Playing With Fire

“I’m sorry about your necklace Katara.” Aria said quietly, not opening her eyes. They were soaring through cottony clouds and bright sunlight aboard Appa, continuing on toward the North Pole.
“It was all I had left from my mother.” Katara answered sadly, “I can’t believe I lost it.”
“I understand that it’s important to you,” Aria said, “but you’ll always remember and love your mother; with or without the necklace. Who knows? Maybe it’ll turn up again.”
Aria’s eyes snapped open when Katara hugged her and a slight frown crossed her face. Awkwardly, she pat Katara on the back, waiting for the hug to end. Aria felt rotten to know that Katara felt so comfortable around her; if she knew the truth, Katara would be more likely to throw her off Appa. The moment passed soon enough and Aria closed her eyes again, enjoying the hot sun.
“Those clouds look so soft don’t they? Like you could just jump down and land in a big cottony heap.” Katara said dreamily.
“Why don’t you give it a try?” Sokka asked sarcastically.
“You’re hilarious.” Katara said.
“I’ll try it!” Aang butt in. Grabbing his staff, he leaped off the side of Appa and quickly fell out of sight among the clouds. Aria sat up and looked wide eyed over the side of Appa with Sokka and Katara. He had disappeared beneath the cloud cover and Aria fervently hoped he had his staff with him. The three jumped in surprise when Aang reappeared, landing back in the saddle. He was soaking wet and without thinking, used a blast of warm air to dry himself, soaking the others in the process.
“Sorry!” Aang said, drying them with a blast of warm air and leaving their hair standing on end. Aria pulled her fingers through her hair, attempting to smooth it back down. “Turns out, clouds are made mostly of water.”
Aria had just managed to retie her hair back with a ribbon when Katara looked out on the horizon with a concerned expression clouding her features.
“Hey what’s that?”
The group sat up straighter, straining to see what Katara had already spotted. On the horizon, growing steadily larger was a long stripe of black surrounded by lush, green forest. Aria’s heart sank; she recognized the sight immediately. Only a fire would do that to such a large swatch of forest. She remained silent and leaned back against the saddle, staring fixedly at a worn patch in Sokka’s pack; she wouldn’t be the first one to call it for what it was.
“It’s like a scar…” Sokka stated quietly. Without a word, Aang pulled sharply on the reins and Appa angled downward toward the blackened, dead forest.
Appa landed heavily on the ground, raising a huge cloud of ash that sent the group into a coughing fit. Without a word, they jumped down and surveyed the area. It stretched for miles in every direction; black, burnt stumps sticking up out of the ash were all that was left of the once grand trees.
“Listen, it’s so quiet…” Sokka observed. “There’s no life anywhere.”
The silence pervading the area seemed ominous; there was no life here. No birds singing, nor the rustle of leaves; everything was dead. Even the group’s voices seemed oddly diminished; the thick carpet of ash seemed to absorb all sound. It was a depressive place and Aria longed to jump on Appa and fly away, nothing good could come from lingering. Absorbed as she was in her black mood, Aria started when Sokka’s loud, complaining voice broke through the muted silence.
“Fire Nation!” Sokka yelled. He was bent down, examining footprints in the ash. Aria easily could identify the tracks of the rhinos the Fire Nation used as mounts. “Those evil savages make me sick! They have no respect for-”
Aria frowned at him. They wear fur and he’s calling them savages? Aria’s indignation soon faded however at the sight of the destruction around her, only evil savages would do such a thing. She kicked at the ash beneath her feet, wondering what had been in this part of the forest for the Fire Nation to burn it down, if there even was a reason. Briefly she had considered the possibility of a natural caused forest fire but Sokka had ruined that. The war had always been some distant event that seemed to have little effect on her life and what had once been entertaining stories at home were now all too real to her. When it came down to it, she supposed she wasn’t shocked but it was unsettling to see the brutality from the other Nations point of view. She shook her head at the memory of her father and her professors teaching her that the Fire Nation was bettering the rest of the world’s lives. All she had found since she left home was misery and hate towards them. For the first time in her life, she was truly ashamed to be from the Fire Nation.
“Shhh!” Katara chastised him.
“What, I’m not allowed to be angry?” Sokka replied in a hushed voice.
Silently Katara pointed at Aang. He had walked several paces away and was kneeled in the ash, his head hung. His shoulders were hunched and though Aria couldn’t see his face, it was obvious he was distraught.
“Why would anyone do this?” Aang asked forlornly. He scooped up a handful of ash and let it fall through his fingers. “How could I let this happen?”
“Aang, you didn’t let this happen. It has nothing to do with you.” Katara said consolingly.
“Yes it does. It’s the avatar’s job to protect nature, but I don’t know how to do my job.” Aang answered.
“That’s why we’re going to the North Pole, to find you a teacher.” Katara persisted.
Aria understood Aang’s feeling of guilt. Her countrymen had burnt down a huge swath of forest and though she had not been involved in anyway, she was filled with guilt. She knew Katara would not be able to logic her way through to Aang because there was nothing really logical about it. It had nothing to do with either of them yet Aang felt guilty for shirking his duty and Aria felt guilty because her Nation had committed the crime.
“Yeah, a water bending teacher!” Aang said, looking up at Katara, “But there’s no one who can teach me how to be the avatar…Monk Giatso said that Avatar Roku would help me.”
“The avatar before you? He died over a hundred years ago, how are you supposed to talk to him?” Sokka pointed out logically.
“I don’t know.” Aang admitted dejectedly.
When Aria lowered herself to the ground a small cloud of ash rose into the air and settled on her pants. She knew she’d be filthy but couldn’t bring herself to care. Hesitantly, she scooted herself closer to Aang and put her arm around him. She felt as if she should say something but nothing came to mind so instead settled for hugging him tighter. They sat there together like that for what seemed a long time, listening to the silence. It was odd how silence could be so loud, it had its own sound.
“Hey Aang, ready to be cheered up?” Katara asked in a cheerful voice.
“No…” Aang answered. Aria turned to look at Katara just in time. Katara’s arm came up and Aria ducked. An acorn sailed through the air and smacked Aang on the head.
“Ow! How’s that supposed to cheer me up?” Aang asked indignantly.
“Cheered me up!” Sokka said, chortling. Aria smirked when another acorn found its target on Sokka’s forehead. “Ow…yeah, I deserved that…”
“These acorns are everywhere Aang. That means the forest will grow back! Every one of these will be a tall oak tree one day. And all the birds and animals that lived here will grow back.” Katara said, placing one in Aang’s hand. Aria couldn’t help but smile; Katara was wiser than she had thought.
“Thanks Katara.” Aang said in a happier tone.
Aria jumped to her feet, staring at an old man with a cane approaching. Assessing the situation, she doubted he could be very dangerous but remained alert all the same. Around the same time Katara and Sokka also noticed him.
“Hey, 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 old man croaked. When Aang nodded, the man continued, “My village desperately needs your help!”
The man seemed unwilling to discuss what had been plaguing his village so, without much information, the group found themselves following him to his village. Soon enough they passed beyond the edge of the decimated forest and were among lush green foliage and tall trees. The return of the birdsong was a relief to all of them and their spirits rose fractionally. Aria couldn’t help but be reminded of the turtleducks in the Firelord’s pond and she smiled sadly to herself; hopefully they’d come through this mess unharmed.
They reached the village shortly before sunset. In normal times, the cottages would have been arranged in neat rows with wide, spacious roads. As it were, several of them were wrecked beyond repair. Rubble was strewn haphazardly around the ruined cottages and already nature was starting to reclaim them with tufts of grass growing up between boards. The old man seemed indifferent to the wreckage and led them past it and straight up the main road to a large, communal building proceeded by a large porch. Without delay, they entered the building where it seemed the entire village had gathered.
“This young man is the avatar!” The man announced grandly. The people in the building all turned toward them, eager to see Aang. Aria hung back close to the door; she was content with only listening. As far as she was concerned, the less attention she drew to herself the better.
“So the rumors of your return are true.” A man stepped forward. His voice was soft but he stood tall and proud. “It is the greatest honor of a lifetime to be in your presence.” He bowed graciously.
“Nice to meet you too.” Aang answered politely, “So is there something I can help you with?”
“I’m not sure…” The man said, seeming oddly reluctant.
“Our village is in crisis!” The old man cried, losing his patience. “He’s our only hope!”
The younger man closed his eyes for a moment, as if pondering what the old man had said and finally nodded his consent. The old man turned back to Aang.
“For the last few days, at sunset, a spirit monster comes and attacks our village. He is Habai, the black and white spirit.”
“Why is it attacking you?” Sokka asked seriously.
“We do not know!” The younger man said desperately, “But each of the last three nights, he has abducted one of our own. We are especially fearful because the Winter Solstice draws near.”
“What happens then?” Katara asked.
The younger man walked distractedly to the doorway, ignoring Aria, and peered out before answering.
“As the solstice approaches, the line between the natural world and the spirit world grows closer and closer, until the line between them is blurred completely.” The old man explained.
“Habai is already causing devastation and destruction, once the solstice is here; there is no telling what will happen.” The other man said, at his wits end.
“So...what do you want me to do exactly?” Aang asked nervously.
“Who better to resolve a crisis between our world and the spirit world than the avatar himself?” The old man exclaimed, looking at Aang fondly. “You are the great bridge between man and spirit!”
“Right…that’s me…” Aang said.
When Katara pulled Aang aside for a private conversation, Aria walked outside and surveyed the village from the porch. She had been receiving a number of suspicious stares from the people of the village and she could only assume it was because of her Fire Nation attire. Regardless to say, she had been uncomfortable and sacrificed hearing the rest of the conversation for a few minutes alone.
By the time Aria reentered the building it had been decided Aang would confront Habai and everybody shut themselves in the large building, watching anxiously as Aang walked uncertainly down the main road. Aria leaned on the windowsill, watching intently. She was given a wide berth by the village people as if she were at, any moment, going to turn on them and attack. It was ridiculous, the Fire Nation rarely turned to covert operations; if she meant harm she would have marched in and burnt the whole village down. She supposed they couldn’t get past the stigma of the black and red uniforms.
“Helloo? Spirit?” Aang shouted out. Aria shook her head; he had no idea what to do and would probably get hurt. “Can you hear me? This is the avatar speaking, I’m here to try to help stuff!”
“This isn’t right.” Sokka muttered next to Aria. “We can’t sit here and cower while Aang waits for some monster to show up.”
“If anyone can save us, the avatar can.” The old man persisted.
Aria whipped around and glared at him. Her nerves were stretched and the old man only tested her patience further.
“I’m sorry; maybe you haven’t noticed that the avatar is a twelve year old boy who doesn’t have a clue what he’s doing!” Aria fumed. The group around them gave her scandalized looks and the atmosphere seemed to grow colder. Scowling, she turned back to the window and watched Aang’s progress.
“He still shouldn’t have to do this alone.” Sokka complained. Nothing more was said but the light was quickly fading and Aria could feel the tension deepening. There was an air of expectancy and the people were getting restless.
“The sun is set, where are you Habai?” Aang yelled. “Well…spirit…uh, I hereby ask you to please leave this village in peace!” He spun his staff in a circle around his head and planted it in the ground in front of him; Aria could have laughed at him. Where had he gotten that idea from?
“Ok, well I guess that’s settled then…” Aang said, turning and heading back toward the main building. Aria frowned; something didn’t seem right. The sounds of crickets and other night prowlers had quieted, everything was strangely silent and it was as if the woods were holding its breath. Her eyes widened in fear and surprise when behind Aang, appeared a form of enormous size. Black and white patches covered the body of the great monster and sharp teeth glinted dully in the low light of nearby lanterns. It stood on four powerful limbs with two smaller ones hanging from its chest. Habai had come at last.
Aang walked along leisurely for several seconds before realizing something was amiss. If the situation wasn’t so serious, his look of shock would have been comical. He spun around and seemed to regain his composure.
“You must be the Habai spirit! My name is-”
Habai opened his mouth and an unearthly scream speared into Aria’s ears. The people around her clutched at their ears in pain and backed away from the windows. Blue light emitting from Habai’s open jaws surrounded Aang and Habai reared up on his hind legs, clawing at the air. Ignoring Aang, Habai turned to nearby buildings and began demolishing them. Flitting between cottages with supernatural speed, Habai spread destruction everywhere he went. Aang trailed behind him, begging Habai to listen to him. Aria glanced up at the ceiling in concern, if Habai came their way, the building would come down on top of them. She had never before had experience with the spirit world and strangely, it wasn’t as unsettling as she would expect.
“I command you to turn around now!” Aang shouted. He had flown to the roof of a house, tired of being ignored. Habai went still for a moment before swinging around and smacking Aang off the roof and across the village where he collided with the wall of another house. Aria’s eyes widened and she gripped the window sill so tightly her knuckles were turning white. He was on his feet and seemed to be ok but she was afraid for him.
“That’s it! He needs help!” Sokka said angrily. Before anyone could react, he had run for the door and was bounding down the steps to the road below. Aria and Katara made to follow him but were grabbed by the two men they had spoken to earlier. Aria reacted instinctively; she spun around with a snarl on her face and fist raised. The man looked shocked and she quickly dropped her fist before completing the action; she had been about to blast him off his feet with fire! Crossing her arms, she turned back to the doorway, shaken by her lack of self-control.
She had turned just in time to see Sokka in Habai’s grip and disappearing into the forest. Gasping, she sprinted down the road after them, Katara in close pursuit. Aang had already been swallowed up by the forest after Habai on his glider. At the gate to the village, Aria stopped, panting, and waited for Katara to catch up. Neither Aang nor Habai were anywhere to be seen, they were just…gone. After a few minutes of uncertainty, Katara settled down to wait in the middle of the gateway while Aria leaned against cold stone wall with her arms crossed.
As the night deepened the temperature dropped significantly. Frost covered the stone wall except where Aria’s body heat kept it at bay. When the girls exhaled, their breath formed into a white cloud before dispersing. Katara sat huddled on the ground, looking wretched. The three beat gait of the old man with the cane reached the two girls and Aria turned slightly while Katara acted as though she had not heard.
“I’m sure they’ll be back.” He stated solemnly.
“I know.” Katara responded simply.
“You should get some rest.” The old man said, laying a blanket around Katara’s shoulders and handing one off to Aria.
“Everything’s going to be ok.” Katara said, as if trying to convince herself.
“You know it will be Katara.” Aria reassured her. She wished she really was that certain.
“Your brother is in good hands, I would be shocked if the Avatar returned without him.” He said comfortingly. The three sat in silence waiting for their missing comrades to return while dawn slowly approached. Aria welcomed the coming sun, though she was unable to completely enjoy it. What would they do if Aang and Sokka never came back?
“The sun is rising, perhaps he will return soon.” The old man said.
Aria was feeling stiff from standing so long in the same spot and she turned back to village, intending to take a walk. As she passed Katara, Aria laid her hand on Katara’s shoulder reassuringly before moving on. The village wasn’t large and she set off at a brisk pace just inside the perimeter wall. It wasn’t long before Aria became aware of small feet pattering after her. Glancing behind her, Aria managed to see a little boy following behind at a safe distance. When she completely turned around, however, he dove quickly behind a nearby water barrel.
Bewildered, Aria backtracked and peered around the barrel. A boy of, what Aria was guessing, eight was crouched behind the barrel, looking guilty at being caught.
“Er…hi.” Aria said uncertainly.
“Hi.” The boy answered, peering up at her face before quickly looking back down at his feet. They lapsed into an uncomfortable silence; the boy fidgeted with his hands and Aria stood, unsure what to do.
“Um, my name’s Aria.” She said, trying to strike up conversation. The boy stood up and dusted off his pants before answering.
“I’m Bingwen.” He stated solemnly. Aria wanted to laugh at his serious manner but instead bowed to him.
“It’s nice to meet you Bingwen.”
Bingwen ignored this.
“Why are you so dirty? Doesn’t your mother make you take baths?” He asked.
Aria looked down at herself and her lips twitched up in a smile. She had forgotten about the ash still smeared over her clothes.
“Yes, when I’m home. She makes me bathe every day, sometimes twice a day!” Aria answered in mock horror. Bingwen’s eyes widened in disgust.
“I’da ran away too.” He said in a sympathetic voice. Aria couldn’t contain herself and laughed. Who was this little boy?
“Are you one of the bad people? Mom says only bad people wear those.” Bingwen asked boldly, pointing at her clothes.
“No, I’m not one of the bad people. I’m here with the Avatar to help.” Aria explained.
“Ok.” He said, accepting what she had said without question.
“Well, it was nice to meet you Bingwen; I’m going to keep walking.” Aria said cheerfully. Bingwen said nothing but when Aria turned to walk away, there was a sound of little feet following her. “Well come on silly, get up here.”
Aria and Bingwen walked the rest of the village together. Bingwen didn’t once stop questioning her, sometimes not giving Aria the chance to answer. Aria had thought he was a quiet boy when she first came across him but it seemed he was only warming up at the time. The people they came across gave the pair curious looks, but otherwise went on with their day. He had not yet ran out of questions when they came back around to the gate where Katara was getting up on Appa.
“Hey, where are you going?” Aria asked. Bingwen had temporarily been silenced by the sight of Appa.
“I’m going to search for them from the sky.” Katara answered.
“Ok, maybe I can search on foot. You won’t be able to see anything under the trees.” Aria offered. Katara nodded gratefully and urged Appa into the sky.
“I have to go for a little bit,” Aria said, kneeling down next to Bingwen, “you have to stay here, alright?”
“I want to go too!” Bingwen crossed his arms and pouted.
“You could get lost!” Aria said, “Wouldn’t your mommy and daddy be worried if you left? I’ll be back before you know it.” She waited until Bingwen was headed back among the cottages before taking off into the woods.
The forest was filled with the chatter of birds and squirrels and Aria walked without hurry. She was seriously doubtful that she’d come across Sokka and Aang wandering around in the woods but it was better than doing nothing. Her eyes scanned the ground, looking for any sign that they had gone this way. Did spirits leave tracks? For over an hour, she zigzagged across the forest pushing through the underbrush and stepping over twisted roots. Ahead, the sun was shining strongly through the trees and Aria emerged into the barren, ash covered section of the woods. She stood for a moment looking out at the destruction before heading back. She wasn’t going to find them.
The village gates soon came into view; on the other side of them stood two people Aria didn’t recognize. They seemed to be waiting anxiously for someone to arrive. When she entered the village, their eyes widened and they quickly converged on her.
“Where is he?” One of them, a woman, demanded.
“What?” Aria asked, confused.
“Where is my son?” The other of the two, a man, asked.
“Is your son Bingwen?” Aria asked, already sure of the answer.
“Yes! He said he was going with you; he didn’t say you were going into the forest!” The woman answered frantically. “How could you let a little boy go into the forest with a monster on the loose?”
“He wasn’t with me! I told him to go home!” Aria answered indignantly. “Are you sure he’s not hiding somewhere in the village?”
“Of course we’re sure.” Bingwen’s mother hissed with her eyes narrowed.
“I’ll find him! He can’t have gotten far.” Her heart sank as she realized he was somewhere in the woods alone.
Aria took off into the woods again while behind her she could hear Bingwen’s parents yelling for people to come help. What kind of parents would let their child go with a stranger? Especially a stranger who had been accepted into the village only grudgingly. Aria searched the ground carefully, a little boy wouldn’t be careful enough to avoid leaving some sort of sign. The ground cover of leaves made it tough but sure enough, she soon came across a foot print deeply pressed into mud. Going in the same direction as the foot print, she hurried forward, scared for the little boy.
“Bingwen!” Aria called out, listening eagerly for a reply. She heard none and continued on, regularly calling for him. Several minutes had passed when she stopped dead; had she imagined that? She waited with bated breath when she heard it again. There was someone crying ahead and to the right. That someone sounded like a certain little boy!
“Bingwen!” Aria shouted, sprinting forward. She came upon him in no time and slid to her knees, hugging him. He had a few scratches and looked scared but was alright. “Why didn’t you stay in the village?”
“I wanted to come...” Bingwen sniffled. Sighing, Aria picked him up piggyback and trekked back through the trees and to the village. He was squeezing her way too tightly around the neck and breathing heavily in her ear but she ignored it; she was just relieved to have found him. Having eighty pounds on her back seemed to make the return trip twice as long. As soon as she came into sight of the village gates, Bingwen’s hysterical parents ran for her and ripped him off her back. Without a word to Aria, they hustled back into the village and out of sight. Tired, Aria walked slowly through the gates and sat with her back against the wall. Around her, the making of a search party was dispersing now that Bingwen had been found. Despite what had happened, she really liked Bingwen and would miss him when they left.
Aria didn’t have long to wait before Appa sailed over the village and landed outside the gates. She stood and waited for Katara to come in. By the look on Katara’s face, Aria knew she was unsuccessful too. Aria met her by the gate and hugged her; she knew it was worse for Katara since it was her brother that was missing and Aria felt horrible for her. She wasn’t sure when it happened, but somehow, Aria realized, the two girls had become friends. With their arms around each other, they slowly made their way back to the communal building at the end of the road; it’d be sunset soon and they’d need to be under cover.
As the sun sank low on the horizon, the people of the village gathered into the building and made to shut the doors. Aria could see Bingwen and his family huddled in the corner together. Katara remained on the porch looking out and Aria joined her. Aria shielded her eyes against the last rays of the sun and something caught her eye. On the horizon, growing steadily larger was a large black spot. Katara and Aria seemed to simultaneously realize what it was and ran down the steps. Aang was back! He landed gracefully on his feet and collapsed his glider, walking towards the girls.
“Where’s Sokka?” Katara asked when they had finished hugging.
“I’m not sure.” Aang answered hanging his head.
Night had truly fallen and Katara and Aria retreated into the building while Aang remained outside. Katara had been torn up by the information that Sokka was still missing but had said little. They waited anxiously, watching Aang out the window as he patrolled the village. Habai did not come quietly that night.
Wood and stone exploded upward as Habai rose on his hind legs behind a building. His terrible roar resounded across the village and the blue light spilled from between his jaws. Aang managed to summon up a protective pocket of air around himself to avoid falling rubble and he held his ground.
“Aang, what are you doing? Run!” Katara shouted at him through the window. Habai heard and turned toward the building they were hiding in. Aria grabbed Katara and put her hand over Katara’s mouth. It was too late, seemingly without moving, Habai was suddenly standing in front of the communal building; sides heaving. Losing no time, Aang jumped over Habai and hovered in front of his face for a moment; his hand on Habai’s forehead. Aria couldn’t be sure but she thought she saw a faint blue light where Aang’s hand had made contact.
“You’re the spirit of this forest.” Aang said in wonder, “Now I understand. You were upset and angry because your home was burnt down. When I saw the forest had burned I was sad and upset but my friend gave me hope that the forest would grow back.”
Raising his hand in the air, Aang offered up an acorn to the spirit before setting it down on the porch. Everyone waited with bated breath as Habai considered the small nut. Grasping his large fingers around it, Habai took the acorn and turned for the gate of the village. Aria almost doubted her eye sight when Habai started changing; by the time he was turned all the way around, his frightening form had seemed to grow hazy and transformed into a panda bear of gigantic proportions. The people gathered in the building rushed out onto the porch and watched as Habai withdrew from the village. When he passed through the gates a thicket of bamboo sprouted up behind him. After a short pause, the bamboo rustled and the missing people, including Sokka, emerged.
Aria remained behind on the porch as everyone rushed to greet their newly returned loved ones. She was relieved Sokka had returned but held back, giving Katara a chance to greet her brother. She smiled faintly at the joy on the villagers’ faces; they had not had much to be happy about lately. No one was immune to the feeling of positivity and well-being; tonight there was no war or hardship. When the families at last broke free from the embraces, they all turned toward the building they had been hiding in for the last couple of days, looking expectant. At the foot of the stairs stood the two men they had first met when coming to this village.
“Thank you Avatar, if there was only a way to repay you for what you have done.” The younger of the two said gratefully.
“You could give us some supplies and money.” Sokka said unabashedly.
“Sokka!” Katara said, elbowing him in the side.
“What? We need stuff.” He answered obstinately.
“It would be an honor to help you prepare for your journey.” The man answered graciously. He walked away, giving the group privacy.
“Welcome back.” Aria said, grinning at Sokka.
“Like I could leave you guys to get to the North Pole on your own.” Sokka answered sarcastically. Aria chuckled but said nothing.
“I’m so proud of you Aang. You figured out what to do all on your own.” Katara said warmly.
“Actually, I did have a little help.” Aang admitted, “And there’s something else…”
“What is it?” Katara asked.
“I need to talk to Roku. And I think I found a way to contact his spirit.” Aang answered brightly.
“That’s great!” Katara cried.
“Creepy…but great.” Sokka added. Aria frowned; he’s going to contact another spirit after everything that happened this time?
“There’s a temple on a crescent shaped island and if I go there on the solstice I’ll be able to speak with him.” Aang said innocently. Aria’s eyes narrowed even further; she was willing to bet the island he was talking about was Crescent Isle inside the boundaries of the Fire Nation. There was a temple there tended by Fire Sages loyal to Avatar Roku. During her time on the Navy ship, Kon had taken it upon himself to teach her about the surrounding geography and its significance.
“But the solstice is tomorrow.” Katara pointed out.
“Yeah and there’s one more problem. The island is in the Fire Nation.” Aang said, confirming Aria’s suspicions. Katara and Sokka stared in a stunned silence.