Wow, I'm feeling hyper today. Why am I feeling hyper? I had a really fun day, that's why! My mom, my sister and I had a girls day out! And at a spur of the moment we decided to go to the zoo. It's kinda crazy, I know, because it's February and the stupid groundhog saw his shadow, but despite what the little rodent says it was rather warm. What was really cool though is that a few of the animals were quite friendly! I got to pet a mountain sheep (even though I prolly wasn't supposed to) and a giraffe (even though I definitely wasn't supposed to). But so long as nobody screamed at me I think I'm okay.

Now, I just wanna say sorry to those who are reading Fantome. Since I started this story I've been all crazy and stuff and decided that I want to get this all out before I finish writing that one and also before the new episodes come out. Don't worry, this story should only be six or seven chapters tops and I'll try to get it out fast and I am still working on Fantome!

BTW, thanxs to everyone that reviewed! I love you all!

Aang opened his eyes and gasped. Gone were the sparse mountain trees he had fallen asleep under. In their place was a mass of dense jungle. He stood up and glanced around. His friends were gone as well. Something slithered in the depths of the foliage. Aang whirled on his heels, straining his ears to pinpoint the sound.

"Who's there?" he demanded. There was nothing. Aang's eyes danced wildly, trying to get some sense of what was happening to him. A growl rumbled behind him, it sounded like an animal until the earth beneath Aang's feet began to tremble. The trembling grew until Aang was being knocked around so bad he could barely keep his footing. The trembling continued, its roar growing as its voice was joined by another. Fire swept through the jungle in the distance and it was coming towards Aang with abnormal determination. Aang let out a strangled cry and began to scramble away though the shaking ground kept stealing his progress. Animals scurried around his feet with the same focus. On and on Aang ran, feeling is struggle becoming more futile as the flames grew closer, almost to the point that they were licking at his heels. Then the forest filtered into a clearing. In the center of the clearing a man sat hunched over the still body of a woman. His shoulders quivered with muffled sobs as he pressed his face into her dark hair. The earth mimicked his sorrow. Aang began running forward to warn this man of the fire that was now pressing around them. But before Aang could speak the man lifted his head and looked straight at him, his eyes glowing a faint blue. The woman's head sagged so that Aang could see her face, but there was none. Aang screamed out of fear, the man screamed out of grief, and Aang woke up screaming.

"AANG! Are you all right?" Katara crawled out of her sleeping bag as quickly as she could and crouched beside Aang's quivering body. Aang said nothing but buried his face into his knees and began to cry. She wrapped a comforting arm around his shoulders and pulled him into a hug. He accepted her embrace gratefully.

"Uh, what's going on?" Sokka asked from the edge of the trees.

"I think he had a nightmare." Katara said, gently rubbing Aang's scalp.

"Great. Here we go again." Sokka grumbled and slid into his sleeping bag. Katara shot a glare in his general direction but decided to ignore him.

"Are you alright?" Katara asked once Aang's breathing slowed. He nodded and pulled away from her arms.

"Yeah, I'll be fine." He said with a hiccup.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No. This time it's too personal." Aang said, wiping his eyes. Without a backwards glance he walked into the trees and disappeared. Katara watched him go and anxiously bit at her lip.

"So, do you think he's going to be okay?" Sokka asked from his sleeping bag. The tone of his voice was much different from his last comment.

"I don't really know. And where did you go anyways?" She asked, casting him a suspicious glance. He didn't answer her for a long time, Katara was about to stand up and go after Aang when Sokka's voice stopped her.

"I was watching the moon." He said thickly.

"Sokka…I'm so sorry." Katara said, hanging her head.

"Don't be. She did what she needed to do…and now you should do what you need to do. Go see if Aang is alright." Katara hesitated, but finally nodded and went after him. She found him sitting on a rock next to a small stream. He used his eyes to make a path for the water to go. It followed his gaze, swirling and jumping before continuing on its course.

"Aang, is there anything I can do?" Katara asked. Aang shook his head and shifted his gaze to the trees across stream. Katara sighed sadly and sat next to him, taking up where he had left off in his bending but being forced to use her hands. It had only been a week since the north pole. After that entire incident, Aang had become absolutely focused in his purpose. Katara had been his master for all of three days before his skill once more surpassed her own. The past few days had been spent in search of some bender to begin teaching Aang the basics of earthbending. But all had been pulled from the villages and settlements to prepare for war. There were no benders left and Aang had been starting to panic with the prospect of his future looming overhead.

"Aang, please! Just tell me something I can do to help!" She cried, a helpless tear slipping unbidden from her eye. Aang glanced up at her and sighed.

"I told you not to worry. I'll be alright." He said. His voice was stable, but a tear slid down his cheek to match hers, catching the moonlight and glowing faintly before dropping into blackness. "But maybe you could teach me some more." He said as an afterthought. She knew he was just giving her something to do to take her mind off his stress, and she accepted it gratefully. They both stood up and Katara began leading him through the motions of commanding the stream.

The next afternoon the trio passed through another earth kingdom town and the search for an earthbender began all over again. They stopped in shop after shop asking every merchant if there were any left, and each answer was the same. They didn't know of any. Aang sighed after yet another let down and sat down heavily next to a shelf housing a medley of scrolls. Momo poked his head from Aangs shirt and sniffed the air curiously. He fluttered upwards and his tail knocked a scroll, sending it falling into Aang's lap. Aang didn't move, but stared at the dulled parchment of the ancient document for a few minutes. It was sealed with green wax and an elaborate insignia depicting an owl. The lifelike features of the owl seemed to beckon something deep within him that he couldn't explain. Aang lifted the scroll carefully and opened it. The writing was faded to the point of being illegible. However, in the center of the parchment was a clear drawing of an axe. Set in the blade was a gem. It was simple and small, looking no more than a regular ruby. Yet Aang could feel its power even through the rough ink lines of the simple sketch.

"You have an eye for a fine read, child." The merchant said, taking the scroll from Aang's hands. "It's a shame this one's not for sale and I don't appreciate people touching it." He tucked it back in the slot.

"Please sir, what did that scroll say!" Aang said, grabbing the merchant's sleeve before he could walk away. He glared down at Aang suspiciously before nodding and turning back to face the child.

"Well you see, there's a world beyond our own. It's the spirit world and there lies where…" He began elegantly, waving his hands in emphasis.

"Yeah yeah, I know all that. But what was that axe about?" Aang said, interrupting the merchant with an annoyed wave. He looked quite ruffled at this rudeness and continued on without the storyteller grandeur he had started his tale with.

"The blood jewel. Legend has it that if it is applied to a weapon it will destroy anything it touches. Even the immortal souls in the spirit world. It's a nice story, but don't put anything into it child. The only person who could wield such a weapon would have to be the av-av-av-GOOD HEAVENS! IT'S YOU!" Aang grinned sheepishly and shrugged.

"Yeah-"

"GET OUT OF MY SHOP! IF THE FIRENATION PATROL FINDS YOU HERE I WILL BE RUINED! OUT! OUT!" The merchant yanked Aang to his feet and shoved him towards the door, only pausing to grab Sokka and Katara as he passed where they were browsing and shove them as well. The door slammed behind them, then opened a second later to allow Momo to glide out.

"What did you break?" Sokka demanded.

"I didn't break anything!" Aang said, lifting his hands defensively, then dropped them with a depressed sigh. "He just found out what I was."

"Aang…" Katara began, but he had already turned and began shuffling his feet moodily towards the woods where Appa was waiting for them. Katara exchanged a quick glance with Sokka, then both fell into step behind Aang.

Please Roku. Help me. I need your guidance. Aang ran this through his mind over and over as he sat in meditation. He had been sitting there for hours and the sun had nearly set.

"Aang, we should go. It's best that we get to the next settlement as quickly as possible." Sokka said quietly. Aang nodded and stood up, allowing Sokka to lead him back to camp. But he paused when a glimmer in the fading sunlight caught his eye.

"Wait a second." Aang said. He pushed the air below him so he floated upwards and lit on the branch of a tree. Only a few hundred feet away towered the ancient remains of building.

"Go ahead without me! I'll meet you back at camp in a few minutes!" He called down to Sokka. He pulled out his glider and leapt into the air. Sokka released a frustrated growl and stomped back to their campsite.

Aang landed at a large doorway of the ruin. Vegetation had overrun the place and the inside was rank with animal feces. Aang ignored this and stepped through into the darkness. He ran his hand along the wall and found a torch left in a bracket. He pulled it down and, with a good deal of concentration, conjured a small flame to start it with. Bats screeched and flocked at the sudden intrusion of light and smoke, thousands of the small bodies fluttered around Aang before taking their exit en masse.

"Sorry!" He called after them and continued inward. Carvings covered the walls of the building which was obviously a temple. The carvings depicted the history of the spirit world and mortal world, showing how a great spirit gave man the power to command the earth. Aang ran a hand over the carvings and followed them inward feeling there was something to learn from them. A doorway stood before him, he took it and found himself in a winding hallway. He followed it deeper into the heart of the temple. The space above him opened and the walls extended outward until he was in a good-sized chamber. In it's center was a statue carved in stone of an ancient monkey. It sat in meditation, eyes closed in enlightenment and its thin frame was swathed with flowing robes.

"Hey! It's you!" Aang stepped forward and poked its face curiously. He inspected the statue and found a water basin set at its base. Aang tested the water with a finger and was shocked to find it cold. The room itself was hot an muggy and the water had probably been sitting there for hundreds of years. The fact that there was even water still in the basin was strange in itself. Aang peered down into the basin, his reflection rippled slightly in the disturbed water, then it was replaced with another.

"Hello Aang."

"Roku!"

"You just let him run off by himself?" Katara demanded from her place on Appa's saddle.

"Um…yeah, there isn't much you can do to control that kid." Sokka said, waving his arms.

"Well, where did he go?" she asked, sliding down to the ground.

"How am I supposed to know, the kid is going nuts…"

"DON'T SAY THAT!" Katara yelled. She turned and began marching into the trees.

"Where are you going now?" Sokka hollered after her.

"I'm going to find my friend." She called back. Sokka groaned and let his head flop backwards on his shoulder.

"Wait up, you'll just get lost…not that I would mind so much, some peace and quiet would be nice right about now." Sokka grumbled under his breath and set off after her. "Stay here you guys!" He called back to Appa and Momo. Appa grunted in reply from where he was settled comfortably and Momo took the chance to dive into the food satchel.

"Roku, I need your help. I need to learn Earthbending but I can't find a teacher."

"The one to teach you is someone you already know." Roku said simply.

"What, you mean Bumi? There's not enough time to go all the way back to Omashu! I need to find teacher now!" Aang said.

"No, not Bumi but someone very close to you..." Aang scrunched his nose and tried to pinpoint an earthbender he was close to. The only one that came to mind that was still alive was Bumi. "…Someone very close to us." Roku finished.

"What do you mean?"

"One of the greatest earthbenders alive lived eight hundred years ago. Her name was Maki. She is the only one that could teach you to master earthbending fast enough, and in return you may very well help the course of her fate." Roku said. Aang had stiffened at the sound of that name. It was so familiar.

"How can I see her?" Aang asked.

"Wow, this place is huge." Sokka said with a low whistle at the base of the temple. The only doorway seemed to be set two hundred feet up.

"Then we'd better start moving." Katara said. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the humidity in the air. She beckoned it and commanded it to compress and form a small sheet of ice. The exertion of the feat left her gasping and Sokka watched her in amazement. "Come on." She grabbed his shirt and pulled him onto the sheet of ice which lifted in the air and carried them to the doorway.

"Wait, we don't even know if he's in here." Sokka said, grabbing Katara's arm before she could step through the doorway. The faint sound of someone talking echoed from one of the tunnels and Katara gave him a wry smile. Sokkareleased a defeated grunt and led the way towards the sound. Both of them were unaware of the sharp yellow eyes watching them from one of the black corners.

"Aang?" Katara asked, stepping into the small dome of light his torch offered. Aang jumped and stood up.

"Katara? What are you doing here?"

"We're here to get you genius. Now come on, we've wasted enough time." Sokka said, wiping a cobweb from his face. Aang looked down at the basin and then back up at his friends.

"I'm not going. I've found what I need right here."

"Uh huh." Sokka said carefully, then turned and whispered, "Okay Katara, I'll tackle him and you go for his legs." Kataraelbowed him in the stomachand took a few steps forward.

"What are you talking about Aang?"

"I don't know, you guys interrupted before I could find out!" Aang said in annoyance. He dropped to his knees and looked back into the basin. Roku's face was still there. "How can I see her?" Aang asked again. Katara exchanged a glance with Sokka and both jumped when a deep voice echoed from the bowl.

"There is only one way to travel into a different life. You see, two avatars cannot coexist at the same time. You must first turn over part of your spirit. This will leave you very weak, but you will still have the strength to learn what Maki tells you. The wise one is the only one that can both divide your spirit and shift you to another time. I have already called him. He will be here shortly." Roku's reflection faded.

"Aang, what's going on?" Katara demanded. The room began to swell with light.

"I'm going to go to another time. Stay here and…"

"Whoah, we are not going to just let you go somewhere with only part of your strength…at least not without us." Sokka said, stepping forward.

"You guys, I can't let you…"

"Dis is all veddy veddy boring!" The monkey statue said loudly in a thick accent. All three jumped and turned to face the statue which had come to life and was watching them with disapproval. "Ah, it's you again is it? Let's huddy this up. I have bettah things to be doing now!"

"Umm…"

"Step fowad! Do I have to do every'ting for you?" Aang hastily stepped closer to the monkey. "Now, hand me de bowl." Aand did as he was told. The monkey reached out and touched Aang's forehead with a long finger. When he pulled away Aang let out a gasp and fell to his knees. He now felt something he had never felt before; the inability to airbend.

"Now den, get ready, I want you three to jump through as soon as I call it up!" The monkey closed his eyes for a second but opened them again and pointed a threatening finger at Sokka. "Wait, no metal! Metal cannot pass through de gateway!"

"What?" Sokka cried.

"Sokka, just do it!" Katara said, stepping beside Aang and helping him rise back to his feet. Sokka grumbled and took his knife and boomerang from their sheaths. He folded his arms and glowered at the monkey. Now satisfied, the monkey closed his eyes and began emitting little 'Awmmmm' noises. After a few moments, he reached out a hand and dipped a finger in the basin. He lifted his hand out and flicked the water droplet towards the trio. The droplet froze in midair and began to glow. The glow spread and began to swirl making a shallow vortex that was eight feet tall. Aang jumped into it without hesitation, dragging Katara along with him. Sokka let out a little squeak before he to stepped through. The portal began to close, but not before a figure dashed into the room from the tunnel and dove headlong through it. Then the room was cast once more into semi darkness. The monkey glowered down at Roku's face which had once more appeared in the water.

"Are you happy now?" He asked. Roku smiled up at him.

"Not quite yet my friend. There is one more thing I need you to do for me."

Iroh sat beneath a tree, his breathing slow and precise. He and Zuko had left the tavern three days earlier to travel to who knows where. The young prince seemed disinclined to stay in one place for too long after two years of being on the move. They had paused to rest at a small stream, Zuko had gone off to give his uncle some privacy. Iroh released a sigh from the peace of his surroundings.

"Iroh." Ruko said softly. Iroh opened his eyes and stared at the transparent form standing before him. "Iroh, I have a task for you to ensure the future you know." Iroh blinked a few times and when the form of Roku didn't vanish he smiled and nodded.

"Of course." He said. A sour looking monkey appeared in front of Iroh. It dipped it's finger in a small basin it was carrying and flicked it. The droplet hit Iroh square in the middle of the forehead and the old man vanished in an instant, the only sign that he had ever been there was his armor which hung in mid-air for a second before it realized its support had vanished.

"Now can I get back to my business?" The monkey asked in annoyance. Roku nodded and the monkey disappeared. Roku stayed for a moment and watched as Zuko came back to rejoin his uncle. He glared at the pile of discarded armor on the ground. The last thing he wanted was tofind his uncle in the nude...again.

"Uncle? Uncle Iroh!" He yelled. There was no answer. Fear began to well inside of him as his sister's words drifted into his mind. Roku watched him sadly as Zuko flitted all around the area, anxiously calling out his uncle's name. Then it sank in that Zuko was truly alone.

Dun dun dunnnn!

REMEMBER TO REVIEW!