Reborn In Water || ATLA

The Ghost Of You

Bato Of The Water Tribe Cont

"And all the wounds that are ever gonna scar me, for all the ghosts that are never gonna catch me." - My Chemical Romance

🌊 🌋 🔥 🌪

Aelita leaned in to meet the warrior boy before her halfway until she noticed the arrow.

"Move!" She shouted as she pushed Sokka back and out of the way as an arrow sailed directly through the space they had once been. Sokka stumbled in the sand, trying to process the fact that they were being attacked. From the trees along the edge of the beach shot another arrow, this time aimed at Aelita alone. She ducked, stepping back and away from Sokka and their camp, eyes straining to see where their assailant was in the dark. Another arrow aimed directly her way, this time deflecting it with a snap of her wrist, knocking the arrow to the ground.

"Who's there?" Sokka yelled into the darkness, picking up his club. "Show yourself!" His yelling woke Katara and Aang, sitting up in half-dazed states.

"Surrender firebender!" Called a deep male voice from the woods. From the shadows a figure began to walk forward, bow and arrow aimed at Aelita alone. "You're not welcome here. Leave now and you can return home alive."

"Don't threaten her!" Sokka shouted in return, stepping towards Aelita. In the back of his mind, the voice screamed familiar to him but in the dead of the night, he couldn't place why.

"You don't have to be afraid of her anymore." The assailant replied as the continued stepping further into view. Aelita could only make out his shape and broad features from where she stood, the ocean now lapping at her heels. "I won't let her hurt you."

"Sir I believe there's been a misunderstanding," Aelita said calmly, hands out in front of her. She realized what the situation probably looked like from the outside, a Fire Bender in Earth Kingdom territories, holding a flame to an innocent person's face just minutes ago. "I'm not here to hurt them."

"That's what your people all say!"

Katara had woken fully when she realized the seriousness of the scene before her. She too jumped to her friend's defense. "Aelita would never hurt anyone. She's the Akira, she wants to help people."

"Lies!" The man argued back. "The Akira is dead." The arrow in his bow released as Katara screamed but Aelita wasn't called a prodigy for nothing. Thrusting one palm forward she disintegrated the arrow before it hit its mark. As he knocked another arrow Aelita knew she needed to make this man believe before he hurt someone. Now ankle-deep in the ocean she lifted her arms and a wall of water followed. As the arrow moved closer she let out the breath she was holding, freezing the water with the sharpened point stuck directly in the center, inches from her face. The man dropped his bow to the ground and stepped into the light of the campfire.

"It can't be." He muttered, staring in disbelief as the Akira dropped her hands and the ice melted back into the ocean.

"Wait..." Sokka strained his eyes on the man before him. He now knew why the voice was familiar. "Bato?"

"Sokka?" The man finally looked away from Aelita and at the boy who had been with him. He couldn't believe his eyes. Standing just a few feet away was the spitting image of Kya too. "Katara? Is that really you?"

"You know him?" Aang asked, still tired and very confused.

"We do!" Katara smiled. Aang hadn't seen her this happy before. The waterbender and her brother both ran to embrace the man as Aelita slowly made her way closer. She was even more confused than the monk. The middle-aged person that had been shooting at her had long, straight brown hair that hung past his shoulders, half of which was pulled out of his face. His clothing was the same style as Katara and Sokka's, done in shades of blue and white. From underneath his tunic, she could make out bandages covering his right arm and shoulder. He was thin but muscular, built like a warrior.