The Guider Effect ☼ Zuko || ATLA

High Risk Traders

"How did you know?" Katara whispered.

"Because I was about to steal it as we left but it was already gone." Rein giggled.

"What are you two laughing about over there?" Aang smiled, walking up to them.

"Hey, you! Get back here!"      Rein's heart stopped as the pirate screamed from his ship. She knew exactly why he was calling out for them. Katara stole the damn scroll like an amateur shoplifter. Like a bunch of angry gorillas, the pirates, suddenly multiplying from two to seven, tumbled off the ship with weapons in hand.

"Run!" Rein yelped, pushing her friends to sprint away from the beastly men. "Meet back at camp!"      Sokka stopped dead in his tracks when he realized that Kireina was about to fend off all the pirates herself like some type of martyr. Before he could object, Katara and Aang grabbed each of his arms and dragged him alongside them as they ran further into the marketplace.

"I suggest you all lower your weapons or you'll regret it." Rein growled, lifting her hand up menacingly. The pirates looked at one another and cackled, staring at Rein like she was a weak child they could easily capture or defeat. The first trader charged for her and she skillfully dodged out of his path, sending him skidding into the harbor. No bending even needed for him.

One by one, the pirates attacked, each one failing before the next. By the end of the battle, Rein was the only one left standing while all the men lay sprawled across the dirt, moaning and groaning in immense pain. Not once did she have to use her bending to stop them, they were all so ill equipped at fighting that just by her dodging them, they were defeated.

"Thanks for the scrap boys! I feel more confident than ever before!"      Rein brushed the nonexistent dirt off her hands and fled the scene. She made sure to take wrong turns as she walked to confuse the pirates incase any were watching. The last thing she needed was a herd of crusty men attacking their camp while she slept.

She wandered aimlessly through the market until she felt sure enough to return to her friends.      The walk back to camp was rather short and Rein had her fingers crossed that her brother was safe and sound waiting for her to return.

She pushed through the brush to arrive back at their base, spotting Katara adamantly trying out her new waterbending moves while Sokka and Aang watched.

"Glad to see you were all so worried about me." Rein sarcastically spoke as she made her presence known. Aang gasped and tackled his sister into a bone crushing hug, knocking the two of them over into the river. They broke into fits of laughter, splashing each other and play wrestling.

"To be fair, we had to stop Sokka multiple times from running back to help you." Katara chuckled, throwing her older brother under the bus. Sokka's face reddened and he looked away, muttering profanities under his breath.

"Which is why I'm Team Sokka!" Rein replied, smiling at the embarrassed boy. "He's always got my back."

"Oh and we don't?" Aang countered, crossing his arms over his chest.      Rein sent a weak airblast at him, knocking him down into the water again. "I know you guys do too! But c'mon, Sok is underrated! He's obviously the captain here, you and Katara would be lost without him!"

"You give him too much credit." Katara grumbled, rolling her eyes at Rein.      Kireina shrugged, "He earned it, in my opinion."

"You've officially given him a reason to have an ego!"

☼☼☼

Rein was startled awake to the sound of metal hitting land. Opening her eyes, she noticed that Katara was nowhere to be seen, along with the waterbending scroll she had stolen hours prior. With a grunt of annoyance, Kireina got up and snuck away from the two sleeping boys. She made her way to the water, knowing that's bound to be where Katara was.