Not Alone (ATLA)

Chapter One

Four years have passed since I arrived at Kyoshi Island. I've become close with Suki each and every day. She's become like an older sister to me. She's been with me through everything in the past few years. She was even there to comfort me when my parents died a year and a half after I was brought here. I didn't want to leave the house for a long time. I didn't feel like training. I refused to eat. I wanted to die.

Suki helped me back up, literally. She kicked me out of the house and gave me a physical lesson with some choice of words. I continued my training, but I was never allowed to go on dangerous missions like them.

At the moment I'm doing some exercises while Suki and the other Kyoshi warriors went to capture the intruders at the shores of Kyoshi Island.

::

By the time I was done the Kyoshi warriors returned with the intruders tied and blindfolded. I stood with the crowd and watched as they tied them to the post before interrogating them.

"You three have some explaining to do." The chief stated sternly.

"And if you don't answer all our questions we're throwing you back in the water with the Unagi." Suki is always best with her threats. Let's hope these intruders answer honestly.

"Show yourself, cowards!" Shouted the tanned male in the middle of the three. Suki slid their blindfolds off. "Who are you? Where are the men who ambushed us?!"

I clenched my fist. 'Why that little-'

My thoughts were cut by Suki's voice. "There were no men. We ambushed you! Now tell us, who are you and what are you doing here?"

He frowned at her statement. "Wait a second, there's no way a bunch of girls took us down!"

'What an arrogant jerk!' Before I could yell at him Suki already grabbed him by the front of his coat.

"A bunch of girls, huh? The Unagi's gonna eat well tonight." There was a sense of threat to her words.

"No, don't hurt him! He didn't mean it. My brother's just an idiot sometimes." The guy's sister tried to defend him.

"It's my fault." The bald-headed boy with the tattooed arrows was next to interject. "I'm sorry we came here. I wanted to ride the elephant koi."

"How do we know you're not Fire nation spies?" I flinched at that accusation made by the chief. "Kyoshi stayed out of the war so far, and we intend to keep it that way!"

The bald-headed boy suddenly smiled. "This island is named for Kyoshi? I know Kyoshi."

"What is he babbling about?" I couldn't help but mumble.

The chief laughed. "How could you possibly know her? Avatar Kyoshi was born here four hundred years ago! She's been dead for centuries!"

"I know her because I'm the Avatar." We all gaped at his declaration.

"No way..." I took some steps forward.

"That's impossible! The last Avatar was an Airbender who disappeared a hundred years ago!" Suki couldn't believe his words.

"That's me!" He smiled.

"Throw the imposter to the Unagi!" The chief demanded.

"No, wait a minute!" I ran and stood protectively in front of them just as the Kyoshi warriors swiftly held their fans out and moved closer.

"Move aside, Ayame!" I usually do as Suki says, but I can't this time.

"I'm sorry, Suki, but I will not. What if he's telling the truth?! I can't pass this opportunity up! You know as well as I do that this may be the only chance I ever get! Please!" I stared with desperate eyes.

"Ayame, I will tell you once more. Move aside. I-we- can't take the chance of you getting hurt." She held a fierce yet gentle tone.

After a few seconds, I felt the air whoosh behind me. I inclined my head up to see that the young boy had airbended out of the ropes. He landed on his feet like a feather. The villagers gasped and murmured to each other.

"It's true," the chief was in awe. "You are the Avatar."

"Now, check this out." He took some marbles out and used his airbending to make them spin in a circle. The villagers cheered for him.

"He doesn't seem mature for an Avatar." I sighed. I felt happy to know that I wasn't alone anymore. Nothing could ruin this feeling.

::

What she didn't realize was that word of the Avatar being on Kyoshi was spreading to other parts.

::

The next morning the villagers set to work on painting the Avatar Kyoshi statue, brushing Appa, their flying bison and making food for Aang, the newest Avatar, and his friends; Katara and Sokka.

I couldn't take the screaming Avatar fans anymore so I thought about training with Suki, but she seemed busy with Sokka. Instead, I took a stroll around the small hills of the island.

It was close to sunset when I came back. I saw Suki running with the rest of the warriors.

"Ayame!" She grabbed my hand and pushed me into one of the houses. "Stay here where it's safe. A Fire nation ship docked at the shore." With that, the door was closed.

I could hear the sounds of weapons hitting against one another. Fire was being blasted. I can smell the burning wood.

I peered out of one of the windows to see a Firebender about to blast an unconscious Lang, one of the Kyoshi warriors.

"Get away from her!" I ran out of the house. I used my airbending to send the soldier flying. I didn't pay attention to my surroundings. As a result, I was grabbed from behind. "Let go of me!"

"I saw that." I stopped struggling when the guy held a flame close to my face. My breath hitched. My body trembled as fear consumed my core. "Come back, Avatar! Unless you want to actually be the last Airbender in existence!"

Water splashed the guys' face. "Let's go, Ayame!" Katara helped me run toward the others. I gave her a look of confusion. "Suki gave us a short explanation."

I searched for her. "Where is she? What about everyone else?"

"They're holding them off while we escape. The chief decided that it would be best if you came with us." We made it. Sokka and Aang pulled us up.

"Appa, yip, yip!" With Aang's words, the bison took off.

I watched from above as my home was being destroyed by those destructive flames. "No..."

"I know it's hard, but you did the right thing." Katara tried to ease Aang's guilt. "Zuko would have destroyed the whole place if we would've stayed. They're gonna be okay, Aang."

He stood up and jumped from Appa. As he landed in the water Aang came to the surface half a second later, but he was riding the Unagi. He used the Unagi to put out the fire.

I sighed in relief. "They're alright." Aang landed next to us. My tears of gratitude fell as I hugged him tightly. "Thank you! I am forever in your debt, Avatar Aang."

Sokka pointed an accusing finger at me. "You owe us a detailed explanation!"

"Alright, I'll tell you everything. You three deserve that much at least."