THE VILLAGE | An Avatar the last Airbender Fan Fiction

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The room was dimly lit and Adeline's eyes were coming to a close. She was sleepy and tired and confused. With no idea where she was and no indication, all she could hope was that whoever had taken her wasn't all that bad.

Chains encased her wrists and extended her limbs all the way to the walls. Her knees touched the ground and the rest of her body swirled to one side as her head hung lower than her chest itself. A metal ring circled around her but she didn't know it's use. It was like Hulahoop that was far too big for whoever was attempting to use it. However, this hoop stood still, held up simply by the walls around it. She lifted her heavy eyelids as footsteps sounded and the heavy metal door opened once more. Something quick happened which she didn't see properly and a small glowing yellow lamp began to spin around the metal circle. Adeline grew confused as she looked up at the Dai Li soldier who'd obviously made the spinning light start spinning. He held a straight, emotionless expression as he began to speak. " There is no war in Ba Sing Se. The avatar has not returned. There is no war in Ba Sing Se" he monotonously said.

Adeline thought back to the tea shop and to the little conversation she'd had with some random strangers. They too had talked about some war and Adeline had believed them. And then- then others joined the conversation. But that's how it always went. Manifestation. Starts with something small and ends with big consequences. The man repeated himself and she felt her mind slowly mush together. That's... that's how Lee had found her... the market... the village.... crowd.... avatar.

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Adeline woke in a sweat. Her head was sore and the lights made her eyes spin. She used a hand to shield her eyes, also covering most of her vision. Her memory was hazy and her mind, blank. She couldn't remember anything that had happened and she didn't really care to. Assuming she was at home, she threw the coverings that had shielded her from the dust and cold off to one side. The muffled sheets hit the ground.

"You're awake!" A cheery voice erupted from beside her head. It was like a quick and violent explosion. Too much sound at once, way too much. She put her hands to her ears and held them closely trying to filter out any unwanted sound.

The man took notice of her pain and lowered the way he addressed her to a whisper. "Oh I'm quite sorry"

"Where am I?"

Iroh smiled. "Why the jasmine dragon of course."

"The what?" Adeline replied.

Iroh rubbed his chin. "Never you mind. Relax and take some time to gather yourself"

"Gather myself? , Who are you?" She asked raising her voice, slightly unnerved.

Iroh put out two gentle hands to display harmlessness. "We've met before. My nephew, he brought you to our tea shop before. "

"I... I don't remember" She sighed sitting up straighter and rubbing her eyes. Little drips of sweat streamed down her forehead and with every swipe, a little bit more was taken off each time.

"Oh. That doesn't seem too good, does it? The Dai Li must have done more damage than we thought. I wonder why." He mumbled to himself. "Well, if you don't remember, we'll start from the beginning. I'm Mushi and this here is my Nephew, Lee"

Adeline looked quickly to the sickeningly pale-looking boy sprawled across a mat with only a thin sheet covering him. His hair had grown since Adeline had last seen him although she didn't notice not even remembering the defined scar or the way his nose twitched every few seconds in whatever sleep he was in. She tilted her head, curious. "Is he sleeping?"

"Of sorts. Fever gets the best of everyone these days, doesn't it"

"What'd, what'd you say his name was again?" She asked, brushing all the matted hair out of her face. She brought her legs together and pushed the blanket away from her growing warmer by the second.

"Lee, why?" Iroh replied, leaning against a counter.

"Doesn't suit him" she remarked.

The old man smiled knowing the irony behind her statement. "No, no it doesn't."

Adeline turned to the man as he silently admired Zuko and his recent triumph. "But that doesn't really explain how I got here"

Iroh chuckled. "You're right, you're right. Where to begin? Well, you met my nephew in town a few days ago. He saw you air bending and was rather startled!"

"Air bending?!" Adeline exclaimed examining her hands in astonishment.

"Yes, air bending," Iroh said with a mischievous grin. "Lee brought you back to my shop and then you disappeared. Lee found you.. under a lake"

Adeline's eyes widened but she opted out of interrupting the man. "and we both brought you back here"

"you were looking for me?"

"Well, we found you after Lee had..... made a let's say, difficult decision. It lightened his spirits. Sometimes what you look for can be disappointing. I find surprises a lot more fun!"

Adeline smiled but was still rather shaken. If what this man was saying was true something had been done to mess with her mind. She didn't know why or how but the feeling that was seeping through the agitated pours of her skin was familiar and she realized this wasn't the first time it had happened. There was only one thought in her head at that moment. Lake Laogai. She had gone on vacation to Lake Laogai. But it just didn't make sense to her. Vacation? She couldn't even afford proper food.

However, her thoughts were cut short by Iroh's spoken words as his own thoughts coincided with hers and he offered her breakfast. "How about we make some warm Jook?" Iroh asked happily. Adeline nodded eagerly and he led her into an open space kitchen. The girl didn't exactly know why she from the moment on trusted this man but it wasn't a hard task. He was just.... lovable.

Some pots and pans scattered a heated stove and multiple tasty-looking ingredients scattered the furnace. A thick brick design left no empty space as it faced Adeline's and Iroh's shining faces. The apartment was quite wonderful and what amazed the girl most was that this wasn't the only floor.

The two stirred up a thick white liquid which began to smell delightful. Ingredient after ingredient stacked up the difficultly and speciality of the dish but ultimately it was just breakfast and nothing too fancy occurred. Cooking with Iroh or Mushi as Adeline so generously addressed him by, was the dream day the girl never had. While it wasn't action-packed, it felt homely and comforting to have an authority figure that wasn't the Dai Li. She missed something like this. No, she didn't miss it, the truth was, she'd never had it.

Growing up, her parents had been absent and much like most refugees, she travelled where the tides, winds, sun and moon took her. Most of that time she'd stayed with people like her. War victims, children, teens but eventually she realized that she just wasn't as normal as she'd liked to have believed. The girl was for definite, an Airbender and how she came to be one or how she existed...

She just didn't know.

After a while, she just accepted her faith and without anyone to guide her so did most around. It wasn't something she often showed and displayed in public. It didn't make a lot of sense how she'd managed to get by all those years but keeping to herself and being a law-abiding citizen didn't exactly raise her chances. The only reason she'd ever been exposed in the first place was small incoherent rumours of the return of the avatar, an air bender whose presence hadn't been heard of in over 100 years. Knowing that he was an Air bending master, Adeline saught him out and to her, the only way of finding him was to expose herself in hopes of news travelling that there was indeed a second air bender. But news never travelled in Ba Sing Se. everything was hushed so quickly no one ever knew it had existed in the first place.

She supposed that maybe if she found this avatar he could give her answers, he could help her. She really didn't know how or why she was an air bender but she was going to make it work and so far... it wasn't going all to great.

Iroh stirred the pot as the fire burned lowly underneath it. "I have to admit Adeline, you are quite the good cook" He complimented as he offered her a quick taste of his ladle. She took a quick slurp of it and in response raised and thumb indicating everything was great.

Some footsteps came from behind a green florally decorated cardboard curtain where the two had originally entered the area and in wandered Zuko. His hair was messy and his under eyes purple with sleep. Birds chirped mercilessly outside and the sizzling of the pot filled where silence would have otherwise been. Zuko rubbed his eyes lazily and yawned. "What's that smell?" He asked, his voice airy but his walk lighter.

"It's Jook" Iroh chirped in, gently handing the ladle to Adeline and facing Zuko "I'm sure you wouldn't like it."

Adeline carefully lifted the ladle and the sticky heavy substance clung to it for dear life making it look as if it were mud from a thriving swamp in the heart of a marshland. As Zuko approached she scurried out of the way, rather weary of his presence. The ladle stayed in the exact same place as if frozen in time just as Zuko leaned forward to take a quick sniff. "Actually, it smells delicious. I'd love a bowl, Uncle" he smiled as he grasped a wooden bowl and held it up between Iroh and Adeline.

Iroh's long grey brows that hung of his face slightly furrowed as he took in his nephews now rather happy approach to life. "Now that your fever is gone, you seem different somehow."

"It's a new day" Zuko sighed with a small hint of a chuckle. Iroh poured some Jook into his bowl and proceeded to do the same for Adeline. "We've got a new apartment, new furniture and a new acquaintance." He smiled politely at Adeline. "Things are looking up, uncle."

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A few days had passed and in that time Adeline had only grown closer to the two. She didn't quite understand why they'd offered her hospitality but she did appreciate it very much. There had been a few awkward conversations that had sprouted up about her bending and why she had been so passive and confident about it before and in all honesty, she couldn't properly remember. But slowly, minute by minute, the memories began to resurface with some great spiritual help from Iroh. She felt everything was turning right side up for her even if the avatar was not in her midst or the near future for that matter. She also felt the change in Zuko's personality. He had been patient with her and her memories and had reserved any questions to those she felt comfortable answering. But once the memories began to resurface she remembered his cold stare and his snippy attitude the first day they had met and really did wonder what changed so quickly.

With all that on the side, and relationships at an all high, Zuko and her had made a small pact. They were at some point going to get to the bottom of why the Dai Li had taken her memories away.

Zuko had explained to Adeline all about the war outside the walls and a lot of things about the avatar because she was incredibly intrigued, all while leaving out the bits that exposed him as the banished fire prince who'd caused a majority of the problems in his tales. But that life was behind him. He was settled with his uncle and a great new friend.

The three stood at the end of a green and gold rug embroidered with a brilliant dragon. The tea shop was even more magnificent, having officially opened to every available person in Ba Sing Se and not just the select few like before.

The three held themselves proudly as they breathed in the fresh air that travelled quickly in from the outside. Iron held a hot teapot as he smiled. "Who thought when we came to this city as refugees, that I'd end up owning my own tea shop? Follow your passion, Zuko and life will reward you." Iroh boasted proudly.

"Congratulations uncle," Zuko said with a side-smile.

Adeline moved her two brows close together and leaned forward, making it obvious she was confused. "Zuko......?"

Realizing his mistake he addressed the situation with ease and a steady tone. "Just a nickname I call Lee sometimes" Iroh sighed.

Adeline retracted her extended neck but kept the confused expression. "But Zuko is not an Earth-Kingdom name, its fire nation. Don't you think that's rather awful?"

"Oh think nothing of it!" Iroh chuckled, tugging at his collar. "Well, I- I am very thankful"

With a slightly scared and sweaty face, Zuko eyed his uncle from the side. "You deserve it. The Jasmine Dragon will be the best tea shop in the city"

"He's right" Adeline chimed in placing a soft hand on Iroh's shoulder. 

Iroh looked at both of them. "No, I'm thankful because you decided to share this special day with me."

This was more directed at Zuko but it wasn't Adelines place and she knew that. They were family and she was just a guest, a new friend, although she felt closer to both of them than she'd ever felt with anyone. "Both of you," Iroh said, placing his free hand on Adeline with his other already on Zuko's forearm. "It means more than you know"

Zuko hugged his uncle quickly as Adeline stood awkwardly off to the side. Zuko raised a first shortly. "Now let's make these people some tea. "

-AUTHORS NOTE!

Hey everyone thanks for reading and sorry for any mistakes! I'm hoping this book will get a good bit of attention because I'm truly falling in love with what I'm writing! See you all next chapter!

WORD COUNT: 2425