The Mysterious Traveler
(2nd Version)
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Avatar: The Last Airbender!
Chapter Twenty-Five:
A Spirit's Message
Severus's heart was beating like a drum against his chest, sending chills through every corner of his body. His full attention on the woman who called herself Kori, ignoring everyone else around him as he listened to every word, hoping that this discovery was the first legit clue to finding a way back to his world.
He sat on a log close to a campfire, next to Aang, Katara, and Sokka, while Kori, Jeong and Kiri sat on the other side. All were silent except for Kori, who began to explain everything to Severus.
"Before all this chaos, my family and I lived in a small village known as Makapu. My... husband's land was rich from the volcanic soil, providing a future for myself and my daughter..."
Severus noticed his pause and sad frown.
"But everything changed when that bright light appeared in the sky-"
"Bright light?" Katara cried out. "Was it golden?"
Kori nodded, "But it was unlike anything I've ever seen before. It looked like a…"
"Wave?" Sokka asked.
"Yes, exactly!" she cried out. "Everyone in the colony saw it, and the moment it paused… people began to get sick." She pulled his daughter close. "My daughter included."
"What kind of sickness?" Severus asked, his voice full of curiosity.
Jeong rubbed his beard.
"I don't know. No one could explain it. She collapsed minutes after the wave passed, she was too weak to move, too tired to even stay conscious for long. But after a week, she began to get better."
"You said others were the same?"
"The exact same! They all got sick at the same time and began to get better at the same time. The only difference was… well…"
"I can do magic!" the girl cheered.
Kori smiled and rubbed her head, "About a month after the wave, weird things started to happen around my home. Things began to float in the air and my daughter somehow ended up on top of the volcano, within minutes of having left our home for school."
"Which I am assuring takes a while to climb, right?" Sokka asked as he ate some sweets, earning a glare from Katara.
"It takes thirty minutes to an hour do it, but she somehow did it in less than ten."
Severus looked at the girl, who turned away, blushing.
"What did you think about when that happened?" he demanded.
The girl thought about it as she rested her face against her mother's arm, "I remember thinking how much I hated being inside the walls, feeling like… a prisoner. I remembered when my mom and dad took me up there one time and how it felt to see the rest of the world from up there. Next thing I knew, I was standing there, about fall off if I hadn't stopped walking."
A thought occurred in Severus's mind as he bolted up and paced around, unable to control himself.
"How is this even possible?" he said out loud, unknowingly gaining the concerning looks from Aang, Katara, and Sokka. "I'm not even part of this world… there were never others like me before…"
"Alex?" Katara stood up, followed by Aang, while Sokka continued to eat his sweets and watch. "Are you okay?"
"No, I'm not okay!" he shouted, making everyone flinch except for Jeong. "Just when I think I know about this world, this happens! And now I'm stuck with more questions than I have answers!"
"We'll figure this out together," Katara slowly approached him. "And this is a good thing, you're not the only one now. You have her. And you'll always have us."
"Yeah, at least there's two of you," Aang smiled, sheepishly. "I'm still the only one."
Jeong eyed the Airbender, deep in thought as he continued to rub his beard.
Anxiety and excitement were rushing through him like two rivers colliding with each other, fighting for dominance. A part of him was happy that he wasn't the only magical person in this world, but the frustration was overruling it now. None of what Kori had told him helped him in his journey to get back home. No clues to anything useful just dead ends.
He turned to Jeong.
"Has there ever been anyone like me or her before?"
Jeong shook his head, "No."
"History of any ancient beings who could manipulate things beyond the four elements?"
"Only legends of energy-bending, but nothing more. As far as anyone is concerned, you and this girl are the only ones who can perform, as you and her like to call it, magic."
Severus groaned, moving his hands forcefully through his hair as he continued to pace around.
"What happened… after Kiri got her... magical powers?" Sokka asked while chewing his food, earning a slam on the head from Katara.
Kori's face darkened as he looked at Kiri, who yawned and rubbed her eyes before being picked up by her mother, "Time for bed, little witch."
She giggled as Kori carried her away to a nearby tent as everyone remained by the campfire in silence, except for Sokka's munching on delicious sweets. When Kori came back out, she stood dangerously close to the fire, looking deep into its flames.
"One week after Kori's... accident, our fortuneteller warned us that the volcano was going to erupt and that we had to evacuate to a safe location. We witnessed the horrible sight from a safe distance, but our home was destroyed by the lava. We were forced to move to Abbey for safety, but things only got worse from there."
"How?" Sokka asked.
Kori's eyes filled with tears as he turned away, "The villagers began blaming Kiri for the volcano. And the nuns were of no help. We were forced to sleep outside the walls, isolated from everyone else. And my husband..."
Her voice broke and her body began to shake.
"I overheard some of the villagers during a secret meeting. The things I heard… I just… took Kiri and ran… as far as I could. I had no idea where to go. All I knew was that I need to get her far away and fast."
She paused again, struggling to regain control.
"I met Jeong the next morning after I had run nearly the whole night. He took us under his protection and we've been with him ever since."
"How did you know where to find us?" Aang asked.
Jeong leaned forward, "We've heard of the rumors surrounding a magical figure known as the Mysterious Traveler. His so-called miracles were identical to the girl's. The burning of the forest surrounding the village of Giapan caught our attention. I was able to determine where you would be heading if you stayed with the group who call themselves the Freedom Fighters. We were going to approach you in the morning, but the Mysterious Traveler made that easier for us tonight."
Severus sneered.
Silence passed as everyone began to let everything sink in while around the campfire, only the sound of the forest and those moving around the campsite reaching their ears.
Finally, Kori bowed turned and took her leave, entering the tent to be with her daughter.
Seeing the fire starting to go out, Jeong stood up, took a deep breath and unleashed a small flare to keep it going, throwing in some more firewood as well.
Aang's eyes widened, as did Katara's, while food fell out of Sokka's mouth.
"You're a Firebender!" Aang exclaimed.
Jeong addressed the Airbender with little interest, "Your observing skills are lacking, Avatar."
"You know who I am?"
"Your markings as a monk betray you, I've known the moment I saw you. There are those who believe you are the last of your kind."
"Your choice of words suggests he may not be," said Severus, taking the chance to focus on anything else he could.
"What do you mean?" Aang asked.
"You said 'those who believe', what did you mean by that?"
Jeong stared at Severus, the two locking eyes.
"My men came across a storyteller some time ago, who swore upon his life that his stories are true. Stories of flying Airbenders seen near the Northern Air Temple."
Aang's eyes widened in shock before turning into excitement as he jumped up from the log, crying out with joy as he did a joy-air-dance, "Who is he? Where can we find him? Is he from the Northern Air Temple?!"
Jeong glared at the boy, vanquishing his excitement.
"You lack discipline and restraint!" he declared, making him flinch. "How is a boy such as yourself supposed to defend the world?! You, who ran away from your responsibilities and left the world in this mess! The Spirits spit upon us!"
Katara and Sokka became horrified and angry with the Firebender, while Severus was mixed. Aang's head fell as he stared at the ground, tears falling and sink into the dirt.
"Hey, listen here, old man!" Katara approached him, glaring into his eyes. "Aang never wanted this life! He never wanted to be the Avatar! If anyone is to blame, it's your people! The Fire Nation made all of this happen!"
"Yeah, how many people have you killed?!" Sokka stood up, so angry he didn't notice his goods falling into the dirt. "Aang here respect life, and Alex has helped more than you ever have!"
"And what about Gaipan?!" Katara continued. "The invasion caused some kids to revolt and try to flood the village because of you!"
"The actions of my people are not mine to carry," Jeong spoke firmly. "And the actions of these kids are their own to bare. One crime does not right another."
"I'm not justifying their actions!" she spat, her face red as cherry. "Why can't you just leave everyone alone?! Why do mothers have to die?! Why do children have to live in fear and wonder who else will be taken from them?! Damn it, answer me! WHY?!"
The ringing in her ears calmed over a short period of time, the hot feeling in her cheeks fading. The numbness slowly subsiding as everything became clear again, allowing her to realize that everyone's attention was on her, from the boys and Jeong at the campfire to many others from a distance. Even Kori and Kiri were watching from the comfort of their tent
Jeong stared at her and rose to his feet, "You have wounds that have not been dealt with. Continue down this path and you will end up in a darker place than him."
He looked to Severus, sharing a silent moment before walking away, "I want all of you out of my camp. Now!"
Katara was left dumbfounded as she felt a wave of exhaustion overwhelm her, trying to make sense of the outburst she had unleashed. Sokka approached her from behind and touched her shoulder, but she shoved him off and walked away from him and the fire, heading for a nearby creek in the distance.
"Wait!" Aang grabbed his staff and ran after Jeong. "I need a firebending teacher!"
Jeong stopped at the entrance of his tent, "How am I supposed to train an undisciplined child such as yourself? You've never learned waterbending or earthbending."
"Actually, I have yet to finish my airbending training."
Jeong glared, "You make your situation worse. There is a reason why firebending is always taught last for those who are not born Firbenders. Fire is destruction, it is alive, and it hungers for everything. To teach you now is to start a fire without the help of water or dirt to control it."
"But I need to learn firebending before the end of summer!"
Jeong scoffed, "You think you can learn generations of firebending in less than eight months, along with water and earth?! Aren't you the ambitious one!"
"But I need to!"
"Do tell, why?"
"Because Avatar Roku told me that unless if I learn the elements and defeat the Fire Lord, everything will be destroyed."
Jeong frowned, "Avatar Roku told you this?"
Aang nodded, "Yep!"
"Do you believe me a fool to believe these half-baked lies?"
Suddenly, a strong wild blew right by and the campfire died, along with every other source of light in the camp. The wind silenced and the moon itself disappeared, clouding them in literal darkness. And as fast as it died, the campfire came back to life and in Aang's place was Avatar Roku.
Fear pierced Severus's heart, his body trembling. Sokka fell to the ground, having tripped over the log.
"Do you believe me a liar, Jeong?" demanded Roku.
Jeong dropped to his knees and bowed, as did many others, "No, I meant no disrespect, Avatar Roku! I was speaking only to the boy!"
"This boy is your last hope of defeating the Fire Nation," declared Roku. "You know he needs a Firbender to teach him our ways."
"But our ways are corrupt," he dared not to look up. "I've seen it for myself. And he is not ready to learn firbending."
Roku's glare softened, " You misunderstand my meaning. You are not to train the boy at this very moment. It is the Avatar's duty to learn the elements in the order they were meant to be learned. Fire must be taught last. I mean for you to teach him our true ways. The original ways."
"I do not understand."
"Precisely my point. By tomorrow morning, send Aang and his friends to a land that rests at the edge of the northern parts of this area of the Earth Kingdom. The land is shaped like a wave, with two large lakes on each side that lead to towards the ocean."
Jeong nodded, "I know the land you speak of."
The spirit nodded, "As for you, travel to the ancient Sun Warriors city of Meso Island. You will find who you'll need to learn about the original ways of firebending there. Once you've completed your training, pass on what you've learned to Aang when he returns to you."
Reluctantly, Roku nodded, "The boy spoke of a reason why he needs to learn all four elements by summer's end. Why so soon?"
The old spirit studied him before replying, "Because Sozin's Comet will be retuning by then. And the Fire Lord will plan on unleashing its power, just as Sozin once did."
"On who?"
"Last time it was used to wipe out the Air Nomads. Now, they will use it to wipe out their newest threat that keeps them from winning the war."
Realization struck Jeong, "But surely they must understand the damage this will cause."
"Fire Lord Ozai cares not for the land or the people as Sozin may have, in his own twist way. He will take being king of the ashes if it means ensuring his victory."
Jeong thought hard and deep about the spirit's revelation and nodded, "Very well, I will train the boy when he has mastered water and earth. I will do my duty to help stop this catastrophe."
Roku nodded back, "Call upon your old friends. They will be needed when the time comes."
"Yes, Avatar Roku."
Severus felt his heart stop when the spirit turned to him, almost making him fall back when he backed up against the log.
"As for you, Mr. Snape," hearing his name released a breath of relief from deep within as it did out, one that he wasn't aware of. "Your presence has caused unforeseen consequences in this world. Dark shadows search for you as we speak. Aang may decide the fate of the war but you will be the deciding factor for something far greater."
Severus tried to speak but his voice failed him.
"Journey with the Aang to the North Pole and then search for Wan Shi Tong's Library in the center of the Si Wong Desert. You will find what you are looking for there. But be warned, do not misuse the librarian's knowledge or you will be stuck inside forever."
Another large wind blew by and the fire went out, quickly lighting back up as the moon came back to life and Aang was back in the place of Roku, looking around with confusion. Kang and Kiri came running out of their tent. And cloak figures appeared from the forest, their bow and arrows ready.
"Hey, why is everyone bowing to me?" Aang asked, looking around him.
"Aang! Sokka!"
Katara came running out of the darkness, hugging Sokka as he stood back up before turning to Aang.
"What happened?!"
Aang shrugged, "I don't know. One second I'm talking to Jeong and the next he's bowing to me."
"Everything literally disappeared for a second too," Katara rambled.
"It wasn't a second," Sokka said, fear deep in his eyes. "It was more like minutes."
Jeong rose, including others who were there, "The power of the Spirit World does not answer to the physical realm. Roku has spoken, and we must listen."
"Wait, Roku was here?" Aang's eyes widened.
"You were Roku, Avatar. You were just a vessel being used to deliver a message."
"What did Roku say."
Jeong turned away, walking towards his tent.
"Get some rest. We will speak in the morning."
Once his retreating form disappeared in the tent, everyone else began to do the same, including Kori and Kiri. Katara shrugged as she took Sokka and Aang by their arms and began to lead them away.
"Let's get back the others. I bet they're begging for some sleep as much as we are."
"Thought you didn't like the Freedom Fighters," Aang teased.
Katara rolled her eyes, "Right now, I'm a little too tired to be angry. Not to mention I just spent a great chunk of it on Mr. Jeong the Jerk-"
She stopped, noticing Severus wasn't following.
"Alex, you coming?"
Severus stood still, his eyes wide and his heart pounding against his chest as he tried to process what he had just heard. It took a few more shouts from Katara to get his attention.
"What?!" he snapped, making her flinch.
"I was just asking if you are coming?"
Shaking his head, he nodded, quickly walking past them. He missed the odd look Sokka was giving him as they headed back to the Taku ruins. The entire walk through the forest was spent far away in his mind as he tried to process the information he had just heard. But a part of him was leaping with joy at the new information he was given by the Roku spirit, reigniting his hope that maybe he could be returning home sooner than he thought. But there was also a sense of relief, like a weight being lifted off his shoulders by the mention of his last name.
He pushed those thoughts aside, focusing on the need to rest once they were back with the others. By morning, the planning would be waiting for him. And while the information was not much to go off of, it was a start.
So yeah, this is where you're all caught up now.
I do have a plan and direction in mind of where I want to go with this story. I also have a romance in mind for Severus and I've decided to go all out with it. And I also made a decision on another romance that I hope others will like as well.
Thank you for reading and reviewing. I'll see you guys in future chapters ahead.