When All Hope Is Lost

The Storm

Auretta was running through the temple, laughing away as she chased the little lemur bat. She ignored the hushed conversations between the nuns as she passed. She knew what they thought of her- always playing with the animals or climbing like the boys.

For the most part, the air nomads lived equally, never seeing each other as lower than the other, but women still had expectations set for themselves. In their own eyes, they had roles. They were to smile and take care of the boys and each other. But, they weren't pressured or told to do so. It was all of their own free will. That didn't make them any less stronger either- it was just how they chose to be. It was their depiction of normal.

But yet, they still saw Auretta as childish. The women grow up faster than the boys, as it's just how they were created. Their minds naturally matured faster. But Auretta didn't want to. She enjoyed playing with her brother and his friends. She loved climbing trees or jumping off the side of the mountain, hoping to land on a flying bison without the use of her glider.

So, as she chased after the small creature, she kept her hair loose, whereas the other women had theirs tied back. She loved the feeling of the wind rushing through it- wind was her element after all. She grinned when she noticed her brother at the end of the hall. He was facing away from her, so she called out to him. "Aang! Come on! Help me catch this lemur bat so I can pet it!"

"Grow up, Auretta."

She frowned, slowing down her pace until she stopped right behind him- the lemur bat running away to hide. "What?" She asked.

He turned around, suddenly a much older version of himself. "Grow up." He glared. "You're such a child."

She took a step back, her throat tightening. "Aang...? Why- Aang, why are you saying this?"

"When you found out I was the Avatar, you left me to myself when I needed you most. I had to grow up sooner than everyone else, just to face the front of a war, while you stayed back and played without a care in the world. It's only fair that you grow up too."

Auretta was stunned. "T-that's not true! I asked you to stay a kid. To stay happy!"

"But you didn't help me." With those words, the scene suddenly changed again. Aangonce again looked like himself, only now he was sitting on Appa's saddle- a storm blowing harsh winds all around them. Auretta tried her best to hold her hair out of her face as it whipped around. "I needed you."

Lightening struck nearby, making Auretta jump. "But, I was right there, Aang! I was trying to catch up to you! I swear it! I'm sorry!"

Aang frowned. "Sorry isn't good enough."

The next thing she knew, Auretta was back in her little rowboat. Her eyes widened in terror as she looked up just in time to see her brother fall from the sky and into the water below. She cried out, reaching her hand in front of her as if to grab him before the crash. She cried as the waves rocked her boat harshly back and forth before letting herself flip into the water.

When she opened her eyes again, she was standing near monk Gyatso. He was facing a hoard of Fire Nation soldiers with a blank face- his back against the wall. Tear stains streaked down his cheeks. "Gyatso?" Auretta called out quietly, nervously. She had never seen him cry before.

Then, the worst happened.

Every Fire Nation soldier lifted their hands at the monk, before shooting flames from their fists in one synchronized motion. Gyatso used his bending to instead make it swirl around the room, but he still wasn't strong enough the keep himself safe from the flames.