When Worlds Collide: Book One, Water

Training with the Kyioshi Warriors was really fun. A little after noon, Sukki pulled me aside while the other girls went for lunch.
“You’re a natural,” she told me. “I thought you said you’ve never had any training...”
“Absolutely none,” I said.
She studied me. “You know... the way you move... it’s different from the way warriors in the Earth Kingdom, and even the Fire Nation fight. It’s like you were taught from a new element,” she said, giving me an odd look.
My eyes widened. “No, no... I’m from Kangaroo island,” I said, sticking to my original story.
She tilted her head. “Yea... okay...,” she said, and I knew she didn’t believe me. Moments later, she finally sighed. “You know what? I kept you from your friends all night last night, and so far all day today. You should go and have fun.”
I blinked. “Really?” I asked.
She smiled. “Besides, you got all the basics down. If you were ever in a fight, you could at least defend yourself.”
“Yay!” I shouted, surprising her by giving her a hug. “Thanks for everything. The clothes, the training... oh! And you need these back!” I handed her the fans, but she shook her head.
“It’s obvious that you don’t have a weapon. So keep them. Besides, those are the extra pair of battle fans,” she said, shoving them back in my hand.
I furrowed my brow. “Battle?”
She nodded, opened hers. “See? This is a training one. Just an ordinary fan. But yours...,” she reached over and opened one of mine, “has sharpened edges. Very dangerous in the right hands.”
I grinned, hugging her again. “Thanks a million, Sukki. I owe you one... actually a few,” I chuckled.
She smiled. “You know... you use the oddest of sayings,” she said.
“I’m just weird like that,” I told her. “I’ll see you later though. Bye!”
“Bye!” I heard her call behind me.
Walking down the trail that would take me back to the village, I ran into Sokka.
“Hey you,” I said, hip bumping him.
He looked at me strangely, before shaking his head. “You and your other worldly weirdness... Anyway, are the warriors still training?”
I sighed. “Well... I think they just got off of lunch break,” I told him. “But be nice, okay?”
“Yea, whatever...,” he mumbled walking away.
I shook my head, rolling my eyes. Now, what do I do?

A few hours later, I was sitting under Avatar Kyioshi’s statue, drawing. I always loved drawing. It somehow calmed me down after a long day, or if I was upset.
I wasn’t used to type of pens they had in this world, so the village in front of me looked nothing like the one on my paper.
“Hey Sam,” Katara sighed as she sat down next to me. “What are you doing?”
“Drawing, and failing. This pen is so weird...,” I muttered the last part, as, again, the pen suddenly jerked, giving a pointy corner to one of the little shops.
“You’re holding it wrong.”
I looked up. “What?”
Katara sighed. “You’re holding the pen wrong. It’s suppose to go... like this,” she said, twisting the pen around.
I drew another shop, and glared at the paper when it came out exactly like I wanted it. “Ugh! Why can’t I just have my pencils and notebook back?” I grumbled.
Katara chuckled, then sighed. “I guess it’s a lot different here, huh?” she asked me.
“You have no idea...,” I muttered. “And I’m afraid that I’ll slip up on something, and that I’ll give away that I’m not from here, or something.”
She chuckled. “Well you managed to keep us in the dark for a while.”
I smiled. “Yea, but look who was the one who noticed that something was wrong? Sokka! Sokka was the one who made me spill,” I said.
“That is true...”
I sighed. “So...,” I said smiling. “Water you doing?”
She looked at me for a second before she busted up laughing. “Please don’t tell me that people actually say that where you’re from.”
I pouted. “Is it really that bad?” I asked jokingly.
She nodded, wiping her eyes.
“Oh no!” I fake sobbed. “My whole life! It was all a lie!”
We started laughing harder. After a few minutes though, we managed to calm down. “So, where were you going when you stopped to teach me how to hold a pen?” I asked, giggling again.
She gasped. “I forgot! Aang is going to go ride the Unagi!”
My jaw dropped. “What?”
“Yea, come on!” Katara grabbed my arm, yanking me up and pulling me to the beach.

“Katara! You showed up!” Aang yelled. “And Sam!”
I smiled and waved.
“I wanted to make sure you were safe. You really had me worried back there!” Katara said.
“But... you acted like you didn’t care,” Aang said.
“I’m sorry.”
“Me too. I did let all attention go to my head. I was being a jerk.”
“Well hurry up and get out of the water, before you catch a cold you big jerk!” Katara shouted.
I laughed at the two of them, and Aang smiled, swimming back to shore.
All of a sudden, the Unagi’s fin came up out of the water, and Katara gasped.
Aang yelled, and was on top of the creatures body. The Unagi swung Aang around before throwing him into the water. Katara started swimming out to get him, and used water bending to get back to shore. We ducked behind a rock to avoid the water being sprayed everywhere. When the Unagi finally disappeared, I looked up and gasped.
“Uh, Katara...,” I said. She looked up too, and gasped when she saw the ship.
“Zuko.”

After Zuko and his men passed, I turned to Katara.
“You stay with Aang, and I’ll do something to stall the Fire Nation,” I whispered.
“What? Are you crazy?” she asked, also whispering.
“I’ll be fine, just get Aang breathing again,” I told her and left before she could say anything else.
I took the fans that I had stuck in my pockets and ran after the men on rhinos.
I pounced on the man nearest to me, and covered his mouth before he could make a sound. Remembering a pressure point on his neck that Cody had told me about, I quickly put pressure to it, and in seconds he was passed out cold. He fell to the ground with a thump, but no one noticed. Not even the rhino that he was riding noticed the sudden loss of weight on his back. The rhinos were slow moving, so I snuck into the brush and moved so I could get in front of them. Right before I could step out of my hidden spot, someone grabbed me from behind, and covered my mouth.
I struggled trying to break free of my unknown captor. I kicked and smirked when I felt my foot hit something.
“Ow!” a voice shouted, causing all of Zuko’s men to turn-including Zuko.
His eyes narrowed at me. “You,” he growled.
I gulped. “Um... hi,” I squeaked.
Before I could blink, Zuko jumped off his rhino, and pushed me to the ground.
“I thought I told you to stay with Uncle,” he hissed.
“And I did, until Aang came and rescued me from your stupid ship!” I shouted. “Help!” I screamed. “Sokka! Katara! Aang! Help!”
“Shut up!” Zuko said, covering my mouth. Then he got off of me, and picked me up bridal style.
I continued screaming into his hand while he carried me over to his rhino. He plopped me onto it, and climbed on after me. “You’re going to get the avatar to come to me,” he whispered.

Zuko and his men stormed into the village. I was still struggling, but to no avail.
“Come out Avatar! You can’t hide from me forever,” Zuko yelled.
I could see some heads poke out of doorways, and even saw a few looks directed at me. Great. They probably think I’m with him now...
“Find him,” Zuko told his men, still keeping his hand over my mouth.
I watched as the Kyioshi Warriors came out and started attacking the men. Sukki came running straight toward Zuko and I. She jumped up, her eyes on Zuko, but the rhino spun around at the last minute, throwing her to the ground.
“Sukki!” I tried to scream against Zuko’s hand, but it was muffled.
Zuko used fire bending to try and hurt Sukki, but... Sokka?... came and used his fans to block the fire.
“Sam! Are you okay?” he asked me, but I couldn’t respond. Zuko tightened his grip on me, nearly suffocating me.
Suddenly, the rhino bucked, throwing Zuko and I off of it. Not knowing what to do, I screamed and held a death grip on Zuko, terrified. We landed on a deck of someone’s house, Zuko cushioning my fall. He groaned and I rolled off of him.
Jye-Lee, Sokka, and Sukki surrounded us. Sokka yanked me onto my feet, pulling me out of the way. He stepped in front of me, blocking my view. Zuko attacked, sending Sukki into a pole, Jye-Lee into the house, and threw Sokka to the ground.
“No!” I yelled, and pulled out the fans that Sukki gave me. Without thinking, I attacked, and managed to hit him a few times. He blocked most of them before he finally grabbed my arms, and was holding my hostage again.
“No! Let me go!” I yelled.
He ignored me, and pulled me out in the middle of the street.
“Nice try Avatar,” he called, “but these little girls can’t save you. And I’ve got your little friend here for you.”
“Hey!” we heard. “Let her go!”
Zuko turned, dragging me along by my hair. I whimpered when he pulled especially hard.
“Finally,” Zuko said to himself.
“No!” I yelled. “Aang, don’t!”
He pulled my hair again, before throwing me to the ground next to him.
Right before my eyes, the two started to battle.
I ran back over to get my fans, unwilling to loose them. I ran back, and saw Aang take flight on his glider. He saw me, and started to come back, but Zuko beat him.
I yelped when he threw me over his shoulder. “Hey! Put me down, pervert!” I yelled, hitting him on the back. I looked up and saw Aang hesitate. “Aang, go! We’ll see each other again, just go!”
He hesitated for a second more, but finally looked defeated. With one more glance toward me, he turned and flew over to Katara and Sokka who had gotten Appa.
“Back to the ships!” Zuko shouted, “Don’t loose sight of them!”
I was still over his shoulder when I saw Aang jump into the water, only to reapeer on the Unagi a second later. “Yes! Go Aang!” I cheered when water was poured on the village, putting all the fires out. Zuko, his men and I got soaked, but I didn’t care. I grinned when I saw my three friends fly off into the distance.
Zuko was quick to get back to his ship. He didn’t let me off his shoulder until we were out of sight of Kyioshi Island. Then he threw me on the deck of his ship, with a glint in his eye.
“I,” he said, “have some questions.”