Disclaimer: the characters and places in the following work of fan-fiction are the intellectual property of Nickelodeon and, as such, they reserve the right to remove this story at their sole discretion. Furthermore, any similarities between the plotline of this fan series and canon are purely coincidental.
SPOILER WARNING! SPOILER WARNING! SPOILER WARNING!
This chapter contains physical descriptions of the Western Air Temple as it is shown in the canon series. Therefore, if you have not seen the episodes following 'The Day of Black Sun' and do not wish to know what the temple looks like, then please do NOT read any further!
No other spoilers for the canon season three will be contained in this story, as my plotline is (obviously) vastly different from the show. So if you don't mind getting a 'glimpse' of what the Western Air Temple looks like, and only want to avoid plot spoilers for the canon, then you may continue without worry.
Fire Chapter 16: The Sanctuary
Segment 1: A Matter of Perception
Ozai glared through the fiery curtain at the three generals kowtowing before him, his frown deepening with every word they spoke.
"Everyone has been questioned thoroughly, my Lord, and there is no way information about the trap could have been leaked," one insisted with a calm he didn't feel. "Aside from the bison sighting, there has been no other sign of the Avatar or Pr-….or the traitor."
The flaming wall had roared dangerously at the general's near slip-up, and he was sweating profusely, fearing the same punishment as the last man to make the mistake of mentioning by name the disavowed son of the Fire Lord. He sighed with relief when the fire calmed and Ozai instead posed a different question.
"Has there been any word from my daughter?"
Another man gulped nervously as he lifted his head to speak. "No, Sire. She has not yet reported in…"
"I see."
"But the beast is quick and can be difficult to track," he continued timidly, "It may take some time. We already have half of the northern division looking for it-"
"Then double you efforts," Ozai instructed tersely, "I want them found…and destroyed."
As one, the three generals touched their heads to the floor in obedience.
"You are dismissed."
Once they had filed from the hall, the barrier of flames dropped and Ozai stepped down from the dais. He exited to a small side room and closed the door, pulling a long bell cord on his way to an open window. A few moments later, two withered old women entered and bowed briefly before their sovereign.
"It seems the Avatar is a coward after all," the Fire Lord remarked dryly, gazing out at the city below.
"Do not discount him," warned Li.
"He has powerful allies, much wiser than he," added her sister.
"Like my worthless son?" Ozai scoffed.
"Cunning as Azula, he is not," agreed Lo.
"But he is persistent," Li cautioned, "and will not stray from his course."
"If he means to end you," continued Lo.
"Then he will," they concluded in unison.
Ozai glanced back at the wizened crones, a look of minor irritation clouding his features before settling his gaze back to the view outside. His brow furrowed as he contemplated the twins' counsel.
"How is our guest?" asked Ozai suddenly, turning to face them.
"Comfortable," answered Li.
"As per your instructions," finished Lo.
Ozai's lips twisted into a cruel smirk as he turned back toward the window.
"Then I have nothing to fear from Zuko," he declared confidently. "He has always felt duty-bound to protect those in danger; it is part of his nature." Curling his mouth into a satisfied grin, he added knowingly, "And when the time comes, he will do exactly as I wish."
"Okay, Momo, let's try this again," Aang stated tiredly, addressing the lemur perched on the edge of the saddle with growing frustration.
He held a long wooden branch over the side of the flying bison and let it drop. Momo leaned forward to watch it fall, trilling curiously, but did not leave his spot. Aang let out a defeated sigh.
"Give it up," snorted Sokka curtly from the reigns. "He's never going to catch on."
Aang blew out a breath, his shoulders sagging as he did so. The tension among his friends was driving him crazy, and what seemed like an excellent diversion, training Momo how to fetch, had turned out to be a complete waste of time.
No one in the group had much of anything to say since they'd left the Fire Nation, and after two days over the ocean, the thick tension between them and their newest 'member' had only intensified. Not that Aang didn't understand the reasons; he couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive himself. But it was still wearing on him.
He knew that Sokka only insisted on steering because it kept him as far away from Ty Lee as was physically possible while flying. Toph and Katara were keeping their distance as well, but not so much from any apparent dislike for her as wanting to give her room to grieve in private. The poor girl had been a mess ever since Mai's funeral. As for Zuko, he'd been completely withdrawn, sitting with his arms folded over his chest and seeming to ignore absolutely everyone around him.
"Don't worry, Aang," Katara consoled, "I'm sure he'll get it eventually. Maybe you just need to try a different approach."
"I guess," he said, plopping down across from Zuko and laying his staff in the middle of the saddle. The prince picked it up and eyed it thoughtfully as Aang continued talking. "Although I really thought it would be sort of instinctual. According to the monks, lemurs were born staff fetchers."
"Well, Momo has been on his own for a long time, with no one to train him," reasoned Katara.
"You're right," agreed the boy dolefully, "I should just be more patien-" Aang gasped mid-sentence and clutched his head in dismay as he watched Zuko toss the antique glider-staff over Appa's side. "Zuko, what are you doing!"
Aang lept to his feet and made to dive after it, but the fire bender stood just as quickly and threw an arm across his chest, holding him back just as Momo swooped past them both and down into the clouds below. Zuko released his grip on Aang and together they stared into the swirling white, Aang with his breath held anxiously all the while.
A moment later, the lemur was sailing back up toward them with the staff clutched tightly in his feet. Circling over their heads, he dropped it right into Zuko's hands and then alighted onto Aang's shoulder, chirruping proudly at the stunned air bender. Aang looked from Zuko, to Momo, then back to Zuko.
"How did you know he'd do that?" asked the boy in a tone of wonder.
"Because he's not stupid," Zuko replied sharply. "Those twigs don't mean anything to you, but this," he held up the staff for emphasis, "is important." He handed the glider-staff back to its owner and sat down, crossing his arms again and glaring at nothing in particular as he finished sternly, "You're a fool to assume that he can't tell the difference."
Aang blinked in astonishment at the harsh rebuke, and then stared thoughtfully at the staff in one hand as he absently petted Momo with the other, carefully considering what Zuko had just said. The brief moment of excitement over, the rest of the entourage looked somewhat guiltily away from the scene they'd just witnessed and returned to their bored cloud gazing.
No one spoke another word for the rest of the day.
The next morning, as they broke down the camp and prepared to fly the rest of the way to the temple, Aang was determined to try and dispel the pall that hung over their mismatched little troupe. Once everyone was settled into Appa's saddle, he handed each person (except for Toph) a piece of cloth.
"What's this for?" asked Sokka, staring down at the long strip of fabric.
"I want all of you to put those over your eyes until we get to the Western Air Temple, and no one takes them off until we land," he instructed firmly.
"Why? Is this place some sort of big secret that no one is supposed to know the way to?" questioned the warrior again.
"No," explained Aang calmly directing his gaze toward Toph meaningfully, "I just want everyone to see it at the same time."
The girl straightened up in her seat with a blink of surprise, too stunned to say anything. A moment later she let out a short breath that sounded something like a muted 'huh', and then settled back again with a small grin as Appa took to the air.
When Aang looked back a short while later, he noticed that Zuko still hadn't put his blindfold on, but merely sat there twining and untwining it around his hands. The air bender leaned back and whispered discretely to his friend, not wanting to draw anyone else's attention to the fact that the prince wasn't participating.
"Zuko, you're not wearing your blindfold."
"There's no point," the fire bender replied peevishly, "I've already seen it."
He flicked a meaningful glance at the younger boy and then quickly looked away. But was long enough for Aang catch the remorse and shame reflected there, something the Avatar hadn't seen from the banished prince since those difficult first few weeks after he'd joined them.
"Oh," Aang replied uncomfortably, "Well…I guess it doesn't matter then if you don't wear it."
With that, he returned his attention to steering the massive air bison. But as they neared the temple, Aang couldn't help but smile with warm affection when he looked over his shoulder to make sure the others still had their eyes covered.
Zuko had tied his blindfold on after all.
"Wow!" Toph breathed, "Now that's what I call architecture!"
She was the first one to find their voice upon landing at the Western Air Temple and seeing it for the first time. Around her, the others craned their necks to gaze up at the buildings hanging down from above them like stalactites. The whole place had been carved into the side of a giant canyon, completely hidden away in the misty crevice.
Only Zuko seemed unaffected by the bizarre beauty around them. Like Aang, he was far more interested in fondly watching everyone else's reactions; Toph's delighted smirk, Sokka's slackened jaw, Ty Lee's perfect 'O' shaped mouth, and Katara's eyes shining with wonder.
Suddenly feeling the weight of someone's gaze, Zuko glanced sidelong to see Aang beaming smugly up at him. The prince couldn't repress the grin that tugged at his mouth in reply, and his friend's face brightened even more at the sight of it. It was the first time Zuko had smiled in days.
Their spirits somewhat lightened, the two boys and Momo began unloading Appa while the others continued gazing around at the temple. They were halfway through getting the bedrolls down when Ty Lee's voice echoed through the open chamber.
"This place is like nothing I've ever seen," she sighed in awe, "I bet it would take days just to see it all."
"Yeah, well, don't get too comfortable," Sokka snipped nonchalantly, "because you're not staying that long."
Aang and Zuko froze midway through a hand-down of blankets, and everyone else turned to regard Sokka with surprise. After a second of stunned silence, Zuko's eyes narrowed in the warrior's direction, the blankets still held aloft as Aang slowly piled on two more.
"What are you talking about?" the prince asked dangerously.
"She's a liability," shrugged Sokka matter-of-factly. "She has to find someplace else to go."
Zuko dropped the blankets on top of the bedrolls and strode over to Sokka menacingly, coming to stand in front of him so that they were almost literally butting heads.
"She's not going anywhere," he insisted firmly, balling his fists at his side.
"Well she can't stay," argued Sokka as he crossed his arms defiantly, not the least bit daunted by Zuko's ire.
"And where would you have her go, Sokka?" the fire bender shouted, "Back to the Fire Nation? If Azula finds her, she'll be thrown into prison…or worse. If she's with us, then at least she'll be safe."
Throughout the argument, Ty Lee's eyes darted nervously from one to the other of the two teens. Noticing the tremors of the girl's anxiousness, and remembering how much she herself had always hated it when her parents used to discuss her welfare as though she were deaf instead of blind, Toph cleared her throat loudly.
"Guys! She's standing right here," the blind girl pointed out peevishly. "Don't you think maybe she should have some say in this?"
In unison, both boys turned to her and shouted, "No!"
As they faced each other once more to resume their quarrel, Aang hopped down from Appa's back and quickly stepped between them.
"Toph is right," he declared resolutely, "this should be Ty Lee's decision." Then turning to the girl, he asked gently, "What would you like to do?"
Ty Lee blinked awkwardly as all eyes focused on her. It took a moment for her brain to register that the Avatar himself was offering her the choice of whether to stay or leave. The realization left her completely taken aback.
"I…I suppose I could go back to the circus-"
"Great idea!" Sokka interrupted happily, the matter settled as far as he was concerned.
But Zuko immediately interjected with a stern voice, "Forget it. It would be too easy for Azula to find her there."
"Then she can join a different circus!" suggested the warrior brightly.
"I said no-"
"Enough!"
Ty Lee's voice rang loudly throughout the courtyard, abruptly halting the debate. She quickly covered her mouth as the sound continued to echo out into the canyon, seemingly appalled by her own brashness. She waited until it faded before removing her hand and speaking again...more softly this time.
"Zuko, I know you're just trying to look out for me," she explained acceptingly, "but, I don't want to be any trouble. So…as soon as I figure out where I can go…I will."
The prince took a step forward, his expression beseeching and anguished at the same time. "Ty Lee…"
"It's okay," she insisted optimistically, offering a brave smile. "I'll be fine."
His shoulders slumped in resignation as he acknowledged her choice. Instead, he shot an angry glower at Sokka.
"Happy?" he snarled.
"Yup!" replied the water tribesman, stretching languidly. "I'm all good. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to check out the place and see if I can find anything in the way of a map of the area." Striding past Ty Lee, he pointed a hand at her without looking in her direction. "In the meantime, just keep your little pokey fingers away from me."
Aang, Katara, and Zuko returned to the task of unloading, the prince doing so sullenly, and Ty Lee stared after Sokka until he disappeared inside the building. When he was gone, she turned to Toph and murmured dejectedly.
"He really doesn't like me, does he?"
"Meh," Toph shrugged with a dismissive wave of her hand, "He's probably just still mad at you for beating up his girlfriend and using her clothes to sneak into Ba Sing Se."
Ty Lee's shoulders slumped guiltily as she glanced back in the direction he'd gone.
"He has a girlfriend?"
"Yeah," Toph replied, and Ty Lee was surprised to hear a note of despondency in the earth bender's voice.
With nothing left to say, Toph wandered off into the temple, leaving Ty Lee standing alone by the courtyard's central fountain. She let out a soft sigh and then headed over toward where the other three where unloading the sky bison. If she was going to be with them for a while, then she figured she might as well make herself useful.
Author's note:
I'm sure some of you are wondering if I had imagined the Western Air Temple in my story to be the same as it is on the show. The answer is no.
While most of the ideas in my mock series are adapted from the more popular scenarios found in Avatar fan-fiction, the geography of the world itself is based directly off canon, and I do my best to incorporate new information about the Avatar universe whenever I learn it. So any concepts I might have had for the Western Air Temple were immediately dismissed once I saw episode 3:12 (yes, I've already seen everything up to 'The Boiling Rock').
However, it has always been my plan for the gang to go to the Western Air Temple after the eclipse. That much, I did not change after seeing the show.
ALSO! When reviewing, please try not to mention any spoilers from the show, as not everyone has jumped ahead to see the unaired episodes. If you would like to discuss any similarities between my story and the canon, please do so on my FanFiction forums.
Thank you!
