Chance Meeting-An Avatar Story

~Star~

"Right," I said, and started walking forward again. The girl lifted her head.

"You lost your parents, too?" she asked, a little surprised.

"Yeah," I said, looking straight ahead. "By the same people that took your mother," I told her, referring to the Fire Nation.

~Summer~

I walked out of the cell behind Star, then walked back to where I had been standing.

(That was....random and un-needed. O_o')

~Sorin~

"Alright." I said, starting to walk ahead.

~Star~

While I was walking, looking into all the cells as we passed them, I spoke up to the girl.

"So, what's your name, sweetie?" I asked her, looking into one of the cells.

"Mariko." The little girl replied, looking around.

"Mariko, huh? That's a beautiful name," I said, smiling. Then yet another cell caught my eye. I walked over to it, and looked inside...

~Sorin~

I watched Star walk over to another cell, seemingly interested. I walked over.

~Star~

I looked over at Sorin, a smile spreading across my face. I tried not to laugh. It was more of an...an evil smile.

"Hayate," I said, looking into the cell. When he turned around, my eyes caught his gaze.

"S-star?" Hayate asked, standing up, and walking over to the door-thing of the cell. My quite laughter, which had a sort of evil tint to it, stopped abrubtly.

"That's right." I said, glaring at the teenage boy in the cell. "I always knew you'd make it into a prison one of these days."

Hayate's eyes flickered from me, to Sorin, and then to Mariko, who was still in my arms. "Is she...is she yours?" Hayate asked, his eyes wide.

"No, of course not! But, let's get to the point. You were obviously there when our village was being attacked. And, obviously, you got taken away with the Fire Nation. And with my parents. Please, tell me where they are." I said, more like commanding than begging.

"Your parents?" he asked, looking around. "No, I haven't seen them."

"Right..." I sighed. "I didn't think you would've." I started walking away.

"Wait, aren't you going to get me out of here?!" he called to me as I walked away. I quickly turned around. "That's what friends are for, right?" He laughed nervously.

"You had your chance, Hayate. You deserve to be in here." The bitterness in my voice made Mariko look at me like...like she was almost scared. I took a deep breath, and then turned back around, and started walking back down. "Besides, you were never my friend. You were never anything more than a low, self-centered jerk who I had the disadvantege or knowing...." I added.
He kept talking, but I ignored him. I had my mind set on more important things- like my parents.

(Oh my gosh! One of my other characters (from the same story, but a side character) made a guest apperance! But his name was changed in this! Oh yeah---NOTE: Some people's names were changed in this story for the safety of that character. () )

~Sorin~

I walked after Star, looking in the cell where this Hayate guy was. I shot him a glare, then walked a little faster.

()

( () )

~Star~

I continued to walk, and noticed that Hayate had shut up pretty quickly. Summer or Sorin must've given him some kind of glare or something ().

I glanced into all of the cells, and I was getting towards the end of the room pretty quickly. That filled me with a little hope, but alot more anxiouety (sp? '^^).

~Sorin~

As we got closer to the end of the room, I stopped, letting Star go on and look.

She's going to be done soon, then it's going to be time. You have to do this. You can't back out now. I thought to myself, giving myself a little "pep-talk".

~Star~

I looked through the last of the cells. I nearly held my breath as I looked through them all. And....I sighed when I got to the end.

"They...they aren't here...." I said, my voice cracking at the end. I looked down, trying my hardest to hold back my tears. But a few escaped, trailing down my cheeks....

~Sorin~

I walked over to Star, putting my hand on her shoulder.

"I....I'm sorry." I said, not really sure what to say.

~Star~

Sorin put his hand on my shoulder, and told me he was sorry. I looked up, a few more tears escaping down my cheek. Awkwardly, I hugged him quickly. A few seconds later, I pulled away. "Thanks," I whispered, my voice a little hoarse.

Then something snapped into my head. Something the guard had said earlier....I nearly ran back to where everyone else was standing, Mariko still tight in my arms.

~Sorin~

I stood there, a little surprised at her hugging me. () A few seconds later, she seemed to realize something, and she dashed back to where everyone else was standing. I walked back as well. As I walked past Summer, she shot me a quick glare.

"What?" I asked, my voice cracking a little.

"Nothing." She said, walking over to the others.

(

(Hehe, nice. )

~Star~

Once i got up to everyone else, they all seemed to notice Mariko at the same time.

"Woah, what's with the kid?" Sokka asked, shocked.

"We found her in one of the cells. Can you believe the Fire Nation would imprison an innocent little six-year-old girl, just for being a Waterbender?!" I asked, then remembered again.

"I've got to get to the fourth floor!" I said. "You guys stay here with Sorin, and help him find his parents." I commanded, keeping a steady pace as I started to walk down the stairs.

"Wait, I'm coming with you!" Sokka said, trying to stop me.

"Then come on!" I said, grabbing his hand, and nearly dragging him behind me. We left Katara, Aang, and Toph all left in their places, still shocked from the sudden rush.

~Sorin~

As soon as Star, Sokka and Mariko disappeared up the staircase, everyone turned there heads towards me.

"Uh...what?" I asked, confused.

~Star~

Once we got to the fourth floor, Mariko looked up at Sokka.

"Who're you, mister?" she asked, pointing her little finger towards him. ()

"Well, I'm Sokka!" he replied, a smug tone in his voice. I laughed once quietly, then scanned the room for guards. Unfortinatly, there was only one. Luckily, he was sleeping. I nodded my head in the guard's direction, then spoke in a whisper.

"Okay guys," I said, still whispering. "We need to stay quiet right now, okay?" Mariko nodded her head in a cute little way (), and Sokka said "Okay."

~Toph~

I heard Sorin ask "What" after Star, Sokka, and some random kid Star was holding ran up the stairs, to the next floor.

I shrugged. "I guess we're supposed to help you find your parents," I said, in more of a questioning tone.

~Sorin~

"O-oh, r-right." I said, gulping slightly. I turned to Summer.

"Whb-which cell d-did he say again?" I asked, my voice a little shaky.

"10." She replied.

(Wait...When did they find out which cell they were in? '^^ )

~Star~

I took a deep breath, and started walking, looking into the cells as I passed. Every cell we passed, my heart started to beat faster and faster. I stopped for about two seconds to look into each of them....

~Toph~

I could tell that Sorin's heart beat started getting faster.

"Nervous?" I asked casually, with a tone of teasing in my voice.

()

(When Summer "attacked"(For lack of a better word)that guard!)

~Summer~

Even though I knew she couldn't see it, I shot Toph a glare. Of course he was nervous!

(Yeah, but I don't remember him giving her a cell number...Oh well! )

~Star~

I went from one cell to the next, looking into all of them.

"What if they're not here?" Sokka asked, whispering.

"Don't say that!" I snapped at him. "They've gotta be here...."

(heh, I just checked, and you were right. I said "the tenth cell on the right", not cell ten. ^^' Um.....just pretend that last part about which cell number, uh...didn't happen! ^^')

~Sorin~

I tok a step forward, trying to go as slow as possible. Suddenly Summer walked uop next to me, grabbed me by the arm, and started to drag me down the hallway.

"Hey!" I said.

()

(Hehehe, okay. )

~Star~

Again, I looked into all the cells as I slowly passed them. What Sokka had said started to get to me. What if my parents weren't here? What if I never got to see them....I tightened my girp on Mariko, holding her close to my chest.

I passed some of the cells, looking into the still. Then I heard something.

"Star...?" A familiar voice called. It wasn't Sokka. I turned around slowly, my eyes cautious....

(Dun dun...DUUUN!!! Again!! )

(....I don't trust that! I'm not getting all excited yet....Well, maybe just a little. )

~Sorin~

Summer pulled me down the hall to the cell the guard said my parents might be in. I let out a deep sigh, backing away a little.

"What are you waiting for?!" Summer said, getting a little impatient.

"Just give me a moment, alright?" I said.

(Hehehe....)

~Star~

I turned around slowly, looking into the cell I had just walked by. I was a few feet ahead of it now.
I was frozen in my place. Sokka was a few cells down, looking at me, a little shock in his eyes.

"Star, is that you...?" the voice asked. I walked back a few feet, and looked into the cell....

(Still...Dun, dun...DUUNN!!! )

(Graaahhh!!!! You are evil!!!!)

~Sorin~

Finally, I gathered up some courage, and took a few steps forward. I looked into the cell, and my eyes widened.

(Ha! Two can play at that game! )

(Hehehe....)

~Star~

I walked back, Mariko still in my arms, and glanced into the small cell. It was worse than the other cells on the third floor. It was smaller, and there was just a dirty straw mat on the floor for a bed. My eyes quickly scanned the small cell, but then focused on the woman standing in the middle of it....

(Haha! )