Fire and Aether

Chapter 7: Winter Solstice Part 1: The Spirit World

    Rose, Aang, Katara, and Sokka were on the road again, once again riding through the sky as they continued their journey to the North Pole. Aang was joking around, floating through the clouds, when Rose pointed to a spot in the valley that wasn't lush like the rest.
    The group landed, only to find that nothing was growing in that area. While Sokka began ranting about firebenders, Rose knelt in the dirt, sadness in her eyes.
    "What's wrong?" Katara asked.
    "It's Rose. She feels it's her duty to protect everything, even nature." Aang explained.
    "Because it is my job." Rose answered. "I failed my people and I don't know how to fix it."
    "That's why we're going to the North Pole, to find you a teacher."
    "A waterbending teacher." Rose pointed out. "No one can teach me to be the Avatar except Avatar Roku. He's supposed to help me."
     "But he's been dead a long time."
     "I'm supposed to go into the Spirit Realm to talk to him. But I don't know how to get there. I never learned."
                     * * * * *
   "Uncle! It's time to leave!" Zuko shouted as he came crashing through the trees. "Where are you?" 
   "Over here." Iroh waved from his makeshift hot tub.
   "We have to go. We're closing in on the Avatar's trail and I don't want to lose her!"
    "You look tired, Prince Zuko. Why don't you come join me in these hot springs and soak away your troubles?"
   "My troubles cannot be soaked away! We have to go."
   "You should listen to your teacher and relax. Stop worrying about your little crush for a second."
   "I DON'T HAVE A CRUSH ON HER!"
   "C'mon, nephew!" Iroh continued, ignoring his nephew's outburst. "I heated the water myself." 
   He blew smoke out from his nostrils, making steam rise from the water and obstruct the prince's view. "GET OUT OF THERE!"
   "Ok." Iroh stood up and Zuko shielded his eyes.
   "On second thought, why don't you take a few more minutes? But be back at the ship in half an hour or I'm leaving without you!"
    Then Zuko stomped off, leaving Iroh to relax back into the water.
                          * * * * *
    "Are you ready to be cheered up?" Aang asked Rose. Before she could answer, he threw an acorn at her!
    Annoyed, she threw it back at him and it hit him in the head. "How's throwing an acorn at me supposed to cheer me up?"
    "Cheered me up." Sokka said, laughing. Katara threw one at him and hit him in the head too. "Ok, I probably deserved that."
    Katara shot him a dirty look before walking over to Rose and placing an acorn in her hand. "There's acorns everywhere, Rose. See? The forest will grow back."
    A slow smile spread over Rose's face. "That actually did cheer me up. Thanks."
    Suddenly, an old man with a long gray beard dressed in robes walked forward. 
   "Who are you?"
   "When I saw the dragon and the flying bison, I thought it was impossible." His attention was drawn to Rose. "Your hair, those markings....are you the Avatar, child?"
   Rose paused for a second, checking the old man's aura. Finally, she nodded.
   "My village desperately needs your help."
                        * * * * *
    A few minutes later, Rose, Aang, Katara, and Sokka were following the old man into his village. He lead them into a building where many people were standing. He introduced Rose to a younger man.
    Gesturing in respect, the man spoke, "Avatar, it is the honor of a lifetime to meet you!"
    "Nice to meet you too." Rose smiled. "What can I do to help?"
    The man then explained about a spirit that kept attacking their village. "Each of the last 3 nights, he has abducted one of our own. We are especially fearful because the winter solstice draws near."
    "Why?"
    "As the solstice approaches, the line between the natural world and the spirit world grow closer and closer until the line between them is blurred completely."
    "So what is it you're wanting her to do exactly?" Aang asked.
    "Who better to resolve this crisis than the Avatar herself?" the old man asked as he knelt, respectively, before Rose. "You are the great bridge between the worlds. And, besides, you are the Aether Princess. Your power is the only one great enough for such a task."
     Aang pulled Rose aside. "You seem unsure of yourself, sis. Why?"
    "You know how much I struggle with my abilities." Rose whispered. "I don't know how to do even a half of what I need to do."
     "That's not true!" Katara argued. "You can do so much!"
     "Yes, I can do a lot of things. I can store objects in the pocket dimension, retrieve said objects, conjure portals, and occasionally call on the spirits but I can't do something as simple as contact my past self. How can I do this?"
     "You can do it, Rose!" Aang said. 
     "We have faith in you." Katara added.
     "Yea," Sokka continued, "we're all gonna get eaten by a spirit monster."
     Rose slapped him.
                     * * * * *
     Iroh woke up in the makeshift hot tub, realizing he missed his nephew's deadline. As he talked to himself, he was surprised when he was suddenly captured by earthbenders!
     "He's a Fire Nation soldier." one of them observed as he held up Iroh's garment.
     "Not just any Fire Nation soldier." another argued. "The Fire Lord's brother, the Dragon of the West, the former great General Iroh."
     "But now he's our prisoner." 
                     * * * * *
     Rose stood outside the village, Aang by her side, both trying to get the spirit's attention but nothing. 
     Finally, Rose said, "I hereby ask that you leave this village alone."
     Minutes passed.
     Still, nothing.
     "Well, I guess that's settled." Aang decided.
     As the pair started back towards the village, something followed them. Rose was the first to notice, turning around to greet the large spirit monster. Unfortunately, it didn't seem interested in her and began destroying buildings.
     Rose had to stop for a moment. "I'll admit, he's a very interesting spirit."
     "Rose, we have a problem." Aang shouted.
     "Oh. Right."
     With that, they continued chasing after it.
                          * * * * *
     "Uncle!" Zuko shouted as he rushed back to his uncle's makeshift hot tub, only to find it empty.
     "Maybe he thought you left already."
     It was then Zuko noticed the weird rock formation in the makeshift hot tub. "My uncle's been captured by earthbenders!"
    Meanwhile, the earthbenders were taking Iroh to Ba Sing Se when he tricked them by subtly leaving behind one of his slippers. 
    Luckily, Zuko found it. "Ugh! That's Uncle Iroh!"
                        * * * * *
    Sokka had been captured by the spirit. Rose and Aang had gone out to find him but got separated when Rose hit a rock formation and passed out.
     When she awoke, she rushed back to the village, only to find out no one could see her. "I must be in the Spirit World!" she surmised. "I wonder if I can talk to Avatar Roku now." 
     Just then, a spirit that looked like a dragon headed right for her!"
    Out of instinct, she tried to reach for her sword but found she couldn't reach it.  She tried to create a portal with the same outcome. 
   "What the hell? Why can't I aetherbend in the Spirit World?" She asked herself. She tried to airbend with the same result.
    That's when the dragon reached her, touching her gently, and revealed the truth. "You're Avatar Roku's animal guide! Like how Crystal is to me! Where can I find him?" The dragon urged Rose to get on his back and she obeyed. "Take me to him!" 
   And off they went.
                        * * * * *
    Rose soon learned that she had to wait until the solstice to speak with her former self. Afterwards, the dragon took her back to the rock she'd hit, only for her to become one with her own body again. 
    She returned to the village in time to save the villagers by giving the spirit the same hope Katara had given her: the forest would grow back. 
                   * * * * *
    Iroh managed to slow down the earthbenders enough for Zuko to show up. He released his uncle from his bonds and they began to fight the earthbenders. While Iroh used the earthbenders bending against them, Zuko dodged and fought back with his firebending. Soon enough, they had won.
                    * * * * *
   Once everything was back to normal, Rose explained what she had learned. "The only problem is the island where I am to meet Avatar Roku...is in the Fire Nation."