Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender, but I do like fig newtons.

A/N: So here's another chapter for you. This actually contains my original idea of what I wanted to do with this story. I hope you enjoy it! As always, please read and review.

Over the next few days, the companions ventured through field after field and wood after wood on their way to the final haven. On the evening of the fourth day, Lu Ten called a halt just before they reached the base of a mountain. Lu Ten pointed to the summit and he said brightly,

"That's where we're going tomorrow. At the peak of this mountain lies the Oracle of Dreams."

Jet's eyes followed the boy's finger up the gentle slopes to where it indicated the glowing top of the rock formation. He raised an eyebrow in question.

"And what is this "oracle", exactly?" He said with a hint of skepticism. Zhao dropped his pack on the ground before them and went about starting the fire. He broke in and said with annoyance,

"It's where fools go to ease the weak minds of other fools." Jet looked on in confusion until Lu Ten shot the man a dirty look and clarified.

"The Oracle is a place for the dead to visit the dreams of the living. I visited my father once…"

Lu Ten looked up to the distant Oracle and sighed lightly.

"A waste of time, if you ask me." Zhao said aggressively.

"No one did ask you!" Lu Ten spat.

"Why bother to wait and watch on the living, eh? What do they care about us?"

Lu Ten said coldly,

"Perhaps there isn't a living soul that cares about you, Zhao."

Jet could feel the temperature around him raise significantly. Zhao opened his mouth to shoot back an insult but Lu Ten cut him off and said,

"I'm leaving for the Oracle tonight. Don't bother coming if it's such a 'waste of time'! If you still have any Firenation honor, Zhao, I'll trust you to meet me on the far side of the cliffs at sundown tomorrow." He looked at Jet sharply and said,

"Well? Are you coming?" Without waiting for an answer, Lu Ten turned and started towards the mountain path. Jet, feeling a little out of sorts, followed a moment later, leaving a flustered Zhao in his wake.

The climb took most of the night. Lu Ten never once looked back to see if the other boy had followed him. Jet figured he had a lot on his mind. Jet, on the other hand, looked back multiple times that night. He could have sworn he heard someone scaling the rocks behind him; once or twice he caught a glimpse of a shadow flitting across the path behind him, but he didn't speak his troubles to Lu Ten. Surely, in a place such as this, these were common occurrences.

"Are we almost there?" Jet called to the other boy.

"It's just ahead." The prince answered over his shoulder.

They reached the peak just as dawn came; the rays of sun glinted off the Oracle shrine, revealing the beauty of the resting land before them.

"Wow…" Jet sighed in wonder.

"Hello? I thought I heard someone out here!"

At the sound of the gentle, feminine voice, Jet swung around to see a beautiful lady of the Earth Kingdom, dressed in her peoples traditional green robes. She smiled kindly and approached the boys.

"Welcome to the Oracle of Dreams." She turned to Lu Ten who bowed to her. Jet followed suit as she said,

"Prince Lu Ten. It has been some time since we've seen you last."

"Yes, too long, though now I do not come solely for my own comfort."

She nodded and looked knowingly to Jet.

"May I ask your name, young spirit?" She said.

"Uh…I'm Jet." The boy managed, a little sluggish in the face of such stunning jade eyes and porcelain skin.

"Jet, welcome. My love, Shu, will be with us shortly."

"How have you been, Oma?" Lu Ten said, eyes glittering. Jet's memory flashed at the name. Oma? He was fairly sure he did not know this woman; he would have remembered such a beauty. But she seemed somehow familiar.

"We have had fewer visitors of late. Oh, here is Shu." The group was approached by a man, about the height of the boys, but not the build of a fighter. He too dressed in earthy green and smiled when he saw them.

"Ah, visitors. It has been awhile, your highness." He said to Lu Ten. Oma gestured to Jet and told the man,

"And this is his friend, Jet."

"Pleased to meet you." The man said. They exchanged a quick bow. "Now Jet, may I ask, are you recently deceased?" Jet hardly stifled a snort at the ridiculous wording of it. It was still so strange to him.

"Ummm…yes. Yes, I just met Lu Ten the other day."

"Well, I'm certain you will get used to it. Please, make yourself at home. We have time yet this morning to show you the wonders of the Oracle." Shu said. Shu and Oma turned and led them towards the shrine, which Jet just now noticed seemed to be formed of impenetrable rock.

"Where…where is the door?" He said, confused. Shu looked back and laughed good-naturedly, before raising his hands and thrusting a heap of rock from the building and throwing it away to create a door.

"But there's no bending in the spirit world!" Jet cried in surprise. The woman smiled and said,

"The spirits thought it right to make an exception for the guardians of the Oracle."

"Not to mention the first earth benders." Said Shu with a loving smile at Oma. Jet's mouth fell open. Oma and Shu. Things in the spirit world were just getting weirder and weirder.