"You need to take a break Azula."

"Take a break? There's no such thing! Not in the real world!"

"Well, we're not in the real world, are we? We're in school. And you're the princess of the Fire Nation. I'm sure you can take a breather. Especially with that injury."

"No one asked you Mai! It's merely a flesh wound!"

"A flesh wound? You could have died! That explosion took out the entire cave!"

"It's going to take more than an explosion to take out the future ruler of the world! And it's going to take more than that to prevent me from passing the graduation exam!"

Azula certainly didn't look in shape for any kind of exam, but she had always been trained to take the worst. And if she couldn't… well she could end up like Zuko. And she couldn't accept that!

Thus, she wormed her hands in a spiral, building up energy and releasing a bolt of lightning from her fingers into the sky.

As onlookers jumped back in shock, Mai observed Azula's posture struggling to stay upright. The princess would never admit it but she was clearly in no shape for tomorrow's exam.

"Not bad. One hair out of place. Almost got it." She smirked at the sight of Azula's angry eyes.

"Almost isn't good enough!"

…

Frisk glided up the stairs, looking for her friend. He wasn't in the bed next to her when she woke up, and after the events of yesterday, she didn't feel great about leaving him alone.

She barely paid attention to her surroundings. She had always wanted to visit the temples of her people. Ever since she discovered her gift. But now that she was here, she could only worry about the one friend she had in this world.

She found him in a large room with burnt rugs lining the opposite side. He was staring at the rugs with an almost apathetic look.

"How are you feeling?" Frisk bent the words with the sand using the air.

"Not great." Aang responded silently not even turning to her. "I just…. I just remember being here a few days ago. At least, it was a few days to me."

He took a deep breath. "This… this is where I learned who I am. What I am."

Frisk strode over and bent down to pick up some strange toys. They consisted of a clay turtle. A pull-string propeller, a wooden hog monkey, and some kind of drum.

"They gave me those toys when I first arrived. I didn't think of it at the time. They just… seemed so right."

"Aang. How are you holding up?"

"Terrible. Everyone is so fake."

"They're not faking it Aang. They generally do want to be friends."

"No, they don't. They just want to check out the dangerous freak! They all keep touching me, like I'm an object."

Gyatso laid his hands on Aang's shoulders and gripped them tightly.

"You are not a freak, or an object. And you are especially not dangerous."

"Then what am I? I'm certainly not an Airbender."

"You can be if you have patience. It's not easy, but I'm here to help every step of the way."

Aang scoffed as Gyatso placed a box on the table in front of them. Inside were a variety of different toys.

"Every Airbender is given a set of toys to pick from. You're a little later than most to chose but I see no reason to deny you the chance."

Aang's annoyed look took on some interest as he reached through the stack. Gyatso's look itself changed from joy to surprise when he witnessed his new pupil's choice.

"Aang…. Why did you choose those toys?"

The troubled youth looked at his teacher confused, still holding the four toys.

"I just... feel like I know them."

"I did know them. They were toys chosen by my past lives. The other Avatars. I picked them because they were mine once."

"So that's how they knew you were the Avatar?" Frisk wrote in sand.

Aang gave a bitter laugh. "No. They already knew that from my little…. outburst."

Frisk had no idea what he meant by that but decided not to push it. She didn't want him to retreat further. She needed to snap him out of his funk.

"Give me a tour?" She wrote.

He seemed hesitant but looking around decided it was better than sitting here.

They walked about with him pointing out the different rooms they found themselves in. Through it all, she could hear grief in his voice. He was doing well at holding it back, but just barely.

"And this was the auditorium. My first time here was… well like my first time anywhere. I ended up in a fight."

He looked around the room in a trance, remembering some time past.

"I fought a little punk who commented on my hair. I hadn't let them shave it yet." He grinned. "We ended up becoming good friends."

They then walked on further, coming to a great flooded hole located in the center of the city.

"This hole let us look down upon the land and ocean, as we traveled on the currents and circled the world. You should have seen it. It was unlike anything I had ever seen in my life. Looking at it now though…." He trailed off as he made out sharks circling in the hole below.

Most of the day passed this way. The temple was shockingly large and more like a city than a temple. Aang recounted the 4 years he had spent in these halls. The only good times in his life.

As night descended, they ate some of the food Toriel had made. Aang expressed annoyance when he found Toriel had put some snake pies in their bag despite his opposition to their consumption. He was even madder when Frisk ate them.

"You know the Air Nomads were vegetarian right? Pacifists? What you're doing now is genocide!"

Frisk simply shrugged despite Aang's protests. He was going to have to get her off that if she was to learn true enlightenment.

After dinner, they went to Aang's old dormitory he shared with the other boys his age. He took his old bed and she took the one across.

"Are you ok?" She used the sand to ask.

"Yes." He smiled forcefully.

Her eyes narrowed. He had said that too quickly.

"Really, I'm fine. At least…. At least I'm not the last Airbender, right?"

She nodded then laid down to sleep. He laid down on his cot but did not immediately follow suit.

"I'm fine. I'm fine. I'm fine. I'm fine." He kept repeating to himself. When that didn't work, he counted dogs until his eyes closed.

"You're not fine. You're alive but you're most certainly not fine. And neither are they."

Aang looked all around the temple on fire, the screams in the air as men in Fire Nation suits ascended from below and unleashed genocide.

"You weren't there for them. Just like you weren't there for me. Never there when people need you are you?"

Amidst the flames, a girl appeared. A familiar girl with a chilling smile.

"Frisk? What are you doing here…"? His voice trailed off.

"Wait…. You're not Frisk…. You're…." His voice took on horrifying realization.

Her smile grew even more. "You are not fine. Not even close to fine. And this." She spread her arms wide looking about at the carnage. "This is your past. And it will be your future."

…

"Why are you stopping? Don't let up!"

"Are you sure Azula? You don't look that well. You've been stumbling around a lot."

"All the more reason to keep going! Now again! Take your best shot at me!"

Ty lee looked concerned but threw another punch at Azula who blocked it and returned with a fire blast. Ty lee backflipped over it and jumped back before landing to avoid another shot from Azula who stumbled after launch and fell on her knees.

She panted heavily but refused Ty lee's aid to rise up.

"Don't help me! This is for my good!"

"It's not good if you can't stand!"

"I will get over it! I've been raised to endure, to stay determined!"

"Oh please," Mai rolled her eyes. "It doesn't matter how determined you are. You're injured and you need to stop or you're going the way of the Air Nomads."

"Don't compare me to those weaklings! I can take it! Gaahhhh!"

She clutched her chest in pain but was held up by Ty lee.

"Your aura is really angry right now. But not with me. With yourself."

"Pah!" Azula spat. "You and your spiritual nonsense!" Regardless she still let her eccentric friend lower her onto a bench.

"Damn it all. All these years of study, all for nothing? All foiled by some gunpowder?"

"Don't say that. We'll find a way." Ty lee reassured her friend.

"What will father think? Without Zuko, I'm his only heir. He had such high hopes for me. Will he still love me if I fail?"

"I'm sure he'll understand once he learns about the injury."

Both Azula and Mai looked at their friend incredulously.

"What? Did I say something stupid?"

…

Frisk woke up to once again find that the Avatar had risen early.

Better make sure he doesn't run off and freeze himself again, she thought to herself.

To her surprise she found him punching a wall with his hands. He had a crazed look on his face.

She grabbed his hands and pulled them away. They were bloody. She looked at him sternly.

"I… I just needed to let off some steam. You know?"

His grin did not fool her and she pulled out some bandages to wrap his hands up in,

He sat down embarrassed she made breakfast. Jook. Not the most filling meal but good for digestion.

"I… I'm sorry. I just… I had a nightmare and…. well dreams make you do strange things you know?"

When she didn't respond he rubbed the back of his neck embarrassed.

"Oh right. You can't speak. Well uh. While I was, you know, exercising. I thought of something exciting we could do. I figured that since we may be the last Airbenders alive, I ought to show you a national pastime of ours. Passing it on if you will."

Frisk seemed confused so Aang led her by the hand to a court filled with towering wooden poles. On each side lay a goal.

She still seemed confused until he held a ball up, grinning.

"Ever play Airball?"

For the next 2 hours, they forgot everything else. Aang and Frisk forgot all their problems and their loneliness in this world. They laughed and cursed and cried with joy, and it was a wonderful time. As they played, Aang once again found himself drifting into the past.

"Back off both of you!"

"Let me at him! He wanted to see how I did it? I'm showing him!"

"He knocked him off a pole Master Tashi! We all saw it!"

"Maybe he should have kept his opinions to himself!"

"What's all this Tashi?"

"Took your time didn't you Gyatso? Your pupil is being himself again it seems. Knocked a student off a pole during Airball."

"My god." Gyatso looked at the injured boy with dismay. "Aang, how could you do this?"

"He was losing! He's a sore loser!"

"No, I'm not!" Aang responded angrily. "He aggravated me!"

"Isn't that always the excuse," Master Tashi muttered.

"I'm serious! He said I belonged in a ward!"

Gyatso rubbed his forehead with his fingers.

"Whatever he said, that does not give you the right to resort to violence. We are the Air Nomads. That is not our way! I thought you would have learned by now. Now proceed to the barracks… again…"

Third time this week, Aang groaned but went regardless. He had learned somethings despite what Gyatso said. For instance, he had learned to increase his hearing with the wind.

"I can't believe he's the next in line." Master Tashi whispered.

"If you had met the rest before they gained recognition, would you have believed who they were?" Gyatso responded.

"I know it because of the accident. That's the only reason I haven't thrown him out."

"This is good for him. If we address the anger now, we can stomp it out before it becomes permanent."

"Better up here than down there I suppose. A good thing you found him before Sozin and his savages! Even so, I fear he may not be ready before he turns of age."

"I won't give up on him," Gyatso said with determination. "I won't."

Aang snapped back to reality and found he to had fallen off the poles himself and twisted his ankle. He laughed much to Frisk's concern.

"Karma's a bitch huh?"

Frisk took him back to his dorm and tended to the wound. As she worked, he found himself falling back to sleep.

"They knew. They knew what you were. And for that they overlooked your anger. Your violence. Your hate."

His eyes shot open to find himself standing in the decayed temple surrounded by the skeletons of his masters. And sitting in the center of it all; the girl with the smile.

"No... you…. You're not here… You're dead!"

"Am I? Strange. I don't feel dead." She sauntered closer.

"Look!" She grabbed his hand in hers and pulled him to the ground, his ankle still injured.

"I'm the only living thing here I reckon." She looked down at him, never once dropping her smile.

"You may look alive. But inside you're dead. Dead and broken. For how you failed them, the world. And me… Especially me."

Aang tried to pull away, but he was too weak and her words too painful.

"What good are you doing anyone? Even now that you've returned, it's too late. The world is burning. And you can't stop it. You missed your chance. So, I ask you. Why are you here? Why are you pretending to live?"

Aang met her eyes. Her eyes which were now widening. Her facial features were changing to something less human.

"Why pretend anymore? You're already dead on the inside. So why not show it on the outside? Why not join them? Why not join me?"

Her smile and presence told him one thing. She wasn't human. Not anymore.

…

"Azulaaaaa." Ty lee sang as she snuck up. "Whatcha doing here by yourself?

"Leave me alone."

"Oh, come on. You always want me around. Especially for training. Why the sudden change in aura?"

"I told you I'm not interested in your aura nonsense. Now leave! I have to master these arts by tomorrow or I might as well be Zuko!"

"That wouldn't be so bad would it?"

Azula looked at her like she was the dumbest person on the planet.

"Look, I just don't get what you're worried about. I've seen you use lightning plenty of times! I'm sure you'll pass!"

Azula sighed. "Don't you get it? It's not some useless teachers I'm worried about, it's my father! He said he wanted to witness my final test to make sure I had it memorized! What will he think to see me stumble?"

"Surely when he sees your injuries…."

"No. He won't accept that. He'll just encourage me to work harder! Don't you see? He didn't accept Zuko being a child to not banish him! What makes you think he'll show me any mercy!?"

"Because with Zuko gone, you're all he's got! You really don't think he'd give you a break?"

"You know better. I'm going to fail. All that work…. Wasted!" She shot a a fire blast out in anger.

"Woah! Watch it!" A passing girl shouted in anger, before yelping and running with a glance at her would-be-assassin's glare.

"Can you keep a secret Ty lee? Sometimes I don't know why I do this."

"Don't know? You're heir to the Fire Nation! Someday to be the most powerful women in the world!"

"And how will I fare if I can't even master damn lightning? I'll never be the fire lord my father is."

"Come on Azula…."

"I need something to show my potential. School isn't enough. I need to prove I can lead. Uncle had that chance with Ba Sing Se, but he blew it. If I could succeed where he failed, everyone would recognize me."

"That's the spirit! Something will come along. You'll get your moment."

"Oh, quit sucking up," Mai made a face as she passed by. "Disgracing yourself like that."

"That's more like it. Who knows? I might even find the Avatar. That'd be a wonderful achievement! Terrible for Zuzu though." She grinned at Mai's angry face.

…

Aang was missing from his bed again. However, this time it was at night. She sighed. She was going to have to put a bell on that kid!

A bell unfortunately would not help since at the moment the Avatar was not running or moving. He was standing over the flooded hole he had looked down through in times past. Happier times.

"Enjoying the view Aang?"

"I have to hand it to you old geezers. You've got some great scenery. Is that the Fire Nation capital?"

"You've got some good sight. This temple passes on the southern air currents that pass around the world and lead us onto different air currents. It gives us an opportunity to see the world we are ultimately tied to, even here in the sky."

"How can you do that, though? You said you once lived down there. How can you leave it all behind?"

"It isn't easy. Like you, I didn't exactly come from great beginnings." Gyatso looked down silently for a moment, as if reliving some old memory.

"Aang… I understand what you're going through believe it or not. I came here angry and still gripping with the past."

"You didn't do what I did though. You don't have that stain on your soul."

"True. That is a major burden to bear. That doesn't mean you can't make amends."

"And how am I to do that stuck up here? I don't belong in the clouds. I…. belong in a cell. A ward."

"Aang. The purpose of this place isn't to escape. We help other people. The purpose is to let us put our problems into perspective. From here, you see how small it all seems in the grand scheme of things. And once you see that, you can approach these things in a new way."

"I uh…. That makes no sense."

"Right. Bad wording. What I'm trying to say is you aren't meant to escape from your past. You're here to heal from it and find the right way to approach it. You will have to atone for your mistakes. We're here to help you find the way when it's time."

Aang didn't respond, instead just standing there with his mentor, the closest thing to a friend, staring down through the hole onto the world below.

104 years later, Aang stood looking down the same hole. This time however, he was looking into a watery hole filled with sharks and no grand view. His mentor was gone and replaced with a much less pleasant companion who may or may not have been real.

"Not the best death I would say, given your history. But I suppose it works. Torn apart and forgotten. Sound familiar?"

Aang slowly steeped closer to the edge. The water beckoned him, cold and dark. Just like the world now. The world he had left behind. The nomads he had abandoned. And especially the girl edging him on.

"It isn't so bad Aang. Death is part of the cycle of life. Isn't that what the monks taught you? It worked out for me didn't it?"

His determination gone, and replaced only with guilt and despair, the Avatar raised his foot over the edge….

Only to be knocked away from the hole by a gust of air, launched at him by a girl he most certainly knew was real.

Frisk bound across the hole with her bending and slapped him in anger.

Aang looked at her with shock. She merely stared back. His resolve quickly broke and was replaced with sobbing.

She merely watched. She was not used to comfort. She had made an exception upon the discovery of the genocide. But this was too far! Giving up was not in her dictionary!

It took him some time to empty his tears. But eventually he did. Rubbing his red eyes, he finally spoke.

"I'm sorry. I know. I'm stupid. I'm stupid. I'm sorry. I just…. I don't know what to do. They needed me. They were all counting on me and I couldn't be there for them. What do I do? Where do I go?"

As he said those words, another memory came back to him. One of a later time, after he learned who he was.

"What am I going to do Gyatso? What do they expect me to do?"

"To do the best you can and make the world the best it can be."

"Will the world even accept me when they learn who I am and what I've done? I mean, Guru Laghima! What were they thinking when they chose me?"

"They didn't choose you. Raava did."

"Who?"

"I'll tell you later. For now, I just want you to know that you'll make a great Avatar. You've come through so much in your few years. And we'll be there to help you every step of the way."

"What way? What is my way? What does the Avatar do?"

"Well, first things first. Your training. Most benders can only bend one of the elements. As Avatar, you alone can utilize all four."

"All four? I heard there were actually five."

"That is a theory we unfortunately don't have time to determine. As the Avatar, you will in time train under teachers from the other 3 nations to master the elements."

"And then?"

"Let's worry about one thing at a time. You're still young. Four years too early to be dealing with this if you ask me."

"But why do I know now? Why not when I'm 16? And why would this Raava guy chose me of all people?"

"Raava is a she actually. But I don't want you thinking too much of it. Because right now I'd like someone to share these delicious pies with me!"

Aang finally grinned and in perfect synchronization with his mentor, air bended the pies off the ledge and right onto the heads of the rest of the much less fun masters.

"Gyatso!" Master Tashi shouted up in anger. "That is no way to raise the Avatar!"

The two pranksters laughed. As long as Aang had Gyatso, maybe he could be more than what everyone thought he was. Maybe he could be the Avatar.

But Aang no longer had Gyatso. Gyatso was gone. He couldn't help him or his people. But looking across at Frisk, he remembered he wasn't the last Airbender. It was a long shot, but as long as he breathed, he could finish the job.

"They say the Avatar can use all five- err, four elements. I've mastered one. Who says I can't do three more?"

Actually, he could see a lot of people saying a twelve-year-old boy couldn't master four elements. Especially not one with barely suppressed anger issues. But hey, whatever made Frisk smile.

And smile she did.

…

"Ty lee!"

"You go girl!"

"Ever considered a three-way? Hook me up sometime!"

"Gotta hand it to her," Mai mused. "She is something. You're lucky to have a friend like her you know."

"Hmph. I know."

"Do you? You aren't even watching!"

"Oh please. Like you're so attentive."

"Well yeah. But that's how I am. Ty lee cares about your recognition as much as you do hers. Don't you think she'd be hurt to see you aren't watching her final test?"

"She's not the only one," Azula muttered looking around. She looked at all the spectators who had turned up to witness the graduation exam. There was only one person whose attention she wanted however. Where was he?

"Yes, well done Ty lee. A spectacular performance. And finally, Princess Azula step forward please."

All the cheering immediately ceased as the princess herself stepped up to the stage. Unlike Ty lee, Azula was not the most popular girl in school due to her curious definition of "fun".

"Headmistress, if I may? I'd like to wait until my father has arrived."

"Your father unfortunately cannot make it princess."

Azula was shocked. "He- couldn't make it for this?"

"I am sorry princess. His letter said something of utmost importance has just surfaced that demands his immediate attention. He offers his regrets."

She was relieved at the weight that had been removed from her back. And at the same time hurt and offended. What could be more important than this?

Present or not, she existed to please him. And so, she answered the questions thrown her way, displayed the techniques they instructed, and displayed her lightning, following the instructions he had granted. Of course, she passed. She was born a natural winner. Some girls even applauded her prowess (probably out of fear), but the victory was bittersweet. She knew it wasn't her best performance, and her father who was her whole world couldn't give her this one day to show how much she'd learned!

"Don't look so down Azula! Perfect or not, you're always be the best girl in the world to me!" Ty lee hugged her friend, much to the latter's annoyance.

"To you maybe."

"Are we done here?" Mai folded her hand sin annoyance. "Because I am so bored of this place?"

"I agree Mai. Time to move onto bigger and better things. Let's go home." She looked out to the sea, out past the island that had nearly claimed her life, but from which she had emerged stronger and wiser. She thought of the future that awaited her and was filled with determination.

…

The two last Airbenders packed up their bags and went over their plans. They didn't have a map which had been forgotten in Toriel's cave but decided to head west towards the Southern Water Tribe to find a teacher.

"The nomads said the elements are best learned in a cycle. Water, then Earth, then Fire, then Air. I'm an Airbender so next on the list is Water I suppose.

As they readied Appa to fly off, they were surprised by a bark. They turned around and displayed very different reactions.

"It's that dog!" Aang shouted with joy. Frisk just looked annoyed. Indeed, the dog that had absorbed that artifact and gained the power of flight now hovered looking at them. Only now it appeared to have gained control of its flight and was floating towards them panting.

"How could a dog live in a place like this? You poor thing. You're not from around here, are you?" The dog simply barked.

"Well, we can't just leave you here by yourself. Guess you'll have to come with us!"

Frisk was about to respond in protest, but then remembered that she couldn't speak and saw Aang's face. She rolled her eyes and gave a slight nod at Aang's puppy eyes.

"Yes! We'll have to give you a name, won't we? How about Dogamy?"

Frisk shook her head.

"Dogaressa?"

Frisk again shook her head.

"Hmm? Oh, I know! Momo!"

Frisk stared at him with confusion.

"It's a peach!" Frisk continued to stare.

And so, finally after a last look around the only true home he'd ever had, the last members of the Air Nation took off into the sky. Aang watched the temple disappear as fog settled over them. Frisk took over the driver's seat while Aang let himself drift off into sleep.

"You choose to live? Live with the pain? The regret?"

"Yes. For now. I choose redemption. Gyatso trusted me. I'm not going to let him down."

The girl continued to smile. "You already let him down. And now you're about to let down the whole world."

"Not yet. I won't fail them. Not this time. I won't run away again."

That did not anger her as he'd hoped. It only made her smile more.

"Good. You passed the test."

"Test?"

"Yes, a test of your determination. You chose to accept the challenge. To face your enemies head on. I wanted to see how you would react with the realization of your mission. You've passed that. But what now? I'm eager to see."

Aang sighed. He had dealt with this girl enough for one lifetime. He didn't want to deal with her for another.

"If you've come to gloat..."

"Not gloat. Inform. I will leave you for now. But I will always be watching. Will you fulfill your destiny? Will your determination hold? Or will you fail this world, as you failed me?"

Aang had had enough. "Why am I wasting time with you? You're not even real. This is all a dream. You're dead."

Her eyes widened and her facial features melted to resemble something not at all human.

"Keep telling yourself that."

The sky suddenly flashed red. The ruinous temple shook as the specter charged the hapless Avatar, her roar bloating out everything.

Aang woke up, dripping with sweat and Momo licking his face. He looked up at Frisk still getting the hang of steering Appa but clearly having fun.

He stared up at the sky and stars, thinking of the days he had lived up there and his mentor who had given him a home. As he remembered their faces and their skeletons lying in the temple, he was filled with determination.

Never again.