"Let's go Appa. Come on boy!" I heard Aang yell as he was pulling Appa's reins. Appa roared and Aang stopped. "Look, I'm sorry but Katara, Sokka and Alara aren't coming to the Fire Nation With us. If they got hurt, I'd never forgive myself." He looked down and back at Appa. "So get your big butt off the ground and lets go!" Aang pulled again but he ended falling on his butt.
"You really thought I was going to let you do this alone?" I extended a hand for him and pulled him up.
"Please don't go Aang. The world can't afford to lose you to the Fire Nation." Katara pleaded. "Neither can I."
"But I have to talk to Avatar Roku to find out what my vision means." He walked towards Katara and Sokka. "I need to get to the Fire Temple before the sun sets on the solstice. That's today!" He jumped up to Appa's back.
"Hold on there Aang." I quickly stood in front of Appa with Katara and Sokka beside me. "We're not letting you go into the Fire Nation. At least not without us."
"We've got your back." Sokka added, earning him a lick from Appa. "EW!"
With that we hopped on Appa and flew to the crescent island. I haven't told Aang about my talk with Avatar Kyoshi, I knew I should but, he's handling so much now isn't the right time. I glanced at him and at the two water tribe members. "Soon, I'll tell them soon."
The sun was starting to rise meaning we're running out of time. "C'mon boy, we've go a long way to go. Faster!" Aang yelled.
"Fireball!" Katara yelled in fear.
"I'm on it!" Aang pulled the reins and dodged the ball. It smelled horrible.
"We have to get out of Zuko's range before he shoots another hot stinker at us." Katara said while covering her nose.
"Can't you make Appa a little faster?" Sokka asked.
"He could but there's a slight problem." I told him as I pointed towards the ships. "A blockade."
"If we fly north we can go around the Fire Nation ships and avoid the blockade. It's the only way." Aang gave us a worried look.
"There's no time!" Katara yelled.
"This is exactly why I didn't want you to come. It's too dangerous."
"And that's exactly why we're here." Katara assured him.
I placed a hand on his shoulder. "Go I'll cover." I grabbed his glider. "Mind if I borrow this?"
He nodded, "Appa yip yip!"
Aang tried his best to avoid the fireballs. I jumped off using Aang's glider, I directed the fireballs away as best as I could. But then I heard screaming, I looked up and saw Sokka falling. "Sokka!" I reached for his hand. He grabbed it just as Appa went to our level. Sokka jumped down to Appa's back, me following behind him.
"Thanks Alara."
"I wasn't about to lose you twice now." I joked.
Sokka chuckled but then stopped. "Uh Alara your headband is on fire." Sokka pointed out.
"WHAT!" I swatted it away only for it to fall off Appa. I watched as it slowly fell. "Well there's no point in hiding I'm an airbender now."
"Well we did just flew right through a fire nation blockade." Sokka remarked as a fish smashed into his face. Momo happily caught it.
I smiled, "Wonder where my headband landed?" But my smile quickly faded as a fireball was heading directly towards us. I ran off Appa and jumped sending a kick, air blasting through it destroying the fireball. As soon as it was done, I scrambled. Luckily Sokka and Katara got me before I fell.
We flew past the blockade. "We made it!" Aang yelled as he threw a fist in the air.
"We got into the Fire Nation." Sokka said with a worried look. "Great."
I looked back at the blockade. Zuko's ship was nearing the blockade. I thought they wouldn't make it but then, they let him pass. "What are you doing Prince Zuko?"
Time passed, I tried to switch places with Aang but he insisted on staying. Soon the sky eventually became orange, meaning the solstice was coming. "There it is!" Aang beamed. "The island where Roku's dragon took me."
We landed making sure Appa wouldn't be seen. "You did it, buddy. Nice flying." Aang hugged him. Appa rolled on his back.
"You must be tired." Katara giggled rubbing his stomach.
"No." Sokka stretched. "I'm good. Refreshed and ready to fight some firebenders."
Katara glared at him as I flicked his forehead. "She meant Appa."
"Well I was talking to Momo." He gestured to Momo who was hanging on a branch.
We walked towards the Temple, it seemed empty. "I don't see any guards."
"The Fire Nation must have abandoned the Temple when Avatar Roku died." Katara commented.
"It's almost sundown we better hurry." Aang ran up the stairs, the rest of us following behind him.
We passed halls and halls but then Sokka stopped us. "Wait, I think I heard something."
We turned to look behind us. A group of old men covered the path one of the paths. "We are the Fire sages." Said the middle one. "Guardians of the Temple of the Avatar."
"Great. I am the Avatar." Aang spoke up.
"We know." He jabbed Fire at us.
Aang dispersed it. "I'll hold them off! Run!" Katara and Sokka continued to run but I stayed behind. "Alara!"
I kicked a wave of air towards the sages making them fall. "I thought I already made it clear back then Aang." I said while we were running back to Katara and Sokka. "I'm not letting you do this alone."
We caught up with them and Aang led the way. "Follow me!"
"Do you know where you're going?!" Sokka asked as he was running after Aang.
"Nope." Aang backtracked and quickly ran the other way. "WRONG WAY!"
We followed Aang but we reached a dead end. "I don't want to fight you." One of the Fire sages approached us. "I am a friend."
"Firebenders aren't our friends." Sokka told the Fire sage.
He then knelt down. "I know why you're here, Avatar."
"You do?" Aang asked as he lowered his hands.
"Yes." The Fire sage got up. "You wish to speak to Avatar Roku. I can take you to him."
"How?" Aang asked a bit suspicious.
The Fire sage grabbed one of the lamps and turned it, revealing a small hole. He pressed his hand to it and revealed another passage. "Time is running out quickly!" We looked at each other and went in the passage.
"Avatar Roku once called this temple his home." We were walking down a huge staircase. "He formed these secret passages out of the magma."
"Did you know Avatar Roku?" Aang asked him.
"No, but my grandfather knew him." He replied. "Many generations of Fire Sages guarded this temple long before me. We all have a strong spiritual connection to this place."
"Is that how you knew I was coming?"
"A few weeks ago, an amazing thing occurred. The statue of Avatar Roku, its eyes began to glow."
"That's when we were at the Southern Air Temple." Katara spoke up. "Avatar Roku's eyes were glowing there too."
"At that moment, we knew you had returned to the world." The Fire sage continued.
"If this is the Avatar's temple, why did the sages attack me?" Aang questioned.
"Things have changed." He paused. "In the past, the sages were loyal only to the Avatar. "When Roku died, the sages eagerly awaited for the next Avatar to return but he never came."
"They were waiting for me." Aang stopped walking and leaned on the side.
"Hey don't feel bad." Sokka went to place a hand on his shoulder. "You're only a hundred years late."
Aang and I glared at him, the Fire sage turned to look at Aang. "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." He shook his head. "I never wanted to serve the Fire Lord. When I learned you were coming, I knew I would have to betray the other sages."
Aang smiled at him. "Thank you for helping me."
He returned the smile and continued leading us. "We'll follow these stairs 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."
We finally were able to reach the top, but then he gasped. "No..."
"Shyu what's wrong?" Aang asked.
"The sanctuary doors. They're closed."
"Can't you just open them with firebending, like you opened that other door?" Katara asked him.
"No" He told them. "Only a fully-realized Avatar is powerful enough to open this door alone. Otherwise, the sages must open the doors together with five simultaneous fire blast."
"Five Fire blasts, huh?" Sokka asked.
"What's going in that big forehead of yours Sokka?" I questioned him.
"My forehead isn't that big!" He huffed and looked up at the lamp. "But I think I can help you out."
"This is a little trick I picked up from my father." Sokka tied the bags up. "I seal the lamp oil inside an animal skin casing. Shyu lights the oil-soaked twine and tada!" He showed us the bag. "Fake firebending."
"Not bad." I told him.
"You've really outdone yourself this time Sokka." Katara was impressed.
Sokka placed the bags on each of the openings. "The sages will hear the explosions as soon as they go off, you rush in." Shyu warned us.
Sokka ran behind the pillar with Katara. "It's almost sunset. Are you ready?"
"Definitely." Aang replied.
Shyu lighted it up and we waited. He went behind the pillar with Aang and I. It exploded; Aang went and tried to open the door but it didn't budge. "They're still locked!"
"It didn't work." Sokka said sadly.
I looked at the door closely. "But it looks like it did."
"Alara you're right!" Katara said, catching on.
"Wait how is Alara right?" Aang asked her.
"Sokka's plan didn't work, but it looks like it did." Katara explained.
"Did the definition of right change in the last hundred years?" Aang asked still confused. Katara and I giggled.
"Come quickly the Avatar has ententes the sanctuary!" Shyu yelled leading his fellow sages to the door.
"How did he get in?" One them asked.
"I don't know, but look at the scorch marks and down there." Shyu pointed.
"He's inside!" The middle one yelled. "Open the doors immediately, before he contacts Avatar Roku."
We quietly moved closer, getting ready for them to open the door. They blasted fire at the door and it opened, revealing Momo sneezing. "It's the Avatar's lemur. He must have crawled through the pipes! We've been tricked!" Momo jumped on his face.
Shyu jumped on the other sages and so did we, knocking them down. "Now Aang!"
"Aang nows your chance!" Katara yelled.
"The Avatar is coming with me." Zuko appeared behind the pillars holding Aang's arms back.
The sages got the upper-hand and quickly got back on Shyu, Sokka and Katara. I tried to fight back but I was hit it the back. I groaned, they tied me up beside the pillar of Sokka and Katara. "Zuko! Don't you dare-" I yelled but got interrupted as Aang quickly maneuvered out of Zuko's hold and sent him flying.
"Aang the door! Go!" I yelled at him gesturing to the door. He jumped in and it closed.
"He made it!" Katara exclaimed in relief.
They tried to open the door again only this time it didn't budge. "Why isn't it working? It's sealed shut!" Zuko shouted.
"Poor Hothead, missed another chance with the Avatar." I teased earning a glare from him.
"It must have been the light. Avatar Roku doesn't want us inside." One of the sages replied.
"Why did you help the Avatar?" Zuko questioned Shyu.
"Because it was once the sages' duty." He replied. "It is still our duty."
Someone started to clap, it was Zhao. "What a moving and heartfelt performance. I'm certain the Firelord will understand when you explain why you betrayed him."
He turned to Zuko. "And Prince Zuko, it was a noble effort, but your little smokescreen didn't work." Zuko glared at him and he continued. "Two traitors in one day. The Firelord will be pleased."
A soldier came to get Zuko. "You're too late Zhao! The Avatar's inside and the doors are sealed."
"No matter. Sooner or later, he has to come out." Zhao smiled, I wanted to punch that smile right out of his face.
They tied Zuko up beside me. I could tell he was glaring at me. "Are you gonna say something or you're just gonna glare at me the whole time?" I whispered.
Silence.
I sighed and mumbled. "You know I don't get you at times." Zuko muttered something under his breathe but I couldn't quite catch it.
Several minutes later the door was opening. "No Aang!" Katara yelled.
The door opened only to not reveal Aang but Avatar Roku. He bent all the fire away letting the chains break. Zuko tried to get away but I grabbed his sleeve. "What?!" He yelled, then a chunk of the ceiling dropped beside him. He was shocked for a moment but it disappeared quickly.
"Keep this up Hothead and I may just always need to save your life." I teased.
"I don't need your help!" He yelled at me.
I rolled my eyes at him. "Yet here we are." Another chunk fell, but this time it was on top of us. I quickly pushed Zuko out of the way but that made me fall on top of him.
"You we're saying?" I smirked. Just then I realized I was a tiny bit too close to him. I blinked and got off. We stared at each other just for a second before Katara's voice rang in my ears. "Alara!"
I turned to Katara and she pointed to Aang. I looked back and Zuko was gone. Shaking my head, I went towards my brother. "Aang!"
Katara and Sokka carried him up. We tried looking for a way out but every exit was covered in lava. There was an opening on the wall but we couldn't jump it was too high. Suddenly, Appa appeared, we quickly slid on the roof and we jumped on Appa. Flying away as fast as we could.
Everyone was catching their breathe. Aang sat on the side, looking down. I went beside him and hugged him, Katara and Sokka followed. We were all just happy to be out of there.