"So you grew up here? I thought you lived with Aang or something." Raiko leans on his back as the Northern Air temple in sight, hair bellowing behind him as Asha seemed to grow more and more excited.

"I did. Once Aang was declared Avatar they decided I was a distraction, so, they sent me away with Sister Ashuna."  Asha was currently sitting in the drivers seat, hands busy as she tied her auburn locks into a ponytail, the curls bouncing as she did.

"I feel like that would be more of a distraction though." Raiko sits up with Zulu churring in his lap. The blonde's hair had grown even more, to the point he needed to tie it back as well. Asha promised to cut it as soon as she had the time, but she obviously had different things on her mind every time they settled. 

"That's what I said, but whatever. If I didn't go, I wouldn't have crashed and burned, wouldn't have gotten to reconnect with Aang. All that fun stuff." The girl crosses her legs, the bright blue arrows prominent, since she had taken off her normal leg coverings earlier.  The blonde water bender only hums, looking over as a crowd appears on a runway type walkway. 

"Wow." His green eyes widen in excitement, the crowd cheering as Gumi lands. He's momentarily stunned by the group, Asha pushing past him to a wheelchair bound kid, who looks about their age with a smile just as bright as the brunette's.

"Teo!" 

"Asha! Good to see you! I see you got our letter!" The boy hugs back, chuckling deeply. Teo looks over Asha's shoulder to Raiko, the two nodding to each other; they may not know each other, but a silent agreement was made. A friend of Asha's was a friend of theirs. 

"How did you manage to get it onto Gumi?" The two separate at the question, with the boy scratching the back of his neck. 

"He came here, wounded. I was shocked since you weren't with him, but then the sister, the one I told you about, said that this was supposed to happen. She came here shortly after you guys left, saying she had visions about the Onsra and Avatar, and she was here to help. I can take you to her right now, actually." Teo smiles brightly as he finishes. 

"Uh, yeah, sure. Oh, Teo this is Raiko. He's my water bending teacher. Raiko, this is Teo. He helped clear the temple of Fire benders." Asha gesture to the blonde, who approaches them with Zulu close behind him.  They shake hands without further words, Teo rolling away to lead them to the sister. 

___

"Asha-Lynn. My grandmother has told me stories about you, young air bender." An older woman chides as she stands near a fire pit, the flames licking at her face, but not making contact. 

She had graying blonde hair tied into a tight bun on top of her head, a bright red comb keeping it in place, a fake chocolate cosmos on the corner. The woman had soft, caramel eyes that were half closed, a soft smile lighting up  her face. Her skin was unnaturally pale, and she wore orange and red robes; much like the monks did. Only hers were tied at the waist and was strung over both shoulders. 

"My name is Aiya.  I'm sister Ashuna's granddaughter." Her voice was smooth, but nonetheless brought a feeling of uncertainty onto Asha, one she was certain Aang could feel. 

'You okay?'  Once again, Asha was proved right as Aang's voice rang through her mind.

'Yeah. Just got to the Temple...' 

' Okay. I'll take to you once I get to the Eastern temple. Stay safe, Ash.' 

'You too, Aang.' And like that, the conversation was over.

"I see you already have your connection with the Avatar. The will make unlocking the last Chakra a bit harder, but not impossible." The woman turns to Asha, motioning for her to sit on a nearby pillow. 

"Please. Have a seat while your friend waits outside." 

"Actually, it's preferred that he stays close to me at all time." Asha pipes in, Raiko having a look of uncertainty cross his face. She not only remembers Aang protective tone when Raiko was going to stay, but she just didn't want to be alone in a room with this woman. 

"Nonsense! Your in perfectly safe hands. Him and the other boy can wait just outside the door." Aiya pushes Raiko towards Teo, locking them outside with a soft 'click' despite the Onsra's silent silent plead for them to stay.

"Now let's get started."

___

"What do you know about Chakras?" The woman looks to Asha, who fidgets in her spot on the ground. 

"A normal person has seven, while Aang and I have eight. In order to have our connection, we had to unlock each others eighth. Chakras traditionally are compared to pools of energy. In short, their the swirling pools of our own energy." Asha's blue eyes remained focused on the carpet in front of her, the hideous designs and colors burning her iris', even if she can't look away. Somethings she always hated about the Northern Temple.  

She supposed that and the horrendous methods they had of over-teaching Asha everything while the Southern taught Aang nothing.

"Very good. You must also know that unlocking them is the only way to gain full control over the Avatar State."  

Asha nods. 

"Then, let's begin with your first Chakra. Be forewarned, this will be intense and once started, cannot be stopped. Understood?" Another nod. "Wonderful. Now, the first Chakra is your Earth Chakra at the base of your spine. Blocked by fear, both rational and irrational, it's main focus is helping you survive." 

Aiya walks over to Asha's back, dragging a cold finger along the base, where the Chakra supposedly is. Closing her eyes and pointing the arrows on her hands together, Asha takes a deep breath, entering her own conscious.

___

Opening her eyes, Asha finds herself back in the swamp, trees and vines hanging everywhere around her. The fear pits itself in her stomach, gutting the little courage and confidence she had.

'Let your fears become known, Asha-Lynn.' 

Said girl looks up in nervously, the sound of Aiya's voice echoing around her. With that, she looks forward once more. This time, she finds a reflection of herself, only this one's eyes and arrows glow brightly.  This causes the non-glowing Asha to stumble back, falling onto another being, this one being the same Aang from her Eight Chakra.  He turns with a mean grimace, the glowing Asha prancing over to him with a nasty giggle. 

Asha falls onto her butt as the two glowing beings approach her.  Turning to get up and run, she's stopped yet again, but this time it's by a rendering of Aki. Her bright red locks taunting as screaming starts from all around. Some are male yells, others are female. 

With a new found sense of 'I-have-to find-these-people- or-I'm-dead-meat', Asha slides right under Aki's legs, sprinting towards the screams. 

When she gets to her destination, she's wishes she never started this thing in the first place. She's met with her friends, all being cornered by guards, the Dai Li, until their captured; one by one falling to their knees.

" Why would you let this happen, Asha?" Toph's broken voice is heard first, tears coming to Asha's eyes as she watches the raven crumble.

"We trusted you!" Next is Raiko's angry voice, making Asha flinch and the tears break free. 

"Ash, I loved you."  Those words broke the poor girl, Aang's own broken-hearted face echoing her own.  

"No, no, no, no, no! This is a dream! This isn't really happening! It- It can't be real!" Asha cries out, falling to her knees. 

On the outside world, Asha's body visible shakes as tears stream freely down her face. Aiya shaking her head in disappointment. "Pathetic Onsra." 

The woman sneers quietly, unsure of what is going on through the younger girl's head.

___

Asha stands on all fours, her head low as the mocking and screams continue around her. 

"This isn't real! I'm not in a survival situation. I'm safe! Aang's safe! Katara and Sokka are safe! Raiko and Toph are safe! This isn't real!" Asha yells out, the vision before her snapping away as she does. 

Sweat drips down her forehead, the girl still obviously shaken by the vision. 

'Aang?'  It's the only thing Asha can think to do.

'Are you okay Ash? You sound scared, and... lost.' Aang's voice brings a sense of comfort to Asha, the girl letting out a sigh of relief. 

'Yeah, I just needed to make sure you were okay.' 

'I'm fine. Don't worry your pretty little head, Ash.' 

The girl's smile disappears as hands clap in front of her face, shaking her from her momentary sense of peace.

"Congratulations, Onsra. Next is your Water Chakra. This one deals pleasure, blocked by guilt. So, what burdens you?"  

"I ran away, duh." Asha snorts wiping away any tear remnants. Sure, the guilt was bad a while ago, but in time, she's come to accept it.  She hears a snort come from Aiya as well, the woman obviously taken aback. 

"Anything else? Think of all the people you hurt, how the Avatar would've felt if you died." Aiya tries enforcing the feeling of guilt upon her. 

"Look, I'm sorry if your not getting the reaction you looking for, but my guilt was relieved a while ago, by my Avatar. Thank you very much."  She can sense the frustration rain from Aiya, but still holds a proud smirk. 

"Fine then. Your third Chakra, your Fire Chakra, is located in your stomach. It deals with power but is blocked by shame. What's your biggest disappointment?" 

This sends Asha back into her mind, this time however, she's met with Aki sitting across from her, same position and everything. 

"I'm just like her." Asha's voice is quiet, looking to an obviously younger Aki, who looks right back.

'You will never find balance, unless you accept that she is part of you. You bend all elements, making you a fire bender. Your both kin, both with and without family ties. You must accept this.'  

Once more, Aiya's voice echoes. Asha breathing in slowly.

"We are one." Asha's voice is smooth and even, the girl looking calm as ever as she opens her eyes, only to be met with Aiya's shocked glance. 

"You seem to be moving fairly quickly, young air bender." 

"I'm not young. I'm over a hundred years old. "

___ 

After three more Chakras, emotional battles, acceptance of being the Onsra (what Asha should've done a while ago, and what she thought she did), and whole lot more, she was finally at the last Chakra.  Emotionally, physically and mentally drained. She could feel Aang was the same way, but both pushed on. 

"Once you open this last Chakra, you will be able to go in and out of the Avatar State freely. Of course, since your connection, it will be much harder on your physical and mental form." The woman looks to Asha, whose obviously tired and struggling to stay awake. 

"What do I have to do?" It comes out like a groan, almost like an added burden on the girl, which in a way it was. But she needed to do this. 

"You need to forget all Earthly attachments. Your friends, your pets, and especially your Avatar." Aiya explains, expecting resistance, but gets only laughter instead. 

"Your crazier then Teo's dad if you think I'm forgetting about those. He's literally interwoven with my soul." Asha snorts as she laughs, wiping a fake tear from her eye.

"I'm not joking young Onsra. If you wish to go through with this, you must forget them! Forget everyone and everything! You must temporarily block your Eight Chakra if you wish to control this side of you! " Aiya's voice raises, Asha holding her hands up in surrender. 

The two calm, Asha once more going into her own mind. Flashes of her life with Aang appear. Anywhere from gliding, to fighting (both with each other or others), to their multiple shared kisses, to just recently when they separated. Asha can feel herself tense up, the girl getting increasingly angry with herself for getting upset once more.  Pulling herself out of her mind state she looks to Aiya. 

"You weren't supposed to get out of the state, you insolent fool!" The woman snaps. 

"I was never starting to enter the state. I'm not forgetting about my friends, or my animals. I'm especially not forgetting about Aang! If he wants to forget about me, then so be it. But I'm not forgetting about him." Asha stands up, Aiya copying. The two girls glare at each other with a fiery hatred growing.

"And why not?!" 

"Because I love him!"  Asha surprises herself as she yells out, Raiko and Teo bursting through the door. 

"If you are to master the Avatar State you must surrender yourself! You- you- you pathetic excuse for an Onsra!" Aiya yells in frustration. 

The boys looked to Asha in shock, the girl looking down solemnly. 

"It was a mistake coming here." Her voice is cold, Asha quickly turning around as Zulu squeaks by the door. 

"You can't leave! How are you going to fight the fire lord and his new lady?! Hmm?!" Aiya smirks as Asha stops, turning with an angry glare.

"Didn't you hear? Fire Lord Ozai chose a new queen. Fire Lady Aki." Aiya's face now holds a sickly smirk as Asha clutches her fists. 

"I'll find a way, without your help." Asha's voice remains calm even as anger blisters through her body, hot and upsetting.

The woman lets out an angry yell once again, Teo and Raiko quickly following Asha out the door.  As the three stand outside of the door, Teo closes it with another 'click' blocking it off with some sort of lock mechanism. 

"You guys go back to the others, we'll handle her." Teo looks up to Raiko and Asha, the two smiling back.

"Thank you Teo." Asha leans to give him a hug, Raiko joining in shortly after. 

"Thank you."

___

Gumi lets out a growl of acknowledgement as Asha approaches him, Raiko already perched on top of the saddle, ready to go. 

"Ready?"  Raiko's green eyes hold a glint of mischief, looking down to the air bender. 

"As I'll ever be. Let's do this thing!" Asha cries out, Gumi taking off with an excited roar. 

'I'm going back Aang.' 

'Good. I am too. Something's not right.'

'What do you mean?' 

'Katara's in trouble.'