Shyu was kneeling on the ground, surrounded by Zuko and the remaining Sages. He's tied up, and couldn't use his firebending to free himself. Either that or he just doesn't want to fight back anymore.
"Why did you help the Avatar?"
"Because it was once the Sage's duty. It is still our duty," Shyu responds in a steady voice.
How is he not completely freaking out right now? Prince Zuko could totally just blast his head off.
I slightly wriggle in the chains, which only makes them tangle around me tighter. Not like it's a great idea either, since my head has suffered three consecutive blows within the span of- what, a little over an hour? I just want to get my switchblade back before it's too late. I could care less about my makeshift cane, I just can't loose my knife. It's too important to be left behind inside some silly temple that I'm probably never going to see again.
A slow clapping rings out, and I instantly freeze. I'm not able to tell which direction it's coming from, so I stare at my lightly dangling feet with wide eyes. Sokka nudges my shoulder again to gain my attention without saying anything. I slowly look up, and he darts his clear blue eyes to signal where the source is located.
"What a moving and heartfelt performance. I'm sure the Fire Lord will understand when you explain why you betrayed him," it's a man, and he sounds older than Prince Zuko. The dim light bouncing around the cavern mixed with my aching pains distorts his figure.
Who are you?
Although, there are more people with him. They have the face of skulls, and they're moving in the shape of birds in flight, the formation of the letter "V".
"Commander Zhao--" one of the Fire Sages bows.
"And, Prince Zuko, it was a noble effort, but your little smoke screen didn't work. Two traitors in one day. The Fire Lord will be pleased."
One of the skulls came from behind and grabbed Zuko's hands, "You're too late, Zhao. The Avatar's inside, and the doors are sealed."
No way... are they gonna actually capture the Prince... that's crazy.
"No matter. Sooner or later, he has to come out."
One of the skull-men stands next to me, watching over us. I stare into the black holes where his irises should be, searching for any sign of life past them. I can see a faint glint of pale skin, and I just know these aren't actual bones. Right?
This guy has gotta be a fake.
"So, tell me... what is it like... to uh, be a skeleton. Like how- how does, where did-"
"Y/n, stop it," Sokka hisses at me.
I shut up after that.
After a few moments, I can feel myself begining to black out. Everyone and everything sounds like it's been submerged in water, and I'm calmly drowning. Sinking away into a strange cold trance, with the skulls and who I think is Commander Zhao assembling in front of the dragon doors. Shyu is now stuck next to Katara, and another series of chains are keeping me in place. The soldiers' movements were mesmerizing as they got into attack position, all moving in unison.
"How's Aang going to get out of this?" Katara softly questions, although it sounds like she's miles away.
"How are we gonna make it out of this?" Sokka complains.
"Shush now, I wanna talk to these skeletons," I mumble.
"Sokka, what's going on with Y/n?"
I don't respond. I'll let him to the explaining, because everything hurts. I just want to go to sleep and finish this whole ordeal tomorrow. Whatever Aang's doing, he better hurry up before I completely loose it.
"She might have a concussion. She's been hit a bunch today, I think about three times with her head. Is there anything you can do?"
"No, all of the healing stuff Gran-Gran gave us is back with Appa. We just need her to hold out a little longer."
Sokka's Pov
She's just gotta hold on. Y/n is strong, and I know that she'll be okay. She has to be okay.
Y/n's head is hanging low again, and her eyes can't seem to focus on one single thing. Her eyelids flutter, and she's fighting off sleep. I know that if we manage to get out of here, she won't be able to walk on her own, so I'll have to carry her again.
I mean, I'm not complaining. She's not that heavy and it's kinda nice having her close...SOKKA FOCUS NOW IS NOT THE TIME!
She left her tree branch somewhere, and Zuko knocked her switchblade out of her hand. I have to make sure that she doesn't loose it. Y/n told me how important it was, and I don't want her to leave it behind in the Fire Nation, especially since she's barely able to function as it is...
It should be somewhere near the stairwell, because that's where she tried to attack Zuko. Aang just needs to get out of there quick so we can get her to safety. So I can get everyone to safety.
Y/n's Pov
Another bright light escaped the grand doors, and smoke leaks through the cracks. Zuko has been chained up too, but he's a couple pillars away from us. I'm struggling to stay conscious, but I need to stay awake. I can't bail on everyone now, not when Aang's in serious danger of getting scorched by multiple firebenders.
The doors slowly open, and all of the Fire Nation men stayed in place. The light faded away and Zhao spoke, "Ready..."
"No! Aang!" Katara was shouting, and Sokka began pulling against the chains. It wasn't helping at all, and it caused me to slide down a bit so my toes could touch the stone.
"Fire!" all of the soldiers bended at the same time, creating a whirlwind of orange and yellow.
It forms into a sphere, which breaks open, revealing an old man inside. His eyes are glowing, and he has his long, white hair tied up with a hairpin. He also had a flowing beard, which I'm curious to know if its ever caught on fire before. He's wearing robes and wrist guards, and looks nothing like Aang. He was bending the fire to keep away from him, creating a ring around his body.
What happened to Aang? How long was he in there for?
"Avatar Roku."
The previous Avatar converged the flames together, and shot it out in a wave. It hit all the Fire Nation soldiers and rolled straight towards us. I didn't scream, because there would be no point. I had no way of escaping this time.
Instead of burning us to a crisp, the metal bound around us melted. I collapsed onto the floor, my limbs spread out in all directions. My vision had little sparkles dancing about, decorating the temple with sprinkles of purple and white. Everything was happening too fast for me to process, so I stayed there. Limp on the floor, tired, injured, ready to be taken by whoever this strange "Avatar Roku" man was.
The building started to rumble, and the vibrations traveled throughout my bones. "Avatar Roku is going to destroy the temple. We have to get out of here!"
"Not without Aang!"
The temperature increased, and a large crack opened up next to me. I reached my hand out towards it, desperate for some form of warmth to bundle up in. Before I could even get close, someone grabbed my arm and dragged me behind a pillar. Sokka and Katara embraced me in a protective huddle as the temple was being split open from the inside out.
I didn't dare move away, because I felt safe. I wasn't fighting, I didn't need to run, I was just there, peacefully enjoying the warmth spreading through the Sanctuary. All the dust and smoke swarmed back to the old man, and left behind an exhausted boy. Katara ran to his side while Sokka stayed with me.
"Y/n, are you okay? Can you stand up? What hurts?" he was gingerly holding me, like it I was precious china that could break at a single breath.
"Uhhh, I- I don't. What?" I can't say my words straight, I can't put my thoughts into words. Everything is so muddled together and I'm trying to sort it into a sentence.
He placed his forefinger under my jaw and his thumb against my chin. He tilted my head side to side, checking me for any physical signs of an injury. I couldn't tell what emotion he was showing, his face was fuzzy around the edges. It was all so confusing, and the slight high-pitched sound that was playing in my head wasn't helping. I think I'm crying because Sokka used his thumb to wipe my cheek.
Am I crying? What is even going on at this point?
"Okay, Y/n can you focus on me right now? Please, does anything hurt?"
Everything hurts. I can't move on my own, I need your help.
"...I- everything. Uh, yes."
"I'm gonna have to carry you, so tell me if it's uncomfortable," he moved his hand behind my head, and hooked his arm under my legs.
He picked me up, and gently pushed my forehead against his chest. Sokka wrapped his arm around my shoulders, keeping me from falling. He rises onto his feet, and my hands loosely rest on my stomach. I don't know what to do with them, so I grab onto his tunic to steady myself.
Thank you.
We're moving now, and I can see Katara's Water Tribe blue flashing past me. There's a boy with an arrow on his head next to her.
Aang! It's Aang!
Sokka carries me over to the stairwell, and I take a small peek down the steps. Boiling lava is lazily rising, sinking its flaming teeth into stone. "Katara, can you pick up Y/n's switchblade? It's over there," he jerks his head to the side.
His grasp around me tightens as he pivots to face the outer wall. There's a large hole, and I can see the volcano is still pumping smoke into the sky. A gray dragon falls behind us, preventing the option of finding another way out. The temple is sliding down the mountainside, and I hold onto Sokka tighter, burring my face into the blue threads.
I heard them all gasp, but I didn't look. I don't want to risk anymore pain by moving, and Sokka understood my actions. He bowed his head close to my ear, "Appa and Momo are here! We're gonna slide down the roof so we can get to them. Hang on tight Y/n."
"Huh? Wha-" I didn't get to finish my question because he already had begun gliding down the curved roof of the temple.
I take a chance and shift my position slightly so I can look out at what's happening around me. The volcano seems to be growing, reaching farther above my head as warm winds hang around my body. The sun had left the sky, leaving the clouds to float around in a sea of red. Even though we're trying to get out of a crumbling building, I wish I could keep the view with me forever. To capture this moment in time as the world looked so beautiful and tranquil, not bothering to be disturbed by the Fire Nation Temple.
I can feel Sokka launching us through the air, and we become weightless. I take in a quick gasp and look up to see his face, and he's grinning wildly. This in turn makes me give an airy laugh that no one would ever be able to hear over the commotion around us.
That state of bliss instantly fades away when we hit Appa's saddle, and all the injuries from the day catch up with me. Sokka had tipped forward with the extra weight of carrying a person in his arms, and was sprawled out on my stomach. I groan in pain and he immediately gets off, and supports my back with one of his arms so I can sit up. Katara and Aang are with us too, and they both have worried expressions plastered across their faces.
"Did we... make it?" Sokka laughs at me, which is confusing. "What? Did I-I... say somethin?"
Katara wraps me up in a warm and comforting hug, "Yes, we made it out. You're safe. You can rest now."
Aang appears at my side and takes one of my hands in his, "You did good Y/n! I can't wait to tell you all about Avatar Roku later! Sweet dreams!"
I can finally sleep. I'll worry about everything else later. Thank you. Thank you all.
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Word Count: 2127
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