Aya's POV

"Let's go, Appa! Come on, boy!"Aang exclaimed, pulling on Appa's reigns. Appa growled, restraining Aang from pulling him. "Look, I'm sorry but Aya, Katara, and Sokka can't come to the fire nation with us. If they got hurt, I would never forgive myself." Aang averted his eyes in sorrow for a moment before yelling at the bison. "So get your big butt off the ground and let's go!" Aang pulled as hard as he could but Appa didn't budge.

"I think his big butt is trying to tell you something," Sokka told Aang, who turned to us surprised.

"Please don't go, Aang, the world can't afford to lose you to the Fire Nation," Katara informed Aang, sadly.

"I can't afford to lose you either," I added, staring at Aang with sad eyes.

Aang thought for a moment before standing up. "But I have to talk to Avatar Roku to find out what my vision means. I need to get to the Fire Temple before the sun sets on the Solstice; that's today!" Aang airbended onto Appa's head.

Us three stood in front of Appa, stopping Aang.

"We're not letting you go into the Fire Nation, Aang." Katara declared.

"At least, not without your friends," Sokka smirked

"We got your back." I grinned and Momo appeared on Aang's arm. Appa licked Sokka, who was disgusted by it.

"Eww!"

My siblings and I climbed into Appa's saddle.

"It's a long journey to the Crescent Island. You'll have to fly fast to have any chance of making it before sundown." The Senlin Village Leader explained, handing Aang a small bundle. "Good luck."

"Thank you for your-"

"Go!" The leader interrupted, pointing toward the ocean.

Appa promptly took off without another word.

---

The next day approaches quickly and we still had a long way to go. Katara, Sokka, and I were staring at the ocean with fear. I have to admit I am slightly scared of going to the Fire Nation, but I have to let go of fear.

"Come on boy, we've got a long way to go. Faster!" Aang ordered Appa, who picked up the pace.

"Aang! We've got trouble!" Katara warned, and I looked behind us to see Zuko's ship.

I gasped, "Big trouble!"

"Yeah! And it's gaining fast!" Sokka exclaimed.

Suddenly a fireball got launched toward us and I looked at Aang. "Fireball!"

"I'm on it!" Aang yelled and pulled Appa away from the fireball. I covered my nose due to the heavy smoke in the air.

"We have to got out of Zuko's range before he shoots another hot stinker at us!" Katara exclaimed.

"Can't you make Apaa go any faster?" Sokka asked Aang.

"Yeah, but there's just one little problem." Aang began and we all noticed the Fire Nation ships forming a blockade.

"If we fly north, we can go around the Fire Nation ships and avoid the blockade! It's the only way." Aang explained, looking back at us.

"There's no time!" I argued.

"This is exactly why I didn't want you to come! It's too dangerous!" Aang told us.

"And that's exactly why we're here!" Katara told him, confidently.

"Let's run this blockade!" Sokka boldly exclaimed.

"Let's do this!" I grinned.

"Appa! Yip-Yip!"

Appa roared readily, sailing forward even quicker.

The sky soon became littered with flaming fireballs that were fired from the blockade. Us four began to scream in fear and Appa luckily evades numerous of fireballs. A fireball exploded next to us and caused Appa's fur to darkened with ember.

"Appa, are you okay?!" Aang asked Appa, concerned. Katara, Sokka, Momo, and I slapped the ember off of Appa's fur. We soared higher into the clouds, but we were still in reach of the fireballs. We all screamed and tried our best to dodge the flaming fireballs. Suddenly two fireballs impacted each other and exploded in front of us.

Sokka was abruptly thrown of off Appa and began to plunge for the ocean. Katara and I reached desperately for our brother but he was already out of range.

"NO!" I yelled out, looking down at him.

"Sokka!" Aang yelled and whipped Appa around toward the direction of Sokka and chased after Sokka in a high paced speed. Katara put her hand out for Sokka to grab and he successfully grabs it. I sighed with relief as Katara pulled him down onto the saddle. I hugged my brother tightly and a fish slapped Sokka in the face causing him to yelp.

Appa continues his swift flight above the ocean, dodging the fireballs as we quickly approached the blockade. Moments later a fireball was launched right at us and Aang airbended off of Appa's head. Aang used a powerful airbending kick and the flaming boulder exploded. Aang falls back onto Appa and us three grabbed him tightly.

Appa soared passed the blockade and I grinned, nervously.

"We made it!" Aang exclaimed, ecstatically.

"We got into the Fire Nation." Sokka grimaced in terror. "Great."

----

Time passes by and it soon became sunset. It was finally peaceful for once and I was exhausted from earlier. We were all tired to be exact. I was laying on the saddle with my eyes shut, almost falling asleep.

"There it is!" Aang suddenly shouted and I opened my eyes. "The island where Roku's dragon took me."

I sat up and saw a crescent-shaped island, with a smoking volcano in the middle. It was the Crescent Island.

Aang landed Appa at the base of a stone bridge that leads up to the island's mountain.

"You did it, buddy. Nice flying." Aang complimented his flying bison, rubbing his red. Appa bellows in satisfaction and lets his tongue roll out.

I giggled at Appa.

"Aww, you must be tired." Katara smiled sweetly and rubbed Appa's belly

"No!" Katara face turned into an annoyed expression when she heard Sokka speak. "I'm good! Refreshed and ready to fight some firebenders!"

Katara narrowed her eyes at Sokka. "I was talking to Appa."

Sokka instantly halts his exercise. "Well... I was talking to Momo." He pointed to Momo, who was hanging off a dead tree.

My eyes moved toward the temple at the top of the mountain and I felt nerves enter my body. I breathed out, holding my arms fearfully.

"You alright, Aya?" I heard Aang asked, softly. I turned to him and nodded, swallowing.

"Ye-yeah, just nervous." I stuttered.

Aang put his hand on my shoulder giving me a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry, I won't let anything bad happen to you."

A weak smile appeared on my face. "Thanks, Aang."

He nodded in return and put his hand out for me to grab. I gladly accepted it and we made our way up the bridge.

We approached the Fire Temple and it seemed to be a few stories high.

"I don't see any guards," Sokka mentioned as we hid behind a lower wall.

"The Fire Nation must have abandoned the temple when Avatar Roku died." Katara assumed.

"It's almost sundown. We better hurry." Aang suggested and we leaped over the wall and charged for the front door.

Once we got inside the temple, we carefully made our way through the enormous chamber.

"Wait, I think I heard something," Sokka spoke and we turned around to find five men dressed in Fire Nation attire standing in the hallway.

"We are the Fire Sages. Guardians of the temple of the Avatar." A Faire Sage announced.

"Great! I am the Avatar!" Aang proclaimed.

"We know." The Fire Sage glared before punching a blast of fire at us. Aang immediately deflects the balls of fire with his airbending.

"I'll hold them off! Run!" Aang shouted at us over his shoulder.

My siblings and I sprinted down a random hallway and Aang suddenly skidded in front us. "Follow me!"

"Do you know where you're going?" I asked before we followed the Avatar.

Aang founds a corner. "Nope!" We froze when Aang turned away and had a fearful look on his face. "Wrong way!"

We spotted a Fire Sage and hastily followed Aang.

"Come back!" The Fire Sage called out.

We turned down another corner and charged down it. Unfortunately, it was a dead end and we abruptly halted. We turned around to find a Fire Sage in front of us. Sokka stood in front of me protectively.

"I don't want to fight you! I am a friend." The Fire Sage told us.

"Firebenders aren't our friends!" Sokka exclaimed.

Aang assumed an airbending posture but before he could attack, the Fire Sage dropped to his knees in submission. This startled all of us. I moved away from Sokka and put my dagger away.

"I know why you are here, Avatar." The Fire Sage began.

"You do?" Aang asked, surprised.

"Yes." The Sage rose to his feet. "You wish to speak to Avatar Roku. I can take you to him."

"How?" Aang asked, skeptically.

The Sage slides back a lamplight on the wall and placed his hand on the wall. He used firebending to reveal a secret passage.

"This way."

"Find him!" A voice echoed in the distance.

"Time is running out! Quickly!" The Sage exclaimed.

Aang and I exchanged a look with each other, making sure we both trusted the firebender. We hastily entered the secret passage and descended downstairs. The Fire Sage lead us through the caverns of the secret passage.

The Sage told us his name; It's Shyu.

"Avatar Roku once called this temple his home. He formed these secret passages out of magma." Shyu informed us.

"Did you know Avatar Roku?" Aang questioned.

No. But my grandfather knew him. Many generations of Fire Sages guarded this Fire Temple long before me. We all have a strong spiritual connection to this place." Shyu explained.

"Is that how you knew I was coming?" Aang asked.

"A few weeks ago, an amazing thing occurred. The statue of Avatar Roku; its eyes began to glow!" Shyu exclaimed.

"That's when we were at the Air Temple. Avatar Roku's eyes were glowing there, too!" Katara expressed.

"At that moment, we knew you had returned to the world," Shyu told Aang.

"If this is the Avatar's temple, why did the sages attack me?" Aang asked Shyu.

"Things have changed. In the past, the sages were loyal only to the Avatar. When Roku died, the sages eagerly awaited for the next Avatar to return. But he never came." Shyu explained and Aang paused.

He looked down in guilt. "They were waiting for me."

"Hey, don't feel bad. You're only a hundred years late." Sokka mocked Aang, who scowled at him.

"They lost hope that the Avatar would ever return. When Fire Lord Sozin began the War, my grandfather and the other sages were forced to follow him." Shyu shook his head sadly. "I never wanted to serve the Fire Lord. When I learned you were coming, I knew I would have to betray the other sages."

"Thank you for helping me." Aang grinned at Shyu who returned a smile.

Shyu continued leading us through the caverns. "We'll follow these stairs to the sanctuary." We walked up a spiral flight of stairs that was incredibly huge.

Time passed and we were nearing the top of the staircase. "Once you're inside, wait for the light to hit Avatar Roku's statue. Only then will you be able to speak with him."

Shyu slides back a tile and climbed into the room above us. We followed him and the room seemed to be the outer part of the sanctuary. Massive columns with dragon statues atop of them line the room.

We approach an immense door that had a device that was in the shape of five dragons on it.

"No!" Shyu gasped.

"Shyu, what's wrong?" I asked, concerned.

"The sanctuary doors, they're closed!" He cried. Aang tugs at the door, but nothing happens.

"Can't you just open them with firebending? Like you opened that other door?" Katara suggested.

"No. Only a fully realized Avatar is powerful enough to open this door alone. Otherwise, the sages must open this door together, with five simultaneous fire blasts." Shyu explained.

"Five fire blasts, huh?" Sokka smirked and glanced up at the lamplight above him. "I think I can help you out."

----

Sokka took down the lamplight and had filled multiple small bags with oil.

"This is a little trick I picked up from my father." Sokka poured some oil into a bag he had. "I seal the lamp oil inside an animal skin casing, Shyu lights the oil-soaked twine and, ta-da! Fake firebending!" Sokka proudly held the bag before him.

I grinned, impressed with my brother. "Smart thinking, Sokka."

"Yeah, you've really outdone yourself this time, Sokka." Katara agreed, impressed.

"This might actually work," Shyu said.

Sokka placed the bags into the dragon's mouths.

"The sages will hear the explosion, so as soon as they go off, you rush in!" Shyu instructed, looking at Aang.

Katara, Sokka, and I hid behind a column together with Momo in Katara's arms.

"It's almost sunset. Are you ready?" I questioned the Avatar, who was behind the column next to us.

"Definitely." Aang nodded.

Shyu thrusts his finger forward, sending a small flare racing across the door to light all the bags at once. Shyu rushes over to Aang to take cover. My siblings huddled together and right than an explosion occurred. I saw Aang burst forward and attempted to open the door.

"They're still locked!" He exclaimed.

My face fell and I sighed sadly.

"It didn't work." Shyu sadly sighed.

Aang began to get furious and attacked the door with his airbending.

"Why, won't, it, open!" He exclaimed, enraged.

"Aang! Stop!" I called out, seizing his arm. I lowered my voice, releasing him. "There is nothing else we can do."

"I'm sorry I put you through all this for nothing." Aang apologized in a glum tone. My sister and I shared a look of sorrow.

"I don't get it," Sokka said in disbelief. "That firebending looked as strong as any firebending I've seen."

"Sokka! You're a genius!" Katara expressed with excitement.

"Huh?" I mumbled. "That's a first."

"Wait. How is Sokka a genius? His plan didn't even work." Aang asked, confused.

"Come on, Aang. Let her dream." Sokka grinned, pleasantly.

"You're right. Sokka's plan didn't work. But it looks like it did." Katara explained and I was still very confused.

"Did the definition of genius change over the last hundred years?" Aang asked Katara, dubiously. She just gave Aang a sly grin.

"I don't think so," I told Aang.

----

Katara had a plan and it was a pretty smart one.

"Come quickly! The Avatar has entered the sanctuary!" Shyu announced to the other Fire Sages.

"How did he get in?" A Fire Sage asked.

"I don't know, but look at the scorch marks!" Shyu pointed at the door. "And down there!"

"He's inside! Open the doors, immediately! Before he contacts Avatar Roku!" A Fire Sage ordered the other Sages. The fives sages firebended at the door locks and it open to reveal Momo on the inside.

"It's the Avatar's Lemur. He must have crawled through the pipes! We've been tricked!" A Fire Sage exclaimed and right then Momo leap atop of his head. My siblings and I attacked the other sages by messing with their clothing. I hopped onto a Sages back and pulled his hat over his eyes.

"Now, Aang!" Shyu called out to Aang as he grabbed the last free Sage.

Nothing happened.

"Aang! Now's your chance!" I called out, struggling to keep the Sage in my grip.

Suddenly, Prince Zuko stepped out with Aang in his grasp. "The Avatar's coming with me!"

Suddenly the Sage threw me off his back and I fell down onto my back. The Sage quickly grabbed me and pinned my hands behind me. The other Sages reclaimed the upper hand by capturing my siblings and Shyu.

"Close the doors! Quickly!" Zuko ordered. Katara, Sokka, and I got chained to a column as Aang was being led away by Zuko.

Suddenly, Aang broke free from Zuko and sent him downstairs with his airbending. He ran toward us. I felt a smile form on my face.

"Go!" Katara yelled at Aang.

Without hesitation, Aang sprinted toward the door. He leaped toward the two sages that were guarding it. Bouncing off the heads of the two sages and dodging a fire punch, Aang successfully made it into the Sanctuary before it shut.

"He made it!" I smiled.

Unexpectedly, a blinding flash of white light appeared for a moment before fading away.

Zuko and four Sages launch fire blasts at the doors locks. The door didn't budge.

"Why isn't it working? It's sealed shut?" Zuko asked, frustrated.

"It must've been the light. Avatar Roku doesn't want us inside." The Fire Sage informed

Zuko turned to Shyu, who is kneeling before him. "Why did you help the Avatar?"

"Because it was once the Sages' duty. It is still our duty." Shyu responded, honestly.

Clapping was heard in the distance and I saw a Fire Nation commander with six Firebender guards at his side. "What a moving and heartfelt performance. I'm certain the Fire Lord will understand when you explain why you betrayed him."

"Commander Zhao." The Fire Sage bowed his head.

"And Prince Zuko. It was a noble effort, but your little smokescreen didn't work. Two traitors in one day, the Fire Lord will be pleased." Zhao told Zuko, who was seized by the Firebenders.

"You're too late, Zhao. The Avatar's inside and the doors are sealed." Zuko snapped at Zhao, looking at the door.

"No matter." Zhao grinned. "Sooner or later, he has to come out."

My siblings and I shared a worried glance.

Zhao and his firebenders surrounded the door's perimeter, waiting for the door to open.

"When those doors open, unleash all your firepower!" Zhao exclaimed.

"How's Aang gonna make it out of this?" Katara asked us, worriedly.

"How are we gonna make it out of this?" Sokka reinstated her questioned.

"Aang will know what to do," I assured them and stared at the door. "He will make it. We all will."

Moments later, the door glows once again with smoke entering the room. The door unlocked itself and a blinding white light flashed, causing all of us to avert our eyes.

"Ready..." Zhao started as the light faded away. I moved my eyes back to the door and Katara and Sokka cried out to Aang. I stayed quiet because I knew Aang would make it.

"No, Aang!" Katara cried out.

"Fire!" Zhao yelled. He and his guards blasted fire at Aang, who is not visible to us.

The fire amasses, circling around the Avatar. I gasped when I saw who it was. It was Avatar Roku who was bending the fire, not Aang.

"Avatar Roku," Shyu said in awe.

Roku draws in the fire and blasted it towards Zhao and his guards. The heat from the fire melted the chains that were binding Katara, Sokka, Shyu, Zuko, and I. The blast of fire destroys the outer wall of the temple and Zuko immediately sprinted out of it.

The Sages panic and all sprint out of the temple.

"Avatar Roku is going to destroy the temple! We have to get out of here!" Shyu yelled over the rumbling.

"Not without Aang!" I shouted.

Roku suddenly sends a strike across the floor, causing it to melt. He lifts his hand and causes the lava from below to erupt into explosions. The lava soars through the temple, tearing it apart.

Sokka grabbed me abruptly and held me in his arms, along with our sister. A part of me was terrified, but the other was relieved knowing Aang succeeded.

The rumbling decreased and us three looked up at Roku, whose form disappeared, leaving behind a weary Aang.

Aang's eyes stopped glowing and dropped to his knees. I gasped quietly and sprinted over to him with my siblings following in pursuit.

"We got your back," Sokka assured Aang, as we lifted him back onto his feet.

"Thanks. Where's Shyu?" Aang asked, weakly.

"I don't know," Katara told him, as we helped him walk out.

The stairwell leading to the exit was filled with boiling lava. I stared at it in horror for a moment before we yelped in fear as a column toppled near us.

I gripped Katara's arm in fear, knowing we might not have a way out of here. The only exit was the hole Roku had created.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw two figures flying toward us. All of us gasp in surprise when we notice that it was Appa and Momo to the rescue.

Once Appa closes in, we hop onto his saddle and swiftly make our leave from the temple.

We all gazed back at the exploding temple that no longer stood.

Aang and I shared a look before Momo popped up between us wearing a Fire Sages hat.

----

Night time falls and Aang was sitting there mourning. I wrapped my arms around his torso and Katara and Sokka comforted him from behind. I shut my eyes and sighed sadly.