One review from Kimjuni2 and that's it. Are you guys that disinterested in this story, or what? These are the main characters we're talking about here, the ones that went through the most change. I would like to think there is more participation in discussing their changes than what you showed me. Either way, this will most likely be the last character in the entire story, and I hope there will be more engagement in the discussion process. I present the first part of the rites of passage of Aang.

Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko own Avatar.


Appa's POV

"Appa," a soft voice called to me. My eyelids were still heavy, as I barely got any sleep. Usually, on late autumn nights like these, it was really comfortable at the bison stables, given the wind breezing in made the temperatures just right to drift away. But for some reason, I had very little rest, and somehow I figured a certain young air bender had to do with that.

And said air bender was Aang, who kept one hand on my fur while negotiating his way to my back, placing the harness and saddle on as quietly as possible. Aang had been my companion since I was a calf, when we first chose each other at the Eastern Air Temple. He offered me an apple, which I willingly took, and we had been bonded ever since then. From what I knew about Aang, he was a gentle, fun-loving, carefree boy, always having some new idea on fun and games and never stopped adventuring. Whether it was going to Omashu to visit Bumi or the Fire Nation to visit Kuzon, Aang's drive was just non-stop. So to see him come up to me with such a gloomy look, I knew something must have happened.

"We have to go, buddy," Aang whispered, climbing into the saddle. He grabbed the reins, leading me out of my stall and into the open. It was so out of character for Aang, trudging in with his head down and void of energy. From what I heard, Aang was announced to be the Avatar just a few days ago, and deep down I was very happy for him. Knowing that he would be the one to help balance the world, and I would be by his side helping him along the way, it was something I could never imagine doing. So why did he seem so sad?

The familiar call of "yip, yip" sent me into the air, flying away from the air temple and into the clouds. Aang was strangely silent the entire time, and judging from the stoic way he sat on my back, I had to find out what was going on. Letting out a soft groan from my mouth, I tried to sway my head from side to side, hoping he would notice. Luckily, Aang read my sign, and gently stroked my fur. "We're pretty much on our own, buddy," he murmured, "I'm running away from home. I can't be around those people right now."

I nearly lost my concentration as Aang announced that to me. Why on earth would he want to get away from the Air Nomads? He had friends throughout the temple, and one of the elders, Gyatso, was very close to him. "The monks told me I was the Avatar, and then things just changed," Aang continued, his tone unbelievably muted, "none of my friends wanted to play with me anymore, claiming as the Avatar I had an unfair advantage. And I taught them my new Air Scooter move too, and wanted to make up a new game with them. Now, they won't even let me go near them. How bad can that get?" he pulled on my reins in frustration.

I tilted direction, heading away from the mountains and towards to coast. The cool night just got colder as some clouds gathered in the distance. Somehow, I doubted that this journey was about to go as smoothly as Aang would imagine. "As if that wasn't bad enough, now the other monks wanted to separate Gyatso and me," Aang continued, his rant getting a little louder now, with a significant tinge of frustration and anger mixed into his earlier sadness, "they think Gyatso is interfering with my training, and that I had to learn all the elements as soon as possible so that I could help them stop an impending war or something like that. Why would the Fire Nation even attack us? Kuzon is my friend, and he would never do such a thing!" He exclaimed.

I was in total shock after hearing this. I heard that the Avatar was supposed to leave home after mastering their native element, and was to travel to the other nations to learn their arts as well. It was the Avatar's way of walking a mile in the other benders' shoes, and I fully expected Aang and me to be on this journey sometime in the future. But to rush all that onto Aang right now, before he could even prepare? Wasn't that a bit much?

Aang stole the words from me immediately. "It's like they want to take away the ones I loved the most. It's like them telling me I could never have a family," Aang continued, a slight sobbing laced with his words, "I know Gyatso really tried to convince them, but it didn't work. If the monks had their way, I would be heading for the Eastern Air Temple right now. I couldn't take that type of isolation, so I just wrote Gyatso a message, and left the temple."

Well, at least that meant seeing my family, since my mother was probably still at that temple. But for Aang, I knew how devastating this would be for him. There was no way someone so young and carefree could have such a huge task thrust upon him this quickly. Was there really a war going on? Couldn't the monks be a bit more considerate, considering how unprepared Aang was? Surely they were willing to be a bit more lenient, right?

But at the same time, knowing Aang, I knew he had the ability to tackle this challenge, no matter how unprepared he was right now. Aang was one of the youngest people ever to receive his tattoos, and was clever enough to think up of his own air bending move. This was one of the most resourceful air benders I had ever seen, and I was sure the people of the world would be very blessed to have Aang as their Avatar when he matured. Maybe there was a way to draw a compromise between Aang and the monks, just so he could continue his training without being separated from his family. If I could talk or write, I would volunteer myself to send them that message. What better way to help my best friend than to let him reconcile with the monks?

Suddenly, I was hit with a huge gust of wind, slamming my side and veering me off course. I struggled to stay on track, but there was no denying what happened; we entered into a freak thunderstorm, and were in for the fight of our lives. I tried to air bend as much as possible, but it was no good. The winds were too erratic for me to get any balance, and the water slashing at me didn't help either. Before long, I found myself in the water, kicking and whipping my tail in order to stay afloat. I wasn't too terrible with swimming, as my kicks could still get us some progress, but it was evident that I was most comfortable in the skies. I could only roar in total frustration, the waves swirling faster and threatening to drag us under. Where was Aang?

Just then, a bright globe surrounded me, leaving me dry and warm. I had no idea what this was all about, but had a feeling that Aang was behind this. Somehow, he used this strange technique to save us, whatever it was. Either way, the only choice we had was to wait out this storm, whenever it would end. My eyelids felt heavy once more as I dozed off. Maybe after taking a nap, it would all be better again, for both Aang and me.


Aang's POV

"Hey," the girl's voice called to me from Appa's saddle. I was still feeling a little weird after being trapped in that iceberg, but the most amazing girl just freed me from there. Her name was Katara, and she and her brother were from the Southern Water Tribe. I had to admit that I had never been there before, so visiting that place would be a great experience. What more fun could I have then going penguin sledding with Katara?

"Hey," I greeted her back, lying nonchalantly on Appa's head as we floated along. Appa was still too tired to fly after getting out of the ice with me, so we just decided to take the slow way to the water tribe by swimming. "What are you thinking about?" For some reason, I felt so good being around Katara. She was friendly, open, and immediately I felt attached to her. It didn't hurt that she was the one to break me out of the ice, and now staring at her against the backdrop of the night sky just seemed to make her stand out that much more. Wouldn't it be great if she came to the Southern Air Temple with me, where I could show her to my friends?

"I was just wondering, with you being an air bender and all, if you had any idea what happened to the Avatar?" Katara asked, leaning her face over the edge of the saddle. With that comment, I could feel my blood draining out of my face. Why did she have to ask that?

I stuttered, trying to figure out some way to make her let go of that issue. "I didn't know him. I knew people that knew him, but I didn't, sorry!" I concluded, mustering the biggest grin I could. Seriously, the less she talked about this issue, the better.

Katara thanked me, claiming she was just curious to know. But for me, even someone asking in curiosity wasn't something I wanted. I felt sick to my stomach as Katara's face left my view, leaving me queasy the entire journey. Truth of the matter was, I was the Avatar, a role that I never wanted in the first place. Last memory I recalled before breaking out of the ice was when I left the temple extremely upset, knowing that the monks were going to separate me from Gyatso. I knew it wasn't too smart to run away like that, and flying into the thunderstorm was even dumber, but there wasn't much I could do. How else could I argue with those guys?

Before long, I soon dozed off, taking me back into a thunderstorm scene. Katara and her brother Sokka were no longer with me, and I was surrounded by violent storm clouds, identical to the ones that were there when Appa and I flew off. The events played themselves out one by one, with the lightning flaring around me, sending Appa and me into the water. Then, it was like my body was no longer in control of itself as my hands instinctively pressed together, creating a strange glow. I couldn't talk, or move, or even see properly, but I knew ice was slowly forming.

Then, as suddenly as I was encased, I snapped awake, Katara's voice echoing in my ears as I shot from my position. Taking a look around, I realized I wasn't on Appa anymore; rather, I was in a hut of some sort, most likely in the Southern Water Tribe, given that it was already morning. "Everyone's waiting to meet you," Katara informed me. With that, I quickly got dressed, grabbing my staff on the way out as Katara led me into the snow.

Wow! I had never seen so many people greet me at once before! Usually, when I visited friends in Omashu or the Fire Nation, we would hang out in a small group. But here, it was like Katara brought her whole village over. Looking around, I saw some elderly folk, some young ones, and Katara herself, introducing me to her grandmother. I gave them a quick bow, but the tribe didn't seem as friendly towards me. Some people seemed downright afraid, as they held their children close to them. What, did Appa sneeze on me, and now they thought I was dirty?

Katara's grandmother explained, claiming that no one had seen an air bender for a hundred years, thinking they were extinct. That comment alone made me scratch my head, as I recalled quite a few people still living in the Southern Air Temple before I left. I tried to get more information, but then Katara's brother Sokka had to interject. Snatching my staff, he swung it around awkwardly. "You can't stab anything with this," he smugly pointed out.

Well Sokka, how wrong could you be. This wasn't for stabbing, but for air bending. Flipping the staff open, I unleashed the wings, turning it into a glider, much to the delight of the kids. I figured that I should give them a demonstration, given they probably hadn't seen anyone fly before. Sokka's insistence that this was all magic only proved my point, as he dared to claim humans couldn't fly. Sokka, I suggested you think again. Taking a deep breath, I leaped into the air, feeling the air currents under my glider and did a couple of laps above them.

Unfortunately, the fun had to be cut short, as I ended up crashing into Sokka's watch tower. By the time I dug myself out, Katara's grandmother pulled her away, claiming there were chores to do. I ended up hanging out with the kids for a while, much to Sokka's disapproval. He claimed he had to prepare the kids for defending the village or something. Come on, Sokka, why would you have to defend the village? It wasn't like there was anyone attacking you. Besides, why couldn't you just let these kids have some fun every now and then?

Apparently, that wasn't enough to stop Sokka from hounding us, stalking up to us while I had the kids play slide on Appa's tail. He kept ranting about a war was going on, but I hadn't heard anything like that to my knowledge. I knew Gyatso mentioned something about the Fire Nation doing something, but that's all just speculation, right? If there was a problem in the Fire Nation, Kuzon would have told me by now. So why worry, Sokka?

Just then, something caught my eye. "Penguin!" I yelled, seeing that adorable looking bird waddle in the distance. I had always wanted to go penguin sledding, and Katara promised to participate in that with me. What better chance to do that than now? Without another word, I raced into the distance, chasing the little fellow who looked so clumsy, but stayed so elusive. Come here, little guy, I wouldn't harm you. I just wanted to go sledding with you. Just as I got close enough to the funny-looking bird, I pounced, hoping to get it in my hands.

Unfortunately, the little critter proved too stubborn, and I was soon having some trouble. I was slipping and sliding across the ice shelf, with dozens of penguins going in and out of the frigid water, but to no avail. Even by impersonating them, making them think I was one of them, it didn't work. Soon enough, I heard a soft giggle from the top of the hill where I first came from. "Aang, I'll help you catch a penguin if you teach me water bending," Katara proposed.

I floated up from the ground, too happy to accept. But there was one problem, as I was an air bender, not a water bender. As Katara got me prepared to catch a penguin, we thought up of what other ways to teach her bending. Apparently, Katara was the only water bender in the South Pole, meaning the closest she could get to a teacher was in the North Pole. "Appa and I can personally fly you to the North Pole," I added, more excited than ever. I visited the South Pole, and now I could visit the North Pole too? How amazing was that?

But I had to hold that thought, as Katara shoved a fish into my hands. Before long, I was swarmed by the flightless birds, all of whom wanting to get some food. "Hey, that tickles," I shouted, trying to grab a random bird while making sure the others weren't pecking my clothes off. By the time I got hold of one, Katara already had the other, one that she said she snatched from the back of the formation. "Well, let's have the time of our lives," I exclaimed.

Yahoo! Riding penguins was a blast, as the landscape whipped past us in indescribable fashion. I was having the time of my life, afraid of neither the cold wind whipping past me nor the ice and snow around me as I traversed ice sheets, caverns, and snow hills. But above all, what made me happiest was that Katara got to experience this with me. She was a very special person, and she deserved to enjoy every moment of this. She had all this fun stuff in her own backyard, but it seemed like she never had a chance to use them. What was happening in the Southern Water Tribe that made her so obsessed with work, to the point where she couldn't have fun?

But by the time we halted, I realized we hit the jackpot. Before us was this huge ship trapped in the ice shelf, its silhouette casting a dark shadow over us. "The fire navy ship, and a very bad memory for my people," Katara stated, her tone suddenly dark and serious, "we're not allowed to go near it. It could be booby-trapped."

I approached nonetheless, realizing that this was the biggest obstacle for Katara before she could become a bender. "If you want to be a bender, you have to let go of fear," I pointed out. With that, I beckoned her to approach the ship, going right up to the ice blocks leaning up against the hull. The tall mast soared way above us, the Fire Nation flag waving ominously against the winter sky. There was nothing but dark, eerie silence as we entered the ship, our every step echoing against the metallic walls. I had no idea where we were going, other than following the pipes on the ceiling of each hallway. But for me, this was what adventuring was all about; letting go of that fear, breaking free of restrictions, and being submersed in a new world.

But the next room I entered soon told me this new world wasn't exactly a friendly one, as there was an assortment of horrible weapons, most of which could probably do severe harm to a person should they be wielded by an expert. Katara told me that this ship was around during the Fire Nation's first raid on their village, during the time when her grandmother was her age. That didn't seem right. If Katara's grandmother was her age when this ship was here, that meant there was a war even before I was born. So how come I didn't know anything about it, and none of my friends, even Kuzon from the Fire Nation, mentioned it to me? "I have friends all over the world, even in the Fire Nation," I responded to Katara's story, picking up and observing one weapon after another, "I've never seen any war!" To me, this story was bordering absurdity.

Just then, Katara unleashed a bombshell by asking me how long I was in that iceberg. I racked my brain, trying to figure out when I left. It couldn't have been more than a few days ago, right? Apparently, Katara disagreed. "I think it was more like a hundred years. Think about it," she analyzed, "the war is a century old. You don't know about it because, somehow, you were in there that whole time. It's the only explanation." She concluded.

Suddenly, my head felt faint and my legs grew limp. This couldn't possibly happen. Was I really in that ice all that time? That meant all my friends would be old, if not downright dead, right now. "A hundred years," I murmured, still too shocked to believe it. Was I really all alone in this world, with all my friends no longer remembering who I was anymore? Well, maybe there was a bright side. "I did get to meet you," I stated, looking into Katara's serene blue eyes. Just being around her made me at ease about everything, and that was enough comfort for me.

Just as we were on our way out, I tripped over something. Before I could react, the ship came to life, its machinery starting up and fireworks exploded in the air. Katara was right when she said there were booby traps on this ship, and now we were in for the run of our lives. "Run, Katara," I yelled, pushing her up the ladder that would take us to the control room. There was only one way off this thing quickly, and it involved going into the air. Suddenly, this adventure was becoming something more than what we originally bargained for.

I held tightly to Katara, making sure she was in my grasp, before gathering air under my feet and jetting us up. During my training, the monks taught us how to manoeuvre in the air, even while carrying heavy things. So even though I probably wouldn't have the physical strength to carry someone larger than me on the ground, I knew the moves required to transport Katara in the air. As we were hit with the sunlight, the first time since we entered the creepy place, I could only think of getting off this ship safely. As I leaped from platform to platform, negotiating my way down while protecting Katara, I could only imagine how Sokka and the rest of the village felt about this. Somehow, I doubted they would take this lightly.


Aang's POV

"You haven't seen my staff around, have you?" I asked, trying to lighten the mood. To no one's surprise, the village went ballistic at Katara and me when we returned from the Fire Nation ship, claiming that the Fire Nation navy were on the way here. I felt it wasn't a big issue, as the most they would do was wonder why one of their boats got trapped in the ice. Nothing some friendly advice from Sokka and the other people in charge couldn't fix, right?

But how wrong I was. The Fire Nation went on the attack, with the Fire Prince himself coming into the village and threatening to burn down the place. Apparently, he was looking for me, and was willing to torch the whole place just to find me. All he had to do was ask nicely, and I would come with him. Besides, if Kuzon was an example, I was sure the Fire Nation would still treat outsiders with friendly openness and respect. So even though Katara was worried to death about me going with the Fire Prince, I was sure everything would be fine.

The soldiers raised their swords, ready to charge at me. I had to think fast, as I had my hands tied behind my back and couldn't bend with my arms. Getting on my scooter, I buzzed around their bodies and out the other way, all this while avoiding their every shot, telling them, "Thanks anyway." Seriously, what had the Fire Nation become? They greeted me by tying my hands behind my back, confiscating my staff, and throwing me into the deck below. Couldn't a simple "Flameo, hot man" be sufficient? Either way, feeling that this was more like a jail than a guest room, I had to get out of here quickly.

I shot up another flight of stairs, racing towards a soldier right before me. Just as he shot fire from his fist, I leaped into the air, aiming perfectly for the horn on his helmet. I somersaulted almost in slow motion as I lowered my wrists, catching the ropes around my hands right on the tip of the helmet. Snap! The ropes came lose just as I sailed over, knocking the soldier over in the process. Now, with my hands free, at least I had more to work with. Popping my head into various rooms, including one where there was an old man taking a nap, I desperately searched for my staff. Seriously, where did that fire bending teenager put it?

Finally, in the next room, one with a surprisingly open door, there was my staff. I was overjoyed seeing that thing, as now I could finally get out of here. But just as I was about to reach it, the door slammed shut, with that familiar teenage fire bender's voice echoing off the walls. "Looks like I underestimated you," he sneered, getting into a fighter's stance.

I barely had time to breathe when he unleashed a series of blasts at me, making me put on all the defensive moves I learned with the monks. As an air bender, we were taught to harm no life, meaning if conflict was present, we should do our best to avoid it instead of tackling it head-on. That was why, even when the Fire Prince was blasting me with such ferocity, all I did was swirl around the walls, hid behind his back, and did no air bending back at him. It didn't stop him from continuing to shoot at me though, and that was the bad part.

But seeing how much he had to labour through his moves, I realized I could use that to my advantage. What if I made him tire himself out, to the point where he could no longer attack me, and I could grab my staff and left quickly? Getting onto my scooter again, I took off for the corner and zipped around the room as quickly as I could, daring him to hit me with his shots. It was kind of fun, actually, as one of the games I could play with this move was about evading a designated shooter on our scooters. Maybe if the Fire Prince played more air bender games, he wouldn't look so stressed out.

Oof! I forgot about one thing, and that the shooter in my game wasn't shooting to kill, and he wasn't using fire. That miscalculation on my part just sent me flying off my scooter and sprawling on the ground, with pain in more parts of my body than I could ever imagine. Looked like I was the one who underestimated the teen; he had more energy than I envisioned, and shot me down quicker than I expected. With the fire still raining down on me, I had to think fast.

Jumping up the wall, I grabbed the Fire Nation banner hanging on the side and wrapped the Fire Prince in it, pulling it tight and making sure he couldn't escape. But it bought me maybe three seconds of time, as soon he snapped that banner like a twig. Luckily, I managed to grab my staff, so I had more air power on me. I didn't want to hurt him, but right now I had no choice. Sending a jet of air sideways, I slammed the Fire Prince against the wall. I then shot a blast of air from below, smacking his face against the ceiling. I made sure I didn't use so much force that he was knocked out, just incapacitated for the moment so I could escape. I had to get to the highest point on this ship, away from non-aerial people so I could get airborne. With the control tower being my only option, I raced towards that final flight of stairs.

The sunlight never felt so good as I dashed out the tower, throwing my staff into the air and turning it into a glider. I jumped and grabbed onto the handlebars, ready to take flight and away from this ship. But before I could even feel the air around me, my flight became unstable, struggling to maintain balance and losing altitude. I glanced up quickly and saw the Fire Prince lunging at the glider, twisting and pulling it as we dropped to the deck. I had no idea what he was doing, but he seemed almost crazed in his pursuit of me. As we tumbled to the deck again, I could tell there would be another sparring contest between us.

This time, the fire bender had the advantage, as the open deck meant I had nothing to use to escape. Fast and furious soon became the norm, as his blasts were so ferocious that it even knocked my staff away. With me teetering on the side of the ship, I took two more fire blasts to the chest, finally losing my balance and falling overboard. The cold water cut through me like a hundred blades, identical to the feeling I got when Appa and I first ran away from home. I still had no idea how I survived that, and I could only hope the miracle repeated itself.

Suddenly, my body glowed, my limbs moved around and performed techniques that I shouldn't know. The water around me twisted and twirled, creating a waterspout and sending me high into the air. It was like I was nothing but a spectator, trapped inside my body which seemed to have a mind of its own. As I stared at the Fire Nation ship below, I felt myself hurtling toward the deck, which now consisted of the Fire Prince and members of the crew. I landed right in the middle of their formation and, spinning the water around me, blasted it out in a surrounding attack. I couldn't tell what the results were, but I was certain some people went overboard.

Then, as sudden as the strange phenomenon was, it halted, leaving me woozy and weak. My knees turned into jelly as I collapsed onto the ground, my head pounding like a drum. My vision was nothing but a blur as two blue-coated individuals rushed up to me. I recognized their voice to be Katara and Sokka, but not much more. "My staff," I murmured, pointing in some random direction. As Katara helped me onto Appa, who I assumed took them here, Sokka offered to get the staff for me. I shook my head several times, trying to get the stars out. That weird move saved my life, but it wasn't a lot of fun to pull off.

By the time Sokka boarded the bison with my staff, I was conscious enough to take the reins. We were about to take off when the Fire Prince got up again, this time pulling over the same old man I saw napping on the boat. Together, they launched a simultaneous fire blast at us, the biggest one I had seen so far. This wasn't fun and games anymore, as they meant business, and that meant I had to pull out all the stops. Grabbing my staff, I timed the blast perfectly and took a huge swing, sending out an equally forceful blast and meeting the shot head-on.

Ha, take that! The fire blast ended up slamming into the side of an iceberg, letting down a mountain of snow and burying the front half of their boat. As we giggled at the scene, I knew just the place to go. As I steered Appa in the right direction, I finally came clean to Katara and Sokka. "I never wanted to be the Avatar," I muttered, dipping my head as the memories of the monks tearing my family apart resurfaced in my mind.

But Katara and Sokka were persistent, claiming that the world waited a century for me to end this war. Katara even listed the elements in order, telling me I had to learn water, earth, and fire, consistent with what the monks told me. "If we go to the North Pole, you can master water bending," she pointed out, referring back to my promise to take her there.

My body shot up as she said that. "We can learn it together," I replied, overjoyed at the prospect of learning the skill with Katara. She was such an amazing person, and I would love to be with her the entire way as we learned water bending. Besides, it would be a while before we got to the North Pole, so why not stop by interesting areas along the way and ride some animals? Katara rode a penguin before, but what about a giant koi, or a hog monkey?


Aang's POV

"Lemur!" I yelled, looking at the cute little critter standing at the entrance of the hall. We finally arrived at the Southern Air Temple, and I was so happy to be home. There were a lot of things I wanted to show Katara and Sokka, such as the practice field, some meditation halls, and even a statue of Monk Gyatso, which was unveiled a few weeks before I ran away from here. It was to celebrate his fiftieth year as an air bending master, as well as his long service as an elder in our temple. Just seeing his statue made me remember all the great times I had with him, such as the time he taught me an accuracy drill by air bending pies onto people below. Why couldn't there be some monks around right now so that I could show Katara and Sokka?

"Don't listen to him. You're going to be my new pet," I announced, eyeing the furry animal before me. I wasn't too convinced when Katara and Sokka told me there might not be any monks around, given how they found me in that ice. Knowing how resourceful air benders were, it wouldn't surprise me if some of them escaped, and were just hiding until the war was over. So the place was a bit dead, but that wouldn't matter once we found where they were, right? Playing hide and seek in this big temple would be the most fun we could have as a group.

"Not if I get him first," Sokka rudely interjected, wanting to claim the lemur as food. Apparently, Sokka was quite a meat fan, and the last few days of travelling provided very little meat for him. Personally, I felt he was making a poor choice, as I had been a vegetarian all my life and was still sharp as ever, even after spending time in an iceberg. And just to prove it to Sokka, I was about to go all-out in getting that lemur before he did.

I waited until Sokka lunged out at the lemur, using his head as leverage and did a perfect leap-frog over him. He might be taller and had longer legs, but Sokka had no bending powers, and I soon overtook him as we raced through the halls, going in and out between light and shadow and following the silhouette of the lemur. Just for good measure, I demonstrated to him how to throw an air ball, whipping my hands around and sending it straight at Sokka's torso. Pretty good hit, given Sokka was sent high enough into the air to do a somersault.

I used air bending to leap off the balcony and down the cliff side, using the air under me to cushion my landings. Last time I was home, I recalled there being lots of excitement and laughter in this place, the fields teeming with kids playing or practicing air bending, adult monks teaching younger ones skills and techniques, and older monks playing Pai Sho or discussing some philosophical issues. But overall, it was a place filled with life, but it seemed so different when we arrived. There was complete silence, with not even an animal around here. It almost felt scary given how quiet we were before we strolled into the great hall of the Avatars, where I got to see a statue of my predecessor, Avatar Roku of the Fire Nation. If Katara and Sokka were right, and the Fire Nation did start a war, I wondered if Roku got involved in some way?

But I soon found out about the war the hard way, as the lemur scooted into a nearby hut. I recognized the area as where the bison pens used to be, but the stalls were completely destroyed, the fences caved in and scorch marks littered the place. But nothing prepared me for the scene of destruction in that area, as Fire Nation helmets stacked up to my knees lined the sides of that chamber. My eyes scanned the area, too stunned to speak as Katara and Sokka were right after all; there was a war here, and this was the result. As my eyes continued their scared journey across the room, there was one figure that jumped out at me. It couldn't be, could it?

I edged in slower, the outside chill descending over me as my footsteps echoed though the chamber. The figure was down to the bare bones now, the tattered orange robes signifying that he was an air bender. Upon a closer look, I zoomed in on the pendant he was wearing, with the Air Nomads insignia still legible. "Monk Gyatso," I hiccupped, recognizing he wore the same piece I made for him before I was announced to be the Avatar. He wore it with him even to his death, the news striking me so hard that my knees buckled.

"Aang, I wasn't really going to eat the lemur," I heard Sokka's voice chime in from behind. But I paid no attention to him as my eyes flooded nonstop, my palms completely soaked as I covered my face. "Oh man," Sokka murmured. I figured he saw the body as well, and right now he probably saw me at my most pathetic pose. I was the Avatar, supposed to save the world, yet I couldn't even save my own teacher. Why did the Fire Nation have to take him? Why did the Fire Nation have to kill everyone? Things were never like this before, so how did they get to this stage? And if they were still at it, how many more people had to die?

Suddenly, I felt that strange feeling again, identical to the time when I was captured by that Fire Prince. My body slowly lifted into the air, but it was like I had no control of it. There was a violent hurricane-like wind whipping around me, but I couldn't feel any of that either. Before long, I heard Sokka scream from behind me, just as the blast got bigger, blowing the roof off the chamber. I wasn't sure how to describe it, but I was feeling an unbelievable amount of power surging through me right now, and it was quite scary.

Just then, a familiar voice sliced into my ears. "Aang, I know you're upset, and I know how hard it is to lose the people you love. I felt the same thing when I lost my mom," Katara called. I was shocked that her voice could reach my ears through this violent storm, but whatever the case, I could feel that calming presence near me again as she reached out to me. "Monk Gyatso and the other air benders may be gone, but you still have a family. Sokka and I, we're your family now." And upon hearing that, my heart just softened.

I felt my entire body relax and lowered to the ground, the immense power bottling itself up as my feet gently touched the floor. Even though as an air bender, I felt the freest in the air, I never would have imagined how well the ground felt beneath me. As Sokka promised that he would play his part to protect me as well, I felt my body slump over. Luckily, Katara was there to break the fall, and I just lied in her arms the same way I did when I tumbled out of the iceberg. As she comforted me, I realized her suggestion earlier was right. "If the fire benders found this temple, that means they found the other ones too," I whispered, "I really am the last air bender."

Katara held me in an embrace as I mulled that thought over. Being the last air bender meant my entire culture was gone. The Sky Bison, with the exception of Appa, were probably all extinct, and the lemur we saw was probably the only one left as well. How could the Fire Nation do such a terrible thing and wipe out an entire people? As I slowly got back up, getting ready to take off again, I realized that my journey to save the world wasn't as fun as I originally thought.


Aang's POV

The sharp spikes hanging from the top of the cave and jutting out from the bottom truly scared me as I looked up at a huge waterfall. I brought Katara and Sokka here to the city of Omashu, in the southern part of the Earth Kingdom, so I could show them how to ride the mail chutes. I used to visit my friend Bumi here, and he was the one who showed me how this game worked. It had been a hundred years since I last saw Bumi, so I figured he, just like my friends from the Air Temple, was probably dead. I did feel kind of sad knowing I could never see him again, but at least Katara and Sokka could try out the chutes, right?

Nope, no such luck here, as we ended up crashing into a cabbage merchant, who then reported us to the authorities. We were to be sentenced by the king himself, who ordered the guards to throw us...a feast. I was wondering why he was doing that, but then figured it out when he used it to confirm my identity as the Avatar. Rather than imprisoning us, he let us stay in a supposedly refurbished room, claiming it was for us to rest up before my big test. I had to pass three challenges set up by him in order to earn our freedom. And to make things worse, the king placed some crystal around Katara and Sokka, claiming it had the ability to grow rapidly, to the point where it would overwhelm the body and suffocated them. Talk about a sadist!

And here was the first test, as hidden inside that waterfall was the key to the king's own lunchbox. I could only shake my head, wondering what type of madman would think of this trick. Earlier, Katara and Sokka commented that the king didn't seem to have his crown on straight, and I was more than happy to agree with them. But now, realizing that the crystals now covered one of their arms, I had to comply. So, balancing myself on the sharp rocks, I jumped across the formation, using my steps to propel me into the waterfall. I saw a dark ladder of sorts within the water, so if I could reach that, then I would be home-free.

Argh! This was harder than I thought, as the water was pushing down on me in ways unimaginable. Not only was my grip on the metal ladder weakening, I was running out of air. If the king's objective was to push me to the limits, then he surely succeeded, because I couldn't take this anymore. Releasing the rung, I found myself shooting out of the water, heading straight for the sharp rocks again, with only my quick feet balancing against two stalagmites preventing me from being impaled. Looking around, maybe finding another way in was a better option.

Jetting myself to the top of the cave, I hung on from a stalactite and propelled into the waterfall that way. I even created an air drill around myself, just to give myself enough room and air supply as I dove head-first into the waterfall. But again, the water slammed down at me, not even giving me the chance to reach out to grab the key. As I was sent back to the sharp rocks, the king snorted from an above balcony, "That's right, keep diving head in. I'm sure it will work eventually." I hated to resort to anger this quickly, but that man was really getting on my nerves.

But wait, seeing that key dangle and swing from the chain gave me an idea. What if I found a way to chop the chain and pin the key right into position, so that the water couldn't wash it away? Taking a deep breath, I snapped off one of the stalagmites, aiming at the waterfall like a spear and hurled it with all my might. I followed this up with an air slice, going parallel to the spear and slicing into the water. I waited anxiously as the blade cut the chain off cleanly, the key landing right onto the spike and slamming it right above the balcony where the king was located with my friends. As the king looked at the key swinging above his face, I yelled from the top of the broken stalagmite, "Enjoy your lunch, but I want my friends back now!"

But the madman wasn't done with me yet, as his second challenge involved having me retrieve his pet Flopsie. He led me to another rocky area, this one resembling a ranch more than a cave, where this lone rabbit sat conspicuously in the middle. "Daddy wants a kiss from him," the king announced, sounding like he was speaking to a baby. I nearly vomited hearing this old man talk to that animal like he was its parent or something. Oh well, at least he had a regard for living things, right? Stepping into the rocks, I crept up from behind the rabbit, ready to pounce.

Oops, big mistake, as that aroused the attention of something much larger. I turned around just in time to see a monstrous beast, standing at least twice my size, growling and baring its razor sharp fangs at me. The king couldn't be serious, right? Asking me to save his pet rabbit from this gargantuan beast? Realizing I wasn't exactly welcome here, I somersaulted away from the carnivore and chased after the rabbit. "Flopsie, wait!" I called at the rabbit now rushing away from its predator. All the while, the king stood above us, cackling manically.

I didn't even have time to think about where I was going, other than just jumping rocks and dodging the monster's snapping teeth from behind me. The rabbit now rushed into a hole, slipping in just before I could reach it. Now I was at the mercy of this thing which probably had the jaw power to snap my body in two. Well, Flopsie, for an animal that the king loved so much, you sure knew how to react, huh? Hiding inside a hole while leaving me to fight this beast?

But the more I thought about it, the more it became weirder to me. If the rabbit was Flopsie, and the king loved it so much, there was no reason it would run away from him, right? Moreover, if the king loved Flopsie so much, surely he wouldn't sit back and watched this monster devour it before him, right? So what if Flopsie wasn't the rabbit, but the beast instead? Turning around, I faced the monster and called, "Flopsie?"

Indeed, just as I had guessed, Flopsie stopped his rampage and licked me! I couldn't believe it, but the most unlikely scenario came true. As I brought Flopsie outside the ring, where the king proceeded to scratch its belly, I glanced over at Katara and Sokka. Even though I did two tasks, the crystals weren't slowing their pace in growth. Katara and Sokka were pretty much all covered now, except for their heads and feet. Sokka's was so overwhelmingly heavy that it tipped him over, rendering him immobile. Realizing how serious this was, I had to finish the final test. "Come on," I called to the king, "I'm ready for the next challenge."

The last challenge took place in an earth bending arena of sorts, littered with rocks and boulders jutting out from the ground. The king stood before me, beckoning two individuals, both of which armoured and armed with dangerous weapons. "Your final test is a duel, and as a special treat, you may choose your opponent," the old man explained, "point and choose."

My brain raced nonstop as I compared my odds against the two warriors. As an air bender, I was taught to fight defensively, avoiding going on offence unless absolutely necessary. Seeing the fierceness of the two warriors standing to the king's either side, I knew my chances against them weren't good. But if I were allowed to challenge someone of my choice, could that mean the king was included? Making a bold move, I pointed at the eccentric man himself. With his advanced age and frail body, I could run laps around him and just wasted his energy.

Unfortunately, this was the biggest mistake I could ever make. As the king threw off his strange purple robe, I saw a body that shouldn't even be attached to that head. Instead of a bony, teetering body, he was unbelievably fit, with muscles on his torso, arms, and legs. Gesturing to one of his guards, the king at least allowed me to have my staff, before jettisoning me into the arena with a flying earthen pole. "You thought I was a frail old man, but I'm the most powerful earth bender you'll ever see," he declared, evil laughter filling the air. Before I could even get into my stance, he jumped into the fray and sent three huge boulders straight into my face.

I leaped and dodged, trying to avoid the rocks as best as possible. "Typical air bender tactic, avoid and evade," the king sneered, "I thought the Avatar would be less predictable." With that, he stomped hard on the ground again, sending an even bigger rock at me. I turned my staff upward, twirling it nonstop as I sought to gain altitude. "Sooner or later, you'll have to strike back," the king taunted, sending another rock my way.

This time, I couldn't get away, as the boulder slammed into the ceiling above, raining enough debris to disrupt the airflow through my staff and dropping me back to the ground. I was soon at his mercy as he stomped the ground furiously, sending rock after rock from the floor up at me. Even as I tried to be as light as possible on my feet, I couldn't avoid them all, with one slamming into my chest just as I hopped to my left. Feeling the impact ring throughout my ribs, I had to resort to a more drastic measure if I wanted to win.

I got on my Air Scooter and buzzed around the room, hoping to go too fast for the king to trace my path. The king continued his rampaging rocks, but I dodged them all, getting in line with him before unleashing an air blast, the first attack I made that was actually targeted at him. But to my horror, he raised a rock shield and blocked it cleanly. "Did someone leave the window open? It feels a little drafty in here," he taunted, "are you hoping I'll catch a cold?"

Then, in the most unusual move yet, the king flipped his shield onto the ground, jumping on top of it and tipped it back and forth like a seesaw. The result was an unbelievable attack, one that I had no description, nor defence, for. An earthen wave, snaking up and down, back and forth, sideways and diagonally, came slashing across the field at me. I had no idea where it would hit me, and ended up getting it right on my forehead. Even though my job was to beat him, I had to say he was very smart. Not many people could think that fast on their feet, and used techniques so unpredictable that no one had a defence for.

The next few moves almost felt like the king was toying with me, as he placed me in quicksand, made me swirl above a gigantic boulder, and even sent a part of the arena at me. He was completely unpredictable, almost like there was no specific style to his techniques. But seeing that huge part of the stadium hovering above him, I had to do something before he flattened me. Waiting for him to throw it, I was going to use the wind in this tornado to send it right back at him. What went around would come around.

It worked! I couldn't believe it, but it worked, as the rocks went past me and straight back at him. I jumped out of my tornado and raced straight at where I thought the king was supposed to be, his position now covered by a dust storm. Just as I saw his face, I pointed my staff at his head, threatening to bend right into his body. The king's face softened, his hands lifting into the air. About time you surrendered, you crazy old man!

But I received another huge shock as the king merely pointed at the roof. My eyes slowly tilted up, seeing a huge boulder ready to smash my brains in. The king wasn't raising his hands to surrender; rather, he raised them to reform the very boulder my tornado whipped at him. He crushed the rock to avoid getting hit, but pushed it back together and used it to his advantage again! Yet instead of crushing me like a bug, the king congratulated me for my battle, tossing the rock aside like it was a pebble and inviting me back to the top of the arena.

Katara and Sokka were completely immobile now, with barely their faces showing from behind the crystals. "You've passed all my tests, now you must answer one question," the king stated. I nearly exploded at the prospects of that, as the old man was now going back on his word. He said he would release Katara and Sokka once I passed all the tests, so what more did he want from me? "Answer this one question and I will set your friends free: what is my name?"

My jaw hit the ground, not sure how to react. How was I supposed to know who this maniac was? The king grabbed his robe from a guard, warning me that it would take only a few minutes before the crystal suffocated Katara and Sokka to death. As I racked my brain, trying to figure out what clue the king was hinting at, Katara suggested I looked at his tests. "What did you learn from the challenges?" she asked, the crystals now stabbing into her tan face.

I went through my tests, thinking of what they all had in common. I had to approach the waterfall with a different technique, I had to fetch a pet that wasn't what most people considered a pet, and I fought an earth bender that could adapt to any style, hence forcing me to adapt to him. Every test made me do something in a different way, contrary to the methods I used before. I almost believed the king was a genius, even though Katara and Sokka believed he was mad. So was the king a mad genius then?

Then it hit me, as this mad genius happened to be the very person I knew from my younger days. Strolling into the throne room with both happiness and excitement, I made my announcement to the king. "As you said a long time ago, I had to open my brain to all the possibilities," I stated, reminding myself of the day when I was first introduced to the idea of using the mail chutes as a slide. I never thought I would see him, even though it had been a hundred years since we last met. "Bumi, you're a mad genius."

The king smiled, opening his arms for me to jump into his embrace. "You haven't changed a bit," Bumi commented. I couldn't believe it, as judging by the years, my old friend was now at least a hundred and ten years old. What did he do during all this time? And how did he end up becoming king? There were so many things I had to discuss with him, as I had a lot of catching up to do. But first, I had to make him free Katara and Sokka.

Bumi had his guards bring my friends up to him, their bodies now completely encased. Bumi raised a hand, pointing all five fingers at the crystals, and clenched it into a fist. In mere seconds, the crystals exploded into the air, causing me to duck away from the shards. As I looked up, I saw Bumi catching a few of the gems, snacking on them happily. "This is made of rock candy," he described, pointing at the crystal piece in his hand, "delicious!"

As Katara and Sokka brushed off the pieces, Bumi got serious immediately. "The world has changed since the hundred years you were gone," he explained, "It's the duty of the Avatar to restore balance to the world by defeating Fire Lord Ozai. You have much to learn. You must master the four elements and confront the Fire Lord, and when you do, I hope you will think like a mad genius." He concluded, a distinctive twinkle glistening in his eyes.

I bowed to him, learning yet another important lesson from my old friend. Being the Avatar meant learning all four elements, which involved having me walk in the shoes of these other cultures. There was no doubt in my mind that I had a difficult task ahead, and I would have to work hard in order to achieve it. With Katara and Sokka around, I was sure to see this journey through no matter what. But since we were in Omashu, and I had so much catching up to do with Bumi, why leave so quickly? Now who wanted to ride down the chutes again?


Aang's POV

"Hello, spirit? Can you hear me?" My voice echoed off the surrounding houses as the town became silent. We were on our way across the Earth Kingdom when we landed at an open area, completely void of any life whatsoever. My heart sank just seeing this crater in the middle of nowhere, another sign of the Fire Nation's power as they scorched the entire forest. It was just another example of the world's suffering after my hundred-year absence, and still I wasn't ready to fix things. No one ever taught me how to protect nature before, so what should I do?

I moved to the gates of the village, looking into the forests as it got quite a bit darker around me. This village was closest to the burned area, and the village elder reported of an odd event, where a spirit named Hei Bai would venture out of the woods and kidnapped one person every night. It had been going on for a while now, and since I was making my stop here, they asked me for help. They told me I was the bridge between the Spirit World and the real world, which I had no idea what it meant. Seriously, why did this have to be so difficult?

"I hereby ask you to please leave this village in peace!" I exclaimed, waving my hands to the woods. I had no idea what was going to happen, and was much more interested in going back to the main house, where Katara and Sokka were. Katara showed me an acorn before the village elder approached me, telling me that each acorn would grow back into a full tree. I had one such acorn in my pocket, and it was a reminder that, just like this forest regenerating itself, I also had a chance to fix the world. I felt better after hearing Katara tell me about this, and it was with her encouragement that I agreed to help this village. Why couldn't everyone in the world be like her?

As I slowly strolled back, I had a sudden premonition that something was hovering around me. I couldn't put my finger on it, but I knew it was something unusual. Slowly turning my body, I suddenly came face to face with the most fearsome thing in the world. It had a long face, sharp teeth, four legs the thickness of tree trunks, and an extra set of limbs just behind its head. "You must be the Hei Bai spirit," I greeted it, stuttering furiously as I tried to calm down.

But the spirit wouldn't listen to me, as it unleashed two roars, one at me and the other into the sky, before rampaging off deeper into the village. Before long, the monster was levelling everything in its path, using both its extra set of limbs and its sonic roar to demolish just about every building. It didn't help that it was teleporting rather than running, meaning I had a hard time trying to catch up. As I climbed onto the roof of a house, I saw Hei Bai pounding a water tower to the ground. "I command you to turn around now!" I yelled at it.

Oops, bad move, as Hei Bai just swung a fist at me. I was hit so hard and fast that I couldn't even use air bending to slow myself down. By the time I got up, Sokka had charged out, offering to help me. I was about to tell him to go back when Hei Bai teleported from behind us and snatched Sokka instead! Great, so not only did I have an angry spirit destroying the woods, it was capturing my friend too! Grabbing my staff, I flipped it into a glider and followed the spirit. I might not have experience as the Avatar, but I did have experience in saving my friends.

The trees were nothing but a blur as I followed the black and white shape dashing through the forest. Sokka's voice called to me repeatedly, my friend completely helpless in the hand of the beast. I tried to get closer, frustrated by how fast this spirit could run. Not too many things could out-speed air benders, and I was impressed by its abilities. I stretched out my hand to Sokka, just close enough for him to grab onto it...

Just then, I lost my balance, the spirit disappearing from our world as I was left to flutter aimlessly on my glider. I tried to steer the out-of-control glider, but to no avail, and ended up crashing into a statue. Every part of my body shook as I crumpled to the ground, my body growing limp. Soon, whatever light still present disappeared as I lost all consciousness.

By the time I came to, it was already the middle of the night. I shook my head a few times, but it didn't take a genius to figure out that Hei Bai and Sokka were both gone. Dejected by my failure, I trudged back to the village. I was never taught any of these skills before, so to have them thrust upon me by this village was too overwhelming. Now, knowing Sokka was the next victim, I didn't know how the villagers would react knowing I failed once more. And what's more, would Katara take it easily, given that this was her brother that was kidnapped?

I returned to the gates, only to see Katara and the village elder comforting each other. The elder draped a cloak over my friend, telling her to get some rest, before heading off himself. I called out to them, but to no avail. It was like they were ignoring me completely. Even Appa, who lumbered up to Katara, couldn't notice me at all. Were they so stricken by grief that they didn't have the energy to even look up? I lifted my hand, waving it in Katara's face, trying to get her attention. Just then, I saw something scary: I become translucent. "I'm in the Spirit World!"

I stood there, next to Katara's slouched body, trying to figure out what to do. It was near sunrise, and there was still no way of getting me back into my body. "Avatar Roku, how can I talk to you?" I shouted to the skies. If there was a time for some spiritual advice, now would be appropriate. And while we were there, could Roku help me deal with Hei Bai?

Just then, a strange glow in the distance caught my eye. I followed it as it got bigger and bigger, and saw its true form: a dragon. Somehow, I didn't think it was a friendly creature, flying in at me at such great speed. I turned to flip my glider open, but somehow couldn't take off. To my horror, I just found out that all my bending disappeared in the Spirit World, meaning this thing was just going to pick me off. I guessed outrunning it wasn't an option, huh?

The dragon suddenly came to a screeching halt before me, jabbing one of its whiskers onto my forehead. Suddenly, a vision of Avatar Roku riding said dragon came into my mind. This dragon wasn't any animal, it was Roku's animal guide, kind of like what Appa was to me. Beckoning me to climb on, I grabbed its scaly skin and sat behind its head. I had never ridden a dragon before, so this was bound to be fun. At least, it better be more fun than the Unagi!

Being on a dragon was totally different than a Sky Bison. While Appa was strong, sturdy, and stable, Roku's dragon was sleek, fast, and graceful. Before long, the forest beneath me just whisked by, heading straight into open ocean as I tried to gather all landmarks, in case I had to return here. Before long, an island came into view, with a strange pagoda on top of a river of lava. There was no doubt about it: we were in the Fire Nation. As the dragon entered the temple, we zipped up the floors, causing me to grab hold, still surprised that we could pass through walls and ceilings. I hoped I could remember this trait didn't exist if I ever returned to my body, otherwise I would be in for a world of pain!

The mad ride ended when the dragon placed me before a statue of Roku. It wasn't making my life easier, as I still had no way to talk to him. I glanced back at the dragon, who placed its whisker on my head again as I asked what Roku was trying to tell me and how I could speak to Roku. I suddenly saw a bright comet, followed by the sun rising and setting near the temple. Then, I was placed back into reality, where a pink light shined in from behind the dragon and onto Roku's statue. Although the clues were hard to piece together, I figured it out. Roku wanted to tell me about some comet, and I could only speak to him during the Winter Solstice, in which the pink light reflected from outside would shine onto Roku's statue.

But I couldn't wait that long, as Sokka was still in danger. Turning back to the dragon, I requested it took me back to the forest where I first lost consciousness. We zinged through the ocean and back onto land, aiming straight for the statue in the burned woods. Somehow, my body erected itself during my absence, and the dragon was diving headfirst to the scene. As I gritted my teeth nervously, I could only hope the collision wouldn't smash me to bits.

Luckily, it didn't, and I was ready to go back to the village. After testing that my glider worked, I flew back to the gates, through the torn-down houses and into the elder's residence, where Katara rushed out to greet me. Unfortunately, I had to bring her the bad news that Sokka was nowhere to be found, but now I had another idea. Katara showed me the acorn that could regenerate the trees, and the dragon showed me Roku, who supposedly could tell me how to regenerate the world. So why not show the spirit this same idea?

I waited until nightfall again, my eyes peeled for the forest as I pressed the acorn in my pocket. I was still quite scared, but at least I had some confidence in me. The wind howled near me as I glanced around, trying to find Hei Bai. But this time, instead of rumbling through the gate, Hei Bai appeared from underground, bursting through the rocks with its sonic roar and racing straight for the elder's house. I wasn't about to make the same mistake again as I raced after it, air bending myself over his body and to his head. Pressing my hand onto his forehead, I slowly used the ability the dragon unlocked for me, and read into the spirit's mind.

It was there that I saw the spirit for what it was: it was a panda bear, one of the strangest animals ever. It had an unusual white body and face, but black patches around its eyes, black ears, and black limbs. They didn't exist in the real world, but legend had it that they existed in another world. I figured that the Spirit World counted as an alternate dimension, so there was one reason how they could live. "You're the spirit of the forests. You're upset and angry because your home was burned down," I discovered, slowly landing on the ground before Hei Bai, "but my friend gave me hope that the forest would grow back." With that, I offered the acorn Katara gave me earlier. It was a wild shot, but if this would calm Hei Bai down, then it was worth it.

Hei Bai seemed to understand, changing from the monster form back into the panda bear form. Making a full turn, Hei Bai lumbered away, leaving the village and sprouting bamboo at the gate. And nothing made me happier than to see a group of villagers climb out, Sokka included. I could barely give him a hug when he hurried off, claiming he had to use the bathroom. Well, perhaps Hei Bai ought to be kinder to his prisoners, but all's good now, right?

When Sokka returned, I had to break the news to them. "There's a temple on an island. And if I go there on the Solstice, I'll be able to speak to Roku," I explained, much to the delight of my friends. They were a bit concerned that I might not make it in time, given the Solstice was tomorrow, but I doubted that would be their biggest concern once I revealed the location. "The island is in the Fire Nation," I concluded, turning their cheer into fear. With one big task down, we had another one to go, and this one involved a risk much higher than anything we did before.


Aang's POV

"I have something very important to tell you, Aang," the imposing figure in dark red robes spoke to me in an ominous voice. I finally managed to convince Katara and Sokka to go to Roku's island with me, and together we got into his temple. Upon entering, we were pursued by the Fire Sages, who wanted to capture us for the Fire Lord. Luckily, one of them happened to be on our side, and offered to let us see Roku. Unfortunately, the final chamber was, just like it was in the Southern Air Temple, only opened via bending (for this case, fire instead of air), and Sokka had to use "fake" fire bending by lighting explosives and setting them off.

Even though it didn't work, Katara the residues on the pipes could convince the sages that I went in. Instead, I would wait until the Fire Sages shot fire through the pipes, opening the door for me to rush in. Things nearly didn't work out when Zuko, the Fire Prince who kept on pursuing us since the South Pole, nearly grabbed me. But I managed to escape and slipped through the doors before they closed. After the light struck the statue's face, I was now meeting with my predecessor one-on-one, standing on top of some mountain with clouds around us.

"One hundred years ago, Fire Lord Sozin used that comet to begin the war," Roku explained, taking me back in time. Roku told me earlier the dragon that originally brought me here was indeed his, and he intended his animal guide to show me this temple all along. "He and his fire bending army harnessed its incredible power and dealt a deadly first strike against the other nations. They are stronger than you could even imagine."

I gulped hard, wondering what it could possibly mean for me. The only fire benders I took on were Zuko and his crew, although I had seen other fire benders fight, such as those on the off shore prison rig I went to before. Normally, I would just evade their every move, hoping not to get hit myself, but I couldn't possibly envision all that power multiplying itself. Turning back to Roku, I asked, "What does the comet have to do with the war now?"

Then, Roku unleashed some scary news. "Sozin's Comet will return by the end of this summer, and Fire Lord Ozai will use it to finish the war once and for all," I envisioned a fiery scene before me, a silhouette of the Fire Lord bathing in the fire, gathering in its energy before releasing it in a fiery breath straight into the air. "If he succeeds, then even the Avatar won't be able to restore balance to the world," Roku added, his face replacing the scary vision, "Aang, you must defeat the Fire Lord before the comet arrives."

My entire body went clammy and cold, shivers going up my spine involuntarily. Given I had less than a year to master all the elements, was this even possible? "I haven't even started learning water bending, not to mention earth and fire," I pointed out, my arms waving frantically. While Roku conceded that it normally took years to master all four elements, I had to do them by summer's end if I wanted the world to survive. "What if I can't master all the elements in time? What if I fail?" There was no doubt that things were getting desperate, as I hadn't even begun to prepare for the North Pole yet. As if my world didn't crash hard enough when I found Gyatso's body, now this had to happen. Was I going to lose all my fun times because of this?

But Roku was adamant that I faced my task. "I know you can do it, Aang, for you have done it before," Roku replied firmly, referring to my past lives. I didn't know what history they had, but whatever it was, this task was somehow doable to them. I just found it unfair that suddenly, I had to take this all on my own without any assistance whatsoever. I bet no Avatar in the past had to do this with the world on the line, so why me?

Before I could say anything to Roku, he interrupted my train of thought. "The solstice is ending, and we must go our separate ways for now," he concluded, ready to warp me back to the real world, "I am a part of you, so when you have to talk to me again, you'll find a way." He then broadcasted a vision in my mind, one that involved a Fire Nation naval fleet and elite soldiers lined up right outside the room. "I can help you face the threat, but only if you are ready."

Taking a deep breath, I agreed to let Roku help me. Both our bodies glowed as we fused into one, activating the Avatar State once more. We were soon away from the mountain scene and back to the real world as the doors leading to the chamber creaked open. Soon enough, we were greeted by a hail of fire, stronger than anything I had ever seen. But I bet for Roku, this was nothing big, as he dealt with this type of power all the time. Then, as one, Roku and I absorbed the fire and spun it around, hurling it straight at the soldiers.

I felt as if my body acted on its own, performing techniques that I never knew before as the flames blasted past the soldiers and straight for the pillars, where I could make out the shapes of Katara and Sokka, the Fire Prince, and the sage that helped us. The fire scorched the chains, melting them completely as the soldiers all pulled back. Roku and I then slammed a hand into the ground, creating a fissure in which lava was pulled from the underground chambers upwards. I felt Roku most likely did this to prevent the Fire Nation from using knowledge found in here to their advantage, so destroying the temple was the only way to go. Personally, I wasn't so sure about this, as there was no other place where I could contact Roku anymore. He didn't exactly give me specific instructions about how I could contact him, so what could I do now?

Just as sudden as that burst of energy was, it disappeared again. I felt Roku's spirit leaving my body, returning to the Spirit World while I crumpled to the ground, too dazed to even react. I could feel two sets of arms hold onto me, with blurry visions of Katara and Sokka to my either side as they dragged me out of the now-shaking temple. There wasn't much time left before the lava melted this whole place, and I wasn't keen on being cooked alive.

Luckily, as we got to the edge, Appa flew into the gap, giving us a chance to hop on before the temple fell over. I could finally feel myself calming down as I glanced back, watching the lava furiously pumping out of the island and through the entire structure that was the pagoda. It was only then that I returned to thinking about Roku's words. If what he said was true, then it was a reflection of what the monk's told me a hundred years ago, when they predicted storm clouds gathering in the horizon. Even though I ran away from home all those years ago, trying to avoid having my life stripped from me, it felt like déjà vu all over again.

But perhaps this was the biggest test ever, being able to let go of what I had been used to and facing the challenge. Part of an Avatar's journey was to walk in the shoes of other cultures, and that meant I had to do the same. But I envisioned it to be a fun experience, where I got to do all the fun stuff other people did. I never expected myself to learn their ways while worrying about the destruction of the world. Even though Roku had confidence in me, did I really have what it took to succeed? I just didn't know if I could handle that pressure being placed on me.

Dusk turned to night as Appa continued flying back to land, and I realized the whole time, I sat away from Katara and Sokka. I glanced over my shoulder, and saw them looking eagerly at me. I knew they cared about me, and wanted the best no matter what happened. They perhaps sensed something wrong, and slowly made their way over. Placing their arms around me, they pulled me into a group hug, reminding me how much we meant to each other. From now on, I would never take them for granted ever again. I might still doubt my abilities, but I would never doubt their loyalty to me. They were the best friends I could ever hope for.


Aang's POV

"That fisherman was way out of line," Katara's soothing voice echoed off the walls. We landed at a fishing port, where Sokka decided to work for a local fisherman to make some money for buying food. Unfortunately, the fisherman recognized me as the Avatar and an uncomfortable exchange of words occurred. True to air bender philosophy, I tried not to talk back, opting to let the conflict slide past, but what the fisherman said was too much for me to bear. How could he say I just abandoned the world for no reason?

But in hindsight, what he said was absolutely true, as I did abandon the world, and I did let the world down. I thought after my journey to the Spirit World to meet Avatar Roku really sobered me up to reality, but my playful side took over my mind again, and I was back to having fun rather than thinking of ways to better myself. The other day, I ended up going into a forest where my group met this guy called Jet, who led a group known as the Freedom Fighters to fend off the Fire Nation from their area. But just seeing the way he lived, with shelters up in the trees and getting to zip between them on ropes, that's just too fun to overlook. I would have wanted to stay there forever, until we found out Jet's ulterior motives. Seriously, why was it even the fun people had to get so uptight about what's going on?

Before long, Katara knelt beside me, while Appa lumbered in from the back, giving me a wet lick. I just didn't feel comfortable talking to anyone about this, but Katara insisted. I always felt the most at ease when around her, and right now did I ever want her presence. "I'll try and get a fire going," she suggested, strolling around the cave looking for materials.

As a fire slowly burned before me, I finally felt calm enough to talk. "I'll never forget the day the monks told me I was the Avatar," I began, taking Katara back a century ago. I was with my friends, teaching them the Air Scooter technique when Gyatso and the others approached me, telling me we had to speak privately. It was then they told me I was the Avatar, and that a war was on the horizon. "I didn't know how to feel about it, but after I found out, everything began changing," I stated, dipping my head and refusing to look at Katara.

Katara looked on as I continued by sad tale, starting with my friends all abandoning me when they felt I had an unfair advantage every time I played with them. It didn't help that some of the other training monks were instructed to focus extra hard on my techniques, honing whatever skills I already learned. Even though they told me they were merely offering advice to fine-tune my air bending, I couldn't help but feel they were being unnecessarily picky, almost like they were finding fault where there was none. And other than the few times when Gyatso came to my room to challenge me to Pai Sho, I was pretty much isolated and alone.

"Gyatso was the one to put everything into perspective for me," I muttered, "but when I was starting to feel better, something worse happened." It was the most unfair and unjust act the monks could have done when they got together and decided Gyatso and I ought to be separated. They felt Gyatso was a distraction to my training, and would send me to another air temple until a water tribe could be contacted, whereby I would begin water bending. "They want to take away everything I knew and everyone I love!" I roared, shooting out from my seated position and stalking to another part of the cave. I was so angry that the air around me swirled violently, and it would have blown out the fire had I not stepped away.

"You have a right to be angry after the monks sent you away like that," Katara replied, not looking impressed either. Well, at least one person other than Gyatso understood what was going on. I had no idea how Katara did it, but she always found a way to make those around her be at ease. Maybe it was her social skills, or maybe it was her ability to be observational and read people, but whatever the case, I always felt better after talking to her. Maybe if I finished telling her to full story, she could put me on the right path again?

"Well, that's not exactly what happened," I corrected Katara. I actually never went to a different air temple. Instead, in my fear of isolation and separation, I wrote Gyatso a note stating that I couldn't handle the pressure anymore, boarded Appa in the middle of the night, and flew away. It was then that I ran into the storm, forcing Appa and I underwater and creating that iceberg, staying encased in that thing for a century. "Next thing I knew, I was waking up in your arms," Even though I wasn't as angry and confused as I was before, I couldn't say I was any better off. It felt like I got out of one mess just to enter another mess. "My people needed me and I wasn't there to help," I added, referring to the Fire Nation attack on the air temples, "the world needed me and I wasn't there to help! The fisherman was right, I did turn my back on the world."

"I think you're being too hard on yourself," Katara replied, her tone gentle and patient. I wasn't too keen on seeing things from her perspective right now, given how this war had gone on for a century, all the while I should have been there to stop it. But at the same time, it was still too much for me to handle, as I just couldn't find it in me to face the reality. Was I just running away from my problems even more? Regardless, Katara continued, "Even if you did run away, I think it was meant to be. If you had stayed, you would have been killed along with all the other air benders. The world needs you now, you give people hope."

I gave her a smile, watching her bright face from the other side of the fire. She was right about one thing: the world's mess was too big, and it was time that we sorted through the years of fighting. There was no point in dwelling on the past, continuing to run away from my problem by immersing myself with fun and games. I was here, I had to face the war, and like it or not, the people alive today were my responsibility, whether they accepted me or not. I could only make the best out of this situation, and continued to focus on what's important. It didn't mean I would be all work and no play, but at least I would approach this with a more balanced attitude. And besides, knowing Katara was going to help me through this, I didn't have a fear in the world!


Again, with Zuko Part 1, I want to apologize if this is a bit dry and boring. Just like Zuko in the first parts of Season 1, Aang is not very dynamic in terms of character traits. Like Zuko, he's only focused on one thing (having fun), and he's not entirely grasping the responsibility of being an Avatar. You will see more different things in the next part, but for now, this is what we have to work with. Thanks for reading.