Thank you to Kira Kyuu for the quick proofread.

Chapter 25: The Request

Yugato, for his part, could not look away from those endless white orbs … the gaze of the Avatar state nearly knocking him down. He had heard legends about it and its power, but in the scrolls it was always said: it was something you had to see to truly understand the horror of it. After all, you were looking into the soul of the Earth. That was the truest definition of the Avatar State. It was primal and catastrophic so you had to pray that it wasn't looking at you, because it was assured: you would meet its fury.

It was then that Yugato was sure he was going to die, and the Avatar did not dissuade such thoughts when it finally spoke, its voice echoing Lee's feeling, "I will not be chained."

Yugato, legs giving out on him, stumbled back into a solid structure. He turned his head enough to see it was the Earth Master and sagged against the other when he realized he wasn't dead yet.

Then, only his fingers twitching, the Avatar started its display of power, the teenager throwing his head back as flames erupted from his open mouth like a great belching dragon. The wind quickly joined the Avatar's rage, erupting like a tornado around the fire-bender, flames given life in the cyclone's exterior. Soon, there were waves of hot air bleeding into the cold arctic afternoon, melting homes and the very icy ground upon which the Avatar had stood, the cyclone getting larger and larger as it slowly started to claim the palace grounds.

Yugato, frozen by the display of power, barely even felt someone snag his arm until he was being basically dragged. He titled his head, eyeing the Earth Bender that was pulling him away from the growing cyclone.

"We have to stop him," said the air-bender, horror in his voice.

"Obviously," agreed Pakku as he slid over to the Air Master, helping Yugato's weak legs; the monk had been so sure he was going to die when the Avatar tilted his gaze in his direction, his legs were still trying to catch up. "He's going to melt the city."

"No," said Yugato. "I don't know how he didn't activate it the first time, but this time … the Fire Sages will know that the Avatar has returned."

Pakku's face actually seemed to pale at the news as he looked at his reluctant student, his voice hoarse, "Should we try to stop him? I can get the water-benders to-"

Placing a hand up, having regained the strength in his legs, Yugato shook his head, "If there is one thing I know about the Avatar State, it is best not to antagonize it. We need to calm him down and pray we get him out of it before he activates the temples around the world. It is a wonder that he hasn't already."

"One problem there," said Jayendra as he gathered with the group of Masters, the scarred bender trying to shield his eyes with his hands as the wind billowed at his clothing. "No one can get close enough to even calm him down and that wind … it's getting faster. I think we have to worry about evacuating people first. We need to get them out of the way."

"Agreed," said Pakku as he watched the winds start to become misty and almost cloud-like, "But is there nothing we can do to calm him down?"

"Are you a loved one?" said Yugato more to make a point then to actually expect an answer.

"Well maybe if loved one translates into: I'd love to strangle you. Yeah, Pakku would fit that description. Most of the Water Tribe actually," said Jayendra in an irritated tone, Pakku throwing him a nasty glare.

"Then I doubt there is much we can do … the Fire Nation will know about the Avatar," whispered Yugato, his tone pained.

And there, the winds roaring around them and growing louder and louder, was a moment of silence amongst the Masters. It was as if they had already failed.

…

Aang had seen the whole display from the rush of battle followed by the Avatar state itself. It had unnerved a part of him and yet he couldn't find it in himself to be truly afraid. It was just part of him. He loved adventure and folly and running down the side of a mountain with an avalanche following after you. He loved a little bit of chaos because chaos in itself was a type of freedom. It had no rules or regulation or responsibilities … it just was. And yet, this chaos before him did not instill that same feeling of freedom. It surprisingly made him sad to see Lee this way and he wanted to reach out to his new friend and tell him to calm down and that everything would be okay, he would lead the way.

What that exactly meant, he wasn't sure, but he was sure that this was not supposed to be happening. He was supposed to do something about it … especially when it started to get out of hand.

It was a cyclone at this point, a tornado almost of flame and fire and wind. The heat was almost unbearable because Aang had personally never really known true heat. He was raised in the cold. He knew the cold almost as well as a water tribesman did, and this heat was wrong. This blaze of power was heating the air. Structures were starting to melt and the cyclone was only getting larger and larger as the wind grew fierce.

People were screaming and running and tripping … and then the cyclone grabbed a hold of the first house, melting it and destroying it as if it was nothing but a child's wooden blocks. And it was then, as Aang watch a piece of rubble fly out of the cyclone and slam into the back of an aging man, that he realized how serious the situation really was.

The Avatar was mad. He was angry … and this growing cyclone would devour the whole city in a matter of minutes.

Aang, who had been ordered to retreat shortly after the fire-balls started to destroy the courtyard, pulled his staff close and swallowed feeling a pit of guilt settle in his stomach. He should have tried harder to calm Zuko before the situation had escalated, but he was just a youth who had been raised in a temple most of his life. What could he do? He was just some air-bending kid.

You can do more than you know.

Aang's grip tightened even more on his staff, his oddity rising to the occasion as it whispered to him again.

You must speak with him.

Aang wanted to shake his head, hating his spiritual connection because this was not the time to act weird or freak out. There were hoards of people filing out of their houses, grabbing their children and running because their city was going to be destroyed. He should be helping people escape. He shouldn't be trying to figure out the fastest way to get tenderized and then fried lightly like a piece of pork. And yet the voice in his head, the voice that sounded oddly like his own voice, added:

People are going to die … speak to him.

The air-bender groaned at the intrusion in his head and dragged up a palm to press against his eye socket. His head was starting to hurt. Squinting his eyes as hard as he could, he pressed away the vision he knew was coming. They always came. Things that had been, places that were, places he knew and yet could not have known.

He did not have time for this and yet it came, a memory, a thought, a vision … whatever it wanted to be called.

A man wearing full Air Master garb stood before him in what looked like a temple: an air temple but it was in perfect condition, air-benders in orange and yellow laughing and playing in the background. And yet the Master looked unhappy, disappointed even and for some reason that deeply bothered Aang even though a part of him had no idea why this figure's sorrow would bother him so.

"Master Gyatso, please, don't ground me. I need my glider. I can't be stuck on the ground all week. It wasn't like I got hurt," whined a young voice that reminded him deeply of his own, so much so it unnerved him slightly.

The Master sighed and looked down at the glider in his hand, an ancient design that didn't need to be disguised as a walking stick or umbrella like their modern gliders usually were. He pulled it close and gave whomever he was talking to a sad smile.

"I am sorry my student but you jumped into a cyclone … You could have been hurt and all the Masters agree: we can't allow that," said Gyatso carefully, his words carrying something unspoken behind it.

The youthful voice sighed, almost whimpering as he murmured, "I understand Master … I just wanted to see the eye though. I heard the best place to view a storm was in the middle."

The old man laughed slightly as he signaled for the young bender to follow him, "I wouldn't always trust what the older students tell you. They are just upset with your aptitude for bending and want to see you fail. You must'nt be angry with them though ... I will talk with them later."

The young voice was silent for a moment, and then sorrowfully replied, "Yes Master."

Gyatso offered a true smile this time and laughed, "Don't let it bother you. Come, tell me how you did get in the eye while we find some fruit pies … not that we plan on eating them."

The young voice laughed, warmly adding, "Well, it's not like I broke through the winds, I just went around. I allowed the exterior currents to carry me up to the top of the storm and then I went down through the center of the storm. It was a blast."

The memory faded with Gyatso's laugh.

Aang, when he opened his eyes, found tears streaming down his face. He didn't know why but the thought of this Gyatso person brought him much happiness and sorrow. Using his sleeves to wipe his nose, the youth promised he'd find out why this man was important to a part of his soul as he looked back on the scene before him. The cyclone was almost twice as large now … and this time it was not as intimidating. He knew how to get to Lee.

Throwing open his glider, a look of determination on his face, Aang was suddenly running forward and taking to the air. Even though he knew he should be dwelling on his surroundings and powerful wind and the flying debris, all he could think of was Gyatso and his sad smile … Why was he truly so sad?

Eyes squinting as he drew higher and higher into the sky, the cold air hitting him as he suddenly burst above the cloud cover, the air thin. He could barely believe how quickly he had risen and yet, telling his lungs not to panic from the lack of breath, Aang located the very center of the storm and glancing at it, thinking it was indeed a great view, he dove down grabbing onto Gyatso's true smile for strength.

He knew if he found out whom this Gyatso was he might know something more about himself and his abilities. Maybe he was Gyatso … finally reborn. A life to live again and yet that didn't feel quite right.

Finally taking in a breath, the air warm again, Aang merely allowed himself to fall. Using gravity to descend, the air-bender quickly found the ground coming his way. Opening his glider, the bender slowed his descent and hovered for a moment before his feet splashed into the water below, the water surprisingly warm and halfway up his ankles.

Lee was melting the city's very foundation it seemed. This was worse than a few buildings.

Swallowing, the preteen slowly raised his head and readied himself to meet the Avatar's gaze. He was ready to beg Lee to stop. He was ready to tell the Avatar he was supposed to help people.

His stomach sinking because he did not want to think of what would happen if the Avatar wished to attack him, Aang pointed a defiant gaze in the Avatar's direction. What he saw though, the wind still fluttering around them even though he was technically in the eye of the storm, made Aang almost want to sink backwards into the whirlwind behind him if only to escape the strange figure.

It was the Avatar … and yet it was not his Avatar. The figure before him was not Lee, or at least didn't look like Lee. The man in the middle of the storm was a tall figure, draped in red with his hair pulled back in classic Fire Nation fashion. He had this regal look all about him even with those haunting white orbs with their directionless gaze.

His next words almost made the air-bender flinch in his own skin, "Aang, where have you been?"

The kid looked behind him to make sure there wasn't another Aang in the vortex because there was no way this stately character knew his name. Why would he? He was just some air-bender kid with spiritual powers.

And yet, as he turned around, it was obvious that no one else was in the vortex. Not, knowing what else to do, Aang slowly pointed at himself. The regal fire-bender merely nodded his head, his voice deep and strangely familiar, like a stone dropped beneath the water. You know that you dropped it down there, but the color of the stone was slowly forgotten and was just recalled as a murky black color like the water it rested in.

"Yes, Aang. I'm speaking to you. There is no one else here, is there?"

Aang looked behind himself once more at the swirling grey vortex before he gulped and choked, "No … but how did you know my name? And who are you?"

The figure gave Aang a sad smile and spoke kindly, "Let's just say … we've met before. But don't dwell on that now. You can merely call me Avatar Roku. I have come because I needed to speak to you since it seems that Zuko has lost his way, and it is your job to help lead him where he needs to be and to help him when he falters."

Roku's eyes took on a cheerless look, "His scars run deep."

Aang stood there a moment, confused. Who was Zuko?

"As you have noticed, Avatar Zuko cannot stay here anymore. I understand the Water Tribe's desperation and some of the past lives … agree… that perhaps a clean slate may be best, but Zuko must be given a chance to be the Avatar before such a course is allowed," continued Roku, his glowing form hypnotizing the air-bender.

"Okay," said Aang as he bit his lip, feeling like this was way too much responsibility for him, like his actions would decide if Lee or Zuko or whatever his name was would forget himself. "But … what do I do? I'm just some air-bending kid. I just wanted to stop this and make sure no one else got hurt! I just want Lee … to smile."

"And you will, Aang, but right now you must listen carefully, my time grows short," said Roku with the same sad smile that whispered some unknown truth and pity. "Even in the Avatar State, Zuko will not make it to the main lands. He would become exhausted before then, untrained as he is. So I must set the burden on your shoulders my young friend."

Aang swallowed but merely nodded his head though he was no fan of the lack of answers he was getting.

"In the ocean comes a group of fire-benders that wish to take the Avatar away from this place," said Roku, titling his head in the direction the fire-benders were undoubtedly coming from.

"Fire-fire benders! Like burn-your-house-down fire-benders? Why would I want Lee, umm … Zuko… I mean the Avatar… with them?!" gasped Aang, feeling like the cyclone was closing in on him.

"Because his Uncle sent them. He is a wise man," added Roku with a sad smile, his voice softer. "Do not fear them Aang. They merely wish to help one of their own so I want you to help Zuko get to them. Help Zuko get out of this city."

Aang held a flabbergast expression and seemed ready to reluctantly agree but then Roku said something most unexpected.

"And I want you to go with them, keep Zuko on track," said Roku, the wind suddenly wavering. "But, my time is almost done. You must hurry Aang. Zuko will not be able to hold these winds much longer and once he is out … he will surely collapse. If he is to escape, you must do something now. And Aang..."

The air-bender reared back slightly, shaking his head. A daring escape? Could he do that? Well, it did kind of sound like fun, but what of his Master? Not that the youth got to complain or retort when suddenly Roku bowed his head and murmured, "Thank you for your sacrifice."

Aang then started to feel a pull, like he was going to be thrown out of the vortex with just enough time to plan a daring escape before the winds faded.

Feeling a weight in those words and their meaning, Aang reached out a hand and cried, "No, wait! I have questions for you! Do you know someone named Gyatso! And what sacrifice! Wait."

But the wind struck out causing the young bender to cover his eyes with his arms as he struggled to call back Avatar Roku. Unfortunately, instead of a reply, the wind was suddenly all around him, the cyclone throwing him out into the world. Aang screamed at the sudden rush, thinking himself dead because he surely couldn't steady himself before he hit the ground. And yet, a second later he found his butt making impact with something soft and slightly pointy. The youth yelled out in surprise and struggled against it only to stall a moment later when he sneezed, realizing what he had fallen in.

"Hay?" murmured the youth as he opened his eyes and looked at the pile of soft stuff he had landed in. He then looked upward, the ceiling ripped out by Lee's powers most likely and revealing the sky. Said sky was quickly replaced by a fuzzy head though, Appa's head. Said beast wasted no time placing his head into the hay pile, licking Aang which causing the youth to laugh and giggle as he kicked out and begged, "No Appa, stop, stop. I need to help Lee. I need a daring escape plan or something. Stop, you're tickling me."

And yet as soon as he had said those lines, Appa drawing away, the youth sat up on his elbows and smiled at the large beast, an idea already in motion, "You know what Appa, you just gave me an idea. Tell me: are you any good with daring escape plans?"

Appa merely opened his jaw and yawned.

"I'll take that as a yes," said the air-bender with a grin as he jumped to his feet, smiling to himself. "Glad I kept a hold of my staff though because I can't go on a trip without it. Now where's your saddle."

…

Meanwhile, far from the air-bender and the dead's request stood a figure in red, his face alight in a blue unworldly glow. His head was titled back, his eyes wide, his heart pounding so hard in his chest he barely even noticed that his fellow sages had wandered up behind him. He just couldn't believe it. It was a dark day, a dark day indeed, because it meant … they would have to kill one of their own, a child or babe most likely.

"The Avatar … has awoken," whispered a voice behind Shyu, causing the Fire Sage to slowly turn around.

His expression was not hopeful as he eyed the aging fire-bender: the Great Sage, Jurro. Jurro's family had long since lost its meaning and was no longer connected to the Avatar and the Fire Sages' original beliefs. As far as Shyu was aware, few of the sages were. Maybe there were a few that wandered the colonies banishing wayward spirits and contributing to formal ceremonies, because apparently some of them had actually conversed with air-benders on a spiritual level. Not that Shyu shared that rumor with anyone here. Most of the Fire Sages of Crescent Island had long since gone bad. True, he knew that the High Sage did not condone nor support either opinion, but officially he was supposed to detest that blue light: the sign of the Avatar.

"Someone send a message to the Fire Lord. The Avatar has returned for his new cycle … most likely as one of our own," said Jurro, his face alight in a blue light as the previous lives' statues glowed.

"This is indeed a dark day," murmured Shyu to the aging sage, trying his best to not sound bitter.

The Great Sage turned to him, a quip of a smirk slowly pulling at his sagging skin. "Oh, I wouldn't say that. If he or she was raised a true Fire Nation citizen they will chose our side and soon the world will know all our glory … if he or she can overcome their previous lives, that is."

Face cast in shadows as he turned his back completely to the gazing sages, Shyu nodded, "Yes … our Fire Lord's glory."

And with that, Shyu, grandson of Kaja, walked away, his mind swimming in a thick panic. Perhaps he would see if that rumor was true. Perhaps, there were air-benders still in the world. Maybe there were still a few that hid from genocide and they could take in the Avatar. Maybe his contacts in the Fire Nation would help find the child before the Fire Lord did? Maybe the child was lucky enough not to be born in the Fire Nation? And yet, among all the questions, one thing was certain: the Avatar was no longer safe.

XXX

Paw07: Not much to say. It's a short chapter probably because this story has been frustrating me something awful so I figured a short chapter was the way to go. Baby steps as they say. Also, I will be going back and revising chapters slowly as well for grammar or plot inconsistencies so updates are going to be slow as I do this.