Braya : The Lost Guardian

An Unwelcome Package

 Every night Aang would reach out to the figure in the spirit world. He needed to know who it was that he was seeing. "Aang honey, are you coming to bed?" Katara said to her husband as he meditated in the meditation room in the temple. "I am coming. I just wanted to try once more tonight before bed," Aang said replying to Katara.

"Who do you think it is?" Katara said.

"I'm not sure, but I'm drawn to this person. I'm just not sure why," Aang said, getting up to leave the room. They walked to their bedroom and started getting ready for bed. "Today marks ten months," Katara said looking at her calendar. She hid her face from Aang, but he knew she was crying. "I never thought I would live through something like this."

"We will make it through this together. We haven't found her body, so we know she is alive somewhere," Aang said, reaching over to Katara to comfort her.

"That almost makes it worse. Just knowing she is somewhere alive suffering, hurting, being tortured, it kills me Aang." She got under the covers to go to sleep. "We will continue searching for her tomorrow."

"Katara, she is my daughter. Until I find Braya, I will never stop looking for her."

The next morning Aang went to meditate. The figure was there again. "Hello," Aang said to the figure. "I want to know what you're doing here in the spirit world?" Another figure appeared, this one Aang recognized. The Aye-Aye spirit had led Aang through the spirit world when he had first entered as a young boy. The Aye-Aye spirit looked at Aang, "I think she would probably like to know that as well." Then they disappeared.

Aang waited in the spirit world for the figure and the spirit to return. It wasn't too long before the figure turned back up, but the spirit had not. He waited for the figure to do something. Finally, they spoke, "Help. Me." Aang was taken back by the plea for help. He needed more information.

"Who are you? Where are you at?" Aang spoke back to the figure.

"Guardian. Captured." Aang's insides turned. The Guardian was in fact real, and they had been captured. He continued to try and say something back, but the figure was gone.

Aang opened his eyes in the physical world. He had to find the others and tell them what he had just seen. He got up and ran to the kitchen. Luckily Katara, Toph, Lin, Kya and Tenzin were all there eating in silence. Aang startled everyone when he ran in and yelled, "I made contact with the figure in the spirit world!"

"You did? Who is it!" Kya said jumping up from the table and rushing over to her dad. Kya hadn't said anything to anyone, but Aang could tell she secretly hoped Braya would turn out to be the Guardian.

"It was the Guardian. Whoever it is they are still learning the way of the spirit world. They can't communicate very well yet. Also, they told me they have been captured," Aang said to the group.

"If the Guardian has been captured then we are in big trouble," Toph said. "Aang, you need to find out where exactly they are."

"Wait, if the Guardian has been captured, then they have to be where Braya is being held captive too!" Lin said to Aang.

"You're right. That is why I'm going to spend as much time as I can meditating, so I can get as much information as possible," Aang said.

"Find out where and I will send all of my men to find them," Toph said to Aang. "Lin, we need to go and get things ready. Aang, meet me at the station when you find out." Aang nodded and went to the meditation room. Toph and Lin left to the station, while Katara, Kya and Tenzin stayed in the kitchen discussing what they could do to help.

Aang sat meditating in the spirit world for hours. When the figure appeared before him, he wasted no time asking questions. "Please I have little time, I need to know where you are."

Braya being the figure Aang could see, but not recognize tried her best to respond. "Earth. Mountains. Flat. Land," she said trying to describe where she was.

"Are there any other prisoners?" Aang said quickly.

"Yes."

"Are you Braya?" Aang said hesitantly to the figure. Braya wanted to tell him yes, but in the physical world she knew she wasn't herself. In the physical world, she wouldn't recognize anyone in her family. Braya was no longer alive in the physical world, just her empty shell that was being filled with another person Gang created. "Hello? Are you my daughter Braya?" the figure disappeared.

Aang took the information he had just received straight to Toph at the station. Together they pin pointed areas in the Earth Kingdom that matched the description Aang had received. They decided on three areas that were best fitted for a hideout. Toph led one group and Lin and Aang led the other two groups.

After being gone for three days they all made it back to Republic City. None of them had found anything, but Aang's group had found an area being used for vehicle storage that was suspicious. When he questioned the man in the small building, he seemed nervous which caught his attention. They decided to combine the three groups and return to the area Aang had been to. They set to leave in two days' time.

When Aang returned home he went to meditate. He contacted the figure once again. "I believe I'm close to where you are held prisoner," Aang said.

"You are. He knows. He is angry."

"You're getting better communicating every time we meet. Don't worry tomorrow we will rescue you." Aang left to go to bed. He needed to focus on the rescue mission tomorrow.

The next morning Aang left early to meet Toph and Lin at the office. While Aang was at the station Katara decided to go to the store with Kya for some groceries. Tenzin stayed behind with his long-time friend and now fiancé Pema. Tenzin was telling Pema stories his dad had told him about the old air nation, when he noticed a small airplane balloon. He got up and walked to the front door to get a better look at the balloon. The balloon was circling the temple but wasn't doing anything else. Tenzin kept an eye on the balloon until Katara and Kya got home. "Tenzin what is that?" Kya said staring at the balloon, while taking the groceries inside.

"I'm not sure. It's been here for a while now," Tenzin said anxiously.

"Have you called your dad?" Katara said looking concerned at the balloon.

"No."

"Go call him, Toph and Sokka," Katara told Tenzin. He left for a few minutes then returned confirming he called everyone. The first to show up was Sokka. He had been the closest to the air temple when Tenzin called. "What's going on Katara?" Sokka asked.

"I'm not sure. This airplane balloon is circling the temple for some reason."

"That's weird the door is open on the airplane too," Sokka pointed out. Everyone watched the airplane balloon while waiting for the others to arrive.

Someone appeared in the door of the plane, with a large black item at their feet. Once they flew over the temple again, they pushed the item out of the plane, making it land right in front of the island. The plane flew away leaving everyone with a large item on the island. "Mom, what do we do?" Kya asked Katara.

"We wait for your father," Katara responded. Once Aang showed up with Toph and Lin, Katara filled them in on what happened.

"I'm going to see what it is. Everyone else will stay back far enough that if its dangerous you can escape," Aang said to the group.

"What if its something that can hurt you Aang?" Katara said concerned for her husband.

"Then I would rather it hurt me than you. If I die, I will come back as a different Avatar, you will not." Aang kissed Katara before turning to the package. They all watched as Aang approached the item, anxiety filling the air. Aang bent over the object and picked up a piece of paper that was tied to it. After he had finished reading the paper, he quickly unwrapped the object. No one could see what Aang was looking at, but they watched as his head dropped. Aang got up and walked over to the others with his eyes looking at his feet. When he walked back to where everyone stood, he looked up at them tears soaking his face. "Aang? What is in the wrapping?" Katara said starting to get emotional.

"I would like for everyone to go inside the temple please."