I only own the stuff I came up with. The stuff that I originally didn't have in my story is not mine.

Avatar: The Last Airbender

Book 2: Earth

THE COMPANION

Chapter 9: Visions

"Are we there yet?" Whined Sokka for the billionth time. Katara and Aang just groaned in response.

"Sokka, could you please stop asking that every five minutes?" Katara asked her brother as nicely as she could manage.

"No! Aang's little girlfriend nearly got us killed and now she's got us trapped in some strange house of mirrors! I'm gettin' pretty creeped out, tired, and annoyed!" Then he looked to the dog. "You! You're supposed to be our guide! Are you gonna guide us or not?"

"Don't yell at Hachi!" Katara yelled at her brother while running to kneel beside the dog. "She's doing her best Sokka. Just because you're miserable doesn't mean you have to make all the rest of us miserable!"

"Will you guys stop it!" Aang shouted at them. "First of all, Ananda is NOT my girlfriend. Second, we're all tired and we all want to get out of here. But we just have to patient. It's like a mirror maze. That's why Erity gave us Hachi. Hachi has a really good sense of direction. She can find the way out."

"Hey, why do you keep switching her name like that?" Katara asked him.

Sokka agreed, "Yeah, you've been doing that a lot recently."

They both looked at him confused and waiting for an answer. He just replied, "Really? I hadn't noticed."

"Aang, how can you not notice? You've been switching back and forth from her real name to her nickname since we entered this world of mirrors. Whenever she comes up in the conversation you always change what you call her." Katara's eyes showed kindness, concern, and caring.

"I guess I'm just worried about her. I can't believe of all the things to forget I forgot her. She was such a big part in my life, and I just got her back only to lose her again."

Katara walked up to him and hugged him. "Hey, don't worry. We'll get her back. Besides, she seems pretty strong willed. I'm sure she can handle herself." Katara laughed, but that sentance sent Aang back about one hundred years.

"How is it you always manage to get us into trouble?" Aang asked her breathlessly. But he just laughed along with her.

"I don't know, the trouble just seems to find me." She laughed. She was absolutely glowing with excitement and happiness. She loves the thrill of it all. Apparently she's used to getting into as much trouble as she can. She loves to take risks.

"One day you're gonna get us both killed." He smiled at her. "Are you sure that thing's not still following us?" He asked her, worry clear in his voice.

"Yeah, of course!" She reassured him. "We outran that thing about a mile back." Then they heard a growl from behind them and turned to see the creature running toward them. "Run!" She yelled with enthusiasm.

"How are we gonna lose this thing?" Aang asked her.

"It'll give up soon." She told him confidently.

"Ananda, it hasn't given up for TEN MILES! Why would it give up now?" He was getting really nervous now, but she just laughed in response.

"Because what it doesn't realize is, we're headed strait for the edge of a cliff." That got his attention. He looked forward and saw the end.

He tried to pull himself free of her tight grasp, but her grip was too firm. "Are you insane! We'll be killed!" The panic was clear in his voice. She just laughed again.

"Maybe!" She replied with excitement. "Would you rather fall and experience a little pain before death, or be torn apart piece by piece by that creature and tortured to death?" She asked him. The look in his eyes was all she needed. "That's what I thought. JUMP!"

They were plummeting toward the ground and she was laughing! Death was just below them. What could she possibly find funny? Then suddenly, the world shifted. Next thing he knew, he was laying on his stomach on the ground back home. He looked around warily, then cautiously got up. He turned to the girl and asked in a shaky voice, "Wh-what did you do?"

"Well, I think I just saved both our lives." She smiled. "Now come on! We better get back before someone finds us." She winked at him then took off. He waited a moment wondering what just happened and what she was keeping from him. Then he ran after her.

"Arrest her!" Prince Zuko shouted. She didn't struggle, but she did chuckle and look at him again.

"Oh Prince Zuko. Silly, silly Zu Zu. Do you honestly think you can keep me tied up? Do you really think I won't be able to escape?" He was stunned into silence. How did she know that name?

"Don't let her out of you're sight. She's coming with us." He told the guards. They reached for her but she wouldn't let them touch her.

"It's okay, I have legs. I can walk myself." She smiled at them with so much kindness and understanding that they couldn't help but smile back.

When they got back on the ship, Prince Zuko guided them down a lot of different corridors. Then they came to a stop in front of a metal door. She made a sort of hissing sound and they all turned to her. "What? What's wrong?" Zuko asked. She could sense concern in his voice, but she was too preoccupied by the pain. Zuko turned to the guards. "What did you do?" He was furious that they would harm the girl without her preforming any sort of assault on them. It was dishonorable.

"We didn't touch her sir." Then she cried out in pain and fell to the ground.

She began to cry and yell, "So much fire! So much! The earth is burning! The sky is on fire! Ash is EVERYWHERE! So many screams, SO MANY!" Then she gave a blood curdling scream. Everyone on the ship had to cover their ears. And then, she was still.