Playing With Fire

Katara and Sokka immediately launched into furious protests at Aang’s unfortunate news. How could he even think about going to the Fire Nation? They needed to reach the North Pole as soon as possible. What if they got caught? It wasn’t just about him; the whole world was counting on him. Aria asked only one question.
“Why?” She knew why but if Aang was going to convince her to go back to the Fire Nation he’d have to offer a good argument.
“I’m the avatar but I have no idea how to be! We have no real idea of what I should be doing.” Aang answered emphatically, “I have the chance to talk to Avatar Roku! The only chance I’ll have until the next solstice! I mean, if he sent his dragon to me, he has to have something important to say!”
“Ok but do you understand exactly what you want? Ships patrol the Fire Nation waters constantly. If you aren’t seen it’ll be a miracle. And trust me on this, you better hope we aren’t seen because as soon as we are, the entire Fire Nation fleet will be deployed to track you down and bring you in. They might not kill you; they wouldn’t want to have to find you all over again, but its certain death for anyone with you. That means the rest of the world will be left to defend themselves against the Fire Nation, which hasn’t been going well so far.” Aria said wearily, “I’m not saying this to discourage you; I just want you to know the risks. Don’t make that decision lightly.”
“I know…but I need to do this.” Aang maintained stubbornly.
“Ok, then I’ll do it.” Aria said simply. Her stomach twisted uncomfortably and she did her best to ignore it. The chances of them getting into the Fire Nation and back out undetected was extremely low. She hadn’t been entirely truthful; Katara and Sokka would probably be killed but Aria would likely be taken to Zhao. That couldn’t happen; if it came down to it and the others were dead, she’d give them such a big fight they’d have no choice but to kill her.
“Aang, this is a bad idea.” Katara began. Sokka crossed his arms and nodded, agreeing with Katara.
“Ok, fine. We won’t go. I just thought it was the right thing to do.” Aang said defeated. Aria narrowed her eyes at how easily he gave in but said nothing.
“Oh good!” Katara said, hugging Aang. “Let’s go in and get some sleep.”
“I’ll be in in a little bit; I just want to visit Appa for a while.” Aang answered.
Sokka, Katara, and Aria turned and walked back towards the building they were staying in but not before Aria gave Aang a long, searching look. Entering the building, Aria had to stop and allow her eyes to adjust to the almost pitch black of the interior of the building. The wooden floor creaked and groaned under their feet as they passed to the area their bed rolls had been laid out. While Katara and Sokka kicked off their shoes and crawled into their bed rolls, Aria began rolling hers up and gathering her stuff back into her pack.
“Aria, what are you doing?” Katara asked curiously.
“Going with Aang.” She answered distractedly.
“What do you mean? Aang agreed; we aren’t going.” Sokka pointed out.
“Yes he is. Since you’re too thick headed to figure it out, he’s not just visiting Appa; he’s trying to sneak off.” Aria answered impatiently. As predicted, this revelation made the siblings jump up out of their beds as if burnt and run out the door. Shouldering her pack, Aria walked calmly out the building after the others.
Outside, the full moon illuminated the village, seeming extraordinarily bright after the pitch darkness of the building. The wreckage of the houses seemed oddly eerie in the pale, white light. The trees surrounding the village swayed and moaned in the steady breeze but did not quite mask the sound of hundreds of crickets. Down the road, Appa had planted his feet stubbornly and no amount of pulling on Aang’s part would entice him to move. Sokka and Katara had almost reached him and Aria quickened her pace.
“Get your big butt off the ground and let’s go!” Aria heard Aang’s voice cry out.
“I think his big butt is trying to tell you something.” Sokka said slyly, crossing his arms and tilting his head.
“Please don’t go Aang; the world can’t afford to lose you to the Fire Nation. Neither can I.” Katara pleaded. The commotion had woken up several of the villagers, all who were grouped behind Katara. Bingwen’s parents were among them but Bingwen himself was absent; Aria wished she could have said goodbye to the little boy. She stood next to Appa, waiting for the affair to come to a close. She would go with Aang wherever he wanted; if she could do even a little bit to help end the war she would.
“But I have to talk to Avatar Roku! I need to get to the Fire Temple before the sun sets on the solstice. That’s today!” Aang persisted, jumping up on Appa.
“We’re not letting you go to the Fire Nation Aang.” Katara growled forcefully, jumping in front of Appa.
“At least, not without your friends.” Sokka added. “We’ve got your back.”
“And good luck leaving without me.” Aria said smirking. Aang jumped in surprise and turned around. Aria had already climbed into Appa’s saddle and was settled against the edge; she could be incredibly quiet when she wanted to be. The man, who Aria had come to realize, must be in some sort of leadership position, approached with a large bundle of supplies held up in his arms.
“It’s a long journey to the Crescent Isle, you’ll have to fly fast to have any chance of making it before sun down. Good luck.” He said solemnly, passing up the supplies to Aang.
“Thank you for-” Aang began.
“Go!” The man interrupted.
With a lurch, Appa rose into the air and quickly gained altitude. The cool air bit into their exposed skin and they hunched over, trying to stay warm. Miles and miles of forest passed beneath, shadowed in darkness. Aria spent the time considering the multiple difficulties they could run into and how she’d deal with them. Would it be better to use her bending and alienate her friends or just take what comes?
The sun was just rising above the horizon as they crossed over the shoreline and into the open ocean. The water reflected the sunlight, making the group squint their eyes. The sky was bright blue and cheerful, the temperature comfortably warm; everything seemed in an odd contrast to their anxious moods and dangerous destination.
“Come on boy, we have a long way to go! Faster!” Aang urged Appa. With a groan, Appa surged forward at a much faster pace. Wind plucked at Aria’s hair and clothes as she stared in the direction she knew her home was in; every minute was bringing them closer.
“Aang, we’ve got trouble!” Katara called out.
“Yeah and its gaining fast!” Sokka yelled.
Aria looked around; the source of the trouble was immediately apparent. A Fire Nation ship was coming up from behind and indeed gaining fast. Doubt filled Aria; they were barely in Fire Nation waters and already pursued. Black smoke trailed after the ship and spiraled into the sky; it was unbelievable they hadn’t noticed it before it had gotten so close. Aria stared intently at the ship, trying to get a glimpse of who was commanding it; her suspicions were confirmed when, as the ship got closer, she was able to see Zuko and Iroh standing on the front deck.
“Zuko!” Aria cried happily, forgetting herself. The smile slid off her face when a hole opened up in the middle of the deck from which rose the catapult that, Aria knew, every ship had at least one of. Huge fire balls would soon be headed their way. She sat stunned, staring at the ship; Zuko was going to fire at her! Logically, Aria knew Zuko didn’t know she was with the Avatar but it was hard to reconcile herself to the fact that for now, Zuko was an enemy. For the time being, he would do his best to knock her out of the sky.
“Aang you need to get us out of here, they’ll be shooting at us soon!” Aria urged. Sure enough, the ammunition was ignited and wreathed in flame. The rope was cut and the fire ball was sent shooting through the sky towards the bison.
“Fire ball!” Katara screamed.
“I’m on it!” Aang responded. He yanked on the reins, turning Appa sharply to the right. The fire ball passed harmlessly on the left, trailing smoke, though too close for comfort. Aria was fervently grateful it was so hard to aim the catapults accurately.
“We have to get out of Zuko’s range, before he shoots another hot stinker at us!” Katara said.
“Can’t you make Appa go any faster?” Sokka asked urgently.
“Yeah, but there’s only one problem.” Aang said. There was no need for any further explanation.
“A blockade.” Aria breathed with wide eyes. The ships extended in a line as far as the eye could see; there had to be over fifty of them! Why were they blockading the eastern border of the Fire Nation? Whatever the reason, it meant horribly bad luck for the group.
“If we fly north we can go around the Fire Nation ships and avoid the blockade! It’s the only way!” Aang said anxiously.
“There’s no time!” Katara argued.
“This is exactly why I didn’t want you to come! It’s too dangerous!” Aang shouted angrily.
“And that’s exactly why we’re here.” Katara said grimly.
Aang seemed to debate for a moment on the course they should take, every second taking them closer to the blockade. Aria leaned far over the edge of the saddle, staring at the blockade. She couldn’t make out anybody on the ships; they were too far away. They were close enough, however, for her to make out the several catapults on each ship; each one loaded and pointed in their general direction.
“Aang you have to decide now!” Aria urged.
“Let’s run this blockade!” Aang shouted in determination.
“Be ready to dodge.” Aria mumbled to herself.
“Appa, yip yip!” Aang urged Appa faster.
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The sky bison showed in sharp relief in the circle of the telescope, flying steadily toward them. Zhao lowered the telescope and focused on the small ship sailing toward them. A small, malicious smirk spread across his face.
“The avatar and the banished prince.” Zhao said, bringing the telescope back up to the sky bison. Faint frown lines appeared on his forehead; a face had appeared over the edge of the beast, looking in their direction. Angled brows surmounted golden, almond shaped eyes. The full lips were slightly parted beneath the straight, well-formed nose. He couldn’t mistake her. “Aria…this must be my lucky day.
The day Aria disappeared, General Jirou had had everyone searching the city. His anger that day was terrible to behold. Zhao remembered thinking that for her sake, she better hope she wasn’t found. They had been able to determine she had gotten on Commander Kon’s ship but when discovering it had been captured by the Earth Kingdom, the trail went cold. Zhao had no idea how she had ended up with the avatar but she wouldn’t be at liberty much longer. His smirk widened into a smile full of anticipation and malice.
“Commander Zhao, what are your orders?” One of Zhao’s captains asked. Zhao considered for a moment before answering.
“Shoot the bison down Captain.” He answered neutrally. If Aria or the avatar got it hurt it’d make them that much easier to handle.
“There’s a Fire Navy ship out there sir!” The Captain said uncertainly. “One of our own, what if it gets hit?”
“So be it, it belongs to a traitor.” Zhao answered coldly, “Ignite!”
By the end of this day he’d have the avatar in chains, Aria in his bed, and the Prince in prison. He shifted his weight from foot to foot, anticipating the coming events.
“Launch!”
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Gasps of despair escaped from the four on the sky bison; reflected in their wide, staring eyes was a sky thick with blazing fire balls, all streaking towards them. Appa veered haphazardly through the sky, dodging the deadly projectiles. Around them, the fire balls collided and the kids ducked trying to avoid the shooting shrapnel. Directly ahead of them, two of the fire balls were on a collision course with each other and Aria opened her mouth to yell but the warning came too late. They collided only feet ahead of the sky bison and the kids were forced to fly through the aftermath. Aria ducked her head but not before a shard of rock scored a long scratch across her cheek. They emerged from the cloud of rubble coughing with their eyes stinging. Any closer and they would have been seriously hurt. The kids bent over the side of the saddle, putting out Appa’s singed hair.
“Appa, are you ok?” Aang cried. The great bison roared in pain. Aang yanked sharply up on the reins, sending Appa up into the cloud cover. The clouds cloaking the line of ships lured them into feeling safe but only for a moment. The catapults were quickly adjusted and fire balls were penetrating the clouds; the wind the fire balls were generating seemed to be screaming for their death. Aria gripped the saddle hard, trying to stay put as Appa twisted and turned through the sky. Once again, the kids were forced to duck as two of the fire balls collided, sending shrapnel soaring in all directions. With a terrified scream, Sokka’s grip was wrenched from the saddle and he went flying through the air. Aria went pale when Katara was unable to grab Sokka and he disappeared beneath the clouds. Gritting his teeth in determination, Aang sent Appa into a rocketing dive towards the sea after Sokka. They managed to get underneath him only feet above the ocean; Aria could feel the spray from the waves stinging her face. Katara braced herself, reached out for Sokka, and with tremendous effort pulled him down into the saddle. Appa touched down on the surface of the ocean before he was able to gain altitude once more, choosing to fly only a few yards over the surface. Fire balls smacked into the sea, raising great plumes of water that soon soaked the group on the bison. They were flying fast now, bearing down on the closest of the ships. As a final effort, the lead ship fired the last of its catapults, aiming carefully at Appa. Aria held her breath, watching it fly closer. Frowning in concentration, Aang jumped forward off of Appa; throwing his foot out and bending an immensely powerful blast of air, he blew apart the fire ball and just managed to land back on Appa.
They were now too close for the catapults and the soldiers on the ships milled about aimlessly, no longer sure of what to do. Aria gasped in shock when they passed the ship that had fired the last shot. Standing on the starboard deck of the ship was Commander Zhao, surrounded by subordinates. He was studying them coolly, seemingly undisturbed by their narrow escape. Aria was fervently hoping Zhao didn’t know she was aboard Appa when his eyes met hers and he raised his arm in salute, an arrogant smile playing around his lips. Aria was thoroughly unsettled and she jumped when Katara hugged her and Sokka eagerly.
“We made it!” Aang yelled in jubilation.
“We got into the Fire Nation.” Sokka said, seemingly in shock.
They flew on without any more excitement as the sun sank towards the ocean and the sky faded to pink. No one said a word, immersed in their own thoughts. Aria was worried about Zhao’s reaction; he should have been through the roof at losing the avatar but he had stayed calm and even smiled at her. Now more than ever, Aria doubted their decision to come to the Fire Nation; she felt in her gut that that would not be the last time they would encounter Zhao while in the Fire Nation. Acknowledging her inability to discern Zhao’s thoughts, Aria stared out at the horizon, thinking of Zuko.
“There it is!” Aang cried, yanking Aria out of her reverie. “The island where Roku’s dragon took me.”
Appa’s passengers all sat up straight and alert, looking at the island they were quickly approaching. Consisting entirely of black rock, the island curved around in the shape of a crescent and was dominated in the center by a huge volcano. Red hot lava crept down the side of the towering volcano and black smoke bellowed from the opening. The temple itself wasn’t immediately apparent until they got closer. Nestled on the shoulder of the volcano, the temple stood straight and tall; several stories tall. A long winding walkway traveled up the side of the volcano and led to the doorway of the temple. They circled the island, looking for a safe place to land. The island was uninhabitable and much of it would be unsuitable for Appa to land on.
Finally Appa settled down on a small flat clearing shielded by a ledge of lava rock. Inside the clearing was a small, withered tree bravely fighting for the right to exist. Without delay, the group dismounted and prepared to head for the temple; there wasn’t a lot of time to waste. Aria surveyed the surrounding ocean looking for ships while Aang praised Appa and the water tribe kids milled around. There were none and she relaxed slightly, perhaps they had gotten lucky after all.
The air on the island was stiflingly hot and their breathing was quickly labored on their walk up to the temple. Steam rose out of the ground and covered everything in a haze, making it difficult to see at times. Though it was a relatively short walk and they got to the temple in only ten minutes, they were already covered in sweat. Crouching behind an outcropping of rock, the group surveyed the temple, looking for danger. The temple was designed in the style of most Fire Nation buildings; the roof was made to look like flames rising to the sky and supported by grand pillars. The door was surrounded by rich red and yellow flames.
“I don’t see any guards.” Sokka stated.
“The Fire Nation must have abandoned the temple when Avatar Roku died.” Katara offered as an explanation.
“I wouldn’t count on it being empty.” Aria said skeptically.
“It’s almost sundown, we better hurry.” Aang said impatiently, leaping up. The others followed suit and ran up the steps approaching the entrance.
The entrance emptied out into a large room with corridors branching off at regular intervals. Being lit by red lanterns and flames patterning the bottom of the columns and walls gave the impression of standing in the middle of a fire. The group moved forward cautiously, unsure of where to go. Aria frowned at the lit lanterns; if the lanterns were being tended to someone had to be here doing it. Where were they?
“Wait, I think I heard something.” Sokka said, whipping around. The others followed suit and turned in the direction of the noise. Standing in the doorway the kids had entered through was a group of men, all wrapped in rich red gowns and hats. Aria edged to the front of the group, prepared to ward off a fire attack. If they were Fire Benders, which Aria suspected they were, she wasn’t going to let her friends get seriously hurt because she was too selfish and wanted to stay in the group.
“We are the Fire Sages, guardians of the temple of the avatar.” The man in front pronounced. He was slightly bent with age and a white beard dominated his face. Despite the appearance of age, Aria remained on her guard, unsure of where the encounter was heading.
“Great! I am the avatar!” Aang said, always willing to trust.
“We know.” The man answered. Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward and thrust out his arm, sending a blast of fire directly at Aang. Aria settled down into the horse stance, prepared to disperse the coming fire but Aang took initiative and ran forward, using blasts of air to divert them.
“I’ll hold them off, run!” Aang yelled.
Aria hesitated; Aang couldn’t Fire Bend yet, what if he couldn’t handle them all at once? Aria wasn’t concerned about herself; she knew she’d be able to take them all. Excitement overshadowed the fear that the others would reject her and she could feel her bending burning beneath the surface, eager to be given an outlet. She made to run forward, to teach those men they should never had traded their loyalty to the avatar for loyalty to the Firelord but Katara caught her arm.
“Aria what are you doing? Let’s go!” She screamed, dragging Aria back. Aria turned and looked at Katara; panic filled her eyes and she was tugging urgently on Aria’s arm. Disappointment welled up inside Aria at losing the chance to get into a good fight but she ran anyway. If Aang was able to handle them himself, it would be better if she didn’t get involved. Eventually, she’d tell them the truth but that moment wasn’t now.
Arms pumping and breathing hard, Aria bounded forward, extending her legs as far as she could in great flying strides. Sokka was sprinting slightly ahead while Katara brought up the rear. Red paneled walls flew by in a blur and though they passed several openings they continued in a straight path. Aria was listening hard over the sound of their labored breathing and pounding feet for the sound of pursuit; she heard nothing. Without warning, Aang shot out of a side corridor, pin wheeling his arms to keep balanced.
“Follow me!” Aang yelled. Aria fervently hoped he knew where he was going.
“Do you know where you’re going?” Sokka asked.
“Nope!” Aang called back as he rounded a corner, “Wrong way!”
He quickly reversed and the others followed suit, trying to keep up with his incredible speed. Behind her, Aria could hear one of the sages yelling after them to stop but instead she dug deep, reaching higher speeds. Only minutes later, however, she skidded to a stop; Aang had led them to a dead end. Footsteps behind her announced the arrival of the fire sage and she whipped around, prepared to fight.
“I don’t want to fight you!” He said, hands raised in the air. “I’m a friend.”
“Firebenders aren’t our friends!” Sokka answered angrily. Aria glanced uneasily at Sokka; would he act the same way when he found out about her? She was beginning to doubt her judgment on ever lying in the first place. To their surprise, the sage dropped to his knees in submission.
“I know why you’re here avatar.” He said, looking up at them.
“You do?” Aang asked curiously.
“Yes, you wish to talk to Avatar Roku.” The fire sage answered, regaining his feet somewhat clumsily. “I can take you to him. I am Shiou.”
“How?” Aang asked suspiciously.
In response, Shiou slid aside a lantern hanging on the wall, revealing a small niche underneath. Covering his mouth with his fist, his other hand covering the niche, he seemingly coughed, sending a small blast of fire into the wall. To their amazement, a door opened up in the wall, revealing a long winding staircase within.
“This way.” Shiou said. In the distance, the sound of the other fire sages searching for them seemed to grow louder. “Hurry, there isn’t much time!”
Together, they walked through the door, deciding to trust the man. Aria regretted the door closing behind them; they were now committed to going with this stranger. As they followed the staircase deep into the island, Aria listened attentively to the fire sage’s tale about the origins of the temple and the fire sages’ eventual shift in loyalty to the Firelord. Soon they were headed up again on a large, spiraling staircase to what the fire sage said was the sanctuary. Aria’s legs were beginning to burn when the man pushed aside a panel in the ceiling and they clambered out onto the floor of a large chamber. The ceiling was supported by columns decorated with twining dragons; directly ahead were two large doors firmly closed. The doors were ornately decorated with five dragon heads all with opened mouths pointing outward.
“No!” The fire sage despaired. “The sanctuary doors are closed!”
“Can’t you just open them with fire bending?” Katara asked. Aria examined the door; it’d take some powerful bending to get it open with only one person. “Like you did with that other door?”
“No. Only a fully realized avatar is powerful enough to open this door alone. Otherwise the sages must open the doors together with five simultaneous fire blasts.”
“Five fire blasts…” Sokka said thoughtfully. “I think I can help you out.”
As Sokka explained his idea, Aria became antsy. The other fire sages could be sneaking up the stairway and they wouldn’t realize it until too late. Restlessly, she constantly paced to the trap door and looked in, hoping against seeing a body emerging from below. Sokka placed explosive bags in each of the dragons’ mouth, his plan being to imitate fire bending, forcing the doors to open. Unable to stand the feeling of someone sneaking up on her any longer, Aria made a move for the hole in the floor.
“I’m going to go watch for the other fire sages.” Aria stated. She dropped down through the hole and headed down the stairs. Having no way to send a message, keeping a lookout for the other sages would be pointless if warning the others was her objective; it wasn’t. When the sages showed up Aria would make sure they didn’t reach that sanctuary. At the bottom of the stairs, a stalagmite of enormous proportions had formed and it was behind this Aria chose to wait. She settled down on the lava warmed rock and listened.
It wasn’t long before an enormous explosion made the rock vibrate and dust rained down on Aria. Several minutes later, as predicted, the sages came running. Aria stood and stretched, calmly waiting for the last of the sages to pass her hiding spot. Smiling grimly, Aria made to step out from behind the stalagmite when a new set of footsteps reached her ears and she hastily withdrew again. Her mind instantly turned to Zhao and her body tensed, waiting for the people behind the footsteps to come into view.
When Aria was able to discern the approaching figures, she put her hand over her mouth to keep from gasping and pressed herself back against the stalagmite. Zuko ran by quietly followed by a handful of soldiers, ignorant of Aria’s presence only feet away. Aria stood against the rock for a moment before steeling herself and silently moving up the stairs after them. She moved slowly, minding every step she took. At the top of the stairs she paused, listening. Cautiously she raised her herself up above the door and took in the situation. Katara and Sokka were chained against a pillar and Zuko and the sages were attempting to fire bend the door open with no avail. Aria could only assume from his absence that Aang was inside the sanctuary.
“Why isn’t it working? It’s sealed shut!” Zuko said angrily.
“It must have been the light. Avatar Roku doesn’t want us inside.” The eldest of the sages answered.
Zuko rounded on Shiou who was kneeling on the ground with his hands bound. A debate raged through Aria’s mind, making her immobile. Should she remain in the shadow and let things progress or intervene and perhaps reconcile her love and her friends? Everything had been seemingly to building up over the last couple of days and she couldn’t stand the thought of lying any longer. With a deep breath, Aria leapt out of the trapdoor and quickly moved to the center of the room approaching Zuko from behind. Noticing the fire sages’ surprise, Zuko spun around to face the potential threat. His face registered first shock and then joy. Aria resisted the urge to touch him and stood her ground, not sure how to begin explaining things.
“Aria! What-” Zuko rushed forward and hugged her fiercely. Aria hugged him back and resisted the temptation to bury her face in his chest and never let go; instead she pulled away from him.
Katara and Sokka’s jaws dropped in shock.
“You lied to us! You’re Fire Nation!” Katara screamed at her.
“Katara, listen to me-“ Aria begged.
“You disgusting, lying-“ Sokka began.
“Be quiet you filthy peasant!” Zuko roared.
“Katara, I can explain everything.” Aria began but Katara turned her head away in disgust. She abandoned the attempt to get Katara to listen; right now her priority was to convince Zuko to let them go. She could gain Katara and Sokka’s trust back later.
“Zuko-“ Aria said, looking at Katara with sorrow. Their friendship was over.
“The avatar, we’ve got him. We’ll take him back to the Fire Nation! I can finally go home! We can finally be together!” Zuko said enthusiastically.
“It’s not that simple anymore” Aria replied urgently. She had to make Zuko understand.
“I’ll have my honor back, my father will welcome me home and you and I will be married. Can you believe it?” Zuko said, not listening to Aria.
“Zuko! Zuko, you have to listen to me! A lot has changed.” Aria demanded urgently. “The Fire Nation is wrong! You can’t bring the avatar in!”
“If this traitor hadn’t aided him, we’d have him already.” Zuko sneered at the fire sage on his knees.
“It was once the fire sage’s duty to help the avatar; it is still our duty.” Shiou said proudly.
A slow, mocking, clapping echoed through the large chamber and Aria turned toward the stair well, her heart seeming to sink down toward her feet. Zhao advanced toward them with a battalion of his soldiers close behind, a triumphant smile dominating his face. Aria felt only anger; Zhao had just ruined any chance she had of reconciling the people she truly cared about. Zuko would have listened, she knew it. Complete loathing curled Aria’s lips as Zhao arrogantly moved further into the room.
“What a moving and heart felt performance.” Zhao said mockingly. “I’m certain the Firelord will understand when you explain why you betrayed him.”
Zuko surged forward angrily, pushing Aria behind him.
“And Prince Zuko, it was a noble effort but your smoke screen didn’t work.” Zhao said, crossing his arms. “Two traitors in one day, the Firelord will be pleased.
His gaze settled on Aria next and his smile widened. Aria raised her chin and stared at him arrogantly, refusing to show any weakness as her arms were grabbed from behind and secured with rope.
“Aria, you’ve been missing for quite a while. I’m sure your father will be overjoyed at having you back home.” Zhao said pleasantly.
“I’m sure; we’ve always been fond of each other.” Aria answered dryly. Zhao chuckled but said nothing.
“You’re too late Zhao! The avatar is inside and the doors are sealed!” Zuko said in rage.
“No matter, sooner or later he has to come out.” Zhao answered confidently.
Zuko was quickly chained to an adjacent pillar to the water tribe kids and Aria’s arms were held by two of Zhao’s soldiers. The dirty looks shot at her by Katara and Sokka seemed to sear right through her skin but she didn’t dare talk to them; she didn’t want to draw Zhao’s attention to them too. Everything inside of Aria rebelled against the current situation; the sight of Zhao’s conceited face incited rage inside of her and she wanted to scream. Everything was under his control and he knew it.
Zhao lost no time in arranging his soldiers around the door, prepared for the moment when Aang would emerge. Aria’s shoulders were screaming in pain from arms being tied in such an extreme position. The room was deadly silent; everyone was waiting for the coming storm. When Aang came out, he’d have to face an entire battalion of Fire Nation soldiers and the Fire Sages. Deep seated fear was beginning to replace her rage and Aria trembled; Zhao was going to win this day. There had to be something they could do and Aria stared around the room desperately, looking for anything that could help. Zuko, Katara, and Sokka all struggled fruitlessly against the chains that bound them and Aria couldn’t defeat all the soldiers on her own; Zhao and the sages were all master benders. This had gone just as Aria warned it would.
“When those doors open unleash all your fire power!” Zhao commanded. The soldiers surrounding the doors raised their hands and crouched down, ready to bend.
“How’s Aang going to make it out of this?” Aria heard Katara whisper to Sokka. Aria stared at Katara, willing her to see the regret on Aria’s face but Katara was determinedly looking away.
“How are we going to get out of this?” Sokka retorted.
Without warning, a bright, ethereal light permeated through the cracks around the door and smoke rolled out from under it, surrounding the people in the room. Slowly the doors creaked open and Zhao readied his men. Inside it was pitch dark and Aang wasn’t visible. Katara, Sokka, and Aria all screamed, trying to warn him.
“Fire!” Zhao roared. The fire from each of the soldiers converged, soaring through the doorway. Aria’s jaw dropped; standing in the middle of the flames was Avatar Roku himself, bending the flames away from himself. With a quick move of his arms, Avatar Roku sent the flames exploding outward. Only those chained to the pillars remained on their feet; the rest, including Aria, were thrown backward. Disoriented, Aria attempted to stand but lost her balance and fell back again. Everything around her was chaos and her head was spinning; vaguely she realized she must have hit it.
Aria felt herself heaved up onto someone’s shoulders and she offered little resistance. The person’s jarring footsteps left her unable to breath and her head was pounding. She thought she could hear Zuko yelling her name in the distance but in her current state she couldn’t be sure. Slowly, the spinning in Aria’s head was receding and she was able to tell it was a soldier carrying her. Aria struggled to get down but her arms were still tied and the man surged forward, down the walkway and toward the waiting ships.
Aria stood shaking on the deck of the commanding ship, surrounded by Zhao’s soldiers. From her position, she was able to see the temple go down and Appa soar into the air in the opposite direction of the ships. A wave of relief swept over her; they had gotten away. With their safety secured, her own plight came to mind and she watched Zhao carefully, fearful of what was going to happen.
“No prince! No avatar! It appears the only thing I do have is five traitors!” Zhao roared in fury, looking at the fire sages.
“But Commander, only Shiou helped the avatar.” The eldest sage pointed out.
“Save your story for the Firelord, as far as I’m concerned you are all guilty!” Zhao answered. “Take them to the prison hold!”
Aria remained silent, hoping Zhao would overlook her presence but to no avail. As he turned to stalk back to his quarters, he caught her eye and stopped short. Smiling brutally, he marched forward and grabbed her by the chin. She tried to rip away but his grip was like iron.
“Aria,” He growled, “welcome back to the Fire Nation. Enjoy it, you won’t be leaving again. Take her below!”