Hi everyone! I'm new to the Avatar section, but not to in general. I used to do quite a lot of writing in the Invader Zim section, but this is my first Avatar story. So be nice, please? As does any author, I love to get reviews, emails, any of that kind of thing, so if you like this story or hate it, or think I'm full of crap…well, let me know!
First of all, I'm just getting started in reading some of the other stories out there, so if anything in this story is similar to anything else out there, I honestly have no idea. Though I kind of doubt that will happen, sorry in advance if it does.
A little background will be helpful for you. This story is about the destruction of the Air Nomad temples, and the people responsible. The story starts when Aang is seven, and will continue on long after he gets trapped in the iceberg. This story will be pretty long if you guys like it. I'm known for writing 100+ chapter stories. I'm not sure whether or not to call this an AU fic or not, because there really hasn't been much information on the topic. I guess I'm doing what I used to do in the IZ section…events happen, obviously, that sometimes don't have a lot of explanation. So I'll try to make up a background for the reasons why the world is the way it is, and then explain it. This story is right along those lines. How exactly did the Fire Nation get to the Air Nomad temples to destroy them? What was the world like before the war started? And just how far will a person go to feel loved and accepted?
Ask these questions within yourself, and see if you can find an answer. Then compare your answer to the choices that the characters of this story will make. What is evil? Does evil exist when a pure purpose drives one's actions? Would you give up anything and everything to finally find somewhere to belong?
And how would another person act in the same situation?
Read on to find out.
-Lyn
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The Western Air Temple was, in a word, beautiful. Surrounded by a myriad of green mountains, the temple seemed like it was on top of the world. It rose higher than the trees, higher than the hills, higher than even the snowiest peak. But this perfectly suited the temple's inhabitants. They were, after all, reclusive. Enjoying a way of life that the rest of the world could never hope to sustain. Yet this way of life was fast disappearing, though the Air Nomads did not know this yet. Time, it seemed, often offered the cruelest fate of all.
She was six years old, with a mess of tangled blonde hair and eyes so dark blue that they were almost black. She wasn't the prettiest child, nor the most interesting. She clung to the leg of her caretaker, her gaze never tearing away from the ground. The female monks were talking, talking about her, even. But she didn't care. Of all things, she simply wanted to be left alone.
The older women spoke words that would change her life forever. But Asalen blocked them out, refusing to listen. She hated change. She hated any agent that could possibly be change.
But as we do not have control over our destinies, Asalen didn't have control of her own. And what little happiness she had managed to find in her training would soon be lost to a revelation that would forever change the world.
"Word has reached us that the new Avatar has been born. He was born some time ago, it seems. The monks at the Southern Air Temple simply have refrained from telling us."
Asalen's caretaker, Karish, looked as angry as the monk to whom she was speaking. "They have no right to hide such a thing from us! And what's their reason for doing so?"
"The messenger didn't say. He simply said that Asalen was needed, and that she is to come to the Southern Air Temple as soon as possible."
Karish looked down at her adopted daughter and scowled. "Look at Asalen, Syam. Just look at her. The poor girl is having a hard enough time with her training. What reason is there to uproot her from her life?"
Syam looked weary. "You'd better come inside, Karish. We have much to talk about."
"And what about Asalen?"
Syam visibly winced. "Leave her outside for the moment. We need to figure out a solution to all of this before we tell her of the problem."
Karish looked down at Asalen and forced a smile. Asalen gazed back up at her, her wide eyes filled with fear.
"I don't know what's going on, darling," the older woman murmured. "But I'll find out as soon as I can. Why don't you go play with the other girls while we sort this out?"
Asalen looked, if anything, more terrified. "Kari, no, let me come with you…"
Karish shook her head. "I'll tell you what happened in the meeting later, once it's over."
But then she looked into Asalen's eyes, and her own features softened. She picked the girl up and held her close.
"Everything will be all right, I promise," she said, kissing Asalen's cheek. "This has to do with the Avatar. Why they're associating you with him…well, that's what I'm going to find out." She smiled. "Most likely, they want you to meet him. You have some incredible skills, Asalen. Maybe they think that you can teach him a thing or two."
This was of course an outright lie, but it made Asalen feel a bit better. She allowed a tiny, shy smile to creep onto her face. Seeing this, Karish smiled and kissed her daughter's forehead. She cuddled the little girl a bit more before setting her down.
"Go on and play. I'll come get you as soon as I can."
With that, Karish turned around and made her way toward the interior of the temple. Asalen watched her go, the fear quickly returning to her heart.
I don't want to play with the other girls, Asalen thought, her body beginning to shake. They hate me. They hate me because I can't do anything right.
She looked down at the blue Airbender tattoos extending onto her hand. These tattoos covered much of her body, from her arms and legs to the top of her head. She vaguely remembered getting the tattoos when she was a small child. They'd had to shave her head to administer the sky blue pigments the correct way. Asalen remembered the way she had cried as she watched her thin blonde locks fall to the ground. Karish had held the tiny toddler throughout the entire process, but this had offered little comfort to Asalen. Her eyes never left the small pile of hair on the ground, even when the pain of the tattoos became nearly too much to bear. Without her hair, she had felt naked, exposed.
She felt ugly. Asalen didn't know what the word meant yet, but still she felt as if it fit. "Ugly" was the word that the other girls kept calling her. Asalen, though too young to understand its meaning, understood that the name was a bad thing. And now, during that sinking feeling of dread, Asalen had finally learned what it meant to be ugly. Nothing could have felt worse.
When the tattooing was done, Karish had lifted Asalen up and spun her around. The light in her eyes was almost enough to make Asalen forget the tiny droplets of blood staining her skin.
"You're an Airbender now, darling," Karish had said. "That's what those marks mean. They mean that you're growing up, that you're ready to discover just how strong you can be. And now that you have those tattoos, you can begin your training. And before long, I'm sure you'll be the strongest Airbender in the temple."
Another lie, but it had brought a smile to Asalen's face. The prospect of learning how to Airbend was beginning to offset her shame of being so bald. She'd seen the other residents of the temple performing the acts. How could she not? She was in an Airbender world surrounded by members of the same faith. And as long as she had remembered, she had been told that someday, she would be just like them.
Asalen had watched the older Airbenders practice as Karish carried her home. And seeing them brought a sweeping sense of pride through her otherwise reaching mind. She was special now. She was one of them.
Asalen had never felt so proud in her life before that moment, and never would again in her short childhood.
She was three years old.
Simply remembering that day brought a smile to Asalen's face. She felt the phantom touch of that same pride invade her mind, and closed her eyes, letting the feelings fill her. But as always, her happiness was short-lived. The memories of what happened after that day were beginning to return. And these days held the events that had finally driven her back into her mental shell.
Asalen could never quite get Airbending right. No matter how hard she tried, nor what techniques she used, she found herself unable to do anything more than make the breeze blow. The other Airbender students, both her age and beyond, would always take time out from their own training regimens to watch Asalen struggle. Seeing the tiny girl blow herself into walls, trees, buildings, and the ground never ceased to amuse them.
So as Asalen looked at the other children playing that day, she decided once again that she wanted none of it. She'd found enough teasing and ridicule to last her a lifetime. None of the girls wanted to be her friend, and this suited Asalen just fine. Silence was much more merciful than words could ever be.
Making up her mind, Asalen turned and began to jog toward the temple's main entrance. Even her run was self-conscious. She didn't want the other girls to see her at all…
Look at her butt wiggle when she runs! She looks like a worm!
She shouldn't be running anyway. She'll just trip and hurt herself again.
Hey, Asalen, are you constipated or something?
Run, Asalen, run! And never come back!
Familiar words. Hurtful words. Words that Asalen wanted to leave behind, but could never seem to forget.
Thankfully the other Airbenders didn't seem to notice her this time. Breathing a sigh of relief, she let herself inside the temple and set off at a job again. She would spend her time in her room, looking out the window. From there, she could watch the other children play. And from there, only there, could she pretend that she was one of them.
She couldn't see the scorn in their eyes from that far away.
Beginning to get tired, Asalen slowed to a walk. She was in no hurry; Karish wouldn't likely be back for quite some time. So there was time, time to kill. Asalen smiled as she walked along, imagining another afternoon of windowsill whimsy.
It was then that she heard the voices.
"No. It can't be true. It just can't!"
This voice was that of Karish. Syam's voice answered.
"It's true, Kari. She's his sister."
"But we've met Aang before. He came here shortly after Asalen started her training. He was seven, and Asalen was four. He was already a talented Airbender, yes, but there didn't seem to be anything unusual about him."
"He was too talented, Kari. Have you ever met another seven-year-old who can make the air obey his every whim?"
"You're exaggerating. He couldn't do that."
"You were too wrapped up in comforting Asalen to notice."
Another voice spoke up, this one much older. "I agree with Syam, Karish. You simply did not see what the rest of us saw."
Karish sounded defeated. "At least I care about the girl. No one else seems to."
"Everyone will care about her now, Karish. She's the sister of the Avatar, after all."
Asalen had long since frozen in her tracks, and was listening to the conversation with silent horror. She remembered her older brother, if only slightly. Aang. He was always smiling, always happy. In many ways, he was the complete opposite of Asalen. He had seemed so free to Asalen. Aang obviously didn't have any of the weight on his shoulders that Asalen felt. Even at that early age, she knew that he must have been enjoying a life in which he was surrounded by friends. Why else would he be so happy?
She wondered if they revered him.
And she wondered if she could ever find the same.
But now…
The Avatar. My brother is the Avatar. So it's no wonder that he was so happy, that he seemed like he was accepted. He was powerful. Perhaps even perfect.
She closed her eyes and fought back tears.
So Aang is the one who was born to save the world. He lives to keep balance and create peace. He will be the world's hero, its savior. Especially with the Fire Nation planning an attack…I've heard the elders discussing it. And when the world is in flames, that will be my brother's time to shine. He will be everything that I want to be, and he won't even have to work for it. God gave it to him for free.
It's not fair.
Karish's voice brought Asalen out of her thoughts. She listened once more as tears, the first of many, ran down her cheeks.
Karish sounded desperate as well. This was of some comfort to Asalen.
"We can't do this to the poor girl. Asalen is having enough trouble fitting in as it is."
"Don't kid yourself," said another, meaner voice. "Asalen doesn't have a friend in the world. The other kids see her for what she is…a laughingstock."
"She has me," Karish hissed. The other voice laughed.
"And that's enough to make her life worth living, now is it?"
A sob escaped from Karish's lips, and Asalen could hear her sink back into her chair.
Silence reigned after that.
The voice of the tribe's elder, Elyran, finally broke the silence.
"The elders of the Southern Air Temple have yet to disclose the identity of the Avatar to the rest of the Temple. At this time, only the elders know. And I do not see any reason for our temple to be any different. So your worries are unfounded, Karish. This will not be the cause for Asalen to suffer more rejection."
"But it will be someday," Karish said, her voice barely above a whisper. "They don't accept her as it is. When they find out that she's the sister of the Avatar, it will put them out of her reach forever."
"Fame creates a lonely life," the cruel voice from before sneered. "Although what Asalen will find is more of an anti-fame. Her brother will be the master of all of the elements. Asalen herself can't even manage to blow out a candle."
"Shut up, Prythan," Elyran snapped. "You're not helping."
"I'm telling the truth."
"You're being ridiculous."
Asalen could feel Prythan smirking. "I'm being blunt. Karish needs to know this, Elyran. She needs to know what the future holds."
"If we handle this right, those events will never come to pass," Elyran said. "And even if fate bestows such a thing upon Asalen, it will certainly not happen for many years. And in those years, we have plenty of time to build a foundation to be used." She paused. "We will begin our act now. The elders of the Southern Air Temple have requested Asalen's presence. We will give it to them. Karish, you will be taking Asalen to see them, of course."
"When?"
"Tomorrow. You have tonight to prepare and pack."
"How long do you propose we're to be gone?"
"As long as it takes to complete whatever they have planned."
"And what might they have planned?"
"I expect that they're going to want to test Asalen a bit to see what she's capable of. With the Avatar as a brother, it must be thought, by some, that his little sister would be powerful as well."
"By some," Prythan sneered. "But those of us with strong heads on our shoulders know that the girl is little more than amusement fodder. She'll make a fool of herself if she's tested against the Avatar."
"Then I guess that Asalen will be declared a fool," Karish said, standing up. "Though I don't see how that's any different than any other day."
With that, Karish fled from the room. Asalen barely had enough time to press herself against the wall before the door to Elyran's conference room flew open. Karish stormed out, eyes aflame with rage. Asalen whimpered. She had never seen such a look on her caretaker's face before.
As fate would have it, Karish didn't even notice Asalen. Her hatred blinded her to anything but the words swirling around in her mind.
Asalen sagged against the wall, tears dripping form the corner of her eyes. This couldn't be happening. It was impossible that her life could have taken such a turn.
Prythan's voice invaded her mind once more.
"The girl is worse than useless. She'd be better off if we just killed her now and spared her the misery of living."
Useless…
Useless…
Useless…
Asalen uttered a single sob before fleeing.
I'll show them…someday, they'll see. They'll see that I'm not worthless after all. They'll see that I'm just like them…no. That I'm better than them. I'm not going to just lie down and let them hurt me. No. There will come a day when all of the Air Nomads know my name. And on that day, I will rise above them. I will be something better.
And no one will ever be able to hurt me again.
She found herself on the edge of a cliff, looking out over the distant mountains. They seemed so close, yet so far away. Just like her dreams.
Asalen curled up on the ground and placed her chin on her knees. She looked out at the mountains for a long, long time. And after awhile, she began to long to see them up close. Maybe somewhere far away, like in those mountains, she would be recognized as something special. Someone to love, someone to expect. Maybe the people in those faraway places would finally treat her like she was a human being.
Her brother, Aang, the Avatar, would be the savior of the world.
What Asalen didn't know was that she would first become its destroyer.
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