"Oh my god, how you have the stamina to run that long, is beyond me. I feel bad for Aang."   Raiko pants as Asha throws open the doors, both running from the outside of the palace to the center, where the king was waiting for them (Theoretically). 

"I'm sorry? Why would you feel sorry for Aang?" Asha pauses, looking back to the blonde, head tilted.

"Forget it. Look there's the Earth King." Raiko tries to evade the question, Asha obviously much too innocent for the joke.   

Bosco lays beside the King, who looks utterly confused by the entrance of the girl, both watching the Onsra walk into the room much slower than she originally was going.

"Your Majesty, I'm so sorry for the interruption, but I-" She's interrupted by the doors slamming once more, this time Aang, Toph and Sokka running in. 

"Your Maj- Raiko? Asha?" Sokka trails off looking to the other two.  He furrows his brows at the two who turn at the slam. 

"Ash!" Aang is quick to run to Asha, the two hugging tightly, the momentum spinning them slightly as they clutch onto each other. 

"Are you okay? I felt the emotions that ran through you, and it- it didn't feel good." Aang whispers, the girl only nodding as she pulls him closer to herself. 

"I missed you so much. Did you master the Avatar State?" She pulls away, but still holds onto Aang's arms, careful blue eyes scanning his face as it scrunches in discontent. She could feel the remorse and reluctance from Aang, making her own stomach twist.

'No. I didn't.' 

"Aw, Aang. It's okay. I- I didn't either. I wasn't able to unlock my seventh Chakra." She whispered, admittedly a lot softer than she meant too.

"Me neither."  The two remain latched to each other, whispering soft reassurances and affirmations while Raiko and Sokka explain to the Earth King why they were there.

"Katara's fine. You have nothing to worry about." The Earth King tries to reassure, but the look on the kids' faces do nothing to tell him they're convinced.

"But, in my vision. I felt so sure that she was in trouble." Aang looks down, Asha giving him a reassuring squeeze.

"Well, she met with the Council of Generals to plan the invasion. And since then she's been off with your friends, the Kyoshi Warriors." 

"See Aang? She's with Suki. They're probably back at out apartment right now, talking about make-up or something." Sokka places a hand on Aang's shoulder, the boy looking down as neither Avatar nor Onsra feel their bad guttural feeling let up.

"Maybe you're right..." The air bender lays his head on Asha's, desperately trying to now will away the feeling for both of their sakes. 

"Believe me, if there was any danger at all, Bosco's animal instinct would sense it."

___

Oh, how wrong the Earth King was. 

The group had gotten back to the apartment only to find it empty, barren, clean just as they had left it. The only thing greeting them was Momo, who chattered excitedly while climbing onto Aang's shoulder, the air bender cheering excitedly in greeting..

"There's no one else here." Toph lightly stamps a foot, most likely using vibrations to sense any other beings.

"Katara is in trouble! I knew it!" Aang stands up straight as he furrows a brow, his voice muffled by the angle of his head.

"Oh no."  Sokka looks around hurriedly, even though the facts were staring at him in the face from the beginning. 

"Wait, someone's at the door." Toph looks up, Asha following her gaze. Walking over to the window, the brunette glances out of the window; where a familiar head of grey hair meets her vision.

 "Wait a minute. I know who that is!" Asha smiles as she rushes to open the door, a knock ringing out seconds before. 

"I'm glad to see you're okay old man!" Asha hugs the chuckling old man, who separates with a frown.

"I need your help." His deep voice sends shivers down Raiko's spine, Sokka and Aang quickly disagreeing with any thought of helping the man.   

Letting out a yelp as Aang pulls his girlfriend into his side, arm locked tightly around her hips, Asha watches as the boys give a look of angry panic to the older man in the door way, Toph giving a friendly wave and smile.

"You guys know each other!"  Aang glances at Asha before looking back to Iroh. 

"We met him in the woods once, I knocked him down. Then he gave us some tea-" Toph began, her eyes closing as she explained. 

"And some very good advice." Asha interrupts, trying to sneak out of the possessive hold she was caught in, only for it to tighten. 

"May I come in?" Toph walks over to Iroh as he speaks, the Earth bender letting the male in without hesitation-- which he seems to appreciate. "Princess Azula is here in Ba Sing Se. Not to mention, Queen Aki." He speaks solemnly, his eyes closing as well.

"Queen Aki?" Asha's brows furrow, her eyes narrowing at the two words.  "I thought she was just a lady." 

"Fire Lord Ozai took her hand in marriage not to long ago."  Iroh explains, his eyes opening as he looks to the air benders, Asha avoiding his gaze- looking as if she's deep in thought.

"Princess Azula must have Katara." Aang holds Asha close to him, thinking about how in the world they were gonna save the water bender.

"She has captured my nephew as well. "

"Then we'll work together to fight Azula and Aki, and save Katara and Zuko." Asha declares, a decisive and authoritative look on her face despite the fact that her, nor Aang, had any tangible idea on how to do that.

"Wow there, Onsra. You lost me at, 'Zuko'." Sokka looks to Asha, acid lacing his words at the thought of having to save the fire bender.

"I know how you must feel about my nephew. But believe me when I tell you there is good inside him." Iroh steps up to Sokka, placing his hands on Sokka's shoulder as he attempts to change the Southern boy's mind.

"Good inside of him isn't enough. Why don't you come back when it's outside him too, okay?" Sokka snorts, shrugging off Iroh's hands. 

"Sokka, your sister is in trouble. All of Ba Sing Se is in trouble. Working together is our best chance." Asha offers with a small smile, Sokka closing his eyes as he nods begrudgingly. Aang smiling at the response as well.

"I brought someone along who might be able to help us." 

Iroh leads them outside, the others following. A bound and gagged Dai Li agent sits on the porch, Toph quickly bending two stone slabs on either side of him in case he get's any ideas as the eldest man pulls down the cloth, showing a large scar on his face. 

"Azula and Long Feng are plotting a coup. They're going to overthrow the Earth King." The soldier wastes no time spilling his guts, but could anyone blame him? An angry Avatar, Onsra, Fire bending legend, Earth and water benders and southern tribe warrior stood in front of him, the looks on their faces enough to make even the strongest of warriors wet themselves.

"My sister! Where are they keeping Katara?!" Sokka points his machete at the soldier, the man giving it a weary look. 

"In the crystal catacombs of old Ba Sing Se, deep beneath the palace. I'd hurry, I heard a new party has a plan to take care of both of them." 

___

The group had decided to separate once more to cover more ground with Toph and Sokka going together,  Aang and Iroh and finally Asha and Raiko. It seemed the two were always paired together, but it wasn't like they minded. 

"Man, isn't this nice? Just the two of us, waiting like sitting ducks for some crazy people to roast our butts." Raiko snorts, his blonde hair now back to his desired length (Asha cutting it once they got back while waiting for the time to strike).  Asha only hums a response.

"So, wanna talk about what happened at the Northern Air Temple?" The boy;s green eyes eyeball Asha, who slows ever so slightly. 

She's silent for a few seconds, contemplating her actions carefully. "I couldn't do it." 

"You couldn't master the Avatar state?" Raiko's tone isn't accusatory or even mean, it's kind and genuinely concerned; like a big brother, the Onsra mused to herself.

"She wanted me to forget you guys, Gumi and Zulu...Aang." Her voice becomes meek and quiet. The girl doesn't dare to speak anymore than that.

"Is that why you suddenly exclaimed, very loudly might I add, that you loved someone?"  Raiko knew his questions were getting on her nerves before the girl even said anything. 

"I suppose. It was in the heat of the moment, okay?! I didn't know what I was saying." The last bit almost comes out as a mumble, the silence being the only response afterwards. 

A belt of fiery red and orange fire flies past them, barely missing the hit to ignite the two benders. They jump away from the stream line of the blaze, eyes looking back to the culprit of the fire. 

There stood Aki; clad in shiny metal, armor over top a black jumpsuit. Her bright red locks were tied in a tight ponytail, the wrinkles almost being pulled back with it; giving off an almost younger look. The woman's bright fawn eyes tracing every movement, every twitch of a muscle, every flick of Asha's eyelashes. 

"Aki." Said Onsra hisses as she lands, flipping onto her feet quickly.

"That's Queen Aki, I'm sure you've heard." The woman almost snickers, the bright red eye shadow crinkling as her eyes narrow. "Now, my dear Onsra, I've heard you've had some issues fire bending. I know for a fact your Avatar has. How would you like a personal lesson?"  

After that, there's a cynical giggle. 

"I'll be your teacher."  

Jumping off the nearby wall, Asha dodges another set of fireballs hurdled at her. Raiko currently ducking from his own onset with a small tumble. Bringing up a sheet of Earth, Asha dives to take Raiko behind the shelter, surrounding them with more walls- almost like a small fort of solitude. 

"This won't hold long, so we have to think of something." Asha bites at her lip, a habit she had thought she broke. Apparently not. 

"You could try going into the Avatar state?" Raiko knows that by just saying the words, he's risking an angry bender, one that's lethal in most situations.  

His point was proven by Asha's sharp glance, her blue eyes narrowed, brows furrowed and aghast scowl set in. 

"I told you, I wasn't forgetting everyone for a stupid attempt at checkmate!" Asha sounds frustrated, her hands finding their way into her hair; knotting themselves deep withingthe brown roots that sit perched on top of her head.

"It's not forever, it's temporary. We all understand-" He's interrupted by their makeshift fort rumbling around them, small stones and pebbles falling around them.  "Ash, we will all understand. Me, Sokka, Katara, Aang. Please! We need Onsra Asha. Not our friend, that sweet little girl who grew up with the air nomads. Onsra Asha. The young woman whose not afraid to get what she wants, no matter who or what obstacles she needs to destroy to get to it." 

Raiko's green eyes pierce Asha's blue ones, the two staring at each other until the female breaks.

"I'll cover you, but you have to try." Raiko snaps, leaving their small fort with water drawn from a nearby flask, leaving Asha alone.

"Okay, Asha. Think like an Onsra..." The brunette tries to pump herself up, only to take a deep breath as she crosses her legs, pushing her hands together.  Asha allows the thought of everything to run away from her.  Raiko was right. The world didn't need the little, puss-baby she was acting like. It needed the tough, made-of-steel, no-shits-given Onsra. 

So that's what she was going to give them.

Feeling the energy of past Onsra's flow through her, like a bad drug, she allowed her arrows to slowly fire up to a lethal blue. Snapping open her now glowing eyes, Asha blasts the earth fort around her to smithereens.  

Aki and Raiko seem to freeze mid-attack, the now standing Onsra giving off such a threatening aura, that even Raiko seems shaken by the state she's in. 

Wasting no more time, Asha slams a foot down, a wave of dust and rock rising from the ground. She then swings her arms in front of her, creating a large whirlpool of dust, rock and dirt around them; cutting them off from the outside world. It's not long, maybe a few seconds, after that, Asha disappears into the wall of dust. 

Raiko and Aki loose sight of her quickly, Raiko standing closer to the center while Aki tries to run to the wall. She's quickly thrown back by a wall of Earth, however, boulders falling around her like meteors plummeting to Earth. 

"Come out and fight me!" Aki, stupidly, calls. Challenge hanging in the air before soon being answered as Asha appears on the far side of the whirlpool.  Her head hangs, almost looking too heavy for her body, which hangs as well; hip jutted out as she stares blankly.  Her sleeves raise slightly as the whirlpool continues blowing around them, there a brand new, bright stripe is sitting proudly. 

A belt of fire is launched to her, Aki sweating at the very sight of her. She's left shell-shocked as Asha raises a hand, almost effortlessly, pushing the fire to the ground beside her.  Aki and Raiko are left watching as Asha creates an orb of air, rocks and dirt collecting within it slowly, but surely. 

Aki is left, paralyzed in fear, as the bubble grows bigger and bigger, Asha holding it above herself. It's now the brunette's eyes narrow, eyes set to kill.  The bubble continues to enlarge with rocks and dust, creating a ticking time bomb of a weapon.

The bubble is halted however, crashing with a simple 'pop' as Asha collapses to her knees, her hands flying to her back as her eyes flicker to normal; Raiko flying to her side in an instant as he watches her arrows loose their glow.  Taking the opportunity, Aki sends a fireball to the pair, turning and running soon after. 

Raiko is pushed to the side with the Onsra's last bit of energy, fireball still roaring towards said girl as she braces for the burn. It doesn't come as close as she thought it would, but it still Knicks her thigh, burning the fabric and flash with a gross and angry red, Asha certain a blister or three were well on their way.

"Asha! What happened?!" The blonde falls to the girls side, careful of the scarring flesh on her leg as he rushed to collect himself.

"A-Aang got hit... Leg hurts...Wanna...Sleep." Asha's eyes seem to look far off, eyelids dropping as she nuzzles further into Raiko. 

"You stay awake! You got it?! I expect to see those blue eyes, princess!" Raiko picks the girl up, bridal style, running to where the they first entered this torture chamber. And though it takes a while, the journey originally much easier with Earth bending, he makes it out.

Exiting, the bright sun hitting him straight in the face, Raiko can barely see Appa and Gumi already in the sky, flying further and further away, leaving the wounded Onsra and helpless water bender behind, one watching with dangerous emerald eyes.

___

Flying on Appa, there was a weird tension in the air. Almost like something was missing. Something no one could quite place. It was quiet and tense, the only noises coming from Katara's water bending and Momo's occasional purr. That, and Zulu's incessant whining as the raptor chirped and chided, seemingly looking for something. 

Gumi seemed on edge too, his crimson orbs scanning everywhere around him. Ever since Sokka had called the infamous 'Yip-yip' back in Ba-Sing-Se, both reptiles seemed miserable. 

Holding Aang to her chest, Katara looked to her brother, feeling something off with the Avatar as he grunted and groaned in pain. She could only imagine how his Onsra was doing- Wait. 

"Raiko- is Asha doing okay?" She called to the dragon, the riders presumably dealing with helping the Onsra. When nothing but silence called back, nerves skyrocketed.

"Raiko? Buddy? Pal?" Sokka called, looking over with a frown. "Asha?"

Silence still. 

After a few seconds, Sokka stood with a gulp, daring to teeter closer to Gumi's saddle, hoping to peer over and see both bender's there. 

His heart dropped when he realized the only one over there was Zulu, meaning they had carelessly left the other two deep in, now, enemy territory-- most likely injured and unarmed. 

He prayed Aang wouldn't kill them after the fact.