Element Academy: The Light of the Avatar

Buried...Crystal

"Crystal!"

The voice echoes, loud and clear across the rubble of destruction filling the air. Benders gather around, being pulled in by the name. Where is she? The girl they all risked so much to rescue?

"...Crystal...Crystal wake up..."

The girl groans, slowly shaking off the comfort of darkness that holds her at arms length from reality. "Hm? What happened?"

She slowly sits up, becoming aware of the familiar sore feeling in her body. There's only one thing that makes her feel this way: recovering from going into the Avatar State.

Crystal blinks in confusion, the ground is cold and there's no light. "Wh-Who said that?"

"Oh thank God! You're alright!" Mahoney exclaims. Two hands take a hold of her arms and make their way up to pat the sides of her face. "You're alive! We're alive! Isn't this great, Jake?"

"Yeah, great." His voice grumbles. "How the hell did we get in this thing?"

Crystal laughs, pulling Mahoney's hands from her cheeks before reaching out. She slides her hands over the smooth surface, following its dome shape up and over her head. Bits and pieces of memories play in her head: Jane, the floor giving out, falling...then the blue hue.

"I think we have me to blame for this. I panicked when the ground gave way, and fell into the Avatar State to save our lives," she explains.

"And it worked!" Mahoney exclaims. "We're alive! We got you back! We didn't die!"

"Yet," Jake points out. "I'm really glad we got you back sis, but how do we get out of here? The building was falling apart, it's probably sitting on top of us right now, and who knows how much air we have left."

Crystal can practically hear Mahoney pouting beside her. "Well aren't you a real kill joy."

A sigh passes her lips. At much as she hates to admit it, Jake has a point. In his own way he's trying to trying to find a way to get them out by stating what's wrong; its a habit he's had since she's known him.

She runs her hand along the smooth surface again. "I got us in this Jake, I'll get us out."

"But you'll pass out again!" he instantly protests. "I'll do it!"

She scoffs. "No offense big bro, but I don't think you'll be able to push our way out."

"But I can! I know if I try I can do it again!"

She pauses, slowly putting two and two together. "Do what exactly?"

"I'll bend the earth," he answers confidently.

"You can do that?" She doesn't give him a chance to reply. "No, this is too dangerous to do without any experience. Even with my training I'm not sure I can get us out safely on my own. We're running out of time and we don't have any good options. I'm going into the Avatar State."

"Be careful," Mahoney insists.

"Don't try anything stupid, just get us out. Leave getting you somewhere safe to us. Okay?" Jake almost pleads.

"Okay," Crystal agrees. "Try and stay as far from me as possible just in case."

The sound of shuffling bodies meets her ears. When she reaches out around her there's no one to meet her fingertips. Good. She crosses her legs and brings her arms in. If she's going to do this, she's going to do it the right way. Finally, she closes her eyes and focuses her mind to relax as she calls out to the part of her that channels the Avatar State.

A fog enters her mind, her eyes open, and the blue hue returns to her vision.

Time to get out of here.