鬼
A good few hours passed and the sun had already begun to set which was a sign to get back. As his last resort, he slightly burned the tiger seal's stomach, hoping to himself that the villagers don't notice it.
If anyone were to find out, they're surely cast him out. He's never told anyone of his little secret. And why would he? He could firebend, just like the horrible people that raided the South Pole and took all of their waterbenders. All but Katara.
He knew if she were to find out. She would see him as a different person. Not Shoko, but as a monster. And Sokka would feel guilty. Only because he had seen Shoko firebending once, which was totally accidental.
But of course, he felt betrayed after letting his walls down and finally accepting Shoko just to find out he bent the same element as the Fire Nation soldiers. Shoko was glad Sokka agreed to keep it a secret. Yes, he was still rather angry about what the Fire Nation did to his mother, but he thankfully saw Shoko for Shoko. He didn't care from what nation he came from or what element he bent. Truly, Shoko was grateful.
He kept walking until he noticed a red flare that was launched into the sky. His eyes widened, and at that instant, he knew what it meant. He quickly ran in the direction of the village.
There was no doubt it was a Fire Nation signal. He had seen quite a lot when he was younger.
When he finally ran past the village entrance, his ears picked up the yells of Sokka. All the women were out as well, witnessing his outburst.
"That's it! You're banished!" Sokka shouted and pointed his finger at Aang. "Sokka, you're making a mistake!" Katara tried to intervene with a frown on her lips. "No, I'm keeping my promise to Dad! I'm protecting you from threats like him" He gestured to Aang.
"What's going on? Why are we banishing him?" Shoko dropped the tiger seal while pulling his hood down and making his way over to them, eyes narrowed in confusion.
"He signaled a fire navy, we're gonna be under attack at any minute because they decided to go onto the stupid ship we clearly told them to stay away from" He began to explain but Katara cut through to get her words out.
"Aang is not our enemy, don't you see? Aang brought us something we haven't had in a long time. Fun."
"Fun?! We can't fight firebenders with fun!" Sokka exclaimed angrily.
"You should try it sometime" Aang commented in a joyful tone. Though it wasn't really helping his case.
"Get out of our village. Now!" Sokka screamed at the top of his lungs.
"Grandmother, please. Don't let Sokka do this. Shoko" She turned to face them with a pleading frown.
"I can't do much in a situation like this, my vote won't count Katara" Shoko replied and placed a hand on her shoulder to comfort her.
"Katara, you knew better than to go onto that ship, it was forbidden," Gran-Gran said, disappointment in her eyes "Sokka is right, I think it's best if the airbender leaves."
"FINE! Then I'm banished too! Come on Aang, let's go!" Katara turned on her heels and yanked Aang by the arm.
"Where do you think you're going?!" Sokka questioned.
"To find a waterbender, Aang is taking me to the North Pole," she said and continued strolling with a determined expression, Aang walking in toll.
"I am? Great."
"Katara! You'd seriously choose him over your tribe?" Sokka asked, his angered tone softening into a saddened one at the mere thought, "You're own family?"
Shoko silently watched as Aang whispered something in Katara's ear before jumping on his sky bison, adjusting himself on Appa's head. "It was nice meeting everyone" He bid his goodbye with a bitter smile.
"Let's see him fly now, sky boy" Sokka mocked.
Shoko walked over to him and lightly pulled his hair to get his attention.
"Ow! What?" Sokka muttered as he rubbed his head from the tug.
"Everyone he knew is probably dead. There are no airbenders left. Did you forget the Fire Nation killed them all? There'll be no one to help him through the grief when he finds out" He sighed and walked over to the dead tiger seal, placing it over his shoulder again with a sign.
❥・❥
Shoko sharpened his dagger, a frown forming on his lips as he thought.
Maybe it was best if he left as well.
He didn't want to get attached. He'll only cause them more pain once they eventually fit the pieces together and realize they've been helping a firebender.
He snapped back into reality when his eyes shifted over to a lantern which began flickering quickly.
Something was approaching.
He looked over to his bag of weapons but shook his head and decided to only take his dagger. Pushing it inside its sheath before sprinting out of the tent, noticing children and their mothers hurrying away from the large navy ship that was breaking through the walls.
Shoko's eyes sharpened as he scanned for a certain idiot.
"Sokka!" He shouted with wide eyes, finally capturing his gaze on said boy, he was standing at the wall as the ship continued to pass through the path it forced. The ship then stopped and its front fell on the snow, Sokka barely escaping it.
Several firebenders walked out.
Shoko's arms wrapped around Katara in a protective manner, his mind racing with the possibilities.
'Please, not Katara. Not the last waterbender in the entire South Pole. Leave them alone. They've already suffered a lot. They can't take her. They can't'
He loathes himself. It hasn't even been a whole month, yet he still managed to get attached to the chaotic siblings. Losing people hurt him more than anything. That's why he is the way he is, distant from new people. He felt that showing emotions immediately defined you as weak.
He watched Sokka run toward them with his club in hand, but the leading guy simply kicked his weapon before sending another kick at his face, throwing him off to the snow one more. They continue walking down without any obstacles this time.
Shoko's eyes remained glued onto the Fire Nation soldier in the middle. His face was pale with a very noticeable scar on the left of his face. His amber eyes scanned over the small and terrified group.
"Where are you hiding him?" His voice was deep and rough. He harshly pulled on Gran-Gran's hood and held her out for the others to see, "He'd be about this age. Master of all elements" He shook her hood, but when everyone answered with silence, he shoved Gran-Gran back to the crowd, Katara breaking free from Shoko's grasp to help her grandmother.
He swung his arm forward to form a stream of fire that barely flew past their heads. Startling the women and their children.
"I know you're hiding him!"
Sokka picked up his weapon and charged at him. Unfortunately, the firebender chucked him on the other side, landing on his butt painfully. He shoots another flame at Sokka but he quickly rolls over and throws his lucky boomerang. The fire guy took a step back as if flew past him.
"Shoko, do something." Katara encouraged. She was right, he was there too. He was the only other older male in the village, yet he was cowering behind them. They had taken care of him when he was injured.
His injuries were very severe, he was not going to last that long. His fingers wrapped around his sheathed dagger.
"Show no fear!" A kid threw Sokka a spear which he successfully caught, running back at the fire guy.
The guy quickly broke the tip of the spear with his arms, he grasped the bone part from Sokka and poked his head three times. Sending him to the ground to fall once more on his butt.
Shoko's eyes widened when he saw Sokka's boomerang came flying back down and hitting the fire guy's head, his helmet shifting forward from the impact, blinding his eyesight. He growled in annoyance and fixed his helmet before his hands warmed up to take the shape of daggers.
Shoko pulled out his pocket knife and purposely missed, grazing his cheek. Causing the guy to extinguish his flames and turn to face him.
"Listen, buddy. The Avatar's been gone for a hundred years. I don't care what you're yapping about, just leave these poor people alone, they've done nothing to you."
Before Shoko could pull out his dagger, the guy walked over to him and held him by his hood, similar to Gran-Gran. "What makes you think you can talk to me like that? Peasa-" He was interrupted when a flash of white and black slid under his feet, making him and Shoko both lose their balance.
When Shoko sat up, his eyes shifted over to Aang and the penguin who was already walking away. "Sorry for tripping you, Shoko!"
"It's fine."
The fire guy stood back on his feet and ordered his soldiers to surround Aang. The kid pushed his staff against the snow and sent it flying, blinding them, along with the one in charge, he angrily stared at Aang as he melted the snow off.
"You're the Avatar?" He began circling Aang, "I spent years preparing for this encounter. Training, meditating... you're just a child!" He shouted.
"Well, you're just a teenager," Aang said, a bit doe-eyed. The fire guy made hand movements that flung streams of fire at Aang, but he quickly defused them by twirling his staff in front of him. Earning scared shouts from the people behind him.
He stopped his retaliation to look at the others.
"If I go with you, will you promise to leave everyone alone?" Aang asked. It took a few minutes for the guy to answer with a simple nod. Two of his soldiers walked over to Aang. One took hold of him while the other pulled his staff.
"Plus one more. A waterbender."
Shoko's eyes widened, and he slightly turned around to see Sokka standing protectively in front of Katara, Gran-Gran helping to hide her as well.
"I've heard from our navy ships that there is a remaining waterbender. Give her up now, and we'll leave peacefully."
"Wait! I agreed to go with you! Why go after someone else when you already have me?" Aang's eyes widened in fear, but he wasn't given the chance to speak when the soldiers harshly pulled him inside the ship.
"It's me!"
Shoko stood back up on wobbly feet, glaring at the snowy ground.
"I'm not a trained waterbender. But, it's me. Just leave them alone" He looked over to Sokka and Katara, their eyes becoming watery. "I'm who you're looking for."
The guy's eyes scanned once more over the group before they fell on Shoko's weak figure. Trying to determine if he was lying or not. He yanked him by his arm, his grip hot and tight. "Another trophy for my father" He muttered quietly and pulled him over to the entrance of the ship.
"Head a course to the Fire Nation! I'm going home!"
The back of the ship closed and they were soon engulfed in darkness.
The fire guy kept dragging him, throwing out his dagger and all the small knives he stored for emergencies like this.
"Take the airbender to his cell! The waterbender will be far from water, he'll stay in my quarters."
Shoko's saddened eyes looked over to Aang as they both parted ways.
When they stopped, he opened the doors and shoved Shoko into the warm and almost calming room.
"No funny business. There's no need for me to harm you if you behave. I need you clean and healthy when I hand you to my father" He said, banging his door shut with a threatening glare. A dangerous fire burned in his eyes.
Shoko took a deep breath in and looked around to calm his nerves. The room was big and almost everything was covered in red fabric, and the famous Fire Nation symbol hung behind the bed.
He shook in surprise when the door opened and a guard threw Aang's staff in. Once they closed to door back up, Shoko walked over and took hold of it, tracing the feeling of the staff with his fingers.
'Poor kid.'
"Shoko!" The door once again slammed open and in came a determined-looking Aang. He quickly grabbed his hand and dragged him while he ran across the empty ship hallways.
When they reached the deck Aang took hold of his staff and clicked it open, "I think it can carry us both, you're not that heavy" He said and wrapped his arm around Shoko's waist.
"Uh, thanks? Are you sure this is a good idea?" Though Shoko knew it was the only way to escape. Before Aang could reply, he jumped behind Shoko and twisted his staff, dissolving the fireball that was aimed at his back.
"Nowhere to run or hide, Avatar" Zuko said and prepared himself into a fighting stance.
A loud groan caused all of them to face the sky, "APPA!" Aang shouted in happiness. The bison was flying right above them, with Katara and Sokka riding him. "He can fly," Shoko said under his breath, he was in awe at the amazing creature.
But it was short-lived when a fireball was thrown at them, he did a frontflip to avoid it while Aang continued to dissolve them with his staff. Each and every single hit pushed him back until he reached the edge of the ship and fell into the water.
"AANG! NO!" Katara screamed.
Zuko angrily grabbed hold of Shoko's arm, stopping him from reaching over to see if Aang was still there.
But after a few seconds of silence, Aang emerged from the water, his arrow tattoos glowing white along with his eyes.
"Whoa..." Shoko whispered as a growl escaped from Zuko. Aang shaped the water at will and pushed everyone off the ship, including Shoko. He hit the freezing water, some even entered his lungs while he flung his arms up to try and reach the surface. The small waves kept pushing him back down every time. Death came closer to him until he felt someone yanking him up by his arm.
The two of them locked eyes.
But he shifted his gaze to his lap as he panted uncontrollably, he let out a gasp trying to suck air in, but when he exhaled, a small breath of flames blew out from his icy lips.
"You're a firebender?"'
His ears perked up in confusion and when he finally realized he was face to face with the same fire jerk, he pushed himself away.
"Shoot them down!"
He squirmed when the Prince abruptly picked him up in his arms, he quickly faced the sky, watching as Appa and the others flew away. His eyes slowly closed and reopened.
No.
This can't be it. Can it?
'Am I going to die?'
In a Fire Nation ship?
His eyes locked onto amber ones. Why do they look so familiar? He finally allowed his eyelids to close.
❥
"No matter the past, present, or future, they will always call you a monster. And you can do nothing to fit in with people that despise you. All they see is a mad dog who can't control itself and destroys everything in its way."