Altered | A Genderswap ATLA AU

The Avatar's Escape

Even though Aang was usually confused (Kuzon and Bumi always used to joke that her head was in the clouds too much even for an airbender), she wasn't stupid. She knew that Sokka didn't like her and that the Fire Nation girl attacking the Southern Water Tribe was her fault. So she offered herself up in place of the tribe and began planning her escape before the plank on the ship was even completely pulled up. The girl-and she may have called her a kid, but she couldn't be more than fifteen so she's technically still just a kid too-took Aang's staff out of her hands and began inspecting it.

"This will make a wonderful gift for my father. Take her below deck and plot a course for the Fire Nation. I'm going home, " declared the princess. "And take this to my quarters." She handed her glider off to an older man behind her who immediately passed the responsibility off to someone else. It would've made Aang laugh if it wasn't for the fact that her staff was her most prized possession.

(It had been a gift from Monk Gyatso for her sixth birthday. She wasn't supposed to get it until much later but Gyatso had seen how much she loved the sky.)

The two soldiers on either side of Aang led her towards the stairs and her mind began to fill with half-thought-out plans of escape.

"You know, I bet I could take both of you with my hands behind my back." Aang bragged in an attempt to goad them into fighting her. The men weren't distracted. Time for Plan B then. Aang sucked in a huge breath and blew it out, knocking the man in front of her into the door he was trying to unlock and forcing the man behind her back and up the stairs.

Aang ran off in the direction she'd seen her staff being taken, dodging guards and opening doors. She accidentally opened the door to the older man from before's room. She closed the door quietly and whispered an apology to him. The last thing she wanted was an older, more experienced firebender chasing her too.

Eventually she opened the right door and saw her glider leaning against the wall. She grabbed it and held on tight, feeling strangely emotional about being reunited with it. She was so caught up in her reunion that she wasn't paying attention to her surroundings.

The door behind her shut closed. The airbender turned and started at the sight of Princess Zuleika who had been hiding behind the door the entire time since hearing of her escape, knowing she'd come to find her staff.

"It seems I've underestimated you," she scowled.

A brief pause passed as they stared at each other, then Zuleika blasted fire at Aang, who just barely dodged it in time. She ran into a corner, terrified and gasping for breath. After dodging several more shots, Aang rolled beneath her to stand behind her, moving with her as the Fire Nation girl turned so she remained unable to fire at her.

Eventually once the Avatar faced her, Zuleika blasted flames her way. She dissipated each fireball with a small air ball formed in her hands. Then Aang created an air scooter and rode it around the walls and ceiling, the whole time avoiding bouts of flames Zuleika continued to unleash upon her.

Terminating the airball, Aang grabbed one of the Fire Nation tapestries on the wall and wrapped Zuleika up in it as she passed. While she struggled against the tapestry, Aang managed to collect her staff. Once Zuleika freed herself, they squared off again against each other.

After a few moments of maneuvering, Aang airbended the mattress up and slammed it into the Fire Princess. The mattress propelled her into the opposite wall, smashing her into it and she fell to the ground with the mattress. As she recovered, she looked up in a rage to find the Avatar was gone already. She's clever for a child, Zuleika thought.

Immediately, she was up and running to find her. By the time she did, Aang was opening her glider and threw it into the air before jumping after it. She caught it, and Zuleika jumped after her in pursuit. With a fierce cry of desperation, she grabbed the airbender's foot.