Disclaimer: All rights belong to Nickelodeon, Bryan Konietzko, Michael Dante DiMartino, and all the men and women that created the A:TLA show, books, and comics. I take no credit, and I do not mean to break any copyright rules. This is simply a work of fiction made for enjoyment. No money is being made. The lyrics are from the song "Wake Me Up" by Avicii

Rating: General Audiences. Warning: some scenes contain dark themes and minor violence

Author's Note: I've watched 4 seasons of Game of Thrones in 6 days, five of which I've worked overtime during. But I'm getting some time off work this week thanks to COVID-19 so I've already started on that Zutara Reincarnation AU as well. Hopefully I'll have that written before summer - it's going to be significantly shorter than this story, though long enough in it's own right.

Chapter 2: The Western Air Temple: Part 1

Feeling my way through the darkness

Guided by a beating heart

I can't tell where the journey will end

But I know where to start

Katara awakens suddenly. She's not sure why, but something feels different. She sits up on her elbows and looks around. They've landed in a courtyard. She can't see much in the dark, but she can see the vague outline of arched walls around them.

"We're at the Air Temple," a voice says quietly. She turns to see Aang slide down the neck of the bison and onto the saddle. "We'll be safe here for the night."

She stifles a yawn. "Thank you," she says. She looks around and sees that Suki and Sokka are still fast asleep. She turns back to Aang. "Are you going to get some sleep, too?"

He nods. "Here. Follow me."

She follows him as he slides down Appa's leg and onto the ground. Then he ducks under one of Appa's six humongous legs. "You can sleep here," he says. "It's much more comfortable. Appa has really thick and soft fur."

She looks at the spot apprehensively. "He won't crush me when he wakes up?"

Aang shakes his head. "Nope! Not even by accident. He's a really good flying bison."

Katara is too tired to argue. She curls up on another leg. Aang wasn't lying. Appa's fur is warm and soft. She's never been so comfortable in her life. She also feels safe hidden here. She hasn't felt safe in a long time. Not since she was on Zuko's ship.

She falls asleep quickly. This time her sleep is deep and she, mercifully, doesn't dream.

Zuko is escorted with all the other prisoners out into the courtyard. He notices immediately the different groups of prisoners. A group of men with green armbands stand apart from the others. He assumes they're Earthbenders. The prisoners with red armbands and the other prisoners mingle around a bit more together, but there are still some divisions.

Zuko sees the nobles immediately. They're standing together, not interacting with the others. They're wearing uniforms like everyone else but he can identify them by their posture. They also aren't covered in scars or tattoos and their hair is groomed a bit nicer. Zuko is glad that he has shaggy hair right now.

His cellmate, Shang, catches his eye and waves him over. He's standing with a group of other men and women with battle scars. Zuko reluctantly heads over their way.

"This is my new cellmate, Zuko," Shang tells his group. Zuko cringes at the mention of his name, but no one seems to notice. "This is Yung, Guang, Jie, and Mu. They all ended up here for treason, too."

Guang crosses her arms. "What did you do, pretty boy?"

"I helped a prisoner escape."

She shrugs and turns to Shang. "Doesn't sound that tough to me." She looks at Zuko. "I defied my Fire Nation commander. Blew up my entire ship. We had orders to destroy an Earth Kingdom village because they wouldn't let us use their port." She rolls up her sleeves, revealing burn scars up and down her arms.

Jie steps forward. "I've been here for a decade. Back when Azulon was still Fire Lord, I attempted to assassinate him. Made it almost into the palace before I was caught. Only reason I didn't get executed was because they didn't know I was making an assassination attempt. They just thought I was trying to break into the palace."

"I led protests against the Fire Lord," Mu says. "Started a small rebellion." He motions to the man beside him, Yung. "He was my right hand man."

Zuko is a bit surprised by their stories. He'd never heard of any of those things before. The Fire Nation propaganda goes deeper than he'd realized. He thought he would at least be safe from it, considering how long he'd been away from home, but somehow the lies are being spread across all the nations.

It gives him a bit of hope for the future of his people. Maybe with a good leader, the Fire Nation could be good again.

Then he remembers that Azula is the heir and he loses that hope.

Shang lowers his voice. "We want to make a prison break," he says. "We've been trying to come up with plans for years."

"No one escapes Boiling Rock," Zuko says. "It's the most secure Fire Nation prison."

"It sounds like you have experience breaking people out of prisons," Mu points out.

"And I got caught."

"So you're just going to give up?" Guang shakes her head. "The Fire Nation isn't going to be defeated by just giving up."

Zuko appreciates their attitudes. He really does. But even if he were to successfully break out, he has nowhere to go. Katara may have said that she forgives him, but words and actions are two completely different things. And besides, no one would take her seriously as the Avatar with an enemy prince following her around.

And, honestly, a part of Zuko believes that he belongs here. He made his choice, and now he has to pay the consequences.

"I did my part to help," he says.

"So who exactly was the prisoner that you freed?" Guang asks. "Some great Earth Kingdom war general? A spy with intimate knowledge of the Fire Nation's defenses?"

Zuko decides to tell them the truth. He knows it can't do Katara or him any harm; his father is no doubt keeping the whole thing under wraps to avoid bad publicity, and anyways she's already free. Hopefully far, far away.

"It was the Avatar."

The whole group of rebels is silent for a long moment. They all look at him with disbelief.

"That Avatar? As in the wielder of all four elements?" Yung asks.

Zuko nods.

"No wonder we hadn't heard of him for years," Mu says. "Who knows how long the Fire Nation has had him locked up for."

Zuko decides to not correct the man. He felt safe in admitting the truth about the Avatar, but he doesn't want to give away too many details. They'll all find out in time.

Shang clasps Zuko's arms. "I'll admit, you're tougher than I pegged you for," he says. "The Avatar! Man! Maybe there is hope after all."

Guang is staring at him suspiciously. Zuko has a bad feeling about her. Her eyes seem to bore right through him. He's worried she can read right through him.

"How did you know about the Avatar?" she asks. "That would have been top secret information."

She's good. Zuko will give her that. Maybe too good.

"I know a person who knows a person who works as a guard." He meets her eyes and doesn't blink.

She suddenly shrugs. "Whatever the case, that was bold."

"Bold?" Jie laughs. "That's insane! I'm surprised you weren't executed!"

"Me too." Zuko can still see Azula's face, taunting him one last time.

"I'm being merciful," she had said. Ha. He knows her better. She has a plan. She was risking a lot by not turning in Zuko. But she's not stupid. She calculated the risk and decided it was worth it. And that worries him.

He doesn't have too much time to think over before the guards start yelling and motioning all the prisoners inside again, this time to a different building.

"What's going on?" Zuko asks.

Mu wraps an arm around his shoulders. "Best part of the day," he says. "Lunch."

Then he laughs gleefully and walks ahead of him.

A loud, bellowing sound breaks through Katara's sleep. She sits upright and gets a face full of fur. Then she ducks and scrambles out from beneath Appa. Sokka and Suki are in the process of jumping down from Appa's saddle, weapons out and brandished. They nod solemnly at her, ready to face the threat.

"Where's Aang?" she asks, looking around for their newest companion.

He stumbles out from beneath Appa, yawning hard. "What's going on?" he asks casually.

Sokka turns on him immediately. "That's a very good question! I thought you said this place was abandoned."

Aang blinks. "It is."

"Then what is that sound?" Sokka motions behind him. As if on cue, the noise sounds again and a burst of steam cleaves its way through the air.

Aang's eyes widen. "I have no idea," he promises. "I'm going to go check it out."

Katara reaches out towards him. "Aang, wai -"

He' already jumping into the air, his glider spread out behind him. He flies out of sight.

Sokka narrows his eyes. "I don't trust him," he declares. "We should be ready for an attack."

Katara wants to trust Aang. She has a good feeling about him. But after Zuko's betrayal, she doesn't trust her gut instincts anymore. She has to be on guard against everyone. Until Aang proves his loyalty, she has to agree with Sokka.

"Alright. Sokka, keep an eye on that direction. Suki, look west. I have the east covered." She glances back at Appa, not sure if the flying bison will be a threat or not. If Aang is the enemy, then wouldn't Appa be, also?

The flying bison is curled up tightly, sound asleep. Flying half of the night must have exhausted him. Katara hopes he doesn't wake up anytime soon. She's not sure she would be strong enough to fight him off should he turn violent.

Suddenly a small white blur streaks through their little encampment. Appa opens one eye as the blur runs towards him. He opens his mouth and snaps it shut on whatever poor creature had just run in.

A second later, Aang comes crashing into the camp. "Appa, no!" he shouts. "Bad Appa. Open up."

The flying bison groans. Aang points his staff at the animal. "Now, Appa."

The beast finally opens his mouth. Katara can see a shuddering little creature on his tongue. The creature sees Aang and immediately climbs up the boy and perches on his shoulder.

Aang turns to them, smiling brightly. "Look what I found! This little guy must have been left behind when the Air Nomads abandoned this place." He pets the creature. "I think I'm going to call him Momo."

Katara stares at him for a long moment. "What...what is it?"

"It's a winged lemur!"

Sokka crosses his arms. "Did you find the source of the steam?"

Aang's gleeful expression drops. "Oh. I completely forgot about that when I saw Momo. Here, let me go - "

Katara uses a small bit of water to freeze Aang's feet to the ground. He looks at her in shock.

"Just wait, Aang. We need to have a little talk."

He nods, looking quite dejected. Katara feels a bit bad. He's just a kid. This is his first big adventure. But he needs to learn.

"We're really glad you rescued us from the Fire Nation and we're excited to have you with us," she begins. "But we're a team here. And teams work together to solve problems, not just run off alone."

Aang nods once.

"My brother, Sokka, makes really good plans. But his plans won't work unless everyone follows them. We want your support, but we need to know you'll have our backs and stick to the plan. Can we trust you to do that?"

She keeps eye contact with him for a long moment. He nods again. She releases the ice temporarily imprisoning him.

"I'm sorry," he says. "You're right. I promise not to run off again." He stands up straight. "You can trust me."

"Good." Katara turns to Sokka. "So, what's our plan? Do we take off now or see what's making that steam?"

"Look!" Suki exclaims, pointing up high. "Airbenders!"

In the air overhead, several figures fly around on the air currents. They're too far away for Katara to see clearly.

"Those aren't Airbenders," Aang says. "They're flying all wrong. Plus, this place is abandoned."

"So who are they, then?" Sokka asks.

"I don't know, but I plan to find out." Aang looks at Katara. "Can I go and see?"

The figures flying overhead seem harmless enough. Katara nods. "But be careful."

Aang takes off. They watch as he uses the air to push himself higher and higher, towards the others. His bright orange robes set him apart. He weaves in between the others, showing off a bit.

Katara hears some voices. She motions for the others to follow her and she slowly and quietly exits the small courtyard, exploring a bit deeper into the Air Temple. In the large, open space just outside of the front gates, she sees a crowd of people watching the ones in the air.

"There are so many people here!" Sokka exclaims in a hushed voice.

"They don't appear to be dangerous," Suki adds.

Katara watches them closer. They're laughing and pointing in the sky. A minute later Aang lands, followed by one of the other flying figures. Katara sees that its a young boy, not much older than Aang, in a wheelchair, a strange contraption attached to the back and a pair of wings overhead.

"They were gliding, not flying," Sokka points out. "Aang must have noticed the difference. That's how he knew they weren't Airbenders."

Katara watches the reactions of the people. A couple of them walk up to Aang and the kid and speak to them animatedly. The others drift back around the Air Temple. Katara decides they don't pose a threat.

"Let's go meet them," she says.

"You're a real Airbender!" they hear the boy exclaim to Aang as they approach. "I've read about you guys, but I never thought I'd meet a real one!"

Aang smiles. "Thanks."

"Hey!" Sokka pushes to the front. "Your gliderchair is incredible!"

He gently detaches the wing and examines it.

The kid smiles. "If you think that's good, wait until you see the other things my dad has designed."

They follow him into the Air Temple. The old brick walls are almost covered by metal pipes hissing steam into the air. Katara notices Aang looking around in shock and sadness.

"Wow!" Sokka exclaims. He has the biggest smile on his face.

"Yeah, my dad is the mastermind behind this whole place. Everything's powered by hot air. It even pumps out hot air currents outside to give us a lift when we're gliding."

"This place is unbelievable." Aang is staring at an old statue of a monk hidden behind a network of pipes.

"Yeah, it's great, isn't it?"

"No. Just unbelievable." He hangs his head.

"What's the matter, Aang?" Katara asks.

He points to a faded mosaic cracked by the hot air and peppered with pipes. "This is supposed to be the history of my people," he says. "Now I don't even recognize it."

She sets a hand on his shoulder. Seeing her village and all the other villages of the South Pole had been tough for her. Everything she'd knew was gone. Aang must be going through something similar here.

"It's only one temple," she assures him. "The stories of the Airbenders live on in your people. And in you."

He nods, but his mood doesn't seem improved.

They continue walking through the temple, arriving back in the small courtyard they'd landed in the night before. In the dark, they hadn't been able to see much. Now they can see that it's still remarkably preserved - and untouched by pipes.

Aang's face brightens. "It's nice to see one part of the temple hasn't changed."

He stands in front of a statue of a monk carved into the wall.

"Look out!"

They all jump back as the wall in front of them is smashed open. Through the hole, a tall, skinny man with crazy gray hair steps through.

He sees his son and points his finger accusatively. "Don't you know enough to stay away from active construction sites? We have to make room for the bathhouse!"

Aang loses it. "Don't you know what you just did? You destroyed something sacred for a bathhouse!"

The man shrugs. "Well, people around here are starting to stink."

"This whole place stinks!" Aang raises his staff. Katara isn't sure what he's about to do, but it can't be good. She takes some water and freezes the entire length of the wood. Aang drops it in shock.

"I'm sorry," she says, stepping forward. "My friend here is a bit upset at all the changes around here. He knows what the Air Temples are supposed to look like."

The man squints at Aang. "You're not an Airbender, are you?" he asks.

Aang crosses his arms. "I am," he says shortly.

"You're not - not here to move back in, are you?"

This time Suki steps forward. "We're just travellers, passing through. We needed somewhere safe to spend the night, and our friend knew the Air Temple would serve that purpose."

"Travellers, hmm?" The man scans them over. "May I ask what travellers are doing so close to the Fire Nation?"

"May I ask what you're doing here? In an Air Temple?" Aang shoots back.

"Many years ago my people became refugees after a terrible flood. My infant son, Teo -" the man stands behind the kid in the wheelchair - "was badly injured and lost his mother. I needed somewhere to rebuild and I stumbled upon this place. I couldn't believe it! Everywhere, pictures of flying people! But completely empty. Nobody home. Then I came across these fan-like contraptions!" He spreads his arms out like wings and runs around Aang.

"Our gliders." Aang reaches down and picks his own one up.

"Yes! Little, light, flying machines. They gave me an idea: build a new life for my son - in the air! Then everyone would be on equal ground."

He motions around to the Air Temple. "We're just improving upon what's already here. And after all, isn't that what nature does?"

He looks over Aang's shoulder at a few candles positioned carefully. "Oh! Look at the time." He turns to his assistants. "The pulley system must be oiled before dark."

"Wait." Sokka walks over and checks out the candles. "How can you tell the time from that thing? The notches all look the same."

"The candle will tell us. Watch." They lean in closer. Suddenly the flame flickers and bursts a bit.

"You put spark powder in the candle!" Sokka exclaims.

"One flash. So it's one hour after midday. Or, as I like to say, one o'candle."

Sokka laughs. Katara and Suki roll their eyes.

"Follow me!" the inventor says, striding off in another direction. Sokka eagerly follows.

"I better stay with him. Make sure they don't get in trouble," Suki says.

Teo wheels over to Aang and Katara. "Come with me," he says. "I have something to show you."

They follow him to another part of the temple. "This place hasn't changed at all," he explains. They walk through a hall with paintings and mosaics depicting Airbenders. Katara takes it all in, a bit in awe at the massive amounts of culture and history. Aang seems a bit more relaxed.

They arrive at a huge door locked by a mechanism that appears to be some sort of instrument.

"Only an Airbender can open it," Teo says. "Inside, it's completely untouched. Just like the Monks left it. I've always wondered what it was like in there."

Aang shakes his head. "I'm sorry. This is the last part of the temple that's the same as it was. Until the war is over and my people return, I have to leave it safe for them."

Teo looks sad but not upset. "I completely understand. I just wanted to let you know that it was still here."

"Thanks."

As they turn back, Katara catches the slightest hint of a smile on Aang's face. She's glad he found some peace. More than that, she's glad that he won't suffer the way she's suffered - one day his people will move back here. Her people will never return to her village.

No one deserves a weight that heavy in their heart.

Sokka and Suki follow the mechanist down a dark stairwell. They're each holding a dim, blue light.

"These lanterns are terrible!" Sokka finally exclaims, stopping to tug on his. "I can't see anything!"

He opens the top to reveal a small swarm of glowing bugs inside. One flies out towards Suki. He quickly puts the top back on before more can escape.

"Why would you want to use fireflies for light?" Suki asks.

"Fireflies are a non-flammable light source," the mechanic explains. They continue a bit farther before reaching the bottom, where a small wooden door sits. The edges are covered with some form of insulation, which the mechanic checks.

"Cover your nose and hold your breath," he instructs. Suki and Sokka exchange confused looks before doing as he says. It smells a bit moldy down here but not bad enough to stop breathing.

He slides open the peephole on the door. Suki and Sokka peer in.

"Why did you bring us all the way down here to see an empty room?" Suki asks.

"Wrong! It's not empty. It's filled to the brim with natural gas. I came across it the first time I was here. Unfortunately I was carrying a torch at the time. Nearly blew myself and the whole temple even more sky high. Thought my eyebrows would never grow back!"

Suki and Sokka look at his half-burned eyebrows. They suddenly understand the need for the fireflies as light.

"Anyway," the man continues, "there's a vital problem that needs solving. From time to time, we have gas leaks and they're nearly impossible to find." He fidgets with the insulation as he speaks.

"So this place is an explosion waiting to happen," Sokka observes.

"Precisely! Until I figure out a way to locate something I can't see, hear, smell, or touch."

Suki thinks that's a big problem. She watches Sokka's face closely. He has that look that he gets when he's thinking. She's glad he's good with these kinds of things. She'd rather fight things that she can see, hear, smell, or touch any day. Dangerous, invisible chemicals? That's out of her league.

They head back up, Sokka uncharacteristically silent as he thinks. Suki's just relieved to get back out in the fresh air.

"The wind carries you, supports something inside of you, something even lighter than air. And that something takes over when you fly."

Katara stands at the edge of the cliff, a glider in her hand. Teo is explaining how it works. He sounds so confident. In the air ahead of her, all the others are flying around. She can hear their laughter and shrieks of delight. It sure looks like fun. But her heart is pounding like crazy.

"I've changed my mind," she says, unable to tear her eyes away. "I think I was born without that something."

Teo laughs. "Impossible! Everybody has it."

"Spirit," Aang says. He stands just off to the side, his staff grasped in his hand. Momo, his new pet, is sitting at his feet.

"What?"

"That's the something you're talking about it."

"Yeah. I suppose it is."

Katara picks up the glider again. She has spirit. She's been through some tough things and yet she's still here, full of hope and ready to take on her role as Avatar and help the world. She's been betrayed and yet she's bounced back again. She's been beaten down and humiliated and yet she stood back up. If anyone has spirit, it's Katara.

Besides, she's the Avatar. One day she's going to have to learn to fly.

"Ready?" Teo asks.

"No," she replies, but she still takes a deep breath and steps off the edge, not able to completely choke out her terrified shouts.

She falls straight down for a bit. Fear engulfs her. Then a stream of hot air bolsters her up and her screams turn into a laugh of joy. Teo follows just behind her as she coasts through the air. Free.

Out of the corner of her eye, she sees the bright red of Aang's glider.

"I can't believe I'm flying!" she exclaims.

"Just make sure you keep your mouth closed so you don't swallow a bug!" Aang advises. Momo flies up beside her for a moment and then drops back.

"Teo was right about the air!" she says. "All I had to do was trust it and let it carry me."

What she doesn't say is how hard it is for her to trust people now.

"Teo may not be an Airbender, but he does have the spirit of one," Aang says with a smile. Katara is pleased that he has recovered from his earlier mood. He doesn't seem like the type of kid who normally broods over things. Seeing him fly - this is who he really is. She's glad she's finally getting to see it.

After a while they land back on the temple grounds. After putting up their gliders, Aang approaches Teo.

"I've been thinking," he says. "If you really want to know what's behind that door, I'd be willing to open it for you."

Suki sits in the mechanic's office reading a scroll she found. It was one of the only scrolls not about physics or engineering. At the desk, the mechanic is hovered over some blueprint of his. At the bookshelf, Sokka eagerly goes through all the scrolls.

There's a clatter as he knocks something over.

"I said, don't touch anything!" the mechanic gripes. Sokka's face turns red. Suki watches in amusement as he attempts to put everything down, only to drop it all on the floor.

The mechanic goes over to help him pick everything up. They both hold up a model of a strange machine with a spherical top and a rectangular base.

"Don't worry, that experiment is old," the mechanic says. "And that egg was part of last week's lunch!"

Even as he says it, Suki can smell the old food. She wrinkles her nose in distaste.

"Ew! Week old egg smell!" Sokka bursts out.

"Quick! Find that egg!"

They crawl around on their hands and knees, searching for the source of the bad smell. Suki returns to her reading.

After a minute or two, Sokka slaps his hand on the floor. "How can something so small smell so bad?"

"That's the solution!" the mechanic bursts out, loud enough for Suki to peer over her scroll. The man scrambles to his feet. "You've solved it!"

Sokka jumps up, looking very much like an enlightened man. "Yeah! If we put a whole mess of rotten eggs in the chamber with the gas, and the gas seeps up…"

"The gas will mix with the smell of rotten eggs!"

"Then if there's a leak -"

"We just have to trace the smell of egg!"

"And plug up the hold with the leak!"

"You're a genius!" they both exclaim. Suki smiles to herself. Nerds. Brilliant nerds, but still nerds.

The moment is interrupted by the ringing of a bell on the desk. The mechanic's face turns pale.

"Something's wrong," he says. "I got to go."

He runs out of the room. Suki meets Sokka's eyes and then they run after him. If something is wrong then maybe Katara or Aang is in trouble.

Katara, Aang, and Teo stand in front of the large wooden door. They regard it in quiet awe for a long moment.

Then Aang motions for them to step aside.

"I can't believe I'm finally going to get to see what's inside," Teo says to Katara. "It's always been the biggest mystery in my life."

Aang does a twirl and sends a current of wind straight into the opening of the instrument. The sound of a musical note emanates out and the locks twist and open.

The door opens. They walk inside slowly, their eyes adjusting to the strange red light. Then they see it - metal tools - no, not tools - weapons!

Weapons of all sorts, everywhere the eye can see. Sharp, deadly weapons. And in the center of the room, some sort of machine with the Fire Nation emblem proudly displayed.

"This is a nightmare," Aang says, his voice much too tame for the sight in front of them. Still fresh from Fire Nation prison, Katara can't even put her horror into words.

The sound of running footsteps sounds behind them.

"You don't understand!" the mechanic exclaims.

Katara turns, unable to hold in her rage. "You're making weapons for the Fire Nation!" she accuses.

"You make weapons for the Fire Nation?" Sokka skids to a halt behind the inventor. Next to him, Suki has already pulled out her fans and dropped into a ready position.

Teo looks betrayed. Katara knows exactly how he's feeling. "Explain all this! Now!"

The mechanic looks down sadly. "It was about a year after we moved here," he begins. "Fire Nation soldiers found our settlement. You were too young to remember, Teo. They were going to destroy everything. I pleaded with them, begged them to spare us. But they had a price: I had to give them my services."

Teo's eyes grow wide.

"You must understand! I did this for you!"

Teo turns away. The mechanic walks away slowly. No one stops him.

A little while later, Katara finds Teo sitting at the edge of the cliff, watching some of the others as they glide freely through the air. He looks absolutely miserable.

Katara takes a seat next to him.

"It's hard," she says.

"What?"

"Being betrayed. Especially by someone you care about."

Teo swallows. "Yeah. I just don't understand it. I always looked up to my dad. He's so smart and kind and he's always taken care of me since my mother died. I thought he was a good man. Now I don't know what to think of him."

Katara thinks of Zuko. She had looked up to him. He taught her how to fight, helped her develop even stronger Waterbending. He'd taken her in after she found out her tribe didn't exist anymore. She'd always known he was conflicted, but she thought he was brave. Then he betrayed her and she couldn't stand the sight of him.

But he'd come back. He had come back for her when she needed him the most.

"Life isn't black and white," she says. "People are complicated."

Teo wipes at his face angrily. "But how could he do something so horrible?"

"He was trying to protect you. It doesn't excuse his actions, but knowing the reason why proves that he's not a bad person. He's a good person put in a bad situation. He made the wrong choice. But it's not too late to fix it. It's never too late."

Teo looks over at her. "How do you know?"

"I've been in the exact same situation as you are. And it was hard - nearly impossible, actually - but I gave the person a second chance. And they didn't let me down."

"I want to believe you. But I don't see how we can fix this. We aren't strong enough to fight off the Fire Nation alone."

This is it. Her moment. She accepted her destiny, now she has to put it in practice.

"What if you had the Avatar on your side?"

Katara opens the door to the office and Teo wheels in. "When are they coming again?" he demands.

The mechanic glances at his candle, which pops to mark another hour. "Soon," he says. "Very soon."

"You're not giving them any more weapons," Katara orders.

The man's eyes grow wide. "If I don't give them what they want, they're going to destroy this whole place!"

Just then, the bell on the desk clangs. "That's them!" the man exclaims. "Hide! Quicky!"

Katara and Teo duck behind a glider. They watch as a Fire Nation general ascends into the room via the compressed-air elevator.

"You know better than to keep me waiting," he says gruffly. "Now give me what I came for so I can be on my way."

The mechanic nods. "Right this way."

Before they can take more than a few steps Katara jumps up and slams the door shut. She stands in front of the men.

"The deal is off."

The general squints at her. "Who is she? Get her out of my way."

"Katara, stay out of this," the mechanic begs.

"If I don't get what I want, my men will come and burn this place to the ground!" the general threatens.

Katara doesn't stand down. "You're not getting anything today. Leave now, while you still can."

The man narrows his eyes. "Then the destruction of this place is on your head." He turns and leaves quickly.

The mechanic slumps into a chair and puts his head in his hands. Teo looks up at her with big eyes. Katara doesn't feel as confident as she did a moment before.

She hopes she hasn't just made a huge mistake.