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.
A hundred years passed and the new Avatar, an air bender named Aang, was discovered. Now travelling by his side are Katara and Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe, and Ashlynn... An ex-member of the Fire nation, and Prince Zuko's lifelong companion...
"Looks like Aang is trying to sneak off without us," Ashlynn pointed out.
It was the dead of night, and everyone within the small village was piled up in one of the few remaining houses. Aang had snuck off moments before, but he wasn't quick enough for Ashlynn not to miss.
"Come on, we'd better go convince him not to leave. Least, not without us," Sokka said.
A few villagers follow the three friends and Momo outside to where Aang was tugging on Appa in an attempt to make him fly and take him to the fire nation.
"Aang, Appa isn't going to go. Maybe he knows it's dangerous to go to the fire nation alone. We're not letting you go, Aang. You could get seriously hurt, and the world would be more devastated without you," Katara explained.
"But the solstice is tomorrow, and I need to be at that island to talk to Rouku about my vision before I miss what could be my only chance," Aang complained as he hopped on top of Appa and grabbed the reins. Sokka, Katara, and Ashlynn all ran in front of Appa to keep him from leaving.
"Aang, you're not leaving… At least, not without us," Sokka smiled. Aang thought about it for a moment, then smiled and nodded in agreement. So, the rest of Aang's companions mounted Appa as well. After doing so, a villager handed Aang some supplies and wished him luck. With that, he said "Yip yip!" and Appa flew off.
It was midday before anyone was spotted below the flying bison. As Aang flew Appa through the clouds over fire nation waters, a steam ship was spotted trailing them from behind.
"Aang, the ship behind us is gaining speed real fast!" Sokka exclaimed.
"It's Zuko!' Ashlynn explained when she spotted her old friend; his red scar unmistakable.
"Yeah, and he's about to shoot a flaming rock at us; Aang, we got to move!" Sokka shouted. "Right, I'm on it!" Aang said, and turned the reins on Appa. Appa narrowly escaped the fireball, minus the crisping of a few hairs of his coat.
"Guys, we've got an even bigger problem. There's a blockade in front of us," Aang said. There wasn't much time to decide on what to do, so they decided upon running right through the blockade… Otherwise they wouldn't reach the crescent shaped island in time for Aang to speak with Rouku.
"Least this will hopefully rid us of Zuko," Katara said in hopes of brightening the moment.
"They're about to shoot! Ready yourselves," Ashlynn said. Even with her warning, the oncoming of multiple flaming rocks at once was still a shock to the group. Appa guided his way through them as if they were a maze. He managed to avoid being hit directly, but was still suffering small burns on his fur coat.
Aang flew Appa up through the clouds, where cover was an advantage, but lack of sight was at the disadvantage. Another array of flaming rocks flew up through the clouds, one skidding Appa's side. Aang quickly turned Appa to the right, not giving the group enough time to grasp onto something.
Ashlynn rolled off the side of the saddle and screamed as she grasped onto a stray strand of rope on the side of the saddle. She planted her feet flat on Appa's side to try and maintain balance.
At the same time, Sokka rolled backwards and fell off Appa completely and plummeted into the clouds below.
"Sokka," Aang and Katara shouted in unison. Aang veered Appa to the right again, turning him back towards where Sokka had fallen. Ashlynn lost her foot balance and began swinging back and forth from the rope she was grasping.
Aang flew Appa underneath the falling Sokka, and Katara grasped a hold of his arm and dragged him back into the saddle. After Sokka caught his breath he noticed Ashlynn grasping onto her life, and he leaned over the side of the seat to grasp her arms and pull her up and back over the seat.
As she was being tugged back into the saddle, another flurry of rocks was fired at the group. Aang veered Appa again, which sent Ashlynn and Sokka rolling onto the other side. Ashlynn heard Sokka groan as she fell into his chest and gut, knocking the wind out of him. She tried to scramble up next to Katara as Aang turned Appa once more to avoid the final rocks of the last shooting.
When Ashlynn looked up she saw that Appa was head level with the blockade, flying right at the lead ship. She heard the "Fire!" signaling their now inescapable death or capture.
Then, Aang jumped from Appa's head, and with full force blasted a strong wind right through the rock, breaking it into several pieces that flew past Appa. He then fell back onto Appa, and was momentarily dazed.
Then, Appa flew past the engine ships and made it safely away from them without being shot at anymore.
"Wow, we made it into the fire nation…" Sokka said with disbelief. "Yep, that should be the worst part of it. There shouldn't be any more blockade attacks from here to the island," Ashlynn reassured them.
As Appa completed the smooth sailing, Katara, Sokka, and Ashlynn rested up and tended to their wounds. "I hope I didn't hurt you too terribly Sokka," Ashlynn giggled as she combed a knot in her hair with her fingers.
"Are you kidding? I'd take having the wind knocked out of me over plummeting to uncertain death in the waters below any day," he laughed in response. "Yeah, really... That was a close one," Katara sighed.
Ashlynn shot one more smile at Sokka before she rolled over and fell asleep.
"It's getting pretty late," Ashlynn heard Katara say.
Ashlynn opened her eyes, and saw that the sun was low in the sky, giving the surrounding area a yellow and pink tint to it.
"Wait, there it is! That's the island Rouku took me to!" Aang exclaimed. Ashlynn sat up and looked ahead, and nodded with confirmation. "I think Rouku lived on that island for some time," she explained, trying to recall any history she had learned in fire nation schooling.
Aang landed Appa behind a small, blackened hill that hid them from a fire nation temple nearby.
Ashlynn crawled over to the sleeping Sokka and gave him a small nudge. He woke up immediately, and hopped off Appa and began stretching, more than eager to start fighting some fire nation.
"That's the only building I spotted here, so that must be where Rouku wants me to go," Aang explained and pointed at the nearby temple. "Alright, let's just hope there aren't too many people," Katara sighed.
The group left Appa to rest, and began taking the path up to the temple. As they neared it, they noticed how unnaturally quiet and empty it was.
"I think the fire nation must have abandoned this place a long time ago," Katara said quietly.
"Well, it's almost sundown, so let's go!" Aang said and ran into the temple.
As they neared the center of the temple the group began to walk more quietly.
"Wait, I think I heard something…" Sokka said, and turned around. The rest of the group turned around as well and gasped when they saw several men standing in the hallway, blocking them from the far exit.
"We are the fire sages, guardians of the temple of the Avatar," the man in the front explained. "That's great! I'm the Avatar!" Aang smiled.
"We know," the man said and he, along with two of the other men, shot fireballs at them with their hands.
Aang air bended to disperse the flames, and ordered his companions to run while he held the attackers off. So, Katara, Sokka, and Ashlynn turned back around and continued to run into the heart of the temple. After running a bit, Aang popped up from a side door and ordered them to follow him. He turned down a hall where another fire sage was waiting for them.
The group reeled around and ran back the other way, ignoring the man behind them who was asking them to wait.
They ran right into a room that appeared to be a dead end. In the doorway the man from the previous hallway stood still. "Please, I don't want to hurt you. I know why you're here," the man pleaded, and kneeled before Aang.
"Wait, you do?" Aang said in bewilderment. "Yes, you wish to speak to Avatar Rouku. I can take you to him," the man said. He stood up, and moved a lantern on the wall next to him. Behind it was a small switch, in which he fire bended against, which opened a hidden door next to him. "This way," he said, and motioned for them to follow.
He led the group down a long fleet of stairs, which ran down into the heart of the volcano. As he did so, he explained how the fire sages were connected to the temple in spiritual ways. "So that's how you knew I was coming," Aang said.
"Well, not exactly. A few weeks ago the eyes of the statue of Rouku began to glow. It was then that we knew you had returned," the man explained as he led the group onward.
"That must've been while we were at the air temple," Katara said half to herself, half to the man.
"Well, if this is the Avatar's temple, how come the other men attacked me?" Aang asked.
"Things have… changed. They used to serve Rouku directly, and when he died, they waited for the new Avatar to come. But, he never did. So instead of serving the Avatar, they were forced to serve the fire lord."
"Well… thanks for helping me," Aang smiled up at the man.
Ashlynn was secretly grateful the fire sages lived like hermits on the island; she had no desire to be recognized by the fire nation, and be taken back to where she knew she did not belong.
"We're going to follow these stairs to the sanctuary. There, a statue of Rouku will be. When the light hits his eyes, you'll be able to speak with him," the fire sage explained.
At the top of the stairs there rested a sizeable door that appeared to be sealed shut.
"Oh no, the door is shut!" the fire sage explained. "You can open it with fire bending?" Sokka asked. "No… only a fully realized Avatar can open the door, otherwise all of the fire sages have to work together to open it," he said, and hung his head in disappointment.
"Hmm, actually, I think I've got an idea. See these lanterns everywhere? I can make miniature explosives out of them. My dad taught it to me, it's kind of like fake fire bending," Sokka said while lifting a lantern off the wall to examine the burning coal on the inside.
"Wow, this could actually work!" the fire sage exclaimed as Sokka began making small bombs with them.
"The fire sages will hear the explosion, so you need to run in quickly," he explained. Then, he fire bended the fuses and everyone ran for cover.
After the explosion, everyone opened their eyes to see that the explosion hadn't worked, and that the door was still shut.
Aang cried out angrily and air-blasted the door with his glider.
"Actually, Sokka's plan didn't fail after all!" Katara said. "What do you mean? The door didn't open, Katara," Ashlynn said blandly.
"You're right, it didn't…. But it looks like we did. If we all hide, this man can go grab the fire sages and say Aang bust in there. Then, together, they can open the door and then we can go in there."
"I've got to hand it to you Katara, you're a genius," Aang smiled.
"Come quick, fire sages! The Avatar is inside the sanctuary!" the man said, calling the other fire sages to him. "How do you know?" they pondered.
"Look at the scorch marks within the tubes," he explained. "You're right, the Avatar is inside! Open the door!"
Together, the fire sages blast their fire bending through the large tunnels of the door, unlocking it and opening the pathway into the sanctuary. Before them sat Momo, who had crawled through one of the tubes previously.
"We've been tricked!" the men shouted. Just then, Katara and Sokka and Ashlynn jumped out and pulled bags over the heads of the fire sages. After they were secure, Katara shouted at Aang to go.
From afar, Zuko could be seen forcing Aang along. It was clear that he had Aang bound in ropes.
"The Avatar is coming with me," he said with a sneer.
"Zuko," Ashlynn shouted at him. She then let go of her grasp on the fire sage and went to charge at Zuko. However, the freed fire sage tore off the hood around his head and groped at the air in front of him, trying to catch Ashlynn. He managed to grab a chunk of her hair, and tugged on it with all his might, throwing her backwards into the floor. She cried out in pain as the back of her head collided with the ground.
At the same time, the other fire sages freed themselves of their bonds and bound Sokka, Katara, and the traitor fire sage instead. Zuko commanded that they close the door, to keep Aang from entering the sanctuary.
Before the doors closed completely, Aang shoved Zuko and then air blasted him with his feet. Zuko fell over, and Aang took the opportunity to charge back at the closing doors. Just as they snapped shut, Aang landed within the confined walls of the sanctuary.
"He made it!" Katara said, and then gasped as a glowing light shot through the cracks in the walls from within the chamber.
The fire sages let go of their grasp on their captured enemies, and worked with Zuko to open the sealed door with their fire bending. However, the bending no longer had an effect on the door, and it remained sealed. "Why isn't it working?" Zuko shouted impatiently.
"It was that light," Ashlynn said, standing up, while glaring at Zuko. "Rouku doesn't want you guys in there," she said more quietly.
Zuko shouted in frustration, and then turned to the traitorous fire sage. "Why did you help him? How could you help the Avatar?" he demanded.
"It's what we did in the past. It is our tradition. It is our duty to serve the Avatar," the man explained.
Then, footsteps could be heard coming from the other hallway.
"Zhao!" Ashlynn growled.
"Well well well… Look what I've caught: A banished prince, the long lost friend who followed him, the Avatar's friends, and a fire sage traitor. I really do wonder what the fire lord will say when you all explain your traitorous acts to him," Zhao said solemnly.
Ashlynn never liked Zhao. Zhao was one of the high ranking commanders of the fire nation troops, and she knew he must have been the one who attacked them in the blockade. Zhao was a proud man, who always put his own line of duty before anyone or anything else.
"You're too late Zhao! The Avatar is inside, and the doors won't open," Zuko shouted as Zhao's followers bound him up. "It doesn't matter, he'll have to come out at some point," he grinned maliciously.
The guards then turned to Ashlynn and began to tie ropes around her hands. "That won't be necessary men, I'm sure Lady Ashlynn won't be any trouble," Zhao said, and walked over to her.
When he was less than an inch away from her, he whispered "You know the Fire Lord will forgive you for leaving the palace to be with Zuko if you ask him for it. You've always been a delight to our nation. Don't give any trouble, and you'll still be able to live like royalty." As he said this, he lightly grasped her chin with one hand.
She slapped his hand away from her and socked him as hard as she could across one cheek with the other hand. "Damn you and your nation. Damn your king, and damn your palace," she said angrily, and spat in his face.
Zhao then backhanded her across the face, and she gasped lightly from the pain. "You will watch your tongue, Lady Ashlynn, if you know what's good for you," he said, and then had her bound.
"Harm her again Zhao, and I'll be sure to end your life without a moment's thought," Zuko growled. Ashlynn looked over at her old friend, and was sad that he was still sticking up for her even after she left him.
Zhao cackled, and said "Men, line up at this door. When the Avatar opens the door, hit him with all you've got."
"Aang won't make it…" Sokka said. "Yeah, we probably won't make it either," Ashlynn said as the remaining guards chained herself, Zuko, Sokka, and Katara to the two pillars nearby.
Then, the glowing light reappeared from with the chamber. Smoke began to fume from the bottom of the large door. With a gust of wind to follow, the doors opened wide. The light from within blinded Zhao and his guards, but he commanded them to fire blast into the open room with all they had. Katara cried out Aang's name right before they released their fire bending.
Then, Zhao stepped back, and from within the room Rouku could be seen, attacking the fire benders while in the Avatar state.
"Rouku…" Ashlynn whispered in awe.
Rouku proceeded to send a wave of fire into the whole room. It knocked back Zhao and his soldiers, and burnt the chains that bound Ashlynn, Sokka, Katara, Zuko, and the fire sage. Zuko didn't think twice before running for the exit. Ashlynn paid no attention to him, and instead looked onward into the sanctuary for any sign of Aang.
"Rouku is going to burn this temple down, we need to go!" the fire sage urged. "Not without Aang!" Katara demanded.
"Listen, we just need to hold out. The solstice should be ending within a moments time and then Rouku will disappear," Ashlynn said. Katara nodded, and the companions hid behind the pillar while Rouku's Avatar form kept blasting the room that was displayed before him. Then, suddenly, he vanished… Leaving a very confused Aang in his place. As the winds died down, Aang collapsed.
"Aang," Katara shouted, and ran to catch him as he fell.
"What? Where'd the sage go?" Aang murmured. Everyone looked around and noticed that the sage had taken a run for the exit. "Come on, we need to get out of here, the whole temple is going to collapse," Sokka explained.
Katara helped Aang up and together the whole group ran out into the main hallway. Behind then, the temple had begun to crumble down the side of the mountain. Before then, the temple was being swallowed by the magma of an erupting volcano. On their side was a window.
"We're done for!" Sokka shouted in terror. "No, we're not. Look!" Ashlynn said and pointed out the window next to them.
Outside the window Appa was waiting for them, almost as if he knew they'd be there. The group hopped, one by one, out the window and on to Appa's back.
Appa then flew away, and carried the companions away from the erupting volcano, to safety in the dead of night.