Book: Air

Ch.36 An Avatar's Promise

"That's right, now widen your stance and strike." Aang directed to Mayra. Mayra was standing in front of a large boulder. She was in an earthbending stance, and at Aang's signal she launched the boulder with a fisted punch. It landed several yards away from her.

"Great job! About 5 more yards than last time and you got more speed to it." Aang studied. "I believe you're ready to play a game."

Mayra had been working on earthbending training with Aang since they left late that night when Aang told her he would find her family. It was already the first day of her training and she was exhausted. They had traveled all night with no sleep, and landed in the afternoon for some real training. Not only was it hard to stay attached to Aang's glider while he was flying, but it was difficult doing all this earthbending with no sleep. The fact that he mentioned playing a game sent mixed feelings. It sounded like it would be fun, but Mayra was too tired to have fun.

Mayra tried to straightened up despite her exhaustion, "What kind of game Master Aang?"

Aang untied his fabric belt from around his waist and approached Mayra. He tied the belt around Mayra's head in front of her eyes. Mayra's vision went black.

"I can't see anything, Master." Mayra cried.

"That's good, because for this game you can't rely on your eyes. Earthbending is not only about being in touch with your element, but also about waiting and reacting."

"I understand the part about being in touch with your element, that's why you told me to be barefoot. But why blindfolded?" Mayra felt weird not seeing anything.

"With earthbending, you have to see the ground with all your other senses. Sometimes seeing with your eyes can be at a disadvantage. You have to feel and sense your opponent's movements and look for an opening. Sometimes your opponent won't notice that they have an opening. That's why seeing with the ground is better than seeing with your eyes."

Mayra still looked confused.

"For this game we're going to play is a different version of tag. You have to chase me and tag me while blindfolded."

"But won't I run into something, and how can I find you?"

"Use your other senses, feel the vibrations in the earth. They are communicating with you, listen to them."

"But," Mayra was cut off by the sound of Aang running away from her. "Listen to the earth." She told herself. Mayra shifted her feet and began to listen and feel for her surroundings. She could feel a tree on her far right, as cavern behind her, and a rock on her left. Mayra began walking around these objects in search of Aang. She jumped over a fallen tree, stepped away from a sand pit, and avoided the animal calls that sounded like they were too close. Eventually she could make out a figure of a person with a beating heart standing a few yards away, she ran to the person. The person began running away from her.

"You're going to have to run faster Mayra if you want to catch me." She heard her master. He was right, Mayra was not running at full speed, she was afraid that she might run into something. But she hadn't yet, why should she be afraid? Mayra picked up the pace and sprinted to catch up to Aang.

"Use the ground behind you to help your speed." Aang lectured.

Mayra lifted a slate of the ground under her feet, she moved her arms in a flowing way. She was surprised by her increased speed she. It felt inhuman but powerful. She reached her arms out and jumped onto her master. They both fell to the ground in a tumbling heap.

"Ha, I got you!" Mayra panted and lifted her blindfold up to see.

"Congratulations, you can be called an earthbender, you are now fully in touch with your element." Aang rubbed Mayra's head.

"Master Aang, now can we rest, I'm pooped." Mayra rested her head on the ground.

"Of course you deserve it." Aang said but the last word dropped when he felt something uneasy. Mayra picked up his odd change in tone.

"What is it Master?"

Aang placed his hands on the ground in a fixed concentration to feel something. "I feel a series of explosions, deep within the ground, about a mile from here. Just over those mountains. There's a city there too." Aang pointed.

Mayra looked carefully at the mountains, "Maybe the city my family is in is over there."

"Let's check it out."

Aang and Mayra traveled fast across the ground and up the mountain. They stayed low in the air so that they could not be seen. They made their way to a ridge which had a high view of a city below them. It was a big city with high thick walls around it. It looked like a smaller version of Ba Sing Sai. There were mining shafts around the outside of the wall, several dirty poorly dressed people were coming in and out of them. It looked like there were a lot of earthbenders among the group. They were being controlled by dark red dressed people with fire whips and chains. It looked awful.

"I understand now." Mayra's voice sounded lower than her usual tone. Aang stared down at her, "This is the city my father took my mother and brother to. He said something about mining shafts like these. Earthbenders are being slaves, if I went with him, I would be a slave."

"You sure this is the city?"

Mayra nodded, her frown deepened.

Aang handed Mayra his staff and placed her on his back, he jumped off of the ridge and plunged into the ground. He created a hole and burrowed underneath the ground. Aang journeyed far underground, he went pass the mining shafts, under the great wall and into the city. He emerged into a building's floor. He poked his head out of the hole and looked around the building. It was old and abandoned, he could feel no life in here. He lifted Mayra up from the hole.

"You got to teach me that." Mayra cried and handed back his staff.

"I will, but not now. Now we have to be quiet and wait until nightfall." Aang began exploring the building. There were holes in the ceiling, and in the walls. The floor was all dirt, it looked like an old storage shack but nothing remained in it but some crates and dusty blankets. Aang broke some crates and began making a small fire. Aang shook out an old blanket and wrapped it over his shoulders and head. He turned it into a hooded cape. He handed Mayra a smaller blanket.

"But I'm not cold Master."

"You need to hide yourself, what if someone might peek in here. We can't have anyone noticing us, its better that we pass as homeless kids than the Avatar and a Loyalist leader's daughter."

Mayra placed the blanket around her, "So we just wait here?"

"Until nightfall then we'll find your family."

Mayra stared at the flickering fire, nightfall wasn't for a couple of hours. Maybe she could catch up on some of her missed sleep, but she was bubbling with questions to ask the Avatar.

"Master Aang, why do you want to help find my family instead of looking for Katara?"

"I wasn't looking for Katara in the first place." Aang's voice lowered.

"Why not? I told you before that people who love each other should stick together."

"That's why I'm helping you recover your family back, so that you can be with your loved ones."

"But after you help me, you will find Katara, right?" Mayra stared at him, her eyes had hints of anger.

Aang sighed, "Mayra you are too young to understand what's going on between Katara and I."

"I know, that's what Katara said when I asked. But I don't think its that hard for me to understand. You two both fought and then you got separated from each other. You are unsure of how she feels for you and she thinks the same way. So you two journey away from each other, thinking that the other will come for you. That doesn't work. You have to find Katara and tell her you love her." Mayra commanded.

"Mayra, please. Its not that simple."

"Why? You love her don't you, and people who love each other have to stick together. Its seems like a stupid idea to separate from the one you love because there is danger. Katara is a strong fighter, she needs to be by your side helping you fight. She seems lost without you, she needs you."

Aang tightened his fists, "I can't go alright!" He yelled at her.

Mayra hugged her knees together in fear.

Aang dropped his anger quickly after seeing her scared face, "I have a mission to carry out. I can't get Katara involved. It's just too dangerous. Far more dangerous than the war we resolved years ago. Besides, if she wanted to fight alongside me, why didn't she come find me before?"

Mayra stared blankly at him, "Maybe because she is waiting for you to find her. Master Aang, do you fear that she might not love you anymore?"

Aang stared at this stubborn little girl.

"You have nothing to fear. Ever thou she didn't admit it to me, I can tell that she is in love with you. She feels guilty for leaving and yelling, but she is not sure of where to go. She needs you. Please go find her."

Aang could feel tears begin to develop in his eyes. Staring at this little girl, begging him to listen, reminded him so much of Katara. Aang turned around and laid down on the ground, "Please get some rest, you need it."

Mayra pouted, but figured there would be no sense in arguing more about it. "Pleasant dreams, Master."

As soon as the sky was pitch black, Aang and Mayra emerged out of the building with the blankets still tied around them. Mayra hopped on Aang's back, and he ran across the rooftops. He leaped silently from building to building, pausing at the guards patrolling below and watched out for the cell towers' lights.

After bouncing from house to house, Mayra pointed to a building that didn't look different from the rest. "That one."

"You sure?"

"Each house has a symbol of the Loyalist's rank on them. I know my father's rank anywhere."

Aang hopped over to the house. Aang felt around the house, he was surprised he couldn't feel any guards around this part of the city. Mayra jumped down from Aang, handed him his staff back, and ran up to the door. She knocked loudly on the door and took off her hood of the blanket.

There was a long pause at the door. Aang was close behind Mayra. Finally the door opened to reveal a tall stocked man dressed in high quality clothing. His eyes lit up in recognition at Mayra, "What are you doing here?" He didn't look pleased to see her.

"Father please, return my mother and brother."

"You're not supposed to be here, do you know what the city will do once they find out that you are an earthbender?"

"Is that Mayra?" came a voice from inside.

A woman pushed her way through to the door, "Mayra run away from here! It's a trap!!" The woman was pulled away from the door by hands of guards from the inside. Suddenly guards started emerging from the corners of streets and out of buildings. They filed out of houses and circled around Aang and Mayra.

Aang got into a fighting stance with his staff and kept his hood down low. Mayra clung to Aang's leg, "Father why?"

Her father stood at the doorway with a confused expression, " What's the meaning of this?! Why are positioning around my daughter? I thought you were here to protect us from the Phoenix Prophet who was said to be coming?!"

"We are here of that especially." Came a voice from behind the circle of guards. The guards moved away for the voice to be seen. The figure came into the circle.

Aang stood in shock.

In all her standing glory, Azula approached Aang and Mayra. She didn't look any different from the last time Aang saw her. She was wearing more gold and higher quality clothing than before. But her eyes that marked her madness were untouched. Her crimson lips were blood red which matched her sharp nails. She looked like the same symbol of death that Aang encountered back at the Boiling Rock. Mayra's fingers wrapped tighter around Aang's leg at the appearance of this woman. Ever if Mayra didn't know her, she was still fearsome looking.

Mayra's father was outraged, "Queen Azula, you have no right to take my daughter, she did nothing wrong! I beg of you, let her leave this city peacefully."

Azula's face was expressionless, "I'm afraid I can't do that. Father ordered for there to be the capture of the Phoenix Prophet, and there will be a capturing of your special little girl."

Mayra whimpered. Aang knew it, his hunch was correct. Mayra had to be the Phoenix Prophet, she didn't want to admit it because she was protecting herself, that's why Aang didn't ask. Aang planned to reveal himself after he would rescue her family, and from there he and she could take Ozai together. Aang had to protect Mayra.

The guards were closing in. Aang grabbed hold of Mayra and leapt up into the air and smashed through the roof of Mayra's father's house. Aang earthbended a door to prevent any others from entering. There were a couple of guards in the house already, some had Mayra's mother and her brother in their clutches. Aang charged forward and attacked the guards. He air kicked, fire punched and earth slammed the guards down and freed Mayra's family.

Mayra rushed into her mother's arms, they embraced. Her brother joined them. Aang stared at them in happiness. But then there was a ruckus coming from the earth made door and on the ceiling. Soon the room became flooded with more guards. Aang bended some earth under the family, and blasted the wall behind the house away with a huge air gust. He lifted the earth carrying the family into the sky.

"You're the Avatar aren't you?" Mayra's mother cried.

"Yup, he came with me to save you."

"But what about dad?" Her brother asked.

"I'm afraid we can't help him." Aang answered. "Your father appeared to be innocent of their failed attempt to capture us. He will go unharmed."

"The Loyalists had gotten information from the Phoenix priests that the prophet was a young woman who was a bender that was living with us. I just can't believe that it is you Mayra." Her mother held Mayra tighter. "But you're safe now."

"But mom, I'm not the prophet." Mayra replied.

"What?" Her mother gasped.

"What?" Aang turned his head around and couldn't believe it. But he thought that it had to be her, she was the last priestess that was there at the temple. If it wasn't her, that who was it?

"It's not me, the prophet is…." Mayra began but was cut off by a blinding light coming for them. In front of them, a cannon fire was shot and it hit Aang right when he was off guard. Aang yelled in pain but quickly recovered. An air ship was in front of them, with five cannons and firebenders aiming at them. Aang stopped the earth slate on a dime and turned it towards the mountains. He added airbending speed to the flight and the city blurred below them. He was almost out of range of the city. But suddenly a blast of lightening came from down below and hit the earth slate. Aang and the family were beginning to fall fast. Aang grabbed hold of everyone and used airbending to blast through the sky with limited distance.

Aang carried the family over the wall and into the forest. "Brace yourselves!" Aang yelled and prepared to take impact of the incoming trees. They hit tree branches that scrapped their skin, then the ground was coming quickly below them. Aang tried to slow down gravity with a cushioned air gust. They all tumbled heavily across the ground.

A shock ran through Aang's body on the impact, "Everyone alright?"

Mayra's mother got up and rubbed her head but smiled, Mayra gave him a thumbs up. Her brother jumped up, "That was awesome, can we do it again?"

But soon the ground started shaking, Aang could feel a train running up the mountain through the forest coming straight for them. "Mayra, take your family and run! I'll hold them off." Aang got up and motioned them away. He grabbed for his discarded staff.

"But Aang," Mayra began.

"No buts, just go!"

"Wait Aang, before I leave, I want you to promise me something. Promise me that you find Katara once we are safe." Mayra stared at him, she was not moving until she was getting an answer.

Aang sighed, "I give you my word as an Avatar that I will find her."