The Spirit World:The Winter Solstices Part 2

One managed to snake its way around the water, heading straight at them. Aang launched off of Appa's saddle, air

sucking straight into the fire. The rock shattered upon impact with his foot. Aang fell backwards, landing on Appa's

fur again.

"We did it!" Aang breathed out in surprise.

And just like that, they had made it into the Fire Nation. Azira was still nearly shaking from what she had done, eyes wide. "We made it into the Fire Nation..." She murmured. A sharp punch came to arm and she glanced over in annoyance. "What was that for?!" She demanded.

"You can't just jump out of the sky after me!" Sokka exclaimed.

"If you don't want me to do that, then hang onto the saddle next time!" Azira snapped in annoyance.

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With Azira's navigation and guidance, they made quick time to the Fire Nation Temple. A roaring volcano sat atop an island, lava spilling down the side of the mountain. At the sight of it, Aang lit up.

"This is where my vision took me!" Aang said, descending towards one of the craters.

"Home sweet home" Azira murmured, stretching out her neck as they landed.

They began the hike up the treacherous stone path that led to the Fire Nation Temple. Located atop one of the higher peaks, the steam and heat from the lava rose as they walked, keeping them sweating plenty.

"I don't see any quards." Sokka observed, eyes flashing across the Temple Grounds.

"That's because they probably don't assume anyone is stupid enough to come here. There are the sages, but they're not much of fighters." Azira said carefully.

"It's almost sundown! We have to hurry!" Aang darted forward, slipping under the shadow of the Temple's roof. It was a straight shot through golden corridors to the center of the Temple.

"Wait-" Sokka heard something, turning around.

Azira found herself face to face with the Fire Sages. She wasn't sure if they were loyal to the Fire Nation or to the avatar. And she wasn't sure she was anxious to really find out. She could certainly fight, what with the knives on her belt. But there was no water for her to bend.

"We are the Fire Sages, guardians of the Temple of the Avatar." The sage in front spoke up.

"Great! Im the Avatar-" Aang started.

Azira recognized the hand position before the sage could move any further. She tackled Aang to the side, rolling a the fire licked at the ends of her hair. Aang was on his feet in seconds, blasting at them with wind.

"I'l hold them off!" Aang yelled. "Run!"

They turned to run and Aang blasted at them again, knocking them all to the ground. As soon as Aang was at Azira's side, she began to run with him. They sprinted through the halls, turning down different corridors.

"Do you even know where we're going to!" Sokka called.

"Nope!" Aang called back.

Still, Azira couldn't complain. It was better than being a sitting duck to be roasted. Aang turned a corner and then quickly backtracked. "Wrong way!" Azira called, eyes locking onto a Fire Sage.

"Come back!" He called.

But they were not about to slow. Finding themselves trapped in a dead-end hallway, Azira spun, hands shooting to her knives as she stood in front of the group defensively. "I don't want to fight you! I am a friend!" The sage insisted.

"Prove it." Azra sneered.

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

The sage dropped to the ground in a kneeling position in front of Aang. "I know why you're here, Avatar"

"You do?"

"Yes, you speak to Avatar Roku. I can take you to him." The sage said.

Azira's hands slowly relinquished the knives at her sides. "How? She demanded.

He slowiy rose to his feet, acutely aware of the danger that she posed to him. He gently pulled on a lantern hanging

on the wall, pushing it aside. He pressed fire into the hole and a secret door opened up.

"This way he said, gesturing at it.

In the distance, they could hear the soldiers getting closer. Aang turned to Azira. "What do you think?"

"It might be our only option." Azira said grimly.

They hurried into the tunnels and the door sealed up behind them. "Avatar Roku once called this Temple his home. He formed these secret passages out of the magma" The sage explained.

"Did you know Avatar Roku?" Aang asked curiously, nearly tripping down the steep walkway.

It was boiling down here, with magma clear in sight. "No, but my grandfather did. Many generations of Fire Sages quarded this temple before me. We all have a strong spiritual connection to this place."

"How did you know we were coming?" Azira pressed in a sharp tone.

He let out a sigh at the anger. "A few weeks ago, an amazing thing occurred. The statue of Avatar Roku, its eyes began to glow.

"That was when we were at the Air Temple!" Katara remembered. "That must have been why his eyes were glowing there too!"

"At that moment, we knew you had returned to the world." The Fire Sage continued.

"if this is the Avatar's temple, then why did the Sages attack me?" Aang asked innocentily.

"Things have changed. In the past, the Sages were only loyal to the Avatar. When Roku died, the sages eagerly awaited for the next Avatar's return, but he never came."

Aang stopped short, eyes going wide with guilt. "They were waiting for me" he said in realization.

"Don't feel bad." Sokka insisted.

"They lost hope that the Avatar would ever return. And when Fire Lord Sozin began the war, my grandfather and the other sages were forced to follow him. I never wanted to serve the Fire Lord."

"Relatable. Azira deadpanned.

But his eyes never strayed from Aang. "When I learned that you were coming, I knew I would have to betray the other

sages."

"Thank you for helping me." Aang said in a genuine tone.

Passing by more arches of stone, a set of stairs came into view. They began following the sage up the stairs. "We will follow these stairs to the sanctuary. Once you're inside, wait for the light to hit Avatar Roku's statue. Only then will you be able to speak with him."

It was quiet as the floor opened up, revealing an ornate hallway and set of doors in front of them. Azira glanced both ways, an uneasy feeling creeping up in her stomach.

"What's wrong?" Aang asked, glancing at the sage, whose eyes had fallen on the doors.

"The sanctuary doors are closed."

"Well can't you just open them with Firebending?" Katara questioned. "Like you did with the secret door?"

"No, he said in a dejected tone. "Only a fully realized Avatar is powerful enough to open this door on his own. Otherwise, the sages must open the doors together, with five simultaneous fire blasts."

Sokka's mind was racing and he grinned. "Five? I think I have an idea."

They followed Sokka and he began gathering some powder. "What are you doing?" Azira asked, crossing her arms.

"it's a trick I learned from my father. I seal the lamp oil inside an animal skin casing. Shyu lights the oil soaked twine and ta-da! Fake firebending!" Sokka exclaimed, tying up a bag.

"This...might work." Katara admitted.

In no time, they had pressed each of the packets into the mouths of the dragons on the door. Shyu sent a blast of fire up the string and smoke billowed, but the doors remained closed.

"It didn't work." Shyu said with a frown.

Aang let out a screech of frustration, sending a blast of air at the door. In seconds, Katara was there and grabbing onto his arm. "Aang, stop! There's nothing else we can do!"

"-Im sorry I put you through all of this for nothing." Aang said, eyes cast on the ground.

But Sokka's attention was on the door. "I don't get it. That blast looked as strong as real firebending."

Momo crept up towards the singular hole in the door and Azira grinned. "Maybe we just need them to think that it worked."

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They waited behind the pillars, watching as the sages blasted fire at the door. The snakes and dragons began to turn, opening the mechanisms for the door. It slowly swung open, revealing none other than Momo.

"it's the Avatar's lemur! We've been tricked-

The head sage never got to finish his sentence. Azira lunged forward, grabbing both of his ankles and slamming him into the ground. Her foot jabbed upwards, slamming into his jaw and effectively knocking him out.

Spinning to her feet, she found that Sokka, Katara, and Shyu had each taken out a respective Fire Sage. "Aang, now's your chance!" Katara called.

But Aang wasn't in position. Slowly, he came into view. Held by none other than Prince Zuko. "The Avatar is coming with me!" Zuko hissed.

Azira didn't get a chance to fight against anyone else. She watched as Katara's hand was spun behind her back, holding her in place. The sage that had been tackled by Sokka had now slammed him into the floor. And Shyu was on his knees, a fire blade to his throat.

She didn't move. She just stared straight ahead at Zuko. She had one advantage. They couldn't fight her because they were holding onto them. But she couldn't beat Zuko, not without her sword and certainly not without her waterbending.

"Close the doors! Quickly!" Zuko commanded, hauling Aang towards the stairs.

Azira locked eyes with Aang and she gave a careful nod as the other Fire Sages began to circle her, now that Sokka and Katara were tied up. Her hands slowly moved to the knives at her waist and Aang let out a large sneeze, air shooting him up and away from Zuko.

That was when she struck, exactly like a viper. She slid down on her knees, fire blasting overhead. Her blades cut

through the fire sages legs and she stabbed one into his knee. Crimson splattered outwards and he gave a scream of pain. She twisted his arm and held him in front of her as Aang ran straight into the sanctuary.

As soon as he dove in, the doors began to close and brilliant blue light lit up the room. The other Fire Sages circled

her, joined now by Zuko.

"What's your plan here, Azira? Zuko asked in a taunting tone. "You kill him and you have no leverage. You can't beat us all"

Azira just held the knife to the sage's throat, feeling much more like a cornered and caged animal. "That may be. But it must suck to not have the Avatar while he communes with Avatar Roku."

True to her thinking, Zuko gave a snarl and ran at her, fire blasting from his hands. She shoved the sage forward, flipping over him and slamming her foot down into Zuko's cheek. She hit the ground harshly, rolling and coming into a standing position.

He blasted at her again and she blocked off the fire by deflecting his hand to the side. His other hand snaked out and grabbed her upper arm. The sizzling sound of burning flesh filled the air and Azira gave a scream of horror and intense pain.

Zuko looked shocked-as if he hadn't meant to do it. Azira fell backwards, a handprint burned onto the flesh of her arm, still smoking and searing. Tears spilled from her eyes and before he could so much as apologize-

She had been hauled to her feet and slammed into one of the pillars, chains wrapping around her. Zuko just tore his

eyes away from her, away from his mistake, and focused instead on Shyu.

"Why did you help the Avatar?" He sneered.

"Because it was once the Sage's duty. It is still our duty." Shyu said, head hung low in shame.

Azira could scarcely breathe, what with the pain still shooting through her arm. It was burning and engulfing her entire body, black spots dancing around in her vision. Through it all, she could hear clapping.

Her vision finally focused on Admiral Zhao. And that was when she knew that they were totally and royally screwed. "What a moving and heartfelt performance! I'm certain the Fire Lord will understand why you betrayed him! Two traitors in one day, the Fire Lord will be pleased."

Zuko was quickly bound. "You're too late, Zhao! The doors are already sealed!"

"It doesn't matter. He has to come out sooner or later. Zhao sneered. His eyes flicked to the side anda dark grin crossed his features. "And is that General Arun's daughter I see?" Azira flinched as Zhao stalked over to her, surveying the burn on her arm. "What a disappointment you turned out to be." He hissed.

She spit on him. "At least I'm not a monster."

He just laughed. There it is, that refreshing honesty. I think I'll leave you to your father's disciplinary methods."

Soon, Zuko was tied to the same pillar that Azira was. Zhao's troops moved forward, surrounding the exit to the sanctuary. A briliant light emitted from inside as the doors began to open. Flinching at the light, Azira forced her eyes to stay open.

"Ready!" Zhao called, hands stretched out in front of him.

No, not Aang-

"FIREI" Zhao yelled. He and his troops blasted fire out of their hands and something miraculous happened. Azira wasn't sure what she believed in, but she knew in that moment that she believed in Aang.

The fire swirled and opened up, revealing Avatar Roku, bending the fire in a ghostly form in front of them. Her eyes went wide and fire blasted outwards, knocking each of the sages and Zhao's troops to the ground.

The fire licked against the chains, incinerating them. They melted away and Azira dropped to her knees, pain shooting through her body. Zuko took off in the opposite direction, eyes wide and full of fear. He spared one glance at Azira, and then disappeared.

The ground beneath their feet began to shake and as Sokka helped Azira to her feet, she heard Shyu. "Avatar Roku is going to destroy the Temple! We have to get out of here!"

"Not without Aang! Katara insisted.

Azira just watched in horrific fascination as Avatar Roku slammed his hand into the ground. A split erupted beneath his hand and magma began to fly up from beneath them. Everyone else began to flee, but not Aang's friends.

Roku slowed, eyes closing. When the smoke cleared, it was just Aang, collapsing to the ground. Azira moved faster than anyone else, catching him before his knees hit the ground.

"Good job, kid."

"Thanks Aang breathed out. Where's Shyu? He asked, eyes flicking around them.

"Don't know.." Sokka's eyes had landed on the rapidly rising magma that was coming up through the stairs.

"Looks like this is our stop!" Azira said, rushing them through the hole in the roof. They slid out onto the roof, spilling off of it and onto a waiting Appa.

With that, they took off into the sky. Azira just leaned her head against the saddle, a dizziness overtaking her. She felt a hand on her shoulder and when she blinked her eyes open, she found Katara staring at her in worry.

"That's a pretty bad burn-"

"it can wait until we're out of the Fire Nation." Azira insisted. It would have to. They had to get out of here, and fast.