(1) Augmentum | Zuko

Chapter Three

Rana rubs at Noivern's face softly. They'd managed to find a clearing on a tiny island to stop. Rana knows that these people don't know her, and the Avatar only knows what she is not who she is. There is going to be some wariness for a while. Less so with Aang, he seems to want to trust her right away. She just hopes that she's worth it. That she can live up to it. Part of her thinks she was chosen simply because she is the last of her people and it had no one else to choose from. Last resort choice sort of thing. She turns hearing Sokka's raised voice as he and Katara walk with Aang, heading towards her.

"We don't know who she is" Sokka argues as he follows after Aang. "Where she came from....why was she on that Fire Nation boat anyway? Or what those creatures are?"

"Urm" Rana catches his attention. "My name is Rana" She offers and waves slightly. "I was on the ship to save the Avatar and they are my pokemon"

"And that's good enough" Katara adds giving Sokka a look before she turns back to Rana. "Katara" She introduces. "And my brother, Sokka" She looks at Sokka who folds his arms over his chest, looking away from them.

"And Appa" Aang adds pointing at the sky bison, Rana nods a little, she knew that one, she then looks around to introduce her own companions, but stops when she notices Squirtle's wandered off. Her eyes scan around before they land on Appa who is staring down at something on the floor. Rana and the others follow his line of sight to find that Squirtle is hugging Appa's leg wearing a huge smile.

"That's Squirtle" Rana introduces. "And Vulpix" She motions to Vulpix who sits up straight, head held high. "And Noi" She motions behind her at Noivern who inclines his head in greeting. "You're both from the water tribe" Rana points out looking over Sokka and Katara. "Are you water-benders?"

"Just me" Katara answers. Sokka shoots her a look.

"What are you telling her things for?" He asks her. Rana folds her arms over her chest and raises an eyebrow at him. He gives her a look back. "I don't trust you"

"Really?" She asks him. "I had no idea" She comments dryly before she walks away from them. Aang and Katara both give Sokka an annoyed look.

........

Rana stands away from the little camp, her arms folded over her chest as she keeps watch. They assured her it wasn't necessary but she feels like it is. They've only just escaped the Fire Nation. She lets out a breath, shifting on her feet as her tail swishes behind her, not alarmed or angry, just relaxed swishing. Ears twitching as they pick up every little noise. Aang moves to join her, standing at her side, she raises an eyebrow at him before turning to look back out through the trees.

"How did you get started?" He asks. "How did you find out about the whole...Elemental thing?" Rana snorts a little.

"Yesterday I found a book and a sword and a crystal orb and a painting on a wall....next thing I know I've betrayed the people who raised me and I'm running off to look for the Avatar" They share a look and she shrugs. This is just wild. All of this. Two days ago she was just some prized piece for the Fire Nation. The Last Vastaya. Adopted daughter of their commander. Now. Now she's some legendary figure with an Avatar to look after. She has no idea what she is doing. At all. She barely knows how to look after herself. "I have these guys, had them for years, specially Noi" She motions up at Noivern who flies above them. "And I already lost one, I lost Rockruff because she touched this" She holds up the crystal. Aang takes it from her and looks down at it.

"She's inside the ball" Aang offers. "You just have to call her out again" Rana cocks her head, confused. "The ball is sort of like a house" Aang explains setting the ball back into her hand. "Where your pokemon can live..."

"Why would they live in a tiny ball?" Rana asks him.

"If you need to hide, they get really big when they evolve, or if they are hurt, or tired..."

"But they sleep with me" She answers. He nods.

"They can do that too. But it can be hard to hide them when you need to, so...you put them in the ball" She looks down at her pokemon. "How do you not know all this?" He asks her, she shrugs and looks away from him.

"No one told me" She answers.

"What about the others of your kind?"

"My kind are gone" She snaps a little, and she knows it was a little harsh, a little uncalled for. It's not his fault they're gone. But she's a little sensitive about it, clearly. He steps back. "All of them...." She adds softer. "I am the last one and I was raised by...." She shakes her head. She clutches to the ball. Aang looks at her sadly and then moves to her.

"You hold it tightly" He instructs and she looks at him, he touches the ball. "To get her back..." He adds. "Close your eyes and think of her" He then holds out his hand. "Then you hold it out....poof..." She takes a deep breath and closes her eyes. Thinks about Rockruff. She then holds out the ball and a bright light shoots from it, hitting the ground where it transforms into Rockruff.

"Rockruff!" Rana hurries to her and falls to her knees, hugging the pokemon tightly to her chest, closing her eyes to just take her in. She was worried she'd lost the little puppy forever. Aang moves closer to her as she hugs Rockruff tightly.

"Thank you, Rana," Aang tells her, she looks at him. "For coming to find me...."

"It's my job right?" She asks him. "Even if I've only been at it a day and I only thought I was because some book said so.....I wasn't even sure until...well, you" She offers and lifts her eyes from the ball. "When you called me..."

"True Elemental" He repeats, she nods. "Do you know what the means?"

"I can guess," She tells him. "Name kind of gives it away" He nods in agreement. "But I only know fire" She sits cross-legged on the ground. "And I only did the tail thing once, when I was a child and I was upset" He sits across from her. "You said you had a..." She hums a little. "A one of me before?" He nods.

"He was called Taru" Aang answers with a smile. "He kept me out of trouble....or tried to" He looks at her and then at her pokemon. "Where are the others?"

"Still eggs" She answers. "My...Father, my adopted father has them...hid them from me" She whispers and scratches at Squirtle's head as Vulpix climbs into Aang's lap. "He only gave me an egg when it was ready to hatch...I don't know where the others are" Rockruff brushes up against her leg. "I'm not very good at this, am I?" She asks him. He gives her a smile.

"You already saved my life...I think that makes you pretty great" He argues. "Even without all your powers and pokemon" He stands and shrugs with a small smile. "Hey" She looks up at him. "You used air-bending before" He points out. "I felt it..." She shakes her head. He shrugs a little before he stands, careful of Vulpix who whines a little, watching Aang walking away from them. Vulpix then looks at Rana who lets out a breath.