EMBERS
vii. THE TEMPLE OF AVATAR ROKU
❝FIRE IS DANGEROUS IF YOU GET TOO CLOSE, IT ALWAYS LEAVES A TERRIBLE MARK WHEREVER IT GOES.❞

THE TASTE OF ASH AND SEA SALT LINGERED ON JASMINE'S LIPS as she stepped foot on the Crescent Island which housed the Fire Temple ━━ a temple dedicated to Avatar Roku that was occupied by a group of Fire Sages, the Fire Nation's religious authority. However, there was no sign of them thus far. Her brown eyes wandered up the five-tiered temple. It was a common architectural design found in the Fire Nation called the pagoda. Jasmine could recall their home having the same design and color scheme as the temple. Her gaze lowered, studying the uneven ground caused by the cooling process of the lava erupting from the nearby volcano.

The familiarity of the island forced Jasmine to let out a deep sigh. Being so close yet so far from home was enough to dampen her spirits, but they were close on the Avatar's tail and couldn't afford to give up. Looking back at the riverboat, Jasmine could see Zuko attempting to tie the boat to a makeshift wooden post. The top of the wood was rotten due to the constant mist of the water, but the bottom was charred due to the heat of the ground.

"Are you finished?" Jasmine asked. Her hands shook with excitement ━━ for the lack of better words ━━ at the thought of returning home with the Avatar. It was the final stretch of the long journey the two teenagers had been on. After it was all said and done, they would be held to the standard they deserved and would return home as heroes. She cleared her throat. "Zuko?"

"Yes," Zuko sharply replied, making his way toward her with a sour expression. His unpleasant mood wasn't without reason. Technically, they were in Fire Nation waters and if caught, he would be punished for his actions. Her father had warned them repeatedly, but as always, Zuko had not listened. It had been a few hours of sailing nonstop to reach the island, allowing the sun to slowly begin to set against the horizon. "As soon as we have the Avatar, we make a run for it. I want to get back to the ship as soon as possible."

"Of course," Jasmine agreed, nodding her head. She had the same goal as Zuko, wanting to capture the Avatar as quietly and quickly as possible. No casualties, no setbacks, and no Commander Zhao. She stole a glance back at the calm waters, not seeing a single ship for as far as her eyes would allow. The sight of the blockade still sent shivers down the girl's spine, but Zhao had allowed them to enter the Fire Nation without repercussions. Something was off, but Jasmine did not want to think about it. "I don't think we were followed. He must have continued to follow the ship's trail of smoke."

Zuko followed her gaze, letting out a deep sigh as he confirmed there was nothing out there but clear waters and empty skies. "It worked," he said, nodding his head as the two continued to walk. Luckily, they had been able to use the smoke of the ship to escape on their riverboat which had taken them the rest of the way to the island. "Zhao will keep following Uncle's trail."

"Good."

It was quiet as the two entered the temple, noticing how pristine the marble floors were and the polished shine of the paintings and relics. If they weren't on an urgent mission, Jasmine would have found herself studying the century-old relics. But, they didn't have time to sightsee. It was a massive temple ━━ the Avatar could be anywhere. She turned to Zuko.

"We should split up," Jasmine suggested, gesturing to the multiple entry ways and doorways that led to different parts of the temple. "It'll allow us to cover more ground and we'll be able to locate the Avatar faster. Signal me somehow if you find him, okay? I'm sure the temple has something implemented for communication."

"Like the air pipes back home," Zuko remembered, wondering if the temple had something similar. Back home, they had put in air tubes throughout the palace to have easier communication from the different floors of the building. It didn't have the greatest accuracy, but it was better than nothing. Finally, the boy nodded as he patted Jasmine's back. "Don't do anything stupid, okay?"

Jasmine scoffed. "How can I? You're taking all the stupid with you."

━━ ━━ ━━

AVOIDING THE FIRE SAGES had been a harder task than finding the Avatar, the red-garbed sages were on high alert as they searched for the Avatar and his friends throughout the temple. Luckily, they were vocal about their failures and Jasmine had used the process of elimination to follow the Avatar's trail throughout the sanctuary of Avatar Roku. She was quiet, studying the paintings on the wall that told Roku's story from his birth to his unfortunate end. The artwork was stunning, still keeping a beautiful appearance after a century of being painted. But, she had to keep moving. Jasmine wiped the sweat off her forehead, walking up the stairs that led into the sanctuary. In the near distance, she could hear voices.

"This is something I picked up from my father," the voice undoubtedly belonged to Sokka, causing Jasmine's cheeks to burn as she remembered the events that occurred on Kyoshi Island. She stayed hidden behind the corner, watching them carefully. Sokka was seated on the floor with five reddish-brown pouches in front of him, causing the young woman's curiosity to peak. "I seal the lamp oil inside an animal skin casing. Then, Shyu," Sokka continued, pointing toward one of the Fire Sages that stood with the teenagers, "lights the oil-soaked twine, and ta-da! Fake firebending!"

Jasmine had gotten the gist of Sokka's plan, realizing the pouches should create an explosion when ignited which would open the doors requiring all five of Fire Sages to open (but with the teenager's plan, it would only require one). She had to admit, Sokka was smart.

"You've really outdone yourself this time, Sokka," his sister, Katara, celebrated, sounding both shocked and proud at the same time.

Even the Fire Sage was happy, nodding his head as he smiled widely. "This might actually work."

Jasmine watched, noticing the urgency in their steps as they stuck the pouches in openings of the door. It was an exquisite piece of metal work as the openings were designed in a way to resemble a fire-breathing dragon. She knew she should put an end to the group's plans, but she was curious to see if Sokka's plan would work. So, she stayed in hiding as she watched carefully. Sokka and Katara hid behind one of the large pillars for safety, the boy clutching onto his sister's legs as he squeezed his eyes shut. Katara held onto their pet lemur, keeping it close to her chest to protect it from any debris heading their way in the explosion. The Avatar, Aang, was behind a different pillar, prepared to run in at the first sight of the doors opening.

"The Sages will hear the explosion, so as soon as they go off, you rush in," Shyu told them, standing near the door to ignite the pouches.

"It's almost sunset," Katara whispered, glancing behind at the large windows to steal a peek at the setting sun. She was speaking to Aang, trying her best to keep her concern at bay. "Are you ready?"

But, Aang didn't show a semblance of fear. He nodded. "Definitely."

With those words, Shyu sent a wave of fire toward the strings poking out of the pouches. Even Jasmine moved further behind the wall, keeping herself safe from the blast that would occur at any second. Within moments, a loud explosion echoed throughout the chamber which caused the ground to shake. Wherever Zuko was, he would surely hear the blast and come running.

"They're still locked!" Aang's panicked voice sounded when the smoke began to clear, causing Jasmine to poke her head around the corner to see the door was, indeed, still locked. She felt a bit disappointed at the revelation, but this worked in her favor. Disappointment was written across their faces as they slumped, letting out deep sighs.

"Why didn't it work?" Sokka mused, moving toward the door to drag his finger across the ash left on the metal doors. "It looked as strong as any firebending we've seen before."

"It was a valiant effort, though," Jasmine complimented, making her way from around the corner to reveal herself to the group. Her footsteps echoed throughout the room which caused the group to freeze as they looked back at the teenage girl, causing their faces to drop even further. She created a small fireball in her hands, looking between the group before her eyes landed on the Avatar. "I only want him ━━  the rest of you are free to go."

"You're crazy if you think we're going to give up our friend!" Katara shouted, letting go of the lemur before she took a stance against Jasmine. But, the young firebender was not worried about going against the untrained waterbender. "Aang isn't going anywhere with you!"

"It's four against one," Sokka gritted out, sending her a daggered glare as he moved next to his sister. He held a tight grip on his machete, keeping it close to his body as he prepared for battle. "This is a fight you won't win."

"Oh?" Jasmine hummed, rolling her eyes at the bravery the two showed. If anyone was a threat, it was the Fire Sage. He had years of training on Jasmine, but he had not gone through the same military regime she had been through. It would take skilled movements and not a single misstep to defeat them and capture the Avatar ━━  difficult but not impossible. "It won't be long until the other Fire Sages and my cousin show up. Then, it'll be six against four. I think this is a fight you won't win."

"Princess Jasmine," the Fire Sage, Shyu, started as he approached the girl slowly, falling to his knees in a show of respect as he bowed his head. He placed his hand over his closed fist, greeting her. "Please, reconsider your actions, Princess. We must help the Avatar to bring balance back to the world. He needs to speak to Roku. Think of what your mother and father, Lady Zia and General Iroh, will want. Your mother had always been an advocate for peace. You must understand, my Princess."

She frowned, causing the flames to diminish as she stared at the Fire Sage who had risked his life to help the Avatar. Firelord Ozai was a ruthless man. He would surely punish the Sage with death when he found out about his betrayal. Why would he go against his nation? What would get out of committing a crime of treason? Jasmine felt pity for the man, knowing his future would be bleak and gray after his punishment came from the hands of the Firelord.

"Don't bother, Shyu," Sokka shouted, causing Jasmine's brown eyes to flicker to him as she snapped out of her thoughts. "If she had a heart, perhaps your words would've had an effect on her. But, she's as evil as the rest of her messed-up family."

His words caused unrest in Jasmine's heart, hearing herself be called evil wasn't the best feeling on the planet. But, she couldn't help but disagree. She was doing as she was told from the moment she was born, knowing her place was to bring glory to the Fire Nation. She owed it to her ancestors. She owed it to her mother and brother ━━ both victims to the horrors of war which had cost them their lives. Everything she did was to save Zuko's life, bringing him back to the Fire Nation and to his title was all that mattered. It would rescue him from the life his father had endowed on him. Not only that, but capturing the Avatar would secure the safety of her Nation. She had to capture him.

"I'm sorry," Jasmine said, speaking to the Fire Sage as she returned the bow to show her respect to the man. "But, I can not allow you to do this. The Avatar is how we will be able to return home. Bringing him back to the Fire Nation will give us peace and allow us to prosper. You should be helping me!"

"Please, you can't truly believe that!" the Avatar was the one to plead this time, walking toward her but his actions caused Jasmine to take a step back as she lifted her hands in defense. She was prepared to attack. It caused Aang to stop in his tracks, holding his hands up in surrender. "Jasmine, I know we're meant to be enemies but━"

He stopped speaking. The sound of footsteps echoed behind Jasmine, causing her to whisk around to see Sokka as he lifted the blunt of his machete in preparation to whack her over the head. But, the girl was quicker as she ducked out of the way and extended her leg to trip him. He landed on his stomach, almost impaling himself with his own blade. She placed a foot on Sokka's back, keeping him pinned to the floor. Jasmine scoffed, sending the Avatar a small glare before she sent a fireball in his direction. He jumped high in the air, narrowly avoiding the blast but the heat of it was enough to cause beads of sweat to appear on his forehead.

Sokka gritted out, struggling underneath her but Jasmine ignored him as she continued to send blasts of fire toward the Avatar, Katara, and the Fire Sage. But, her flames turned to smoke as her legs were pushed out underneath her. Jasmine collided with the metal ground, causing a wince to escape her lips as Sokka climbed onto her and placed the blade of his machete against her throat.

But, Jasmine continued to fight as she easily pushed the boy off her. She blasted him with a shot of fire, watching as he jumped out of the way with a gasp. Sokka rushed back, trying to keep Jasmine's attention on him as the two continued to be a constant tug against each other. As the others watched from the sidelines, Jasmine could feel herself begin to tire out as she faced Sokka. She blew a piece of her hair out of her face, narrowing her eyes as she faced the grinning boy.

"Oh, come on," Sokka laughed, watching her with his blue eyes that reminded Jasmine of the ruthless seas of the South Pole. "It's a little fun, you gotta admit?"

Jasmine did not answer, creating daggers out of fire as she rushed toward the boy. For a few moments, the two clashed with each other but then she felt a searing pain in her thigh. At the same time, Sokka gasped out as the flames dragged themselves across his arm. The two lost their balance, causing the two to fall. Jasmine gasped out, feeling the boy's weight on top of her as she gasped out. "Get off, blockhead!"

"Sorry! I'm so sorry," Sokka gasped out, keeping her pinned to place. He looked at his arm, wincing at the small burn he had gotten. But, it wasn't anything serious to the point where he would need to go to a healer. Sokka chuckled. "But, I do think you kind of deserved this for trying to kill my friends."

"Spirits, how much do you weigh?" Jasmine complained, coughing as his weight crushed her and forced her to take shallow breaths. She tried to firebend, but her arms were pinned as the rest approached. But, then she winced. "My thigh... something is wrong."

Sokka immediately let go, looking down at the woman's leg to see a deep gash his machete had made. He winced, looking back at the girl with an apologetic expression. "At least, we'll both have scars from this?"

"Sokka! What did you do?" Katara shouted, rushing toward them with Aang and Shyu hot on his trail as they came to take a closer look at the damage the Water Tribe boy had done to their enemy. She approached her slowly, looking down at her wound. 

"Don't touch me," Jasmine gritted out, sending a weakened blast of fire in her direction. It wasn't strong enough to reach the other girl, but it was enough to make her back off. "Just stay back!"

"But, you need help!"

Jasmine dragged herself away, creating some distance between them. They seemed too shocked to do anything, not expecting their fight to go so far. Normally, their battles had resulted in minimal cuts and bruises but this was something that would take a few days to a week or two to heal. It would still leave a nasty scar, a nagging thought forced its way into her mind which caused another pained gasp to leave her lips as she blinked her tears away. Why did she always end up hurt in one way or another? She pressed hard against the wound, feeling the gazes of the group. "What?"

"You could bleed out," Sokka warned, slowly approaching her as if she was a wounded animal that would attack at any given second ━━ though, the description was too far off. "Katara, I need the bandages in my pouch."

Jasmine scoffed. "I'll kill you if you come near me."

It was an empty threat, but it still caused alarm to rise in Katara and Aang as they shared a worried look. Sokka seemed unaffected, but Shyu seemed worried as he watched her writhe in pain. Oh, he should be. Jasmine couldn't help but think, knowing she would immediately tell her father of the events that unfolded and the other Fire Sages were loyal enough to help her when they realized what had happened. She hoped the Sages and Zuko would join them soon, knowing she needed their help since the wound had greatly limited her movement.

"Well, it's either we patch up your wound or you bleed to death," Sokka shrugged, flashing her a playful grin as if he hadn't been the one to accidently cause this. Though, it wasn't life or death as Sokka made it out to be. The blade hadn't pierced her too far, considering her pants had taken the brunt of the attack. But, she could still feel the blood drenching her clothing. Another set of armor gone to waste, it seemed. "I mean," Sokka started, approaching her with a few bandages. He looked down at his arm, showing it to Jasmine. "It's only fair considering you gave me a burn."

"And, you call me evil," Jasmine muttered, rolling her eyes at the dumb jokes the boy made in attempts to distract her from the pain. If she was being honest, she didn't blame Sokka for what he did. It was a split of a moment decision he made to protect himself and his friends. It was her own fault for underestimating him again and allowing him to catch her off guard. He pressed against her leg, causing her to flinch. "Spirits, help me."

"I'm not a spirit, but I can help," Sokka whispered, wrapping the bandages around her leg with ease. Jasmine didn't protest as she watched him closely, wondering why he was showing her such kindness.

"Why are you helping me?" Jasmine asked softly, watching as he looked up at her. It caused the familiar flutter in her heart. She could see Katara, Shyu, and Aang whispering in the background, keeping their eyes on the door as they tried to come up with a new plan. Though, Aang shot her multiple concerned looks as he stole glances at her leg.

"Well, first of all, I am not Fire Nation scum," Sokka winked, causing the girl to roll her eyes as he finished tying the bandage. He looked back to admire his handiwork, grinning as he patted the girl's head. "And, it was my blade that did this. It's my fault, so the least I can do is help."

After a few moments of silence, Jasmine spoke. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For burning you," Jasmine confessed, biting her lip as the boy helped her up. The guilt she was feeling was not supposed to be there, but it was. Jasmine could not find it within herself to hate the people she was supposed to consider her enemies. "Fire is dangerous if you get too close, it always leaves a terrible mark wherever it goes."

"It's okay," Sokka said, making her seat next to the pillar. It would allow her to use it for support as she waited for the initial pain of the injury to vanish. "I think we'll both have super cool scars after this."

"But, still━"

"I probably deserve it," Sokka muttered, taking in a deep breath as he steadied himself. Jasmine mimicked his actions, trying to keep herself calm. It felt like a strange moment, speaking to someone who was her enemy. She had spoken to Sokka before, but this was different. He was speaking to Princess Jasmine of the Fire Nation, not Zia of the Earth Kingdom. For a moment, he stared at the blood with a saddened expression. "I'm sorry too, by the way. I have never actually used my machete for anything else other than cutting meat or random plants in my way."

"Apology not accepted," Jasmine joked, trying to stand on her feet but the injury caused her to wobble before she fell back on her knees. Where was Zuko when she needed him? She winced, deciding that sitting was her best option. Sokka gave her a grin, making his way back to his friends. "Just you wait!" Jasmine called out, returning the smile. "I'm sure Zuko and the Sages are making their way up the stairs right now!"

"She's right," Shyu pointed out, looking toward the group with a panicked expression. "We need to do something fast or else, we'll be captured. Treason is grounds for imprisonment, but we hurt a member of the Royal Family as well. We'll be executed."

Oh, right. But, Jasmine doubted Fire Lord Ozai cared too much of what happened to her. After all, he barely cared for his own flesh and blood.

"I won't let that happen," Aang reassured with a lot of determination for a twelve-year-old kid going against a whole nation. "We need to think of a plan."

"First things first," Sokka said, moving toward Jasmine to tie her wrists behind her back. She didn't protest, knowing her wounded leg wouldn't get her anywhere. Plus, she still had her daggers to free her from the weak piece of cloth Sokka used to tie her wrists. It wouldn't be able to hold her, allowing her to wait until the perfect moment to attack. As soon as backup arrived, Jasmine would spring into action ━━ as much as her leg would allow. "Now, we don't need to worry about her attacking us. Jasmine's cool."

"Um, Sokka, you do realize we're going to be surrounded at any moment, right?" Aang pointed out, scratching the back of his neck as he stole a glance at Jasmine. His eyes held pity, causing Jasmine to frown. How was he going to defeat them if he held so much compassion? "She's hurt. And, so are you."

"I'm fine, actually," Jasmine shrugged.

"See? She's fine," Sokka grinned, standing up to join his friends and sister again. Speaking of Katara, the girl had been preoccupied staring at the metal doors that prevented Aang from meeting Roku. "We still have bigger things to worry about. It took us roughly ten minutes to get here, so the Fire Sages and Zuko will be here within the next three minutes. We need to come up with a plan, considering this one blew up in smoke. Literally. Like I said before, I still don't know why the bombs didn't work? It looked like any firebending I have ever seen?"

"Perhaps, it wasn't strong enough?" Shyu pointed out, placing a hand on his chin as his fingers avoided the graying goatee. "Maybe the pouches needed more oil."

"I doubt you have enough time to make new pouches," Jasmine mused, knowing that the doors were going to burst open in under three minutes and she would be greeted with her allies.

"Hush up, Princess." It was another taunt from Sokka, causing Jasmine to roll her eyes as she huffed. At least, he had the sense to address her officially ━━ even if it was to insult her. "We only have two firebenders here, using both hands wouldn't be enough either since one opening wouldn't be getting any fire."

"As if she would help us," Katara muttered, blue eyes flickered to her before looking back at her older brother. "The sun's almost gone, Aang needs to get in there."

"What are we going to do?" Aang had been the one to ask, letting out a deep sigh as he stole a glance at the doors. "I need to talk to Roku."

Jasmine was curious on why the Avatar wanted to speak to him about, considering he had infiltrated the Fire Nation and risked his own and the lives of his friends for the task. They hadn't been able to get much information out of the man Zuko had interrogated back in the Earth Kingdom village, remembering the way he trembled in fear at the sight of them. He had confessed everything straight away, but he was oblivious about the Avatar's reasoning to talk to Roku. Though, Jasmine was sure she would find out soon.

Finally, a spark flickered in the woman's eyes. "Sokka, you're a genius!"

"He is?"

"I am?"

"Yes, because even though the doors didn't open, it still looks like the plan worked," the woman pointed out, causing Jasmine to raise a brow as she waited for Katara to continue her explanation.

"Did the definition of genius change over the past hundred years?" Aang asked, sharing a look with Shyu who shrugged. Okay, that was a little funny, Jasmine decided.

They began to praise Sokka, causing Jasmine to tune out as she turned her attention to her leg. She would need to get new pants, noticing the bloodied rip in the fabric and the crack in the golden metal of her armor. The pain was starting to subdue, allowing Jasmine to believe it would heal fairly quickly. She remembered how much she had fussed over the scratch she had gotten from the spear during their time in the South Pole, causing her to feel a wave of embarrassment. As time went on, she was slowly getting used to the wounds and they didn't hurt her as much as they used to ━━  the privilege of growing up and learning how to become stronger. She looked to the group, noticing them shoving their lemur through the air pipes. What were they planning? Perhaps, she should have paid attention to their banter. But, she waited and watched their plan unfold.

Sokka and Katara joined her, standing behind the pillar hidden from view while Aang hid behind another pillar. Shyu ran toward the staircase to collect the Fire Sages that were coming from down the hall. "Come quickly!" Shyu's voice echoed throughout the chamber, peaking Jasmine's interest. Sokka sat down next to her, placing a finger over his lips in a silent attempt to tell her to be quiet. "The Avatar has entered the sanctuary!"

Everyone was hidden from view, but Jasmine could hear the sound of the Fire Sages entering the chamber. Her eyes flickered to Sokka, noticing the tense expression on his face as he watched the Sages. From his seat, he had a clear view of what was going on. For a moment, Jasmine wanted to foil their plant and reveal what they were doing. But, she decided against it. She didn't know why, but something about Shyu's words had caused her to want to see the outcome of Aang speaking to Roku. Despite her disdain for the current Avatar, she still respected Avatar Roku. She remembered the stories of her mother, claiming her grandmother was friends with Avatar Roku.

"How did he get in?" one of the Fire Sages asked. His voice grave and angry, causing Jasmine to steal a peek around the pillar to see the other four sages ━━ much older than Shyu was. "How is this possible?"

"I don't know!" Shyu exclaimed, pointing to the door as he wiped some ash off the dark metal. "But, look at the scorch marks!" Then, he pointed to the shadow coming from the gap between the door and the floor ━━ the lemur.

What was his name? Jasmine couldn't remember. Mimi? Mama? Meme? No, that didn't sound right.

"See! Down there!"

"He's inside!" the older Fire Sage gasped, looking to the others. "Open the doors, immediately! Before he has the chance to contact Avatar Roku! Hurry!"

Ah, the perfect plan. Jasmine stole a glance at the ceiling, noticing Aang hanging from one of the Fire Nation tapestries with a grin as he watched the five Fire Sages get into position to open the doors. Each one of them stood in front of an opening, aiming their fists at the dragon's mouths. Finally, they fired. Heat and black smoke filled the room, causing the two Water Tribe members to squeeze their eyes shut as they silenced their coughs. Jasmine, being used to the heat and smoke, was fine as she watched the bright orange flames fill the room and the metalwork move to open the doors. The doors opened, revealing a darkened room and the small pet roaming around the floor. His wide green eyes looked up at the Sages, causing them to gasp.

"It's the Avatar's lemur?" one of the Fire Sages muttered, looking at the others with a look of confusion.

The eldest growled, glaring at Shyu. "He must have crawled through the pipes! We've been tricked!"

At the revelation, the group sprang into action with the lemur being the first to attack as he scraped and bit the wrinkled skin of the eldest Fire Sage. Jasmine couldn't help the small laugh that escaped her lips, watching the man struggle with the animal. Katara was the next to attack, pulling one of the sage's tunics over his head to blind him. On the other side, Sokka grabbed the lower part of a sage's outfit before lifting it completely over his body to cover his face. Shyu grabbed the last Sage, pinning him to the floor. "Now, Aang!"

Jasmine looked to Aang's previous spot, noticing he was no longer there. There was a moment of silence as everyone waited for Aang to appear and rush into the open doors of the sanctuary. Katara was the next to shout for her friend. "Aang, now's your chance!"

From behind the column, Zuko emerged with a tight grip on Aang's arms. Jasmine grinned, feeling a sense of security at the sight of her older cousin. "The Avatar's coming with me!" He shouted, causing Aang's friends to gasp in surprise and it allowed the captured Sages to free themselves and gain the upper hand on them. "Close the doors! Quickly! Someone bring the Princess with me, now!"

The Sages began to chain Katara, Sokka, and Shyu while one of them approached Jasmine, kneeling beside her to look over her wound. He helped her up, allowing her to use him as support to walk. He took her to Zuko, causing him to look down at Jasmine's eyes with a slightly concerned gaze. She shot him a reassuring smile, waving her arm to show him she was fine. He nodded, moving to take Aang down the stairs but the Airbender was quick on his feet as he sent Zuko flying down the stairs with an airblast.

"Zuko!" Jasmine gasped, wide eyes as she watched him groan at the bottom of the stairs as he stared at the gash that appeared on his arm from landing on it. Blood dripped from the wound, but it wasn't enough to falter him as he jumped to his feet. However, he was too late. With a glance back, Jasmine caught a glimpse of Aang entering the sanctuary as the doors closed behind him. A blinding white light flashed from underneath the doors, causing everyone to shield their eyes as the light filled the room before fading as quickly as it came. She sighed. "Now, what?"

"Open the doors now!" Zuko gritted out, rushing toward the metal doors as the Sages moved in front of the dragon's mouths with glowing red gems. The Sage holding Jasmine up moved her to the pillar, allowing her to lean against it for support. She gave him a nod, silently telling him she was fine before she watched him rush to his dragon. With a deep breath, the five benders blasted fire toward the openings. However, nothing happened. Zuko let out a huff of frustration as he glared at the eldest sage. "Why isn't it working, it's sealed shut?"

"It must have been the light," the Sage responded grimly, noticing they could no longer see any shadows from underneath the door. It was as if something unnatural was blocking them from the other side. "Avatar Roku doesn't want us inside."

Zuko huffed, turning his anger toward Shyu ━━ the one who had betrayed the other Sages. He was knelt in front of Zuko, kept in place by the same Sage who had helped Jasmine. "Why did you help the Avatar?"

Shyu looked up, meeting Zuko's narrowed eyes with a sad smile. He didn't look afraid, but his expression was one of pride and dignity. "Because it was once the Sages' duty," he said, smiling slightly. "It is still our duty."

Claps were heard, causing Jasmine to glance at the source of the interruption of Zuko's interrogation. Her brown eyes met Commander's Zhao, watching him approach with proud strides and an entourage of six Firebender guards behind him. "What a moving and heartfelt performance," Zhao mused, continuing to stride toward them before he stopped next to Jasmine. She lowered her gaze, looking at Sokka and Katara who were chained to the pillar a few feet away instead. She didn't need to look at Zhao to know he had his sinister grin plastered across his face. "I'm certain the Firelord will understand, when you explain why you betrayed him."

The remaining four Sages placed their palms together, bowing their heads to show the high-ranking Commander their respect. "Commander Zhao," the eldest greeted, "welcome to our Temple."

Zhao barely acknowledged them, sparing a half glance in their direction before he looked at Zuko and Jasmine. "Prince Zuko and Princess Jasmine," he greeted, chuckling as he stole a glance at her injured thigh and the drenched bandages. He looked back at the two teenagers, shaking his head. "It was a noble effort, but your little smokescreen didn't work."

Zuko scowled, moving to protect Jasmine but he was restrained by two of Zhao's guards as they seized his arms and pinned him to the floor. His face met the floor harshly, causing Jasmine to wince as she watched helplessly. "You're too late, Zhao!" Zuko shouted, giving him a harsh laugh as he struggled against the Firebenders ━━ even Sokka and Katara seemed shocked at the behavior the guards were showing their supposed prince. "The Avatar's inside and the doors are sealed."

"No matter," Zhao shrugged, grinning triumphantly as he placed a hand on Jasmine's shoulder. It shot pain through her arm, but she kept a brave face. He's trying to scare you. Jasmine reminded herself, keeping calm as she kept her head up tall and proud. "Sooner or later, he has to come out. For now, I'm pleased with the three traitors we've caught. I'm sure the Firelord will share the same sentiments."

"Zuko and I are no traitors," Jasmine snapped, taking a step away from the older man as she ignored the protests from her wound. She glared up at him, noticing the grin that stayed on his face. "We only crossed into Fire Nation waters to capture the Avatar ━━ the task the Firelord gave his son. We have done nothing wrong."

"Well, you have done nothing wrong, Princess," Zhao reassured, stealing a glance at Zuko who still struggled underneath the grasp of the two men. He walked toward Zuko, looking down at him. "After all, you weren't banished like our dear Prince. He was the one who broke the law when he sailed into our waters. Don't you think he should be punished?"

Jasmine scoffed. "I think you should be the one punished, Zhao."

Zhao raised a brow, clasping his hands together as he waited for Princess Jasmine to continue. "How so, Princess?"

"Is this any way to treat your Prince and Princesss? Do not forget your place, Zhao," Jasmine spat out, crossing her arms over her chest as she narrowed her eyes at the man. "We were born royal, destined for greatness from the very start. It's in our blood. But, you?" the girl snapped, looking the man up and down as she chuckled. "You are nothing compared to us, remember that. Dirt underneath our feet is all you will ever be. If I wanted to, I could have you executed within the day! Is that what you want?"

She didn't miss the shocked grins appearing on the faces of the brother and sister duo, struggling to hide their amusement as they watched the confidence drip from Zhao's face. Even Zuko, wore a grin as he ceased his struggling.

Jasmine turned her attention to the two guards, clearing her throat. "Unhand him," she ordered as she stood tall, unmoving and relentless. She used every ounce of her strength to not cry out in pain as she placed her weight on the injury. Her leg trembled, causing Zhao to take note of her pain. She clapped her hands, forcing the guards to look back at her. "I said, unhand him. Now!"

Reluctantly, the guards let go of Zuko as they stole nervous glances at their Commander, but Zhao didn't say anything. He watched quietly, allowing Jasmine to flaunt her power. Though, she could see the gears turning in his head as he watched her with a small smirk. He was planning something. It made her uncomfortable, but she reminded herself that she was the most powerful person in the room when it came to political power. Zuko stood to his feet, moving next to Jasmine with a bruised cheek and ego. But, he didn't say anything as he stole a glance at the chains surrounding the Avatar's friends.

Finally, Zhao spoke. "Guards, take Princess Jasmine back to my ship."

"Excuse me?" Jasmine snapped, entwining her arm with Zuko's to use him as support and to ground herself. She wasn't going anything without Zuko or the Avatar. She could hear Sokka and Katara whisper amongst one another, but they spoke low enough so she couldn't make out their words. Jasmine tightened her grip on Zuko, causing him to do the same to her. "I'm not going anywhere."

"But, Princess, you're injured," he pointed out, stealing a glance at her thigh with a false saddened expression. He took slow steps toward the two teenagers, giving them a small smile. It was so fake, causing Jasmine to wrinkle her nose in disgust. "It's my duty to protect and serve the Royal Family, of course. It would be wrong of me to ignore your injury."

"I'm fine," Jasmine reassured. "I do not need any help."

"Who did it?" Zhao asked next, grinning wickedly as he met Jasmine's brown eyes. He stole a glance at the siblings garbed in blue, noticing the blood-stained machete that hung from Sokka's waist. "Was it him, Princess?"

Jasmine gulped, noticing the dark glint in the man's eyes. She shook her head, "N-No."

"Give the boy fifty lashes," Zhao commanded without hesitation, looking to his men with a vicious smirk. Gasps were heard from the siblings, causing a tug at Jasmine's heart as she watched them detangle Sokka from the chains. "He deserves to be punished for hurting our Princess. Be thankful I'm not punishing the banished Prince for breaking the law ━━ the Firelord will be the one to decide his punishment and he will be more ruthless than I ever would."

"Stop, you can't do this!" Jasmine shouted, hoping the guards would listen to her but her cries fell on deaf ears. After all, they were doing this for her to protect her honor and dignity against the one who had hurt her. It was the law, after all. But, Jasmine did not agree with it. She needed to find a way to stop this.

Sokka protested, struggling against their grasp as they revealed his bare back in preparation of the lashes. One of the guards pulled out a metal-chained whip from his pouch, causing a gasp to escape Jasmine's lips. "Stop it!" Katara shouted, tears streaming down her face as she pulled against the metal chains in an attempt to rescue her brother. "Please, don't do this! He'll die! Please, I'm begging you!"

This isn't right. She had already forgiven Sokka for what had happened, knowing it was an accident. Stop this, Jasmine.

The young Waterbender's pleads caused Zhao's grin to grow as he watched his men prepare to whip the boy. It was quiet in the room except for Katara's cries and Sokka's struggle ━━ the Fire Sages watched with horror as well at the thought of such a brutal punishment to happen to a young boy. But, Jasmine snapped out of her shock as she moved forward to face Zhao.

"Please, don't do this, Zhao!" Jasmine begged, pleading with the man as she listened to the sobs coming from the other two teenagers. With a glance at Zuko, she noticed his dazed yet frightened expression as he was trapped in memories from his own traumatic past. She looked back at Zhao, putting her hands together. "He was only defending himself, alright? He doesn't deserve this sentence."

"But, Princess Jasmine," Zhao started softly, looking down at the young girl with a small pout. She knew exactly what Zhao was trying to do. He wanted her gone. If she left, he would become the most powerful person in the room and it would be allowed to do whatever he pleased. "He hurt you, did he not? It is my job to punish him."

"No, it's your job to protect and serve," Jasmine snapped, standing up tall as she wiped the tears that had streamed down her face. "So, that's what I want you to do. Let go of the boy. He isn't worth your time," Jasmine muttered, stealing a glance at Sokka's frightened expression. "Instead, I need your men's assistance. My leg hurts an awful lot and it needs treatment. And, I'm hungry and I bet your ship has a large selection of food, yes?"

"Of course, Princess. Anything for you," Zhao smiled, clasping his hands together. "Guards, take the Princess back to my ship and do whatever she says. I don't want to hear any complaints from our guest."

"I want Zuko to come with me."

"Sorry, but that is something you don't have control of, Princess," Zhao said, watching as the guards let go of the Water Tribe boy. One of them chained him back to the pillar with his sister, causing Jasmine to sigh in relief. But, Zuko was still in danger. "After all, it is the Firelord's command and even you do not compare to his power."

"I'll be okay, Jasmine," Zuko reassured. His voice was quiet and calm, meeting Jasmine's eyes. He didn't seem like himself, unsettled by the traumatic scene that had occurred. He cleared his throat, forcing a smile to his face. "Please, you should go to safety."

"You should do as he says," Zhao said, pushing Jasmine toward her men but she didn't get the chance to fall as they caught her. One of them lifted Jasmine off her feet, holding her in his arms which allowed the pain to leave her thigh. It was a relief but fear struck at the same time as they began to walk toward the staircase with her. It caused her to look back at the people she was leaving behind. Zhao smirked, waving goodbye. "Prince Zuko and I will see you soon, Princess Jasmine."

━━ ━━ ━━

THE SKIES HAD ERUPTED INTO A PAINTING OF DEEP ORANGES AND VIOLET as the sun lowered itself at the horizon, hiding behind a sea of dark blue. It had been about half an hour since she had been brought to Zhao's ship, allowing the healer ample time to look over her wound and stitch it up before applying another clean bandage over it to keep the wound from opening and getting infected. She shivered, waiting for the news of what had happened within the Temple. She hated being on the sidelines, but it had saved Sokka from certain death.

Her mind wandered to Zuko, praying to the spirits for his safety. It was already proven Zhao was a ruthless man with the stunt he pulled with Sokka. Her heart still stopped at the thought of the young boy getting whipped with a metal chain fifty consecutive times. Luckily, with her out of the picture, Zhao had no reason to do so. But, Zuko was still in danger since Zhao's hatred for the boy was evident due to the time they had all spent together. Jasmine looked to the eight guards on deck, patrolling the surrounding area for threats. But, she knew the real reason for their existence. They were there to make sure she wouldn't run back to save her cousin, keeping her trapped in place. She had tried telling them to return her to the temple, but they had acted as if they hadn't heard her. But, she didn't miss the way one of them twirled his whip as if to remind her of the consequences. It was enough to cause her to wait in silence for someone to emerge from the temple.

However, the only thing that greeted them was the deep rumble of the ground and the increased smoke that came from the volcano behind the temple. It caused the ship's crew to jump into gear as they rushed to their spots, but one of them rushed to restrain Jasmine. She struggled against the man's tight grasp, but she was dragged away from the edge as the volcano erupted, shooting lava into the air.

"Unhand me!" Jasmine cried, continuing to struggle. Her mind only told her one thing ━━ save Zuko. "I need to go! Unhand me, now!"

Yet, the guard ignored her and lifted her over his shoulder as he began to carry her inside the ship. Jasmine banged against the man's back, hoping the pain would be enough for him to drop her but he continued to carry her with ease as if she wasn't a threat to him. "I have been ordered to take you to safety, Princess."

Despite her protests, the guard continued to lead her into the ship and it gave her the chilling realization she wouldn't see Zuko or her father for a long time.

♡

I HAVE HAD THIS CHAPTER WRITTEN FOR SO LONG, but I was too lazy to edit and I am sorry. I honestly am not happy with this chapter or my writing. I got the concept out, but I still am not happy with it at all. I haven't been happy with my writing for a long time, but I still wanted to get something out! It was a little violent with Jasmine and Sokka getting hurt (even though, their injuries were too bad), but then Zhao tried to hurt Sokka. I was lowkey SHAKING writing that because I honestly felt so bad for Sokka and Katara. But, honestly, Jasmine is waking up and she's seeing the Gaang as good people? Kind of? She doesn't believe they are as evil as the Fire Nation makes them out to be and she does kind of like Sokka? I mean, not to the point where she has a crush on him or anything. But, enough to the point where she wants him to be well. So, basically, she's trying to be a decent human being and does genuinely feel bad for hurting others.

Also, I want to say thank you to all of you for over 30K on this book! It honestly started out as a passion project with my friend, Val, because we both adore Avatar so much! I never thought it would garner so much love and attention! My heart feels so full at the kindness you all have shown me and the support I get from you all! Thank you for always being so kind! <3 I really appreciate it! Your comments and votes make my day and I will forever be grateful!

Anyways, I do hope this chapter was somewhat enjoyable despite how rushed it was! I believe the next chapter will skip to the Blue Spirit! I am trying to wrap up season one as soon as possible! Season two is going to be my favorite to write! AND, once they get to the North Pole, I will begin posting chapters for my Zuko fic as well! I am truly so excited! I hope you all are as well!

━━ AMARA
[CHAPTER PUBLISHED ━━ 10.26.2020]