II/ Encounter

The door opened to reveal three children, two in blue coats and a young bald boy in orange monk-like clothes from a culture she had never seen before. Elsa's breath caught as she watched them enter the room. The sight of the two siblings in blue coats stirred memories of the Northuldra, and a pang of longing for her sister Anna tugged at Elsa's heart. She wondered if the were part of another tribe or if they were of a totally different community. Considering her position, she thought the latter was the likeliest.

Staying hidden in the shadows behind the statue, she eavesdropped on the children's conversation as they were exploring the room. Her curiosity deepened as she heard snippets about the Avatar Cycle, past lives, and the importance of the elements—air, water, earth, and fire. She caught the name of the girl, Katara, and of the young bald boy, Aang. Aang's mention of being the Avatar intrigued her, especially with the ties it seemed to have with the four elements. She couldn't help but draw parallels to the fifth element. That made her wonder where she was again.

A distant echo went across her mind and yet she couldn't pinpoint where it came from. A sudden noise from the entrance snapped her thoughts out. She noticed the three children went instinctively to hide and heard the boy in blue who seemed to be Katara's brother saying it could be a firebender. From her position, Elsa only saw a little creature with big ears entering the room. She was uncertain and yet amused as it reminded her encounter with Bruni. As she saw Katara's brother stop still with what seemed to be a weapon, she couldn't help but think he didn't expect it. Her lips curved into a faint smile at hearing the innocent joy radiating from Aang. Hearing the blue-clothed boy saying dinner while the bald boy shouted a friend before chasing the little creature who took its flight created an unexpected light-hearted atmosphere in the room. Elsa was amused by the sight and a part of her thought of the times shared with Anna.

Chasing away the thought, the young queen observed the young girl who remained behind and was moving through the statues, observing them and exploring the room. Elsa wondered if she should reveal herself or not, considering that she needed to know where she was if she wanted to find a way back to Ahtohallan, the Enchanted Forrest, or even Arendelle.

The statues' eyes suddenly started to gleam white, the light appearing in the reversal pattern for each statue, Elsa's attention was captured by the mystical display. The sudden and unexpected phenomena took her by surprise, and she watched in awe as the room transformed with an otherworldly glow. The sudden and unexpected phenomena prompted her to react instinctively, her posture tense.

A worried voice then cut through the air, "Aang!" Turning her glance around, Elsa saw the young girl, Katara, rushing out of the room.

Elsa's curiosity overcame her hesitation, and she decided to follow Katara to see where she was headed. Moving through the empty and ruined temple, Elsa observed her environment, feeling both a peaceful and yet dreadful sensation in moving through the ancient place. The air was heavy with history, and Elsa wondered about what happened to such a place to be abandoned as it was obvious to her it had been a while it wasn't occupied.

As she moved outside, Elsa noticed she was in a mountainous region. A part of her remembered when she fled to the North Mountain, but this site was unfamiliar to her. It was even more obvious to her that she was in a very different place from Ahtohallan, the Enchanted Forrest, or Arendelle. Magic or the spirits had sent her there, that was the possible explanation.

Those thoughts were chased away as the young queen suddenly noticed a dilapidated building being destroyed by a hurricane at the foot of the place she was. Shocked, she wasn't certain how this storm occurred or why it seemed focused and still in the same place. A sensation of déja-vu crossed her mind. Seeing the girl, Katara, moving towards the impending danger, a conflict brewed within Elsa — the child was moving towards the storm, and Elsa wanted to prevent her from putting her life in danger but she knew she hadn't revealed herself yet.

But her protective instincts overflowed her hesitations and in a swift move, Elsa rushed to prevent Katara from being engulfed by the unexpected tempest. Using her powers, she created a bridge that allowed her to join the place far quickly. But as she came closer to Katara and the storm, she had to face debris that flew everywhere, prompting her to use her powers to shield herself from any wreckage flying on her.

Reaching the ground, Elsa saw that Katara had already joined a rock behind which her brother was hiding. She approached as close as she could, but the violence of the wind slowed her far more than when she was struggling to flee Arendelle in the blizzard she accidentally unleashed the day of the Great Thaw. As debris continued flying and almost knocked down by the violent breeze, she used again her powers to create an ice wall to protect herself from the wind. But even her protection was battered as she heard some cracks growing in it.

Looking at the sight before her, she saw in the heart of the storm, protected by an air bubble, a little figure with a shining blue light on his body. Seeing it, a chill ran down her spine. The scene reminded her of the time when she couldn't control her powers. A part of her couldn't help but wonder where the bald boy, Aang, was and an awful suspicion crossed her mind that the little illuminating figure was him. Focusing her glance on the glooming shape, her suspicions grew stronger. She was impressed and wary of the strength of the powers displayed by the glooming person. She saw Katara trying without success to join the illuminated figure and she was concerned for the safety of the young girl and of her brother as they were gripping the rock.

She then heard the young girl saying something in the direction of the flying and glowing figure, but the sound of the wind prevented the young queen from totally understanding what the words. But whatever Katara was saying seemed to have effects on the illuminated figure as he suddenly moved back to the ground and the wind stopped.

Despite the distance, Elsa could see it was Aang but wondered why the soft blueish light was coming from him. It was unnerving and strange. She saw the siblings approaching the figure and heard the boy promising to watch over the bald boy. Katara seemed to move closer to the boy and touch him, bringing the light to extinguish, making Aang a normal boy again.

As he was leaning on Katara, Elsa couldn't help but wonder if whatever power he had affected him. A part of her couldn't help but feel a strange connection to the unfolding events, the echoes of her past experiences resonating with the present. She wondered if Aang was like her or not.

Seeing Katara comforting Aang reminded the young queen of how Anna would comfort her when she was in doubt or trouble. A pang of pain was felt through her chest and she couldn't help but think that at the time she was around Aang's possible age, she struggled a lot and even her parents couldn't do much to help her. If only they had understood earlier that love was what could have helped her control her powers…

She suddenly heard in a barely audible voice Aang saying "I really am the last airbender". That made her eyebrows furrow in both confusion and empathy as she sensed the pain and sadness in the boy's voice. The tone in his words lingered in the air, prompting Elsa to sense the depth of his emotions. A part of her wondered what an airbender meant, but it felt important and personal for the bald boy.

As Elsa contemplated her next move, Sokka turned around, his eyes widening at the sight of the icy wall that had seemingly appeared out of thin air. He reacted with a mix of surprise and confusion, unsure of what to make of the sudden ice barrier.

"What the hell is that?" he exclaimed, his hand reaching for his weapon instinctively before reminding himself he had forgotten it in the Avatar room.

Katara and Aang, now aware of the ice wall, exchanged puzzled and surprised glances. Still riled up and stunned, Sokka couldn't resist but ask, "Aang, did you do this when you were in your Avatar state?" His tone held a hint of doubt, remembering what his friend had just done a moment ago.

Aang, still recovering from the emotional turmoil, looked mesmerized and confused at the ice wall before shaking his head.

Sokka's gaze shifted to Katara, his sister. "Was this your doing then?" he inquired, his confusion evident in his voice.

Katara, eyes fixed on the ice wall, responded with a negative shake of her head. "No, Sokka. I was with you all this time. Perhaps there is another waterbender," she speculated, a thoughtful and hopeful frown on her face.

Her brother expressed his scepticism about her hypothesis. "Another waterbender? Really? Outside of you, Katara, who else around here is a waterbender?"

His scepticism then took an abrupt turn as his overactive imagination kicked in. "Wait, what if it's a Fire Nation spy?" his eyes widened and ready to take a defensive posture and look around in alert.

Katara, appalled by her brother's assumption, scolded him. "Sokka, that's absurd! Look around you. The temple is empty. And why would the Fire Nation use a waterbender?"

Aang, still affected by the recent revelation of being the last airbender, interjected. "Katara's right, Sokka."

Behind her icy hideout, Elsa tensed at the realization that her presence had been noticed. She hesitated a bit but decided to reveal herself as they were only children. She had noticed the slight emotional tremor in Katara's voice when she mentioned the waterbender. More than ever, she was confused, wondering where she was.

Taking a deep breath, the young queen dispelled her icy wall with a wave of her hand, flurries of ice dissipated into the air, revealing herself before the three children.

A hesitant silence enveloped the chamber as both Elsa and the three children looked at each other, uncertainty hanging in the air. Elsa noticed how small and slim Aang was and the strange blue arrow that was drawn on his head. For an unknown reason, an echo came across her mind as if a voice was trying to speak to her as she felt something of a connection to this strange boy.

Aang and his friends reacted with astonishment and confusion to the sudden disappearance of the ice wall and the presence of the mysterious young woman before them. Her hair was light, almost white, and she was wearing a white robe adorned with little crystals of four colours. Katara and Aang observed the newcomer, curiosity and caution etched across their faces, but also a bit mesmerized as the woman's features were so unusual and ethereal in appearance. They looked at her with strong curiosity and puzzlement. Katara was also a bit confused, seeing this ice wall dissipating in thin air. Aang was intrigued albeit the emotional strain he was still in and felt without knowing why something of a tie to this person.

Sokka, breaking the silence in a frenzy manner, was torn between being on the defensive due to the presence of an unknown stranger, being casual as it was a woman facing them, and being stunned by what he had just witnessed. "Who are you? What were you doing behind that ice wall? How is that wall gone?"

If it wasn't for the tension lingering at the moment, Elsa would have been bemused and a bit amused by the antics of the boy. Before she could respond, Katara, regaining her composure, scolded her brother, "Sokka, calm down! Don't overwhelm her."

Sokka, still on edge, responded, "But Katara, that ice wall just disappeared, and she was behind it. That's not normal!"

Katara rolled her eyes, "Come on! It's obvious she's a Waterbender."

Sokka reacted back with a disbelieved face. "A Waterbender? She looks nothing like our people."

Elsa was confused by the exchange, wondering once again what waterbending was. But as she was about to speak, the bald boy asked, "Are you a spirit?"

She looked with surprise and amusement the young boy as she didn't expect someone assuming it of her, even when she now knew her status of Fifth Element. She shook her head, "Not a spirit, only a person like you."

Aang, still processing his own emotions from moments ago, pouted with a small face. He then noticed she seemed uncertain. "Are you okay?" he said, reaching out with a comforting hand.

Elsa hesitated for a moment before nodding, grateful for the gesture of kindness. "Thank you," she murmured, her voice betraying a hint of relief. "I... I'm just... lost."

Katara spoke up in a soft and comprehensive voice. "It's okay. We just weren't expecting to find someone here."

Elsa nodded in understanding, offering a tentative smile. "It's alright. I didn't mean to startle anyone. I found myself here and was trying to know where I am."

Katara's expression softened slightly as she listened to Elsa's explanation. While still cautious, she could sense the sincerity in the young woman's voice. "I think we can trust her, Sokka," she said, turning to her brother. "She seems genuinely confused, just like we were when we stumbled upon Aang in the iceberg."

Sokka's brow furrowed in uncertainty, but he couldn't deny the logic in Katara's words. "Fine," he relented, albeit reluctantly and eyeing Elsa with vigilance.

Elsa was wondering what Katara meant and who Aang was. The young bald boy asked her, "Who are you?"

After a short silence, Elsa decided to answer, feeling those kids could be trusted in spite of the weirdness of the situation. "I'm Elsa."

Aang chimed in with a soft smile. "Nice to meet you too. I'm Aang."

Elsa smiled at the greeting of the young bald boy, even if she sensed he was still struggling with whatever he had experienced just before. She also considered he was the person Katara and her brother stumbled upon in an iceberg, though she wasn't certain of the true nature of the event.

Katara smiled in seeing Aang interacting more naturally with this stranger and introduced herself and her brother, "I'm Katara. This is my brother Sokka."

Sokka, still a bit sceptical but intrigued, couldn't resist probing further. "Okay, Elsa, nice to meet you too. But seriously, how did you end up here in the Southern Air Temple? It's not exactly the kind of place you stumble upon."

Katara scolded her brother again, "Sokka, don't be rude. It's obvious she feels lost and confused. Let's not make assumptions."

He sighed, relenting a bit. "Fine, fine. But I still want to know how she made that ice wall disappear."

Elsa, grateful for Katara's intervention, responded to Sokka's first question, not wanting to discuss her powers yet as she tried to know where she was. "I honestly don't know how I ended up here. I'm not familiar with this place, and I've never heard of the Southern Air Temple."

Aang, Katara, and Sokka exchanged puzzled glances. Aang spoke first, intrigued and a bit baffled. "You've never heard of the Southern Air Temple? It's one of the oldest and most sacred places in the world. How can you not know about it?"

Sokka, ever the sceptic, chimed in. "Yeah, that's very suspicious. What are you trying to hide?"

Elsa was torn apart by the reaction of the young boy. She was a bit uneased by his distrustful reaction and his reaction to her magic reminded her a bit of the incident of the Great Thaw. But she sensed it was a bit like the Northuldra when Anna, Kristoff, Olaf, and her encountered them.

Katara scolded Sokka again before turning to Elsa. "I'm sorry about my brother. He can be a bit... direct. But seriously, where are you from, Elsa?"

Elsa, still feeling a bit out of place, answered, "I'm from the kingdom of Arendelle."

Aang, Katara, and Sokka exchanged confused glances. Aang spoke up, "Arendelle? I've never heard of it. Is it somewhere far from here?"

Elsa, sensing their confusion, expressed her desire to find a way back to her kingdom. "I fear it is. I don't know how I ended up here, but I need to find a way back to my home. I apologize if I startled you all."

Katara, sensing Elsa's genuine confusion and concern, reassured her. "It's alright, Elsa. We'll help you figure this out."

Sokka hissed in protest, mirroring his scepticism. Katara shot him a pointed look. "Remember when we first met Aang? You were just as sceptical."

Sokka grumbled and Elsa couldn't help but notice the familiar dynamics between the siblings. It reminded her of her own relationship with Anna, the protectiveness and occasional annoyance that came with it. She wasn't sure however who was the responsible one between the two siblings, considering Sokka's overbearing vigilance and Katara's genuine concern and consideration.

Aang suddenly chimed in, "We can help you. We have a map. If you can show us where your home is, maybe we can find a way to help you get back."

Elsa's eyes lit up with gratitude, and she nodded appreciatively, "That would be incredibly helpful. Thank you."

Sokka whined, "But that's my map!"

Katara scolded him, "Sokka, this is more important. Give Elsa a chance."

Sokka relented with a grumble. Katara turned to Aang, "We should head back to Appa."

Elsa, intrigued by the mention of "Appa," asked, "Appa? What's that?"

Aang grinned, "Appa's my sky bison. He's waiting for us at Nomad's Landing."

Elsa was puzzled when hearing those words, finding it strange and curious to hear the name of such a species. Once again, the lingering suspicion she was in a very different place crossed her mind. But she couldn't help but smile at the excitement of Aang which was as infectious as Anna's own. Elsa had a sad look thinking of her sister and hoped she would be able to see her again.

Aang then turned to Katara and Sokka, his eyes a bit solemn and sad. "I need to do something first."

His eyes glanced back behind him. Elsa looked in the same direction and saw with horror the bones of a man in clothes similar to Aang. She could see the pain and sadness of the young boy and sensed that whoever the person was, he was important to Aang. She wondered what happened to the man and felt something tragic occurred there, explaining why this place was void of life.

Katara nodded with understanding and compassion, "Of course, Aang. We'll help you to give Gyatso the rest he should have."

Aang looked at her with a small smile, "Thanks Katara."

Sokka nodded in support while Elsa observed them. She sensed they shared a lot, but a part of her wondered how those three children happened to be on their own. Something was disturbing and amiss, especially with the fact the place they were now happened to be some kind of abandoned grave. She however hoped that she would know where she was and find a way back to Ahtohallan, the Enchanted Forrest, or Arendelle and find a solution to solve the problems her grandfather created by his fear and greed. If she couldn't find a way… Elsa didn't want to consider the possibility but had to muse what she would do then. Looking at the three children, a thought crossed her mind on what she might do.