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Ka's mind cannot leave Omashu.
Has the Minder truly become so insignificant in so many parts of the world? For a moment, she wonders if Aang would be better off without her, but when Aang shoots her a concerned look from his place in Appa's saddle, she realizes she is feeling so much it is projecting onto him. Ka just glances back at him and puts on an emotionless expression—one she is so used to wearing, so used to reverting back to.
Lately, she has been trying her best to put on a smile, or maybe even frown in front of others occasionally. So far, Aang is the only one to see her true smile, albeit tiny.
(She wonders if, one day, she will ever be courageous enough to let go of her past, to let go of her father's ways, and express herself the way she sees others do. For now, her face remains stoic, while her mind races.)
"These clouds look so soft," Katara says absently, pulling Ka out of her thoughts, "don't they? Like you just jump down and land on a big, soft, cottony heap?"
Sokka snorts. "Maybe you should give it a try."
"You're hilarious," Katara deadpans in reply.
Aang suddenly shoots up out of his seat. "I'll try it!" He jumps out of Appa's saddle, and that is what finally makes Ka climb up out of her laying position and look over the edge. She hears him yelling excitedly, and watches as he vanishes into a cloud.
Suddenly, there is a thump on the other side of the saddle, and they turn around to see him sitting there, soaking wet, with a big smile on his face.
"Turns out clouds are made of water," he says, and then airbends himself dry.
Sokka just shakes his head at him, looking somewhat unimpressed. Ka finds herself spacing out once more, crawling back into the not-so-safety of her mind.
Once again, it is Katara's voice that brings her out of it.
"Hey, what's that?"
The four of them climb up to the front of Appa's saddle, and the sight that meets them is not pretty. A large forest greets them, a significantly large burnt patch of land contrasting strikingly with the green.
"It's like a scar," Sokka says, most likely to himself, and Ka's thoughts drift to the Fire Nation prince so hellbent on capturing them.
They land in the scorched patch of the forest. As soon as Ka hops off Appa and her feet make contact, her heart drops to her stomach.
She can feel so much pain, and so much death. Her breath feels caught in her throat, and she suddenly has the urge to cry.
(How devastated the Spirits must be.)
"Listen," Sokka suddenly says, and his voice is so loud in the quiet of the scattered ashes, "it's so quiet. There's no life anywhere."
Ka looks down at the ground, swallowing thickly. She walks over towards Aang, who is looking at a heavy pile of ashes, his eyes watery.
"Aang? Ka? Are you okay?" Katara asks, ever the kindest.
"Fire Nation!" Sokka screams angrily. "Those evil savages make me sick! They have no respect for—"
"Shh!"
"What? I'm not allowed to be angry? "
Aang suddenly slumps over, propping himself up with his arms. Ka follows him, and watches as he picks up a handful of ash, letting it seep through his fingers.
"Why would anyone do this?" he whispers. "How could I let this happen?"
You are not alone in this, Ka thinks, and when Aang gives her a startled look, she realizes with a start that he heard her. How odd.
"You didn't let this happen," Katara reassures softly. "It has nothing to do with you."
"Yes, it does," Aang sighs. "It's the Avatar's and the Minder's job to protect nature. But I don't know how to do my job."
"There is no one right way," Ka tries, but Aang just shakes his head despondently.
"That's why we're going to the North Pole," Katara tries, and Ka can hear the smile in her voice, "to find you a teacher."
"A waterbending teacher," Ka corrects.
"There's no one who can teach us how to be the Avatar and the Minder," Aang says, and Ka feels compelled to correct him, but he continues, "Monk Gyatso said that Avatar Roku would help me."
"The Avatar before you?" Sokka asks. "He died over one hundred years ago; how are you supposed to talk to him?"
Momo crawls into Aang's lap.
"I don't know," Aang finally says.
After a few moments, the siblings go off to their own devices, leaving Aang and Ka sitting side by side. Ka puts her hand on her Avatar's back, and that action seems to soothe him, even if only slightly.
"As I grew up in the Spirit World," she says, quietly, "and claimed my destiny as your Minder, Avatar Roku and Minder Divya were the two who taught me everything I know."
Aang looks at her, and stares in awe for a few moments, but it is short-lived. "That was in the Spirit World, " he admonishes, stroking Momo's fur. "I don't think we could talk to either of them here."
Ka thinks for a moment. "We are reincarnations of past Avatars and Minders," you are at least, "so surely, there must be a way to contact them."
Aang looks down at his lap and frowns. "I guess we'll have to figure that out."
"Your burden as Avatar is the same as my burden as Minder," she continues. "We are one and the same. You are not alone."
"I know that's supposed to be reassuring," Aang says, voice flat, "and hearing you talk more and more is nice," he gives the smallest of smiles, "but that just sounds creepy."
Ka rolls her eyes. She looks down at the ruined land, and frowns deeply.
"All life is sacred," Aang says.
"All life is sacred," Ka repeats, and gently runs her fingers over the ashes of a forest once full of life.
She does not know how much time passes as she sits there with Aang, a hand on his back, but eventually, Katara comes back and stands behind them.
"Hey, you two!" she says. "Ready to be cheered up?"
"No," Aang replies, and before Ka can say anything, there's an acorn hitting her in the back of the head. "Ow!" Aang cries out, rubbing his head where an acorn hit his own. "How is that cheering me up?"
Sokka chuckles, sitting cross-legged a few feet away. "Cheered me up." In frustration, Katara throws one at him as well. "Ow. Yeah, I probably deserved that."
Katara kneels in front of them, holding out two acorns in each of her hands. "These acorns are everywhere," she says. "That means the forest will grow back! Every one of these will be a tall oak tree someday, and all the birds and animals that lived here will come back." She places an acorn in each of their hands, then rolls their palms closed over it.
Ka opens her palm and stares at the small acorn, before poking a finger in the ashy ground and setting the acorn in.
"Thanks, Katara," Ka hears Aang say, but she is too preoccupied with the sight of an old man walking towards them.
"Hey, who are you?" Sokka asks.
"When I saw the flying bison, I thought it was impossible!" the old man says in reply, even if it wasn't much of a reply at all. He walks over to Aang and Ka, staring them down thoughtfully. "But, those markings... are you the Avatar,child?" He looks over at Ka, "And the Minder?"
Ka looks down at her black tattoos. She has wondered if she should invest in a longer-sleeved tunic, but if her Spirit World tattoos make her more prone to being known as the Minder, then so be it.
She looks at Aang, and they nod in unison.
"My village desperately needs your help!"
They are led to what the old man calls Senlin Village. The sun is setting, illuminating the partially-destroyed buildings in an orange light.
They walk to the center building, where a large amount of villagers are hiding.
"These young people," the old man announces, gesturing to them, "are the Avatar and his Minder!"
"So, the rumors of your return are true!" comes another man, walking towards them excitedly. "It is the greatest honor of a lifetime to be in your presence."
"Nice to meet you too!" Aang says, as Ka bows. "So... is there something we can help you with?"
The other man suddenly frowns. "I'm not sure..."
"Our village is in crisis, they are our only hope!" the old man cries, and turns to Aang and Ka. "For the last few days at sunset, a spirit monster comes and attacks our village. He is Hei Bai, the black and white spirit."
Ka blinks in recognition. She remembers once meeting the spirit Hei Bai as a young child, but she had never imagined him to be dangerous.
"Why is it attacking you?" Sokka asks.
"We do not know," the other man replies, "but each of the last three nights, he has abducted one of our own. We are especially fearful because the winter solstice draws near."
"What happens then?"
"As the solstice approaches, the natural world and the Spirit World grow closer and closer until the line between them is blurred completely," the old man explains.
"Hei Bai is already causing devastation and destruction," the other man continues. "Once the solstice is here, there's no telling what will happen."
"So, what do you want us to do, exactly?" Aang asks, beating Ka to the punch.
"Who better to resolve a crisis between our world and the Spirit World than the Avatar and the Minder themselves?" the old man says. "You two are the great bridge between man and spirits."
Ka wonders which one she counts as. She meets Aang's gaze when he looks at her uncertainly.
"Right... that's us."
"Hey, great bridge people," Katara says quietly, "could I talk to you over here for a second?" She leads the two of them near a window. "You guys seem a little unsure about this."
"Yeah, that might be because I don't know anything at all about the Spirit World," Aang says. "It's not like there's someone to teach me this stuff!"
They all look at Ka, and she raises her eyebrows.
"All I could possibly tell you about the Spirit World is that it is unpredictable," she says flatly, somewhat annoyed. "I did not have a broad access to the entire verse." In fact, she was quite sheltered, left to her own devices in her father's cave when she was not learning with Divya in the nearby swamp.
"So... can you help these people?" Katara asks.
"We have to try, don't we?" Aang says, locking gazes with Ka. "Maybe whatever we have to do will just... come to me." Momo lands on his shoulder, and he gives a sheepish smile.
"I think you can do it," Katara says reassuringly.
"Yeah," Sokka says similarly, then pauses. "We're all going to get eaten by a spirit monster."
Aang and Ka walk out of the building, turning when the door behind them quickly shuts.
"No spirit I know of attacks without reasoning," Ka says thoughtfully as they walk towards the village entrance. "There must be something..."
Aang tilts his head and looks up at the setting sun. "Hello, Spirit" he tries. "Can you hear me? This is the Avatar speaking. Uh, my Minder and I are here to try and help stuff."
Ka taps his shoulder. "He is most likely still in the Spirit World," she says flatly.
Aang looks at her with a small frown and then back at the entrance. The sun finally sets and bathes the village in night.
"The sun has set," Aang announces. "Where are you, Hei Bai?"
Ka waits, but nothing comes. She sighs softly.
Aang scratches the back of his neck. "Well... spirit... uh... I hereby ask you to please leave this village in peace!" He spins his staff and sticks it down in the ground firmly, giving a sharp look to the entrance, as if it would do anything. When there is no response, Aang blinks. "Okay... well... I guess that's settled then."
He turns to walk away, and Ka reluctantly follows him.
"I am... not so sure it's that easy," she says.
"Well, nothing's happening," Aang replies.
Suddenly, they feel a presence behind them. Turning, a spirit different to what Ka remembers Hei Bai to be is towering over them intimidatingly.
"You must be the Hei Bai spirit!" Aang says, far too happily. "My name is—"
Suddenly, Hei Bai's mouth opens and he releases a terrifying burst of energy, knocking them both off their feet. He scurries off, smashing any nearby buildings he sees with an anger Ka can only recognize as revenge.
"My name's Aang!" he tries again, jumping to his feet and airbending Ka to her own. "I'm the Avatar and this is my Minder! We would like to help!" The spirit does not acknowledge them, and destroys a tower with pure energy. "Hey, wait up!"
Ka runs after Aang when he only tries to get closer to Hei Bai. She tries to tell him that chasing after a rampant, angry spirit may not be the best idea, but her words fall on deaf ears, and she wonders if she even said them out loud in the first place.
When Hei Bai smashes a smaller building, what looks like a house, Aang comes to stop behind him and sighs in exhaustion.
"Please, would you stop destroying things and listen? " Aang pleads. "We're trying to do our job as spirit bridge!" The spirit still does not pay any attention to either of them. "Excuse me, would you please turn around?" Aang suddenly stomps his foot and clenches his fists. "I command you to turn around now! "
There's a beat of silence, and then Aang is sent flying into a roof of another building. Ka gasps, barely managing to duck when the spirit lunges for her as well. She runs to Aang's aid, catching him in her arms when he dazedly jumps off the roof.
"Hei Bai, over here!" she hears someone shout, and whirls around to see Sokka throw his boomerang at the spirit. It does nothing.
"Go back," Ka says quickly.
"We'll fight him together," Sokka says determinedly, clenching his fist.
"I don't want to fight him unless I—" Aang's words get cut off by Sokka's scream when the spirit snatches him up, before fleeing.
Aang grabs his staff and throws it into the air, and Ka assumes her usual position of grabbing on top of it when he takes off after the spirit.
Hei Bai runs deep into the forest, holding Sokka in one of his hands.
"Aang! Ka!" Sokka shouts when he sees them pursuing. "Over here! Help!"
"Hang on, Sokka!" Aang calls back, and moves to get close enough for Ka to reach out. Her arm strains with the effort, her body very nearly slipping off the top of the glider.
Just as her fingers brush his, the spirit, and Sokka, fade away. Aang and Ka stare at the space where he once was, and notice too late the statue they ram into.
Ka awakens with a start, sitting up quickly and gasping. Her body feels different, but familiar, and she hears Aang's shout.
"I failed," he whispers, and Ka bites her bottom lip as she makes her way back to her feet, and follows Aang as he despondently walks back towards the village.
When they get there, Katara is sitting at the entrance, her body wrapped in a blanket. The old man is kneeling in front of her, a hand on her shoulder.
"Katara?" Aang calls. "Katara, we lost him."
Except nobody replies.
"The sun is rising," the old man says. "Perhaps they will return soon."
"What?" Aang questions, and as the sun illuminates his body, Ka's eyes widen when she takes in his appearance. "No, I'm right here!" He takes a step forward and waves his hand in the old man's face, and then sees his hand.
"We are in the Spirit World," Ka whispers, looking down at her own blue arms. Her tattoos are gone.
Aang takes a seat next to Katara when the old man walks away, and Ka follows him, folding her hands in her lap.
"We'll figure this out, Katara," Aang promises. "Like they said, we're the bridge between the worlds, right?" He looks at Ka, who only stares back at him. "All we have to do is... figure out what we have to do. But once we do that, no problem!"
A growl sounds behind them, and they turn to see Appa walking up.
"Appa!" Aang shouts, completely forgetting their predicament. "Hey buddy, I'm right here!" He does not answer him, as expected, and exhales on Katara, waking her up. "I guess you can't see me either..."
"It's okay, Appa," Katara says, patting his fur, "don't worry. I'm sure they're on their way back. I bet they even found you a bunch of moon peaches, for a treat!" They get up and walk back inside the village, leaving Aang and Ka alone at the entrance.
They look at each other and share a frown. They seem to be doing that a lot more often.
"What are we supposed to do?" Aang groans, putting his hands on his face and letting them drag. "Avatar Roku, how can I talk to you?" He closes his eyes and lowers his head, and Ka thinks of Divya, and how to reach deep inside herself to talk to her. Suddenly, there is a sound, and Aang looks up hopefully at the sky. "Sokka?"
There is nothing there but a dragon. Ka does a double-take.
"That's definitely not Sokka," Aang says, quickly opening his glider and jumping on it. He hovers for a few moments before crashing to the ground.
"You cannot bend in the Spirit World," Ka explains when she sees his confused look.
Aang gives her a startled expression, and flinches when the dragon lands in front of them. There is a pause, and Aang holds his arms over his chest protectively. "Uh... you don't know where Sokka is, do you?"
The dragon does not give a verbal reply, which is to be expected, but it does lean its head forward and uses the tendrils on its nose to press against their foreheads. Ka sees an image, a vision, of Avatar Roku riding on the back of the same dragon. Divya is behind him, one of her arms around Roku's shoulders.
"You're Avatar Roku's animal guide!" Aang shouts in realization when the tendrils curl back towards the dragon. "Like Appa is to me! We need to save our friend and we don't know how."
"Is there a way to speak to Avatar Roku and Minder Divya?" Ka asks, her voice so professional that Aang gives her a strange look.
The dragon curls around the two of them, flatting itself against the ground, and Ka takes that as means to climb onto it. Aang climbs in front of her.
"Take us to Roku and Divya!" Aang shouts, and when the dragon flies away, Ka wraps her arms around Aang's waist.
While they fly over what appears to be a great distance, the time it takes them is very short. The dragon flies towards a temple on a fiery island, darting straight through the roof and into a strange-looking room.
Aang and Ka climb off, taking in the appearance of the room. There is a statue of Avatar Roku in front of a celestial calendar, and beside the statue is a golden plate similar to the one the Roku statue sits on, but it is empty.
Ka frowns.
"I don't understand," Aang says, "this is just a statue of Roku."
The dragon presses its tendrils to their foreheads again. This time, the vision is much different, that of a comet hurling through the sky.
"Is that what Roku wants to talk to us about? A comet?" Aang guesses, and looks back at the statue with curious eyes. "When can we talk to him?"
When the dragon lowers its head, a light beam appears, and lands just slightly beside Avatar Roku's statue. It presses its tendrils to their forehead once more, and the vision is much longer, more elaborate—they see the sun rising and setting over the ocean, the temple in view. The light closes in on the statue with each rise and fall.
"A calendar," Ka says.
"The light will reach Roku on the solstice!" Aang exclaims. "So that's when we'll be able to speak to Roku?"
The dragon breathes out roughly, and Aang seems to take it as a yes.
"But we can't wait that long! We need to save Sokka now! "
The dragon lowers itself onto the ground again, and the pair climb onto it, gasping when it takes off much more quickly than before.
They arrive back at the statue they woke up at, and both of their bodies are sitting in a meditating position at the base of it. When the dragon does not slow down, Aang screams and Ka braces for impact.
The dragon disappears into the statue, and the next time Ka opens her eyes, she is back in her own body. She looks down to make sure, and traces her fingers along her tattoos.
Aang stands, picking up his glider, and looks up at the statue.
Ka studies it for a moment, and then blinks. "Hei Bai," she recalls, a vague memory of herself as a child petting the head of a large panda.
Aang nods once, and they take off on his glider.
Back at the village, the sun is setting once more, and they land at the entrance. Katara runs towards them, embracing the two of them the best she can.
"You're back!" she shouts, and then pulls away. "Where's Sokka?"
Aang and Ka look at each other and then back at Katara.
"We're not sure..." Aang says apologetically.
Katara goes back to the building in the center of the village when the night falls, and Aang and Ka wait at the entrance for any appearance. When there is no sign of any movement, they look at each other and start to walk back towards the building where the rest of the villagers are gathered.
Suddenly, just as they take a few steps forward, Hei Bai appears out of nowhere and holds up one of his arms. Aang pulls Ka closer to him and creates a shield made out of air to deflect his attack.
"What are you doing!?" Ka hears Katara shout. "Run!"
The spirit moves to attack them again, but Ka jumps before him and presses her palm against his forehead. The image of a panda appears behind the terrifying form the spirit now takes, and Hei Bai calms down for a moment as Ka lands in front of it.
"You're the spirit of this forest!" Aang exclaims. "Now I understand. You're upset and angry because your home was burned down. When we saw the forest had burned," he looks at Ka, "we were sad and upset, but our friend gave us hope that the forest would grow back."
Ka opens her palm and holds out an acorn. "This is not who you are," she murmurs softly, leaving it at the spirit's feet.
The spirit pauses before picking it up, slowly reverting back into the panda Ka recognizes. She watches it walk away, and once it passes through the entrance, branches sprout from the ground and people emerge from them.
Including Sokka.
"Sokka!" Katara shouts, running towards him and throwing her arms around him.
"What happened?" Sokka asks.
"You were trapped in the Spirit World for twenty-four hours!" she exclaims, eyes wide. "How are you feeling?"
Sokka throws his hands between his legs and waddles away. "Like I seriously need to use the bathroom." Katara watches him leave and rolls her eyes.
"Thank you, Avatar and Minder," the leader of the village says gratefully, stepping towards them with his hands clasped together. "If only there were a way to repay you for what you've done."
"You could give us some supplies," Sokka says immediately, "and some money."
"Sokka!"
"What! We need stuff!"
The leader only smiles and bows. "It would be an honor to help you prepare for your journey." As they walk away, Katara walks closer to Aang and Ka.
"I'm so proud of you two," she says earnestly. "You figured out what to do, all on your own."
Aang and Ka share a look. "Actually," Aang starts.
"We did have some help," Ka continues.
"And there's something else," Aang finishes.
"What is it?" Sokka asks.
"We need to talk to our past lives and we think we found a way to contact their spirits," Aang replies, fumbling with his hands.
"That's great!" Katara says.
"Creepy, but great," Sokka agrees, tapping his chin thoughtfully.
"There's a temple on a crescent-shaped island and if we go there on the solstice," Aang explains, "we'll be able to speak with them."
"But the solstice is tomorrow!"
"Yeah," Aang says, biting his lip, "and there's one more problem."
"The island is in the Fire Nation," Ka says, crossing her arms.
Sokka and Katara give them looks of horror. People from the village walk over to them to give them the supplies they requested, and as the siblings are distracted, Aang and Ka walk over to Appa and throw their stuff into his saddle.
Aang yanks on his reins, trying to get him to budge, but Appa remains firmly on the ground.
"Look, I'm sorry," Aang sighs, patting his bison, "but Katara and Sokka aren't coming to the Fire Nation with us." He looks away. "If they got hurt, I'd never forgive myself." Then he stomps his foot and yanks on the reins again, "So get your big butt off the ground and let's go!"
"I think his big butt is trying to tell you something," Sokka says.
"Please don't go," Katara says desperately, her eyes sad. "The world can't afford to lose you to the Fire Nation." She holds her hands in front of her. "Neither can I."
Aang looks away, and Ka thinks of the soaring comet.
"But we have to talk to Avatar Roku and Minder Divya to find out what our vision means!" Aang protests. "We need to get to the Fire Temple before the sun sets on the solstice. That's today!"
He airbends himself onto Appa's head, pulling up the reins, and reaches over to pull Ka up to sit beside him. Appa finally stands, turning around, but Katara and Sokka jump in front of him before he can move any more.
"We're not letting you two go into the Fire Nation," Katara says determinedly.
Aang raises an eyebrow.
"At least, not without your friends," Sokka says, and points to himself with his thumb. "We got your back."
"It's a long journey to the Crescent Island," the leader of the village says, bowing. "You'll have to fly fast to have any chance of making it before sundown. Good luck."
Aang, as Katara and Sokka climb into the saddle, says, "Thank you for your—"
"Go! "
The sun has finally rose, and the group watches the ocean as if something were to pop out of it any moment.
Ka turns around, and to her surprise, something quite literally does. She taps Katara's shoulder, and points over to the fire prince's ship that currently chases them.
"Aang. We've got trouble," Katara calls.
"Yeah! And it's gaining fast!" Sokka yells.
Ka narrows her eyes at the ship, squinting when she sees something steaming from the deck. It suddenly ignites in fire, and launches in their direction.
"Fireball!" Katara shouts.
"I'm on it!" Aang says, and yanks the reins to move out of the way of the fireball. It falls into the ocean somewhere, but the stench it makes as it passes by them is so revolting Ka covers her nose.
"We have to get out of Zuko's range, before he shoots another hot stinker at us!" Katara says, making a disgusted face.
"Can't you make Appa go any faster?" Sokka asks.
"Yeah," Aang replies uncertainly, "but there's just one little problem."
Ka looks where Aang is facing, and blinks.
"A blockade," she says.
"If we fly north, we can go around the Fire Nation ships and avoid the blockade!" Aang says. "It's the only way."
"There's no time!" Katara protests.
"This is exactly why I didn't want you to come! It's too dangerous!" Aang shouts over the quick rush of wind. Ka feels the need to pin her hair down from how wildly it waves around her.
"And that's exactly why we're here," Katara retaliates.
"Let's run this blockade!" Sokka grins.
Aang nods, and urges Appa faster. "Yip-yip!"
When the ships on the blockade finally notice them coming, their decks seemingly ignite in flames, and fireballs similar to the one Prince Zuko fired at them come racing towards them. Aang, Sokka, and Katara scream in fear, with the former quickly yanking his bison's reins left and right in order to avoid each fireball. One of them explodes mid-air, and Ka lifts her arms to shield her face from the debris. They end up flying right through it, and when they emerge the debris cause embers to spark on Appa's fur. He growls, and Ka quickly leans down to pat out the one closest to her.
"Appa, are you okay?" Aang asks. The bison only roars in reply, and they soar into the clouds.
In the clouds, the view is much worse, and fireballs suddenly burst in all directions. Smoke covers their vision, and when Appa turns, the turn is so rough that Sokka is thrown from the saddle and falls down towards the ocean.
"Sokka!" Aang screams, and whips the reins downwards.
They race towards him, Sokka screaming and flailing his arms about. Katara and Ka each grab one of his hands, pulling him back in just in time. Appa's feet skim the surface when Aang urges him upwards once more.
Suddenly, there is only one fireball launching through the air, and it is aimed directly at them. Aang's eyes snap open, and he runs off Appa's head, airbending himself even further. He shouts as he kicks across the air, sending a powerful blast towards the fireball. It explodes, scattering around him, and Ka grabs his shirt to pull him back when he starts to fall.
They make it past the blockade, eventually.
"We made it!" Aang shouts, throwing his arm in the air excitedly.
"We got into the Fire Nation," Sokka grimaces. "Great."
As the others watch for any other threats, Ka climbs to the very back of the saddle and leans forward, trying to watch for the prince's ship. She only sees it fade from view, a heavy cloud of smoke following it in its wake.
When they make it to the island, the sun is low in the sky. There are no guards posted at the front. When they notice it is almost sundown, they run inside to find it mostly abandoned.
That is, until, a group of Fire Sages appear behind them, standing almost threateningly.
"We are the Fire Sages," the apparent leader says. "Guardians of the temple of the Avatar."
"Great! I am the Avatar!" Aang says happily, and points to Ka, "And she is—"
"We know," the sage interrupts, and inhales deeply before punching a blast of fire towards them.
Aang deflects it with airbending, his eyes widening in shock. "I'll hold them off," he calls towards the others. "Run!"
Ka runs with the siblings, and eventually, Aang skids in front of them and waves them in his direction.
"Follow me!" he says.
"Do you know where you're going?" Sokka asks, just as Aang turns a corner and disappear.
"Nope!" he calls, and there is a moment of silence. They all stop when Aang comes racing back, his face twisted in fear. "Wrong way!" He disappears past them, and when they see a Fire Sage approaching them, they run after him.
"Come back!" the Fire Sage shouts in such a different tone than the sage before that it makes Ka slow down and look back at him.
They round a corner and run down the hallway, which only turns out to be a dead-end. They come to a halt, hesitating before turning around. The Fire Sage that chased them quickly throws his hands up in what looks like surrender.
"I don't want to fight you!" he claims. "I am a friend."
"Firebenders aren't our friends!" Sokka shouts.
Aang and Ka move in the front, assuming fighting positions just in case.
The Fire Sage steps forward and falls to his knees, pressing his palms and forehead to the floor in a bow of deep respect. "I know why you're here, Avatar and Minder," he says.
"You do?" Aang and Ka ask in unison, which kind of startles them.
"Yes," the sage says, rising from the floor. "You wish to speak to Avatar Roku and Minder Divya. I can take you to them."
"How?"
The Fire Sage moves a lamp on the wall, revealing a hole behind it. He presses his palm against it, putting a hand on his shoulder and firebends into it. The wall slides open, and Ka peeks inside to see a fiery, lava-infested pathway.
"This way," the sage urges.
"Find them," echoes the voice of the leader Fire Sage.
"Time is running out!" the sage exclaims. "Quickly!"
The group share glances at one another, before stepping inside the passage and walking down the steps. The Sage walks behind them, closing the secret door before the other Sages could take notice.
The Sage introduces himself as Shyu, and leads them through the hot cavern.
"Avatar Roku once called this temple his home," he explains, and Ka suddenly feels as if she is being given a tour. "He and Minder Divya formed these secret passages out of the magma."
Ka lifts her head.
"Did you know Avatar Roku?" Aang asks curiously.
"No," Shyu replies, "but my grandfather knew him. Many generations of Fire Sages guarded this Fire Temple long before me. We all have a strong spiritual connection to this place."
"Is that how you knew we were coming?"
"A few weeks ago, an amazing thing occurred. The statue of Avatar Roku—its eyes began to glow!" Shyu says, opening his palms in front of him as if to emphasize.
"That's when we were at the Air Temple," Katara realizes. "Avatar Roku's eyes were glowing there, too!"
"At that moment, we knew you had returned to the world," Shyu states firmly.
"If this is the Avatar's temple, why did the sages attack me?" Aang asks, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
"Things have changed," Shyu sighs. "In the past, the sages were loyal only to the Avatar and the Minder. When Roku and Divya died, the sages eagerly awaited for the next Avatar and Minder to return." He pauses. "But they never came."
Aang looks down, stopping in place. "They were waiting for us."
"Hey, don't feel bad," Sokka says, his tone one that Ka does not like. "You're only a hundred years late!" Aang scowls in reply.
Ka cannot bring herself to say anything. Aang ran away, was frozen in ice, and his original Minder was left alone for the hundred years he was gone, until she eventually passed, and her duty as Minder was given (i.e. accidentally ) to Ka.
(But still, the Minder was gone too, so she feels guilty all the same.)
"They lost hope the Avatar and the Minder would ever return," Shyu continues. "When Fire Lord Sozin began the War, my grandfather and the other sages were forced to follow him. Since the last Minder was Air Nation, and the views of the Minder have certainly changed significantly," he looks directly at Ka with a sad look, "they had the statue of Divya removed. The temple looks strangely empty without the Avatar's Minder by his side." He pauses, and shakes his head. "I never wanted to serve the Fire Lord. When I learned you were coming, I knew I would have to betray the other sages."
Aang smiles. "Thank you for helping us," he says, and Ka nods in agreement.
Eventually, they make it up the steps. Shyu pushes aside a tile and climbs into the sanctuary, pulling the others up into it. It is a large room, and columns decorated with dragons line down the entrance to what Ka assumes to be the celestial calendar room. The immense door that leads to it is closed, and Ka tilts her head when she sees five open-mouthed dragons lined across it.
"No!" Shyu gasps.
"Shyu, what's wrong?" Aang asks.
"The sanctuary doors," Shyu says, pointing towards them, "they're closed."
Aang runs up and starts tugging at the handles. Ka does the same, but she can only wonder why there are even handles in the first place, when it seems that you must bend fire into the dragons in order to open it.
"Can't you just open them with firebending?" Katara asks. "Like you opened that other door?"
"No," Shyu replies, shaking his head. "Only a fully realized Avatar or Minder are powerful to open this door alone. Otherwise, the sages must open this door together with five simultaneous fire blasts."
Sokka looks in deep thought, a hand over his chin as he hums. "Five fire blasts, huh?" he muses, and snaps his fingers with a grin. "I think I can help you out!"
He takes the lamp off the wall and takes out the oil, pouring it into a bag he suddenly procured out of nowhere.
"This is a little trick I picked up from my father," he explains. "I seal the lamp oil inside an animal skin casing, Shyu lights the oil-soaked twine, and" he picks up the bag and proudly presents it to the others, "ta-da! Fake firebending!"
"You've really outdone yourself this time, Sokka," Katara scoffs, putting her hands on her hips.
Ka nods, quite impressed.
"This might actually work," Shyu agrees.
Sokka puts each of the bags he fills into the dragons' mouths, and runs off to hide behind Katara.
"The sages will hear the explosion, so as soon as they go off, you rush in!" Shyu says.
"It's almost sunset," Katara says, looking over at Aang. "Are you ready?"
"Definitely," Aang replies.
"Yes," Ka says.
Shyu points his finger and sends a small line of fire across the twine, lighting all five bags at once. He runs to take cover, and the explosion is so loud and intense that the smoke thickens and blocks their vision. Aang and Ka run forward, but the door is not open. Aang pulls at the handles once more, and kicks at them in frustration.
"They're still locked!"
Shyu sighs. "It didn't work."
Everyone moves to stand in front of the doors, staring. Eventually, Aang's frustration gets the better of him, and he swipes his arms down angrily, airbending slices beating against the heavy metal of the door.
"Aang! Stop!" Katara shouts, grabbing his arm. "There's nothing else we can do."
"I'm sorry I put you through all this for nothing," Aang says sadly, hanging his head and closing his eyes.
Sokka runs his finger against the wall, then pulls it back to observe the black soot left behind on his skin. "I don't get it," he says. "That firebending looked as strong as any firebending I've ever seen."
They are all silent for a moment, then Katara gasps.
"Sokka, you're a genius!"
"Wait, how is Sokka a genius?" Aang asks, eyes filled with confusion. He and Ka look at each other with similar expressions. "His plan didn't even work."
"Come on, Aang," Sokka says, smirking. "Let her dream."
"You're right," Katara says. "Sokka's plan didn't work. But it looks like it did."
"Did the definition of genius change over the last hundred years?" Aang asks dubiously.
"You plan to trick them," Ka suddenly realizes, whirling her head to look at Katara. Aang's eyes widen, and Katara nods at her excitedly.
"Let's do it," Katara says, smiling.
Shyu leads the other Fire Sages towards the scorched door.
"Come quickly! The Avatar and his Minder have entered the sanctuary!"
"How did they get in?" the Fire Sage leader asks in shock.
"I don't know," Shyu replies, and he is a good actor, Ka decides, "but look at the scorch marks! And down there!"
The shadow they believe to be one of them is actually Momo, crawling around. Ka suddenly has the urge to giggle at how gullible they are, and puts a hand over her mouth in sudden shock.
"They're inside!" the sage shouts. "Open the doors, immediately! Before they contact Avatar Roku!"
As the fire sages blast fire into the dragons' mouths, Aang and Ka scoot out from a column, ready to jump into action at any moment. When the door opens, the sages gasp at the sight of Momo.
"It's the Avatar's lemur," the sage says. "He must have crawled through the pipes. We've been tricked!"
Before Ka can jump forward, a hand pulls her hair back, and she stumbles into something hard. A warm hand curls around her wrists painfully, and she turns her head to see Prince Zuko standing there triumphantly. His other hand is holding onto Aang.
"Not so quick now, huh?" he whispers, and Ka kicks at his leg. He only shoves her forward, making her grunt in pain.
"Aang! Ka! Now's your chance!" she hears Katara shout. Ka gives Aang a worried look, and Prince Zuko pushes the two of them forward, pinning both of them nearby unmovable.
"The Avatar and his Minder are coming with me!" he announces, making their friends gape in shock. "Close the doors! Quickly!" They end up being captured by the sages, and Ka watches as they are chained to the columns.
They are shoved down the steps, Ka struggling to break free from the painful grip the prince has her in. She supposes it is revenge from Kyoshi, and she grits her teeth. Aang suddenly spins in the air, and with the prince distracted, Ka pulls her wrists from his grip and whirls around. She knees him in the stomach, and when he doubles over, she turns and kicks him down the steps.
Aang starts running towards Katara and Sokka, but when they urge him towards the closing towards, Aang picks up Ka and jumps over the sages' heads and sails through the door just as it closes. Ka has to hold onto her hair just to keep it from getting caught.
When they are inside, Aang puts down Ka, and they step closer to the statue.
"The light hits the statue and we talk to Roku and Divya," Aang says. "So why isn't anything happening?"
A moment passes.
"Why isn't anything happening?" Aang cries, exasperated. "I don't know what I'm doing! All I know is airbending! Please, Avatar Roku, talk to me!"
"Give it time," Ka urges, putting a hand on his shoulder.
The beam of light from the sun suddenly engulfs the entire statue, and the eyes of it glow bright white. Smoke fills the room and smothers them, and when it finally dissipates, they are on a misty mountaintop.
Avatar Roku and Minder Divya stand before them.
"It's good to see you two, " Avatar Roku says, smiling.
"What took you so long? " Minder Divya asks.
Aang and Ka both bow to the ones standing before them.
"We have something very important to tell you, " Roku says. "That is why, when you were in the Spirit World, I sent my dragon to find you. "
"Is it about that vision?" Aang asks. "The one of the comet?"
"Yes, " Divya answers, nodding once.
"What does it mean?" Ka finds the words leaving her mouth before she realizes it.
"One hundred years ago, " Roku starts, "Fire Lord Sozin used that comet to begin the War. "
"He and his firebending army harnessed its incredible power, " Divya says, "and dealt a deadly first strike against the other nations. "
"So the comet made them stronger?" Aang guesses.
"Yes, " Roku replies, and his voice sounds sad. "Stronger than you could even imagine. "
"But that happened a hundred years ago," Aang says. "What does the comet have to do with the War now? "
"Listen carefully, " Divya orders softly, and takes a deep breath. "Sozin's Comet will return by the end of the summer, and Fire Lord Ozai will use its power to finish the War, once and for all. "
"If he succeeds, even the Avatar and the Minder will not be able to restore balance to the world, " Roku says. "Aang, Ka, you must defeat the Fire Lord, before the comet arrives. "
Aang's eyes widen, and Ka clenches her fists anxiously.
"But I haven't even started learning waterbending, not to mention earth and fire!" Aang counters worriedly.
"Mastering the elements takes years of discipline and practice, " Divya says.
"But if the world is to survive, " Roku states, his voice deadly serious, "you must do it by summer's end. "
Aang and Ka look at each other in a mixture of shock and horror. Between them, surely they could have enough power, but mastering all the elements by the end of the summer seems incredibly impossible.
Ka resists the urge to look down at her feet and curl into herself. Divya would certainly scold her.
"What if we are not able to master all the elements in time?" Ka asks, trying not to let her panic show. She digs her nails into her palms. "What if we fail?"
"I know you can do it, " Roku assures, and Ka suddenly feels as if she is back in the Spirit World, practicing forms with Roku in the swamp, "for you have done it before. "
Ka smiles softly, and Divya nods once at her.
"The solstice is ending, " Divya says. "We must go our separate ways, for now. "
"But we won't be able to come back to the temple," Aang says, stepping forward. "What if we have questions? How will we talk to you?"
"We are a part of you, " Roku says. "When you need to speak with us again, you will find a way. "
Roku and Divya shut their eyes, Aang and Ka following in unison. A vision appears—Fire Navy ships are surrounding all edges of the island. Firebenders are positioned in front of the door, arms stretched out, waiting.
A great danger awaits you at the temple, Divya's voice comes through their mind, We can help you face the threat. But only if you are ready.
Aang and Ka open their glowing eyes, and their tattoos begin to glow.
"I'm ready. "
Katara struggles against the chains when she sees the door begin to glow again. Smoke comes out from underneath the door, and through the small slit in the middle. Suddenly, the door seemingly unlocks itself, slowly pushing open. A blinding white light makes her look away, squeezing her eyes shut.
"Ready..." she hears Zhao say, and her eyes widen in shock.
The light fades, and in the darkness there is only a single pair of glowing white eyes.
"No!" Katara shouts, "Aang! Ka!"
"FIRE! " Zhao and his guards blast fire into the room, but instead of hitting its target, the fire swirls around the pair of eyes and form a wall.
Untouched, behind the flames, is what looks like Avatar Roku, but also not. The figure wears Fire Nation robes, but with Air Nation colors decorated across it. His usual white hair has thick brown streaks throughout it, and on his forehead comes an airbending tattoo.
"I can't believe it," Shyu whispers. "It's them. Jiéhé. "
Katara isn't exactly what he means by them, but there isn't any time to think about it. The firebending figure before them draws the fire closer to themself, before thrusting their arms out and sending it out towards the room. It knocks Zhao and his guards to the ground, and melts the chains that pin the others to the walls. The blast destroys the walls of the temple, and the firebending figure turns their attention to the sages. They scramble to their feet, running out of the temple as fast as they can.
"Avatar Roku and Minder Divya are going to destroy the temple!" Shyu implores. "We have to get out of here!"
"Not without Aang and Ka!" Katara counters, and she bites her lip nervously as she watches the firebending figure destroy the floor they stand on.
They melt the floor, lift their hand, and a stream of lava erupts in maddened explosions. It bursts through the temple, tearing it apart from the inside. Katara hides behind a column, grabbing onto her brother, and hears the firebending figure exhale slowly.
All the smoke from the fire and lava draw in around the figure, and when it's gone it reveals a weary Aang and Ka.
The two drop to their knees, and they almost fall before Katara and Sokka catch them.
"We got your back," Sokka says, throwing Ka's arm over his shoulder.
"Thanks," Aang says, leaning into Katara's touch. He feels oddly light, she thinks. "Where's Shyu?"
"I don't know," she replies honestly.
When they reach the exit, it is piling up with lava. They look down in horror, but a familiar growl makes them all look up. Appa and Momo are soaring towards them, and the group runs out of the temple and jumps onto him. They fly away, and Katara looks back at the destruction before looking at the weary Avatar and Minder in the saddle.
She wonders just exactly who was bending the lava in the temple.
That night, as she thinks about it more, she realizes that both Aang and Ka emerged from the smoke that surrounded the firebending figure, almost like they were combined in one body.
"They were one entity!" Katara shouts, waking everyone else up.
Ka sits up and rubs at her eyes. They are so vividly violet they seem to glow. "Huh?" she murmurs.
"Avatar Roku and his Minder," Katara says, gesturing with her hands. "The figure. They were one! One entity! Like a fusion! Jiéhé! "
Ka just blinks at her.
"Uh," Katara says, blushing in embarrassment, "we talk about this in the morning."
Ka stares at her blankly for a moment more, before laying back down and going back to sleep. Katara just wonders how she can always remain so stoic in all their adventures thus far.
She has not once seen Ka smile, and makes it her personal goal to make her do so.
quick katara pov at the end there.
(jiéhé = fusion/singularity)
so. steven-universe-style fusion? yeah. fancy, huh?
hope you all enjoyed this. i know i enjoyed writing it.
next is the waterbending scroll, jet, and the great divide (ugh). hope you'll stick around til' then.
