The Protector || An ATLA Fanfiction

12

Hello everyone!! I hope you are all doing well and staying safe. Currently my semester in school is about to end, and my work is shutting down for two weeks, so I will have time to do nothing but write!! I am so excited to begin writing again and I hope you all are ready for more chapters.

The quietness of the waves carried Zuko and I closer to the Crescent Island ahead. He keeps his attention completely on the sea in front of him, hands firmly on the wheel. The conversation slowly began to die out, only leave our silence yet again. Yet, questions continued to plague my mind about him, and without Kyoshi to talk to, I almost felt lonely.

"So" I begin. "How will catching Aang restore your honor?"

He clenches the wheel, barely turning his head to look at me slyly. "When I have the Avatar, I can go home." He turns back to the sea in front of him.

Home.

I longed for my father, the bumpy waves only making me miss him even more. I never thought that I would miss him as much as I did. The again, after my mother I became a daddy's girl. I sighed, looking down at my feet.

I longed for Toph, my first true friend off of the island. At least she was safe, and hopefully I could go back to her one day. I looked to Zuko, and I wanted to talk to him like I talked to Suki and Toph. I wanted to tell him how badly I needed to get to the Avatar, but our goals crossed each other.

I turned away, catching my reflection in the metal. My painted face transformed into Kyoshi's. Shaking my head, I frown, knowing she wants me to go back home to project our people, but I can't. How am I supposed to project an island of people when I can barely stop myself from being captured?

Pulling my knees to my chest, I take a deep breath. I have to be better. I must return home when I am worthy of being their protector. Worthy enough to wash away the shame of my failure, and the failure of who came before me.

"Euna" Zuko snaps, breaking me from my thoughts. "We're almost to the shore."

I nod silently, knowing what I have to do.

--

I help Zuko tie the boat to a post by the shore. The moment my feet touched the active island, I could feel the spiritual presence of Avatar Roku. While I have only stuck to talking to Earth Avatars, I recognized the energy of the past.

Closing my eyes, I stomp my foot into the ground, seeing everyone on the island. Besides Fire Sages running around, there was one Sage, Katara, Sokka and Aang. "Wait" I whisper to Zuko, digging my foot into the earth. "There's someone else here, in a large ship.'

"Zhao" Zuko sneers, grabbing my hand. "Come on, I know another way in where we won't be seen. We have to get to the Avatar first."

He pulls me into a small entrance in the side of the temple, the hot lava leaving the air almost unbearable. My mind was racing, how was I supposed to get Aang and his friends out of this?

I hear the voices of Katara and Sokka, and who I assume is the Sage. "He's inside! Open the doors, immediately! Before he contacts Avatar Roku!"

"Wait here while I get my prize" Zuko sneers, continuing up the stairs. I hear a large fire blast, and suddenly I catch sight of Zuko, who holds Aang tightly.

"Now, Aang!" someone yells.

"Come on Aang! Now is your chance!" Katara's soft voice cries throughout the temple.

I feel Zuko drag Aang across the temple floor towards the sages, Katara and Sokka pinned against a pillar. "The Avatar's coming with me! Now quickly! Close the doors!"

Taking a breath, I know what I have to do. "Aang! Go!" I yell, jumping from my hiding spot and twisting the Prince into the floor of the temple. He shouts, releasing Aang. The Avatar runs towards Katara, who yells at him to go.

Changing course he slides into a room before the doors seal. A bright light flashes through the temple and I fall to my knees, sages' grabbing my arms and dragging me towards Katara and Sokka. I try to look at Zuko, but he keeps his head turned, a frown settled on his lips.

"Euna?" Katara gasps as I am chained beside them. "What are you doing here?"

"Why were you with Zuko?" Sokka frowns.

"I was trying to find you guys on your way to the North Pole, but I got captured by Zuko" I sigh, looking to the door. "What are you guys even doing here?"

"Aang was in the Spirit World, and needed to talk to Avatar Roku, so coming here was the only option" Katara explains, pulling against the chains. Sages try to open the door with firebending, but it fails.

"How are we going to make it out of this?" Sokka asks, our attention turned to a man entering the room. It was the man I felt before, Zhao. He spits on the Sage who seemed to be with the gang, and tells Zuko that the Avatar, is indeed his now.

Zuko's heart races, and I feel bad for the banished Prince, but I must follow a new path. "There is a strong spiritual energy here" I explain to the siblings. "Aang is the Avatar, he'll know what to do."

"For someone who just got here, you seem pretty confident in a 12 year old" Sokka sighs sarcastically.

"Oh would you stuff a pie in it?" Katara snaps. "Something it happening!"

We all look to the door, which begins to open. The firebenders prepare to launch all of their power onto the young Avatar. "No Aang!" Katara screams as the benders release their wrath. Katara and Sokka look away, but I keep my eyes trained on the doors.

My eyes widen, as I no longer see a young boy, but Avatar Roku himself. The strength of Kyoshi is gone, her own spiritual power fully invested in assisting the Avatar. He strikes a large fire blast with precision, destroying the side of the temple and melting our chains.

The building shakes, a sage coming up to us. "Avatar Roku is going to destroy the temple! We have to get out of here!"

"Not without Aang" Katara growls. The temple shakes, lava exploding through the floor and continuing to destroy the building. The celling beings to rain down upon us, Sokka quickly pushing Katara and I to a pillar, and hoovering over us to protect us.

I close my eyes, shooting whatever solid ground is left to shield us. Katara looks to Roku. who calmly takes a deep breath, completing his destruction. He fades away, revealing the young Avatar. We all rush to his side, Sokka holding him upright. "We got your back."

"Now lets get out of here before this temple is destroyed!" I cry. "Where's your bison?"

"Appa should still be at the shore" Aang replies weakly, relying on the siblings to hold him up. I head towards the stairs I came up, but they are full of lava. I turn, trying to find somewhere I can earthbend, but everything is liquid. I frown, how could I fail again.

"Over there!" Sokka shouts, pointing towards the hole Roku made when he first began his attack.

I smile as the hole is filled by the soft fur of Appa, his roar calming. "This is our stop" I grin, pulling apart more of the wall so we can all get onto the sky bison.

Sokka grabs the reigns as Katara holds Aang. "Yip yip!" Sokka says, the bison quickly flying away from the destroyed temple.

I turn my attention to the Avatar, smiling. I was finally back on my path. "It is so good to see you guys."