The Spirit World:The Winter Solstices Part 1

Azira had to admit, there was something inherently soothing and altogether special about riding a flying bison. They were soaring through the clouds, the endless blue sky overhead.

When she was a girl, she had always wished to be like the birds. They could take flight and just leave. She had been stuck firmly with Hana. And now, here she was, taking flight like the very birds that she had longed to be.

"Those clouds look so soft, don't they? Like you could just jump down and you'd land in a big soft cottony heap?" Katara asked, face in her hands as she stared longingly at the sight.

"Maybe you should give it a try" Sokka suggested sarcastically.

Azira just grinned. "Maybe I will"

Just then, Aang perked up. "l try it!" With that, he had leapt from his position atop Appa and free-fallen through the sky.

Watching with wide eyes, Azira just stared in longing. "oh l am so jealous right now she murmured.

She watched as he sailed below the clouds, then used his staff to come back up, keeping atop the wind currents. He was slightly damp as he came to a stop, landing in Appa's saddle.

"Turns out, clouds are just water" Aang said with a frown.

"Well I could've told you that" Azira said with a grin.

Aang just shook the water from him and the air made it dissipate. Katara had a grin on her face as she looked forward. "What is that?" She questioned, moving forward in the saddle.

A frown covered Azira's features as her eyes landed on the darkened patches of land that littered the earth below them. It reminded her of when Hana would draw out the water from the trees and the flowers. It killed everything

that was left behind

"It looks like a scar" Sokka observed.

"We should check it out!" Aang said.

It wasn't long before they had descended to the ground, finding a completely dead valley at their heels. The trees had all been burnt into black crispness, and Azira couldn't sense any water below her feet for miles.

"it's so quiet." Azira said with a frown.

"There's no life anywhere Sokka agreed.

Azira's eyes landed on footprints. Very familiar-shaped footprints. So she had been right in her original thinking. The Fire Nation had been here, and they had burned down the entire valley.

"Fire Nation!" Sokka exclaimed, finding the other sets of footprints. "Those evil savages make me sick! They have no respect for-" Katara shushed him quickly. "What, I'm not allowed to be angry?" He demanded.

"It's the avatar. They can feel the weight of the land." Azira murmured with a frown.

Aang sank to his knees, a dejected and depressed look crossing his features. He held up a hand of black dirt. "Why would anyone do this? How could I let this happen?"

Azira moved before Katara could even speak, surprising everyone including herself. Placing a gentle hand on Aang's shoulder, she spoke softly. "Some people just want to see the world burn . There's not always a reason."

"But-but it's the avatar's job to protect nature!" Aang protested. "But I don't know how to do my job."

"That's why we're going to the North Pole, to find you a teacher." Katara reminded him in a gentle tone.

"Yeah, a waterbending teacher. But there's no one who can teach me how to be the avatar. Monk Gyatso said that Avatar Roku would help me." Aang remembered.

"The avatar before you, he died over a hundred years ago. How are you supposed to talk to him?" Sokka questioned.

"I don't know." Aang murmured. "l just don't know." His gaze turned back to Azira. "Does the Fire Nation do this in other places?"

She gave a frown, sitting across from him in the dirt. "This place must've been something special. They don't do that back home. I hate to admit it, but the Fire Nation is beautiful, and full of growth and plant life."

That unsettled the boy even more. Just then, Katara chucked an acorn at his head. "Ow! What was that for?"

Sokka gave a chuckle. "Cheered me up!" He shut up rather quickly when an acorn hit him in the head.

Katara just had a bundle of them in her hands. "These acorns are everywhere. That means that the forest will grow back. That means that all of the trees and plants and animals, they'll come back." She said, pressing one into his

hand.

"Thanks Katara Aang said, a smile lighting up his face.

Azira had to admit, she admired that Katara could find something so hopeful at a time like this. Before she could speak up, there was the sound of tapping on the ground. Alert in seconds, her eyes landed on an old man with a cane limping forward.

"Who are you?" Sokka demanded.

"When I saw the flying bison, I thought it was impossible! But those markings, are you the avatar, child?" The man asked, eyes wide at the sight of Aang.

Aang seemed hesitant, glancing over at Azira. After studying the man for a minute, she gave a nod. He seemed much more comfortable nodding at the man now.

"My village desperately needs your help!"

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The man guided them through a wrecked village. There was hardly a home in sight. Most had been caved in, or the doors had been ripped off of their hinges. And though Azira was quick to usually blame things on the Fire Nation, this seemed bigger than them.

At the center of the town, there was a large domed building, one of the few that was still standing. There were dozens of people inside, all wide-eyed at the new arrivals.

"This young person is the avatar!" The old man explained

"So the rumors of your retun are true!" Another person exclaimed. "It is the greatest honor of a lifetime to be in your presence!"

"Nice to meet you too, Aang said with a smile. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"I'm not sure...

"Our village is in crisis! He's our only hope!" The old man reminded the person in front of them.

He studied them for a minute, a frown on his face. "For the past few days at sunset, a spirit monster comes and attacks our village. He is known as the black and white spirit."

"Well why is he attacking you? Sokka questioned, narrowing his gaze.

"We do not know. We only know that he abducts one of our own. We are especially fearful because the winter solstice approaches."

"Why is that important?" Azira asked, getting right to the point as she crossed her arms.

"As the solstice approaches, the natural world and the spirit world grows closer and closer until the line between them is blurred completely. Once the solstice is here, there is no telling what will happen." Their leader continued.

"So what can I do?" Aang asked, glancing between the two men in confusion.

"There is no one who can better deal with such a spiritual crisis! You are the great bridge between man and spirits!"

"Right that's me." Aang trailed off.

Katara and Azira harshly motioned at hirm. "Can we speak with you?" Katara asked in a sweet tone.

Aang hurried over to the trio of friends. "You seem unsure." Azira said bluntly.

"Yeah that might be because I don't know anything at all about the Spirit World!" Aang said defensively. "It's not like there's anyone to teach me this stuff!"

"Well..can you help these people?" Katara asked, narrowing her gaze.

"I have to try, don't l?" He asked, looking between both girls. "And Az, I know you said that it was a bad idea-"

"You're the avatar." Azira said in a gentle voice. "Me asking you not to help people would go against everything thatbmakes you you."

He brightened. "Then I'll try!"

"I think you can do it, Aang!" Katara said in a warm tone.

Sokka just forced a stiff smile onto his feet. "Yeah..we're all gonna get eaten by a Spirit monster."

An elbow jabbed into his stomach and he winced. "We believe in you." Azira said in a forceful tone

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Following Sokka's near brush with death, the group was anxious to get out of the village. Azira was happy that Aang had fiqured out some things with the Spirit World, but more anxious about the task that lay ahead of them.

If Aang was serious about flying straight into Fire Nation territory, she couldn't in good conscience let him go it alone. And he wouldn't be by himself. She would give anything and everything to protect him.

She wasn't sure when she had gone from solely caring about herself and her own survival to worrying about the fate of the world. And about Aang, Sokka, and Katara. But she had. And for the first time in her life, she had something

worth losing.

"I have to talk to Avatar Roku to find out what my vision means!" Aang snapped at Katara. "I need to get to the Fire Nation before the sun sets on the solstice! That's today!"

Azira just stared down Sokka and Katara. "Get on board or get out of the way:" She said firmly.

"We're not letting you go to the Fire Nation!" Katara exclaimed.

"At least, not by yourselves." Sokka added. "We're your friends. And we've got your backs."

A slow smile crept onto Azira's features. "We'll have to fly fast if we want to get there on time." She insisted. "Let's

fly

In no time at all, they were soaring quickly through the clouds. Azira had never seen Appa move so fast in her life.

Azira's eyes searched the ocean below for any signs of trouble. And that was when her heart stopped in her chest.

That ship, she knew that ship.

"Oh Spirits-" She cursed, turning to Aang. "We need to go faster!"

"What? Why-

"Zuko is here!" She said, pointing at the ship below them.

"They're gaining fast!" Sokka added, eyes wide at the sight. He turned to Azira. "What are they going to do?"

Think, think-

"We need to dodge!" Came Azira's response. "Hell try to shoot us down!"

True to her words, she could see something flaming atop the deck of the ship. It flung through the air, the smell of smoke filling Azira's nostrils. Aang snapped the reins to Appa and they sailed to the side, narrowly missing the flying fireball.

"We have to get out of Zuko's range before he shoots another fireball at us!" Katara exclaimed, clouds flying into her

face

"Can't you make Appa go any faster?!" Sokka demanded.

"Yeah, there's just one problem-" Aang started.

Azira felt her heart drop into her stomach at the sight of all of the ships. "A blockade." She breathed out.

It was highly possible, most likely probable, that her father was in one of the ships below her. Blockading her.

Possibly going to shoot at her.

It made her want to throw up, stomach churning with sick. "Aang, what's the plan?" Azira questioned, voice going a pitch higher than intended.

"If we fly North, we can go around the blockade! It's the only way!" Aang said.

"There's no time-" Katara started.

Aang just let out a sound of frustration. "This is exactly why I didn't want you to come! It's too dangerous!"

"That's why we're here!" Azira snapped. "Let's run this blockade!" Sokka agreed.

Aang snapped the reins, speeding Appa up. Azira's hands maneuvered quickly, forcing the clouds around them in a sort of protective bubble. Fire was raining down towards them, flying through the air from the blockade.

"Go higher!" Azira commanded. "They won't be able to follow the range!"

There was no hesitation as Appa lifted them higher into the skies. Up ahead, an explosion boomed and knocked

against Appa. Suddenly, Sokka went flying out of reach, slipping from the saddle.

Azira didn't wait. She just reacted. She flung herself forward and out of the saddle, free-falling through the sky. If

nothing else, she could soften their fall into the ocean. They would not die-not here or now.

Eyes zeroing in on Sokka's falling figure, she tucked her own arms in, speeding towards him. Catching him around the

waist, he let out a scream of surprise. Water lifted up around them but before it could cushion their fall, Appa was

there.

They tumbled onto the saddle, crashing into Katara wildly. Pushing Sokka off of her, Azira was back on her knees in seconds, water weaving and pushing against the fire that was coming at them