Avatar: The Legend of Judy

Avatar: The Legend of Judy is a crossover story by PrinceBalto.

Premise
In a version of the Avatar World inhabited by anthropomorphic mammals, Judy, the new avatar, is found in the Northern Water Tribe. Learning of her status, she trains hard. Now, she must face an infamous rogue firebender with her royal friend from the Fire Nation. This is also a Disney animal crossover, so Disney animals from other sources appear too, like Robin Hood, Marian, Shere Khan and others. There are a few minor changes here and there, for example the Northern Water Tribe allowing females to learn combative waterbending. The Shere Khan in this story is the anthro form of the 1967 version.

Intro/Prologue
[Against a red background, we see, in silhouette, Bonnie waterbending, Bogo earthbending, Marian firebending and Dundee airbending. As each bender bends their respective element, we hear Nick's voice speaking the name of each element as it is performed.]

Nick: Water, earth, fire, air...

[We switch to a map of the Avatar World.]

We live in a time of peace and prosperity, where the avatar, master of all four elements, keeps the peace among the Water Tribes, Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation and Air Nomads. Everything seemed fine, until the infamous firebender Shere Khan returned.

[We then switch to a shot of Judy bending all four elements.]

Now, the avatar cycle has begun anew, and the responsibility of being the avatar and keeping the peace falls to my friend, Judy of the Northern Water Tribe. Though some don't take her seriously because she is a bunny, I believe that she can save the world!

[Against a light blue background, the title Avatar: The Legend of Judy appears in black oriental-style letters.]

Story
SPLASH!

That sound rang out continously in the Northern Water Tribe as Stu, a bunny waterbending master, practiced with his twelve-year old daughter, Judy. Judy was not his only child, merely the eldest of 276. She was, for her age, a breathtakingly talented waterbender, the best among those of Stu and his wife and fellow waterbending master Bonnie's waterbending children, for, among them, some were waterbenders, others were not. Her mother and siblings watched them.

"Yeah! Take that!" Judy said as she bent a tendril of water away.

Stu stopped for an instant and looked at his firstborn child.

"Judy, your mother and I are very proud of you, as are your siblings," he began

Judy clasped her hands and bowed. Before she could reply, however, a cadre of Water Tribe priests, comprised of Arctic foxes, Arctic wolves, Reindeer and other cold-hardy species types entered the arena, all wearing their official vestments. Their leader, a male Arctic fox, cleared his throat.

"Master Stu, Master Bonnie, may I have a word with you?" he asked.

Bonnie got up and joined her husband.

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

The Arctic fox shook his head.

"No. Nothing is wrong. We actually come to tell you of the identity of the new avatar," he said.

Stu and Bonnie shared a bewildered look.

"The new avatar?" Stu asked.

The priest then turned to Judy.

"Hail to you...Avatar Judy," he said.

He then fell to his knees, along with the other priests, as did Judy's parents and siblings. The moment, they got up, Bonnie looked at the priest.

"Judy is the avatar? But she's just twelve!" she stated.

The priest acknowledged the mother bunny's worry.

"Normally, she would have been told at sixteen, but we sense a deadly conflict will eventually emerge and she needs to start training right away. She has virtually mastered water. Now, she must leave to train in earthbending, firebending and airbending. We have been keeping up with this, and have arranged for her to train with some of the best masters in the world," he said.

Though Stu and Bonnie were not exactly thrilled, they understood. The next night, Judy spent a restless night. The next day, she prepared to leave. Tears were in her eyes and her ears drooped back as she said goodbye to her parents and siblings.

"I'll miss you," she said.

Bonnie smiled.

"It will be over eventually, and you will come home to us," she said. Judy sighed and resolved to be brave. She got aboard the Water Tribe transport ship that would take her to the Earth Kingdom to begin learning the art of Earthbending. She would learn from Bogo, a tough and talented earthbending master known for his skills. Befitting her newfound status, Judy was given the main cabin on the ship that was transporting her to the Earth Kingdom. As she lay in the bed one evening, as she would be on the water for a few days, she was remembering her family. Sighing sadly, she reminded herself that she would see them again, albeit probably in several years. Then she also reminded herself that she had a responsibility. No longer did she belong solely to the Northern Water Tribe. She was peacekeeper to the whole world. Finally, the few days were up. One of the crew, a deep-voiced Fennec fox named Finnick, came to her.

"Avatar, we have arrived. We will be docking shortly," he said.

Judy went out on deck, where she got, in the distance, her first glimpse of the Earth Kingdom. A short time later, they docked. There to meet them was a heavyset male cheetah wearing green Earth Kingdom clothing. He watched as the captain, a male tiger, brought Judy forward.

"Meet Judy, the new avatar," he said.

The cheetah focused his gaze on the twelve-year old bunny.

"Hello. You can call me Clawhauser. I'm a servant to Master Bogo. I will take you to him," he said.

Judy nodded.

"I am ready to learn earthbending," she said, forcing her sadness at missing her family away for the moment.

Clawhauser bowed in respect and then gestured to a large wagon pulled by a pair of Ostrich-horses.

"Come on. We will go now to Bogo's home. There, you will learn to bend earth," he said.

Judy went with him. Once they were aboard and the door was shut, the wolf driver set the Ostrich-horses in motion, taking them to where Bogo lived. Judy spent the time by talking to Clawhauser about Bogo. Finally, they arrived. When Judy emerged, she saw a massive male Cape buffalo. Clawhauser got out a second later and gestured to the buffalo.

"Avatar Judy, meet Master Bogo," he said.

Judy bowed.

"I am excited to learn from you," she said.

Bogo's eyes narrowed.

"Welcome, Avatar Judy. However, do not expect me to make things easy on you. It will be difficult, and you will not get it right away," he stated.

Judy nodded.

"I understand, Master Bogo," she said.

Bogo returned the nod.

"Now we will see if you can really keep up," he said.

Judy was shown to her room, where she was allowed to settle in. After a simple dinner of rice and carrots, Judy went to bed. She slept through the night. The sun had barely started to rise when she was woken up by Bogo.

"Good morning. Now, come on. It is time to train," he said.

Judy groaned and rubbed the sleepiness from her eyes. After a simple rice porridge breakfast, they headed out, where Bogo began to instruct her in the basics of earthbending. As predicted, she struggled with it at first. Getting up early like this and training all day were her routine. However, as time began to pass, she got better and better. Four long years later, Judy was now sixteen years old and considered by Bogo to be the best student he had ever had. One afternoon, she bent a huge boulder at Bogo, who then harmlessly bent it into a hillside. He was pleased. He gestured for her to stop.

"You don't require more training. You have mastered earthbending," he said to her.

The attractive teenage bunny bowed.

"Thank you, Master Bogo," she replied.

Bogo continued on.

"Now, tomorrow, Clawhauser will take you to the dock you arrived at. From there, a ship will take you to the Fire Nation so that you can now master firebending," he said. Judy left early the next morning. Once again, she was on a ship, bound for the Fire Nation. Little did she know that the master who would teach her was none other the firelady herself, regarded as one of the best firebenders in the world. Judy's journey to the Fire Nation was uneventful. She passed the time by listening to the sailors' stories and also by brushing up on her waterbending, as she hadn't had much time to do so the last four years. Luckily, one of the younger sailors, a male dingo, was a waterbender from the Southern Water Tribe, and he offered to spar with her. Judy accepted and spent much time doing so. Finally, they arrived at the docks of the Fire Nation capital. At the dock to meet them was none other than Firelord Robin, a male Red fox, and his wife and Firelady, a beautiful vixen named Marian. However, what really caught Judy's eye was their son, the prince of the Fire Nation. He was handsome, with vibrant green eyes. The Firelord gave a bow of acknowledgement.

"Welcome, Avatar Judy. I am Robin, the Firelord. With me is my wife, Firelady Marian. She will be your firebending master," he said.

Judy nodded at Marian.

"I accept your teaching, your highness," she said.

Marian smiled.

"Before we go on, I want to introduce my son, Nick, firebender and heir to the throne of the Fire Nation," she said.

Judy looked at the handsome fox prince. He was no more then twenty years old, and he eyed her.

"Welcome to the Fire Nation, Avatar," he said in a voice most handsome.

Judy felt her heart beat slightly. However, she got it under control quickly. He was older than her, and she was here to train.

"I am happy to be here, your majesty," she said.

Marian approved.

"You will be living in the palace with us for the duration of your stay, As well, you will eat with us at the royal table," she said.

Judy's large purple eyes went wide. After growing up in a humble home carved from ice, and after spending four years in the simple home of Bogo, she tried to picture the wondrous luxury the Fire Nation royal family must live in.

"Just a head's up, Fire Nation food is good, but also quite spicy," Nick said.

Judy nodded.

"I'll manage," she said.

Nick smiled.

"We even put spice in our treats," he said.

That got Judy's attention.

"Well, I guess I will just have to get used to it," she replied.

Soon enough, they arrived at the palace. Judy was wide-eyed looking at Firelord Robin's luxurious home. They took Judy to a guest bedroom.

"You will sleep here at night. You will join us tonight at dinner, then we will start tomorrow in learning firebending," Marian told her.

Judy was amazed at the sheer beauty of the room. There was a comfortable bed covered in red sheets, while exquisite Fire Nation tapestries covered the walls. Torches lit the room.

"I will see you tonight," she told them.

Later on, it was dinner time. Judy sat next to Nick at the huge dinner table, and was served a spicy rice and vegetable dish, while the foxes ate roasted Komodo chicken and rice. Judy ate her food, finding that, despite the spicy burn sensation, it was delicious and she enjoyed it.

"Fire Nation food is delicious, despite the spice," she said.

Marian was pleased with her new student.

"Your parents raised you well. I only wish I could meet them to say so," she said.

Nick smiled at Judy. As well as being the avatar, she was quite pretty.

"If you need anyone to talk to while you're here, I will be there," he said. Judy was glad to have a new friend offering his help. Little did she know what the future held for them. That night, Judy went to bed in her room. She was ready to learn to firebend. Judy woke early the next morning in order to begin her training. After a simple breakfast, she donned Fire Nation training garb and waited outside for Firelady Marian to arrive. When she finally did, the teenage bunny could see that she had switched from her elaborate royal robes to a dark red sleeveless top and black training pants. Judy bowed.

"I am ready to learn, your highness," she said.

Marian smiled.

"Very well. To start, I will teach you first to generate fire. As you know, we firebenders are the only type of bender that can generate our element on our own without having to have a pre-existing source of that element in front of us. This is because fire doesn't exist naturally and must be created. Now, don't get upset if you don't get it right away," she said.

Judy nodded in acknowledgement of the vixen's statement. Marian then lifted her hands and began instruction. Within a second, two flames burned in the palms of her hands, much to Judy's astonishment. She hadn't seen a firebender actually firebending in person before, but she knew of them and of their power, and how the sun was their source of power. Moving her hands again, Marian extinguished the flames. Judy was ready to try.

"All right, I will try," she said.

The bunny imitated the firelady's movements. However, she failed, at first, to create even a spark. Marian kindly smiled.

"Keep trying. You were born a waterbender, and it will take you some time, as water is the opposing element to fire. Now, try again, and remember your breathing," she said.

Judy kept trying. Eventually, she managed to create a pair of small flames. She continued practicing all day. By evening, she was exhausted. As she went inside to take a bath, have dinner and go to bed, Nick met her.

"So, how was your first day?" he asked.

Judy gave a polite smile.

"Exhausting, but worth it. I managed to create some very small flames, but nothing special," she said.

Nick nodded.

"Well, keep at it. Mastery of firebending doesn't come overnight, largely because we're asleep during that time," he said in a playful joking manner.

Judy laughed.

"Your highness..." she began.

Nick held up a hand.

"Please, just call me Nick," he stated.

Judy nodded.

"Very well. Nick, have things always been so easy for you and your family?" she asked.

Nick sighed.

"Mostly, except for one incident twelve years ago," he said.

His statement piqued Judy's curiosity.

"What happened, if I may ask?" she said.

Nick brought forward the memory.

"When I was just eight years old, a very powerful firebending master, a tall, muscular tiger named Shere Khan, served in the royal court of my parents. Though my mother instructed me in firebending, Shere Khan was the teacher to the firebending children of the advisers, high military officials and other important figures in the court. However, because of his skills, he became very arrogant and decided that he should be firelord instead of my father. One evening, he gathered some of his students and launched an attack on the palace. My father came in and stated that if he believed that he should be firelord, he should fairly win it from him in an agni kai," he said.

Judy looked at him, perplexed.

"Agni kai? What's that?" she asked.

Nick smiled.

"It's an honor duel fought by two firebenders. Whoever wins the duel has won the dispute. Shere Khan agreed and accepted. My father and Shere Khan fought a particularly brutal agni kai, and Shere Khan lost, badly. He was taken to prison for his attempted coup, where he remains to this day," he said.

Judy tried to imagine the scene.

"Well, I am glad he failed. If he was that arrogant, he didn't deserve to rule the nation," she said.

Nick nodded.

"Well, I will let you get going. See you tomorrow," he said.

Nick then left, leaving Judy to head to her bath, dinner and bed. Each morning, Judy trained with Marian, learning to create fire and to cast it. As she did so, she also got extra help from Nick. The two of them grew to be very close friends through this. Four years went by as Judy continued to train, her friendship with Nick grew. Finally, when it was over, and Judy had mastered firebending, they were best friends, and their friendship had even given way to secret crushes. Now, Judy was twenty years old, and Nick was twenty-four. However, there wasn't a way that their crushes could be admitted and grow into more at the moment, as Judy was to leave to the Southern Air Temple in order to start learning airbending. As they stood at the dock where the ship that would take Judy was, Nick and Judy said their goodbyes. It was hard for them, but they got through it.

"I hope to see you again one day, cottontail," he said, using the nickname he had started using for her, replacing the first one, carrots, that he had first used for her.

Judy smiled and bowed.

"I hope so too, firefox," she said, using her own nickname for him.

Marian smiled at her former student.

"Goodbye, Avatar. Do well," she said.

Firelord Robin nodded.

"It was a great honor to have you as a guest in my home the last four years," he added.

Judy bowed, then stepped aboard the ship. As it took off, she waved until she was out of sight. Marian smiled at her son.

"What are you thinking, Nick?" she asked.

"I'll miss her. You see, I kind of...have a crush on her," he said.

Robin laughed.

"Well, too bad she had to leave. I am sure that she would have appreciated that," he said. The fox family walked inside to return to life without the avatar in the palace. As she exited Fire Nation waters, Judy could think of nothing but Nick. It wieghed heavy on her heart that she didn't have the chance to tell him of her crush on him. She hoped that he wouldn't find someone else while she was gone. Judy was still remembering Nick as she continued her journey to the Southern Air Temple to begin airbending training. The temple was located in the remote Patola Mountains, north of the South Pole. She sighed.

"I wish you well, Prince Nick," she said.

Sometime later, they arrived and trekked overland a bit to reach the base of the mountain. A young adult male kudu Air Nomad, clad in the culture's typical attire, was there, with a massive flying bison. Judy was awed by the creature.

"Hello, I am the avatar. I am here to begin training," she said.

The kudu nodded.

"The temple is accessible by flying bison only. Please, get on and we will get going. I am Rosh, by the way, and this is my Flying bison, Appa," he said.

Judy climbed up onto Appa's massive saddle. The kudu airbended himself onto the bison's head and grabbed the reins.

"Yip-yip!" he exclaimed.

With that, Appa took off, soaring up toward the temple. Before long, she was at the Southern Air Temple, taking in its beauty. An instant later, a male kangaroo in the garb of an Air Nomad monk appeared before her. He bowed.

"Greetings, Avatar. I am Dundee, the head monk at this temple. It is good to meet you," he said.

Judy bowed.

"It is good to meet you two, Master Dundee," she said.

Dundee smiled proudly.

"You will live and train here until such time as you master airbending. I understand that you have mastered three out of four elements. Congratulations are in order," he said.

Judy nodded slightly.

"I just left the Fire Nation. I stayed with the firelord and his family," she said.

Dundee listened as the young bunny continued on.

"I am sure that your past masters were very proud of you," he answered.

Judy finally smiled.

"And I promise that I will try my hardest to make you proud as well," she said.

This pleased the old kangaroo.

"We will see what comes, Avatar," he said. Judy was shown to her room and given Air Nomad robes to wear. The bunny was eager to get to know another culture. Judy once again settled into life as a trainee. Having done it three previous times, she was used to it. Once thing that immediately caught her attention was that there were no predator animals among the Air Nomads. All of them were prey animals. This was interesting to her. However, she put it aside and devoted herself to her training.

“I love this,” she said to herself as she learned her airbending forms.

Judy was on the way to final mastery of all of the elements, and she took pride in that. For a long moment, she thought back on her years first in the Earth Kingdom and then in the Fire Nation. She had learned so much, met so many people and seen so many things. She remembered Bogo showing her the walls of the great city of Ba Sing Se. She then remembered seeing the Fire Nation capital with Nick. So much had happened in the last eight years.

“So many memories…” she thought to herself.

However, she didn’t let this get ahead of her hard work. She would need all the training she could get. For another four long years, she trained hard. She learned each and every skill related to airbending. Master Dundee smiled proudly.

“In all my years, I have not seen someone work as diligently as you have,” he said.

Judy smiled.

“I wanted to be the best,” she said with a bow.

Dundee put a hand on her head.

“Now, you have mastered the elements. You are a true avatar now. As you likely know, you must now return to your homeland and master the avatar state,” he said.

Judy was eager to return to the Northern Water Tribe.

“Yes, Master, and the best of luck to you,” she said.

The next morning, Judy changed back into more Water Tribe-style clothing that she had brought along and began heading down the mountain. In the Fire Nation, everything seemed to be going normally. However all that changed when a leopard prison guard appeared before Robin and Marian one day.

“Firelord Robin, Firelady Marian, it’s terrible,” he said.

Robin looked at him.

“What? What is it?” he asked.

The guard was terrified. However, an old fox in the garb of a high-ranking military official stepped forward from the crowd. His name was Iroh, a legendary Fire Nation general and firebender. He was also the father to Marian and her sister Rachel and husband to a vixen named Tela. Both his wife and second daughter were nonbenders. He was brave, powerful, strong and wise. He looked at the guard.

“Tell my son-in-law what you have to say,” he said calmly.

The leopard guard took a deep breath.

“Shere Khan has escaped,” he said.

Everyone in the court shared a look.

“Escaped? But how?” Nick said.

Iroh looked at the firelord and firelady.

“Robin, my dear son-in-law, I will go to the prison and investigate this myself,” he said.

Robin nodded.

“Thank you, Iroh,” he said.

Iroh bowed.

“You are welcome, my son-in-law,” he said.

With that, the revered general and firebending master turned and left, taking a few royal guards with him. Shere Khan had indeed escaped, and there was another threat looming, one that Iroh wasted no time in warning the guards about.

“We must find Shere Khan as soon as possible, especially in light of the fact that the great comet is returning very soon. When it does, someone as powerful as he is will potentially gain the ability of the greatest of firebending masters, the ability to bend blue fire, the most dangerous fire of all,” he said.

One of the guards, a panda, looked at him.

“But wouldn’t you also gain the same ability? I mean, you are the greatest firebender who isn’t an avatar in existence,” he said.

Iroh nodded.

“And if I must fight, I will. However, I believe that, if Shere Khan attacks soon, we will need the avatar,” he said.

The panda guard was stunned.

“The bunny?” he said in disbelief.

Iroh nodded.

“Yes, the bunny. She is the greatest bender of them all,” he said.

The guard used the rest of the trip to the prison to think about it. Meanwhile, Judy was on the way home, and Shere Khan had used the chaos of his escape to board a boat. He would search out allies for his takeover plot in the other nations.

When Iroh and the guards arrived at the prison, they saw the unmitigated chaos that Shere Khan had left behind. A coyote guard cowered in the corner, thinking that he might be severely punished for his failure to keep Shere Khan contained. However, Iroh simply smiled at him and reached out to pull him up. The guard took the fox's hand.

"What happened here exactly?" Iroh said in a calming voice.

The guard sighed.

"Shere Khan managed to use his bending in order to break through his bars. Not all of us are benders and even those of us who are stood no chance against him," he said.

Iroh was silent for a long moment, then found his voice once more.

"Thank you. I am going to go and report this to the firelord, then I am going to seek the help of the avatar," he said.

With that, Iroh turned and headed back to the palace, where Robin and Marian awaited a report.

"Firelord Robin, I bring a report," he said.

Robin looked at his father-in-law.

"What is it, Iroh?" he asked.

Iroh looked directly at him.

"Shere Khan used his firebending to escape, no one could stand against him," he said.

Robin sighed sadly. He needed Iroh's legendary wisdom.

"What do you suggest, Iroh?" he asked.

Iroh smiled.

"We need the avatar," he said.

Marian looked at her father.

"But Father, we don't know where she is," she said.

Iroh acknowledged this.

"She has completed her training, I believe. This likely means that she is going back to the Northern Water Tribe. If I have the Firelord's blessing, I shall go and get her, and, if you allow, I will take Prince Nick with me," he said.

Nick got up excited at the prospect of seeing Judy again. Robin smiled.

"Very well, go, Iroh, and be safe," he said.

Iroh motioned to his grandson.

"Prepare, my grandson. We have a mission of great importance," he said.

Nick nodded and went to start packing his bags. Robin turned to his scribe.

"Scribe, send a message to the master of the royal ships that my father-in-law and grandson need the best and biggest ship and a crew for it, stocked with supplies and ready to go," he said.

The scribe wrote the letter and sent it out. Over the next several days, the ship was prepared, the crew assembled and supplies provided. It was time for Iroh and Nick to leave. Robin and Marian looked at them.

"Goodbye, Father, goodbye, son," she said.

Nick hugged her.

"Don't worry, we will soon be back with the avatar," he told her.

Nick also said goodbye to his father, and then left with Iroh on the ship. Meanwhile, Shere Khan had, for the most part, left Fire Nation waters, and was now entering the Earth Kingdom territories. On one landmass, he met his first ally, a true rarity indeed: an Air Nomad who had no desire to follow the peaceful lifestyle of that group. She was a sheep airbender named Bellwether. He was gleeful. No one would suspect her. She bowed her head to Shere Khan.

"I pledge my allegiance to you, great master," she said.

Shere Khan smiled.

"Good, very good," he said.

Together, they left to find others to follow them. Aboard her ship, Judy anticipated returning home to the Northern Water Tribe. As she traveled, she reflected on the fact that she had been gone for twelve long years. She was a young adult now. Another thought was that of Nick. The handsome prince of the Fire Nation had been a close friend during her time there.

"I will have to remember that I may never see him again..." she thought to herself.

She didn't want to think this. She hated to think of him in the arms of another female, but she had to be realistic. Time passed. Suddenly, one of the sailors came to her.

"Avatar, there is a ship approaching us. We are just close enough to see that it is a Fire Nation ship. Should we let them come within distance?" the non-bender panda asked.

Judy nodded.

"Let them come," she said.

The sailor left. Judy was surprised.

"Why would a Fire Nation vessel be out here?" she asked.

Judy promptly went out on deck. When the two vessels were close enough, a boarding plank was extended across the small gap between them. A messenger, a non-bender wolf, came.

"Avatar Judy, the great general Iroh wishes to see you," he said.

The name caught Judy's attention.

"You mean Iroh the Firelord's father-in-law?" she asked.

The wolf nodded.

"Yes. Now, if you will come along..." he said.

Judy nodded and followed him across the plank. Moments later, she stood before Iroh. The fox firebender smiled.

"Hello again, Avatar Judy," he said with a bow.

Judy bowed back.

"Your messenger says you wish to see me?" she said.

Iroh nodded and saw Nick approaching.

"Yes, but first, a little reunion with an old friend," he said.

Judy looked at Nick for the first time in four years. Nick smiled. Judy was now a beautiful young adult.

"Avatar Judy," he said, obviously drawn to her beauty.

Judy smiled.

"Prince Nick," she said.

They gazed at one another for a long moment, and then excitedly rushed up and hugged each other.

"Oh, Judy, it's so good to see you again!" Nick said.

Judy loved being hugged by the handsome firebender.

"Likewise," she said.

Iroh looked at them. Judy got serious again.

"What do you want to see me about?" she asked.

Iroh sighed.

"Firelord Robin requests your presence in the Fire Nation capital. Shere Khan has escaped," she said.

Judy was stunned.

"Uh...I guess I could help, but I am not fully realized yet. I haven't mastered the avatar state. Without it, I am not at full power," she said.

Iroh held up his hand calmingly.

"We can discuss this later. I am sure that you will learn it when the time is right," he said.

Judy nodded.

"Very well, General Iroh. I will return with you and Prince Nick home to the Fire Nation," she said.

She then turned to the crew that had been transporting her.

"Return to your port. I will go back home another time. For now, my responsibilites await me," she said.

They all bowed to her.

"As you wish," the zebra captain said.

They sailed away. Judy then went in to have tea with the foxes. Later that evening, after dinner, Nick and Judy went outside to talk to each other.

"It's been a long time, Judy," Nick said.

Judy nodded.

"Four years. What's going on in your life?" she asked.

Nick sighed and shrugged.

"Nothing much, just training in firebending and preparing to one day be Firelord. You haven't been far from my thoughts though," he said.

Judy looked at him wide-eyed.

"I haven't?" she asked in surprise.

Nick looked deeply into her eyes, ready to tell her of his feelings.

"Judy, I have to tell you this. Ever since you left the Fire Nation, I have had romantic feelings for you. I don't know what it is, but I do. I understand if you don't feel the same way or if you want to focus on your avatar duties, but I wanted to let you know. I just can't not be in love with you. You're powerful, beautiful, kind, loyal and caring," he said.

Judy smiled at him.

"Nick, you're in luck. I feel the same way about you. Honestly, I've thought a lot about you too. I haven't been able to get your handsome face out of my mind," she said.

Nick was overjoyed.

"Really?" he asked.

Judy nodded.

"Really," she answered.

The two hugged.

"So, what does this mean for us?" Nick asked.

Judy thought about it.

"It means that I don't want to go another day without you at my side. We are partners in love and bending," she said.

With that, the two firmly pressed their lips together and kissed deeply. The avatar had found love with the crown prince of the Fire Nation. Seeing this from nearby, Iroh smiled proudly.

"Good for you both," he said.

The ship sailed on. Soon enough, they reached the shores of the Fire Nation island chain, and headed right for the capital. They went to the royal palace. Soon, they stood before Robin and Marian.

"Greetings, your majesties. Before we get going on the matter at hand, I want to make an announcement. I am in love with Prince Nick," she said.

Robin and Marian were surprised for an instant.

"And how does Nick feel?" Marian asked.

Nick held her close.

"I love her too," he said.

Robin and Marian were silent, then smiled.

"Well done, my son. You couldn't do better than the avatar herself," he said.

Judy nodded and then got serious.

"Now, what's this about Shere Khan escaping?" she asked.

Robin sighed.

"He's vanished, no one knows where he is, and the great comet is coming soon," he said.

Judy nodded.

"So, what can I do?" she asked.

Robin thought long and hard.

"You and Nick must quickly travel around and assemble a team. You are a waterbender, and Nick is a firebender. You just need to find an airbender and an earthbender. I know that you can bend all four, but you will need help," she said.

Judy smiled.

"And, if you will allow me, I can write letters to my other bending masters and see if they come to help with your defense," she said.

Marian smiled.

"Oh, I will be fighting in defense of my husband's kingdom," she said.

Robin smiled back.

"As will I," he said.

Judy was ready. She bowed and then went with the royal scribe in order to write out the messages and send them to the Northern Water Tribe, Earth Kingdom and the Southern Air Temple. Now it was time to rest. The next day, Judy looked at Nick as they prepared to leave.

"How are we going to get there? By ship?" she asked.

Nick shook his head.

"No, something a little more culturally significant here in the Fire Nation," he said with a playful chuckle.

Judy was curious.

"What?" she asked again.

Nick led her outside to a large building on the palace grounds.

"Now, don't be too scared," he said.

Judy sighed.

"Scared of what?" she asked.

They entered the building.

"Fang! Come here!" he called out.

Before Judy could even wonder who Fang was, she saw a massive reptile with a long body, a large head, massive jaws with large, sharp teeth, wings and scales the color of blood. It was a dragon. Nick actually had a living, breathing dragon in his possession. The beast came close, and Judy found herself face to face with it. Nick smiled.

"Don't worry, he's safe and used to being handled and ridden," he said.

Judy was almost speechless. The dragon was sixty feet long, and had more growing to do, as he still had yet to reach his maximum size of ninety feet.

"Fang..." she said, reciting the dragon's name.

Nick petted Fang on the snout.

"Dragons were the original firebenders. We hold them in high regard, just as your culture holds the moon in high regard," he said.

Judy nervously petted Fang. Nick turned to a coyote caretaker.

"Take him and get him ready, quickly," he said.

The coyote looked at Fang and offered a Koala-Sheep haunch. Attracted by the meat, Fang followed him. At a certain spot, once the dragon had eaten the haunch, Fang was fitted with reins and a special saddle. Nick and Judy got on the saddle, and straps were put in place to keep them from falling once they were in the sky. Once that was ready, it was time to go.

"Are you ready?" Nick asked Judy.

Judy nodded nervously.

"Yes..." she said to her love.

Nick smiled and pulled the reigns.

"H-yah!" he said.

Without warning, Fang unfurled his large wings and took to the skies. Judy felt discomfort for just a moment as they ascended into the skies, tightly wrapping her arms around Nick's waist. Finally, Fang was flying high among the clouds. It was a a breathtaking sight.

"Wow..." Judy said.

Nick smiled.

"Trust me, you are safe. Now, where to?" he asked.

Judy finally smiled.

"To the Southern Air Temple. I met someone there that might be of use to us," she said.

Pointing Fang in the right direction, Nick took them there. They made contact with the monks, and began trying to find one willing to join them. One did, Rosh, the kudu who had taken her up the mountains.

"I am honored to help the avatar," he said.

Judy smiled.

"How's Appa?" she asked.

Rosh smiled.

"Wonderful. I will follow with him. Speaking of, how did you get up here?" he asked.

"By dragon," Judy replied.

Rosh nodded. Before long, they were off to the Earth Kingdom, Nick and Judy on Fang and Rosh on Appa. When there, they got their earthbender, none other than Earth Princess Sasha, daughter of Earth King Leodore and Earth Queen Alissa. WIth their team in place, they began the journey back to the Fire Nation to begin preparing for the coming of the comet. Stu, Bonnie, Bogo and Dundee also arrived to assist. Then, the day before the comet, Shere Khan looked over his team. He had waterbenders, earthbenders and firebenders, and Bellwether, the sole airbender of his team.

"Tomorrow, we strike!" Shere Khan said.

The others cheered. Then, the time came. Shere Khan and his minions attacked the capital as the comet streaked through the sky and turned it red. However, Judy was ready. She faced the evil tiger on an area of the city facing the water.

"It's over, Shere Khan! Your evil ends now!" she exclaimed.

Shere Khan laughed.

"You're too late. The residents of the capital will all die!" he said.

Something snapped in Judy. She closed her eyes, then, when she opened them, they glowed white.

"No! You will not gain victory!" she said in a very deep voice, the voices of all the past avatars speaking through her.

She had achieved the avatar state for the first time. The battle between Judy and Shere Khan was ferocious. The tiger used his enhanced firebending. Judy used all four elements. Meanwhile, Nick helped the others fight Bellwether and the others. At the end of it all, knowing that the comet would soon end, Judy decided to return to her birth element, to show Shere Khan the power of water. He was too dangerous to be allowed to live. Too many innocents had already been hurt. From the water near her, she bent a wet sphere around the tiger and he drowned. When Judy released him, he fell to the ground, dead. Judy then stood up on a platform to address the others.

"Benders who attack this city! Your leader, Shere Khan is dead. Stop now and I will let you live, but only in prison!" she said.

Just as she finished speaking, the comet ended. Bellwether and the others bowed before the avatar. Moments later, guards arrived to take them to prison. Nick rushed to his love.

"You did it!" he exclaimed.

Nick and Judy kissed deeply, proud to be so madly in love. Some time later, Nick and Judy were getting married. It was a big deal, as two different nations were being joined that day. Judy was clad in the marriage garments of the Fire Nation.

“You look wondrous,” said Bonnie.

Judy smiled. Her parents had offered to bring her a warm weather version of traditional Northern Water Tribe wedding garments, but she had opted to dress for the culture she was marrying into.

“I am getting married,” she said, still stunned that Nick hadn’t gone for anyone else while she was away.

Stu was also there.

“Perhaps the duties of the avatar can be better served from a throne,” he said.

Judy thought about it. Because of this marriage, she would now be a princess of the Fire Nation, and, in the far future, the next firelady. The citizens of her new home were thrilled to have the avatar as their princess. Nick had already agreed to help her with her avatar duties. She sighed.

“I’m ready,” she said.

Her parents nodded, and took her to the wedding hall. Nick was already there in his wedding robes, awaiting his bunny bride. His mother, Firelady Marian, and father, Firelord Robin, were congratulating him, as was IrohTela, and Rachel.

“The avatar. Good choice,” Iroh said with a playful smile.

Nick laughed a bit, keeping his eyes on the wise old fox firebender. Marian put a hand on her son’s shoulder.

“She should be here any minute now,” she said.

Robin nodded.

“I am proud of you, my son,” he told him.

Nick couldn’t have felt happier in his entire life. Then, it happened. He saw Judy enter in her wedding garb. She looked radiant and magnificent. His heart was pounding hard. The avatar was about to be his bride. She came to him, and the ceremony began. The two spoke of what they meant to one another, reliving their adventure in stopping Shere Khan. Then, when the moment was right, the holy man, a wolf, declared them husband and wife. The prince and the avatar kissed as husband and wife for the first time. A cheer such as had never been heard before rose from the crowd.

“It’s done, we’re married,” Nick told Judy.

Judy was so thrilled.

“Yes, and it is the best day of my life,” she said.

<p class="MsoNormal">Next came the grand wedding feast, this time featuring food from both locally in the Fire Nation and imported from the Northern Water Tribe. Nick sampled some of the Water Tribe food. Judy smiled.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Do you like it?” she asked.

<p class="MsoNormal">Nick nodded.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Just as I came to enjoy Fire Nation food,” she said.

<p class="MsoNormal">The feast went on long into the evening and night. Finally, Nick and Judy left, ready to begin their new life together. They would be honeymooning on Ember Island.