98 AG - ONE YEAR PRIOR
There was a tale — a somber but exciting myth — that the spirit of a brilliant dragon used to roam the vast expanses of the Physical World. He was elusive and hardly ever seen, but those lucky enough to cross paths with him would be left in awe and wonderment.
Once a proud guardian of a divine world called the Celestial Realm, the spirit temporarily resigned from his position to search for something, someone important. Someone so significant, their loss weighed heavily on his heart, and he wandered across the globe, searching for any clues that might lead him to his loved one. He scoured every nook and cranny for over millennia, from humble abodes to grand palaces, from holy temples to forgotten ruins, but to no avail. Despite his tireless efforts, the spirit was always left with an empty feeling, and his mind was muddled with confusion.
The one he searched for was another spirit, whom he referred to as his soulmate. She was a phoenix spirit who used to fight alongside him and two other guardians. Tied together by a red string made by the spirits of red rose fairies, the two were supposedly inseparable. But as fate would have it, a tragedy struck during a battle, and she was lost to the rebirth cycles of the Physical World. Her absence left a void in his heart that could not be filled.
The dragon spent years in a mournful state, so grief-stricken that one of his tears formed a single crystal, an extension of his being that he sent to her would-be reincarnation to help him find her. He never would, though. No. Instead, he would fall victim to merciless hunts of dragons, an event started by the nobility of the Fire Nation for sport.
Ryūji loved listening to his mother tell the tragic story of the dragon, but every time he heard it, tears would roll down his cheeks like he could feel the dragon's sorrow through her words alone. It was hard for him to accept that the dragon had to endure so much hardship only to never find his true love again. He'd ask her if the dragon had been reincarnated, just like the phoenix, but she'd simply smile, a sense melancholy in her brown eyes, and tell him, "If that's what your heart believes."
His mother always seemed regretful, whether to him or to something with the story — he wasn't sure. She never elaborated on the reason for it, and he never asked either. He just let her proceed to tell him another story if he wasn't ready to sleep yet.
Gone were those days, though. As Ryūji grew up, his life gradually turned, and his desire to hear his mother's tales gradually died. He was no longer the naive child who knew little of his lowly place in nobility. He immersed himself in rigorous combat training to escape the constant rumors and whispers surrounding his mother's past misdeeds. His father's neglectful attitude towards him and his mother's situation only added to his growing disillusionment, causing Ryūji to feel like a mere pawn in his father's game for power. As a result, he simply felt like there was no time to worry about childish beliefs.
Until now, that is.
When Ryūji was seventeen, he received his very first mission. He was thrilled when he first heard the news — leaving the crushing atmosphere of the Fire Nation capital was a dream come true. But when he learned about the nature of this mission, Ryūji felt utterly defeated.
During a war meeting with the Fire Lord, Zuko spoke out of turn and was subsequently banished from the Fire Nation to capture the Avatar. Their father wanted Ryūji to join, and he knew what that meant; Ryūji wasn't foolish enough to believe this would end well, if at all. The Avatar hadn't been seen for almost a century, and the chances they'd find him were slim, speaking volumes about their situation. If Zuko wasn't going back, neither was Ryūji — Their father wanted neither of them there.
It's been a year since Ryūji was separated from home. Over time, he has slowly come to terms with the fact that he may never return to the dreadful place, but there is one person that he misses dearly and wishes to see more than anything — his mother. He writes her letters, detailing the events he's encountered and promising he's safe and is doing everything in his power to stay that way. Otherwise, he finds solace in the peaceful surroundings he has found himself in, even when chaos reigns supreme as Zuko rampages the entirety of the planet for one man.
Ryūji sighs, heaving in the cold air of the Patola Mountains as he leans against one of the white outer structures of the Southern Air Temple. Zuko had insisted they recheck this location on the slightest chance that the Avatar might have bounced back there. Ryūji was fed up, but he allowed his younger brother to do as he pleased if it meant he wouldn't get barked at and stuck to the sidelines while the rest of the crew searched the temple grounds.
Light from the sun has started to drain away from the sky, leaving a cerulean cast over the grounds and skies untouched by the remaining glare. The already frigid temperatures were dropping even further than they already were, and Ryūji could see his breath poke into the air through puffs of steam.
"What's taking so long?" he grumbled, pushing himself off the stone-brick walls. Ryūji paced along the immediate area. It didn't take this long to search the last time they were here, and he was starting to worry. Could they have found something and gotten themselves in trouble?
He groaned and walked towards the temple's entrance, ready to face whatever ridiculous conflict may await, when something 'zzzip'ed past his face. "Whoa!"
Ryūji whipped his head to the right, where he heard it stop. The darkening horizons made it hard to see, but a continuous buzzing broke through the stillness of the night. As it approached his face, his heart began to race, thumping wildly in his chest, but it eventually blinked, emitting a bluish glow. He sighed in relief — it was just a firefly. A strange one, but a firefly nonetheless. He held out his hand, and it landed delicately on his knuckle, closing its wings and finding comfort on the curved surface.
Soon, a second firefly with the same colored tail joined the exchange but remained gliding about curiously. Ryūji couldn't help but feel like they were trying to capture his attention, and they did. When the luminescent creature had his awareness, it 'zzzip'ed away and joined many others. Then, Ryūji realized how many there were, forming a long, snaky line that led inside the abandoned temple.
"I'm guessing that's where the rest of the crew is," Ryūji said. He motioned towards the firefly on his hand and smiled. "Tell your little buddies I said thank you."
The firefly took off, leaving Ryūji to wander into the building. He followed the guide, careful not to disturb the teeny creatures when they didn't float out of the way. As they led him along, the path twisted and turned, sometimes stretching out before him, while other times, it seemed to wind and weave, almost like a labyrinth. The ceilings were high, and the margins were spacious, with a sense of grandeur that hinted at the possibility of something important lying ahead. However, despite his initial expectations, it became increasingly clear that they were not heading in the direction he had initially anticipated.
By now, he was deep into the temple, the only light coming from the clusters of fireflies, which cast only a dim glow. These walls appeared more intact, unlike the ruins he had seen on the outskirts, almost untouched by the elements.
The further he got, the more the groups of fireflies danced, bouncing off the walls or simply floating in aimless directions. Ryūji suspected he was approaching the destination they were leading him to since the populations grew sparse.
Eventually, he came upon a dead end, almost colliding with the wall. Confused, he scanned what he could see, confirming there was no way he could proceed. He dragged his hand along its rough surface, feeling for any possible crevices or seams that might indicate a secret door, but there was none. It was odd. Why did the fireflies lead him here?
Looking closer, Ryūji realized why they seemed so sparse in the area. They were disappearing into the wall! He watched as they progressively made their way through, even their humble light wholly gone.
'Is this a fake door after all?' he thought.
He attempted to push on the wall, switching spots to find any indication of a secret door, but his efforts were in vain. So, he decided to use his right foot to kick, but even that didn't work. He refused to give up, however. If his brother and the rest of the crew were inside and in trouble, he knew he had to find a way to get in and help them.
Ryūji gave it several tries, exhausting himself in the process, yet the wall would not budge. He didn't understand. How could these tiny creatures get through, but there wasn't a door or any breakage that could let him through? Why did they lead him here? He sighed and leaned against the wall, pressing his forehead to the cold exterior of the wall.
Relaxing, he cleared his head from the stress, preventing the frustration from getting to him. His shoulders slumped, his upper body putting all his weight on the wall. 'Maybe I should just head back and find another way.'
However, just as Ryūji decided to leave, something changed. After sighing and relaxing his upper body against the wall before him, it suddenly vanished, and he felt all his weight lurch forward, sending him to flounder into a vast open space. Despite his best efforts to regain his footing, he went face-first onto the floor, scraping his cheek.
Grunting in pain, he pushes himself back up off the floor and onto a kneeling position. As he's rubbing the side of his face, he catches a glimpse of the room he just entered.
It was still dark, but despite its size, the area was dimly lit by the light blue glow of the hundreds of flying fireflies, which all circled each other in some choreographed formation. They chased around and around, following different traces of golden light that peaked here and there. Ryūji continued to scan the area, taking in what he could see of his surroundings, and his eyes eventually stumbled upon the source of the second colored light — a girl sitting right in the center of the room.
Not a crease of emotion on any inch of her pale face. With her legs crossed, hands held in a particular position in front of her chest, she sat peacefully, undisturbed even by the gentle draft blowing through the circular space. It was breathtaking, but not just because of the spectacular magic scenery surrounding her...
Ryūji knew her. He thought so, at least.
From the chestnut-colored hair that cascaded down her back to her ornate hair accessories that added a touch of elegance to her already stunning appearance...Her divine presence alone strengthened his belief that she was, in fact, exactly who he thought she was — the phoenix spirit from the stories. But this realization left him feeling conflicted, as not only should she be a fairy tale character bound to the fictional worlds told by his mother, but she was exactly how he imagined her to be, and that shouldn't be possible.
As he slowly rose to his feet, he rubbed his eyes with his fingertips, wondering if he was trapped inside a dream. He even gave his arm a pinch, half-expecting to wake up any moment, but nothing changed.
"How is this real?" Ryūji muttered, advancing towards her. He felt the gentle breeze from the magic pass over him, sweeping most of his long, dark hair off his neck. The fireflies moved out of the way, allowing him to stand before her to get a closer look. He knew he shouldn't; she was clearly meditating in some way, strengthening her spirit essence as he remembered from the stories.
But something kept pulling him in, a longing sensation full of curiosity and sadness, and yet relief at the same time.
Ryūji knelt before her, and something glittered in the light of the fireflies. A necklace hung around her neck, with a small tear-shaped crystal at the end. It sat on top of where her different layers of peach, garnet, and white robes met. "The dragon's crystallized tear," he said, surprised.
So, it made it to her like the dragon wanted...But what was she doing here, and why hadn't she been reunited with him?
With careful hands, Ryūji reluctantly reached for the necklace. He felt uneasy doing so, but his only interest remained in the jewelry. Carefully taking it between his fingertips, he marveled at how it glittered in the dim light, rubbing his thumb along the side. Unfortunately, he didn't have long enough to continue reveling in its beauty when, without warning, the crystal began to glow with a blinding light, growing brighter and brighter at an alarming rate. Ryūji dropped the necklace, jumping back in fear as he hurried a few steps away.
"Shit," he cursed, his eyebrows knitted, "What'd I just do?"
The room was filled with shimmering light, so bright that every intricate detail left on the walls by the air nomads was visible to Ryūji. As he stood there awestruck, he saw the girl's face begin to stir, and her hands trembled as if waking from her deep meditative state. Her eyes opened, and they glowed like an orange fire burned within them — a true sight to behold. Their gazes met just as the glow faded, but before Ryūji could react, the turbulence in her hands worsened, and a powerful force burst all around her, sending both of them flying backward.
Ryūji slammed into a pedestal with another grunt, his back burning from the impact, but he didn't have time to recover as the delicate draft from earlier roared to typhoon-force winds, maybe even more potent. He got caught up in them as they formed a ring outside the area where the girl was previously sitting. Forced to cling to his pillar, he watched her tumble onto the floor just inside the ring, but he could not hear any noise she might have made due to the breeze blowing in his ears.
After a minute, the woman exerted a feeble effort to lift herself up and turned her gaze towards him. Although her head swayed a little, she held out her right hand, creating another golden light before swinging her forearm to the sky. The flare bursts once it reaches a certain altitude, thousands of twinkling specks filing into the drafts around them as the wind gradually stops.
Ryūji gingerly dismounted from the pillar as the current died down. He rushed to assist the phoenix spirit but paused when he heard her utter something astonishing.
"Fulong?" she asked, her voice quiet.
He came to an abrupt halt, his feet shuffling slightly as he tried to process the situation. Ryūji was not her lover, and he was confident he didn't even resemble him in the slightest. Despite this, he couldn't help but notice how she looked at him, almost as if she really had seen Fu Long inside him. He felt a pang of sympathy, knowing he'd have to disappoint her so shortly after waking her.
The spirit gazed wearily at Ryūji, her eyes filled with confusion as she tried to make sense of the situation. Ryūji could feel her vulnerability, and he struggled to find the right words to say when suddenly, she closed her eyes and slumped forward, her head falling onto her arms. Gasping, he dashed over to her again, skidding onto his knees and rushing to check her pulse. His heart raced as he felt around until he detected a faint but steady beat. She was exhausted, and Ryūji knew she needed time to rest.
'Not on her own, though.' he thought.
Ryūji carefully lifted the unconscious woman off the ground, cradling her in his arms as best he could. Her body was limp and unresponsive, making her weight seem heavier than it actually was. As he held her close, Ryūji couldn't help but feel responsible for the woman's current state. Whatever had happened, he knew it was his fault. He was determined to make it right, even if that meant bringing her on board his brother's ship and nursing her back to health himself. There were consequences for that, and it certainly wouldn't go well with Zuko, but he knew he couldn't leave her behind with no resources around.
With a resolute nod, Ryūji retraced his steps through the ornate halls of the temple with the spirit in his arms, following the remnants of the illuminating trail that led him in.