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 traveling 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...
"Ugh... I think Appa's shedding," Katara said with disgust and she pulled a clump of loose fur from Appa's thick leg.
"So what?" Ashlynn asked as she pulled another lump of fur from the beast and lightly tossed it on the ground. "It's so... gross..." Katara said, and brushed some fur off her dress.
"It's not that bad Katara. It's just a sign of spring; which is a good sign, a happy one!" Aang said cheerfully as he dismounted Appa. "Yeah. And besides, his fur makes the ground so soft! Makes for a better sleeping place," Toph announced as she, too, leapt from Appa's backside. Katara sighed, and couldn't help but smile and nod.
"Well my beds finished," Ashlynn said happily and turned to help stoke the fire. Aang and Sokka were continuing to set up their beds, and Katara was cooking food. That is, until she noticed Toph lazing around away from the campsite.
Katara eyed Toph warily, and then decided to go over and talk to her. Ashlynn couldn't hear what she was saying over the crackling flames of the fire, but assumed that Katara was attempting to get Toph to pull her own weight around. Ashlynn shook her head and laughed to herself, and began to help cook the food. After a few minutes Katara joined her, unsuccessful in her attempt to get Toph to do some work.
After dinner was cooked and consumed, everyone retired to their beds for the night, so that they'd be well rested the following morning.
"There's something coming toward us!"
Ashlynn groaned as she was suddenly awakened only a few hours after having fallen asleep. She rubbed her eyes, still half asleep, and sat up to look around. Toph had announced something was on its way, and the other companions were crowded around her, waiting for her to verify exactly what it was.
Ashlynn got up from her bed and ran over to them as well, stumbling slightly from drowsiness.
"It feels like an avalanche... But at the same time it... doesn't..." Toph frowned, unable to identify what it was. "So... Should we leave?" Katara pondered aloud. "I think that would be best," Aang said, and turned to quickly pack what he could.
Ashlynn turned and ran to her sleeping bag and rolled it up as quickly as she could. She ran over to Appa and tossed it into his saddle. She then lightly air-bended her way up into the saddle, and awaited her companions.
Shortly thereafter, Appa flew up and away from the site. Everyone turned to try and see what it was that had been coming towards them, but it was difficult to tell when it was so dark. All that was clearly visible was the pillar of smoking rising in the air. Frowning, each person turned around and awaited a new camping spot.
After a half an hour of flight, Aang landed Appa in another clearing. Toph instantly leapt from the saddle, and prepared to sleep upon the cold ground.
"Toph, could you help us unload?" Katara asked politely. Ashlynn sighed, as she knew that question would lead into a fight between the two girls.
"You need ME to help YOU?" Toph asked, sounding surprised.
Ashlynn groaned and quickly drowned out their bickering, along with Sokka and Aang. Sleepily, they unpacked what was necessary to unpack. By the time Katara had finished screaming at Toph a camp had been made.
Without any thanks, Katara clambered into her bag and didn't say a word. Thankful to be back in her bag, Ashlynn closed her eyes and imagined she was in a real bed near a cozy fireplace.
Just when she was on the verge of falling asleep, Katara began to yell at Toph again. "The stars sure look beautiful... Too bad you can't see them, Toph," she yelled. Then, a small rumble came from beneath the earth as Toph bended a rock over to Katara to kick her from her comfy place.
"Guys, stop it. We're all trying to sleep here and we can't with you guys fighting like this," Ashlynn groaned.
"That thing is back!" Toph cried out suddenly, and pointed in the direction it was coming from. Everyone looked to see the same pillar of smoke rising from behind the trees that surrounded them.
Reluctantly, the team packed up their bags once more and mounted Appa. Ashlynn hardly cared anymore, and curled up into a small ball within Appa's saddle and attempted to sleep.
"Seriously, what is that thing?" Ashlynn heard Katara say. "Yeah and how does it keep finding us?" Toph followed. "I don't know, but this time I'm going to make sure it doesn't follow us," Aang declared. Then, Ashlynn felt Appa begin to veer upward, indication Aang's intentions were to fly him up to a tall mountain.
Ashlynn quickly grew used to the upward feeling, and fell to sleep once more.
Ashlynn slowly re-awoke as she felt Appa land once more. She could hear her companions mumbling, but she couldn't make out what they were saying. She kept her eyes closed, and stayed in her little ball, trying to fall back asleep.
However, after a few minutes of trying to fall asleep, she heard Aang exclaim loudly "No way, that's impossible!" Ashlynn groaned and sat up and looked towards the mountainside, where Aang and Sokka and Katara were looking at.
"Yeah, there's no way they could've followed us up here!" Sokka frowned.
"But they did, so let's get going," Katara commanded. "No, let's wait. Who knows, maybe they're friendly!" Aang suggested.
"I don't know Aang... They could be someone like Zuko," Ashlynn reminded him. Aang ignored her, and watched what appeared to be a motorized machine continue its climb up the mountain.
Suddenly, the machine came to a halt. Doors opened, and three women mounted upon something related to giant lizards departed from the tank. They lined up, and faced Aang, Katara, and Sokka. Toph stood nearest Appa, and Ashlynn remained in Appa's saddle. Even from where she was, Ashlynn could recognize all three women.
"It's those three girls from Omashu!" Katara announced when she realized who they were. "We can take 'em,"Toph declared. Ashlynn had her doubts, since they were irritated and half-asleep, but there was no changing their minds. She bended her way off Appa's saddle and follow Toph to the rest of the group.
When they got closer, Toph tried to knock them off the cliffside with some small earth bending. Yet, she was unsuccessful.
"You guys, there's no beating them right now, we better go," Ashlynn urged them. Without hesitation, everyone aside Toph turned around and mounted Appa once more. Toph quickly made a distraction to keep the women at bay for a few more seconds, and then joined her companions. Aang instantly flew Appa away from the fight scene.
"I still think we could've taken them," Toph frowned as Appa flew away. "Toph--- Two of them is bad enough, between flying daggers and lightning... But last time we fought them, one of them did something that took my bending away. That's scary," Katara argued.
Ashlynn moaned as Appa flew over a mountain and right into sunlight. "Oh no, the sun is rising... We've been up all night and haven't had any sleep!" Sokka whined, more desperate than ever to get some sleep.
"We'll be okay Sokka. If they keep finding us every time we land, then all we got to do is keep flying, right?" Katara questioned, and looked at Aang.
"I don't know Katara... Appa gets tired too," Ashlynn reminded her, and yawned sleepily.
"So... what do we do next?" Aang asked after several minutes. "Don't know. Too tired," Toph groaned and grasped onto the side of Appa's saddle.
Katara and Ashlynn were curled up on either side of Sokka, who was passed out on his back. Ashlynn and Katara were both too tired to bother moving into their own section of the saddle.
Just as she was about to fall asleep, again, Ashlynn was suddenly thrust into the air. She cried out in surprise and halted her ascension with bending, and watched as Appa began to fall downward. Ashlynn bended her way back to the group and helped her companions hold onto the saddle, while Aang tried to awaken his furry friend, whom had fallen asleep mid-flight.
Right before the screaming group crashed into the floor, Appa awoke, and broke his fall. He skidded to a stop next to a river, and fell asleep once again.
"Alright; we've put lots of distance between us and them. The plan is to get some sleep before they find us again," Sokka said as he was crawling back into his sleeping bag.
"Well, maybe we could've gotten some sleep earlier if Toph had helped set up," Katara spat as she set up her own bag. Ashlynn groaned and laid her bag next to Sokka, away from the bickering girls.
"You're blaming ME for this?" Ashlynn heard Toph scream. "Yeah, we could've set up earlier and gotten more sleep if you'd just helped!" Katara retorted.
"If anyone's to blame, it's HIM! Want to know how they keep finding us? He's shedding and leaving a trail behind us!" Toph said, and pointed at Appa.
"How dare you blame Appa? He's saved your life three times today! And besides, HE carried your weight; not you! You don't care about Appa at all! There was never a problem till you came along," Aang yelled angrily at Toph. Then, without a response, Toph slung her pack over one shoulder, and announced she was leaving, and walked out and away from sight.
"What did I just do! I yelled at my earth bending teacher... Now she's gone..." Aang cried out dramatically and collapsed on the floor. "We should find her and apologize. We were pretty mean--- Maybe she'll come back if we ask," Katara suggested and put a reassuring hand on Aang's shoulder
"Maybe- But, what are we going to do about the tanks full of women who are chasing us?" Sokka inquired after taking a sip from his cup of water. Aang stood up and pull a tuft of fur from Appa's side and examined it thoughtfully. "I have a plan," he announced with a confident grin.
The next half hour was spent bathing Appa in the nearby lake. The fresh bath washed off all his loose fur, which was collected for Aang's new plan.
"Toph was right, Appa was leaving a trail behind us. But now he's clean, so there won't be a trail," Aang said once Appa had been fully washed.
"Are you sure he can fly?" Ashlynn asked curiously, a little worried about Aang's furry companion. "He'll be fine, as long as we leave our stuff and his saddle here. Less stuff for him to carry, you know?" Aang explained.
"So, what exactly is the plan here, then?" Sokka asked.
"I'm going to use Appa's fur to make a fake trail to lead the tanks off course. Katara and Sokka, you two fly Appa to a safe place and Ashlynn and I will catch up to you both later. I want Ashlynn to help me out, since she has a glider and can fly like I can," Aang explained with ease. Ashlynn nodded, and lifted her staff from the ground.
Sokka and Katara climbed up on top of Appa, and flew off over the tops of the trees. Ashlynn frowned as Appa, still half asleep, crashed into the tops of some trees. She relaxed a little as he continued flying away, and thought nothing of the broken tree tops.
Aang handed Ashlynn her own bag of Appa's fur, and ordered her to follow closely behind him. Ashlynn wrapped the back around her waist, and opened her glider and prepared for flight. Aang bended his way high up in the air, and Ashlynn quickly followed, making sure fur fell from the bag with every distance they covered.
They flew for close to fifteen minutes before a small town came into view. Aang pointed at it, and Ashlynn nodded, agreeing that it'd be the best place to end the trail, especially since it was an abandoned town. Aang and Ashlynn landed lightly at the foot of the town and looked around.
"This place is a disaster. I'm almost out of fur," Ashlynn told Aang as they slowly paced through the center road of the town. "Me too; I'm going to go to the edge of the town, and wait for them to come here," Aang said sleepily with a yawn. "You mean to face them?" Ashlynn asked, slightly surprised. Aang nodded in response.
When their bags ran short of fur, they dumped the spare pieces into a small pile. Aang and Ashlynn sat down to await the arrival of Azula and her friends. They exchanged no words, too tired to think of ways to spark a momentary conversation.
As the sun got lower in the sky, a single figure appeared upon the horizon. Ashlynn knew it was Azula, and she wasn't all too worried about it. What worried her was that Mai and Ty Lee weren't with her, which meant they'd pursued Sokka and Katara.
Azula halted when she was several yards away from Ashlynn and Aang. She leapt off her lizard, and stared across at them without saying a word. "Alright, you've caught up with us. Now who are you, and what do you want?" Aang demanded to know, impatient as can be.
"So you haven't guessed yet? I'm surprise she hasn't told you," Azula laughed, and pointed a single finger at Ashlynn. Aang said nothing. "So it's really not obvious? Let me give you a hint…" she said, and placed a single hand over one eye. She deepened her voice and said "I must capture the Avatar to restore my honor."
Ashlynn bit back an insult, wishing to defend her old friend. But she knew better than to throw insults at Azula. Aang stared at his enemy, still as silent as ever.
"And now, it's over. I've got you cornered. You're tired, and you've got no place left to hide. You both can run, but I'll catch you," Azula threatened. Aang stood up and held his glider out before him in an offensive stance. Ashlynn followed his movements. "We're not running," Aang said defiantly. Azula smirked in response, and held her hands out before her.
"Do you really want to fight me?" Azula laughed over-confident of her abilities. Suddenly, a bird-like mount entered the area in-between Aang and Azula. "Yes, I do," came a familiar voice. Ashlynn's heart nearly melted at the sound of her lost companion's voice.
Zuko leapt from his mount and faced Azula, ignoring Aang and Ashlynn entirely. "Zuko?" Aang gasped, a little surprised to see him there. The last time he and Ashlynn had seen him was at the northern water tribe. Ashlynn had half expected him to have given up his search, or worse.
"I was wondering when you'd show up," Azula spat in annoyance. "Back off Azula- The Avatar is mine!" Zuko demanded. Azula conjured a small flame, and said "I'm not going anywhere."
A moment of silence was cast between the four of them, each waiting in anticipation to see who'd make the first offensive move. Zuko kept one hand in front of him, pointed at Azula, and one hand behind him, pointed at Aang. Aang and Ashlynn both kept their gliders in front of them, held like a sword. Ashlynn wondered to herself if Zuko had put two and two together and realized a glider was only used by air-benders. Azula kept her hands in front of her, preparing to strike out at Zuko.
After a few more moments of anticipation, Azula cast a single massive flame at Zuko. It took Zuko by surprise, and he blocked it with his own flame. However, the force was enough to send him flying into the nearest wooden building.
"Ashlynn, run!" Aang cried out, and he turned around and opened his glider and took off into the air. Ashlynn stared in shock at where Zuko's body lay motionless across the town, and she had the urge to run over to him. She gasped when she saw a large blue flame shoot across the main pathway in her direction. Just in time, Ashlynn swiped at the air before her with her glider, casting some of the flame away from her and sending her flying backwards into the building behind her, safely away from the harmful fire.
Ashlynn shook her head and tried to clear her vision. When she looked upon the central roadway once more, she saw that Aang had landed, and that Zuko was on his feet again. Orange and blue fireballs were being cast in every direction, and Aang was just barely avoiding them all, trying to distract Zuko and his sister.
Ashlynn stood up and quickly ran to help. Aang, not wanting her to get caught in the middle of it, guided both the fire benders up a pair of stairs and into a second floor of a nearby building. Ashlynn, desperate to help her friend, followed them both. She bumped right into Azula, and knocked her over the side of the floorboards, which were destroyed, leaving a gap to fall into the first floor, where Zuko was already. Aang was floating on a ball of air on the other side of the room. He smiled at Ashlynn, appreciative that she'd so luckily maintained the upper hand in that situation.
Together, they both ran out of the room back into the main road of the town. Zuko suddenly burst through a wall, and it took Ashlynn a moment to realize that Azula had been the one to cast him through the building. Ashlynn felt a moment of panic when she realized Zuko was unconscious. That worry turned to instant fear when Azula burst through the wall as well, and faced Aang and Ashlynn with her hands ablaze with blue flame.
She shot a single flame at them both. Ashlynn rolled to the side, but Aang faced the fire head on. He tried to block it with a shield of air, but the force sent him flying into another building that hadn't been destroyed yet. That is, until he crashed into it. The ceiling fell down upon him, and he was momentarily trapped. Azula approached him, threateningly.
Ashlynn felt relief when she saw Appa land with Sokka and Katara. "He's in there!" Ashlynn said, trying to rid herself of her momentary vertigo. Katara nodded, and quickly ran into the room where Aang was seconds from being harmed by Azula.
Ashlynn followed Katara, but narrowly dodged another blue flame as Azula turned on Katara and shot at her through the doorway. Katara and Ashlynn both ran out of the room into the town, where there was more space for maneuvering. As Azula pursued them, Sokka cast his boomerang at her, catching her off guard. Her reflexes were no match for him, however, and she bent backwards and avoided the weapon.
Aang left the room as well, and joined his companions who were beginning to corner Azula. Ashlynn had also become aware of Iroh, who was attempting to stir Zuko, who was still unconscious.
Just as Azula prepared to cast an arch of fire at the four companions, the ground beneath her feet moved, and she fell to the side, confused and shocked. Behind her, Toph stood with a grin on her face. "I thought you guys could use a little help," she said happily. "Thanks, Toph," Katara responded.
Azula turned and ran down an alleyway, away from the five friends who were determinedly chasing her. But before she could get very far, Iroh appeared before her, and shoved her towards a wall. Zuko came up next to his uncle. Together, the seven of them backed Azula into a corner, where she'd have no choice but to surrender.
"Aw, look at this- Enemies and traitors, all working together. Alright, you win. I'm done. A princess surrenders with honor," Azula said with dignity.
Some of them relaxed for a moment, including Iroh. But during that single moment of Iroh's momentary distraction, Azula cast a flame at him, taking full advantage of the sudden opportunity. The fire hit Iroh head-on, and he twisted around and fell over, unconscious. Zuko cried out in horror, and Ashlynn gasped, fearing the worst.
In Iroh's defense, Ashlynn, Aang, Katara, Zuko, and Toph all bended a straight line of each of their element at Azula. Ashlynn felt Zuko's shocked eyes slowly fixate upon her, taking in the full realization of the fact that she was an air-bender. But, that moment was lost as there was a massive explosion, and dark smoke filled the immediate area.
When the smoke cleared, Ashlynn saw Azula was gone. Zuko had gone to be by his uncle's side. He raised his fists and let out a cry of fury and frustration. Ashlynn and her companions slowly approached Zuko and Iroh.
"Get away from us!" Zuko screamed at every one of them, and eyed Ashlynn with anger and hurt. Ashlynn felt her eyes water as she felt the fury and sadness radiate off of Zuko.
"Zuko, I can help!" Katara pleaded.
Zuko quivered, and then cast an arch of fire at them all and cried "Leave!" Everyone but Ashlynn ducked, and she stifled a cry as the flame licked her arm and left the skin raw.
"Ash!" Sokka stammered, and ran to see if she was okay. "I'm okay," Ashlynn reassured him, although she shook and it made her voice quiver.
"Listen you guys, go on without me. I'm going to stay here, I'll catch up with you," Ashlynn said to her companions. "Are you sure? That burn could get nasty. Maybe I should heal it," Katara said. "I'll be fine, I promise. Go on guys. I'll catch up to you," she said, and gave them a reassuring smile.
Each of them nodded, and Sokka gave her a tight hug. He joined his friends as they climbed up on top of Appa. A tear ran down Ashlynn's face as she watched Appa fly off into the distance. She looked down at the burn on her arm, but gave it little thought as she looked down at Zuko, who still sat by Iroh's side.
She inhaled deeply, and prepared to explain herself to her closest friend.