The Avatar isn't supposed to fail, because without the Avatar there is no balance. How can he save the world from destruction when he himself, is falling to pieces?

He sits patiently by the shore watching the tides push and pull each other. He sighs, relaxing his shoulders a bit. His vision glances towards the horizon, and sees the moon shining brightly down on him. From a distance Aang knows that Sokka is somewhere watching the moon, too. After all, it might be the last time he'll ever see the moon.

Now more than ever, Aang feels stuck in between a rock and a hard place. The Fire Lord's palace was not too far from their destination, and even though they were far from it, he could feel the heat from the Fire Lord's throne. The Day of Black Sun was a failure but it was nobody's fault. The problem was that they didn't have enough support. Ba Sing Se was still under Azula's rule, and the Council of Five was still under house arrest. The only victory they had against the Fire Nation was that King Bumi took back Omashu. The resistance began spreading across the Earth Kingdom, rallying up as many people as they could to lead a resistance in Ba Sing Se.

During that time, Iroh escaped thanks to their support and was now traveling with them. Zuko was nowhere to be found, and even Iroh had no clue of his whereabouts. The very next day, Aang pleaded to the retired General and once crowned prince of the Fire Nation to teach him fire bending. Iroh humbly agreed, and began teaching him on the spot. He was a breath of fresh air after studying under Jeong Jeong. The two were both wise, but shared different view points of the mastery of their element. It didn't take Aang long before he was able to fire bend properly.

Even after all of the things they've endured, his friends still continued to grow stronger and hopeful. Underneath all of his sarcasm and wit, Sokka was still holding on strong. Toph was still as stubborn as ever, and Katara was still holding everyone together.

For him, though, he felt his hope and happiness fall deeper and deeper into a black hole. He should be happy to be alive, and still have a fighting chance against the Fire Nation to end the war, but he wasn't even sure he was able to do it anymore. The one chance he had at victory was now lost, all because he refused to give up Katara. Part of him never wanted to let go of his feelings of her, and the other part of him wanted to. He loves Katara, but he knows he has a duty as the Avatar to save the world and bring balance.

Sometimes he even felt at war within himself. It was a battle of duty and love between himself, and the Avatar Spirit. After they left Ba Sing Se, Aang tried to find Guru Pathik, but he wasn't at the Eastern Air Temple, and seemed to disappear. After that night, he never tried to go into the Avatar State again out of fear for his life.

For the first time in his life, he felt everything fall and shatter into a million pieces. He felt himself becoming nothing more than a pawn for the Avatar Spirit.

He was lost, utterly lost in a world he did not know. The world around him was no longer filled with bright colors and warmth, but of darker colors and very cold. It was a world that Katara lived in, and he wonders how she could have kept so much faith and hope into a being that seemed to disappear for a hundred years...

It isn't until they talk much later on that he understands. She tells him that even though everything may seem impossible now, their future was brighter day by day. She holds his hands, and he could already feel his temperature rising from her own heat. She smiles to him, and leaves a kiss on his cheek before saying:

"It isn't the Avatar who's going to save us Aang; it's going to be you. That's why I have so much faith and hope in you, because I know you're going to save the world on your own."

With her love and words, he finds himself whole again. He smiles, and knows now why he loves her so much. However, that was for another day, and he looks to the horizon with a brighter view.

Shatter - Hope

2006-12-19T01:46:25Z

Title: Hope
Theme: Shatter
Pairings/Characters: Aang, Jet
Rating: G
Summary: The Avatar really does give people hope.
Notes: For this fic to makes sense, pretend that the OMG happening in 'Lake Laogai' didn't actually happen.

“It’s okay, Jet,” Aang said, smiling. “I forgive you.”

Jet raised his head and blinked. “How can you? Why can’t Katara?” he asked, voice no longer strong or confident. It was weak and brittle. Shattered. Just like the rest of me, he thought, shuddering at what had happened.

Aang shrugged and sat beside him, twirling a bit of grass between his fingers. “I don’t know,” he said. “I think that maybe she’s angry at herself for trusting you so easily when we first met you. I guess she feels like you betrayed her.”

“You trusted me too,” Jet said.

“Yeah, but Katara and me are different,” he said, before shrugging. “Besides, she had a crush on you.” The words sounded faintly bitter, but Aang tilted his head to one side and shrugged and Jet knew he held no hard feelings. “I just know I can trust you now.”

“You shouldn’t,” Jet said, bowing his head again. “I’m. I’ve done terrible things.” Things he was painfully ashamed of. When his memories had come flooding back, he remember everything he’d done while under Long Feng’s control. “You don’t know what kinds of things I’ve done.” He wished he didn't know.

Jet felt slim little fingers raise his head back up and he looked over at Aang.

“I’m the Avatar,” Aang said rolling his eyes at the declaration. “I’ve lived thousands of lives. Do you really think that all of those lives were good ones?” He smiled, eyes brightening. “You can’t be blamed for what you did when you were being controlled. Besides. People can change. I think that you have.”

Suddenly, Jet felt younger, younger even than the boy sitting beside him. “How can you tell?” he asked, voice raspy. “How do you know?”

Aang paused and even though he was looking at him, Jet knew Aang wasn’t really seeing him. “I can feel it,” Aang said finally, blinking as his gaze focused back on Jet.

Jet’s eyes widened. “Really?” he said, the word barely a puff of air and Aang grinned, standing up.

“Yep,” he said, nodding. “I can tell that you’re destined to be a great person, Jet.” He held out his hand. “C’mon. Let’s go find the others and get out of this city.”

Jet stared up at Aang for a moment, feeling a odd warmth in his chest. Hope. He took Aang’s hand and pulled himself up. The familiar grin stretched on his lips and he put a wheat stalk between them, nodding. “Let’s go.”

Aang watched him for a moment, before grinning. “Do you carry those around with you wherever you go?” he asked, cocking his head to one side.

Jet blinked and shrugged. “What can I say?” he said, lifting one eyebrow. “It’s my style.”

Aang snorted. “C’mon, I’ll race ya!” he said, creating one of those air scooters than Jet had seen once before, taking off.

Jet watched him for a moment. He wasn’t fixed, he knew that. He knew it wouldn’t be that easy.

“Jet! Let’s go!”

But somehow, looking at that small, powerful person, Jet felt like he might have a chance.

Huh. I guess the Avatar really does give people hope.

Challenge Entry - Shatter

2006-12-12T12:57:29Z

Title: Seeing Through New Eyes
Theme: Shatter
Pairings/Characters: The Mechanist, Teo
Rating: G
Summary: 'The Mechanist' (as he was called) only had to forget the look of the shattered bones, to notice what a wonderful young man his son was becoming. But for a man rich in memories, that was easier said than done.

He was a boy, but he was brave. Just a boy... shattered, limbs crushed... but still brave.

Braver than he had ever been, which brought the man nothing but shame.

The boy's mother would have been horrified by the actions he's taken over the past months, he thought, as he ran his hand across the assortment of scrap metals over a messy desk and the other odd bits and pieces he'd scattered there that he'd assumed must have a use some place, to some end.

Out the window, he watched his son. The boy still hadn't stopped playing. He was the type that was always surrounded by friends and when he wasn't, he was making new ones.

He also was the type who never got angry. Which was why for those mere hours when he'd learnt the truth, it cut his father right through the heart, leaving a feeling of shame burning into his subconscious the way his failed experiments seemed to have the same effect on his outward body.

The young optimist got over it fast and under his burnt eyebrows, the man saw his son waving to him mid-flight, as though nothing had happened at all.

Every time the boy looked at him with that big grin, as if the past was just a dream - all he could hear were the boy's screams resonate through their Earth Kingdom house when the Fire Nation invaded. All he could see was that now happy face, contorted with agony as his legs bled out where the bone was exposed...

Shattered.

There were a few things he had to get in order after that happened. The first was to find a place where he and his son could be safe again and the second was to make sure he never saw the boy like that again, although it was what he still saw every time he opened his eyes.

"Hey dad. Working on something new?"

At the sound of him rolling in, the man simply known around the temple as 'The Mechanist' got up as if he was trying to cover something up, when in reality it was just his thoughts he was ashamed of.

How could he think of his son as so frail when his son refused to admit that of himself?

The boy cracked another smile as big as the sky that had become his frequent companion. "Nothing for the Fire Nation I hope..."

At the man's expression the boy burst out laughing. "It was a joke dad. I trust you."

"You shouldn't," the aging man confessed, slumping back down in his chair with a sigh.

The boy rolled over closer to him. "Why wouldn't I? You've built a new life for us. How could I not be grateful for that?"

Sadly, he shook the most graphic images of his crippled son in his moment of weakness out of head and forced himself to look again.

The frailties melted to show an ever-confident, strong young man who was ready for any challenge life could throw at him.

The man was almost speechless at what he almost missed when hiding away in memories that he thought to be too terrible to let go of.

"You've become a brave young man, Teo. Braver than I could have ever hoped to be."

"Well, I know that's a lie... I take after you," his son answered him.

Creases spread over his face at this, tears pricking at his eyes. "No. You take after your mother..."

He closed his eyes and opened them again, he'd never been more proud than he was at that moment, and he knew his wife would have been too. "We're both proud of you, son."

As he turned his chair around, with a great heave of his chest at trying to suppress his emotions, a poignant realization hit him, that he knew his son would never be able to see, because he always saw the good in everybody.

Even though Teo's bones were shattered and broken he could remain strong. But no matter what he could do, 'The Mechanist' couldn't claim the same. Because, although his bones might not have been shattered, his hopes were.

He lost something that day the Fire Nation attacked, something much more than what could be seen. He lost a part of himself that he didn't know how to get back the same way as it had marked (and almost claimed) and personified his son.

Perhaps he could never be the father that Teo deserved, and he couldn't claim any credit for the young man he was becoming, but if his love could carry him when he was feeble, he would try his best to be there.

He'd never been so proud... and although it shattered every memory he relied upon of a son that still needed him, he couldn't deny that his son was becoming a great man.

[Theme] Week 2: Shatter

2006-12-07T22:44:53Z

First, thank you! Second... sorry this took a day to put up!

The biweekly theme for this round is Shatter - whether it's ice, a priceless vase, illusions, anything. Hopefully it can be applied to any setting or cast. Looking forward to seeing what everyone comes up with!

Week 1: Winner

2006-12-07T02:45:32Z

Sorry for the delay; life happens. First, I wanted to go over a couple of things: please use the header in the profile. It makes for easier searching and recovering of fics. Also, all challenge fanfiction should only be posted on this community for the duration of that challenge.

And now, for the fun stuff. ;D

The winner for Week 1: Tea Time is: 5911451 with Second Chance.

The description of Kana's emotions, the description of Southern Water Tribe life...just a really beautiful fic for a pairing that I would like to see more of in this fandom. Congratulations, 5911451! You get to pick the Week 2 theme. :)

Tea Time - Have a Little Time

2006-12-01T02:40:03Z

Title: Have a Little Time
Theme: Tea Time
Pairings/Characters: Aang/Katara, Sokka/Toph
Rating: PG
Summary: Visits and gifts and unexpected revelations. It was a typical Thursday.

It was something they’d started a couple of years after the war ended. Every Thursday, when the sun hit it’s peak, Katara, Aang, Sokka, and Toph would get together, talk about old and new times, and drink tea.

“Aang, they’re going to be here in a few minutes!” Aang looked up from the small trinket he was working on.

“I’m coming!” he said, fumbling with the small bits of shells, flowers, and strings. Brow furrowed and tongue sticking out in concentration, Aang applied the last bit of shining, sparkling rock.

“There!” he said with a grin, holding out the necklace. “I think she’ll like it.”

He and Katara had traveled together long after Sokka and Toph had left them: Toph left because she wanted to reconcile with her parents (“Also, there’s going be a new tournament near the house,” she said with a sharp grin) while Sokka left because he wanted to study at a university (“Don’t look so surprised,” he’d said when he first told them. “I happen to be a very scientific guy.”).

And so it was just Aang and Katara. Aang wasn’t about to complain; he loved Toph and Sokka and missed them, but it was nice to spend some time alone with Katara.

He blushed pink at that thought. It sure is, he thought, a rather goofy smile spreading on his face.

“Aang, c’mon!” Aang winced at the impatient tone in Katara’s voice and floated to his feet.

“Okay, I’m coming!” he said, walking out to the small porch. They’d bought this small house in the middle of nowhere from an elderly lady who had no interest in taking care of it. Aang and Katara rarely spent time in it; they were way too busy traveling through the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation. Still, it was nice to have a place to come home too. Even if his home was actually wherever Katara was at.

At the porch, Katara had set up a table with four sitting pads around it. She looked up when Aang walked out, blue eyes warming. “What took you so long?” she asked when he walked over to her. Over the past years, Aang had shot upwards and now stood at least six inches taller than her.

He smiled down at her. “Close your eyes,” he said, the necklace hidden between his hands. “I’ve got something for you.”

Katara raised her eyebrows but closed her eyes, lips stretching into a smile. “What is it?” she said and Aang took her left hand. He placed the necklace in her hand gently.

“Okay, you can open your eyes now,” he said, voice trembling with excitement. He’d spent a very long time working on the present; much longer than he had on the last necklace he’d given her.

Katara opened her eyes and blinked before looking down at her hand. “Oh, Aang,” she breathed, bringing the necklace closer to her face to inspect it.

Tiny blue and pink shells intertwined around pale rocks. Four strings were braided together, both for decoration and to strengthen it.

Katara didn’t say anything more for a few moments and Aang raised his eyebrows. “Do you like it?” he asked, both impatient and hopeful.

Katara bowed her head and Aang almost apologized -what did I do?!- before she threw her arms around his shoulders.

“It’s beautiful,” she whispered in his ear. “I love it.” She drew back and held it out to him. “Put it on me?”

Aang grinned and took it from her. “Sure.” He looped it around her neck and clasped it in the back. Drawing back, he looked at it. It hung more loosely than the necklace her mother gave her, and the two necklaces complemented each other.

Katara looked down at it, touching the bits of shell, and looked back at Aang. “It’s wonderful,” she said again, framing his face with her hands.

Aang grinned, hands coming up to touched the nape of her neck. “I thought so too,” he said, leaning down to ghost his lips across her cheek before coming back and kissing her. It quickly got heated and Aang embraced her, hands strong at the small of her back. Katara wrapped her arms around him, fingers massaging his shoulders.

A cleared throat distracted them and Katara and Aang looked over at the doorway. Toph stood there, leaning against the frame, arms crossed over her chest.

“Could you two maybe not make out over the table?” she said, and Aang blushed bright red.

“How could you tell?!” he asked, loosening his grip on Katara. Toph snorted and stepped forward.

“Your heart rates are way too fast and tea just isn’t that interesting,” she said, raising her eyebrows before pointing at the table. “I don’t want to drink there anymore.”

“Hey!” Katara said, putting her hands on her hips. “We didn’t do anything on that table!”

A footstep behind Toph drew their attention and a tall, gangly young man stepped into sight. “Who did what on the table?” Sokka said, pushing his small glasses up his nose with one long, thin finger.

“Sokka!” Katara said, walking to him and hugging him. He curled one arm over her shoulders and squeezed gently. “It’s so good to see you,” she said, smiling up at him.

“Aang and Katara were making out on the table,” Toph said, raising an eyebrow, putting her hands on her hips.

A huge grin spread on Sokka’s lips and he grinned at Aang. “Oh really?” he said, raising his eyebrows suggestively. Katara slapped him on the shoulder and walked back over to Aang.

“You two are impossible!” Katara said, though her face was bright red. “We weren’t doing anything!”

“Not on the table, anyway. We were standing beside it,” Aang pointed out and smiled sheepishly when Katara swung her glare onto him. “Ahahaha…ha. Uhm, let’s sit!” he suggested, motioning. “C’mon, c’mon, I want to hear what you guys have been up to!”

They settled around the low seated table, Katara and Aang on one side and Toph and Sokka on the other. “Well, I’ve been doing well,” Toph said blandly, gulping her tea down. “I’ve won every tournament that I’ve fought in so far. Of course,” she added.

Sokka grinned. “Like there was any doubt,” he said. “University has been great! I’ve learned so much stuff about politics and the sciences. I’m at the top of my class,” he bragged. “And did you guys know that chicks really dig these little glasses?” He plucked them off his nose and admired them.

“Oh really?” Toph said, and there was a distinctly dangerous tone to her voice.

“Ah, but I don’t do anything!” Sokka said, holding up his hands. “Really, they flirt with me and I just point at them and say ‘no.’” He winced when Toph raised an eyebrow.

Katara and Aang shared a glanced. “Why would that matter?” she asked and Sokka blinked, before taking a deep breath.

“Me and Toph are together,” he said, swinging a long arm over Toph’s slender shoulders. “We’ve kind of been together for a couple of weeks but we didn’t really know how to tell you.”

Katara gasped and choked on her tea. “Really?!” she said, eyes so wide it looked painful.

Aang grinned. “Alright, Sokka!” he said. Toph tilted her head to one side and slapped the ground. A pillar jumped up directly behind Aang. “Ah, and Toph,” he amended, glancing back at the earth.

“Why wouldn’t you guys tell us?” Katara asked, holding her teacup but not taking a sip. “Surely you didn’t think we would have a problem with it?”

Sokka opened his mouth to say something but Toph interrupted him. “Well, Meathead here thought that you two would have a problem with the whole age difference thing and that Aang would kill him to defend my honor. Or something,” she said, pouring herself another cup of tea and sipping it. “I told him that I wouldn’t let you kill him but he wouldn’t listen to me.”

“Heeey,” Sokka said, offended. “Don’t call me that!”

“But it’s so accurate!” Toph said. Sokka scowled and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Well, it’s nice to see this relationship hasn’t changed you two at all,” Katara said, laughing behind her hand.

Toph snorted. “Yeah, well. Anyway, now they know,” she said to Sokka. “So you don’t have to worry about it anymore.” She raised her eyebrows. “Which is a shame, since you’re adorably idiotic when you worry.”

“Now that’s en…wait.” Sokka peered at her. “Did you just call me ‘adorable’?” he said, eyebrows raised. He grinned when he saw Toph’s cheeks reddened and he crowed. “Ah ha! A compliment! You guys heard that, right?” He glanced at Katara and Aang. “She complimented me!”

“Sounded like one to me,” Aang said, resting his head on his hand.

“No,” Toph protested. “It wasn’t. It was an insult, or did you not hear the last part of it. Idiotic.”

“Nope, sorry,” Sokka said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and kissing her on the cheek. “No take backs.” Katara laughed at that, shaking her head.

Toph scowled, clearly embarrassed and verging on angry and Sokka grinned at her.

He’s probably digging a hole he won’t be able to get out of, Aang thought, looking at the two of them. A small touch at his hand caught his attention and he looked over at Katara. She smiled at him and he wrapped his hand around hers, grinning. She winked at him and looked over at Toph and Sokka.

“So,” she said, interrupting Sokka and Toph and their bickering. “Who’s hungry?”

END

Tea Time, Second Chance

2006-11-27T22:38:55Z

Title: Second Chance
Theme: Tea Time
Pairings/Characters: Pakku/Kana
Rating: K+
Summary: The reunion between Pakku and Kana, Katara's grandmother, after forty years.

The settlement of the Southern Water Tribe had seen more changes in the past two days than the previous two years. Flimsy tents had been replaced with buildings of ice, with the canvas and fur lining the windows and floor. A solid wall ringed the settlement now instead of an oversized snowball fort. It was on one of the new ramparts that Kana walked now, carefully inspecting the design because sitting still to think was one of the many luxuries she had given up long ago.

Since the return of the Avatar, the Southern Water Tribe had had hope, but precious little else as winter approached the bottom of the world. Kana had faced the coming season with the same stubborn determination that had gotten her through every other obstacle in her path. Life was about choices. As long as you had a choice, life was good. She had chosen to move to this end of the world, chosen to carry on when winter took her husband and war, her daughter, chosen to guide the families left behind by the warriors of the tribe.

But now a figure from her past was here leading a contingent of waterbenders and she felt control slipping away from her. She had spent her entire life avoiding rescue, but couldn't turn down the help those in her care so desperately needed. She was trying to feel gratitude, but it kept slipping into something else. Kana was too honest to pretend it was anger when she recognized shame and fear. Shame, because she was proud of her independence. And fear – but not of losing that independence. It was something more insidious.

"Kana?" She turned at her name, fully expecting the interruption and visitor.

"Pakku." Her tone was as carefully neutral as his expression. The weight of the history between them made the silence heavy.

"I brought you Oolong tea. I seem to remember that it's your favorite. Or at least, was."

Tea? Tea was a luxury in the best of times down here, when someone could be spared to make the month-long trip to the earth kingdom to trade. Since the warriors left, it had gone from luxury to wistful dream. Kana smiled, and the sparkle in her blue eyes forcibly reminded Pakku of their past courtship and her granddaughter.

With a gesture that managed to convey irony, she invited him up onto the turret he had created the day before. It was out of the biting wind, but still in sight to those below, satisfying propriety, privacy and comfort.

"It still is – although, I must admit, I've become much less picky now that I'm deprived." Kana politely allowed Pakku a moment to backtrack from his wandering thoughts back to their conversation. "More than tea, though, I am woefully deprived of news of my grandchildren – and the war. But let's start with family."

The pair settled down and Pakku poured the tea, offering Kana the first cup. There was no better opening to prove how he had changed. "When we left them two weeks ago, they were headed to meet General Fong. The Avatar has yet to master waterbending, but I have full confidence in Katara's ability to teach him everything he needs to know. She achieved mastery faster than anyone I've ever known."

The sincere admiration and fondness caught Kana off guard more than the news. She had expected Katara to win a place among the men – winning Pakku over was another story entirely. She basked in pride over her granddaughter, savoring her accomplishments and the tea for a long moment. "And Sokka?"

Pakku abruptly reverted to his normal self. "He… is well. I'm sure he'll be solid support for Aang and Katara." He took a sip to search for more to say. "I didn't see him much, as he isn't a bender, but I understand that he was very brave in the battle against the Fire Nation."

"Battle?"

Pulled up short, Pakku belatedly realized Kana had been too busy organizing the restoration to catch up on the news. Long after the tea had run out they continued to catch up on the war and each other's lives, continually circling, but never quite settling on the subject of why she had left and why he had followed, forty years later.

When night fell, the two broke apart to their respective homes after a quick detour to get her a box of the precious tea. Setting the wooden box down carefully at the foot of her pallet, Kana moved around her new home, rearranging her things and making mental notes of what changes needed to be made. Her mind drifted back to her fear of that morning, and she realized that it was gone.

She recognized it by its absence. It was a fear of having given so much of herself so that she and hers could survive that she was stripped of everything that wasn't essential to survival: everything that made her an individual, everything that made her desirable as a woman. It seemed almost silly now. She had lived and loved in the most inhospitable place on earth, through the longest and most vicious war in any history, and kept going with more responsibilities and less resources each year.

Kana wasn't dead yet, so she must be one of the strongest people alive. She chuckled and thought fondly of Katara, who had inherited that strength in abundance. Imagine, taking on a master bender completely untrained and showing him a new move in the process. Pakku had been abashed as he described the disks of ice hurtling at his head, even more so when he described finding the necklace he had carved for her so long ago.

Kana picked up the box of tea again, closing her eyes and inhaling a scent she remembered so well from childhood. It had been a long time since she had a betrothal necklace. For the first time in years, she hugged herself in happiness.

Entry - Tea Time

2006-11-23T08:31:37Z

Challenge: Tea Time
Entrant: Boomeraang
Words: 701
Title: Déjà Vu
Summary: A wrap up to Tales of Ba Sing Se and Lake Laogai. Jin finds herself in a state of déjà vu.

The hustle and bustle of the tea shop was dying down. It had been dropping off ever since the last few days, when the news spread and two replacements were hired.

The boy, roughly fifteen, waded around the tables in the small lower Ba Sing Se joint. A towel hanging from the pocket in his apron and a stoic expression on his face.

He did a good job. He had to. He had medical bills to be paid, that were fighting for every dime that he was getting.

The place held a special significance for him and the one receiving the treatment he was paying for, who had recently been paralyzed from the neck down. But it was the only place hiring at such short notice and a place that the two outcasts which filled the two vacant positions, were thoroughly familiar with.

"No!" The owner of the shop cried frantically at two Dai Li who were getting up to leave "Please. The tea is on the house!"

He was on his knees by the time the men hit the door.

"Tell all your friends!!!"

The boy wiped some sweat off his brow, from the residue of the tea steaming up in his face. His jet black hair neatly cropped with a few pieces going static from the lack of the hat he was usually wearing, that had become somewhat of a trademark for him.

He lowered his eyes and tried not to say anything at his bosses desperate attempts to keep clientele. He felt pretty bad within himself that his lifestyle of living pretty much in the wilderness, hadn't helped his skills with tea. Nor his skills with customers.

A brown haired girl sipped the last of her tea in the corner of the shop, eyes trained on the boy the whole time. The boy had noticed her as one of the regular customers, but still hadn't said a word to her, just politely filled her orders.

"Have you... seen the boy who used to work at this shop around?" She asked when she went to the counter to pay for her tea.

The boy shook his head.

"Oh" she said a little sadly. "Well... if you see him... can you tell him Jin said hello?"

The empathetic eyed boy held her gaze and pushed her change over the counter to her.

"He won't be back" he said at last.

He knew about his uncle's offer for his own tea shop. It was all the buzz over the district and was the reason for all of the shop owner's angst.

"I just thought... he was nice" her face still looked a little saddened. She went to turn away, but then stopped. "You know..." she said, turning back a little hesitantly "I'm free tonight, if you didn't mind. We don't have to talk about the shop... or Lee..." she blushed, "I mean, the other boy who worked here. It might be nice."

He stood, his mouth gaped open and then gave a little nod.

All of a sudden a brunette with shaggy hair came from out the back, also wearing and apron and slammed a tray with tea cups down on the counter just hard enough not to break them.

She took off her apron and in a tiny fist, whacked it down on the counter beside the cups.

"I quit. If you want me, I'll be with Jet." She said before stalking out the door, leaving the shop owner in sobs and the boy and girl to stare at each other, dumbfounded.

"So meet you here at seven?" The girl said, picking up where she left off.

He looked resignedly to the door, but knew that after his shift he would be busy trying to explain this to his smirking leader, who would be using the only muscles in his body he could to express how he felt, and a close companion who most likely would spend the next two days ignoring him.

When he didn't answer, she heaved a sigh.

"Let me guess... it's... complicated?" She answered for him, with a look of pure irony.