(Episode 7 and 8: Winter solstice part 1 and 2)
(Trigger warnings: Minor violence)
The gang were sitting in Appa's saddle as they flew across the sky. Aang was sitting in the front, Sokka was sitting in the back with Miko, trying to braid her hair as she played with Momo, and Katara were lying in the middle, looking down at the view.
"Those clouds looks so soft, don't they? Like you just just jump down and land on a big, soft, cottony heap" Katara sighed dreamily, causing Miko to look over at her with a smile.
"Maybe you should give it a try" Sokka said with a mocking smile. Miko jabbed him lightly in the ribs with her elbow, letting out a annoyed huff at Sokka's behaviour.
"Oh you're hilarious" Katara snapped sarcastically, turning to look at him. He bit his lip to hide the smile that crept onto her face at the sigh of her brother with the older girl.
"I'll try it!" Aang exclaimed, then he jumped out of the saddle and into the clouds. Miko laughed at him as the three older kids popped their heads over the edge of the saddle to look after him.
Aang fell through the clouds, and not long after, they'd lost sigh of him. Then suddenly they hear the sound of a glider snapping behind them, and turn around to face a now soaked Aang as he landed back on Appa.
"Turns out, clouds are made of water" the young boy said with a wide grin. He looked down at his clothing only to bring his fists together, blowing himself dry.
"You've gotta teach me some of these tricks soon Aang" Miko smiled, and leaned into Sokka's chest. She had been very tired since they left her old village, and she blamed it on the pregnancy.
"Of course" Aang exclaimed. Aang and Miko were then engaged in a conversation about different airbending styles, but they were cut short by Katara, who pointed to something behind Aang, who were sitting in the front of the saddle.
"What's that?" she asked, her brows furrowed in confusion. The three others looked up from what they were doing and over to where Katara was pointing. On the ground underneath them was a huge patch of land, which looked like it had been burned down.
"It looks like a scar" Sokka muttered, squinting his eyes trying to see better. Aang quickly placed himself between Appa's horns and took his reins, steering the huge bison towards the ground. The four friends climbed of Appa, taking in the burned forest around them. Momo placed himself on Miko's shoulder, and she patted him to keep her attention away from the destruction.
"Listen, it's so quiet. There's no life anywhere" Sokka said from where he stood beside his sister. Miko walked over to him, and when he saw her sad expression, he brought her into a small side-hug.
"Hey Aang, are you okay?" Katara asked suddenly, and Miko looked over to her youngest friend. Aang was standing a short distance away from them, his shoulders sagged and defeated.
"Look here. The Fire Nation. Those evil savages makes me sick, they have no for-" Sokka complained as he spotted footsteps after Fire Nation soldiers, but Miko cut him of with a shush, hoping he would shut his mouth.
"What? I'm not allowed to be angry?" he hissed back. Miko felt her heart speed up at the angry tone in his voice, but she his it and just pointed over towards Aang with a sad expression. The young monk where kneeling, touching the ashes on the ground.
"Why would anyone do this? How could I let this happen?" they could hear Aang whisper faintly, and Miko felt downcast, it wasn't Aang's fault that they burned down the forest. And Katara seemed to be thinking the same.
"Aang, you didn't let this happen. It has nothing to do with you" Katara said as she placed a supporting hand on his shoulder, but Aang just shook it off.
"Yes it does. It's the Avatar's job to protect nature. But I don't know how to do my job" Aang said sadly. He looked like he was about to cry, and Miko felt really bad for him.
"That's why were going to the North Pole. To find you a teacher" Katara exclaimed cheerfully, hoping to improve his mood. None of them liked seeing Aang this sad, it just didn't seem right.
"Yeah, a waterbending teacher. But there's no one who can teach me how to be the Avatar. Monk Gyatso said that Avatar Roku would help me" Aang sighed, causing confusion to spread among his friends.
"The Avatar before you? He died over one hundred years ago; how are you supposed to talk to him?" Sokka asked form beside Miko, who were still trying to figure out a way to help her friend. Her mind drifted over to the scrolls she had in her bag, the ones she found in her grandmothers room in the Southern Airtemple, and a strange dream she had had that night, where unintelligible voices had whispered secrets to her. She didn't know what to make of the dream though, as she had not understood a single word of what was said.
"I don't know" Aang said annoyed, it was very clear that this whole Avatar thing was causing him a lot of stress.
"We're going to help you Aang. I think I might have some scrolls that can help us. I found them in the temple, but I haven't really read them yet, so I'm not sure what's in them. But it's worth a try" Miko smiled supportingly, trying to lighten the mood, but Aang just sent her a small smile. She had decided already before she really woke up to not tell the others about the strange dream, as it was most likely just that, a dream.
They looked around the land for a few minutes, without really finding anything useful. Miko had placed herself back in Appa's saddle, watching her friends. She hoped to maybe get some sleep, but she didn't know if she should try to relax or read the scrolls she had told Aang about.
Aang had slumped down on the ground a few feet away from the others, and Sokka was sitting down next to Appa, while Katara seemed to have finally found something.
"Hey Aang! You ready to be cheered up?" she asked and walked over to him.
"No" Aang muttered, not looking up at her. Katara rolled her eyes and threw a acorn at him, making Aang wince and rub the back of his head. Miko's eyes widened in surprise and Sokka started giggling.
"Ow! Hey, how is that cheering me up?" he exclaimed, glaring at Katara.
"Cheered me up" Sokka laughed, making Katara throw an acorn at him to, something that caused Miko to double over in laughter.
"Ow! Yeah, I probably deserved that" he sighed as he rubbed his forehead.
"These acorn are everywhere, Aang. That means the forest will grow back! Every one of these will be a tall oak tree someday, and all the birds and animals that lived her will come back" Katara smiled as she handed him the acorn, finally succeeding in lightening the mood.
"Thanks Katara" Aang smiled. Miko grinned at their moment, which was cut short as she saw an old man approaching them.
"Guys, someone's coming" Miko warned the others, who all got to their feet in case the person was dangerous.
"Hey, who are you?" Sokka asked suspiciously, walking closer to Miko as if to protect her. Miko saw it, and bit her lip lightly, hoping that her blush weren't to noticeable.
"When I saw the flying bison, I thought it was impossible! But, those markings... are you the Avatar, child?" the old man asked. Aang hesitated, looking over at Katara for confirmation, and she nodded back to him with a small smile. Aang turned towards the old man again, nodding as a answer to his question.
"My village desperately needs your help!" the man suddenly exclaimed, startling Miko slightly.
The gang agreed to help the man's village so they were now following him to his home place, the Senlin Village, where he then showed them to the centre building.
The town they walked through were mostly damaged, and it looked almost abounded except the people who were standing together in the main building, as if they were hiding from someone.
"This young person is the Avatar" the old man exclaimed as they entered the room.
"So the rumours of your return are true! It is the greatest honour of a lifetime to be in your presence" someone who looked to be the leader said in a greeting to Aang.
"Nice to meet you too! So... is there something I can help you with?" Aang answered awkwardly. It was very clear that he didn't have much experience in this Avatar thing.
"I'm not sure" the leader said hesitantly, as if he doubted Aang would be able to help them.
"Our village is in crisis, he's out only hope! For the last few days at sunset, a spirit monster comes and attacks out village. He is Hei Bai, the black and white spirit" the old man said, turning the last part to Aang, hoping to convince him to help.
"Why is it attacking you?" Sokka asked with a confused expression. Spirits didn't just attack villages without reason.
"We don't know, but each of the three last nights, he has abducted one of our own. We are especially fearful because the winter solstice draws near" the leader sighed, looking around his ruined village.
"What happens then?" Katara asked, her eyes wide.
"As the solstice approaches, the natural world and the Spirit World grow closer and closer until the line between them is blurred completely" Miko answered, remembering her mothers teaching from when she was little.
"That's right. Hei Bai is already causing devastation and destruction. Once the solstice is here, there's no telling what will happen" the old man said worriedly.
"So, what do you want me to do exactly?" Aang asked, looking from the old man to the village leader.
"Who better to resolve a crisis between our world and the Spirit World than the Avatar himself? You are the great bridge between man and spirits" the old man exclaimed, his lips drawing up in a relieved smile.
"Right, that's me" Aang muttered, he looked really uncertain on what to do.
"Hey great bridge guy, could I talk to you over here for a second?" Katara interrupted the conversation, leading Aang over to the windows.
"Aang, you seem a little unsure about all of this" Katara whispered to him, and Aang nodded sadly.
"Yeah, that might be because I don't know anything at all about the Spirit World. It's not like there's someone to teach me this stuff!" Aang exclaimed, frustration clear in his voice.
"So can you help these people?" Katara asked.
"I have to try, don't I? Maybe whatever I have to do will just... come to me" Aang sighed. Miko and Sokka walked over with them, standing next to the two.
"We think you can do it Aang! I'll read through my grandmothers scrolls and see what I can find" Miko smiled reassuringly.
"Yeah. We're all going to be eaten by a spirit monster" Sokka sighed with a similar smile on his face. Miko turned around to glare at him.
"If you're so certain that Aang will fail, why don't you come with me and read through the scrolls?" Miko snapped at him, causing Sokka to take a step away with his hands raised in surrender. Katara and Aang looked at her with wide eyes, surprised by her sudden change in mood.
"Ugh, sorry guys. This pregnancy is giving me incredible mood swings" Miko sighed.
"But seriously, I could really use some help, there's a lot of scrolls, and I'm a bit tired" Miko yawned, underlining her sentence.
"Sure, I'll help you out" Sokka smiled.
The rest of the day, Sokka and Miko were buried in a stack of scrolls with different theories about the Spirit World, and they did find something useful, but they couldn't be certain. Besides, it seemed dangerous, so they decided not to tell Katara and Aang.
"Hey guys, Aang is going to face Hei Bai now, wanna come?" Katara asked as she entered the room. She did a double take as she took in Miko appearance. The older girl looked like she was about to faint, and worry lines were starting to form on her forehead.
"Okay, Sokka, you come with me, Miko, you get some sleep. You and the baby needs it. And I want you to see a healer tomorrow, if there is one in this village, just to make sure the baby's okay" Katara ordered, taking the role as protective mother, something Miko felt like she really needed right now.
Sokka and Miko didn't say anything, they just nodded and followed the waterbender's orders.
Miko went to bed not long after Sokka and Katara left the room, and she fell asleep immediately. She didn't even wake up when Sokka was taken by Hei Bai.
When Miko finally woke up, she was noted that Sokka had been taken by the spirit, Aang was missing and Katara had went to look for the two of them.
She carefully got up from the bed, Momo jumping onto her shoulder as soon as she was done braiding her hair.
Miko made sure to follow Katara's instructions, and went to see the healer. There she was told that both her and the baby were fine, and after a small breakfast, she went back to the scrolls she and Sokka had been reading the day before.
The pregnant girl had completely lost track of time when Katara burst into her room.
"Aang is back!" she exclaimed. Miko leapt to her feet and stormed out of the house.
"You idiot! Do you know how scared I was?! Where were you?" she yelled at Aang. Miko felt a responsibility towards the younger airbender, and when she learned that he was missing, she was scared out of her mind.
"I'm sorry I scared you Miko. And I think I were in the Spirit World, where I think I've found a colouration to the problem" Aang grinned and held up a single acorn. Miko sent him a questioning look, but her shook it of, getting himself ready to face Hei Bai yet again.
That evening, Miko didn't really pay attention to what was happening, she was feeling ill, and she had thrown up earlier. The healer said that it was normal, and that it was just the baby who disagreed with the food she had eaten earlier.
"Miko, Sokka's back!" she was thrown back into reality when she heard Aang's voice through the window. She got on her feet and look out on the street, where she saw Sokka hugging his sister.
Miko ran down the stairs and out of the house, then she hurried over to Sokka, who was now waiting for her besides his sister.
"Thank the spirits that you're okay?" she muttered as she threw her arms around her neck. Sokka was startled, but after a short second of hesitation, he hugged her to him. The two seemed to forget that they were not alone, until Katara coughed to get their attention, causing them to break apart with a light blush.
"How are you feeling?" Miko asked carefully, checking Sokka's visible skin for any injuries.
"Like I seriously need to use the bathroom" he groaned, then he hurried away to find a toilet.
The gang were now standing together in front of the leader of the village, who had an extremely thankful look on his face.
"Thank you, Avatar. If only there were a way to repay you for what you have done" he said, gratitude glowing in his eyes.
"You could give us some supplies, maybe herbs for miss pregnant over here, and some money" Sokka grinned, causing Miko's eyes to widen in disbelief.
"Sokka!" Katara exclaimed, shocked at her brothers bluntness.
"What? We need stuff. And we've got to make sure that Miko's healthy" Sokka said sheepishly. When he mention her name, and the single fact that he cared for her, caused Miko to blush.
"It would be an honour to help you prepare for your journey" the village leader grinned, then he walked away.
"I'm so proud of you Aang. You figured out what to do, all on your own" Katara said, both Katara and Miko seemed less tense now than they had been after Sokka and Aang disappeared.
"Actually, I did have a little help, and there's something else" Aang said and rubbed the back of his neck.
"What is it?" Sokka asked as he put an arm around Miko's shoulder. She had grown used to him touching her, though he was careful not to push her boundaries.
"I need to talk to Roku, and I think I found a way to contact his spirit" Aang said carefully. He looked a little uncertain, like he was afraid that his friends would brush him of.
"That's great!" Miko grinned. The Avatar was supposed to get help from his previous lives, so Aang getting in touch with Roku would be a good thing.
"Creepy, but great" Sokka added, and Miko nudged him in the stomach, wanting him to shut up.
"There's a temple on a crescent-shaped island, and if I go there on the solstice, I'll be able to speak with him" Aang spoke, but Miko could sense that there was something he was a little scared to tell them.
"But the solstice is tomorrow!" Katara exclaimed, her eyes wide.
"Yeah, and there's one more problem. The island is in the Fire Nation" Aang muttered. Miko sucked in a harsh breath, fear filling her entire being.
"Don't worry Miko, we'll sleep on it, and see what happens" Katara smiled softly. Sokka tightened his hold on her shoulders, leading her towards the house they had been sleeping in.
It was late at night when Miko woke to the sound of Appa groaning in the courtyard. She shot up from her bed and hurried over to the window. Aang was tugging at Appa's reins, trying to get the massive bison to move, but Appa was resisting, like he really didn't want to agree to Aang's idea.
"Sokka, Katara, wake up! Aang is leaving" Miko exclaimed and ran down the steps, the water tribe siblings following close behind her.
"So get your big butt off the ground and let's go!" was the first thing they heard Aang say as they reached him. Miko was shocked that Aang was really going to leave them behind.
"I think his big butt is trying to tell you something" Sokka said from beside Miko, startling Aang, causing him to fall backwards. The villagers had now gathered behind Katara, Sokka and Miko, looking at the Avatar in curiosity.
Aang sat up and looked at his friends bashfully.
"Please don't go Aang. The world can't afford to lose you to the Fire Nation, and neither can I" Katara pleaded, her face showing desperation as Aang stands up to avoid answering.
"Same goes for me Aang, I just found out that I'm not alone. You're my brother now, and I don't want the Fire Nation to get their hands on you" Miko sighed, her eyes furrowed in concern. Aang looks away from them, thinking back to what Avatar Roku's dragon had showed him.
"But I have to talk to Avatar Roku to find out what my vision means. I need to get to the Fire Temple before the sun sets on the solstice. That's today!" Aang exclaimed, trying to get his point across to his friends.
Aang airbended himself onto Appa's head, looking back down as his friends with a saddened expression as he prepared to leave them behind. But before the bison could do anything more than stand up, Sokka, Katara and Miko stepped in front of them, preventing them from flying away.
"We're not letting you go into the Fire Nation, Aang" Katara snapped. Aang looked over at the three of them as Sokka continued.
"At least, not without your friends. We've got your back" Aang smiled happily, and Appa took a step forward and licked Sokka, all of Sokka. The water tribe boy groaned in annoyance and disgust, trying to dry of the bison saliva that now covered him.
Katara, Miko and Sokka climbed onto Appa's saddle, getting ready for the coming flight.
"Are you sure you should come with Miko, with the baby and everything?" Sokka asked, worry filling his features.
"No way I'm letting you go into the Fire Nation alone. Out of the four of us, I've got the most experience in dealing with Fire Nation people. I'm going" Miko said, the tone in her voice didn't leave any possibility for discussion.
"It's a long journey to the Crescent Island. You'll have to fly fast to have any chance of making it before sundown. Good luck" the village leader handed Aang a bundle of supplies.
"Thank you for your-" Aang started to thank the man, but he was sharply interrupted.
"Go!" the man snapped and pointed towards the sea. Appa took of and Aang steered him towards the ocean. They fly for a few minutes, Miko yawning and rubbing her eyes tiredly.
"Maybe you should try and sleep for a bit, you know, before we enter dangerous waters" Katara suggested, and Miko nodded back. She leaned backwards, resting her head in Sokka lap. He untied her hair from her braid, dragging his fingers through it. Not long after, Miko was fast asleep.
"Miko, wake up. We're getting close to the Fire Nation, you should probably be awake when we get to the border" Sokka said, shaking Miko's shoulders lightly, pulling her out of her dreamless sleep.
The older girl sat up and rubbed her tired eyes, taking in her surroundings. Katara was leaning over the edge of the saddle, watching the endless waters underneath them fearfully. The sun was already up, and Miko could tell that all her friends were nervous, she was too.
"Come on boy, we've got a long way to go. Faster" Aang said, urging the bison to speed up.
"Um Aang. We've got trouble" Katara said fearfully. Miko and Sokka went over to her, peering over the edge, spotting the Fire Nation ship that followed close behind them.
"Yeah, and it's gaining fast" Sokka shouted, putting an supporting arm around Miko's waist. She felt herself shake with fear, no matter how many times she told herself that she would not be afraid of the prince, there was no denying that what he had done had scarred her badly, both mentally and physically.
While Miko stared at the ship, shocked as to how they managed to find them, a fireball was fired from the deck.
"Aang, fireball!" she shouted to him over the roaring wind.
"I'm on it" the young Avatar yelled back, manoeuvring Appa to avoid the hit. As the fireball flies past, the gang cover their noses in disgust.
"We have to get out of Zuko's range, before he shoots another hit stinker at us!" Katara gagged, clearly not enjoying the smell.
"Can't you make Appa go faster?" Sokka asked, pulling Miko and his sister properly into the saddle. Momo flew from where he was sitting beside Aang and landed in Miko's lap, causing the girl to calm down a little.
"Yeah, but there's just one little problem" Aang called back and pointed forward. In front of Appa, on the border between Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom waters, there was a major blockade. Warship after warship following each others tails, making it unable for anyone to sneak through.
"If we fly north, we can go around the Fire Nation ships and avoid the blockade! It's the only way!" Aang exclaimed, starting to pull the reins to steer Appa away from the course.
"There is no time!" Katara yelled, making Aang snap the reins back to their original position.
"This is exactly why I didn't want you to come! It's to dangerous!" Aang sighed loudly.
"And that's exactly why we're here!" Miko snapped back. There was no way she was letting her friends go into the Fire Nation without any help at all. She had lived in the Fire Nation for five years, so she knew a thing or two about the Nation.
"Let's run this blockade!" Sokka yelled boldly, causing the three passengers to grin confidently.
"Appa, yip-yip!" Aang exclaimed, urging Appa to speed up even more.
It's seemed like the ships in the blockade now had opened fire to, as they were now pelted with fireballs, which Aang managed to avoid. After one that got to close, Appa's fur took fire. Miko went to help her friends to put it out, but Sokka just pushed her back to the middle of the saddle, Momo taking her place in stead.
"Appa, are you okay?" Aang asked, and the bison roared back as they flew higher into the sky.
The fireballs follows them to above the clouds, and Aang was having a harder time avoiding them now that he couldn't see them before it was nearly to late. After one sharp turn, Sokka was thrown out of the saddle.
"Sokka!" Katara, Miko and Aang exclaimed at the same time, fear filling them. Aang quickly turned Appa around and followed Sokka through the clouds. They got Appa underneath Sokka, and Miko and Katara managed to grab a hold of his hands, pulling him back into onto Appa, and seconds before they hit the water, Aang pulled Appa back to flying straight. They scared a fish along the way, and it jumped into the saddle, hitting Sokka right in the face.
Despite the situation they were in, Miko managed to let out a small giggle as Momo grabbed the live fish, preventing it from going back into the water.
They finally got through the blockade, relief flowing into all four of them.
"We made it!" Aang grinned ecstatically.
"We got into the Fire Nation" Sokka said stiffly, pulling a grimace.
"Great" Miko muttered, looking over her shoulder to look at Zuko's ship that was still following them.
After some more time in the air, the gang had settled down again. Sokka was sitting by Miko in the back, while Katara was leaning her arms on the front of the saddle. It had gotten darker now, the sky had been coloured red by the setting sun. Appa was groaning, obviously tired of flying, and Momo was lying curled up at Miko's side.
The peacefulness the gang felt were interrupted by Aang 's shout.
"There it is! The island where Roku's dragon took me!" he exclaimed. Sokka and Katara sat up, looking the way the young monk was pointing.
Aang steered Appa towards the island, and not long after, they had landed.
"Hey Miko, we're here. You should get up" Katara said as she shook her friend awake. Miko sat up, her messy hair pointing everywhere. The older girl huffed in annoyance, and put it in a quick and easy braid.
She jumped off Appa to joined her friend, and the large bison groaned tiredly as he laid down on the rocky mountain ground. Miko didn't pay any attention to her friends as they bantered, she was to distracted by the familiar design on the Fire Temple. The temperature on the island was uncomfortably high because of the lava that flowed from the ground, and Miko felt extremely squeamish.
"Miko, come one, we're going" Aang grinned as he walked past her, towards the temple.
"I don't see any guards" Sokka whispered as they got to the massive bridge. Miko knew that there wasn't any guards her, but she really doubted that it would be completely abandoned.
"The Fire Nation must have abandoned the temple when Avatar Roku died" Katara answered, and Miko shook her head in disagreement.
"The temple's not abandoned, there aren't any guards because it's holy, but there is people here" she told them, causing her friends to nod solemnly.
"Well, abandoned or not, it's almost sundown. We better hurry" Aang said, and they all followed him as he leaped over the wall, running through the front door.
They walked carefully into the temple, looking around to make sure no one was watching them. They got nearly halfway across the room before Sokka stopped walking.
"Wait, I think I heard something" he whispered. Miko straightened her back and scanned the room. Behind them stood five men dressed in red, with tall hats on their heads.
"We are the Fire Sages. Guardians of the temple of the Avatar!" the man in the front said. Aang lit up in excitement and took a step towards them.
"Great! I am the Avatar!" Aang grinned. Miko sensed that something was off and took a vary step forward.
"We know" the Fire Sage said, then they attacked. Miko jumped in front of Aang and deflected the fire blasts that came towards them. Aang stepped in front of her again, pushing Miko behind him and into Sokka.
"I'll hold them off. Run!" he yelled. Katara took off, ad Sokka went to follow his sister, but stopped when he noticed that Miko wasn't following.
"Come on, Miko!" he yelled and grabbed her arm, pulling her with him into the hallways. Miko knew she had been to one of these temples before, and even though this was not it, she knew they were built similar to each other. But before she got to take the lead, Aang had already reached them.
"Follow me!" he yelled, continuing his way down a hallway.
"Do you know where you're going?" Sokka cried after him as they all speed along. Aang ran in front of them, rounding a corner.
"Nope!" they heard him shout as he came back around the corner.
"Wrong way, come on!" the young monk exclaims, fear glowing in his eyes as he raced the opposite way. One of the Fire Sages rounded the corner right after him, and the gang hurried to catch up with Aang.
"Come back!"
The gang turned another corner and charged down the hallway, only to be met by a dead-end. They skidded to a halt and turned around, facing the Fire Sage, who raised his hands in peace.
"I don't want to fight! I am a friend" he explained, using his eyes to beg them to trust him, if only for a little while.
"Firebenders aren't our friends!" Sokka snapped. Aang took a step forward, placing himself between the Fire Sage and his friends as the man walked towards Aang carefully. Suddenly he dropped to the ground, kneeling in front of Aang, pressing his palms to the floor in a sign of submission. This startled the gang, and Miko's eyes widened in surprise.
"I know why you're here Avatar" he said, slowly looking up at Aang.
"You do?" Aang asked in surprise.
"Yes, you wish to speak to Avatar Roku. I can take you to him" the man said as he rose from the floor.
"How?" Miko asked sceptically, not knowing whether they could trust this man or not. Instead of answering, the Fire Sage slid back a lamplight on the wall, pressing his palm over a small hole that emerged. He sent a small fire blast into the hole, causing a secret door to open.
"This way"
"Find him!" they heard the voice of the leading Fire Sage ring through the temple, and their eyes widened in fear.
"Time is running out! Quickly!" the man in front of them urged on. The gang exchanged looks, then they shrugged and went through the passageway, deciding to trust the firebender, for now.
The gang had followed the Fire Sage into a rugged looking caverns, and the man, who they know was known as Shyu, told them the story behind them.
"Avatar Roku once called this temple his home. He formed there secret passages out of the magma" Shyu explained. Miko listened closely, she had always been a quick learner, and she enjoyed getting new information.
"Did you know Avatar Roku?" Miko asked in wonder, wondering how old this man really was. He seemed ancient.
"No. But my grandfather knew him. Many generations of Fire Sages guarded this temple long before me. We all have strong spiritual connection to this place" Shyu answered, sending Miko a quick smile.
"Is that how you knew I was coming?" Aang wondered.
"A few week ago, an amazing thing occurred. The statue of Avatar Roku; it's eyes began to glow" Shyu gleamed. It was very clear that he was excited about this whole Avatar thing.
"That was when we were at the Air Temple! Avatar Roku's eyes were glowing there too!" Katara exclaimed, grinning up at her brother.
"At that moment, we knew you had returned to the world" Shyu smiled to Aang.
"If this is the Avatar's temple, why did the sages attack me?" Aang furrowed his eyebrows, scratching the back of his head.
"This have changed. In the past, the sages were loyal to only the Avatar. When Roku died, the sages eagerly awaited for the next Avatar to return. But he6 never came" Shyu sighed, hurrying along the cave.
"They were waiting for me?" Aang whispered guiltily. Katara sent a small smile towards him, not wanting him to feel bad.
"Hey, don't feel bad. You're only a hundred years late" Sokka mocked humorously. Miko glared at him, and for once, he seemed to frown at her annoyance.
"They lost hope the Avatar would ever return. When Fire Lord Sozin began the War, my grandfather and the other sages were forced to follow him. I never wanted to serve the Fire Lord. When I learned you were coming, I knew I would have to betray the other sages" Shyu pondered, seeming lost in his own thoughts.
"Thank you for helping me" Aang whispered, and Shyu sent him a small smile.
"We'll follow these stars to the sanctuary. Once you're inside, wait for the light to hit Avatar Roku's statue. Only then will you be able to speak with him" Shyu explained as they reached the top a spiral stair case. He slid back a hidden tile and they entered the outer sanctuary.
Massive columns with dragon statues stop lined the room, and an immense door was in the end of the room.
"No!" Shyu gasped in horror.
"Shyu, what's wrong?" Aang asked, concern filling his features.
"The sanctuary doors, they're closed" Shyu whispered. Aang went over to the door, tugging uselessly at the doorhandles.
"Can't you just open them with firebending? Like you opened that other door?" Katara wondered, scanning the door.
"No. Only a fully realized Avatar is powerful enough to open this door alone. Otherwise, the sages must open this door together with five simultaneous fire blast" Shyu explained. Miko walked over to Sokka, who looked deep in thought.
"You getting something?" Miko mumbled to Sokka, who proudly stood up straight.
"Five fire blasts, huh? I think I can help you out" he grinned, looking over at the lamplight that hung on the wall.
A few minutes later, Sokka was pouring oil from the lamps into a bag.
"This is a little trick I picked up from my father. I seal the lamp oil inside an animal skin casing, Shyu lights the oil soaked twine and, ta-da! Fake firebending" Sokka exclaimed, clearly proud of his idea.
"You've really outdone yourself this time, Sokka" Katara said, clearly impressed.
"This might actually work" Shyu smiled excitedly.
Sokka finally got the last bag into the dragon opening on the door.
"The sages will hear the explosion, so as soon as they go off, you rush in" Shyu said sternly, making sure that Aang understood the plan.
"It's almost sunset. Are you ready?" Miko asked Aang from where she hid behind a column, holding Momo close to her chest.
"Definitely" Aang answered, determination lighting up his eyes.
Shyu got his place next to the door, thrusting his finger forward. A small flare raced across the door, lighting all five bags at once. Shyu hurried away from the now lit bombs, then there was an intense explosion. Aang ran forward through the smoke, only to discover that the door was still closed as he tugged on the handles.
"They're still locked" he exclaimed, turning towards his friends.
"It didn't work" Shyu sighed sadly. Katara, Miko and Sokka stood up from behind their columns, walking over to Aang, who was sending airbending slices at the doors.
"Why, won't, it, open!?" he growled angrily.
"Aang! Stop! There's nothing else we can do" Katara spoke calmly, grabbing his arm trying to calm him down.
"I'm sorry I put you through all of this for nothing. Specially you Miko" Aang sighed glumly. Miko sent him a supporting smile, showing him that she was okay, and that it was no trouble at all.
"I don't get it. That fire blast looked as strong as any firebending I've ever seen" Sokka muttered to Miko, and himself, as he examined the explosion.
"Sokka, you're a genius!" Miko exclaimed suddenly, making Aang and Katara look at her in shock. Aang looked confused, but it seemed as if Katara caught on quickly.
"Wait. How is Sokka a genius? His plan didn't even work." Aang furrowed his eyebrows.
"Come on Aang. Let her dream" Sokka sighed as he leaned on the door.
"You're right Miko. Sure Aang, Sokka's plan didn't work. But it looks like it did" Katara continued, telling the guys hers and Miko's plan.
"Did the definition of genius change over the last hundred years?" Aang spoke dubiously. Miko only grinned slyly towards Aang and walked over to Katara.
After finally getting the boys to understand the plan, Katara, Miko, Sokka and Aang was hiding behind the columns as Shyu made himself ready to trick the sages. The other old men ran into the sanctuary, and Shyu told them the lie.
"Come quickly! The Avatar has entered the sanctuary" he exclaimed.
"How did he get in?" the oldest of the men asked in confusion, but Shyu only shrugged his shoulders.
"I don't know. But look at the scorch marks! And down there!" Shyu cried out, pointing to a shadow that crept along the bottom of the door.
"He's inside! Open the doors, immediately! Before he contacts Avatar Roku!" one of the sages yelled. Miko looked over at Aang as he got into his position behind a closer column, getting ready for when the door opened. The five Fire Sages used their firebending to open the locks, and the massive doors slide open. Only to reveal Momo on the inside.
"It's the Avatars lemur. He must have crawled through the pipes! We've been tricked!" the old man yelled loudly, anger flaring up in his eyes.
Momo quickly jumped into action, he leaped onto the leading Fire Sage and clung to his hat. Katara charged forward, pulling the tunic over a nearby sage's head, effectively blinding him. Sokka grabbed the lower skirt of another sage's outfit, lifting it to completely cover his entire head.
Miko was about to go and help, when she was grabbed from behind. A hand went to cover her mouth, keeping her close to her captors body. She desperately tried to look at the person behind her, but the all she could see was that Aang had been taken too.
"Now Aang!" they could hear Shyu exclaim from the other side of the column. It was nothing to to, as Miko's mouth was still covered by the hand, and Aang had gotten some sort of gag stuck in his mouth, while their captor held both of Aang's hands tightly in his.
"Aang! Now's your change!" Katara yelled. The person behind them finally decided to step forward, dragging Miko and Aang in front of the column.
"The Avatar is coming with me! And so is Miko! Close the doors, quickly!" a familiar voice snapped, and Miko's body went rigid. She couldn't move a muscle, even her mind was frozen in fear for the prince that now held her. Sokka, Katara and Shyu stared at prince Zuko, who now had Miko and Aang captive.
The other sages used the surprise to overthrow the three of them, pinning them all down.
Zuko tugged on Aang's arms as he forced Miko in front of him towards the main stairs. Miko shivered in shock, memories and flashbacks hitting her like a ton of stone. She could remember every single punch, she could vision every kick and she could feel every burn. The massive burn on her forearm, which had started to scar, stung lightly as she remembered the pain she felt when she first got it. But it was nothing she could do to stop Zuko, as she was to afraid to move.
Aang glanced over his shoulder, sending a look to Sokka and Katara who were being chained to a column, then he glanced over at Miko. The fear in her eyes seemed to snap him back to reality. He broke free from Zuko's grip, causing the prince to lose his hold on Miko, then he sent the prince flying down the stairs.
Aang grabbed Miko's hand, which seemingly shook her out of a flashback. She shuddered lightly, then she looked over at Aang. The young monk sent her a look, then looking over at the closing sanctuary doors with concern in his eyes.
"Go!" they could hear Katara shout from her place next to her brother. Aang sent Miko a questioning look, and she nodded, motioning for him to enter the sanctuary and not worry about her.
Aang seemed to finally get the point, and ran for the doors. He leapt over two sages, jumping of the leading Fire Sage's head, and sailed through the doors just as they closed.
"He made it!" Miko cheered loudly, then her body froze again as Zuko came up behind her, grabbing her around the waist and taking a good hold of her braided hair.
"He might have done it, but if I were you, I would be a little more concerned of myself" he sneered angrily into her ear, causing a shiver of disgust to run up her spine.
Zuko forced Miko over to the column across from Katara and Sokka, using another chain to tie her up.
"You just wait. When we get back to the ship, you're going to get a punishment so hard that it will be carved into your mind forever" Zuko snapped in her ear as he finished chaining her. He underlined his statement by slapping her in the face, leaving a bright red hand print.
"Hey! Leave her alone!" Sokka yelled from across the room, but Zuko ignored him, sending a harsh glare at Miko.
Zuko turned to the sages, ordering them to help him open the door. They all lined up and shot fire into the locks, but the door wouldn't budge.
"Why isn't it working? It's still sealed shut!" Zuko growled furiously.
"It must have been the light, Avatar Roku doesn't want us inside" the leader sage commented. Zuko groaned loudly, and walked towards Miko, who closed her eyes is fear of what was coming. But before he could do anything, he turned around and walked to where the sages kept Shyu.
"Why did you help the Avatar?" Zuko snapped harshly, glaring at the old man in front of him.
"Because it was once the sage's duty. It is still our duty" Shyu replied sadly, though his back was straightened with pride. Their interrogation were interrupted by slow clapping coming from the shadows. Miko looked towards the sound, and her eyes widened at the sigh of the man who destroyed her village. Commander Zhao.
"What a moving and heartfelt performance. I'm certain the Fire Lord will understand, when you explain why you betrayed him" Zhao snapped as he approached them, six guards following close behind him.
"Commander Zhao" the other Fire Sages bowed to the commander, completely abandoning Zuko.
"Prince Zuko. It was a noble effort but your little smokescreen didn't work. And I see you found your servant, seems like little Miko grew out of her village, and her prince. Three traitors in one day, the Fire Lord will be pleased" Zhao smiled wickedly as two of his guards grabbed Zuko's arms, dragging him towards the column where Miko was bound.
"You're to late, Zhao! The Avatar's inside and the doors are sealed" Zuko snapped as he strained against the guard as he was chained next to Miko on the column.
"No matter. Sooner or later, he has to come out" Zhao grinned confidently. Miko sent a concerned look over to Katara and Sokka, who looked more scared for her than for Aang at the moment.
"When those doors opens, unleash all your fire power!" Zhao yelled sharply, commanding his men into their places.
"How's Aang gonna make it out of this" Katara asked her brother worriedly, looking from Miko and over to the doors.
"How are we gonna make it out of this?" Sokka countered, not taking his eyes from Miko for a second. The doors creaked as they slid open, revealing two glowing eyes in the darkness.
"Ready" Zhao yelled, him and his guards getting into their fight stances.
"No! Aang!" Katara screamed, hoping to get through to the young monk. Miko had no words, she could only hope that she could get away from Zuko without any major wounds.
"Fire!" Commander Zhao ordered, and they all opened fire, sending blast after blast through the door, but it never hit it's target. It seemed like someone else had control over the fire as it started to circle around the form of Avatar Roku.
"Avatar Roku" Shyu exclaimed, awe-stricken. Avatar Roku draws the fire together in one motion, only to send it forward in one powerful wave. Zhao, his guards and the Fire Sages are all sent flying backwards, and the chains that help Miko, Sokka, Katara and Zuko to the columns, melted away. Avatar Roku's eyes shone with rage, and the other sages turned to run from the Avatar's wrath.
"Avatar Roku is going to destroy the temple! We have to get out of ere!" Shyu exclaimed, running over to Miko and grabbing her hand.
"Not without Aang!" Katara snapped back, turning back towards the figure in the sanctuary door.
Avatar Roku knelt forwards, striking the floor, causing it to melt. As the Avatar steadily lifted his hand, lava flowed from the crack in the tiles, sending lava soaring through the temple, tearing it apart.
Katara, Sokka and Miko huddled together behind a column. Sokka was leaning over Katara and Miko, protecting them from the flying debris that was left in the lava's trail. The flow stopped as Avatar Roku lowered his hand to the floor, and his form disappear, leaving a tired Aang behind.
The young Avatar weakly dropped to his knees as his friends reached him.
"We got your back" Sokka said supportingly as him and Katara lifted him back on his feet.
"Thanks, where's Shyu?" Aang asked, looking around for the older man.
"I don't know" Katara muttered as she helped Sokka carry Aang, while Miko used her airbending to clear the way for them.
The gang encountered a little problem when they reached the staircase, discovering that it was filled with lava, leaving them with no way of escaping.
Miko walked quickly over to a window and gasped loudly as she saw Appa and Momo closing in.
"Guys, our ride's here!" She yelled, and the others ran over to her. The four of them leapt out of the temple and landed safely in Appa's saddle as the temple exploded.
Sokka quickly turned to Miko, starting to check her for injuries.
"What happened? Are you okay? Zuko didn't hurt you, did he?" he asked questions faster then Miko could answer, so she just smile lightly and shook her head.
"Nothing big happened, he just scared me, and brought back some bad memories. I'm completely fine, and Zuko did not hurt me, except my cheek"
"Is there anything we can help with?" Katara asked carefully, looking over at Aang, who also looked a bit tired.
"How about you guys help Aang out, and I'll just get some food and sleep" Miko suggested, digging a slice of bread out of her bag. She was lucky that the only food she really craved was bread, cause that was something they always had.
"You sure?" Sokka asked, and Miko just nodded.
The rest of the trip went in silence, and not long after, Miko had eaten her bread and fallen asleep.
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I AM SO SORRY THAT THIS HAS TAKEN SO LONG TIME, I FEEL HORRIBLE!! >_< I'm sporting a massive writers block, and I've just started a new school, so I'm stressed out and exhausted >.< But I'm trying to work around a f*ucked up sleeping schedule and homework and writers block ;D
How was this one? Seriously long, that's for sure O_O ^_^
Picture of Avatar Roku bringing down the temple
And maybe you could help me with some ship names? O_O And baby names and gender XD
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ME\(^_^)/