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…
"Guys… I think Sokka might be sick."
It was early in the morning, and Aang's team was camped inside some abandoned ruins outside a nameless, unknown town that had people who cared less about the world. The previous day the group had gone out to sea during a harsh storm, thus resulting in Sokka's abrupt illness.
"Yeah, he's been looking under the weather since yesterday. Started with a cough, I didn't think it'd get so bad that he'd be delusional," Ashlynn said to Katara after her suggestion of Sokka being sick.
"Why don't I go into town and see if there's anyone who has some medicinal herbs?" Aang volunteered. "Good idea, just make sure you stop back here before going off on any crazy adventures," Katara teased. Aang promised his safe return, and took off on his glider.
"I'll go find some water; you keep an eye on Sokka… Make sure he doesn't go too insane," Katara said, sounding unbelievably fatigued. She gave Sokka a peculiar look as his delusions worsened, and then departed to find water for her brother.
Ashlynn gave Sokka another blanket after he began to shiver violently again. She then handed him a handkerchief when he began to sniffle yet again, and then went to lie down elsewhere to avoid getting hit with his ailment.
Katara returned fifteen minutes later with a satchel of water, and Aang returned forty-five minutes after her with news that there was an old woman nearby who might have medicinal herbs.
"That's great Aang! Now we can pack up and head there," Katara exclaimed enthusiastically. "I don't want to risk Sokka getting worse, I think he should stay here," Aang said whilst chewing on his bottom lip.
"Fair enough- Ashlynn and I can go," Katara said, and then suddenly sneezed and began to cough. "Oh no," Ashlynn cried. "Not you too..." Aang uttered bitterly. "It's alright guys, cool it. I'm fine---"Katara assured them, and began to cough again.
"Maybe it's best Katara stayed here with Sokka. I can accompany you to the woman, Aang," Ashlynn said. "Alright, sounds good. Katara, lie down. We'll be back in a while," Aang declared. Ashlynn stood up, and followed Aang out of the ruins.
"We should be cautious and precise with our voyage to this place. This is just the kind of place you'd least expect to see the fire nation, but it's the place you're most likely to find them," Ashlynn warned. "I can be cautious, precise, AND quick," Aang laughed.
He then ordered for Ashlynn to scramble onto his back and wrap her arms around his neck. Then, he took off running at such a great speed that Ashlynn had to shut her eyes to keep her eyes from thoroughly drying out. At one point during Aang's dash Ashlynn heard a horn begin to blare.
"Aang- I think we've been spotted!" Ashlynn shouted over the noise of the deafening winds that Aang was making with his air-bending speed. "Don't worry, we'll be fine!" Aang cried back.
After five minutes of persistent running, Aang ran up a final fleet of stairs and came to a sudden halt at the entrance to the building, which looked much like the ruins they were using for shelter.
"I'm sorry to barge in like this, but my friends are terribly sick and they need medicine!" Aang half-panted half-shouted at the elderly woman on the other end of the room. She was thin, and her skin was wrinkled, and her hair was a matured white.
She laughed an elderly, hoarse laugh. "Your friends will be fine… I have been living here for forty years! Everyone else left, so it's just me and Miyuki," the aged woman said, and continued to blabber on about her life like some old people tend to do.
When she had finished narrating her auto-biography she turned and muttered to herself while she looked about her plentiful amounts of herbs. "Is she looking for the medicine?" Ashlynn questioned Aang in a hushed voice.
"I sure hope so," he sighed dejectedly.
After fifteen minutes of listening to the old witch talk to herself, she finally found the herb she'd been looking for. To Ashlynn's and Aang's utter disappointment, the herb she'd found was just to be used to feet her cat Miyuki.
"Hey lady- What about our friends," Ashlynn demanded, taking control over the annoying situation.
"Oh, your friends- I'd almost forgotten. All they need is some frozen wood frogs, they can be found in the lake down in the valley. Just have your friends suck on those till' they thaw out," she said cheerfully.
"Suck… on frozen frogs?" Ashlynn said, and made a sound that made it clear she found that idea to be completely vulgar.
Ashlynn and Aang thanked the old woman, and then departed from her 'home'. They walked down the steps, where an array of arrows greeted them. Two of the arrows went through the sleeves of Ashlynn's top, pulling her into the ground with them. She struggled to tug them about, but was unable to move either of her arms to pull an arrow out.
Aang was luckier, as he was merely pinned through the bottoms of his pants. He quickly air-bended a shield around them, giving him time to tug the arrows out that were pinning him down, then helping Ashlynn get free.
"I told you we were noticed!" Ashlynn shouted over the sound of the fresh and pouring storm that had been taunting them from afar all day. "Let's just go get those frogs and head back to the ruins!" Aang shouted. Ashlynn nodded, and hopped back onto Aang's back like before.
Then, as quick as he was earlier, Aang took off running in the direction of the valley that beheld the lake they were directed to go to. Their pursuers, well trained archers, followed them. They were more agile, and more prepared, and caught up quickly.
With one swift jump Aang leapt off the cliff and down into the valley. Ashlynn covered her face with one arm, keeping one arm around Aang's neck for support, and blocked all incoming branches that they came up against as Aang fell through the woods below. He then bounced between trees to break his fall, and continued to run at a quickened pace to the pond.
The water had very little shallow parts, so as soon as Aang took a few small steps into the lake he and Ashlynn sank into its murky depths. Ashlynn released her hold on Aang, and swam to the surface. Aang rose above the water just beside her, with a frog in one hand. "There are tons of them!" Aang told her, and then let out a surprised cry as another arrow narrowly missed his arm.
"Hurry," Ashlynn shouted. Her warning went without use, however, because just as Aang had stuffed a few more chilled frogs into his shirt, a net was cast over the both of them. The archers then approached them, and beat them both over the head with the handle of a sword, knocking them out cold.
When Ashlynn awoke, the first thing she noticed was that the muscles of her shoulders and arms were unbearably sore. Her hair was in her face, and she moved an arm to brush it out of the way.
That was when she noticed that her arms were chained. Her neck snapped up, and she began to breathe heavily as she panicked. She saw that her arms were chained to two pillars on either side of her. She was chained up so that her feet hung just barely above the ground, making it so that her toes touched it, but she couldn't actually flatten her feet.
She propped herself up on her toes, and tugged on the chains, but to no avail. She hung her head, letting her fiery hair fall past her face, concealing her features. She felt beads of sweat fall down her face as the heat in the room began to rise.
She didn't know how much time had passed before Admiral Zhao entered the room she was being held in. The tops of the pillars lit up with fire to illuminate the room.
"Well well well Lady Ashlynn, looks like neither you nor the Avatar can evade my expertise archers," Zhao taunted. Ashlynn didn't lift her head, but she tightened her hands into fists and clenched her teeth to keep from releasing all the rage she had built up.
"Well then, you're going to be transported from this fortress back to the Fire Lord in a few days, and he can decide what to do with you. I'm putting my money on eternal captivity, or instant death," he grinned.
"I'd rather die by the hands of the ruler of my nation than rot here while you damage my ear drums with your overly pathetic voice," Ashlynn spat, looking up at Zhao for a moment. "Hey, if it was my choice, I'd kill you right now, while you're so helpless and so vulnerable," Zhao said, and emitted a cackle to follow.
"Why don't you go play with your fire sparklers Zhao, you sick bastard," Ashlynn snarled.
Zhao chuckled in response. "You really are quite charming. Don't worry Lady, Aang will be with you. You'll both be sentenced by the Fire Lord," he reassured.
"Aang is smart, and Aang is strong; much stronger than you. He will find a way out of here," Ashlynn threatened. "I'm afraid that's impossible," Zhao retorted.
"Then we'll just wait and see," Ashlynn grinned from behind the hair that hung in her face. Zhao looked thoroughly disturbed, and proceeded to exit the room. Ashlynn laughed quietly to herself, and then passed the time by counting the increasing numbers of sweat beads that fell down her face. The lit-torches of the room made the heat grow even more intense.
Hours must have passed before Zhao reentered the room, looking astonishingly distraught. "Wow Zhao, you break one of your toys?," Ashlynn laughed, lifting her head up even though it made no effect on her hair since it was now plastered to her face by the sweat.
"You knew it would happen. You sent in someone to help that kid escape! Who was it?! WHO!" Zhao screamed at Ashlynn, punching her across one cheek. Ashlynn did not scream, but merely spat out the blood that was filling into her mouth and gave Zhao a very unsure look, but laughed after a moment and spat more blood.
"Zhao, you've lost your mind. How could I have sent for anyone if I've been in here?" Ashlynn asked and continued to laugh, feeling like she was going insane. "I don't know, but you knew it would happen! You said so yourself! Now tell me who it was. It was a man in a blue mask, who was it Ashlynn? Who was it?!?!" Zhao screamed again and punched her across the other cheek, tossing her head to one side.
Ashlynn blinked to clear her dizzy mind, and spat more blood out.
"Zhao, I didn't do anything," Ashlynn stated firmly. Zhao stared into her hazy eyes for a moment, and then said "if you refuse to tell, then you will burn."
He left the room, and returned a moment later with flammable liquids and objects, which he scattered amongst the room. He then went to the doorway, and cast one solid flame into the ground, igniting the fire. He turned, shut the door, and locked it.
Ashlynn watched the fire slowly begin to inch around the room, latching onto all the combustible items. She began to breathe more heavily as her heart raced.
I'm going to die. I know it, this is the end… Zuko…
"Zuko," Ashlynn cried out in panic.
[Meanwhile: Several minutes before Zhao's burning.]
Zuko slowly awoke and blinked several times to sharpen his vision. Next to him was Aang, whom he was surprised to see. Zuko figured Aang would have left him for dead when he was knocked out by Zhao's archers, despite the fact he'd helped him escape.
"You know Zuko; one hundred years ago I had this friend Kuzon. We used to be the best of pals. If you and I knew each other back then, you think we could've been friends too?" Aang asked optimistically without looking at him.
Zuko stood up and shot a menacing flame at Aang. Aang dodged the flame by jumping up into the tree above them.
"Well, listen Zuko; Ashlynn is still in that fortress. I can't get to her because it'll be swarming with soldiers that are trying to get me, so maybe you could do it," Aang suggested, and then hopped from branch to branch till he was out of sight.
Zuko pondered his suggestion for a moment, and then mentally agreed with Aang. He picked up the Blue Spirit mask, placed it over his head, and quickly and inconspicuously jogged to the fortress. When he arrived, he used his agile abilities to climb up over the wall, and silently darted into the main building of the fortress.
Zuko sank into the shadows as he spotted Zhao walking a few yards away. He looked utterly angry.
"Sir, do you want us to go investigate the smoke coming from the inner building?" one of Zhao's men offered. "No, you can let that wench burn," Zhao ordered. Zuko gasped, and immediately took off towards the interior of the fortress. When the smoke began to appear from within, he trailed it to a heavy door that was locked. Zuko grasped the handle with one hand, but gasped in surprised pain as the burning metal seared his palm and fingers.
He lifted his mask and wrapped a handkerchief around his mouth to keep out the fumes, replaced his mask, and began to kick at the door with all his might. After a few good kicks the door broke open, and a wave of burning flames suddenly shot out through the opening.
"Ashlynn," Zuko shouted and coughed as the fumes ran into his lungs. He fire-bended some of the flames out of his way and began to make a path to the center of the chamber. To him it looked like Zhao had stuck every flammable object in the fortress within the room and set it on fire.
As Zuko continued to make the path through to the center he spotted Ashlynn chained to two pillars that were beginning to crumble with heat. Zuko began to cough more violently as he quickly made his way through the burning rubble. When he was no more than a foot away from his old friend the pillars toppled over, and she fell with them. Zuko lunged at the pillar that was about to fall upon her and knocked it to the side, crying out in pain as his hands were burnt just a little more.
The fall of the pillars snapped the chains around Ashlynn's wrists, so Zuko picked her up and rapidly made his way back through the room, coughing all the while. Outside the room, Zuko lightly tossed Ashlynn over one of his shoulders so he'd be able to run and climb better.
He ran outside the building, and traced his way back the way he came up and over the same wall, undetected. Outside the walls of the fortress, he continued to run until he was far down the road, then turned and ran into the depths of the nearby forest. When he was sure they were safe, he laid his friend down and checked her heart beat and breathing.
Ashlynn awoke to the bright sun that shone against her pale face. She blinked a few times, then rolled to one side and examined the grass below her. A light breeze flew past her, and gave her a sense of serenity.
"I must be dead…" she whispered very quietly to herself, and closed her eyes, trying to remember what had happened.
"No, you're not dead," came a familiar voice. Ashlynn opened her eyes, and rolled onto her other side to see a familiar figure sitting a foot away from her. She sat up quickly, and identified the person as Zuko.
"Zuko, what are you…?" Ashlynn questioned, confused.
"You'll be okay, you've only been out for a few hours," Zuko replied, and approached her and attempted to put a dampened cloth on her forehead.
"A few hours... What happened?" Ashlynn demanded angrily, and stood up and looked down upon Zuko. "Don't get mad at me, I saved you!" Zuko yelled, and rose as well, beating Ashlynn's height by a number of inches.
"Where is Aang? Katara, Sokka? Where are they Zuko?" Ashlynn demanded. "They're just back at where ever you all were staying at! Ashlynn, I just saved your life!" Zuko said, exasperated.
Ashlynn looked at her surroundings, and, by looking at the position of the sun, determined what direction her companions were staying at. She shoved Zuko, and took off running in that direction, ignoring Zuko's cries a pleas and consistent 'Ashlynn's.
She was glad to see he wasn't following her. As she ran she tried to remember what happened, but all she could recall was Zhao setting the room she was in on fire.
"I must have passed out… Zuko must have gone in and saved me…" Ashlynn murmured to herself as she ran on.
After an hour of running she came across familiar terrain. She then navigated her way back to the Avatar's current hideout, and hoped that they were still there. To her relief, they were.
"Ashlynn," Katara, Aang, and Sokka all exclaimed at once.
"Aang told us what happened! How did you escape?" Katara asked.
"I'm sorry I couldn't rescue you…" Aang apologized.
"We thought we'd never see you again!" Sokka exclaimed.
"It's alright, Aang. In regards to Katara's question, one of the guards had a change of heart. He snuck me out," Ashlynn said.
Katara and Aang gave her looks that said 'we don't believe you'.
"Wow. What happened to your clothes? They're blackened. And it looks like you've got a burn or two," Sokka gasped.
"I… uh… Zhao, he attacked me. He wanted information, information I didn't have, I'll be okay," Ashlynn reassured them, and looked down at the light burns on her arms.
"Well, we'll get you new clothes in the next town," Katara said, and gave Ashlynn a hug. "Yeah, at least you're safe," Aang said, and hugged her as well. "We're glad to still have you with us," Sokka said, and gave her the last hug.
"Thanks guys," Ashlynn said with a smile. Despite her appreciation to be with them once again, she still felt internally disturbed about Zuko's sudden act of righteousness, and ashamed at how she'd acted towards him.
She knew that karma would come back and give her a hard time for that.