Author's Note: Hello my darling readers, I've missed you all terribly. In advance, I'd like to thank any of my original readers who have waited the past few months for this chapter. For those of you who did not read my brief note previously, my computer more or less blew up and I hadn't had the time or money to get it fixed. Now, however, it's all back to normal so I can start writing again. Bear with me, for I haven't written in months so I'm going to be rusty until I get back into the swing of things. But, regardless, I hope you enjoy.
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, the blind earth-bender Toph, and Ashlynn: an ex-member of the Fire Nation, and Prince Zuko's lifelong companion…
I won't be held down by who I used to be.
She's nothing like me. – Evanescence.
Weight of the World
Aang handled the appearance of Ashlynn and Katara well. They each held out a hand for him, and pulled him back up to his feet. He showed every sign of being drowsy: his eyes were bloodshot, and there were bags under them, his face was gaunt and his body was weak. Katara kept a hand on his shoulder so she could catch him if he were to fall again. He knealt against his staff, and tried to make heads and tails of what was going on.
Toph was the third person to charge at him. She happily swung her light and pale arms about his waist, and mumbled words of relief and joy. Aang gently put an arm around her in return, and opened his mouth to question what was going on. However, Sokka interrupted him.
"Aang, good to see you buddy!" Sokka exclaimed from behind a Fire Nation soldier's helmet. It muffled and concealed his voice, just barely keeping his voice recognizable to those who spoke to him often. Sokka hugged Aang, too, and then backed up a few inches to get a good look at him.
Aang rubbed his eyes to try and clear his vision as he muttered, "Sokka?"
Sokka nodded his head, and despite that his face was concealed it was obvious he was grinning behind the masks metal.
"Somebody catch him, he's going to-" Toph cried out in warning. She was only a second too late, however, for Aang collapsed as she spoke. Katara was swift to break his fall, and she placed his head lightly into her lap. She brushed a hand through his fluffy brown hair a few times before placing her hand over his forehead to check for a fever. She looked up at her companions and shook her head to indicate he wasn't ill.
Appa wandered carefully over to Aang, taking extra care to not throw his weight about and tip the ship one way or the other. His massive pink tongue extended from his mouth, and saliva dripped on the floor as he brushed his tongue over Aang's face. When Aang didn't stir he exhaled roughly. The breath that left his nose came at a force strong enough to ruffle Aang's hair, causing him to finally come around.
"Sokka, get him a blanket," Ashlynn whispered as she watched Aang sit up and look around him. He rubbed his head in confusion, and frowned at Katara who had refused to leave Aang's side.
"Why are we on a Fire Nation ship?" Aang asked after a moment of looking at his surroundings. It had become obvious to him, after seeing several people on board dressed in Fire Nation uniforms and gaining a better look at the ship that that's where he had ended up.
Sokka placed a woolen blanket around Aang's shoulders before returning to Ashlynn's side. As Aang posed more questions, the group that had formed around him began to disperse to leave Katara and Aang to talk privately.
As they trailed away, Sokka subtly grasped Ashlynn's hand and pulled her after him. She giggled softly as she followed him down into the interior of the ship. Despite how hard he was trying to keep silent, Ashlynn could still hear a small chuckle escape through the vents in his helmet. He tightened his hold on her hand as he quickly opened a door to one of the rooms on the ship and pulled Ashlynn inside. He poked his head out into the hallway to see if anyone had seen them vanish into the room. When he was satisfied, he closed the door behind him.
"Bit forward, don't you think?" Ashlynn joked lightly when the door was closed. Sokka said something, though Ashlynn couldn't tell what it was due to his hefty helmet. "You look and sound ridiculous with that thing on," she sighed as she stepped toward him.
Sokka closed the gap between the two of them, and pressed his mid-section against hers as he wrapped his arms about her waist. Ashlynn reached up and pulled the helmet off of his head, revealing his deep blue eyes, light smile, and beads of sweat upon his tanned face. She threw the helmet to the side as he pressed his lips against hers. His fingers dug softly into the small of her back, and she responded by running her hands up through his matted hair.
Sokka backed her up against a wall, never failing to pull his face away from hers. Yet, after a minute they were forced apart as the door creaked and swung open. Sokka casually stepped away from Ashlynn and began to pat down his hair as Katara and Aang stepped into the room.
"…Are we interrupting something?" Katara muttered, aggravated, as she paced over to the table in the room and pulled a wooden chair away from it. She motioned for Aang to sit down, and so he did.
"No, not at all! Of course not!" Sokka responded nervously. He whistled a small tune as he put his helmet back on and slipped out of the room as discreetly as he could.
Katara glanced at Ashlynn several times as she filled a small bowl with some water. Aang looked as though he wanted to question what he'd walked in on, but remained silent as he removed his bandages.
"I'll just be going, then," Ashlynn said as she felt her face become hot and begin to turn red with embarrassment. She departed the room as swiftly as she could, and smacked a palm against her forehead as she heard Aang ask, "Is there something going on between the two of them?" She hastily sidestepped into the nearest room, and hid under the covers, hoping her two friends would forget they ever saw anything.
After dwelling on the embarrassment, Ashlynn's mind slowly wavered over to Zuko. She was struck with a sense of guilt, which in turn caused her anger. How could I possibly feel guilty after all he's done to us? She groaned loudly and buried her face into the nearest pillow, and drifted off into a deep sleep.
The following day Sokka explained to Aang what he'd missed out on over the weeks he'd been asleep for. The companions sat around a small campfire and consumed bowls of steamed rice as they listened to his story, and watched Aang's reactions. Ashlynn sat away from Sokka, and avoided making eye contact with Katara. Yet, it appeared that everyone, Sokka included, had either forgotten or chosen to ignore what had occurred the evening before.
"What now?" Aang asked when Sokka had finished his story. Aang set his ceramic bowl, which was now void of all rice, to the side. He ran a single hand over Momo as he looked back and forth at everyone, waiting for a response.
"We've been working on a modified version of our invasion plan," Hakoda responded knowledgably.
"It's Sokka's invasion plan, Dad. Sokka's," Katara reminded him warily. Her eyes narrowed as she averted her gaze, trying her best not to let her eyes come into contact with her father's.
Hakoda sighed and nodded in agreement as he replied, "Right. Sokka's." He coughed afterwards to cover up the awkward tension that now clung to the air. "We won't be able to round up a large army, but the solar eclipse is still going to leave the Fire Nation vulnerable. So, as Sokka suggested, we're planning a smaller invasion," he finished, and motioned towards Sokka to continue.
"It's just going to be a small team of the friends and allies we have around the Earth Kingdom. As you've seen, we've already come across Pipsqueak and The Duke," Sokka said and motioned towards their newest team members. They waved at Aang, and then went back to finishing up their rice bowls. "Best part is, the solar eclipse isn't even our biggest advantage. We have a secret… You," Sokka paused and then whispered in a failed attempt to be suspenseful.
Ashlynn shook her head and chuckled, wondering how she ever got mixed up with him. Hakoda glared at her, and she instantly dropped her smile. Perhaps I'm just paranoid. His family can't hate me that much.
"Me?" Aang asked, baffled.
"Yep, the whole world thinks you're dead!" Sokka shouted excitedly. He'd made it obvious many times that Aang's false death was the key to their success in invading the Fire Nation. Ashlynn had tried to tell him several times that it'd be best to play on the safe side and assume someone might find out he was alive, but Sokka's pride and excitement clouded his judgment and rendered him ignorant. So, Ashlynn had given up trying to make him think otherwise.
Aang's face slowly began to contort into an expression of shock and disbelief, much unlike Sokka's. Without saying a word, Aang slowly paced over to the edge of the ship. For a moment, it looked as though he were going to be sick. He gripped the iron rim of the ship for a few minutes before spinning around to face his companions. Shock was still written across his face, but now he was also furious. "Dead? They think I'm dead?" he stammered.
"Yeah!" Sokka exclaimed, "It's great! It means the Fire Nation won't be hunting us anymore!" He paced across the ship to comfort and reassure Aang as he spoke. "What's even better is now they won't be expecting you during the evasion. It'll come off as a huge surprise," he said, and placed a hand upon Aang's shoulder.
Aang shied away from Sokka and lowered his head. Clearly, Sokka's optimistic words had had little effect on Aang. "This is so messed up!" Aang cried aloud as buried his face in his palms to keep from reacting irrationally. He opened his mouth to retort some more, but was abruptly interrupted by the sound of a deep horn. Ashlynn turned her head towards the noise, just as everyone else did, and was not surprised to see another Fire Nation ship headed in their direction. They'd encountered several ships before – it was just a matter of whether they'd stop to interrogate them or not.
"I'll handle this," Aang muttered as he opened up his glider. He flinched and groaned as he pulled at his muscles in an attempt to prepare himself to glide over to the other ship.
"Aang, wait, don't!" Katara pleaded hastily.
"Aang, they don't know we're not Fire Nation," Ashlynn reminded him. Aang paused for a moment to stare at Ashlynn and Katara. "It's better if we play it off like we are Fire Nation. Don't worry, we've done this before. It hasn't been a problem," she reassured him. Aang sighed heavily, and closed up his glider reluctantly.
Bato and Hakoda placed their Fire Nation helmets over their heads and prepared to speak to the men on the other ship. "Stay calm and get into position. Bato and I can handle this," Hakoda assured the group.
Ashlynn scooped Momo up into her arms and whistled at Appa to follow her. She walked down the stairs into the brig that sat in the middle of their ship, and Appa happily followed her. He knelt down so that his body didn't protrude from the top of the brig, and Momo curled up beside him. Once the two were comfortable, Ashlynn ran upstairs and watched as The Duke and Pipsqueak tossed a large, woolen blanket over Appa in an attempt to conceal him from the other ship.
Sokka grabbed Ashlynn's hand and pulled her into another hollowed-out portion of the ship where Katara, Toph, and Aang were hiding. Sokka pulled Ashlynn against him and kissed her forehead as they waited patiently for something to happen. Aang shifted his weight away from them, as though he'd suddenly become uncomfortable being in their presence. "I hate not doing anything," he whispered to Katara.
"If we're lucky it'll stay that way," she hissed back at him. Aang released a disgruntled sound, and listened to the conversation happening between Hakoda and Bato and the other men.
"Commander, why are you off course? All western fleets are supposed to be headed towards Ba Sing Se," came the voice of the commander opposite their ship. His voice was smooth – not too deep and not too high.
"We're from the eastern fleet. We have orders to deliver cargo," Hakoda responded fluidly, convincingly.
Ashlynn inhaled slowly and quietly, trying her best to remain as silent as she could. Aang nudged her slightly as he shifted sides once again to get a better look at the other commander. Ashlynn ignored him, and tried her best not to make any sounds that the other side might be able to hear.
"Eastern fleet… I see. How nice of Admiral Chan to let me know," the man responded sarcastically.
"I'm sure Admiral Chan meant no disrespect," Bato replied sympathetically. His voice was calm and collective, like Hakoda's.
"I just don't see how it's so hard to send me a simple letter to give me some sort of notice of when these things happen. How hard is it to send a single hawk?" the commander complained.
"Next time we'll send two hawks, just to be sure you do get the message," Hakoda replied. Ashlynn twisted her neck around for a moment to watch as Hakoda and Bato bowed respectfully towards the commander. Her panicked heart rate began to slow as relief of safety began to seep back into the fibers of her body. She rested her head against Sokka's chest and waited patiently for Hakoda to tell them the coast was clear.
A few seconds passed before Toph suddenly stood up and shouted, "They know!" The ship rocked as she thrust her fist into the metallic ground and sent a wave of metal after the commander and his body guards. The bridge they were rocking across cracked beneath them, and sent them falling into the ocean's cold waters.
As Toph exited the nook in the ship Katara stood up too. She began to raise a wave of the ocean water as she ran towards the edge of the ship. She used its currents to create a force of water strong enough to thrust the ship away from their own. During the time that there was a gap between the two ships, Sokka and Ashlynn swiftly ushered Aang into a safer spot where he wouldn't be seen. They forced him into the nearest hallway, but stayed at the doorway so that they could assist their companions if it was necessary.
The ship continuously rocked back and forth, like an earth quake, as rocks from the opposing side began to strike its exterior. Toph was shouting commands to Pipsqueak and The Duke, Katara was releasing war cries every so often, and there was a consistent sound of metal hitting metal. At one point Aang made an attempt to run out and help, but Sokka stopped him. Ashlynn grew slightly irritated with Sokka when he did the same thing to her. Aang was being kept hidden so that word of his reappearance wouldn't get out, but why keep her there?
"I'm going to give us some cover!" Katara shouted over the other sounds. After a moment a thick fog surrounded their ship. Ashlynn grasped her staff firmly in one hand and, ignoring Sokka's protests, ran outside to help. At least, then, the other side wouldn't see that their team had the advantage of having another person to help.
Ashlynn heard a rock coming towards the ship, and soon she could see it through the fog. Before it struck Bato and Hakoda, who were helping Toph by giving her signals of where to throw her own rocks, Ashlynn sent a thick protective bubble of air about them. The two men flinched as they realized the rock was headed straight at them, but relaxed as it bounced off of Ashlynn's shield. Hakoda shot her a nod of gratitude, and continued to help Toph.
Suddenly, a large boulder plunged into the center of the ship, causing many of its members to topple over. Ashlynn lost her balance and dropped her staff as she landed safely on her palms. Her staff rolled away from her and disappeared in the mist. Ashlynn groaned as she crawled after it, ignoring the scrapes on her palms that were faint patches of blood about the floor of the ship.
Ashlynn crawled in a straight line until she reached the rim of the ship. There, she found that a massive hole had been blown right through the edge. She cursed to herself as she peered outward at the sea, remaining careful not to fall into the depths of the ocean. However, the surrounding fog rendered her vision past a foot in front of her useless. She scowled as she stood up and crawled away from the dangerous edge. For all she knew her staff could be lost for all time, now.
Ashlynn frowned as she saw Sokka amidst the fights as well. If he was there, then where was Aang?
"How we doin'?" Toph queried. She emitted a cry to follow as she cast a flaming boulder that had struck their ship out into the ocean water. She brushed her hands free of the remaining dirt and turned to face Sokka.
"Well, they're not as bad as they could be," Sokka replied triumphantly. He grinned as he looked around, attempting to remain an optimist. Yet, his attempt failed as a giant serpent unexpectedly rose from the sea, causing the ships to tip slightly. Ashlynn collapsed once more and felt herself begin to slide to one end of the ship.
"We're not in the Serpent's Pass, are we?" Aang cried out from the nearest hallway. Sokka chuckled and rubbed his head sheepishly before he turned back to gaze up at the sea monster. Sokka cried out in terror as the serpent raised its head high and prepared to spit a jet of steaming water directly onto their ship. However, it screeched and reared its head about as it got struck by a flaming boulder from the other ship. It dove back into the ocean water and disappeared.
The ship slowly tilted back to a neutral balance, and Sokka ran over to Ashlynn. He grasped her arm and helped her up. She thanked him, and together they ran to the rim of the boat to see if the sea serpent would exact its revenge upon the Fire Nation.
Sure enough, the serpent began to coil its body about the other ship. Its muscles tightened, and the Fire Nation ship cracked beneath its weight and strength. Slowly, it began to drag the enemy ship into the depths of the ocean.
Ashlynn, Sokka, and the rest of the crew cheered valiantly as they floated away from the enemy ship. The damage dealt had been great, but no one was injured. Despite the loss of Ashlynn's beloved staff, it was a noble victory.
The following day, Hakoda decided to dock the boat outside a small village. That way, they could get the materials necessary to repair the ship. In addition, they could re-stock their food supply and get any other odds-and-ends they were missing. Katara put together a small group to go and gather the food and buy dinner specifically that day.
"Aang, we're going out to get food. It might be a good idea to get some fresh air… You want to go?" Katara asked as she entered Aang's room. Sokka, Toph, and Ashlynn followed her in. Aang glanced up at them, and forced a small smile to show for them.
"I am pretty hungry," he responded. His stomach rumbled loudly, and he placed a hand over his pale stomach. He frowned and patted his stomach lightly, as if he were telling it to be quiet.
Sokka stepped forward with a small red scarf in hand. He presented it to Aang and instructed, "Here, tie this around your head. It'll cover up your arrow so no one will recognize you."
Aang's eyebrows furrowed and he turned away from Sokka instantly. "No way. I'm not going out in public if I can't wear my arrow proudly. I refuse to cover it up, that's so degrading," he spat as he crossed his arms in means of shutting off those around him.
"Aang, come on," Sokka retorted. He sighed as he stuffed the scarf back into the pockets of his cloak.
"Why don't you guys go on without us? We can catch up later," Katara suggested. Ashlynn exchanged glances with Toph, and they both nodded in agreement. Sokka grunted with frustration, and turned around to leave with Ashlynn and Toph. They shut the door silently behind them, and left Katara to speak alone with Aang.
"Should we just go and get food like she said, or wait for them?" Ashlynn questioned. She leaned against the cold metal wall of the hallway she and her companions stood in. Toph shrugged at her, so she stared up at Sokka as she waited for a response.
"Let's just wait for them. I'm sure it won't be long," he responded after a moment. Ashlynn nodded in agreement. Toph exhaled and sent strands of her bangs flying upwards, expressing her impatience and disagreement on the matter. Ashlynn and Sokka both chose to ignore her. After all, it wouldn't be the same without Katara and Aang by their side.
After several minutes Katara stormed out of the room without Aang. She slammed the metal door behind her, and walked past Ashlynn, Sokka, and Toph without saying a word. Ashlynn, Sokka, and Toph exchanged looks of worry before following after her. Sokka grasped Ashlynn's hand and intertwined his fingers with hers, and remained silent as they trailed after Katara into the village. Toph stayed behind the group and said nothing as well.
"I'll bring Aang his dinner. Why don't you guys go put the rest of our provisions away," Katara said solemnly as the group boarded the ship once more. Ashlynn nodded at her, and exchanged the dinner they'd brought back for Aang with the bags of food for the whole crew with Katara. Without another word Katara took off towards Aang's room. Ashlynn handed Sokka a few of the bags, and together they took the food down into the ships kitchen, leaving Toph behind to do as she pleased.
"I hope Aang will be okay and lighten up," Ashlynn sighed as she put food into the small, wooden cabinets of the kitchen. Sokka opened up the miniature freezer and placed the few bits of meat they'd gathered inside. Ashlynn yawned, and motioned for Sokka to follow her. He grinned, and happily obliged. Together, they walked to an unoccupied room in mutual silence.
Ashlynn awoke to the familiar groan that Sokka made whenever someone woke him up amidst a deep slumber. Ashlynn opened her eyes and could barely make out a small light in the middle of the group. She blinked a few times as she tried to adjust to the darkness. Once her vision cleared, she recognized Katara standing in their room. "What's going on?" Ashlynn queried sleepily, and emitted a yawn to follow.
"Aang left. We need to follow him. I talked things over with Dad… We're going to meet up with everyone on the day of the invasion. For now, we need to follow Aang and help keep him going. Can you guys please pack your things and meet me on deck?" Katara whispered. Sokka grunted in response. "Thank you," Katara replied matter-of-factly, and fled the room immediately.
"I'm going to kill them. Is it really this impossible for us to spend a single night alone?" Sokka groaned as he sat up.
"Well if Aang left we can't just abandon him. I'm not too happy he left either but… We need to stick by his side," Ashlynn retorted calmly. Sokka shrugged at her and said nothing. Ashlynn sighed and buried her face in one of the pillows on the bed. She felt Sokka clamber over her and climb out of the bed they'd been sharing. She turned her head to look at him, and could just barely make out his silhouette in the darkness. She blinked, and frowned as her perception of Sokka morphed into the outline of Zuko. Frustrated, hurt, and angry, Ashlynn buried her face back into the pillow as she fought the urge to scream.
"Alright, you take a few more minutes to rest. I'll gather our things," Sokka muttered, and left the room.
After a few moments Ashlynn sat up and stared into the empty darkness. She shivered and, despite that she wasn't all that cold, wrapped the blanket around her. She inhaled deeply, and gripped her fist with the opposite hand as she resisted the urge to punch the wall beside her. She got up from the bed, then, and ran after Sokka.
Sokka had their clothes and provisions packed within minutes, and together he and Ashlynn walked out on deck. Toph and Katara were already waiting for them, with all of their stuff placed securely on Appa's back. Momo swooped about them happily, eager to return to travelling instead of being restricted to the ship.
"I'm almost positive Aang went to the Fire Nation. It'd be best to scout for him along the nearest shoreline," Katara told them. Sokka nodded and climbed up onto Appa's back. Ashlynn shot bursts of air out from beneath her feet and propelled herself onto the bison's backside.
Once everyone and their belongings were secured, Katara commanded for Appa to head off in the direction of the Fire Nation. Ashlynn was struck with a sudden sense of fear, for she hadn't been to the Fire Nation in years. It was possible she'd be recognized, although that was the least of her worries. The very idea of running into Zuko horrified her, and it was likely that would happen on the day of the invasion. She bit her lip as she tried to force her heart rate to slow down. That's not for a while still. Don't think about that now. Stay focused on Aang.
Momo flew ahead of Appa and scouted nearby areas for Aang. Two hours passed and they received no signs of Aang's whereabouts. Katara and Sokka traded shifts in steering Appa about. Eventually, they came across a Fire Nation blockade in the ocean, signaling they were near land. Appa flew into the safety of the clouds where the men at the blockade couldn't see. As they flew over the blockade, Momo began to chatter excitedly. He swooped down from the clouds, and Sokka guided Appa after him.
As they departed the clouds, the sun began to peek its face out too. The sun shot beams of bright light upon a small strip of land that was home to a small volcano. Momo dove after the shore of the small island, never ceasing to express his enthusiasm. Ashlynn squinted, and as they flew in closer she saw Aang's body collapsed near the water.
"I see Aang!" she shouted, and Katara peered down to where Ashlynn had pointed. She gasped with excitement as she recognized Aang as well. Appa landed gently several feet away, and Katara was the first to leap from his body. She ran after Aang, and collapsed by his side as he began to sit up.
"I'm so glad you're okay!" she exclaimed with relief as she flung her arms around Aang. Ashlynn leapt from Appa's back and floated effortlessly to Aang's side. She landed softly on his other side and hugged him as well, instantly comforted with the knowledge that he was safe and sound.
Sokka and Toph came and wrapped their arms about the happy group as well, bringing them in for a needed group hug. Momo curled up in Aang's lap, and Appa nuzzled Aang's head. Aang giggled for the first time in some time in response. After a moment he dropped his smile, and pulled away from the group. "I have so much to do," he said glumly as he averted his gaze to the ocean water.
"I… We know, Aang. And we're here to help you through it," Katara replied tenderly.
"You'll never be rid of us," Ashlynn joked as she sat back and gave Aang a reassuring smile.
"What about the invasion plan?" Aang asked her in response. When she didn't respond he turned to look at Sokka. After all, it was Sokka's idea.
"Don't worry about the invasion plan. We're going to meet up with my Dad and everyone else on the Day of Black Sun," he answered confidently. Aang nodded, and stood up to take a good look of the surrounding area.
"Oh, Aang! Your glider…" Ashlynn gasped as she pulled a dismantled stick of wood out from the water. A single, torn wing jutted out from one side. She sighed as she thought of the irony in that they both lost their staves. She handed it to Aang as she stood up, and thought of a way to apologize for the loss of his staff.
Aang stared down at his glider for a long moment, and then walked to a small hill in the island nearby. "It's alright. It would give away my identity if someone saw it," Aang muttered soberly. He wedged the end of the glider into the small hill, as though it were a flag that represented the part of him he was going to leave behind. "It's better if no one knew I was alive… For now," Aang stated as he joined his companions.
He looked back at his glider one last time, before the nearby lava of the volcano set the staff of the wood ablaze. Within moments the staff disintegrated, and became no more.
He turned around to face his friends, and smiled up at them.
In that moment he realized he was not alone.