Hello again everyone. Sorry for keeping you waiting again. Anyway this part of the story may take a weird twist to the story and there might be some, who don't like it, but I will continue on that line, because I also want to tell about my opinions about the bendings. Thus this story will also contain possible explanations of for example why waterbenders can heal or earthbenders hurl rocks, but the story will still go pretty much on a normal path.

Katara woke up after a strange dream. She had been seeing that dream since the purification of the forest spirit. It was a good thing Aang succeeded, otherwise Haku and Sokka would still be prisoners of the spirit. Katara wondered, why she was the one who saw that dream instead of some of the boys, who had been in touch with the spirit world, though she might as well be able to do that for the same reason. The group was currently travelling to the Fire Nation in order to meet Avatar Roku in his temple, which Sokka seemed not to like.

"Why are we risking our lives to meet some guy who has been dead for over a hundred years?" Sokka asked about seventh time.

"Because we don't have a choice" Aang answered. "Hacua told me to search Avatar Roku during the time of the spirits, meaning the Winter Solstice. When I was in the spirit world I met a dragon, who showed me a vision of a temple in the Fire Nation. That's where we we must go"

"That's possibly the most ridiculous idea ever." Sokka continued "If I don't remember incorrectly, that creature almost killed us all. And since when have we thrusted fever dreams?"

"Fever dreams?" Aang asked angrily. "Without that dream you would still be imprisoned to the spirit world!"

"Enough, you two!" Haku interrupted. "Fighting is not going to take us anywhere. Let's just go to the temple so we can return"

Both Aang and Sokka returned to their jobs, while Haku came next to Katara.

"You also seem to have something in your heart" He said to her. "Would you like to talk about it?"

"It's not really much" Katara answered. "I just have been seeing a dream."

"Why don't you tell it to me, maybe I can explain it" Haku suggested. Katara looked around before starting.

Dream

I was walking with you and Sokka in a some sort of temple, where we met Aang in front of several mysterious objects and told us to choose one of them. I chose a chalice full of shining water and sapphires with my necklace's symbol on it's surface. You took an eye, which was half black and half white and put it in place of your right eye, while Sokka took a large book with writing only he seemed to understand. After that you left, saying you would be needed elsewhere. After that three children covered in robes and one girl dressed in an armor came in. The shortest of the robed ones took a gourd full of sand, while the middle one took a basket full of different dolls and the biggest one a fan decorated with arrows similar to those of Aang or Appa. Then those three left saying the same thing as you did, while the girl in the armor stayed. She grabbed a pig made of stone with two rubies as eyes. The girl removed the eyes saying she wouldn't need them, however she didn't leave like you did. After that appeared five Fire Nationals, three kids and two adults, into the room. We prepared to attack, but Aang said he had waited for them and asked about a sixth one whom he was supposed to give a dragon made of fire. Suddenly a large wind blew inside and then everything went black.

Dream end

"After that is over I woke up. You see, I have a strange feeling there is something important in it."

Haku closed his eyes and thought. "I have never heard about a dream like that." He finally said. "But I believe it has something to do with us being Aang's companions. Those gifts are most likely some kind of power we will awaken. Those others are propably those who will come to help Aang. Some are for a longer time and others for a shorter. Maybe even those Fire Nationals, who stalk us may some day be allies. If that dream continues to appear, try to see it further. That information will propably be useful."

"Look at that!" Aang shouted. "There is the temple!"

"I certainly hope we don't meet Fire Nationals" Sokka continued still sceptical.

Little did they know that Zuko's forces were following them from a safe distance. Lucky to them a strong wind blew to the opposite direction, hiding their smoke perfectly.

"At last the luck is on my side" Zuko grinned. "Can you see them Hinata?"

"Y-yes, Prince" Hinata answered. "The wi-wind makes it a l-little difficult, b-but I ca-can make it"

"But I do wonder, why they are going to this direction?" Iroh wondered. "They are going to the Fire Nation"

"The Temple of Roku" Kurenai answered. "When Hacua got free, I captured some words from his speak. About time of the spirits and meeting of Roku. Logically the best options are Winter Solstice and Temple of Roku. By the way, you can stay here, I believe I have enough strenght to take it from here."

Iroh looked at kurenai with amazement. "Are you saying you are going to fly?" Kurenai nodded, to which Zuko looked even more confused.

"If I don't remember incorrectly the only one of us able to fly is Naruto" He said. "How are you supposed to fly without airbending?"

"By firebending" Kurenai explained. Others looked at her weirdly. "Sometimes when practicing you might have been blown backwards by the flames. The fireflying follows the same principal. This technique is mostly kept in secret to hide our full potential. It is also difficult to learn and can only be used when the power of fire is exceptionally strong, like during the Winter Solstice, when the sun doesn't go down. It is also the very same technique used to defeat the Air Nomads a hundred years ago."

Zuko spoke. "If you are going to the temple, take me with you"

Kurenai shook her head. "I don't have enough chi to carry both me and you. We would both fall into the sea around halfway"

Suddenly Naruto interrupted. "What if we both carried Zuko at the same time?" He suggested.

Both Kurenai and Iroh found it possible and agreed. Naruto jumped on Zuko's back and Zuko grabbed Kurenai's waist. Kurenai put her arms and legs on fire and Naruto started flapping his hands. Soon they were all airborne and flew at high speed towards the temple.

Meanwhile Aang's group had already inflirtrated the temple and were moving silently. Soon they however discovered being lost.

"Brilliant, just brilliant!" Sokka complained. "We are inside a Fire Nation temple with no idea, where to go."

Haku pulled a needle from his pocket. "Then we need a guide. Arm yourselves."

Everyone went hiding. Suddenly one Fire Sage passed them. Haku gave the signal and all four surrounded the Sage.

"Okay, firebender!" Sokka spoke. "Tell us where to go or you'll be sorry"

"Sokka!" Katara scolded. "I'm sorry about my brother, he's not exactly the smartest of us. Anyway we are not going to hurt you. We only need to get Aang to a place, where he can meet Avatar Roku so we can leave."

Fire Sage chuckled. "Don't worry children. I was going to help you before you came. My name is Shyu and I'm the youngest Fire Sage. But this is not a good place to talk. Follow me and I'll explain everything."

Shyu led them to a secret passage. During the travel he told about the history of the Temple, of it's former glory and the loss of hope after Aang's disappearance after Fire Lord's growing power. The passage was long, but eventually they arrived to the next door, which led to a large room with a gate containing machinery and five holes side by side.

"Now comes the hard part."Shyu said. "That gate needs to be opened with five fireblasts. After that the gate open's to the shrine."

"Maybe we can help" Came a voice behind them. It was Naruto, standing between two pillars smiling cleverly. Soon Zuko, Kurenai and rest of the Fire Sages came from behind the pillars with fireballs ready.

Aang's buddies armed themselves. "What are you doing in here?" Katara asked. "If you are here to take Aang, you won't succeed"

"Actually we will" Naruto answered. "You see, we have fire, which you need and you have The Avatar, who we need. So here is a suggestion: We will give you the access to the Roku's shrine, where you can do whatever you need to do. After that Aang comes with us and you all, including the traitor, can leave this country unharmed. On the other hand if you want to fight and gain nothing it's pretty much the same to me, it doesn't matter if we get the Avatar dead or alive. It's your choice."

Aang looked around and saw he had no choice. "I agree to the suggestion" Everyone else agreed too.

"Also I and Naruto come with you" Zuko continued. "Just to make sure you won't brake your promise. And your weapons stay here"

Companions dropped their weapons while sages opened the door. All six entered the shrine at the same time. Inside the shrine a statue of Avatar Roku was touched by the sunlight to the forehead. Suddenly the shrine disappeared and was replaced by clouds full of people with shining eyes. In front of them wasn't however standing Avatar Roku, but a strange dragonlike creature, with four tails each containing one element. The creature looked like it wasn't exactly masculine nor feminine, but a sort of combination. It opened it's eyes, which also shined white light. Everybody got a little scared, but stayed put.

"I am Avatar Boodfa." Creature said with an angelish voice. "The fourth sacred beast with power over all the elements and the first Avatar in existence"

Aang walked closer to Boodfa. "It's an honor to meet you, but I am searching for Avatar Roku. Have you seen him?"

"I am Avatar Roku" Boodfa said smiling. "I am also Kyoshi, Kuruk, Yangchen and a thousand anothers who have passed. My other current name is Aang."

"Hold it! Hold it!" Aang interrupted in confusion. "You are me?"

Boodfa nodded. "Just like I am all the Avatars ever born and they are also me. In the beginning, me and my siblings bended everything to existence, after which Supreme god brought chakra to assist chi. When we all went to sleep, I let my essence travel around the world allowing myself to be reincarnated through Aeons, preventing wars and disasters."

"Are you saying there has been wars before the war against Fire Nation" Aang asked, to which Boodfa nodded again.

"Human race is good, but if a god can be corrupted, so can humans." Boodfa explained. "The Avatar cycle began after the wars brought by benders and mystics. Sometimes Avatars live their whole lifes without a trouble in sight, but mostly Avatars live in the time of a great war, that can effect everything. And just like the Avatars, have wars come from all the Four Nations. Sometimes Avatars are too late to prevent the conquering and the next Avatar undoes it. Sometimes the wars are prevented before they happened. There have also been cases when Avatars started the wars, either intentionally or unintentionally."

"But I am only a young boy. How can I defeat a whole Nation?"

"A few times Avatars stood alone against the enemy, but mostly they had allies. Your friends will be invaluable during your travels so never leave them. But this time Fire Nation is exeptionally strong, so I will give you all a gift and knowledge. Over ten thousand years ago, Moon Civilization, the ancestors of the Water Tribes, invaded the Asteroid Continent, Sun Empire and Star Cities. Even the combined forces of the three were no match to Moon People, who slowly turned the planet into ice. But when all hope seemed lost, a young woman appeared out of nowhere and with her allies defeated the Moon Civilization. She was Avatar Zalina, Sun Warrioress and my 674th incarnation."

"It was a nice story, I guess, but how does it help me?"

"During the time of the ancients, benders could bend several elements beyond the control of people of these days. The clean forms stayed in each civilization, but the more complicated forms appeared on different bendings at the same time. But instead of their bending power, their main source was their inventiveness and research. Finally they didn't just bend their elements, but laws of nature behind them. Zalina was the greatest example of the ancients, because she found and controlled the fifth element"

Everyone got shocked from what they heard. Aang was amazed. "Is there a fifth element?" He asked. "What is it?"

"This element is so mysterious it doesn't have a name" Boodfa explained. "Zalina never told anyone about the element, because she was afraid it would be used as a weapon during the next war. Ancients gave it several names, like aether, space, void or heaven, which may be correct or incorrect. Whatever the name is, Zalina has kept it a secret even from the Avatars. According to her words, only one with a soul of an ancient can unlock the secret to the fifth element"

"That soul has been found" Came a voice from the clouds. A young woman dressed in multicolored armor with dragon symbols appeared in front of the six. "I believe you already know, who I am. I don't normally greet people, who come here, but now I make an exception. All of you are needed to find the fifth element. But for me it took twenty years to find it. So I have desided to give all of you a gift to ease your task.

"That dream" Katara thought aloud. "It was about this"

"You have great understanding, Katara of the Southern Water Tribe" Zalina said touching Katara's hands "Thus you are worthy of getting your waterbending to full potential"

"There must be a reason to this" Sokka thought. "An illusion, hallucination or at least something"

"There is, Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe" Zalina now touched Sokka's forehead. "You have doubt and will to know, making you worthy of the most important gift, Knowledge of the ancients. With that knowledge you can read the ancient texts, which hide the secret of bending. You can also create ancient technology, which I believe is to you liking.

"I know when I can trust someone." Haku spoke. "You are not lying and you know what we need"

"That's correct, Haku of Kyoshi Island" Zalina answered touching Haku's eyes. "The eyes of thruth will help you see everything necessary." Finally se turned towards Naruto and Zuko. "You both are also worthy for gifts, but unfortunately your hearts won't accept them. Perhaps some day, when your hearts are correct, you have your gifts"

"Why are you helping them?" Zuko asked confused. "You're a firebender like me and Naruto. You should be helping us."

"Fire Nation is no longer a civilization. It is a disease." Zalina explained. "Do you want to be the carriers of the disease, or cures to it, Zuko of the House of Daimyo and Naruto of the Uzumaki clan. You both want to capture the Avatar, which I cannot forgive. You both have the roads to good and evil. You must choose which one to travel. Aang, Katara, Sokka, Haku, I will distract the enemy, use that moment to escape"

Outside Fire Sages and Kurenai awaited. Suddenly large flames filled the room. Everyone took cover. After the flames died, Kurenai saw Naruto and Zuko in front of the gate, but Aang's group or their weapons were nowhere to be found. Kurenai sighed, they would have to keep working.

Meanwhile in the Earth Kimgdom. Zhao and Orochimaru were sitting on a table drinking tea and talking about their next plans, when a Firebending soldier appeared dragging a shackled young boy. Orochimaru rose up.

"Well if it isn't Jet, the leader of the Freedom Fighters" He said smiling.

"I should have know it was you, Orochimaru." Jet answered with anger. "If you are going to kill me like you killed my parents, then do it"

Zhao chuckled. "I'm afraid not, Jet. You are allowed to live, though for your friends to live, all of you must work for the Fire Nation for the rest of your lives"

Jet boiled with hatred, but stopped to think. They would let him go away, but if he left, they would kill his friends. He didn't have an option. "I obey you."

"Good, very good." Orochimaru said. He walked next to Jet and bit him into neck. A strange mark appeared.

"What have you done to me!?" Jet shouted.

"I gave you one of my cursed seals. If you or your friends try anything, I will take over your body and make you kill your friends. On the other hand it also increases your power several times when you use it yourself. That is if you survive"

After that Jet fainted and guards took him away.

"What if he doesn't survive" Zhao asked.

"He does" Orochimaru answered. "Jet is too stubborn to simply die. Also he will obey us as long as he 'knows' I can control him. We now have to get Freedom Fighters ready for the next part of our plan"

Both of the men laughed. All the pieces were falling in place for them.