Transported in flames (atla fanfiction)

Chapter 1: The Incident

It is dark all around her and she is immobilized she tries to scream but no sound comes out. The ominous noise of a jack in the box plays and she feels a hot breath on her neck. Her muscles are finally set free and when she turns. Bruce. I FOUND YOU.
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Mia awoke damp with sweat screaming and panting. In the next minute Aaron was there holding her and mumbling comforting words into her ear. She smiled through her tears up at him and he swiped one away with his thumb. She had been living in Aaron's guest room for three months and throughout that time Aaron had been her rock.

He was the only person who had ever accepted her and was her best and only friend for as long as she could remember. But sometime over the span over the past few months their friendship had turned into something more. She didn't know when it had started but lately whenever he was around she just felt safe, and smiley and jittery Mia thought she might love Aaron. but how could she confess this to her lifelong friend if there was a possibility that he would reject her? He was all she had left.

She pushed away these silly thoughts at the sound of his voice. "Nightmare?" He questioned and she just nodded. Ever since she had run away Mia had been having this same recurring dream. It was as if with time the dream wouldn't fade. The dream just became more and more vivid and new details were added like the jack in the box music, that was new.

Mia sighed and ran a hand through her sleep tousled sandy hair. She had bags that seemed to be permanently etched under her emerald green eyes and she started to wonder if she'd ever be able to sleep soundly ever again. Aaron was starting to get really worried about her, she could tell. He seemed to notice that with each passing day Mia became more and more paranoid and got less and less sleep.

"You know what?" He asked her "what?" She responded while wiping the last of the tears from her pale face. "You go back to sleep and I'll be right here to make sure that the nightmares stay away." He smiled at her and climbed into the queen sized bed beside her. "Thank you." Mia whispered gratefully and Aaron laid her head on his chest. Within seconds she was out and for once the nightmares didn't come.
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It was Sunday night and every Sunday Aaron's parents went to the opera. They had left an hour ago in order to make their show so once again Mia and Aaron were trusted to babysit his 10 year old brother Teddy. Taking care of Teddy was really not that hard though, Aaron and Mia had learned quite quickly that he would behave as long as they let him watch his favourite show. Avatar the last Airbender.

'Water, earth, fire, air' Mia heard the beginning of the opening sequence of the cartoon as she left the living room on a request from Teddy to make popcorn. When she placed the popcorn in the microwave she was left to face the window and was is raining, hard which was pretty typical of Pittsburg Pennsylvania.

She reentered the living room popcorn in hand Teddy lunged at her almost knocking her over. "Mia!" He spoke excitedly. "This is the first episode! We can watch iall three of us!" I giggled at his excitement and Aaron shot me a desperate glance. Mia was sure this wasn't his first time watching his brother's favourite series with him but she could tell that he didn't really mind that much. He liked seeing Teddy happy and in all honesty Mia had a suspicion that Aaron liked the show almost as much as Teddy.

"So what's happening?" Mia asked Teddy curiously. After the months of babysitting Mia still hadn't learned very much about the world of the avatar. "Katara and Sokka are just about to find Aang!" He exclaimed excitedly and shushed Mia for talking telling her to watch.

She walked over to the couch to sit next to Aaron not quite being engaged enough in the show to be sitting directly in front of the tv as Teddy was doing. He looked up at her as she settled down and a piece of his caramel hair fell into his face. She laughed as he tried and failed to blow it away but then froze when she heard a loud rumble of thunder.

She squealed and clung to Aaron's shirt in fear. She absolutely HATED storms. When she was little Bruce used to chase her during them and if she had done something bad he would lock her outside in the rain. Let's just say Mia was not the biggest fan of water in general after her messed up childhood.

"Are you okay?" Aaron asked Mia trying to contain his laughter. "I think so." She said sitting up on the couch as if nothing had happened. "Are you laughing at me?" She asked him and Aaron let out a short chuckle. "I was trying so hard not to Mia! I really was." He insisted before cracking up. "But you should have seen your face!"

"Oh whatever Aaron." She scoffed before returning her attention back to the television. The girl-Katara was her name had just cracked open the iceberg that contained the frozen Aang and there was a cosmic release. A piercing blue light danced across the television screen and Mia found herself entranced. She was so mesmerized by the hypnotic blue light that she almost didn't hear the crash.

The television was no more than a static buzz and she heard a blood curdling scream. It took her a moment to realize that she was the one who made the noise. The living room of Aaron's house was alive with fire, it had been struck by lightning.

Teddy was more than terrified he was trembling and unmoving just staring at the encroaching flames in shock. Mia quickly took Aaron's hand and tugged him along behind her she was numb she couldn't quite understand what was happening yet but she knew they had to get out of the house. Together.

"Aaron I'm scared." Cried Teddy and he latched onto the train of hands. Mia was still in the lead trying her best to dodge flames but the heat and the smoke was starting to make her feel weak. She almost wanted to give up but if she did they would all die and besides, she could see it now. The window.

"Aaron." She yelled over the noise of the crackling flames. "We're going to have to jump." He nodded back at her. They had reached the sill of the window and he moved ahead of her to unlatch it. She breathed it the crisp air released from the open window along with the pelting raindrops. Together Aaron and Mia hefted Teddy onto the rooftop and followed in suit.

They would have to think fast. There was almost no chance that they would be able to survive the jump without some sort of padding to cushion the fall. Mia browsed the backyard swiftly and she turned to Aaron. "The trampoline Aaron. If we work together we can throw Teddy just far enough so that he'll land safely."

Before Teddy could argue they had each grabbed an arm. Aaron smiled sadly at his brother and Mia told him to find help and then the 10 year old was airborne.

The springs groaned and Teddy bounced he screamed but fortunately he was okay. He looked desperately up to the roof where Aaron and Mia were still stranded and the boy looked frozen in place but he knew he had to do what he was told so he turned and ran for help.

Mia and Aaron turned to face each other on the flaming rooftop they both knew that they were most likely going to die. Tears streamed freely down Mia's cheeks as well as Aaron's. A flame licked at Mia's pant leg but she was too numb to scream. Aaron had a look of finality on his face when he held her. He pulled her close and pressed his lips to her forehead. "I love you." He whispered against her cheek. She was shocked by his confession but she was even more shocked by what he did next.

He gripped her tightly and jumped off of the roof and she noticed with horror what he planned to do. He was going to cushion her fall he jumped so that he would take the blunt of the impact. They were hurtling to the ground but she couldn't die without him knowing. "I love you too!" She yelled and then they hit the ground.

Pain, heat, heartbreak and a bright blue light then nothing, nothing but blackness.

She woke up from an intense pain but she fought it and sat upright. She found herself in a soft bed layered with blankets of various shades of red. She examined the room she resided in and found that the only decoration was a single emblem on the right hand wall that was adorned with a flame.

Where was she? she silently wondered. How did she get there? Where did she come from? But most importantly who was she? What was her name? She had no idea.