I do not own the Avatar: The Last Airbender or any characters within them.

Just a Kid

I stare out at the stars twinkling in the vastness of the night sky. Usually, I would be admiring the beauty of the myriad of shimmering globes contrasting against the blackness, but not tonight. My mind was elsewhere. Avatar Roku's words still echoed in my mind:

"Aang you must defeat the Fire Lord before the comet arrives."

"But I haven't even started learning waterbending, not mention earth and fire."

"Mastering the elements takes years of discipline and practice. But if the world is to survive, you must do it by summer's end."

I sigh, absently gripping Appa's reins. I have to master three elements, which usually takes most people years, in a matter of months and on top of that I'm supposed to save the entire world. Spirits, what am I supposed to do? How in the heck do I take in this news? How do I react? I'm just a twelve year old kid, how can I save the world? Avatar Roku couldn't even stop Sozin from harnessing the power of the comet and he had been a seasoned old man not a kid like me. What am I supposed to do?

"Aang?" I hear Katara ask.

Katara and Sokka, two of my closest human friends. They had extended comfort to me a little while ago and for a brief amount it had helped, but now all of it came rushing back, taunting me mercilessly. "Yeah Katara?" I look over my shoulder, gazing at Katara trying to concentrate on her face and not the way the wind plays in her brown hair.

"Are you okay?"

I turn my head away so she can't see the anguish in my eyes. I can't let them see my fear. I can't let them see my worry. So I conceal my true feelings and let them see only what I want them to see. "I'm fine, just a little overwhelmed is all." A glimpse, a glimpse of my inner turmoil is all I can give them. Never, will I allow them to see how far into the abyss my anguish goes, for fear they would begin to feel despair. After all, I'm the Avatar and I'm supposed to be strong.

I can't see it, but I know her blue depths are shining with fierce determination when she speaks. "It'll work out Aang. You'll see. You'll master water, earth, and fire, defeat the Fire Lord, and save the world. I know it."

Good ol' Katara, always there to give you that extra little boost of confidence when you need it. I depend on her for that and so does Sokka. She's the glue that keeps the group together. "Thanks Katara, I really needed to hear that." I answer honestly. It helps to an extent, but wishful thinking is different than what truly happens. So, I look back at her and flash a spirited smile and glance at Sokka who's sleeping serenely in the corner of Appa's saddle. These two people depend on me, just like the rest of the world and I can't let them see my distress. So, I conceal my true feelings and let them see only what I want them to see.

Months pass and I found my earthbending teacher, Toph Bei-Fong. I thought earthbending would be easy, that it was just moving rocks and bending the ground to your will. I mean out of all of the elements, it seems to be the less spiritual one. I was wrong. Spirits was I wrong. Toph had been drilling me relentlessly and I had been succeeding at passing through each trial, until she decided to push this huge boulder down a hill at me. Not only that, she tied my belt around my eyes, so I couldn't see a darn thing! So, there I am standing at the bottom of a hill listening as this enormous boulder hurtles towards me like a saber-toothed moose lion intent on squashing me like a pancake. I panicked and I remember the conversation so clearly:

"I guess I just panicked. I don't know what to say." I answered honestly while trying to avoid Toph's disapproving glare.

"There's nothing to say. You blew it. You had a perfect stance and a perfect form, but, when it came down to it, you just didn't have the guts."

She gave me a light punch to the chest that sent me to the ground. I sat humbly at her feet, crossing my legs, just as any pupil would sit when he seeks his master's approval. "I know. 

I'm sorry." She leaned down and looked me right in the face and even though she is blind, her eyes still exude the disappointment and frustration that I feel within myself.

"Yeah you are sorry. If you're not tough enough to stop the rock, and then at least give it the pleasure of smushing you instead of jumping out of the way like a jelly-boned wimp! Now, do you have what it takes to face that rock like an earthbender!"

I searched my heart and spoke what I felt inside even though it burned me to admit it. "No. I don't think so."

Katara had suggested that we go practice waterbending and right now, that's exactly what we were doing. Any other time, I would be flanking Katara, but this time, I drag behind. My stride mirrors what I feel inside, distraught, troubled, and beside myself with dejection. Toph had high hopes for me and so did I, but now she was disappointed in me. And I was disappointed in myself. What the heck was I supposed to do now? I'm the Avatar and I'm supposed to master three elements and I can't even stop a boulder! Not being able to stop a boulder means I can't even begin to earthbend. The heavy burden that seemed to lighten over the past months comes crashing down upon me with the fury of a thousand lion turtles. Tears sting my eyes. If I can't learn earthbending, then I can't master all the elements. If I can't master all the elements then I can't defeat the Fire Lord before summer's end. And if I can't defeat the Fire Lord by summer's end he will harness the power of Sozin's Comet. If he harnesses the power of Sozin's Comet, then all is lost and he will conquer the world, throwing balance to the wind and plunging everyone into darkness. Chaos will ensue if I don't defeat the Fire Lord. The world is depending one, I can't let them down. I swallow, trying to wet my mouth which oddly feels like cotton at the moment. The world is depending up me, Aang, an Air Nomad from the Southern Air Temple. But, I'm just a kid. I glance up when I hear the merry gurgling of water.

"Here we are." Katara says and begins to strip down to her undergarments.

I turn my head, my cheeks burning intensely. For once today, my mind isn't on earthbending. Still, though, it looms in the distance, mocking me endlessly. We practice waterbending for a while and Katara gives me some words of encouragement, which I so aptly need. I can see it in her blue depths; Katara wants me to feel better. She wants me to smile and not to lose hope. I look at her and muster a whole-hearted smile, but not out of happiness. I smile because she wants me to, because it will bring her joy. Inside, however, it feels like someone has punched me in the gut. I can't let her see the intensity of anguish that gnaws at me. So I put on that happy-go-lucky kid face I have come so good at displaying, and lead her to believe that all is well.

Months pass yet again and I have witnessed many unspeakable things. I have witnessed the uncertain death of Jet, the fall of Ba Sing Se, and the imprisonment of our allies after the Day of Black Sun failed. Now, I'm currently learning how to firebend from Zuko, once my greatest enemy. I've tried firebending before and, because of a lack of discipline and control, I burned Katara, and after that I said I'd never firebend again. Now look at me. I feel like I have the discipline needed this time and this time around I'm going to master firebending no matter what happens. Because the Fire Lord must be defeated and I'm the only one that can do it and restore balance to the world. I know that Sokka, Toph, Suki, Katara, and Zuko will play their part, but ultimately the burden falls to me. I will face the Fire Lord. I, a thirteen year old boy, will face the most powerful firebender on the Earth.

I come back to my senses and, mimicking Zuko's movement, send a burst of fire from my fist. I focus and follow through with the same movements of him, executing a combination of strikes, sending fire forth each and every time, until sweat drips down my face. I must learn firebending. I must master it. I must defeat the Fire Lord.

Zuko looks down at me sternly. He approves of our practice session today. I know this, even though he doesn't smile. He gazes out at the setting sun. We've been practicing since noon, and no doubt he thinks I need rest. "That's it for the day."

I nod, even though I want to keep going, and bow to him respectfully. "Okay."

He looks at me curiously. Those amber eyes peer straight through me as if he knows what I'm feeling. "Try and get some rest. We'll pick up where we left off tomorrow." He commands, then turns and walks away.

Night sets in and the camp is silent as everyone slumbers peacefully. I raise from my place on Appa's very accommodating tail and tiptoe past everyone, making sure to airbend my way past Toph. She's blind, but she can sense even the slightest movement. I creep to a secret spot in the temple and begin to firebend, trying a move a saw Zuko do once when we were fighting. Hours later, I'm still at it. My arms feel like lead, my legs are like jell-o, and sweat pours down my face. I'm tired, so tired. I take in a hard breath and take my stance. Once again, I attempt the move and failure rises up to meet me for the umpteenth time. I let out a silent cry of frustration and grab my head, my nails digging into my scalp. I'm not ready and I know it, and it sends me reeling. I crumble to the stone ground and place my face between my knees, allowing my tears to flow unbidden. What am I supposed to do now? I'm not ready and the comet is only a few weeks away. What do I do now? How do I fight someone when I'm not ready?

I land on top of the crag and stand there, gazing at the war blimps flying towards me. The others and I had decided to wait until after Sozin's Comet to defeat the Fire Lord. But that all changed after Zuko told us about the genocide of the Earth Kingdom that his father planned. Now, to prevent another race from being wiped out, I must face him. I pat the lemur sitting with his tail wrapped around my neck. "Time for you to go Momo." This time, he does as he's told, as if he knows the oncoming peril, and flies away, chattering nervously. I hope he'll be okay.

I stare determinedly at the foremost ship and the regally dressed man standing upon the platform at the bottom. Fire Lord Ozai, the most powerful firebender in the world. I have to fight him, me, a boy fighting a man, a student fighting a master. I take a breath, my eyes darting at the fiery red sky as the comet enters the atmosphere. I take my earthbending stance and begin rending chunks of the crag that I stand upon, hurling them into the oncoming vessel that houses the Fire Lord. The boulders hurtle through the air, directly hitting the war blimp each time, causing it to shake. I gain some satisfaction when smoke rises from the contraption and it begins to lose altitude.

The Fire Lord jumps from the platform and begins using his firebending to propel himself through the air like a rocket. He's coming straight at me.

I look into his eyes as he grows nearer and what I see frightens me. Never in my life have I seen such hatred, such evil, such malevolence in a person's eyes, not even in Zuko's eyes when we came face to face all those times. His eyes are a bottomless abyss and at the bottom is hell. He wants my blood and my death more than anything he has ever wanted before; I can see it in those cruel amber eyes. His hair flies all over his head and his eyes take on a crazed look like a starved panther cat running amok.

I'm scared. Spirit I'm so afraid that it's all I can do to keep my knees from wobbling. Why? Why now? Why after all the unspeakable things I've seen, after almost dying, and after so much does my courage start to fail me? My fear sickens and angers me all at once. Monk Giatsou's words rise into my mind:

"Aang, through fear comes courage and courage through fear. Neither can exist without the other, never forget that my pupil."

Fire Lord Ozai is merely yards away from me. I swallow, desperately trying to wet my parched throat and run a tongue over my dry lips. This it. This will be the fight of my life and I know it. But the simple fact is that the Fire Lord must be stopped. Yes, I'm scared out of mind, yes I am just a kid, but I am also the Avatar and I will bring balance to the world.

Okay, this is my first Avatar Fic. Yay! Anyhow, I hope you all like it. Constructive criticism is very welcome. Read and Review por favor. Thanx

Love ya