1. Prologue

_**Spirits of Air**_

by A.S. Gryffindor

**Author's Note**: Here is my first attempt at an Avatar Fic. Hope you all enjoy it. I don't own Avatar the Last Airbender.

**Summary**: Aang never left the Southern Air Temple when he learned of his status as the Avatar. Instead he was there when Sozin's army began their attacks on the Air Nomads. One hundred years later, amid the chaos of global war, five orphans and a lone Fire Sage who remains loyal only to the Avatar must help him restore balance to the world.

_**Prologue: 100 years past**_

The Air Temple Sanctuary shook as the combination of human and dragon fireblasts bombarded it causing the Avatar statues to shake and a few blocks of rock to fall from the high, domed ceiling. Gyatso herded the children to the far back of the room away from both the falling debris and the statues but one child remained behind. His back was rigid with suppressed anger though Gyatso had a hard time deciding if the young monk was angry because the Fire Nation was attacking them or if it was the last words the elder had spoken to the young boy that caused him to be so. The young Airbender's angry grey eyes were glaring at the now sealed sanctuary doors that appeared to him to be but a paper defense against the Firebenders onslaught and his tattooed hands were clinched into fists. Another blast hit the sanctuary, causing more rubble to fall around the young boy and the statue of Avatar Roku to fall over very close to him but the young master Airbender took no heed of it nor of the elderly monk who was moving toward him. His peaceful, idyllic world had just been destroyed and his teachers were fighting, maybe dying because of him. They had told him to remain hidden until the battle was over but how could he just remain there while they... He shook his head and his fist clinched and unclenched while tears blurred the door before him.

"Come away, Aang," Gyatso's voice was calm, as if the world hadn't just erupted into a raging inferno. As if everything they had ever known wasn't being destroyed before their eyes.

"No," Aang said, his normally happy voice was laced with rare anger. "I can't....They can't just expect me to... Why...?"

"Aang, please come back to the others," Gyatso place a hand on his protege's shoulder but it was promptly shaken off by Aang who glared at his mentor and friend, his eyes seeming to glow for a bare instant.

"No! I will not stay here in safety while the others fight and die because of me...because of who I am!" he paused a moment, his head bowed and his feet moving of their own accord toward the sealed door. "How can they ask that of me? I have to help. I can't stay here. I won't."

"No, Aang. If you are killed here then..." Gyatso's calm voice held a note of panic.

"Then I'll only be reborn into the next nation," There was a finality to the young monks words. "I can't just stand by and do nothing. I'm the Avatar. I have to try. If I don't then I'll always wonder."

"Even if you're not yet ready?" Gyatso's voice was soft and a little sad. "Even if you die?"

Aang shivered a little. He was not yet ready to face his destiny as the Avatar and nobody knew this better then he did. He'd only just been made aware of his identity as the master of all four elements a week ago and had thus far only mastered one of them. He knew he wasn't ready and yet how could he stand by, letting everyone else fight in his place until they were all killed. He was a master Airbender. He should be out there fighting too not hiding away like a child. Even more so than this though, he was the Avatar. Surely he could turn the tide of this battle or reason with the Firebenders. The Avatar was a force for balance in the world.

"I have to do something to stop this even if...even if I don't survive. The balance of the world must be maintained at any cost," Aang's voice was sad but firm and it made Gyatso proud.

Aang looked over at his mentor and for a long, agonizing moment silent communication passed between the two monks. Gyatso thought he saw a shadow of his old and dear friend, Avatar Roku, in the young monk's eyes and he nodded his acceptance of Aang's decision. There really had been no need to question him so. Gyatso knew Aang perhaps better than anyone in the whole temple and he knew Aang would never stand by or remain hidden in safety when others were in danger. It had never been his way to ignore those in need of help.

"Be careful out there, young Avatar. The world cannot afford to lose you, especially not now."

"Hopefully, it won't have to," Aang bowed to his mentor. "Thank you for all your teachings, Master. May the winds carry your spirit to freedom my old friend."

Gyatso bowed low to Aang and then moved to shelter the young ones whom he'd been sent to guard. Whatever else happened today, they were the future of the Air Nomads. He would see that they were protected. He heard the snap of Aang's glider and the whoosh of air as he flew out the one of the holes in the ceiling to face his destiny.

"May the Spirits of the Air guard you as well, my dearest friend."

_____________________________________________________

The air around him was full of acrid smoke that burned his lungs and stung his eyes but Aang would not allow that to stop him. He had a duty to perform. Whatever happened he would protect the only family he'd ever known. Below him he could see the Air monks facing off against an endless sea of of Firebenders and from his aerial vantage point he could tell they were hopelessly outnumbered and outpowered. The sky above him was a deep, blood red from the comet that had blazed across it a few moments before the attack began and it was augmenting the Firebenders already considerable power. The Airbenders stood no chance against them while they were so empowered and Aang had a moment of doubt in his choice to face them now rather than later. What if he wasn't strong enough? What if he failed? What if he couldn't protect his friends?

He heard a chorus of screams below and saw the double line of Air monks that had been guarding the sanctuary break as a massive wave of fire overwhelmed their ability to defend themselves. The smell of burning bodies caused Aang to gage and tears to spring to his eyes but, as he saw the Fire Nation army advance toward the place where his friends and mentor where hiding, he forgot everything but the reason he had come out of hiding himself and his duty to the world. He descended rapidly and landed with a gust of air in front of the sanctuary doors, his staff planted firmly in front of him, his slight body shielding the remaining monks from their attackers.

"You will go no further!"

The Firebenders paused in surprise to stare at the young Airbender before parting to reveal their young commander. General Jin gave Aang an evil sneer and a mocking bow before looking the boy over, noting the mastery tattoos the boy wore.

"So you're the Avatar? You're merely a child," his voice was cold and emotionless. "How can you possibly believe you can stand against us alone when all the others before you have fallen."

Aang's eyes moved over the burnt bodies of those who'd already fallen and he felt his heart lurch. Tears fell from his eyes and he bowed his head. Then he heard something which gave him hope: voices amid the wreckage of the temple that lay scattered around him. Some of the monks had survived the inferno. Not all of them had fallen with that strike. Aang glared up at the commander, his face set and eyes full of seriousness that belied his young age.

"Why are you doing this? Why risk throwing the world out of balance? What do you think you will gain by this?" despite his age, Aangs voice rang with authority.

"The Air Nomads are a weak nation and don't deserve to exist. We will cleanse the lands of it's taint. As for what we'll gain..." Jin flicked a hand and twenty Firebenders moved in unison to surrounded Aang, preventing his escape on foot while the nearby monks called his name frantically. "We will be removing the Fire Nation's greatest threat: You. Then none can stand against us. Without the Avatar the world will lose all hope and we will reign uncontested."

The Firebenders punched the air in front of them and streams of fire rushed toward Aang but he took no heed of them as his eyes and tattoos began to glow and the until now dormant Avatar Spirit took over. The flames were swept aside on a strong current of wind that dissipated them. Aang rose into the air and glared down at the Firebenders who were nearby and an thousand voices spoke at once, the sound of it carried by the winds that were blowing around the boy so that even Gyatso heard it inside the sanctuary.

"You dare destroy the balance of the world by eliminating one of it's Nations? That cannot be allowed!" Aang rose several more feet on a column of air and made great sweeping motions with his hands.

Whatever direction he moved his hands in the soldiers found themselves pushed away by a wave of water that carried them away from the temple courtyard while leaving them unharmed. The dragons found themselves buffeted by high winds that threatened to smash them against the mountainside and which caused their breath to be blow back toward them. Rather than remain they flew away from the temple despite their masters protests. They had no desire to face the wrath of an angry Avatar no matter what would happen to them at the hands of their masters later.

The young Avatar floated on a current of air and continued to push the Fire Nation army away from the temple with waves of water or air or localized earthquakes. Jin managed to cling to one of the temple pillar decorations, while some archers remained hidden in the trees, sheltered from the winds and water by a low wall that surrounded the temple garden there. Aang was completely unaware of them as he began to weave the air around him into a vast ball, which contained all four elements within it, intending to create a shield that would protect the temple and those still inside from further attacks.

"You will never destroy my people," Aang's own voice momentarily overrode the thousand others and for a moment Jin's eyes were caught by the stormy grey eyes of the Airbender. "And you shall never harm them again."

Jin made a small motion with his hand unnoticed by the untrained Avatar and three arrows flew toward the unaware Avatar's back to find their marks. Two buried themselves deep in his left shoulder and a third, knocked of course by the winds, lodged itself in his right thigh. Aang jerked as each one hit and then flung his hand out toward the direction the arrows came from. The archers found themselves encased in ice. A trail of fire streaked toward Aang and burned across his right arm. He flinched and turned to see Jin smiling evilly at him, a whip made from blue fire in his hand. Aang made a sharp movement with his arms and Jin was encased in a pillar of stone but not before the whip struck him a second time across his chest burning his clothes and the flesh beneath. The Avatar Spirit flickered for a moment as the poison on the arrow tips began to move through Aang's blood. He felt himself getting weaker by the second but he saw the massive invasion force moving forward toward the temple again seemingly unfazed by his attacks. He'd failed and now he was going to die. It had all been for nothing.

"No. No... Please....help me..," there were tears in the young Avatar's eyes as the glow continued to fade away and the pain of his wounds intensified. "Just a few moments...please... I want to save them..."

For a final time the Avatar Spirit moved through the young Air monk and aided him in the creation of a protective shield of elements that he set in place around the Southern Air Temple. The Fire Nation army was pushed far away from the temple by the power of the shield and from this moment foreword no one could pass through it without permission of the Air Nomads that dwelled within. Similar shields were set in place around the other Air Temples as the Avatar Spirit interpreted Aang's desire to protect his people to include all the temples and any Air Nomad caught outside of a temple at it's creation.

As the glow faded from the young Airbender's eyes, Aang could feel himself falling from his place in the air. He found he no longer had the strength to bend the air around him. The combination of the poison and the power he'd just used left him to weak to do anything to stop his fall or to even slow it down. Aang could feel the air rushing passed him and felt a moment of fear before all concerns and fears were swept away. He'd done it. His people were safe from the Fire Nation and from the terrible fate that had awaited them. The Air Nomads would survive now. He smiled as he watched the multicolored dome swirling overhead. His friends were safe now and the war would never touch them again. The world was sliding in and out of focus around him, though he thought he saw Appa flying toward him and seemed to hear shouts from the Air monks that were still alive. He felt like he was floating and he felt comforted by the sensation. He closed his eyes and his last thought was of the people he'd just saved before all was shrouded in darkness.


	2. Chapter 1: Awakening

_**Spirits of Air**_

_**A.S. Gyffindor**_

**Author's note: **Well, here we are at the first real chapter. A reminder, this story is an AU from the start and as such the cannon characters who may appear may not be entirely in character to the series. Events in their lives have progressed differently in this time line. As a second note the first few chapters will be interductory in nature to fill you all in on what's happened during this time line. Enjoy the story!

_**Chapter One: Awakening**_

_"Because it was once the Sages duty. It is still our duty" -Fire Sage Shyu- Winter Solstice Part 2_

Shyu walked the Air Temple gardens seeking their tranquil peace, barely paying attention to the shimmering wall that had protected the Southern Air Temple for nearly a century. He was a tall, broad shouldered man wearing the traditional Air Nomad robes of yellow and orange but his long brown hair was unshaved. It hung down his back and was held back from his face by a topknot held in place by a length of red cord that bore a flame shaped ornament into which the triple swirl of the Air Nomads rested. These two incongruous things often confused people who did not know him and who did not know the story of his arrival at the Southern Air Temple but he didn't concern himself overmuch with them. The Air Nomads had made him welcome and that was all that mattered to him. The middle aged man stopped in the garden's center where there was a slightly raised platform made of rock, which had the swirling symbol of the Air Nomads etched into the sides of it. Shyu sat down and moved into a meditative position just as a chime sounded from somewhere inside the temple calling the rest of the monks to morning meditation and prayer. He was in dire need of meditation after what he had just witnessed in his latest trip to the outside world.

Shyu felt himself relaxing and once again he thanked the spirits for allowing him to find his way here, among these peaceful people, despite his nationality. Shyu was of the Fire Nation and nearly everyone in the world carried great hatred for anyone of that Nation. This was not without reason for the armies of the Fire Nation had wrecked havoc across the world for the last hundred years in a bid for world domination. Countless people had died on both sides and much of the land lay in ruin. The only two strongholds left, besides the four protected Air Temples, were the great Northern Water Tribe city and Ba Sing Se in the central Earth Kingdom. They held strong only because of the walls around them and the fact that the Water Tribe city was near impossible to attack in secret due to the icy wasteland that surrounded it. Everywhere else was under the iron control of the Fire Nation and it's current Firelord: Ozai. Shyu felt his shoulders tighten and his hands clinch into fists as images of the death and destruction he'd seen flashed across his mind. The world needed the Avatar and yet...

_"Let go of worldly concerns for the moment and just relax. When the time is right he will awaken again," _the calm voice of his best friend echoed in his mind and he smiled briefly at the memory.

Several moments passed before Shyu was able to release the tension he felt and return to his previous relaxed state. Thinking of his former home and Firelord Ozai made him so angry sometimes that he had to be sure to keep his bending carefully in check so as not to frighten the children who called this temple home, some of whom had seen what Firebenders could do first hand when the Fire Nation had attacked their homes. The Air Nomads had begun taking in orphans of the ongoing war almost from the moment it had began. Often the Air Nomads came across these orphans in their travels to give what aid they could to the war torn areas around their temples though most of the orphans managed to find their way to one of the temples without guidance. A very few were brought to the temples by concerned relatives or parents who wanted to keep their children safe. It had been the wish of the then Elder Monk, Gyatso, that they do so and that they not discriminate against those that might come from the Fire Nation seeking sanctuary despite what they had done to the Air Nomads and the world. They would do this, he said, because it is what Avatar Aang would have done were he still aware of the world around him. Shyu's thoughts strayed to the child Avatar who rested deep within the confines of the temple for a moment. The memory of what had lead him to be at the Avatar's side was still fresh in his mind although decades had passed since he'd began this journey.

_**Forty years past**_

_He'd been a young Fire Sage in his fifth month of service at the Avatar Temple on Crescent Island, a post his father and grandfather had held before him, when he'd felt drawn to the inner sanctuary where the statue of Avatar Roku was housed. The sun was at it's zenith when he arrived and it flooded the chamber within with a warm, golden light. He shielded his eyes from the brightness, not fully understanding what was happening but also having no fear in his heart of whatever was about to occur. Avatar Roku was honored, at least in his own family, so there was no reason for him to fear being in the Avatar's presence. Briefly he wondered how the other Fire Sages could even look at a mere statue of Avatar Roku with a clear conscious. As he blinked away the tears that were stinging his eyes, he heard a calm, serene voice calling his name._

_"Shyu..."_

_"Who calls?"_

_"Shyu..."_

_"Who's there?"_

_The quality of the light around him became more diffuse and dust seemed to swirl around him before it gathered and coalesced into the image of Avatar Roku himself. The spirit was transparent and was glowing a soft, muted blue. Roku was smiling down at him in a kind way and Shyu started to bow to him._

_"There is no need for that, Shyu," the voice sounded amused and Shyu was startled out of his formal bow by the amusement in the former Avatar's voice._

_"Avatar Roku," Shyu's voice was full of reverence and awe. He never expected to be singled out for a spiritual visitation from the Avatar and he'd never heard of anyone who'd even seen any of the spirits of Avatars past before. He felt humbled by it._

_Roku moved forward a few paces until he stood just before Shyu." We need your help, True Fire Sage Shyu. Very few Fire Sages remain loyal solely to the Avatar as you and your family have been. Once the Sages served only the Avatar no matter what Nation that Avatar originated in. That time is long passed and the Sages have been corrupted by power; power that the Firelord granted them over time. They are not what they once were."_

_Shyu nodded in agreement. Only he and the elderly Sage Kuzon, who was now on his deathbed, had remained devote and loyal in their prayers for the Avatar's return. The rest merely played lip service to their duties as guardians of the Avatar's Temple and the things they had done in the name of the Firelord made Shyu's gut twist with revulsion. He never joined them on their "pilgrimages" or any of the other duties required of the Sages by order of the Firelord. Shyu was a pious man who'd been raised to honor the Avatar in his many incarnations above even the Firelord and he made his own yearly pilgrimages to the other Avatar Temples, except the Air Temple, as a part of his dedication to the Avatar and had done so as part of his training as a Fire Sage under his father. He believed that a Sage's duty was to the Avatar and only to the Avatar._

_"You have the power to change this and, in doing so, you will help restore balance to the world," Roku continued as the empty scene around them shifted to one filled with fire and death. "Sixty years ago the current Avatar, Aang of the Air Nomads, fell in battle with the Fire Nation who had attacked his home temple."_

_Shyu watched as the young Avatar was struck down by Fire Nation arrows and saw him fall from the air only to land on the broad back of a wounded Sky Bison, which landed with a loud groan amid the wreckage of the temple still in flames. The Air monks, some of them gravely wounded themselves, Bended him to the ground and bore him away on a cushion of air to the temple's inner sanctuary. There were tears in their eyes and feelings of sorrow eminated from them. The vision faded and Shyu found himself staring into Roku's eyes again and those eyes were shadowed with sadness and pain._

_"He did not die that day but neither does he live. You must go to the Southern Air Temple and there all will be made clear to you."_

_"How? No one has been able to enter any of the Air Temples since that day."_

_"Have no fear, Shyu. When you arrive at the Southern Air Temple you will be made welcome." Roku's voice faded and Shyu found himself kneeling on the floor at the statue's base filled with a new purpose. He's slipped away from the Fire Temple later that night._

_He spent months crossing the distance between Crescent Island and the Patola Mountain Range, where the Southern Air Temple was located. He moved in secret from safe house to safe house that had all been arranged through his father's connections within the Order of the White Lotus. He was met, in a small town just outside of Air Nomad territory, by an Airbender swathed in a dark cloak to hide his identity from the rest of the village. The Air Nomad, after giving and receiving the correct coded words, agreed to take him the rest of the way to the temple on his bison. The monk, who introduced himself as Aadi, was somewhere around his grandfather's age with a dark mustache streaked with grey and a burn scar that slanted across his face from the crown of his head, down between his eyes to slice across his left cheek. It gave the Air monk a somewhat sinister appearance but the grey eyes that took in Shyu were friendly and open now that they were out of the village and the monk's words were warm with no hint of anger or malice in them. Shyu felt instantly welcome though he felt uncomfortable with that welcome. He was an enemy of these people and Aadi was being nothing but friendly to him as he lead him back to where his bison was hidden. The Air monk then helped the Firebender into the saddle with a bit of Airbending all the while attempting to engage the Fire Sage in conversation. He was somewhat relieved when Aadi's sky bison left the village far below them and headed into the mountains for it meant that the Air Nomad monk would be too busy for conversation._

_Shyu's first sight of the Southern Air Temple caused his mouth to open in awe. The temple itself was a blurry image inside a dome of light that seemed to shift as if it was a living thing. Shyu could see patterns within it's surface as what he now recognized were the four element moved over the surface of the dome. Aadi, who'd been busy concentrating on the correct air currents needed to reach the landing area, did not react right away to Shyu's swift intact of breath, though he'd heard it. After finding the appropriate current that would allow for a smooth entry and landing he turned to his wide-eyed companion with a smile hovering around his mouth. _

_"That is our protective shield put in place sixty years ago by Avatar Aang," Aadi's voice held a quiet reverence in it._

_"How?" was all that Shyu could manage to say as he watched the dome of energy undulate in front of him._

_"No one knows exactly. It is believed that Avatars past interceded on our behalf through Avatar Aang that day and aided him in completing the creation of the shield even though he was close to death. I was merely a child then, new to the temple and had not yet begun my training. The Firebenders gifted me with this scar and left me for dead near the eastern courtyard as I was making my way to safety. I awoke several weeks later still in pain," Aadi said this in a serene and almost detached tone that belied the terror he must have felt as a young child. "When I was able to leave the sickroom the first thing I saw was the shield and my mentor, who'd been defending the sanctuary, told me what happened. He also scolded me for not being where I should have been."_

_Shyu continued to watch the dome as they came in for a landing but his eyes were drawn away from it a moment later by a scorched and melted section of stone railing that ringed the area they had landed in._

_"Dragon fire," he said softly, the reverence he held for the original benders of fire clear in his voice. He'd never seen a dragon due to the fact that all the dragons had vanished after Firelord Sozin had ordered them killed for fleeing the Air Temples during their assault on them but he knew this was the cause of such damage. _

_"Yes," the Air monk's voice seemed far away and Shyu took a closer look around._

_The area there were in was a vast circular platform surrounded on all sides by a low stone railing that was melted in places and falling to ruin in others. The smooth stone surface of it was pitted with craters, covered in scorch marks and had great cracks that zig zagged across it's surface, marring the swirling blue and white insignia of the Air Nomads that once decorated the center of it. Weeds were growing up between lose stones and the entire place seemed to have an abandoned aire to it. _

_"We leave it this way as a reminder of what could have been lost were it not for the Avatar's presence at our temple," the monk said solemnly as he watched the Fire Sage's reaction to the wanton destruction his own people had wrought. "Many of my brothers fell here, ambushed by Fire Nation soldiers before they could defend themselves or give warning to us."_

_Shyu bowed his head a moment and offered a silent prayer to those who had fallen while Aadi watched the Firebender closely. When he looked up again, Aadi had already started to walk up a nearby path that was divided by the shield. Shyu quickly followed him up the path, through the shield and upwards along a winding way that lead to the temple proper. Shyu caught his first true view of it as they rounded a corner and the Southern Air Temple seemed to appear before them like magic._

_It took his breath away. Shyu had always been told that the Southern Air Temple was one of the most beautiful temples in the world. His own grandfather had once visited it in the days when all the Nations lived in peace and Shyu had loved to hear his grandfather's stories of that time when he was a child. It was easily the most beautiful structure Shyu had ever seen in his life. The pure white stone of the Air Temple walls glimmered in the late afternoon sun making it appear to the eye as if it were glowing. The blue tiled roofs complimented the white of the walls and drew the eye to them while at the same time drawing attention to the temple's many levels, the highest of which seemed lost among the low hanging clouds high above where they now stood. The next thing to register with Shyu was the peace and tranquility of the place. His grandfather had said it was one of the most peaceful and spiritual temples he'd ever visited and he was right. Shyu could feel the peacefulness settle into his soul and he felt like crying. The air was clear and carried with it the scent of flowering fruit trees back to them. Shyu felt at once welcome and guilty. Welcome because it felt very like the other Avatar Temples he'd visited and guilty because of all the wrongs his people had committed against the Air Nomads. He hung his head, wondering how Aadi could be so accepting of him when his own people had plotted the Air Nomads' destruction and when one of their own had left then young boy for dead._

_Aadi noticed the look of mingled longing and guilt in Shyu's eyes and took him gently by the arm. "No one here harbors any ill will against you, Brother Shyu. You are welcome among us as a brother monk."_

_"But..." the Fire Sage began._

_"Be at peace. Avatar Roku himself has sent you to us and Avatar Aang has spoken of your coming in his meditative 'sleep'," Aadi stopped Shyu's next words with a look. "You __**are**__ welcome here."_

_Shyu raised an eyebrow, clearly not believing the Air monk, but he nevertheless followed his new found friend up a winding staircase that lead to a wide stone pathway. Ahead of them, Shyu could see the temple rising into the clouds. They encountered no one on the path though the Fire Sage saw several Airbenders in the skies above them either on Sky Bison or gliding on the air currents overhead on their gliders. They looked as if they hadn't a care in the world. They were free of the world concerns that plagued most people's lives. This thought brought Shyu's attention back to the reason he'd traveled thousands of miles to come here._

_"Tell me of the Avatar," Shyu said after a long silence. "Avatar Roku said he was alive still and yet also not so._

_Aadi had lead the Fire Sage to one of the inner temple gardens by this point wanting a bit of privacy before taking Shyu to see Aang and then to meet with the Air Monk Elders. He bowed his head a moment to gather his thoughts, his eyes coming to rest on a scorched bit of rock that was the lone remaining sign of the great battle that had been fought there decades past. After a few moments he motioned for the Firebending priest to sit down, which he did gladly the long walk having tired out legs that were not accostumed to such exercise._

_"No one really understands what happened," he began and again his eyes took on a faraway look. "We were fighting for our lives. Everyone thought if we could just hold on until the comet passed maybe we could withstand the assault. We are not warriors by nature, preferring to live in peace, though that does not mean we won't fight when called to or defend ourselves if necessary. In the end our attackers were just too powerful to wait out. The Firelord's army broke through our defensive rings one by one, scattering or killing our defenders until only the double defensive line around the temple's inner sanctuary remained unbroken."_

_Aadi shivered a little as vague memories of the battle rose to the surface of his mind. They were fuzzy but he remembered the screams of the dying monks, the heat of the fire all around him, the smell of burnt flesh and the fact that he couldn't seem to feel his body except for the burning pain that arced across his face. It had been years since he'd thought about that day and he found he still couldn't repeat the story it without seeming to relive it. Shyu, for his part, remained silent until the Elder monk got his emotions back under control, noting that Aadi was speaking as if he'd been there too even though, by his own account, he'd been nearly unconscious at the time and several feet from the sanctuary._

_"We were losing and we knew it but we refused to surrender and be slaughtered. We had the children in our care to consider and they were in the Air Temple Sanctuary, as was the young Avatar, being guarded by our strongest Airbender. We knew we had to defend it to the last Airbender, even if we all perished in the attempt," he paused a moment and took a deep breath before continuing, his hand straying to the prayer beads around his neck from which the Air Nation symbol hung. "Then Aang dropped out of the sky to face the Firebenders who'd broken through our final defense ring. No one is sure how he found a way out of the sealed sanctuary or how he even knew of our plight but with his arrival the tide of battle suddenly turned and we were confident of our chances of survival in that moment."_

_Shyu nodded. With the arrival of the Avatar, even one that was not yet fully realised, the tide of many battles in the past had been turned. Shyu, in addition to being a Fire Sage, was also an amateur historian, a trait that his father had encouraged from a young age. He'd read the histories of all the Nations as well as accounts of Avatars past throughout his growing up and had spent time in the world's greatest libraries during his travels. _

_"Not long after his arrival Aang's Avatar Spirit took control forcing the Fire Nation to retreat and creating the protective shield we passed through."_

_"And then the Avatar ...Aang fell," Aadi nodded. "But then how can he still be alive?"_

_"We not entirely sure what happened. All anyone knows for sure is that although Aang is most defiantly alive, he's also not," seeing Shyu's look of confusion Aadi continued. "I think it will be easier to explain if I took you to see him now."_

_They rose and headed toward the temple's inner recesses, passing several Air monks and a gaggle of young boys who were making their way to Airbending training._

_"Wanna play Airball after training?" said one boy to another._

_"Sure. Let's just hope Master Lu doesn't keep us after again..."_

_Aadi passed through the group, who all made sketchy bows to him and eyed Shyu with open curiosity as they passed. Shyu felt his spirits lift a little at the children's reaction to him as just another person new to the temple and followed the elderly Air monk deeper into the temple with a somewhat lighter heart. Maybe he would be welcome here after all._

_They passed through several courtyards and a few open aired buildings before reaching a vast wooden door that was closed. Shyu studied the door noting the strength and age of the wood and the spiraling mechanism that could only be an elemental lock designed to open by Airbending. He studied the swirling structure of pipes with interest being only familiar with the Firebending version of such locks himself. The wood of the door was dark with age and the Firebending priest saw a darker mark that slashed across the door's surface just below the lock. A burn mark. Shyu frowned a little at the evidence of the attack but Aadi merely unlocked the door with a simple Airbending move and waved him through._

_The sound of silence filled his ears and the darkness of the room before him seemed deeper for the brightness outside of it. They passed through the door and into the cool darkness. As his eyes adjusted to the semi darkness, Shyu had a sense of the vastness of the room by the echoing quality of his footsteps and he noticed several statues lined up in rows as they passed but he had no time to stop and take a closer look as Aadi lead him through another open door and into a second smaller room that was clearly not original to the structure given the relative newness of the stone it was made from. _

_Shyu paused, trying to take in what he was seeing. The room was lit by candles that gave the room a surreal aspect. There were several rings of candles surrounding a soft bed on which a young boy of perhaps twelve lay in repose, the saffron and yellow of his monk's attire standing out in the candles glow. Shyu noticed that the boy's robes were different then the others he'd seen being that they were more yellow than the others. He seemed to be asleep and the boy's hands lay across his chest. As they moved closer he could see the rise and fall of the boy's chest though the child made no other movement and didn't seem aware of their presence. Aadi bowed reverently to the sleeping child._

_"The Avatar..." Shyu dropped to the floor in a formal Fire Nation bow._

_"Yes," Aadi's voice was full of reverence again and Shyu stood up to look into the peaceful face of the Avatar, confused by what he was seeing._

_The boy, for the Avatar was still somehow a child despite the fact that he should have been over 70 years old, was defiantly no more than twelve and Shyu noticed the Airbending tattoos the boy wore, the blue arrows standing out from his pale skin. He was already a full master at such a young age. He looked over at Aadi who was also staring into the Avatar's still, serene face a sad and contemplative look on his face._

_"He was an Airbending prodigy, the youngest ever to have been made a full master," he said confirming Shyu's thoughts. "We believe that it was a natural talent for him not related to his status as the Avatar."_

_"What happened to him?" Shyu had just noticed the muted glow that was coming from Aang's tattoos, which had been impossible to see in the candle light until they had gotten closer to the boy._

_"Not one of the healers we've had here over the years has been able to explain it. When the Air monks brought him from the battle outside the inner sanctuary they believed him to be dead but he wasn't. They worked for hours trying to save him, clearing the poison from his system and tending to his other wounds." Shyu noticed for the first time that a burn scar covered the lower portion of Aang's right arm. "No one is certain if it was something in the poison or a reaction between the poison and bending or if it was the fact that Aang was in the Avatar State at the time but he has only awakened briefly on the day of the attack and he has never wakened in all the time since then. All we know for sure is although his body remains alive, sustained by the Avatar Spirit, his spiritual essence was lost that day. Because of that the Avatar Cycle could not be continued into the Water Tribes. He's somewhere between this world and the next, trapped until he can find his way out."_

Shyu continued to walk down the road of his memories, losing himself in the images of happier times to help drive away his dark thoughts of death and destruction. He only returned to reality when he heard a strange noise behind him and he turned to find the shield that had protected the Air Temple was glowing brightly. For a moment the glow receded and Shyu noticed minute cracks in the surface of the shield. His eyes widened as he watched the shield vanish in a shower of sparks blown away on a strong gust of wind. Bells sounded frantically around him and he ran toward the Avatar's chamber wondering what was happening.


	3. Chapter 2: Air, Water, Earth and Fire

_**Spirits of Air**_

_**by: A.S. Gryffindor**_

**Author's Note: **A big thank you to those of you who have favorited and/or reviewed this story. Glad to see some people enjoying it. :) Hope you enjoy this chapter.

**Chapter Two: Air, Water, Earth and Fire**

"Understanding others, the other elements and the other Nations, will help you become whole."- Iroh- _**Bitter Work**_

**-100 Years Past-**

_His body was on fire and the raging inferno moved through his veins, robbing him of coherent thought. He couldn't see, couldn't hear and all he could feel was the burning pain that moved in waves over his body. The pain battered against his fragile strength depleting it until he had none left. He felt tired: so tired. He knew he was badly hurt, perhaps even dying: knew this with a cold certainty in a detached part of his mind the pain could not touch and yet he knew it had been worth it. His people were safe. The pain intensified and he could feel himself slipping away on a wave of it. He was too tired and everything hurt to much. He couldn't fight the inevitable forever. He wanted to just let go so that his spirit could truly be free and the Avatar Spirit could be released into the next Nation in the cycle: Water. But he couldn't let go. There was still something important he needed to do before he moved on. That something compelled him to stay long passed the time when others would have let their spirits move to the next plane. _

_Suddenly he felt something cool move through him, temporarily putting out the fire in his veins and allowing his senses to return to clarity again. He could feel the softness of a bed beneath him, one that was softer than his own had been. He could feel his body too now that the pain had been dulled. There were throbbing aches in his shoulders and leg while his arm and chest felt stinging and raw. He felt weaker than he'd ever remembered feeling in his short life, drained of all energy, and he could feel his breath coming in ragged gasps, his lungs struggling for air and unable to get sufficient amounts of it into them.._

_"Definantly not good," the detached part of his mind thought._

_There was a swirl of activity and blurred voices around him but he could only make out a word or two here and there: "gravely injured", "poison", "slipping away", "save him" and then his own name spoken in a soft voice full of sorrow. "Aang."_

_His eyes flew open at the sound of the voice of his mentor then slid shut again, even this small effort to much for his weakened body to handle. For a brief instant he'd seen Gyatso's face hovering over him and he smiled. Gyatso had always been at his side through everything. The elderly monk had raised Aang from the time he was a small boy and had taught him everything he knew about Airbending as well as life itself. He'd been as a father to the young Avatar who had never known his own parents as well as being a close friend. Gyatso had been there for every tragedy and triumph, through every sickness, had stood up to the other monks countless times on his behalf, had promised that the Elder monks would never separate them when they had intended to send the young Avatar to the Eastern Temple and had stood by his side during the grueling ceremony when he had received his Mastery tattoos even though he was not permitted to do so. Aang wanted to speak to him one last time and from somewhere deep inside himself he found the strength to do so. _

_"Gy...at....so...," his voice was weak and did not carry far yet Gyatso heard it over the voices of the arguing monks and he moved to Aang's side again, making a motion with his hand to silence them so he could hear Aang weakened voice better._

_"Aang...," Aang's eyes slowly opened again and he smiled faintly at his mentor, who smiled back. "Good to have you back."_

_"Can't...stay...," he could already feel himself drifting away. Something was calling him or maybe it was someone and he wanted to answer. Strength of will was the only thing holding him there now._

_"No, Aang!" there was panic in Gyatso's voice again. "Don't try to talk. Just rest. Everything will be fine."_

_"For...give....Fire...," Aang's eyes slowly drifted closed again and then opened. They were full of sorrow and pain but also burned with determination. "No...revenge..."_

_Gyatso's eyes pierced the other monks in the room and they had the grace to look ashamed. How Aang even knew that revenge against the Fire Nation had been the very thing they had all been contemplating was beyond Gyatso but at Aang's words his own desire for vengeance was stilled and though he wasn't yet ready to forgive the Fire Nation for the death and destruction they'd caused this day he knew he'd taken the first step. Even with death hovering inches away from him Aang's forgiving nature shone brightly in the darkness. He was right, they hadn't the right to mete out punishment on the whole of the Fire Nation for something only a few had had a hand in. That right belonged to the spirits alone and they should let them handle it in there own time._

_"No revenge," he promised and Aang smiled weakly, a sudden dizziness asssaled him._

_"Others...," Aang's voice was becoming softer but Gyatso had heard it and nodded, knowing Aang wished for the others to be told this as well. _

_Aang's eyes fell closed again and he heard a voice calling his name. It wasn't any of the monks that had now gathered around him sensing the end was near but it was a strangely familiar voice nonetheless full of compassion and understanding. Something was pulling him away and he held out stubbornly against it's pull. He wanted to stay but he knew that it wasn't going to be possible. He could feel the beats of his heart and knew they were slowing. He opened his eyes one last time and took in his mentor's face. Gyatso's gray eyes were wet with unshed tears and Aang could feel his own tears falling._

_"Thank...you," Gyatso took his hand and bowed his head. Aang could feel his mentor's tears landing on his arm. "No....sorrow..."_

_Aang took a deep breath that caused the candles in the room to flicker a moment. The edges of his vision were clouding again and he could feel everything slipping away only this time he knew it would be the last. His awareness of the living world was fading fast and was being replaced with another awareness: Awareness of the of world of the spirit. The voice was calling more loudly and he felt so tired. Maybe a brief rest..._

_"Join...Spirits...of...Air," he intoned the ritual words, his voice barely above a whisper now. He heard the monks around him echoing the words he spoke. Then his voice fell silent and darkness closed in around him for the final time._

_"May you find peace among the Air currents, young Avatar. May they guide and guard your spirit on it's journey..." Gyatso and the other monks continued to intone the rites spoken at the death of an Airbender Avatar, moving their hands over Aang's still form in the beginnings of the purification ritual but they were interrupted by a small gust of wind that moved through the room, stirring the monk's full robes slightly and blowing out all the candles surrounding them save one near were Aang lay._

_It was then that Gyatso noticed the muted glow coming from Aang's tattoos and the fact that, inexplicably, the young Avatar was breathing again when he'd clearly been dead a moment before. Somehow Aang's spirit had gone on a Spirit World journey instead of passing on into the next plane. Gyatso didn't understand what was happening but he felt a sudden wave of relief wash over him._

_"The Avatar Spirit...," whispered the monk who'd been most adament about seeking revenge. He and the others had dropped to the floor in awe of this manifestation of the Avatar's power._

_"Gyatso, what does this mean?" asked one of the younger monks._

_"I do not know," he replied confusion evident in his voice. "All I know is that we have a duty to protect him until he should awaken again._

_From_ _that moment on, several monks were assigned to see to the needs of the "Child Avatar" until the day he should awaken and one special companion was chosen as his protector in the event someone attempted to attack the comatose Avatar. All this was done with the hope that one day Aang would return to them when it was time to restore the balance of the world._

**100 years later**

Katara stood in the middle of a pool of cool water, a look of complete concentration on her young face. A Waterbending scroll was propped upon a nearby rock and she looked at it again, carefully correcting her stance before beginning the move outlined on it in pictures. She'd been working on this move for weeks and she was determined that today would be the day she would do it correctly. She could feel the water flowing around her, both physically and spiritually. Her eyes narrowed in concentration as she waved her hands over it and a stream of water rose slowly from the pool following the movements of her hands. Elated Katara moved into the next part of the Waterbending form, watching the water flow in front of her. Grinning she began to move through the stances required of the form, the water still moving at the command of her hands.

"Still playing with magic water, I see," Katara's concentration was broken and the water fell back into the pool with a loud splash.

She turned and glared at her older brother, who was leaning against a nearby tree, a half eaten moon peach in his hand. "I told you..."

"Yeah, yeah. 'Waterbending'...'sacred art'....'part of our culture.' Whatever," Sokka replied with a wicked grin.

"Honestly Sokka! Sometimes you're such a pain!"

"Yep, that's me," his grin widened and he moved his hands, mimicking Katara's earlier moves.

Katara's eyes narrowed and she moved a hand hidden behind her back in a sweeping motion. Water from the fruit trees overhead fell onto Sokka, leaving him stunned for a moment, his hand still in mid-sweep.

"Hey! What was that for?" he demanded, shaking his now soddened hair from his eyes. He glared down at her.

"For making fun of my bending. You deserved it," she said as she moved passed him, punching his arm for good measure.

To add insult to injury, a lemur chose that moment to dive from the canopy of trees and snatch the rest of the moon peach from his outstretched hand, chattering in such a way that it sounded like laughter. Katara laughed as well.

"Hey! Come back here with that!" Sokka's voice went up two octaves as the lemur made off with his prize and vanished without a trace into the trees.

"Come on, Ponytail Guy. We'll find you something more substantial to eat," Katara said, laughing at his forlorn expression before looking skyward to find the position of the sun to be almost directly overhead. "It must be nearly time for the mid-day meal anyway."

His expression cleared at the thought of the tables of food that awaited them. "Yeah, that why I was looking for you."

They made their way up the winding path to the open pavilion that the Air monks had designated as the place they held their communal meals, passing others on their own ways there.

"I just wish these Airheads would have some meat," Sokka groaned and sighed, rubbing his stomach for effect.

"Don't let the monks hear you say that, Sokka. We made a promise to Dad, remember?" Katara's voice was stern but then it softened a little at the sad look in her brother's eye. She knew he missed their father who'd been gone to war for almost four years now. "Besides what's wrong with fruits and vegetables?"

Sokka made a face and Katara laughed. "Come on, Boomerang Guy. We'll be late."

It was a well known fact that Sokka missed meat above all other things about their former life at the South Pole, but they had both promised their father that they would do nothing to dishonor the ways of the Air Nomads while they stayed under their protection. Hakoda, chief of the remants of the Southern Water Tribe, had been very serious when he'd extracted the promise from his children, explaining to the then ten and eleven year olds the importance of the Airbender's belief in reverence for all life.

Katara sighed and shook her head as her brother continued to complain about the lack of meat, glad that the Air monks took no offense at anything he said as he had an annoying habit of saying the most insensitive things at the wrong time. They had been nothing but kind to the children and elderly that Hakoda had left in their care. If they were bothered by the fact that there were now women living among them in a temple that was originally only for males they made no sign of it and had welcomed the Water Tribe members as if they were all old friends. Katara was eternally grateful for that. Spirits knew what would have happened to them otherwise, with no fully trained Waterbenders or any real warriors to help defend their small village from even the ordinary dangers of life in the South Pole and harsh winters full of plague and starvation. Katara was certain that they would have all perished in the frozen waste where it not for her fathers insight and the Airbenders generosity.

As they entered the canopied courtyard where meals were served, Katara thanked the Moon and Ocean spirits for their continued safety and sent a brief prayer to them to protect her father and the other warriors whereever they were.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Toph Bei Fong lay on her back, fruit rinds scattered all around her and sprig of grass in her mouth. She had not felt up to joining the others yet and had picked her own lunch from the orchard around her. She could feel the earth under her rumble slightly in response to the footsteps of people headed toward the meal pavilion, the heavier footsteps of the newer arrivals mingling with the lighter footsteps of the very young and the just barely perceptible ones of the Air Nomad themselves. Their happy voices carried over the wall into the orchard grove she was presently hiding in. She frowned. How could everyone be so happy and lighthearted when there was a war going on? Didn't they know people were struggling and dying out there?

"Wish they would be quiet for once," she thought sourly as her sightless eyes _looked_ at the clouds high above her.

Hearing their happy voices made her angry enough to start chucking rocks over the wall at them to force them to leave. They had no right to be so happy when her world was falling apart around her. She tried to reign in her considerable temper though. The Air Nomads' kindness toward her plight, although it grated in her already overwrought nerves, did not deserve to be repaid with the needless destruction of an open air pavillion that had probably stood there for centuries. Instead she rolled over onto her stomach and snorted as she heard the Water Tribe boy, Sokka she thought his name was, start yelling something about a lemur taking his moon peach. She could tell by the quality of his voice that he was talking with his mouth full and probably spraying those closest to him with bit of chewed food. She made a face at the thought. The lemur in question was happily munching away at the piece of fruit somewhere to her left. She could hear it chittering to itself.

_"Probably making commentary," _she thought and she smiled briefly despite the crippling sadness that had wormed it's way into her heart.

Her parents and the life she'd once led were both dead, burned beyond recognition when the Fire Nation armies had marched through Gaoling leaving a trail of death and destruction in their wake. The Bei Fong estate had been their primary target because of her family's vast wealth and Toph was lucky to have escaped with her life. It was only luck that had allowed her to do so.

She'd snuck away from the estate earlier in the evening to secretly participate in Earth Rumble Five only to have to underground arena attacked by Firebenders. By the time she'd helped Xin Fu and The Boulder defend the audience against them and had lead them away from the wreckage of the arena, another group of Firebenders had already killed her parents and set fire to the estate after taking all that was of value from it. Hours later Xin Fu and The Boulder found her covered in soot amid the wreckage of her home, tears streaming down her face, calling out her parents names in a strangled cry. They had pulled her from wreckage and took her to the only known safe place they could think of: the Southern Air Temple before returning to Gaoling themselves to continue the fight against the Fire Nation usurpers.

Toph closed her eyes against the tears that threatened to break free from her iron control. The Air monks had tried their best to help her, telling her she needed to let go of her grief and move on passed it but she couldn't. It was her fault. If she'd been there then maybe her parents would still be alive. She was the strongest Earthbender she knew of. She could have saved them. As annoying as their over protectiveness had been to her, she still had loved them and now they were gone. She felt as if she had failed them when it mattered the most.

"Stupid!" she whispered into the grass, pounding a fist sharply into the ground causing a small stone to fly into the air and the lemur to start chattering angrily at her when the stone hit him on the rear.

"Shut up stupid lemur! You don't understand! None of you understand!" she yelled to the temple at large. Then Toph rose and stomped off to a more remote part of the temple and away from the happy laughter of the others.

________________________________________________________________________

The bison stables would not be the place one would ordinarily find a Fire Nation prince, but Zuko was no ordinary prince. He was now merely one of many refugees who'd found their way to safety within one of the four Air Temples or the other two remaining free cities in the world. He'd stopped thinking of himself as a prince the day he learned his own father and grandfather wanted him dead. That day he'd learned he was nothing more than a sacrificial lamb bred for slaughter destined to be feed to the Fires of Agni in hopes she would bless their coming battles with victory. He'd been only ten when he and his mother, Ursa, fled the Fire Nation Royal Palace seeking to escape the fate Firelord Azulon had ordered for Prince Ozai's firstborn. He really couldn't blame his mother for that. She loved him enough to risk the wrath of the Firelord and Sages even to to exile herself from her homeland in order to protect him. She'd faced fire, sword, sickness, starvation and host of other things to make sure he would reach safety in one of the free areas of the world. He honored her above all others for her selfless sacrifice.

He leaned against a bison's broad back and sighed taking in the soft warmth of his fur, his thoughts still on his mother. She'd suffered greatly for him, done all she could to get him to the only place that might be able to offer them sanctuary from Azulon, Ozai and the fanatic holy assassins that dogged their trail. She had not survived the journey. An assassin had taken her life when she jumped in front of a poisoned blade meant for Zuko.

He closed his eyes and pictured the moment in his mind, feeling a mixture of guilt and anger in his heart. The guilt was his own as the cause of her death and the anger reserved for his own father and grandfather who had ordered the hunt in the first place.

It had been raining and dark, which was how the assassin was able to sneak upon them unaware. They were merely a day away from crossing into Air Nomad lands and Zuko was just setting up a tent for his mother when he heard her cry out his name. This was followed by a sound like someone had sliced open a melon. He spun on his heal and saw his mother falling to the ground as if in slow motion, a dagger gleaming in her chest. He remembered feeling overwhelming rage as he shot multiple fireblasts as the would-be assassin, who not being a Firebender could not defend himself against them even though Zuko was but an half-trained youngster. Once he had made sure the man was dead and no others were around, he'd returned to his mother's side to tend to her wound but by then he knew it was to late for her. The best he'd been able to do was make her comfortable and wait for the inevitable. She never said a word the entire time until right before she died.

"Zuko...Never forget who you are..." she'd told him in a voice that was merely a soft breeze. Then she closed her golden eyes for the final time and Zuko was lost in his grief. At that moment he didn't care if the assassins came upon him and finished the job because the most important person to him lay dead in his arms.

Air Nomads had found him the next day still holding onto her body. They kept vigil with him until his grief had passed enough for him to be able to perform the Burning Ritual of his people for her. They took him to the Southern Temple even though they knew the danger involved. He'd made it very clear to them who he was and the danger he posed them at the time but they'd taken him in anyway. He was one of the lucky ones and he knew that now. Here he was safe and here he'd found friends as well as his Uncle Iroh, who arrived at the temple a few days after him, still gaunt with his own grief at the lose of his son, Lu Ten but somehow full of a strange new resolve to continue living.

He opened his eyes and looked over toward the image of his mother that rested against the stable wall. It was a decent likeness that one of the Air monks had rendered for him at his request sometime later. He never wanted to forget her face nor that it was Ozai that had killed her although he had not been the one to throw the dagger that did the deed. Two sticks of incensence burned there and his mother's favorite foods were lined up in front of them.

"I'm still safe, Mother and someday I will have what is rightfully mine and your spirit can be at peace."

_________________________________________________________________

Iroh stared across the board at his opponent, waiting for his next move. The aged monk that sat across from him rubbed the back of his neck while he studied the board before him intently. The former Fire Nation General waited patiently, knowing that Master Lu would be taking his time contemplating his next move. That was fine with Iroh, who prefered a long and well thought out game of Pai Sho over the rushed games of his nephew. Zuko had no patience when it came to Pai Sho and his uncle obsession with the game. Actually, Zuko had no patience at all these days. Iroh was worried about him, especially with today being the anniversary of Ursa's death. The death of his mother has devastated Zuko and the anniversary was always especially hard for him.

"I believe I have won again," Lu's soft voice cut across Iroh's thoughts.

He looked down at the board with a frown. Then a smile broke across his face and he laughed. Lu joined him in the laughter, his grey eyes bright with merriment. Neither of them thought it odd that they should be friends or laughing together. Lu had been a good friend of Iroh's for many years even though that friendship had remained a secret one until Iroh had arrived at the temple six year ago. It would not have been good for either of them if the Fire Nation had learned that the "Dragon of the West" had befriended an Air Nomad Elder or that they had kept up a secret correspondence through contacts within the Order of the White Lotus for many years even as General Iroh marched through the Earth Kingdom.

"I didn't see that move coming," Iroh was still chuckling softly.

"I suppose not but don't forget Airbenders are not unlearned in the ways of strategy and tactics," Iroh knew this to be true for Lu was also his sparing partner whenever he felt the need to practice Firebending and he was the single most powerful Airbender at the Southern Temple despite his advanced age.

Lu began to put away the pieces into a small, unadorned wooden box while Iroh sipped some Jasmine tea the monk had poured earlier, marveling at it's texture and balance.

"Now tell me what is really on your mind, old friend," the elderly monk said, knowing full well that Pai Sho was not what was really on his friend's mind since he had beaten him so easily. "You seem troubled."

Iroh's golden eyes narrowed a moment and then he put down his cup. "It's my nephew."

"Ah. Children do have a way of causing worry," Lu looked for a moment at the children gathering below for the mid-day meal.

"There is something I need to tell him but I'm afraid he won't take it well," Iroh's eyes strayed to the gathering below and he frowned, not seeing his nephew at his usual place between the two Water Tribe siblings. "Telling him could change everything."

Lu frowned and nodded, remembering another boy who'd been told of a destiny that would change his life forever and what had occurred after. Sometimes change was good but sometimes it backfired drastically leaving others to deal with it's aftermath. Lu's thoughts strayed to Aang and his eyes wandered toward the area of the temple were he'd lain unmoving since that fateful battle. Briefly he wondered if Aang would ever awaken and he would ever be able to ask the Avatar's forgiveness for the things he'd done to him as a child.

He wished he could take back the words he and the other boys had said the day they'd been told of Aang's true identity. They had all felt a bit of jealousy creep into their hearts when they'd learned that their friend Aang was not who they thought he was at all but was instead the most powerful bender on the planet. It was even more powerful then when he would do an Airbending move perfectly after only having seen it performed once or when he'd advanced to master ahead of everyone else. Looking back on that time, Lu realised that they'd been unnecessarily cruel to shut him out so effectively from their lives and games when they had all once been such good friends. They had hurt him and Lu regretted it now.

"Change can be both good and bad. The question you must ask yourself is will his learning of this now help or harm him in the long run," he said as he folded his hands into his sleeves. "Think carefully on this question, Iroh and do not make the same mistake we once did."

Iroh sat deep in thought, contemplating what the Air monk said. Would telling Zuko his full family history now do more harm than good? For six years Iroh had kept Zuko's connection to the previous Avatar, Roku, through his mother a closely guarded secret. He had never told his nephew and had never explained to Zuko why he felt a connection with the Air Temple or the sleeping Avatar who rested within it's inner recesses despite the fact he'd never set foot inside any of the Air or Avatar Temples before six years ago. It was always the wrong time or Zuko was too young to understand the complexity and importance of the information he held. He hated to admit to himself but he had been and was still scared for Zuko.

Iroh sighed. Zuko was turning sixteen soon, the age when children became adults and when those who were the Avatar normally learned of their identity as such. Now seemed like the perfect time to make Zuko aware of his lineage on his mother's side and his connection to the current incarnation of the Avatar. He knew part of Zuko's frustration and anger had to do with this though he wasn't sure the boy knew it himself. He only knew he was angry. Perhaps this would help heal the rift in his soul so that he could move on with his life and help the Avatar restore balance to the world. Zuko could never do so while his own soul was in conflict as it was now nor would his Firebending improve until the turmoil in his soul was resolved. His spirit needed to be free of thoughts of revenge, for although his young nephew denied it, Iroh knew he wanted vengeance for his mother's death at the hand of his father.

Perhaps the information could help restore Zuko's inner peace, just as Iroh's trip to the Spirit World had done for him.

"I think it's time he knew," Iroh said quietly.

Lu nodded, knowning of what his friend spoke and it's importance. "Then tell him and tell him soon."

Iroh finished his tea and rose to bow to the old monk. "Thank you for the game, the tea and most of all for your wisdom, my friend."

Master Lu bowed back. "Always a pleasure. Now lets go down and have some lunch before the youngsters eat it all, shall we?"

Iroh chuckled and the two made their way toward the meal pavillion as the wheel of destiny began to turn and everything they knew was about to change.


	4. Chapter 3: Return of the Avatar

_**Spirits of Air**_

_**By A.S. Gryffindor**_

_**Author's note: **_Thanks to everyone for the reviews. Hopefully, you will enjoy this chapter. I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender but then again you already knew that. :) Am I right?

_**Dedication: **_I'm dedicating the remainder of this story to a co-worker of my sister's who took his life. RIP Mike.

_**Chapter Three: Return of the Avatar**_

"Your questions will be answered when you are old enough to enter the Air Temple Sanctuary. Inside you will meet someone who will guide you on your journey."

Monk Gyatso- _Southern Air Temple_

_Something wasn't right. The voices had told him to follow them and Aang had dutifully done so but now everything felt wrong somehow. It felt like he shouldn't be here; like he wasn't supposed to have died saving his people. Like he was meant to live. His spirit felt trapped between the world of the living and the Spirit World. He couldn't seem to move on nor could he go back. He was trapped between worlds with no visible way out, though there were no physical walls holding him there. _

_It was dark here and colder by far than even the streams around his mountain home when winter held the Southern Air Temple in it's grip. It was also silent as a tomb and Aang knew he was totally alone here now. The voices that had urged him to follow had grown silent, leaving him alone and unsure of what his next step should be. He'd never been alone in his entire life. There had always been the other Air Nomad children and the monks nearby. Gyatso had always been only a room away whenever Aang was in need of reassurance or comfort. For a moment Aang panicked as the silent loneliness of the place washed over him. He felt suddenly overwhelmed but then a calm settled over him, allowing him to think clearly. _

_There was no one here now and no one would help him out of this situation unless he made a move to help himself. _

_So Aang began walking back in the direction he'd come from hoping he could find his way back to the those he'd left behind and the spirits of the thousand Avatars before him followed in his wake unable to give aid or comfort to him in this spiritually journey. This was something Aang must do on his own if he was to fulfill the destiny required of him, though he would not remember the journey for some time to come. _

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Zuko had never been in this part of the Air Temple before but he was desperately in need of a Fire Sage's wisdom right now and Shyu was the only Sage he knew of that would be willing to give him honest answers to his questions without questioning his right to those answers unlike his uncle. He had always felt a strange connection to the Air Temple and his uncle kept putting him off whenever he'd mentioned it in the past telling the young prince that he must have imagined the feeling. Zuko had let Iroh keep whatever secret he'd been hiding for all the years they had lived here but now that he _needed _to know his uncle still refused to tell him why he even had such a connection to an Air Temple when he was still a member of the Fire Nation royal line. Now in recent weeks the connection he'd always been aware of since his arrival at the Southern Air Temple had grown stronger for some reason and he'd been having odd dreams that made no sense to him: Dreams of an Air Nomad boy he'd never seen before battling within a ring of fire and a cold menacing voice saying it would have it's revenge. He was hoping Shyu could explain what was happening to him and perhaps give him some insight into the meaning of his dreams.

Zuko continued walking through one of the temple gardens, lost in thought. Everything was confusing enough for him already and now he had to deal with these dreams on top of everything else. He wanted to avenge his mother's death but now he could not ignore the teachings of the Air monks, which dictated that he needed to put aside his feelings of revenge and forgive his enemies for all they had done against him. He was not sure he could ever do so and yet he knew his mother wouldn't want him to seek vengeance for her. His mother had been a gentle soul, much like the Air monks, always quick ti forgive. She had taught him to be so as well but now his thoughts were full of anger, rage and regret. He felt like he was drowning in these negative feelings. His spirit was at war with itself and now he was also having vivid dreams about, not only the Air Nomad boy, but his homeland and a voice in those dreams that sounded very like his mother's was telling him to return home and restore his family's honor. He shook his head and sighed.

_"Why is nothing ever simple?"_he thought as he made his way inside the Temple Sanctuary where one of the other monks had told him Shyu might be at this hour.

On entering the sanctuary he stopped in his tracks and stared around him in awe. He had never set foot in the Sanctuary before today and the door was normally kept closed for reasons unknown to Zuko. The vast circular room filled with row upon row of statues gave him pause. He'd never seen anything like it before and he stopped to admire the statues as he passed through them, not knowing who the represented but feeling a connection to them nonetheless, a connection that was somehow comforting to his conflicted soul. As he moved to the center of the room he noticed the high, domed ceiling overhead and he stared up at it for a few moments, noting that some of the stones were cracked and some were missing from their places. He could feel the immense age of the place and also felt a sense of peace in this room.

He continued to move through the statues, occasionally stopping to take a closer look at one or another of them, until he came to a simple unadorned wooden door that was closed. Suddenly, Zuko felt as if he was trespassing on someplace he shouldn't be even though the monk he'd spoken to earlier had assured him it was alright for him to be there. He paused with a hand on the door, unsure if he should knock or just walk in when suddenly that decision was taken out his hands when an alarm bell sounded somewhere overhead and Zuko heard the sound of running feet. A few seconds later Fire Sage Shyu burst into the sanctuary looking disheveled and panting for breath, a look of alarm on his normally serene face.

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_Aang was running, but whether he was running away from the denizens of the Spirit World or toward the Living World he wasn't entirely sure anymore. The past hours... days... weeks... since he'd resolved to return to the world and had escaped what he now knew had been a prison were a complete blur to him. Time held no meaning in the place he now found himself so he was unsure how long he'd been trapped here. There were only two things that were clear to him: Someone in the Spirit World had tricked him into entering it and whoever or whatever it was they were working hard to insure that he remained trapped here by closing the void between the worlds so that he could no longer move freely between them. What was even worse than that though was the fact that there were times he could almost feel his own body again and other times when he could hear things that were happening in the living world. That was even more confusing to him than the maze the Spirit World had become and it was the worst torture that anyone could inflict on him since he could do nothing about what he heard. Whoever had trapped him here seemed to be taking perverse pleasure in his pain and confusion. _

_Aang stopped his headlong flight and collapsed, panting for breath, against an outcropping of rock. There were no sounds around him except for his breathing and the frantic beating of his own heart but he knew the silence was only temporary. He only hoped he could recover enough of his energy so that he could continue running from his relentless pursuer. He had to get back. The world needed him to return. He could hear it calling to him in a desperate voice. He never noticed the vines that had wound around his legs holding him immobile until the sound of clanking claws reached his ears and a bone deep coldness surrounded him, chilling his very soul. Frantic he tried to run only to fall sprawling onto the ground where more vines moved to encase his arms, pinning him in place. The wind was knocked out of him then and his head made hard contact with the ground dazing him for a moment, allowing the vines to farther encase him so that he could hardly move. _

_"No...no...," he struggled uselessly against his bonds, hearing the mocking laughter of the spirit that was trying to keep him trapped here. He could hear it's soft, menacing voice ringing in his ears, mocking his weakness and fear, though the spirit had yet to even speak. _

_Aang closed his eyes, feeling the coldness sap the last of his strength. He'd failed to escape this time and he wouldn't be given another opportunity. This time he would be imprisoned here forever and the Avatar Cycle would end. His still living body would die without his own spiritual awareness inside it whatever the Avatar Spirit did and thus it to would die. He was lost, the Avatar was lost, the world was lost. It was over._

_"Come...See...," a calm voice cut through his panic and suddenly Aang could see the way back clearly for the first time since he'd arrived. A thin trickle of light pierced his eyes and he felt himself falling again. The last thing he heard was the cold voice of the unknown spirit._

_"You may have escaped me this time, young Avatar but I will strike when you least expect it and then there will be nowhere to run or hide."_

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Soft warmth surrounded him and his eyes slowly fluttered open. He took a deep breath and studied the swirling insignia above him with a deep frown. This room was not familiar to him. His eyes roved over it slowly, taking in the stone walls, the rings of candles, the comfortable chairs and the high open windows confusion evident on his face.

_"Where am I?" _he thought as he carefully sat up, his body protesting the movement and a wave of dizziness hitting him with all the force of the strongest wind he'd ever summoned in training.

Aang grabbed his head and moaned softly as his head began to pound in time with his heart. The floor beneath his dangling feet moved as if it were a living thing and he suddenly felt extremely sick. He closed his eyes against it and took several deep breaths, trying to calm his body as he had been taught. After a few moments the nausea subsided and he was able to open his eyes again though his head still hurt horribly.

Aang took a closer look at the the candle lite room before him, seeking clues as to where he was and maybe what had happened in the aftermath of the Fire Nation's attack. He remembered the battle clearly and knew he'd been badly wounded yet there were no bandages on his body and he felt none of the pain he remembered feeling just before he passed out. He looked down at his hand and noticed a burn scar that ran up under his sleeve in place of the raw feeling wound he remembered being there. All of his wounds were completely healed now it seemed. Perhaps Waterbenders had been called in to heal him. He was the Avatar after all and he had been very close to death. But...no... The burn scar that slashed across his right hand and that obliterated the arrow tattoo that had once been there was old and faded now. He touched it with a frown feeling the slightly puckered flesh beneath his fingers expecting to feel pain. There was no pain however almost as if the burn had happened long ago not merely a day or two earlier. He knew even Waterbender healers could not have healed him so completely in a manner of days.

_"What happened?"_Aang's eyes moved over the unfamiliar room again, taking in everything about it from the candles that surrounded him, to the Air Nomad insignia above him to the clothing of a full monk that he now wore.

Clearly he was in an Air Temple though he'd never been in this particular room before, which he thought odd since he'd been in every room at the Southern Temple. He eyed the set up of the room again and pondered the likelihood of this being some kind of tomb but waved off the idea as, in first place he wasn't dead, in the second the Air Nomads had no tombs that he knew of and in the third the Air Nomads cremated their dead and released the ashes into the air currents around their temples. As he was pondering this he noticed for the first time that there was a dark, wooden door across from where he now sat. Curious as to where it led, Aang stood up, his legs shaking with the effort of holding his weight after a century of disuse. He'd barely made two shaky steps toward the door, not even enough to move through the candles around him, when the door flew open and two figures burst into the room. For a split second the three of them stared at each other in shock then Aang slid into an Airbending stance, his grey eyes fixed on the older of the two who was clearly Fire Nation for all that he wore the trappings of an Air Nomad. The sight of him caused anger to move through him. These people had done great damage to his people and to the world.

"Who are you?" he demanded, his face was set in hard, grim lines and his eyes were blazing with anger. A part of him didn't want to hurt them but they were Fire Nation. Anger, white and hot, burned through his normally gentle soul. How dare they desicrate the Temple and mock the Air monks that had given their lives to protect him! They had already done enough to his people. The Fire Nation had attacked his home, killed his teachers, tried to wipe out the Air Nomads, dared to attack the Avatar, tried to kill him. He would not allow that to happen a second time and they would not find him an ease mark to take this time.

Shyu stood frozen, the Avatar's angry gaze cutting through him like a knife and pinning him in place. The Avatar could not know how much time had passed since the Fire Nation attacked the temple so for him everything had happened mere hours ago. There was burning rage in that stare. Horrible rage, pain and sorrow chased each other across the young Airbender's face and Shyu felt the weight of every wrong his Nation had committed against the Air Nomads on his shoulders. Zuko likewise stood frozen in place, his heart pounding in fear of what the young Avatar might do. The weight of all the evil deeds his ancestors had done was heavy in his heart and yet, at the same time, he felt almost elated as he felt the connection between himself and the Avatar snap into place. Here was the reason for the connection he'd felt to the temple where none should have been. Here was the answer to the questions that had plagued him since his arrival at the temple six years ago. He had a spiritual connection to the Avatar though this still made very little sense to him.

The three of them stood thus for several seconds before Shyu dropped to his knees in a formal bow. Zuko followed suit, hoping it would somehow appease the Avatar's anger while Shyu's voice rose from the floor next to him, a note of quiet reverence in it.

"Please forgive us," Aang stood rigid, his face paling as his mind snapped back to a vague memory of when he lay near death. He remembered telling the other monks and Gyatso to forgive the Fire Nation. He looked down at the two who were kneeling at his feet, his beliefs at war with the logic in his mind that dictated that they were the enemy and must be dealt with accordingly before they could cause farther harm.

_"Forgive...Fire."_

The words he'd uttered ages ago echoed in his mind but the pull to exact revenge for those who had fallen was strong. How could he just forgive them or even trust them after what the Fire Nation had done? Now that he was awake again how could he not seek revenge against those who had attempted to destroy his people, his very way of life?

_"All life is sacred, Aang. Even the life of the tiniest spiderfly caught in it's own web."_

Gyatso's words floated to the surface of his mind and he closed his eyes so his internal struggle would not be plain to see by the two Fire Nation men.

_All life is sacred. _

This was the first tenant of the Air Nomads philosophy and the foundation of their beliefs. Life was granted by the spirits and was therefore a sacred object of far more value than any material possessions. That was why the Air Nomads cared not for worldly things and why they were all vegetarians. How could Aang ignore what Gyatso and the other monks had taught him from an early age? How could he deny what had believed all his life? How could he just throw away the teachings of his people like they were so much worthless junk? His heart felt as if it was being pulled in two different directions at once. He wanted to trust again yet he wanted revenge.

Aang knew that his feelings of revenge were wrong and petty, but he was only human, despite being an Airbender and the Avatar. With the slaughter of so many of his friends still fresh in his mind he wanted nothing more than to exact his revenge on the two who now knelt before him. May the Air Spirits forgive him, he wanted them to suffer as he had, as his teachers had. He wanted them to hurt as badly as he did and yet something was urging him to stay his hand. Even as his heart and soul were awash in rage he heard the quiet voice of his mentor ring loudly in his ears. _"Let this go. Release your anger before it poisons your spirit, Aang. They had no part in this. They are innocents whose only crime is being Fire Nation."_

Aang dropped his fighting stance and, for the first time, truly looked at the two who were still on the ground not as members of the Fire Nation but just as people. The younger of the two had looked up when he'd dropped his stance and in those golden eyes he read a tale of suffering and horror that matched his own. His thoughts of revenge faltered and then scattered to the four winds. These people had already suffered much. He turned his stormy grey eyes upon the other man, who had not yet even dared to look up, a look of confusion in them. If these two were Fire Nation and not enemies then what were they doing in an Air Temple? Did their being here mean he could trust them? How had they come to be here in the first place? Questions tumbled inside his head as he moved forward until he was standing in front of the two. Zuko's eyes never left the young Avatar's as he moved closer, while Shyu had not moved from the formal bow he'd folded himself into.

"Who are you?" Aang's voice was soft now and the anger on his face had subsided to be replaced with confusion and curiousity, though the anger still smoldered in his eyes.

Shyu lifted himself from the stone floor though he remained kneeling at Aang's feet, his eyes downcast. "Forgive us for disrupting your sleep, Avatar Aang..."

"Aang," Shyu looked up at him in confusion. "Just Aang."

"Aang," the Airbender had a ghost of a smile on his face. "I'm called Shyu and this is Zuko."

"Shyu?" Aang's voice carried a note of confusion in it. There was something familiar about that name. "Why are you here?"

"I was sent here many years ago by your predecessor, Avatar Roku," that name too was familiar to him though he wasn't sure why it should be so. "He asked me to guard you as you recovered from the battle. You were badly wounded."

Aang grew even more confused at these words and he suddenly wondered how long it was that he'd been out of it. He looked between the two, his grey eyes coming to rest on Zuko again. He felt a connection between them that again he couldn't explain. Why would he have a spiritual connection to anyone in the Fire Nation? "And you?"

Zuko started, surprised to find the Avatar looking at him intently. "I...I'm a refugee from the Fire Nation. I've lived at the temple for six years and now I understand why the spirits led me here. I think I'm supposed to help you... help you to end this long war," Zuko wasn't sure why he'd said that last but it felt right.

Aang's grey eyes widened and his face paled. "The war...it didn't end...but..," Aang dropped into a chair and shook his head. "I thought...tell me..."

Shyu stood up and Zuko followed his lead. It was very clear to both that Aang was confused still. "What do you remember?" he asked carefully, his face showing none of the turbulent emotions he felt at this moment.

Aang's eyes turned inward a moment before he started speaking in a voice that was stilted and full of sorrow:

"The Fire Nation attacked us without warning or provocation. I could feel the earth beneath my feet crying out in pain. I could feel my people dying in the hopes that I would be saved," he closed his eyes tightly as the images of the battle flashed across his mind. "I remember leaving the safety of the sanctuary to enter the battle against the wishes of the Elders, my mentor and the others but I had to do something to stop what was happening even if it meant my life was forfeit. It was me they wanted anyway not the others. I remember smoke and death and blood all around me. I remember pain such as I've never felt before and then the sensation of falling from a great height. Then nothing until I awoke here."

Aang shivered a little at the images his mind called forth and Shyu nodded in sympathy. Unfortunately, as much as he longed to be able to usage the Avatar's mind about the current state of the world or to tell him that the Fire Nation had abandoned their attacks at the Avatar's show of power, he could not. The state of the world was dire and there was no use in denying it. Knowing that truth was a better option to lying or temporizing he looked Aang deeply in the eyes as he spoke the words that would either shatter the young boy or show his true strength hoping by doing so to prove the sincerity of his words.

"What you did on that day long ago merely protected your people. The other Nations had no such protection," he knew he was being blunt but he could find no way of sugar coating his words and he didn't think Aang would appreciate it if he did. "When Firelord Sozin was unable to subdue and destroy the Air Nomads and you along with them, he turned his attention to the rest of the world in hopes of putting an end to the Avatar Cycle permanently by removing the benders of the other Nations. He captured many of them and had them put to death. The current Firelord has continued to capture benders using the Fire Sages to help. Only the Firebenders are spared to be indoctrinated in the ways of Agni."

Aang's eyes grew even wider and his face paled still more so that the tattoos on his skin stood out in sharp relief. "No..." his face and voice were full of anguish.

Zuko moved forward and laid a hand on Aang's trembling shoulder while the Avatar's thoughts whirled inside his mind and tears of hopelessness fell from his eyes. If the Firelord was...had been successful...if he managed to wipe out all the Water or Earth benders...if the cycle was broken...then he would be the last...the very last....there would be no others after him. The enormity of the situation he now found himself in overwhelmed him. How could he do what needed to be done knowing with his death the cycle would die as well?

"No," Aang shook his head violently in denial startling Zuko. A violent wind began to blow around them and Aang's tattoos began to glow.

Shyu put a comforting hand on Aang's shoulder and both the wind and the glow vanished instantly. "Do _not_lose all hope yet, Aang. The Fire Nation has not yet won. Both the Water Tribes and the Earth Kingdom have not fallen and benders remain among them, hidden in secret locations around the world despite the Fire Nations endless raids. The world may be battered and torn but it is not yet lost. There is a chance, slim though it might be. You have awakened at last and that is a start," Shyu wasn't entirely sure he believed his own words but he knew they were the ones that the Avatar needed most to hear now.

Aang's shoulders slumped and his grey eyes closed. He took a deep, shuddering breath. "How long was I out? How long has this war gone on?"

Shyu sighed and looked over Aang's bowed head at Zuko, who was looking at the Avatar with a strange look in his eyes. "It's been...one hundred years since the day you fell."

The softly spoken words struck Aang like a physical blow, even moreso than his earlier words and left his mind reeling. _One hundred years! _How was that even possible? He looked up at the two before him but their solomn faces showed the truth of their words. He felt the sudden urge to flee, the same urge he'd felt only, what was to his mind, a week before when he'd first learned he was the Avatar and that the monks meant to send him away from the only home and family he'd ever known. He was sorely tempted to run now but, as he had back then, he stubbornly refused to do so. He was not a coward. He would fight this war even though he heartily wished he didn't have to. He stood up, his eyes burning with determination. Both Shyu and Zuko were startled by his reaction as they had expected him to do anything but this on hearing how much time had passed. He squared his shoulders and looked at them. They could see the ancient and otherworldly nature of the boy before them reflected in his eyes at that moment.

"Then I must resume my training at once. The world had waited too long for my return," his words were full of strength and surity though in his heart all he could feel was panic and uncertainty._ -One hundred years since the day you fell-_ the words rang in his ears and his heart nearly failed him but he could not allow this war to continue. It had to end. "I will not make it wait any longer."


	5. Chapter 4: Fires of Agni

_**Spirits of the Air**_

_**By: A. S. Gryffindor**_

**Author's note: **Thanks to everyone for the reviews. Words in italics are thoughts in this chapter.

_**Chapter Four: Fires of Agni**_

_**"I have a vision for the future, Roku" Fire Lord Sozin-**__The Avatar and the Firelord_

The thick black smoke hung like a pall over the Fire Nation capital, blocking even the rays of the sun that gave the Firebenders their power.

"_Not that they needed to see the sun to have access to it's powers," _thought a stooped old servant who was studying the smoke from the kitchen window of the Royal Palace.

She shivered as a vague memory stirred in the back of her mind and pulled back a strand of grey hair from her face as she continue her work preparing the morning meal for the Royal Family. Ziaria sighed as her aged hands moved deftly through the mealtime preparations without any conscious thought on her part. For close to fifty years she'd served in the House of the Firelord first as a kitchen drudge, then a server, then a maid, then a personal maid to the Lady Ursa and countless other jobs within the confines of the palace so she'd had plenty of time to work out the foibles and idiosyncrasies of those she served though sometimes that knowledge did very little to help her or keep her from being punished for things that went wrong. The Royals needed very little provocation to become violent, especially of late with the war against the Earth Kingdom not going well for them.

Firelord Azulon was cruel and heartless but he could also be gentle and kind if it suited his purpose. Many people had been fooled by his seeming kindness only to find that they had fallen into a trap from which they could not escape. Crown Prince Ozai was as heartless as his father. There was no humanity in him and mercy not something that he granted to his enemies or even his own family. He was also a smooth talker but his words never meant what they should. In addition to that he also had a streak of cruelty whenever he dealt with enemies of the Fire Nation that was unrivaled even among those of the Army and Navy amongst whom violence and cruelty were the norm. Princess Azula was cold and calculating, manipulating those around her into doing whatever she wanted. She also had an unquenchable desire for power and a network of personal spies and assassins at her beck and call. Any one of the three would be quick to kill a servant who spoke out of turn or dared to defy them in any way and so they lived in constant fear of their lives. Being in a position of authority, as Ziaria was, made it doubly dangerous for the servant involved. The only thing that really protected her was her age and seemingly loyal service to the Firelord and his family.

The servants were more nervous than usual today though, scurrying around the palace with the lightest steps possible hoping to keep out of sight of the Royals because something had angered Firelord Azulon, according to the man's personal servant. The manservant said that he had been told to take a scroll to the Fire Sages at the Temple of Agni before sunrise that morning by way of a fireball and the Firelord was even now closeted with them in his War Chamber. None knew of what they spoke, though the manservant had mentioned that the Firelord was muttering about a vision and he been sleeping rather fitfully the previous night.

Ziaria finished cutting up the tropical fruit and placed it into individual bowls, topping them with cool cream. She listened to the two scullery maids talking about last night's opening of the Spring Fire Festival with only half her mind on the conversation. Her mind was occupied with wondering what was going on behind the closed door of the War Chamber and whether or not the young kitchen boy she's sent to serve tea to the Sages while they waited for the Firelord would have any information for her to report to the others in the Network. People tended to underestimate Kai since he was a mute but the boy was anything but stupid and took his duties to Ziaria and the Order very seriously. It made her happy to see him take pride in something since he'd been treated so poorly even by his own relations because of his seeming weakness. She was slightly worried about him since he had yet to return from his duty but there wasn't time for her to look for him now. She hoped he was safe and that he had been careful.

Ziaria finished the two breakfast trays and signaled one of the scullery maids to help her carry them into the East Dining Room. Azula sat in her usual place to the left of the throne-like chair of the Firelord. Her face was stormy and her golden eyes looked as if they were aflame. She glowered at the two servants as they entered but said nothing to them, much to Zairia's relief. Instead she fixed her eyes on her father, who appeared calm and composed though Ziaria noticed a tightness around his eyes and mouth that suggested that he was angry as well. She didn't need to ask why they were so angry.

Swiftly she and the young scullery maid, whose name was Lein, set the platters of food before the two Royals, poured their tea and bowed, stepping back to the corners of the room to stand silently until they were called upon or until the two were finished dining. Neither dared to say a word and stood at their places as silent and unmoving as a pair of stone statues. Ziaria kept her eyes properly downcast but her ears open, hoping to learn what it was that had the entire palace on edge. After a few moments Azula appeared to take up the thread of their interrupted conversation.

"Why hasn't Grandfather sent for us?" Azula's voice was stridant and full of anger, echoing off the walls of the room in an slightly unsettling way.

Ozai's golden eyes narrowed and Azula had enough sense to silence herself without being asked to do so. Even she knew better than to continue when her father was in a fury.

"The Firelord and the Great Sages have something important to discuss," Ozai's voice carried a hint of pleasure at knowing information his daughter did not and there was the hint of a condescending tone in his voice as well that seemed to be pointing out her weakness at this lack of knowledge.

"If it's so important than we should be there, at his side," she muttered, stung by her father's manner. "Not here cooling our heels like servants."

"Azula," Ozai's voice was stern and the Princess shut her mouth instantly. "Father will call for us when the time is right and not before."

Azula's eyes narrowed dangerously and she whispered, "We both know that Grandfather's time is ending. You would make a much stronger Firelord than he..."

"Azula enough! Do not speak this treason again or you life will be forfit." Ozai's eyes were blazing with pent up anger now.

"Let Grandfather challenge me to an Agni Kai then!" she said with a sneer, glaring at her father. "I would welcome it. At least then..."

"Now is not the time...You will obey me in this, Azula," the Crown Prince's voice was soft, almost gentle, but Ziaria could hear the threat in it clearly and for a moment she felt sorry for the Princess whose life had descended into madness since the day Ursa and Zuko had escaped the palace leaving her the sole target of her father's rages and grandfather's manipulations.

Azula's face paled slightly at the veiled threat and she dropped her gaze to the food before her.

"Father will send for us soon, Azula. _How can he not when the Sages are discussing the greatest threat to the Fire Nation in a hundred years," _his golden eyes gleamed and a malicious smile spread across his face. Very soon they would not have to worry about that any longer and it would be he, not his father, who would put an end to that threat.

* * *

Firelord Azulon glared at the Fire Sages that were bowed before him, fear moving over the group in waves that even he could feel.

"You're absolutely certain of this," his voice was cold.

"Yes, Sire and our spies have confirmed it," continued one Sage from his position on the floor.

Azulon rose from his throne, his long elaborate robes fanning out around him as he walked. The shields around the Air Temples that had protected them from direct attack for a hundred years had fallen at last. Finally, the Fire Nation could put an end to all resistance once and for all and he would finish the work his father had begun. It was not often that he allowed his subjects to see him without a wall of flame between them but the Fire Sages deserved some sign of respect for all the services they had rendered over the years to their rulers and their nation. The Great Sage, whose name was Kovan, watched his lord pace the area before the throne from his seated position. Being the same age as the Firelord, he was merely required to sit lower than Azulon. He had also been good friends with Azulon beginning in their long ago student days. Both age and that friendship gave him certain perks above the other Sages.

"When did this happen," Azulon said softly as he waved a hand to indicate that the other Sages could rise from their bowed positions on the floor. Already his mind was engaged in plans for a lightening fast attack on the nearest of the Air Temples before they could be warned. With the Air Nation in shambles it would be easier to crush them beneath his feet and the heart and soul of the resistance would crumble with their demise.

"A week ago, my Lord," said Kovan. "In addition our elite forces have reported the appearance of a great light to the south. All the officers and soldiers of the 53rd division saw it as well as three of your personal retainers assigned to that unit."

Azulon continued to pace, a deep frown etched on his face. "The South..." A faint memory stirred inside his mind of something his own father had said about a danger to the south, but he couldn't quite remember what that danger was.

"There's something else, sire," Kovan's voice was so serious that Azulon stopped his pacing and looked at him fully for the first time. "We had a messenger hawk from the Temple on Crescent Island. The Grand Sage there reports that around the same time that light was seen in the south the eyes of Avatar Roku's statue glowed before he says he was buffeted from the room by a strong gust of wind and the Sanctuary doors were sealed against him. They have not been able to enter the room since."

If possible, Azulon's frown grew deeper still. This was disturbing news and this, coupled with the vision he'd had in his sleep made the danger to the Fire Nation clear: The Avatar had returned to the world.

* * *

Master Lu had just sent his last round of Airbending students away after a less than stellar performance of one of the most basic Airbending techniques had degenerated into an all out brawl between several First Tier students. He shook his head and sighed heavily. He was bone weary and he'd once again aggravated an old injury that dated from when he was a young man. Maybe he was getting to old to be an instructor to any but the most advanced students. He sat down with a cup of tea that had been brought to him by another monk a few moments before. The day was a warm one for early spring and his old bones relished that unexpected warmth. He certainly wasn't getting any younger. Maybe it was time to pass on the teaching responsibilities to his assistant who could keep up with the young ones better than he.

He smiled wryly and took a sip of his tea before beginning to slip into the meditative state he often used to relax his stiff body after a long day of teaching, hoping it would calm his knee somewhat. He heard the shuffling of feet nearby and someone softly clearing his throat as he closed his eyes. Sighing inwardly he opened them again and saw a young boy of around twelve looking at him with intense grey eyes. His features were dappled by the shadows of tree branches he stood among so that he could not see his exact features but his eyes somehow stood out despite that. Master Lu blinked a moment, not entirely sure if the boy was actually there or not. Maybe he was but a phantom like some of the young ones insisted lived among the weeds and ruin of one of the lower landing platforms. He shook his head at the fantasy and watched the boy instead.

"Master Lu..." the boy began as he moved forward but Lu had frozen in place at the sound of the boy's voice.

He knew that voice and knew who this was even before the boy stepped out into the light, which revealed the mastery tattoos he wore and even before he saw the elaborate monk robes the boy wore. He knew the Avatar had awakened at long last, having heard it from Shyu a week ago when the latter had reported the fact to the rest of the temple Elders but he had not seen Aang since his awakening. He'd been to afraid to face his childhood friend again. He looked exactly as Lu remembered him looking, exactly as he had done on the day everything fell apart and for a moment time itself seem to stand still. Lu was eleven again, having just learned of his best friend Aang's true identity.

"Master Lu," Aang began again, bowing to the elderly Air monk. "The other Elders say you are the most powerful and skilled Airbender at the Temple..."

Lu managed to unfreeze himself and folded himself into the formal bow he'd been taught as a child but had never used.

"No...please...You don't need to do that," Aang sounded so annoyed and flustered that Lu stood up as quickly as he could.

"What is your will, Avatar Aang?"

"Aang," the young Avatar muttered quietly with a bit of annoyance in his voice.

Lu smiled and bowed to the Avatar as an equal. "Very well then, Aang. What is it you are wanting?"

Aang studied the elderly monk's face for several moments and Lu became lost in the intensity of the Avatar's gaze. This was the boy Lu remembered from his childhood, one who he'd once been friends with but the Aang he remembered was not the boy who stood before him now. Something had changed in him. He wasn't sure exactly what it was that made him different only that it was so.

After a few moments Aang dropped his gaze and moved away from Lu. He paced slowly and quietly to the center of the training area and Lu could feel the air around him shifting as it gathered around the Avatar. Aang shifted into the beginning stance for the First Tier, First Form. He took a deep breath and began to move fluidly through the stances, every step precise and the air moving around him in the correct patterns. He moved gracefully into the next form from the first and into the next and the next and then upwards through the Tiers, each form growing more difficult and each Tier more violent, though the Air Monks refrained from using enough force to make the higher level techniques deadly. Taking lives was not their way not even with the world in a state of violent war as it was now.

Aang moved though the stances, the forms and each Tier from one to thirty-five with the fluid grace that marked a master Airbender but there was something more to it than that. It seemed to take very little effort on his part, almost as if he was made of the element he was bending or at the very least as if he was at one with the Air around him. As he watched Aang, Lu recalled how their Airbending teacher, Master Aadel often said that Aang was a natural Airbender, a prodigy. At the time Lu was a little jealous of Aang's abilities and had not understood what Aadel meant but now, as he watched Aang, he finally understood.

Aang reached the end of the Final Form of the Thirty-Fifth Tier and he stood still, the wind swirling around him and tugging playfully at the full robes he wore. The young Avatar stood with his eyes closed and his two hands clasped in front of him as he took a breath and released it quietly before opening his eyes to regard Lu with a familiar lopsided grin and eyes that were full of the joy that bending always gave him. Then he moved forward, the grin sliding from his face and his eyes becoming serious, until he stood mere inches from Lu. He bowed again and remained that way as he spoke.

"I need to complete my Airbending training, Sifu," Aang's voice was humble and there was a slight tremor in it. "It is time for me to master the Thirty-Sixth Tier."

Lu nodded gravely. The Thirty-Sixth Tier was the pinnacle of the Airbending discipline and the forms therein were the most powerful and difficult of all Airbending moves. Like all Airbending forms the practitioner was taught to use them with restraint as they could be deadly if enough force was applied. However, unlike the other forms and Tiers the moves in the Thirty-Sixth were meant solely for war and direct combat rather than the typical evasionary tactics Air Nomads normally used. They were meant for attacking a foe and rendering him unable to continue the fight. They were meant to wound and injure your opponent even when used with restraint. Most Airbenders lived their entire lives without having to resort to the techniques in the Thirty-Sixth though they were required to learn them in order to gain mastery. Most Airbenders, even now, still preferred to talk their way out of a fight often risking instant death than use techniques that went against their belief in the sanctity of all life.

"Do you know of what you ask?" Lu's voice was serious and Aang looked up his eyes grave and sad. This was a serious matter, especially for the Avatar and Lu wanted to make sure Aang was ready.

After a moment Aang's eyes slide away from the Airbending master's face and a shudder passed through him. "I know there are secrets I was not meant to know until I was older. I know I was made a master without the requisite number of Tiers because the Elder monks of the day felt I was not "spiritually ready" to handle the responsibility. I know I was told my true status prematurely due to the impending war and I know, at that time, that there were things I wasn't told about the meaning of my status as the Avatar."

"Do you also know that unlike the rest of the Air Nomads, an Airbending Avatar is exempt from..."

"...Some of our beliefs...I...Yes," Aang took a gulp of air and his mouth worked for several minutes but no sound came out. _All life is sacred._The words flashed through his mind and he closed his eyes seeing again the words written by the previous Airbending Avatar, Yangchen. _"An Airbending Avatar is the only one among the Air Nomads who must be of the world rather than detached from it as we were taught and he or she must therefore make decisions based not on their own spiritual needs but rather on the needs of the world. The needs of the world must always come before the needs of the Avatar no matter what nation that Avatar is native to be it war or peace..."_

Lu waited patently for Aang to say something more. Aang, meanwhile, took another deep breath, trying to get the words he knew he must say through the lump that had lodged in his throat. This was much more difficult then he'd thought it would be. He never wanted this. He never wanted to be the Avatar. He never wanted to be the one who had to fight this battle or the one that had to make all these decisions. For an instant he felt a cold anger sweep through him directed toward the Fire Nation and it's people. The choices he would have to make, the sacrifice he was about to give were all their fault. Had the world remained at peace he would have never known war. Had Firelord Sozin not had the mad ambition to try and destroy the Air Nomads and enslave the rest of the world, he would have lived a life of peace and might, even now, have been sunning his old bones just as Master Lu had been a moment before. It was unfair that he had lost so much because of one person's desires.

Aang shook his head and forced himself not to think about what might have been. It was useless to think about such things now. What was the sacrifice he was about to make against the lives of thousands? There was no other alternative. He had to do this. He must become the weapon and leader that would fight this war on the worlds behalf. There was no one else who could do so. He'd been there at the violent start of this war and he had to see it through to it's conclusion, whatever that might be and wherever it might take him. The needs of the world must come first. It was for the sake of his people, for the people who were already enslaved and for the sake of the world but how he wished with all his heart and soul that it would have fallen to some other more warlike Avatar.

"I've known for a long time that my life would be different from the other Air Nomads," he said finally, looking up at Master Lu with a tear streaked face and eyes that looked frightened and deeply anguished. "I...just...didn't...I never...thought...."

Master Lu nodded and Aang flung himself into the elderly man's arms and sobbed brokenly. Master Lu understood his anguish and held him until his sobs subsided.

* * *

Zuko sat across from his uncle in their rooms and waited for him to pour the tea. He'd been out doing a bit of Firebending training with Shyu when Iroh had called for him to come to their rooms after he was finished and he wondered what he'd done now. Iroh sat down across from his nephew and poured the tea slowly to give himself time to gather his thoughts. His face was serious and for a moment the family resemblance between him and Azulon was clear. Zuko felt his throat go dry and his hands felt oddly numb as he momentarily had difficulty separating his grandfather's stern and foreboding face from his uncle's. If his uncle looked this serious then whatever he had to say couldn't be good.

Zuko quickly grabbed the tea cup in front of him and swallowed it's contents hoping to ease the dryness of his throat but he only ended up burning his tongue and the roof of his mouth with the hot liquid within. He swallowed quickly and set the cup down again, sloshing some of the tea onto his hand.

"Ouch!" he shook the offending hand briskly to cool it as his uncle chuckled.

"Is there something wrong, Zuko?" he said softly.

"No!....No...Why would you think that?" Iroh wasn't fooled by this for a second though.

"There is nothing to worry about, my nephew. I've called you here because it is time for you to learn the secret I've been keeping from you regarding your family history."

That got Zuko's attention. He sat straighter and looked his uncle in the eyes. Iroh set his cup aside and folded his hands in front of him. Taking a deep breath he began, his eyes fixed on Zuko's.

"You must realise, Prince Zuko, that your mother was to have been the one to tell you this once you were of age and could understand the importance of what I am about to tell you. I have kept to her original plan although she may have changed her mind once you had arrived at the Avatar Temple in safety and she realised what was happening to you."

"I thought this was the "Southern Air Temple"? Zuko said with confusion.

"And so it is but it is also the Air Nomad Avatar Temple. Once each of the Four Nations had a temple that was dedicated solely to the Avatar but that was long ago when the Nations were all at peace with one another. Now only the Air and Fire Temples remain intact. The others have fallen to ruin as the clerics that once guarded them disappeared."

"What does that have to do with me and this secret of yours?"

Iroh got up and began pacing. "Tell me, Zuko, haven't you always felt a strange connection to this place, even from the moment you arrived here six year ago?"

Zuko frowned. "You know I have, Uncle and I've never understood why." _At least not until a week ago anyway. _"You never explained it to me when I asked and always put me off whenever I would mention it."

"The reason is simple. You have a spiritual connection to the Avatars. You are the great-grandson of the last Fire Nation Avatar through your mother."

Zuko's eyes widened and his face paled. This news was not what he expected to hear. He was connected to the Avatars, even related to them? He'd never realised but suddenly everything made perfect sense. "So that's why..."

"Long ago, in the days before the war began, the last Fire Avatar, Roku, was good friends with the Firelord of the day, Sozin"

"But Great Grandfather Sozin began the war. How could he do that if..."

"Yes, he did but only after an act of supreme betrayal; the worst and most evil betrayal of all. For you see he betrayed his on time best friend and left him to die amid a volcano's fires. With Roku gone and years before the next Avatar could be fully realized Sozin could continue conquering the world without interference. Rituals such as the Fires of Agni, which you so narrowly escaped as a child, commemorate that event and the effects of that betrayal linger even now."

Zuko's mind turned inward a moment, thinking about what his uncle had said. _"The effects of that betrayal linger..." _Those words repeated themselves in his mind. As if he knew what his nephew was thinking Iroh continued.

"They linger even within your own spiritual essence. Good and Evil have always battled for your soul and for that of your sister as well. The blood of the Betrayer and Betrayed runs in both your veins and because of that your spirit has never been whole," Iroh turned away from Zuko for a moment. "You sister made her choice long ago when she betrayed your mother's escape plan to Azulon and Ozai. Now the time has come for you to make your's."

There was a moment's silence and then Iroh heard Zuko place something on the table. Iroh returned to his seat and picked up the object to examine. It was a small wooden disk about the same size as a pai sho tile on a thin leather thong. One side of the disk bore the stylized flame that symbolized the Fire Nation, while the other was divided into quarters, which bore the stylized symbols of the other Four Nations: The triple swirl for Air, the moon with three wavy lines for Water, the square within a circle within a square for Earth and the flame for Fire. Characters had been engraved over them which read: "Guardian of the One who Guides the World." Iroh's eyes widened knowing instantly what that phase meant.

"I have already chosen my path, Uncle. The Avatar has awakened and I have already pledged myself to his cause. The Fire Nation must be stopped," Zuko paused a moment to let the words sink in before continuing, taking the Guardians disk from Iroh's shocked hands and putting it around his neck. "Grandfather's mad scheme must be stopped before there is nothing left to save. The Avatar is the world's only hope and he must be protected at all cost. I have swear to do so with his blessing."

Iroh's eyes gleamed with tears and he gripped Zuko's arm in a warrior's grip. "I am glad, Prince Zuko. So very glad and proud that you have chosen this path. Too long has our family been lost in the shadows. Through you the honor of our family shall be restored and perhaps one day peace will be restored to the world again."

Zuko smiled but his eyes remained deadly serious. "All I can do for the moment is guard the Avatar. Aang is not yet ready to learn Firebending so that must wait. I'm sure Grandfather will have learned of his awakening already or he will hear about it soon. It won't be too long before the Holy Swords of Agni come looking to capture or kill him before Aang is fully prepared to face the Firelord. I intend to make sure they don't get that chance."

Iroh noticed the cold fire in his nephew's eyes but he nodded in agreement. "I will offer whatever help I can to both you and the Avatar."

Zuko nodded knowing that his uncle was refering not only to himself but to his allies within the White Lotus. Azulon and his Holy Swords would find the Avatar a very difficult mark to reach if they were even able to reach him at all while he remained at the Southern Air Temple but if he should leave...

_"They will not harm him. I will make sure of that."_


	6. Chapter 5: Dreams and Portents

_**Spirits of Air**_

_**By A. S. Gryffindor**_

**Author's Note: **Here's another chapter. Sorry for the wait but I've been really busy with other things. Hope you all enjoy it.

**Chapter Five: Dreams and Portents**

_"I believe you are destined to redeem me and save the world"_

_Avatar Roku- __**The Awakening**_

Aang jerked awake, gasping for breath that he couldn't seem to find. The cool wind from a nearby window against his sweaty skin caused him to shiver slightly. A fiery comet burned a trail across his mind and it had felt so real in the vision that he could still feel the heat radiating off it in waves even though the vision was now over. He knew this had been a vision and not just a dream by the clarity of it and the fact that it had felt as if he was really there floating in the sky nearby as it arced across the blackness of the sky. He also knew somehow, without knowing exactly how he had come to this conclusion, that it was a dire warning of some menace to come though he had no clear idea what the warning pertained to. Being the Avatar was not an easy task and this was not the first time he had experienced a vision. Prior to the Fire Nation's attack and his subsequent sleep, he had plenty of others though they were of a more mundane nature: The death of an elderly monk at the temple, the fall of one of his friends during flying lessons, or maybe that one of the bison was going to be sick soon. Never in his experience had he seen anything quite like this vision, not even when the Fire Nation was planning their invasion of the Air Nomad strongholds. That time he had received no warnings whatsoever so this one worried him greatly.

Slowly his heart rate and breathing returned to normal but the fear remained and the image in his mind remained crystal clear to him. He had only to close his eyes to see it again. He wiped a hand across his brow without conscious thought as his mind tried to put meaning to the vision he had experienced and an old memory tugged at his mind. His grey eyes turned inward and he became lost in his own thoughts. Somewhere, either he himself or a past life had seen something like this before or had had a similar vision. If only he could remember.

_"A burning comet..." _This had to symbolize the Fire Nation or something referring to it. Except for the Avatar they were the only ones capable of manipulating fire and the world was currently at war with them.

_"Or rather __**they**__ are at war with the world," _he thought grimly, the weight of everything he'd learned sitting heavily on his heart.

Again something tugged at his mind. A vague reference in one of the scrolls he'd borrowed from the temple library since his awakening a few weeks ago maybe...? He shook his head and his dazed look cleared. Whatever it was would surface eventually if he just had the patience to leave it alone instead of forcing it to the surface. It had always been so for him. He would learn whatever it was when the time was right and not a moment before. That was the way the spirits worked.

Knowing there would be no more sleep for him, he got up and dressed with care. He had Airbending lessons right after morning prayers, which he always did alone in the company of Fire Sage Shyu and occasionally Master Lu, so he put on his training clothes which consisted of two lengths of cloth in yellow and orange that he threw over his left shoulder and belted at his waist and yellow pants with the typical lightweight shoes Airbenders wore.

Once he'd done that, he quietly opened his door and peeked out to find Zuko standing a few paces away looking out a window as the first fingers of sunlight poured through it. Aang could see him taking in deep breaths as the Firebender gathered in the energy of the sun into himself. Aang slide the door shut again as quietly as he had opened it and sighed heavily. This Avatar stuff was grating on his nerves. It wasn't that he didn't like Zuko because he did. Zuko had been a good companion since he'd awakened and he was fast becoming a good friend. He was also Aang's eyes and ears within the temple since the temple at large had no idea that he'd even awakened and for the moment he wasn't allowed outside the confines of the floor his room was on except for training sessions. The Elders felt that they needed to keep news of his awakening quiet for the moment though Aang hadn't agreed with their viewpoint. It was his opinion that it would give those living at the temple hope to know he's returned at long last but he had bowed to the Elders' wishes only because they knew the current situation better than he did.

No, what Aang didn't like was what Zuko's presence represented: He was being guarded and he hated the thought that he needed to be. There had been a time when the Avatar needed no other protection his or her own powers being sufficient for most things. Even when still in the process of learning the other bending disciplines the Avatar's powers were still greater than most threats. That time was long passed it seemed. Zuko had been commissioned into the ranks of the "Guardians of the One", a group dedicated to the protection of the Avatar that had been founded by Aang's mentor Gyatso, and he took his job as Aang's protector very seriously, often following him as he went about his limited duties even when it was clear Aang wanted privacy for meditation or when he had other such guards around him. There was good reason for this of course. In the last hundred years there had been fifty attempts on his life, at least according to the records the Guardians kept. The last was about ten years ago and the would be Fire Nation assassin had managed to reach the inner door behind which Aang had been in his Avatar induced trace, killing most of the Guardians of the day before he'd been stopped. It was clear that the Fire Nation believed him to be threat and that they didn't believe that he had died during that attack. Aang sighed heavily and glared at the door, wishing for the old days when he could come and go as he pleased without an escort but knew that he needed it if he was to live long enough to restore balance to the world by somehow ending this war.

He leaned his back against the door and took a deep, calming breath, letting the familiarity of the room relax him. At least here he was allowed to have some privacy and he was once again back in his old rooms not in that sickroom or shrine or whatever it was. If it had been left up to the Elders, he would still be entombed there _for his own safety of course _but he had put his foot down invoking his status as the current incarnation of the Avatar and had demanded his old rooms in the Southern Tower back saying they could place as many guards as they liked around him but he was not going to be imprisoned in his own home nor was he going to be enshrined before he'd done his duty to the world. He smiled as he remembered the Elders' faces, which reflected mingled shock and anger with just a hint of admiration. Only Master Lu and Fire Sage Shyu had been unaffected by his outburst but then again it hadn't really surprised them.

Aang pushed away from the door and crossed the worn stone floor of his room his eyes passing over the bunk against the wall, the small shelf that still held the Four Avatar Relics and his staff that was leaning against the wall by the smaller of two windows. He paused a moment at a low table that was littered with scrolls, his hand resting on the table's smooth surface as he stared out a second, larger window, watching the clouds moving across the expanse of sky he could see beyond it. He wished that he could be as free as those clouds. He longed for the days when he was allowed to go where he liked on Appa, visiting his friends Bumi and Kuzon in their homes or inviting them to the temple for brief stays. He felt a stab of pain at the thought. He had no idea what had happened to his two best friends and poor, loyal Appa had died in the same battle that had nearly taken his own life. The great Sky Bison had expended the last of his energy to save his Aang from what would have been a deadly fall. Aang couldn't bear the thought of choosing another bison to take his place and had not yet visited the bison stables though the Elders and Shyu had suggested that he should. No bison could ever replace Appa.

The image of the comet burst into his mind and he felt himself tense up more. The weight of all his responsibilities and the choice he had already made crashed down on him like a powerful wave, threatening to overwhelm him. Suddenly he didn't want to be alone in this room with his thoughts any longer. Without really thinking about what he was doing, he wrote a note so Zuko wouldn't panic and took his glider from where it rested against the wall heading for the open window and the skies beyond.

He threw the glider out the window and it snapped open as soon as the air outside hit it. He quickly leapt after it, catching and updraft of wind as he did so. His hands made firm contact with the glider's supports and soon all of his troubles and responsibilities seem to disappear. A wide grin came to his face and it was a long time before his feet made contact with the ground again.

* * *

"That's just great! I'm not only going to be late but now I'm lost too," Katara blew a stray hair out of her eyes in frustration and took a look around, hoping to see something familiar but all she saw was a long, unfamiliar hallway broken by the occasional window through which the sky shone a brilliant blue that rivaled the blue of the ocean near her home.

She huffed in annoyance but continued walking down the hall in hopes that something familiar would appear or that, at least, she would find a way outside or a monk that would direct her to her destination. As she walked she took in the simple beauty of the place with it's wide, airy halls and stone walls that were worked with the swirling emblem of the Air Nation. It was so different from the icy buildings of the Southern Water tribe that she vaguely recalled from her childhood but since she had lived at the temple so long now it had gotten to feel like home to her as well. It was so tranquil and peaceful here, away from the outside world with it's constant threats of war and for a moment she wished the entire world could feel what she felt at this moment. Maybe then the war would end and she could return home to her village.

Soon she came to another hall that intersected the one she was in. One end revealed itself to be a dead end but the other end of the passage was flooded with morning light. She sighed in relief and headed for the light filled opening that turned out to be an open door. Passing through the doorway she paused at the view that stretched out before her. The mountains spread out around her and it was the first time she's seen them from this higher elevation. They appeared to be almost like islands among the clouds. Looking down she noticed that she was several levels higher than the place she had entered the temple at. She could see the tops of the trees waving in a light breeze and a few sky bison were hovering lazily nearby. She grinned and watched them for several minutes amazed at their ability to hover in midair. The scenery around her slowly began to relax her taunt nerves. That was when she noticed that she was not as alone as she thought she was on the balcony.

There was a young Airbender she had never met before on the balcony who she had not seen when she first arrived there. He was perched on the wide stone railing like some kind of unusual bird and the light breeze was tugging playfully at his clothing though he seemed to take no notice of it. He also didn't seem to have noticed her arrival and she moved closer to the railing to get a better view of the scenery below them hoping she would not be disturbing him. As she moved closer she noticed that he was a bit younger than she'd first assumed because of his mastery tattoos. He looked to be about twelve or so and far to young to have earned his tattoos, if she remembered correctly from her lessons in Air Nomad history and culture. That plus the fact that she didn't recognize him made her curious. She had lived at the temple for years and had thought she knew everyone who resided there.

She continued to move forward to get a better look at him and let out a small gasp. She could see the burn scars that ran down parts of his arms and there was a puckered scar near his shoulder blade that she knew was an old arrow wound from having to help out as a healer when Air Nomad parties returned wounded from their travels among the war-torn Nations. The Airbender jumped at the sound of her gasp, nearly falling from his perch in the process and windmilling his arms to regains his lost balance. He immediately fell into a battle ready stance upon recovery though he quickly adjusted this when he saw her Water Tribe clothing. He smiled sheepishly at her instead.

"Uh...Hi," he rubbed the back of his head shyly. "Sorry..."

Katara paused a moment, staring at another burn scar that slashed across the exposed part of his chest and disappeared behind his clothing. _Fire Nation. _Sometime in the past the Fire Nation had attacked him. But why would they have done so? Everything about him made her curious but she knew it would be rude of her to start asking personal questions when she didn't even knew his name however much she wanted answers to those questions.

"Nice view, huh?" Katara mentally kicked herself. _Spirits that sounded so stupid._

"I didn't think anyone came here anymore. Not since Gya..." his voice trailed off and sadness came into his gray eyes. He missed his mentor greatly and had come up here to be closer to him. This balcony had been one of their favorite spots for meditation.

Katara noticed the sorrow in his voice but said nothing though a pain moved through her own heart and her mother's gently smiling face flashed briefly across her mind.

Aang stared back out at the mountains before him but he wasn't really seeing them and he didn't notice when the Water Tribe girl said nothing more. Instead his mind was full of memories of his mentor and the closeness they had shared. Gyatso was not Aang's father, he had made that perfectly clear to the boy as soon as Aang was old enough to understand the concept of parents and to wonder why he had none, but he was the only father Aang had ever known. His heart was still grieving for his mentor's death even though it had been long ago now. He kept expecting to see Gyatso's smiling face or to hear his calm and sure voice and his grief was made worse by the fact that it seemed to him that he had just seen his mentor a few days ago. He couldn't even bring himself to visit the memorial statue that had been made in Gyatso's honor nor indeed could he bring himself to visit the memorial landing where the first attack on the temple had occurred all those years ago. It was all still to raw and painful for him and the deaths were all still fresh in his mind.

Katara noticed the sadness that had become etched on the younger boy's face and wondered again what his story was. Clearly he had lost someone close to him, maybe a parent or relative. Though he was an Air Nomad and had been raised in a vastly different environment from her own she felt a kinship with him in that moment. They were both orphans of a sort and the war was responsible for it. Her heart went out to him then. She cast about for a subject that would pull him away from his obviously painful thoughts. Seeing his glider staff leaning against the wall opposite then she thought she had found it.

"So what's it like?" she said motioning toward the staff.

Aang jumped at the sound of her voice, having forgotten that she was still there. After he regained his composure and had waved off an apology from the girl, he turned to look at where she'd been pointing.

"What's what like," he replied, some confusion evident in his voice.

"Flying...I've always wondered what it was like since I first came here," she smiled at Aang who smiled back. "I suppose that's not so surprising to learn."

"It's the best thing ever, " he said, his grin growing wider and his eyes beginning to sparkle. "Wanna try it?"

Katara's face paled slightly as she realized exactly how far it was to the ground from where they now stood and she shook her head. "I can't right now."

Aang's face fell and Katara suddenly felt bad. "Maybe later though. I should be in lessons right now."

Aang nodded and looked up at the sky a moment, trying to gauge the time from the position of the sun. "Yeah, me too."

Aang held out his right hand and created a stream of wind that brought his staff to him and Katara got a closer look at the burn scars that cut across his hand there though she said nothing about them. He noticed though and looked down at the scar that almost completely covered his hand frowning slightly as memories assailed him.

"It was the Fire Nation," he said softly, flexing his hand and watching the scarred skin stretch a little tighter. Images of the battle flashed through his mind but he forced them away.

Seeing the painful and faraway look in his eyes she waved a hand at him. "You don't have to tell me about it. I'll settle for just knowing your name and your help in finding Master Shyu."

Aang snapped out of his near trance and gave the Water Tribe girl a faint smile. "Deal but only if you tell me yours"

"Katara," she smiled back.

"I'm Aang."

* * *

The Arrows of Air hovered in front of Aang, held at bay by a current of air he'd woven around them that was supposed to deflect them back at his instructor. It wasn't doing so and Aang couldn't figure out why. His attention wavered slightly so that two of the six arrows were able to break free and strike him in the hands. This caused the whole structure of the air before him to collapse in on itself as his concentration shattered completely and the other four arrows slammed him into the ground, knocking the breath from his lungs momentarily.

"You must not lose your focus, Aang," Lu said softly as he watched the young Avatar get painfully to his feet. "The air must have a slight spin to it if you want to deflect incoming missiles back at your opponent. We will drill the sequence again."

Aang looked up at Lu and then bowed, his hand on his chest where one of the Air Arrows had stuck an old wound. "Yes, Sifu."

Lu noticed Aang wincing as he held onto his chest and he relented somewhat. It would not hurt the boy to take a break. "But first we will take a short rest."

Aang's head jerked up and his face became hard and set. There was steel in his voice and his eyes when he spoke. "But Sifu...I'm fine and I need to master this technique before we can move on to others. I've had plenty of time to rest."

Lu raised an eyebrow at the boy and settled down on a nearby stone bench. "Come Aang. You need to rest for a few minutes. Besides these old bones need a break."

Aang sighed and dropped where he stood into a perfect lotus position intending to use these few moments to meditate so that he could calm himself. He would never master the form if he kept allowing impatience to take hold of him but the training and techniques continued to frustrate him. He'd never had trouble learning Airbending before but the forms of the Thirty-Sixth were more difficult than he'd imagined them to be. They required more power, concentration and a completely different mindset to what he was used to. Though he knew he needed to master the Tier thereby completing his training in Airbending he wondered if his spirit and will were strong enough to do so. Briefly he wondered if he would ever be ready to face his destiny and end this war by taking the battle to the Fire Nation itself. Again he doubted his choice and his ability to see it through. He thought of Gyatso and those that had fallen for him long ago with a painful stab of grief. What would they think of him now?

Master Lu said nothing more, seeing the boy's inner struggle reflected in his face. He could do very little to help the boy come to terms with his decision and his situation other than to offer him advice, a person who would listen to him and a shoulder for him to cry on when he needed it. In many ways Aang seemed to be mature beyond his physical age and there was an aire of ancient wisdom around the young Avatar but underneath it all there was a very human boy; one who was confused, alone and afraid. The world Aang had known was gone now. Gone in a wave of fire that was slowly consuming everything in it's destructive path. In what amounted to a breath in the young boy's mind everyone and everything he had ever know had vanished to be replaced by the unfamiliar. Even here, in the temple that had always been his home, things were not as they had been when the Avatar had last walked it's halls.

Lu couldn't image how it felt to have lost everything and to have memories that were a hundred years old feel like they had happened merely days or weeks ago. To know that memories where all that was left to him now. How difficult it must be for the young Avatar to have awoken into a world one hundred years in the future and into a world were the war he had once hoped to stop by his sacrifice had continued. Lu truly couldn't fault Aang for not being able to concentrate on his training. Any fool could see that he was confused and might even now be grieving his losses. Lu had had plenty of time to come to terms with that long ago attack on his people and with the deaths that had resulted but that healing process was just beginning for Aang. The fact that he had only _seen _those lost what felt like merely an hour before would make the process that much harder for him.

Aang came out of his meditative trance feeling no better than he had before he had entered it. Memories of other times in the training area were now flooding his mind. Happier, more peaceful times that he had spent with his friends learning simple Airbending forms and laughing at one another's mistakes. He could almost hear their laughter as if the stones below him had recorded the memory of the their existence or perhaps the very air around them now held their spirits. There was a flash and for a brief instant Aang was surrounded by his friends once more. They were all as he had last seen them a week...no one hundred years before.

As quickly as the vision came it vanished and Aang's spirit fell again. All of his friends from that time were gone now, with very few exceptions. They had lived their lives without him. They had grown, mastered their element, went among the people to give aid to them as the war progressed, and had perhaps even married and had children of their own all without him ever being aware of the fact. Time had moved on leaving him behind; it's passage unmarked by him as he had lain in his trance-like slumber. This was a strange new world to him and without those who had known him best there to give him aid and support he was unsure of whether he could succeed in this bold plan.

Aang got up and walked away from Lu, his hand held in fists. His body was trembling with pent up emotions. The air around him swirled slightly in reaction to his feeling.

"I can't do this," he said softly.

"Come now, Aang. These things take time..."

Aang cut the old monk's words off with a slash of his hand. "No! I mean all this!" he waved his hands around. "Why did it have to be me?"

Lu stood up and folded his hands into his robes. He smiled sympathetically at the young Avatar and walked toward him. Aang backed away shaking his head and swallowing reflexively.

"Air is supposed to be the element of Harmony. How can I bring harmony to the world when I have none in my heart? My name means "peaceful soaring" but I'm turning myself into a weapon because there is no other choice. How is that "peaceful"? How can my spirit soar? How can I stay true to who I am and not tarnish the honor of the Air Nomads or those who have fallen defending me? Aang wiped a hand across his eyes and his lower lip trembled. "Why can't I even bring myself to acknowledge that the past is just that and that everything I've known and loved is gone now?"

Lu took another step forward and gave Aang a look of compassion. "Aang, I know you're confused and hurt. Everything you knew has vanished seemingly overnight. Friends you knew are not either gone or very old. But that doesn't mean their love is not still here and that their spirits are not a part of you. Nor does it mean you will not find new friends to help and support you."

Aang looked away and stood rigid, his emotions vibrating inside him. He didn't want new friends. He wanted his old ones and he wanted everything to be as it had been. The air around him hummed and there was a brief glow in his eyes. He was overcome with the desire to bolt but be remained where he was. Running away would not solve his problems and running away would not end this war. It might even prolong it. The air around him stilled and Aang seemed to wilt in front of Lu. The young Airbender fell limply to the ground, his head bowed and his shoulders shaking with tears. Lu knelt beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

After a few silent moments Aang's tear-filled gray eyes looked into those of Lu and the old master read grief in them. For a moment they held each other's gaze and then Aang broke it to rise to his feet again. When he spoke his voice was soft and sad.

"I've never even offered prayers for their spirits," he was looking at a point somewhere above Lu's head and his eyes held a faraway look in them. "Not even for those closest to me" _Appa...Gyatso._

"You need closure, " Lu murmured and Aang's eyes turned back to him.

"I can't...I just can't...If I do then it will all be real," he whispered brokenly.

"Without it your spirit will remain unsettled," Lu paused for a moment. "The ceremony that commemorates the battle that was fought here is in three days. I think you should be there and...yes, I think you should speak as well offering your blessings on those souls that depart life on that day. The Elders are selfish and wrong to keep you hidden from those at the temple. I have told them so many times since your return to us. Whatever the danger involved the world needs to know that you have awakened. Hope is the only thing they have left. Hope that you would return and lead them out of this time of darkness."

"But..."

"To heal the world you must first heal yourself."

Aang nodded, though his eyes were still hazy and he seemed distracted by something that Lu could not see. After a mere moment had passed, Aang's eyes and tattoos began to glow again as the Avatar Spirit took control of his body momentarily and Lu felt the Avatar's spiritual energy rise dramatically as the previous Avatars added theirs to his own. Between one breath and the next the extra energy around and within Aang vanished and the young Airbender fell to the ground muttering three words over and over before he passed out in Lu's arms.

Ba Sing Se.


End file.
