The Warriors of Kyoshi

"Water. Earth. Fire. Air. I once heard stories about the old days, a time of peace when the Avatar kept balance between the Water Tribes, Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation, and Air Nomads. But that all changed when the Fire Nation decided they wanted more power and they attacked the other nations. Only the Avatar mastered all four elements. Only he could stop the ruthless firebenders. But when the world needed him most, he vanished. A hundred years have passed and the Fire Nation is nearing victory in the War. Two years ago, I left my home in the Fire Nation to escape the corruption of the Art of Firebending. Some people believe that the Avatar was never reborn into the Air Nomads, and that the cycle is broken. But I haven't lost hope. I still believe that somehow, the Avatar will return to save the world. And I will be there to help him, however I can.

My name is Phoenix, I'm a fourteen year old Firebender, and this is my story of Adventure and Friendship, with a little but of Love."

The sun was setting on the horizon and I sat in front of the painting of the previous Earth incarnation of the Avatar, Avatar Kyoshi. Her shrine was small, but this island was her home, and now we lived on it, isolated from the war, which I was grateful for.

"Avatar Kyoshi, I ask again for your guidance." I spoke, looking up at her painting. "I've always been told my destiny is bigger than me, but I still don't know what that means." I sighed. "Please Avatar Kyoshi, give me sign about what my destiny means. What am I supposed to do?"

The eyes in the painting began to glow faintly and I gasped. I rushed out of the temple and ran to the statue in the middle of the village, and the eyes were glowing brightly. I smiled and felt the tears form in my eyes.

"The Avatar's returned." I muttered. I took that as a sign about what my destiny meant.

It's been a week since Avatar Kyoshi's statue glowed, symbolizing the next Avatar has returned, and I've been waiting for another sign, but so far nothing. But, I wasn't one for giving up so easily.

I went about my daily routine as normal. First, I changed into my uniform, a silk woven green kimono, similar to that of Avatar Kyoshi, added my traditional face paint, and slipped on my green headband that had two pieces of gold metal in the shape of wings in the center.

"Phoenix, we found trespassers on the island shores." Kemi informed, standing in my doorway.

"Coming." I replied, grabbing my fans and slipping them into my belt.

I ran out of my small home and followed Kemi to the shores, Pyrae, my SaberCat, following us.

There were only three people and a lemur on the island shores, two of them being from the Water Tribe, which I discerned from their clothing, the third, I really didn't know. Once they lease expected it, me and the rest of the Kyoshi Warriors jumped them, blindfolding and binding them.

We took them to the village and tied them to a large pole, for all the villagers to see.

"You three have some explaining to do." Oyaji spoke.

"And if you don't answer all our questions," Suki added.

"Then we're throwing you back in the water with the Unagi." I finished.

"Show yourselves, cowards!" the water tribe male challenged.

Suki reached forward and took off his blindfold, I took of the water tribe girl's, and Kemi took the blindfold off the young monk.

"Who are you? Where are the men who ambushed us?" asked the water tribe male.

"There were no men. We ambushed you." Suki answered.

"Now tell us, who are you and what are you doing here?" I asked, folding my arms across my chest.

"Wait a second." halted the water tribe boy. "There's no way that a bunch of girls took us down."

Suki gave me a slight nod and I stepped forward. I grabbed the water tribe boy by the collar of his coat, "A bunch of girls, huh?" I repeated. "The Unagi is gonna eat well tonight."

"No, don't hurt him!" exclaimed the water tribe girl. "He didn't mean it. My brother, Sokka, is just an idiot sometimes."

I let go of Sokka's collar and backed away, standing next to Oyaji.

"It's my fault." said the young monk. "I'm sorry we came here. I wanted to ride the elephant koi."

Oyaji pointed an accusing finger at the three. "How do we know you're not Fire Nation spies?" he accused. "Kyoshi stayed out of the war so far. And we intend to keep it that way!"

"This island is named for Kyoshi?" questioned the monk. "I know Kyoshi!"

"Ha! How could you possibly know her?" Oyaji huffed. "Avatar Kyoshi was born here four hundred years ago. She's been dead for centuries."

The monk looked down for a few seconds then looked back at Oyaji and the rest of us. "I know her because I'm the Avatar."

We all gasped. "That's impossible!" Suki rebuked. "The last Avatar was an Airbender who disappeared a hundred years ago."

The one claiming to be the Avatar smiled sheepishly, "That's me!" he exclaimed.

"Throw the impostor to the Unagi!" Oyaji ordered.

The Kyoshi Warriors retracted our fans and we moved in, surrounding the three prisoners. Just as we were about to attack, the monk bended and flipped over the statue of Avatar Kyoshi, cutting the ropes binding him. Then, he slowly descended to the ground.

"It's true." I gasped, placing my fans in my belt. "you are the Avatar!"

He smiled in reply. "Yep, my names Aang." he introduced. "And these are my friends, Sokka and Katara."

We freed the trio and led them to one of the larger huts on the island, letting them stay there for the time being.

"Sorry about earlier." I apologized. "We didn't know you were the Avatar."

"It's alright." Aang replied, smiling.

"If there's anything we can do, just ask." I said, bowing. "I'm Phoenix, by the way."

"Nice to meet ya, Phoenix." Aang smiled, extending his hand.

I shook it. "You too, Avatar."

"Just call me Aang." he told me. "No need for formalities."

I chuckled. "Very well then. Nice to meet you too, Aang."

The lemur, known as Momo, chattered happily as he dug into the fruit bowl. Pyrae cocked her head to the side, in curiosity.

"So, what's her name?" Katara asked, motioning to my feline friend.

"Oh, this is Pyrae, my SaberCat." I answered, stroking her side. "She's been with me for four years now. Since she was a kitten"

"She's that big at only four?" Katara questioned, rubbing Pyrae's nose.

I giggled. "SaberCats have the ability to change their size. They learn that at age two." I informed. "She stays in this form during the day, while at night she's in her smaller form, which is roughly the same size as Momo there."

The lemur looked in my direction, his ears perked up.

"That's so cool." Aang gaped. "You learn something new everyday." he chuckled.

I opened up the window. "Hope you three enjoy your stay here on Kyoshi Island." I gave them a warm smile as Pyrae and I left.

I leaned against the wall of the hut and sighed, "Could this be that sign I asked for? The Avatar showing up here just a week after the statue glowed?" I thought. "What could all of this mean?"

"Phoenix!" Suki called, snapping me out of my daze.

"Yeah?" I asked, leaning away from the wall.

"Let's get back to training now." he answered. "We can't slack off just because the Avatar's in town."

I giggled. "You're right about that." I agreed. "A warrior's job is never done."

Pyrae nodded her head, "Especially if it's a Warrior of Kyoshi."

The three of us headed towards the hut where the Kyoshi Warrior's met for training purposes, and once all the girls were there, we began.

The next day the village was in a cheerful mood, a few were even cleaning up the statue of Kyoshi that stood in the center of the village.

"I never thought the return of the Avatar would have this big an impact." I said, walking through the streets with Pyrae beside me.

"The world's been waiting a hundred years for him to return, and now he's here." Pyrae reminded. "Maybe that's a sign that the war might be coming to an end."

I placed my hand on her neck and sighed, "I know, but where do we fit into that equation?" I asked, looking at her.

Pyrae nudged my arm, "Maybe what you've been thinking all along." she answered.

I scoffed. "Me? Teach the Avatar Firebending?" I questioned.

Pyrae nodded. "You would be a great teacher." she encouraged.

"If they find out I'm from the Fire Nation, who knows what they'll do." I replied. "They'll probably treat me like I'm some sort of criminal or something."

"You'll never know until you tell them." Pyrae said.

I sighed and rubbed her neck, "You're a real big help, you know that." I told her, sarcastically.

"I try to be." Pyrae giggled, wagging her tail.

I joined up with the rest of the Kyoshi Warriors and we went into our daily training routine. My mind may have been a little unfocused, but I managed to keep up.

"You okay Phoenix?" Kemi asked, once we stopped to take a short break.

"Uh yeah, I'm fine." I replied, putting on a smile.

"If you need some time to think about some things, you can go if you wish to." Suki told me.

"Thank you, Suki." I said, smiling.

I walked out of the hut and made my way to Kyoshi's Shrine, with Pyrae behind me. I sat inside for what seemed like a few hours. I walked outside and lit a small fire and carefully bended it to where I was holding the sphere of flames in my hand. Taking a deep breath, I spun around and lit the torches of the Kyoshi Shrine, carefully dispersing the flame evenly.

I heard someone gasp behind me and when I turned around, I saw Sokka standing at the end of the trail, his eyes wide and jaw dropped.

"So, you're a Firebender!" he accused, charging towards me.

I carefully dodged his move and blocked his next one. Using my training I slid past him and pinned him to the ground, my fan inches above his throat.

"It's not what it looks like, Sokka." I defended. "I'm not a spy, and I'm not dangerous."

"All Firebenders are dangerous." Sokka rebuked. "And how do I know you're telling the truth?"

"I live here now. Oyaji and the other villagers trust me." I answered. "And, yes, they know I'm a Firebender." I added, standing up and brushing the dirt off my uniform.

I offered to help Sokka, but he just brushed me off. "Why are you even here, if you're a Firebender?"

"I ran away from the Fire Nation two years ago, because I hated the war going on and I wanted to stop it, somehow." I answered. "Of course, I didn't know how to do that, so, after I landed here, I stayed. But, when I knew the Avatar had returned, I feel like my destiny is to help him."

Sokka brushed me off again and left, not saying a word. I turned away and looked up at the shrine.

"Something troubling you, my child?" Oyaji asked, walking up to me.

"Do you think Aang will accept me as a friend, even though I'm a Firebender?" I questioned, not looking at him.

Oyaji sighed, "I do believe that you're destiny is bigger than you might perceive." he answered. "Maybe helping the Avatar end this war is your destiny." Oyaji placed his hand on my shoulders and turned me to face him. "You may be a Firebender, but, you're not evil. You have a big heart, and if the time has come for you to leave Kyoshi, I will wish you the best of luck and safety on your journey."

I hugged Oyaji and smiled, "I can't thank you enough for everything you've done for me." I told him. "I will always remember Kyoshi Island as my second home."

"You're always welcome here on Kyoshi, my child." Oyaji replied, rubbing my shoulders.

As the sun was setting, Kemi and Oyaji came running up to the shrine.

"What's going on?" I asked, breaking from my isolated training.

"A small Fire Nation ship just pulled up to the shore." Kemi answered. "A group of soldiers on Rhinos are approaching the village."

"Okay, get Suki and the other girls." I ordered, rushing down the pathway.

"What can I do?" Pyrae asked me.

"Go to our home and get our bags." I answered. "Keep hidden until I whistle for you."

Pyrae nodded and bounded towards the small hut we called home. I, on the other hand, crept through the village and hid towards the front.

I hid on the roof of one of the huts and scanned the area ahead.

"I want the Avatar alive." a familiar voice ordered.

I gasped and ducked, from view. "It can't be." I muttered. I pulled the collar of my green kimono down and caressed the necklace I always wore. "Zuko."

The sounds of Komodo Rhino snorts caught my attention I turned to see four solders, along with Zuko, enter the village.

"Come out, Avatar!" Zuko called. "You can't hide from me forever!"

Three rhinos walked ahead and searched the village, but the other Kyoshi Warriors took care of them. I joined Suki and we both charged towards Zuko, who used his Firebending to hold us back. As we went in for a second attack, the rhino swiped us away with its tail. Before Zuko could Firebend against us, Sokka, clad in a Kyoshi Warrior's uniform, saved us.

"I guess training's over." he said to Suki, helping her up.

I jumped up and kicked Zuko off the Komodo Rhino, and me, Suki, and Kemi surrounded him. But, Zuko was smarter than that, and spun on his hands while Firebending with his feet, sending us flying in different directions.

"Nice try, Avatar!" Zuko taunted. "But these little girls can't save you."

"Little girls huh?" I repeated, standing up. \

I brushed the snow off my uniform and hit the back of Zuko's uniform with a basic Waterbending move. He turned to face me and took a fighting stance.

"I'm afraid you've attacked the wrong village." I told him.

"I know the Avatar is here." Zuko replied. "Tell me where he is, and then I'll go."

I made the first move and the fight begun. Zuko used his Firebending as his attacks, but at least I knew his techniques. But I could tell he had improved in the two years we've been away.

I lost traction on the snow and Zuko managed to break my stance. I fell backwards and into a barrel of water, which splashed all over my makeup, washing parts of it off. I turned to face Zuko and he just stood there.

"You." he gasped.

I took the nearby rag and wiped the remaining face paint off. "Long time, no see, Zuko." I replied, standing up.

"You've been here the entire time?' Zuko questioned.

I nodded. "A few weeks after I left, I landed here to rest." I informed. "I've been here ever since."

I threw out a Firebending move and got back on the offensive. Soon, Zuko and I were slinging fire left and right.

"You left the Fire Nation!" Zuko reminded. "You betrayed your country!"

I dodged his fire fist, "I'm trying to save my country!" I rebuked, slinging a fire whip forward.

"I need the Avatar to restore my honor! So I can return home!" Zuko said.

"You would throw away the world's chance at peace to just return to the man who did that to you?" I accused, referring to the burn Zuko had over his left eye. That incident will always stay in mind since it was that very night that I left the Fire Nation.

Zuko threw out another Firebending move that would've torched me, if I hadn't dodged it. "You don't understand." he told me.

I grabbed his wrist and halted his movement, "Then help me understand." I said. "Zuko, we've been friends for years."

"Then why are you standing in my way!" he broke my stance with his foot, but I managed to regain traction.

"Because I believe Aang can save the world and end this war!" I answered. Creating a wall of fire between us. "And I'm gonna help him, however I can."

I bended the spilled water and doused the flames, and used that distraction to run.

I ducked behind the nearest hut and caught my breath.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Appa leap into the air with Aang, Sokka, and Katara on the saddle.

Suki ran up to me and slid down the wall. "Go with them Phoenix." she told me. "You belong with them. It's your destiny."

The tears I've been holding back finally spilled over. I threw my arms around Suki and hugged her tightly. "I will never, ever forget you, and everything you've done for me."

Suki returned the hug. "We'll see each other again." she reassured. "But for now, follow your destiny. Help the Avatar."

Pyrae stood at the end of the alley, my duffle bag slung across her back. I gave Suki one last look and ran to Pyrae, jumping on her back. "Follow Appa."

"On it." Pyrae nodded and jumped onto the nearest roof before leaping into the air.

I looked down at the village and saw that various huts were on fire, and I felt a slight ping of guilt at leaving. "We have to douse the fire first." I told her, rubbing her neck.

"I'm a Fire Nation, SaberCat." Pyrae reminded.

"And I'm only a beginner Waterbender." I muttered. "But the Unagi spits water. I have an idea." I took off the outer armor and my headband, shoving them in my duffle, leaving me in only my green kimono and sash. I dove into the lake below and jumped onto the Unagi's head.

Unagi surfaced and reared his head back. "Hey, save the village." I ordered, pulling his whiskers back, opening his mouth wide. Unagi spewed a gush of water and it doused the flames across the village.

I jumped off Unagi's head and gripped Pyrae's neck as she circled back to get me. I cast a glance back at the village and I met Zuko's eyes. I quickly turned away and bit my lip, "Goodbye Zuko." I muttered.

Pyrae flew up next to Appa.

"You guys have room for a couple more?" I asked, semi-hopeful.

"Why would you want to tag along with us?" Aang asked. "Isn't Kyoshi Island you're home?"

I shook my head. "Sokka already knows this but-" I began.

"She's a Firebender." Sokka cut in.

I sighed. "I left the Fire Nation two years ago." I added. "I've always been told my destiny is bigger than I can imagine, and now I know what that means." I looked into Aang's eyes. "Sooner or later, the Avatar is gonna need someone to teach him Firebending. And where are you gonna find a bender willing to teach him?"

"She has a point." Katara said.

Aang looked at me and nodded. "I can tell that you're truthful to what you say." he said. "So yeah Phoenix, you can come with us."

I smiled. "I'm honored Aang."

I slid into the saddle and returned the smile. I took my duffle from Pyrae and she shrunk her size, landing on my lap.

"Yip, yip Appa." Aang chuckled.

We flew off into the sunset and I couldn't help but smile. I mean, how many people can say that the Avatar is their friend.

So that's how it began, how I met three people I would soon call my second family. It was good, yet sorrowful, because I again, said goodbye to someone else whom I really cared about.

I'm Phoenix, a young teenager who left her home in search of her destiny. To other Firebenders, I'm a traitor. But to others, I'm a free spirit who took charge of her life and sought out her destiny. This is a story, my story, of Adventure and Friendship, with a little bit of Love.