Thump

Her bare feet hit the hard-wood as she vaulted from her bed, eyes wide, fists balled and shaking. Her heart hammered on her rib cage as she looked around, spinning, nearly slipping on the scratched wood floor of her barrack. But in the darkness she had no trouble seeing through, the snarling blue mask of the man attacking her could not be found. In fact, there was nothing there except her dorm mates—little lumps on their bunk beds, snoring occasionally.

Just a dream.

Dakota Elliot let out a gust of air and pushed a stray strand of inky hair out of her dark eyes, her posture relaxing despite her still pounding heart. She wouldn't be going back to sleep. Instead she stretched her lean form, rolling her shoulders to work the kinks out, before dressing for the day.

The dreams had been getting more vivid lately. Although if she wasn't mistaken, the villain of that particular one had been from the cartoon show Avatar the Last Airbender that was perpetually playing on the TV of the Fifth Cohort's commons room. She was pretty sure she had the entire series practically memorized by now.

She slunk to the bathroom to finish her morning routine. The sudden light glaring of the white tile floor and beige stalls was nearly blinding, and she stood for several moments, blinking to try and readjust. A quick examination in the mirror resulted in a wince, the bags under her eyes were beginning to get worse. But oh well.

She braided her hair down the side and laced her sneakers, having not put them on by her bed for the ease of silent creeping.

Sneaking around Camp Jupiter between the hours of eleven pm and five o'clock am was strictly forbidden. Not that it ever stopped anyone. The code amongst the cohorts was that if you were dumb enough to be caught you deserved to be punished.

But she never got caught.

With the smallest hint of a smirk she began to run down the long row of stalls, eyes on the shadow at the end of the room. With one final leap she vanished, slipping into the shadows. Wrapped in the fabric of the night, she ran to a hill across the freeway from camp. It was quiet, and it was empty. Outside of camp the world was open, breathable. Camp was stiff. Stagnant. It was like running through water. Sometimes it was okay, as like as she kept busy. But most of the time it wasn't moving at the right speed, or operating at the right temperature. It was like the air was too humid. Too hot. She sat down, legs stretched in front of her, her head craned back so she could see the stars. It was a nice night. No clouds, just silver splattered sky.

A low snarl came from behind her, and she scrambled to her feet, slipping her ring, a silver ouroboros, off her finger and clutching it tightly in so tightly it bit into her palm. She ran her thumb over the head of the snake, and, with a sharp click, the ring morphed into a two foot long gladiatorial sword made of stygian iron. Infinitus—Infinity. A lone gift from her father.

Her sharp dark grey eyes scanned the surrounding area, trying to pinpoint from where the growl had come. There was no brush, no place for anything to hide.

A glowing blue dragon burst from the hill, maw wide, teeth glistening. Like a chainsaw it roared, a sound so deep is rattled her teeth and shook her to the core.

With a wordless cry she fell back, sword swinging uselessly at the exposed belly of the beast as it soared over her. It landed far too close for comfort, and as she scrambled back she could have sworn it was giving her an amused look. It extended a stubby arm and a surprisingly delicately clawed hand, and an elderly but clearly recognizable figure descended gracefully, like a cat pacing a window pane.

No. No way in Hades.

Avatar Roku did not exist. He couldn't be here, he wasn't real. No way. Nope.

"Dakota, put the sword down please. Fang didn't mean to frighten you," Roku said, walking towards her in all his ethereal glory.

Dakota didn't move. He was there. He was actually there. Not just a projection, or a monster in disguise, he was there. She could feel his spirit, his life force, right in front of her. It was like standing near a candle, she couldn't see the warmth but she could feel it.

"I am Avatar Roku," he continued, tucking his hands into his sleeves.

"Yeah, I got that. Why are you here?" Dakota demanded, finally getting her voice back. There was no way a cartoon character just decided to take a casual stroll through the real world and just happened to bump into her, "And how do you know my name?"

She didn't like this. It wasn't right. It was definitely a ghost, she could feel it. It could be a spirit who changed their image…but it wasn't. She recognized his soul. The pulse of life in him. It was familiar. Really familiar. She had felt it before.

"Do you recognize me?" Roku asked. She got the feeling he wasn't talking about his face.

"Maybe," she allowed, standing straight.

"You know me, don't you? You can't quite put your finger on it, but you know me. You remember me," Roku said, looking at her with a peculiar glint in his eyes.

Dakota narrowed her eyes. No point in denying it.

"How?"

"The same thing would happen if any of the other Avatars appeared before you," Roku paused to see if she was listening intently enough. "I know you by many names. Your soul and the soul of the Avatar have been intertwined since the beginning of time. In my life you were Laurel, also a daughter of Pluto."

Dakota stared at him for a moment, as if expecting him to suddenly say "Just kidding! You're actually just hallucinating because Octavian slipped drugs into your food again!"

But Roku didn't. He just stared at her, as if she would suddenly remember having been Laurel.

It wasn't that the idea of reincarnation was anything new to her. Spirits were reborn as different people every day. She had probably been Laurel at some point. The problem was that Avatars weren't real. They were from a TV show. Avatar Roku, and Kuruk, and Aang, and Yangchen, and Kyoshi didn't exist.

…and the Olympians were just myths and demigods didn't exist.

"Let's say I believe your world is real. What does that mean for me?" she asked, grip on infinitus tightening.

"You were born to protect the Avatar. Your mother sent you to Lupa so young so you could train, and be safe. Lupa kept you for those two years so you would be better prepared. You're meant to travel to my world. To protect Aang. To help him defeat Ozai," Roku explained.

Born for a purpose. Her mother had told her that the last time she had seen her. Her father had told her the same thing once, the one time she spoke to. Lupa said it many times. The repetition had never made sense before, and she still wasn't sure it did. But there was something about Roku that felt right: normal, familiar, and a hundred other adjectives that could be used to describe "home."

"What's with the TV show then? It's ended. Long over. Everyone's fine. Fire Lord's been defeated. Peace and happiness and all that. Why do you need me?" she asked. Her fingers were slackening on the blade.

"It hasn't happened yet. The Protectors are given a…gift per se, for risking their lives to help the ambassador of the spirit world, the Avatar. It's a glimpse of the future. The perfect future. It's a goal. A rope to guide you home through the blizzard. You'll notice you aren't in it?" explained Roku. He suddenly sounded tired, haggard. Knowing his story she had a feeling Laurel hadn't been very successful in reaching her goal.

"Yeah, I noticed," she said dryly, "So, it's showing me what I have to achieve, but not how to get there, right?"

"Exactly," Roku approved, a touch of a smile in his eyes. Dakota sighed, rubbing a hand over her face.

"But why wasn't I told?" she asked, flicking her sword back into a ring.

"We weren't sure Aang would wake up now. It could have been seventy years ago. It could have been one hundred years from now. But then the future manifested in this world, so we knew it was time."

"Do I have a choice?" she asked.

"There's always a choice. But…I would strongly recommend that you choose to come," he stressed, giving her a severe look.

"In other words," she chuckled, " 'Come with me if you want to live'?"

"Something like that," Roku smiled wryly. Dakota nodded, chewing her bottom lip.

"Right. And after I go, when the war is over, do I get to come back?" she asked, her thin brows pushing together.

"Yes. When Aang is no longer threatened with death every day, you will return here. I will come and retrieve you if you are needed again," Roku promised.

"And if I die?" she asked.

"That is…a bit complicated. You literally have two lives. One there, and one here. If you die there, you will be alive here, but you won't be able to return. If Aang dies, you will be returned here, with no way of going back. If you die here, then you're dead. Although, you dying at all would not be a good thing," Roku said pointedly, giving her a sharp look.

Dakota held her hands up, "Not arguing with you there…Do I get to pack? To say goodbye and…stuff?" she asked, lacking the ability to come up with a better word.

"Yes. Take your time," Roku looked tired again, his peppered brows pushing down wards and the corners of his mouth forming a straight line.

Dakota nodded, "I'll be right back, it won't take long," she said, moving to leave.

"And dress in your warmest clothes. It's going to be cold," he added, sounding surprisingly matronly.

"Yes mum," Dakota rolled her eyes. Mum? That hadn't been her voice. But whatever. She turned on her heal and vanished.

She emerged next to her bed, desperately wishing she had a larger back pack. But it would have to do. She blustered around her bunk a list of things she needed running through her mind. As silently as she could, began shoving her possessions in her pitifully small back pack. Think of it as a vacation she told herself…socks, a pair of jeans, shorts. A pair of sweat pants. T-shirts. Underthings. She changed her shirt to the long sleeved flannel one she rarely wore, pulling her denim vest on over that. The warmest jacket she had was the uniform coat given to all the legionaries. A hat and fingerless gloves later she was as ready as she would ever be. But what else would she need? Her dagger…she wouldn't be able to bring armor. Hair ties! She needed something to put her long hair up with. And a hair brush…

Suddenly panic struck. She'd be trapped in a different world for who knows how long. Her back-pack filled up quickly, stuffed to the brim as she tried to prepare for every scenario.

Dakota took a deep breath, forcing herself to relax. Her stomach was doing summersaults, twisting and knotting in ways it shouldn't. Her palms were getting sweaty and her knees were going weak. She would be gone. For who knows how long. She wasn't sure whether to be scared or excited, but for now both seemed to be the only option. She had never been anywhere other than Camp Jupiter and the Wolf House. Now she'd be traveling all over a strange foreign world…and there was the panic. She forced herself to calm. She was packed. She was a soldier of the Roman Empire. She could do this.

Now she just needed to say goodbye to Jason.

Jason was her closest friend at camp, practically her sibling. They were comrades, competitors. They had been Lupa's pups together, and survived the trek to Camp together.

She slipped into his barrack and shook him awake, pressing her hand over his mouth when his eyes opened. Silently she pointed to the door, and he nodded. Jason rose from his bed and followed her out of the room.

"What's up?" he yawned blearily, leaning against the deck railing. The smell of the compost heap wafted over, and he seemed to perk up a bit.

"AvatartheLastAirbenderTVshowisreal,andIhavetogopr otecAang,and Rokucameonhismagicalspiritdragontopickmeup-" she blurted breathing far too fast.

"What?" Jason said, looking more alert, "Start from the beginning," he ordered, grabbing her shoulders.

Dakota took a deep breathe, and quickly explained the events of the past hour, "So I'm leaving," she finished finally, "And I don't know how long I'll be gone."

Jason was silent, his face twisted in a pensive frown, "You're just…leaving? How do you know it's really him?" he asked, crossing his arms.

"You can shoot lightning and fly, and I can run through shadows and feel spirits. I don't question it. But he's real. And he's Roku. And…I've felt this soul before. I don't know…it's weird. But it makes sense. Born for a purpose? Born to protect? Wasn't that the crap Lupa was constantly spewing at us? You toppled Saturn. I'm going to go protect the Avatar. I'll be back, don't worry," she smiled.

Jason sighed, running a hand over his short blond hair, "I know. It's just another mission. You can handle it," he smiled back, "Kick some butt for me, okay?" he asked, poking her.

She laughed, "I will, give Octavian Hell for me, okay?"

"You know it," Jason grinned, but the expression faded. "Be careful though, you know I worry when you go on solo missions."

"I know. Don't worry, I'll be fine…" she promised, "Back before you know it."

"You better," his voice was playfully stern as he pulled her into a tight hug. She squeezed him back.

"I'm going to miss you," he murmured into her hair.

"You too," she responded softly.

He pulled away and made a shooing motion, "Now go. Don't keep magical spirit Roku and his dragon waiting."

Dakota chuckled, "See you around, Jay," she spun, vanishing.

Jason stared at the spot she had just vacated, all traces of humor falling from his face and being replaced with pursed lips and a worried frown, "Be careful Dakota," he pleaded.

Dakota reappeared in front of Roku, "Alright," she said, nodding briskly, I'm ready. How am I getting there?" she asked. Roku smiled, his eyes twinkling mischievously.

"We'll take Fang," he said.

Fang lifted his head, seeming to give her a toothy grin.

"Of course we will," Dakota muttered.

"Oh come on. You used to do it all the time. He won't hurt you," the elder Avatar laughed.

"Alright," she muttered. Roku climbed on, before extending his hand to help her board. With an action that felt incredibly final, she took it, and shivered as a cold wave seemed to pass through her. Looking at her hand still clasped in Roku's she found they were the same shade of blue, and she was glowing softly.

Roku helped her climb up, although he didn't need to. It was automatic to step on the leg, grab a spike, swing her leg over, and wrap her arms around his middle. She could almost feel him smile.

"Hold on," he said. She could picture the mischievous smirk on his face as he flicked the reins. Fang shot into the air, and Dakota clung more tightly to him. But suddenly everything felt safe and normal, her red hair swirling around her face, mixing with Roku's dark locks, their laughter mingling in the air-

Wait.

That wasn't her memory.

Fang dove into the ground, and she would have screamed if she wasn't sure she might bite her own tongue off if she opened her mouth. She couldn't tell how long they flew, it might have been seconds or it might have been hours. But suddenly everything was blue, bright blue. Like Jason's eyes, a clear crisp color that could have been from a children's drawing. It felt like a great pressure had just been released from her, like finally her ribs could expand properly so her lungs could fill fully.

"You can feel the difference, can't you?" Roku asked, turning to peer at her over his shoulder.

"Yes," she replied softly, looking around. They were flying over the ocean at the moment, towards land. A bustling port filled with sail boats and scurrying people dressed in bright greens and reds.

Fang began to circle over the town, slowly easing lower and lower.

"I'm leaving you here. Orders from up above. You're about a month and a half from Aang's awakening." Roku said.

"What? Where do I stay for a month and a half?" Dakota's eyes were wide.

"Iroh of the Fire Nation can be trusted. He will recognize you, if you show him your abilities. He will help you," Roku promised, "He's here now."

Dakota nodded, "Okay…so this is good bye I guess?"

Roku smiled sadly, "For now. Good luck, Dakota."

And then she was falling, tumbling through empty air.