(a/n) - a bunch of dashes mean a POV change from 1st to 3rd person or vice versa
A ray of light broke into the cold, dark room, illuminating the thick blanket of dust that had settled on every possible surface. The room was still; everything was quiet and nothing moved. It must have been this way for a few decades at least, untouched by the usual wear and tear that happens to abandoned buildings. Then again, it wasn't completely abandoned.
The bright light settled on the face of a young girl, no more than twelve years old. She lay on a bed - the only piece of furniture in the room that wasn't coated in dust. Judging by the state of the room, she hadn't moved in a long time. But now, things were about to change. The warm sunlight washed over her closed eyes, gently breaking through her sleep. Her eyelids twitched for a few seconds. She woke up.
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I looked over the room, eyes gradually adjusting to the light, and tried to take in every detail. Where was I? Why was I here? And, most importantly, how long had I been here for? And... Who was I?
Confused, I sat up and tried again to understand something from my surroundings. At the foot of my bed, there was a note written on fragile yellow paper. It looked old, as if my only clue to getting any kind of answers would disintegrate at the lightest touch. But, oh well, what other choice did I have? I unfolded the note and began reading.
Dear (y/n), I don't know how long you've been asleep, or if you've woken up at all, but in case we're not here to explain everything to you when you do wake up, I thought it would be best to write you a letter.
The magic we used on you was ancient and rare. We don't fully know ourselves how it works. You could wake up with no memory of your life. You could wake up decades into the future. You could remain in the spirit world forever.
The reason we were forced to use this magic was because of a series of unfortunate events that almost led to your death.
The circumstances of your passing would have been, to put it mildly, less than desirable – your troubled mental state at the time of death would have led to great difficulties in your next life - so we thought that a prolonged coma would help to calm your spirit before your rebirth. However, if we have fully succeeded, you shouldn't have died at all - your body should have healed and you should be awake and reading this. So, without further ado, here are the basics:
Your name is (y/n). You live in the Western Air Temple. You are twelve years old.
To get more information about yourself and what happened during the time you were asleep, please give this note to the first adult monk you see, and I'm sure they would be happy to explain everything. I can only hope that, by the time you wake up, there will still be Air Nomads left in the area. These are uncertain and dangerous times, and nobody knows what will become of the world in the next few months and years.
For now though, I wish you mental strength and a peaceful existence. I hope that, by the time you're awake, everything would have worked itself out.
Your mentor,
Mother Jamyang
I read the letter again and then once more for good measure. It didn't exactly tell me much. "A series of unfortunate events that almost led to your death" – what was that supposed to mean? "Troubled mental state"? "Prolonged coma"? "Western Air Temple"? "Air Nomads"? "Uncertain and dangerous times"? It was all making my head spin. But at least I knew four things for certain:
My name was (y/n), I was twelve, I was currently in the Western Air Temple (wherever that was), and I had nearly died but was magically put in a coma. Great. I rolled my eyes, realising I'd need to figure things out on my own.
I crossed the room, sneezing at least five times in the process, and opened the door. The wind was fresh and cold against my face, a sensation I hadn't felt in... How long exactly? But what surprised me the most was the view. I was on the middle floor of a building, except – the building was upside down? And it wasn't just my building; everything around it was the wrong way up. I was standing on a temple under a cliff, tucked out of the way of the world, suspended in the air. I tried my hardest not to look down.
It took me a few minutes to regain my composure. No matter what, if I wanted a better idea of what was going on, I would have to explore this mysterious structure. Find some people, some answers. Because, right now, answers were what I needed more than anything. And with that in mind, I set off to explore the Western Air Temple.
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General Tomin of the Fire Nation Army was on holiday with his wife, and what better place to go than the Western Air Temple? For him, it would be a chance to see the result of his ancestors' dedication to the Fire Lord, and for Mayako... Well, she'd probably appreciate anything foreign. She was a bit odd like that, Tomin thought, always curious about other cultures, maybe too curious. But she was his wife, and he loved her, and even if tomorrow she came to him and confessed that she'd secretly been plotting to assassinate the Fire Lord for years, and she was planning on doing it tomorrow, he would keep his mouth shut when the secret police inevitably came knocking on their door. For they would certainly come – they always did, but he loved his wife more than he loved his country. Still, it felt great looking at the deserted temple. Such a masterful work of architecture, once home of Avatar Yangchen, now conquered by the Great Fire Nation. The beautiful view, quiet and peaceful, the silent stairwells...
"Honey!" Mayako called out to her husband from about fifty meters away. She'd ran excitedly up the stairs and into the inner temple so fast that Tomin had lost sight of her, but her voice rang out clearly through the noiselessness of the deserted building.
"Yes, love?" Tomin shouted back.
"Come look at what I found! Oh, you won't believe this!"
Loudly sighing, but suppressing a small smile at his wife's enthusiasm, Tomin quickened his pace up the stairs. In a few minutes, he reached Mayako, and stood staring, dumbfounded at her discovery.
He was expecting something completely mundane, something that probably had meaning to his wife alone, something to look at for a few seconds and then immediately to forget. At best it would be something historical that would give him a deeper appreciation of the Air Nomad culture. He most definitely wasn't expecting this.
In front of him stood a young girl, not yet a teenager, dressed in the yellow and orange Air Nomad robes. Her (h/c) hair was messy and tangled, and her eyes looked inquisitively into his own. It was impossible to tell which one of the two was more confused. In her hand, she held a note. Tomin shifted his questioning eyes to his wife, a wordless request for an explanation. Mayako beamed at him.
"Look, honey, isn't she sweet?"
Tomin shook his head.
"Look Mayako, I don't know what's going on here, but this can't possibly be real. I mean this, this kid, she can't possibly be alive! All this time I thought- I was told- All the history books said..." he looked abruptly back at the girl. "Little girl, who are you? Where are your parents?"
She didn't answer, and instead handed him the note. He read it quietly, then handed it to his wife. When they'd both finished reading, they exchanged a look. If what the note said was true, then that had to mean...
"Little girl..." Tomin started, "Um, (y/n)..."
"Yes?" She replied, her voice coming out hoarser than she meant it to.
"Um," the General started again, uncertain how to ask the question, "Um, (y/n), are you the Avatar?"
He held his breath, hoping for (y/n) to deny it. Of course, bringing the Avatar to the Fire Lord would bring him great honour among his compatriots, but then the little girl would have to endure unimaginable horrors... Not to mention the very real possibility that Mayako would never speak to him again. He looked at (y/n), the silent plea visible in his eyes. (Y/n) just responded with another confused look.
"The, um, Avatar?" she asked, "What's that?"
Wow. That was not the answer Tomin expected. However, his wife was not surprised that easily.
"The Avatar has the power to master all four elements. Water, earth, fire and air! Whereas most people can only bend one element."
"Whoa, back up there!" exclaimed (y/n). "First of all, bending? Elements? What on earth is that? And secondly, I barely even know my name and age! How would I know if I'm the Avatar? You read the note! It said I might not remember anything after whatever weird magic tricks they did to me, and well, they got that right, I don't! So, um... please tell me what's going on."
Mayako's eyes lit up. She knew a long explanation was in store, but it would be worth it – after all, if (y/n)'s memory was jogged a little, who knew what the young Air Nomad might reveal? Besides, Mayako enjoyed sharing her extensive historical knowledge with others. And so, she began.
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I listened intently as Mayako explained bending to me, as well as a summary of the history of the world up until a century ago. Everything seemed fine, but then Mayako's voice grew quieter and took on a more serious tone.
"One hundred years ago... the Fire Nation started a war. A war that is still going on to this day. They started it by..." she trailed off.
"By what?" I asked, curious as to why she would stop all of a sudden.
Then, Tomin spoke. "Honey, are you sure we should tell her this? I just think that... you know, it was justified and she is an Air Nomad but she's still a child..."
"Tell me what?"
Well, I had to know now.
"It was –" started Mayako, "It was a terrible war crime that would make any decent person's blood boil." Mayako looked pointedly at her husband. "Perhaps you will find out when you're older."
"Excuse me!" retorted Tomin. "I don't know why you're looking at me like that – I'll have you know Fire Lord Sozin had no other choice! Yes, what happened was sad, but, unfortunately, sometimes sacrifices have to be made for the greater good."
Mayako's eyes lit up in anger. "The greater good?! I know you're, uh, patriotic and all, but this is beyond reason!"
"Um, Mayako, Tomin..." I tried to interject, not wanting them to fight because of me. "It's fine, we don't have to talk about –"
"Yes, sweetie, we do!" Mayako shot back. "Look, I'm sorry you have to witness this but if only you knew what exactly this buffoon was trying to defend, you would be completely on my side!"
I sighed. They had reached the stage of pure insults, there was no stopping the argument now. Defeated, I stepped back and took a seat on a patch of weeds, ready to watch the scene unfold.
"Right," said Tomin, making a last ditch attempt to reason with his wife, "I understand how you feel about this but you have to understand – the Fire Nation improves the lives of the other nations! We are the inventors, the masterminds, look at our technology! Do you really think those backwards Water Tribes can figure out how to build tanks like we can?" He scoffed. "They can't even figure out the basics of urbanization! The Earth Kingdom citizens are worse – they haven't even figured out how to take a bath! And as for those Airbending hippies –"
"That's it! Shut up, I've absolutely had it with you!" yelled Mayako. "You are not a patriot!" her voice changed abruptly to a menacing whisper. Small flames erupted from her pale hands. "You, Tomin, are a disgusting racist! You're only proud of being a firebender because you have no other significant achievements to speak of. You're a brainwashed tool, a slave to the Fire Lord, nothing but cannon fodder. I am ashamed to be married to such an oaf."
The flames were growing bigger and bigger by the second, and all I could do was hope nobody got burned. Tomin took a step closer towards her, his voice taking on a similarly ferocious growl.
"You call me a buffoon, you call me an oaf, an embarrassment – but I suggest you hold your tongue. Because right now, one word from me to the right people could land you in jail, or even worse, in the cemetery."
"Oh? A threat? Is that all that the great General Tomin is capable of when it comes to defending his ideals? I'm not scared of you. You're pathetic."
"Mayako, you have no idea –"
"No! I know very well how dangerous it is to say what I am saying, you have made that clear to me hundreds of times before! But, Tomin, the facts remain the same."
Mayako stared at her husband in disgust, before spitting out her final words.
"I would rather be imprisoned and tortured every single day for the remainder of my life than to defend a genocide."
And with that, the fight was over. A long silence ensued. I couldn't believe what I'd just heard – a genocide? A knot of dread began to form at the pit of my stomach. This was bad, very bad. But I had to ask, I had to find out the truth. I just wasn't sure I would be able to handle it.
"G-genocide?" I whispered.
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Mayako looked at the girl with wide eyes, the flames covering her hands immediately dying down.
"I'm... I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have –"
She stared at the scared little girl in front of her, eyes begging for forgiveness.
"Just tell me," said (y/n) quietly, "There's no point trying to hide anything now."
"O-okay," said Mayako, taking a deep breath. She knelt down in front of (y/n) and began. "You've been asleep for... a while. Judging by the note speaking of dangerous times... it must have been written a couple months before the start of the war. That would mean you've been asleep for ninety-seven years. You fell asleep just in time to avoid the tragedy. What happened was..." she trailed off. It was impossible to deliver this kind of news to a child so young and fragile. Nevertheless, she had to try. It was the least she could do to repay the sins of her country.
"Fire Lord Sozin was a ruthless and destructive man, seeking to dominate the world. The only person who could possibly get in the way of his goals was the Avatar, who was an airbender. So..." She took a deep breath. "So he killed all of the airbenders in the world, thus starting the Hundred Year War. If the Avatar didn't survive... you might be the last airbender there is."
With that, Mayako broke down. She wrapped her arms tightly around (y/n), whispered apologies scattered amongst her sobs. Meanwhile, (y/n) sat there in shock, trying to process the news, tears slowly forming in the corners of her eyes. She stared blankly at the sky, wondering how this was possible, how this had happened, how any of this was real. And then the realisation hit her, waves of grief crashing relentlessly onto the shore that was her mind. She was alone.
Looking at the pair huddled together crying, General Tomin felt something in his heart change. Maybe his wife had been right, after all.
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Two and a half years passed since Mayako and Tomin found me. They took me back home with them, in the end. Gave me some Fire Nation clothes, said I was the daughter of some distant relative who had perished in battle, and no more questions were asked. Mayako did it out of pity, and Tomin initially wanted to keep an eye on me in case I actually was the Avatar. He was relieved to find that I was not. In fact, I seemed to be thoroughly incapable of any kind of bending whatsoever.
I went to the Royal Fire Academy for Girls with Azula. She was meant to be one of my "best friends", so she came around to my house occasionally. Tomin knew the Fire Lord, and I guess since they both had kids around the same age, that meant we should get along.
To be fair, I did make an effort, and even kind of felt bad for Azula. It wasn't her fault her dad was a murderous dictator who forced her to dedicate her life to war. But, my goodness, after a while it got hard to feel bad for someone who tried her hardest to make me feel miserable. She had a lot to make fun of me for.
Firstly, I was the new kid. I found it hard to fit in with any pre-established friend groups.
Secondly, in the first few months after my arrival, I knew nothing about Fire Nation culture, or pretty much any subject at school. Neither did I try to pay attention – it was all propaganda anyway. Thankfully, Mayako tutored me at home so that I could catch up to the level of the rest of the class, and by the end of my first year I was actually doing quite well academically, but first impressions are lasting impressions.
Thirdly, I wasn't exactly enthusiastic about the war. When asked whether I would sacrifice my life for the Fire Lord or some other rubbish like that, I'd usually just nod, and then try to leave the conversation as soon as possible. Some people assumed I was just quiet, but Azula thought I was hiding something.
Where I didn't succeed with friends, I at least got along with my new parents. Tomin eventually warmed up to me, started agreeing with his wife more (though that didn't always mean he'd admit it). He wasn't about to go start a revolution or anything, but he was by this point far more critical of Ozai's totalitarian regime. And, when he wasn't busy with his General duties, he was a good father.
I got along with Mayako from the start. As well as tutoring me with school subjects, she also showed me her secret library. There were books about pretty much everything you could think of, but what interested us the most were the books about the other countries of the world. I got to learn more about my culture, as well as things about the Water Tribes and the Earth Kingdom.
The more I read, the harder it became for me to sit through lessons at school. It was hours upon hours of lies, stories about how firebenders were the master race and everyone else should exist only to serve them. I couldn't stand it, but I also couldn't say anything. Any opposition to the regime would have meant immediate death not only for me, but for my parents, and I just couldn't let that happen.
That's what my life was like for the two and a half years after I woke up. Then, one day, everything changed.
It started out as a normal school day, by reciting our daily oath of unconditional loyalty to the Fire Lord. Then, a lesson on bending theory, and finally before lunch, history.
My teacher paced around the classroom, alternating between scribbling on the board and shouting lies at us. Every so often, the chalk would break from the sheer violence with which he wrote. I usually tried to avoid his wrath – sat at the back, stayed quiet. It had worked for the most part. At least then I could pretend I was somewhere else, keep the anger at bay somehow. But that day, luck was not on my side.
"(y/n)!" he barked, causing me to jump in my seat.
"Y-yes?" I stammered, reluctantly standing up to answer.
"Remind us, what was the first battle of the Great War, and the reasons why it happened!"
The sinking feeling that had slowly been building up in my stomach since my name was called overcame my body in an instant. Of all questions... this one. I froze, my eyes already beginning to water.
"Well, (y/n)? We're waiting!"
I couldn't afford to hesitate. I had to answer this. No matter how painful it was.
"Fire Lord Sozin started the Great War with his victory against the Air Nation Army."
I paused. Even this was too much – the history lesson equivalent of twisting the knife around inside someone's stab wound. And, worst of all, there was nothing I could do about it. I had to pretend. I continued.
"Fire Lord Sozin did it to destroy the Avatar, to make sure nobody could stand in the way of the Fire Nation's noble quest to bring order and prosperity to the other nations. The Avatar was a threat, with the Air Nation Army helping him. They all had to be neutralized."
I hoped I wouldn't have to say any more - I felt dirty and wrong and like a complete traitor. I could remind myself it wasn't my fault all I wanted, but that didn't stop the guilt.
I was about to sit back down when, once again, my teacher's words hit me like a bag of bricks.
"Good. Now tell me... Do you think what happened to the airbenders was justified?"
My eyes widened in shock as the words left his mouth. I swallowed, trying my hardest to push my feelings aside.
"Of course. They were uncivilized savages getting in the way of the Fire Nation's plans, stupid enough to work against their own interests. Their lives weren't worth anything, anyway."
"Good, (y/n). I agree. You may sit down!"
I sat still for the rest of the lesson, staring motionlessly at my desk as the tears fell from my eyes. I had just betrayed my friends, my family, my entire race. I was a traitor.
If anything, it was my life that was worthless.