Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender.
Water, earth, fire, air. Long ago the four nations lived together in harmony. Then, everything changed when the fire nation attacked. Only the Avatar, master of all four elements, could stop them. But when the world needed him most, he vanished. One hundred years passed, and finally the Avatar was recovered. The fire nation prince nearly had him in complete captivity, but evidently failed nontheless. Prince Zuko's lifelong friend, Ashlynn, abandoned him to join the Avatar in his mission in mastering all four elements. Finally, her dreams of being free of the fire nation had come true.
It was close to evening before anyone said anything. Aang had his bison, Appa, land safely in a secluded area near a small lake. Katara began to unpack sleeping bags and other necessary travel belongings.
"Sorry... we don't really have a fourth bag," Katara apologized with a slight blush of guilt.
"Don't worry about it; I don't want to be a burden anyway. I can make do just fine!" Ashlynn said, with a smile of reassurance. Katara responded with a weak smile then turned to Aang.
"Why don't you go collect some fire wood... so we can keep warm... and Sokka, if you'll catch some fish I'd be more than happy to cook us some dinner," Katara nervously suggested.
Aang nodded, eager to help out, and ran off to the nearby woods to fetch what he'd been asked to accomplish. The other boy, Sokka, groaned with complaint. "Why can't she do the fishing? I need a break!"
"Alright, the both of you can go catch some fish. If you're not happy with it then I guess we won't be eating tonight," Katara sighed and then finished sharply, and walked off in the other direction. Sokka said nothing out of disbelief, then turned to Ashlynn, gave her a look of utter disgust, then stomped off to fetch some fish. Ashlynn groaned to herself, feeling uncomfortable with her given situation.
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Ashlynn caught up to Sokka several minutes later, who was sitting on a rock near the lake, with his knees brought up to his chest, and his chin resting on those knees.
"You can't do much fishing without the proper utensils," she shouted over to him as she closed the distance between the both of them. She held out a spear to him. Sokka lifted his head, and without looking at her, snagged the spear, and, rather rudely, hopped into the shallow water, ignoring her existence completely. Ashlynn frowned with confusion and turned her back on him and looked into the water in hopes of eyeing a fish or two. From behind she could hear Sokka stabbing at the water.
Ashlynn laughed quietly and said, "You know, I've never actually fished before."
She turned to face the boy, who still had his back to her.
"Mind showing me how?"
Sokka stopped stabbing at the water and spoke. "Look, no offense and all, but you're fire nation. You're my enemy. We were born each other's enemy. Fishing with the fire nation isn't exactly my idea of fun. I don't even know what my sister and that kid were thinking bringing you along, but I'm going along with it."
When he finished he stabbed at the water again, striking a fish, which tainted the water around it a light red.
Ashlynn's heart sank. "I'm up for making amends when you are. Mind you, I'venever ever killed someone, nor have I ever helped kill someone, nor have I ever even enjoyed watching someone die! Just because I'm from the fire nation doesn't mean I am fire nation. Don't judge a book by its cover, Sokka." And with that she marched back to camp, angry and hurt.
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In the morning, Ashlynn awoke to Aang's obnoxiously overjoyed voice. He and Katara were exchanging opinions about the Southern Air Temple, which was the first visit of their journey. Ashlynn agreed whole-heartedly with what Katara was saying. Aang hadn't been home for one hundred years, and Ashlynn knew very well what the fire nation had done to the Southern Air Temple.
However, she couldn't find it in her heart to break it to him. Aang was far too happy, she couldn't just up and ruin that.
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The flight to the Southern Air Temple was a tedious one. The group had to make sure that they were well out of sight, so they had to travel through the vast clouds in the sky. What came with traveling up so high in the air was lack of food. It seemed like decades since Ashlynn had consumed food, even though she'd eaten some poorly cooked fish the night before.
"Look at the mountain range! We're getting closer!" Aang exclaimed with such a burst of enthusiasm that Ashlynn actually jumped in surprise.
Katara sighed, for she too knew what lie ahead. Ashlynn got the feeling that Katara couldn't tell Aang the hard truth, either.
"Oh come on Katara. The only way to get to an air temple is with a flying bison, and there's no way the fire nation got a hold of one of those!" Aang argued, completely convinced that there were still air nomads.
What he said was true, though. The fire nation had never captured an air bison. As far as Ashlynn knew, the fire nation simply killed them all without a second thought. It was amazing to her that Aang had such little knowledge of the machinery that existed in her time.
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Moments later Appa flew out of the clouds towards a tower not too distant from the group. The Southern Air Temple was positively magnificent, despite its ancient age.
Ashlynn stared out at it in awe, and complete silence. Katara made a comment on it, and Aang smiled, fully relieved to be back where he belonged. Ashlynn wondered to herself what ever became of Zuko. She had no idea that he was, at that moment, being interrogated by Commander Zhao about how the prince happened across the Avatar. Ashlynn stopped pondering about Zuko when Appa landed near the temple.
Everyone dismounted, and followed Aang as he eagerly led them towards his sanctuary. Aang pointed out the different areas he and his fellow friends used to play air-bender games, and where they would play with their bison. Ashlynn's heart sank with each moment, for each time Aang repeated a memory, the level of happiness in his mood dropped drastically.
He was finally realizing how much things really had changed. To cheer him up, Sokka asked him to show him how air-ball was played. So, the two boys went off the the arena in which the game was played. Ashlynn and Katara hung back, unmotivated to do anything. "It's going to break his heart when he finds out that the fire nation ruined this place," Katara said.
Ashlynn nodded as she watched Aang knock Sokka out of the ring for the fifth time. "I listened to the stories of how the fire nation took down the nomads of the temples. At least he doesn't have to endure listening to that painful monologue..."
"That's horrible... why were you even with the fire nation, if you don't like them, and can't fire bend?" Katara asked.
"Well... I've just... been there, for as long as I can remember. I don't even know my parents ... the farthest my memory takes me is mid-childhood, when I would play with Zuko. You see, his family cared and provided for me..."
"I see... wow that must be hard, not knowing where you came from, or who your real family is, and having to live with the fire nation ... and the king of the fire nation! Of all people!" Katara commented in disgust.
"You don't understand ... yeah, the king is a ruthless, mindless, power-hungry man. Zuko, however, is not. I'm so sorry that you'll never get to see the side of him I've always seen. You'll only ever see him as the enemy who wants to capture your friend," Ashlynn closed her eyes, and turned away from Katara.
"I don't see how you can talk about him that way," Katara spat. "He's no different from his father," she spat again, causing Ashlynn to flinch. Ashlynn merely sighed, and walked off to meet up with Sokka and Aang, who'd finished their game of air-ball.
"Aang ten, Sokka zero!" Aang laughed. Sokka frowned, but didn't argue or protest.
"Come on everybody, there's still so much to see!" Aang said, obviously having cheered up. He walked off, and the group followed him.
"Hey guys, I'd like you to meet somebody!" Aang said after a few minutes of walking uphill towards the tip of the temple. He ran forward to a statue of an old man. He was sitting in the position of someone who'd be meditating. He was, no doubt, a sculpture of a monk of the temple.
Despite the fact that he was just a statue of an old man, he looked so at peace and so welcoming. Ashlynn smiled slightly; glad to have seen the statue.
"Who is it?" Katara asked. "Monk Kiatso .. the greatest of all the air benders! He taught me everything I know!" Aang said, grinning up at the lifeless statue. Katara walked forward, and put her hand on his shoulder. "You must miss him, I'm sorry." Aang nodded and muttered "Yeah..." as he walked forward.
"Where are you going?" Katara questioned.
"The sanctuary ... there's someone I'm ready to meet."
Ashlynn stood back. She didn't want to enter the sanctuary of the temple. What if there were dead bodies inside? What if it was completely empty and she'd have to force herself into looking at Aang's disappointed, depressed face? She didn't think she could bear it, so she merely stayed outside.
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Ashlynn sat outside, alone, for several long moments. She replayed childhood memories of games her and Zuko used to play. These thoughts were interrupted as a lemur ran past her, followed by Aang, who was followed by Sokka. Ashlynn's eyes widened with surprise as the lemur and Aang hopped off the balcony. Sokka stopped near her to catch his breath.
"That's ... not .... fair. I can't do that without... killing myself!" he panted.
"What are you boys doing chasing that poor lemur?" Ashlynn said, cocking her head to the side in wonder. "Well Aang wants it for a pet. I, however... I want it for dinner! I'm starved!" he complained.
Ashlynn gasped. "You aren't any hungrier than I, and I wouldn't go to such lengths to eat food! That poor lemur, that's probably the last of it's kind!" Ashlynn exclaimed.
"I don't care, I'm so hungry..." Sokka drooled, and began to run down the top of the temple.
"Hey wait up!" Ashlynn said, getting up and running after him.
"Why?? It's my dinner!" he yelled back at her. "I just want to have some fun!" she shouted after him.
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After several moments of running the two of them entered a ruined tent. "Are you sure Aang went inside here?" Ashlynn whispered. Sokka nodded. "Hey Aang did you find my dinner?" Sokka called out, and walked through some curtains into the room where Aang was. Ashlynn gasped, and clasped her hand over her mouth afterwards, unable to speak.
"Oh no ..." Sokka whispered. Before the two of them was Aang, on the floor, crying. Before him, were the helmets of fire nation soldiers, and the dead body of Monk Kiatso. Ashlynn's eyes watered as she took in the full impact of the view. She'd expected this, but at the same time she was still surprised.
Then, Aang began to glow. The arrows tattooed across his body turned a luminous color, and the air around him began to form something similar to a tornado. Ashlynn grabbed Sokka's wrist and tugged on him.
"We need to get out of here!" she shouted over the loud gusts of wind. She pulled at him and he followed her as she ran out of the room and bumped into Katara.
"What happened?" Katara asked, raising her voice to match the loud blare of the blasting winds.
"Aang found Monk Kiatso's dead body and now he's acting upon his emotions," Sokka shouted back at his sister. "It's his Avatar state, Katara. He needs to be brought out of it or he'll ruin the whole temple and throw us off the side of this mountain!" Ashlynn said.
Katara nodded. "I'll see if I can bring him out of it," she declared and marched towards Aang. Ashlynn and Sokka took up hiding behind a fairly sturdy stone that was able to repel the strong wind forces; for now. Ashlynn could just barely make out what Katara was saying to Aang in hopes of calming him down.
Her words of reassurance, however, had an effect, and Aang slowly descended from the sky, and the strong winds died down. Ashlynn followed Sokka as he ran over to his sister and the Avatar.
"Don't worry Aang; we're all here for you. We'll protect you, and we're not going to let anything happen to you," Sokka said. Aang left his Avatar state and collapsed in Katara's arms.
"I really am the last airbender..." he said quietly. Ashlynn turned away from the scene, feeling guilty for having been part of the fire nation, and for not having warned Aang of what he'd find.
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It was nighttime when the group packed up to leave. Aang learned to accept what had happened, and even managed to make friends with the lemur (who also brought food to Sokka, in means of making terms of peace with him). He even named the lemur Momo, signifying that he'd made the little critter his new pet.
Aang knew he had to find some way of speaking to his past Avatar lives, but knew naught of how to do it at the current time. So, he decided to move on. "I'm sorry Aang," Ashlynn said finally as Appa flew the group away from the temple. "What for?" Aang replied, not looking over at her.
"Well... I knew what had happened here, and I couldn't find it in my heart to tell you. I feel guilty inside and out for having grown up with the nation that did this, and I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault. If you say you didn't help out ... if you say you didn't support any of the murder the fire nation has done, ever, then I'll believe you. You don't need to apologize ... I understand," Aang reassured her.
Ashlynn nodded, feeling slightly better, but not thoroughly at peace. She then took up lying down on Appa's back, looking up at the stars, still wondering what ever became of her friend, Zuko.