Aang closed his eyes in an attempt to lessen the pain, but it didn't work. He squeezed them together and tried to hold in the tears.
Aang sat up and looked around him. He was in a pretty small room, with a wash table and a window. He was sitting on a mat. He turned the other direction and saw a huge Fire Nation flag. He scurried backwards quickly, afraid. "Where am I?" he wondered aloud.
"You're on my ship," said a quiet voice.
Aang whirled around.
"Zuko?"
"We're traveling to Kyoshi Island, to get your friends. We'll need them for the battle."
"Iroh said you were staying with Azula."
"I was until I got the information I needed."
"What information?"
"Everything."
"Aang, I need to work on your back."
"Why? It won't help any," Aang snapped back at Katara.
"Yes it will! Why have you given up hope?"
"I'm just facing facts, Katara! I'm twelve years old, haven't even started learning firebending, and might never be able to go into the Avatar State ever again!"
"Please, let me help."
"Alright," Aang said stubbornly, "but it won't do any good."
Aang slumped and turned away from Katara so she could heal his back. Katara sighed and did what she did best: healing others. But Katara knew that Aang needed a spiritual heal much more than a physical heal.
"Mai, how can I thank you for what you've done?"
"Never mind, Zuko, just get out of here."
"No, if you hadn't told me that Azula planned to poison me tonight, I would be dead right now."
"I just did what a friend would do."
"You're a great friend, Mai. Ever since we were little."
"Do you know what I felt for you back then?"
The two leaned into each other and kissed, but it was short-lived and passionless.
"I guess it's gone," she said sadly.
Zuko walked down a shadowy corridor, ready to face his people for the first time since his banishment. An image of his father in the meeting room where he made his grave mistake popped into his mind, but he shoved it away. This was to be a happy day, no matter the circumstances. Even though he was planning to help the world over his nation, he still loved his people.
He exited the hall and walked onto a high platform where a thousand Fire Nation citizens prostrated themselves before him. Somehow, seeing his people being forced to revere him, almost like Agni himself, made him feel worse than he was before. They were Fire Nation, his people, and yet they were mindless, slaves to a crazy, supremacist idea. He looked up to the sun.
Agni, help me.
Aang sat on a wall, alone. He was like that so much now, alone. Aang used to be the life of their family, but now he was changed. And Katara didn't like it.
"Do you want to come sit with us?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"I'm preparing myself for it."
"The battle?" Katara knew he meant the final fight with the Fire Lord, but was confused. "How can being alone prepare you?"
"I've always known that I'd have to face the Fire Lord, but now I know I have to do it alone." He paused for a second, and then continued. "I need to be strong by myself, and not rely on anyone else."
"No one can do anything by themselves, not even the Avatar." She sat down beside him.
"We'll be there Aang, whether you like it or not."
"Visitor for the prisoner," a harsh voice called out.
Iroh didn't even stir. He had been starring at the same wall ever since he had been put in this Earth Kingdom cell. His nephew's betrayal still didn't seem real.
"Uncle?"
Iroh know it was Zuko, but couldn't bring himself to look at him. It would be too painful, just as it had been in Old Ba Sing Se. And what if what Iroh feared most of all was true? What if he looked into those golden eyes and saw his brother staring back?
His nephew went on, "You brought this on yourself, you know. We could have returned together. You could have been a hero! Why, Uncle? Have you forgotten your nation, your home?"
Iroh shut his eyes. These words would mean nothing from Oazi or Azula, but from Zuko? They were like a knife.
"I wish you had joined me, Uncle. But your chance is gone. Here is your rice. Azula doesn't want you to starve to death. She has other ideas."
Iroh heard the clink of the wooden bowl on the metal floor, and the clang of the door shut, but even now, he didn't stir.
"Uncle, eat the rice. You must."
Something inside of him heard the pleading of Zuko's voice. He had heard that so many times before, when Zuko was young and wanted something he couldn't have. Iroh could never deny the nephew he loved so much, even now in his numbness. He turned around, grabbed the bowl, and turned again to face the wall as before. He ate the bland rice slowly, not caring. Suddenly, his chopsticks hit something that was not rice. It made a crinkling sound. Iroh looked down, and saw that it was a wad of paper. He unfolded it, and with his eyes already adjusted to the darkness, he read:
Uncle- I cannot explain everything here, but know that I did not choose Azula. Do you remember telling me Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer? I have learned so much from you. Let me repay you in this small way: tonight, a guard will take you from your cell. FOLLOW HIM NO MATTER WHAT. When you are out, find the Avatar. He needs a firebending teacher. Please trust me, and please forgive me for any pain I caused you. Zuko
Iroh burned the note in his hand and started eating the rice again, but he couldn't stop a tear falling from his eye, dripping down his cheek, and landing on his smiling mouth.
It was time. He had played the spy long enough. He needed to get this information to the Avatar. Zuko grabbed a cloak, put it on to cover his face, and fled.
Sokka sat on a hippo-horse. It looked intimidating and slow, but it was loyal and fast. He was a man today, leading one of his father's troops. He could sense all of the men were restless, and they had a right to be. War was not pretty, as he had discovered in the last months, traveling with Aang. He had dreamed of this ever since he was little, and now that the moment presented itself, it wasn't as glamorous as he'd pictured. Of course, back then he didn't know he'd lose loved ones. He'd talked to Yue last night, and had explained that he would never forget her, but that he'd moved on, and was in love with Suki. He felt immediate calm, and knew that she accepted his decision, and supported it. It was this memory that gave him courage, and he was as ready for battle as he'd ever be.
"CHARGE!"
Aang was falling, falling, falling. He'd stepped off the cliff to avoid Azula's lightening. He tried to block out the pain of the rocks by earthbending himself through them, but it didn't work as well as he imagined. He felt himself stop, and saw nothing but a thick dust.
Iroh let out a series of firebending moves he wanted to train Aang. The last one was rather close to Aang, and Iroh saw the fire gleam in his eyes.
Zuko cursed himself. Of course he wouldn't be able to easily sneak out of the palace, he should have foreseen the guards outside his room. He shot a few fireballs, and the two men went down. He ran, and knew he could not walk down the hall and out the side door. He needed to be even more discreet. He ran quickly down the hall where he knew a secret passage was. The passage only responded to firebending so as to be protected from foreign intruders. He let out the necessary blast of fire, panting heavily as he did so. The panel slid open, and Zuko slipped inside.
Teo was proud to be a part of the war against the Fire Nation, but he couldn't deny that he was also fearful. The Fire Nation was ruthless, and had many more weapons. Still, they didn't have his father's invention, a tank that was fire resistant and shot out mud to distract enemy soldiers. Teo was in charge of this particular tank, despite his young age. But no one doubted his command, ever since Aang had said he was proud to have him in charge. And no one questioned the Avatar. Teo wanted to show that Aang was right. He adjusted his goggles, and leaned forward, eager to prove himself.
Aang was distraught- Hakoda's warriors were not doing as well as the firebenders. It was only a matter of time before someone he loved, even if not romantically, was hurt.
"Katara, you've got to get out of here! This is getting too dangerous!"
"No Aang, I'm staying." She froze two soldiers and used the water whip on a third.
"Please Katara, we can handle it! Just go!"
Katara whipped around, looking livid.
"I will never, EVER turn my back on people who need me!"
She brought a wave crashing down on four soldiers, and Aang sighed and turned to raise a wall of water to lift an entire Fire navy ship into the air.
Aang, Toph, and Katara ran through the Fire Nation palace, Toph earthbending enemies away from them on all sides. They turned a corner and saw Azula, the one they had been hunting, surrounded by Dai Li. Aang let out a blast of fire, which a guard dodged. Toph threw rocks so heavy at another that she slid to the side. She used her momentum to push a large wall toward a different target.
They quickly put down all of the guards, and turned to face Azula, who was still arrogantly sitting on her throne. However, Aang threw her off with a strong blast of air, and Toph was right behind, ready to end this.
Sokka was fighting hard, but the weapon was unfamiliar in his hands, and his new robe complicated things more. His opponent got an opportunity, and took it. He threw him to the ground, sword to the neck.
"You still haven't gotten this set. Again!" Zuko cried out.
Sokka glared at him. "I'm trying, ok! I'm not used to fighting like this!"
"That's why I'm tryin to teach you. You'll want to know as many fighting styles as possible when you go into battle. This is how fire nation soldiers who wield swords fight. If you know their strengths, then you'll know their weaknesses too, and you'll be able to beat them."
Sokka was disguised in a traditional Fire Nation robe, but the man still recognized him as unfamiliar. He unsheathed his sword, and Sokka did the same. The battle was fierce, each giving it his all. At one point, the man almost hit Sokka's head, but he leaned back just far enough to escape the blade. The man was thrown off balance; Sokka saw an opening, and took it. It was enough. Sokka said a silent thank you to Zuko.
Katara looked up and saw, with a sick feeling, that what the others had said was true- the Fire Nation had indeed stolen Teo's father's hot air balloon design. How could they take them out? Teo's father had designed them so well, and the Fire Nation had added onto that perfection. They needed something to pop the balloons with. Suddenly, Katara smiled. She had an idea. She jumped onto Appa, who was covered in armour. With a cry of, "Yip, yip!" Appa rose to put her plan into action. I always knew stealing that scroll showing how to do the water whip was a good idea. But instead of a regular water whip, she modified it to a circle, so the balloon went down almost immediately.
Aang slammed his staff down. He had reached a precipice over the Fire Lord's palace. He had already taken out Azula, but she had worn him down. He sat down to rest for a few minutes. He readjusted his bandages, and tried to calm himself before it happened. It all came down to this- months of training, of preparation- this was when it clicked or fell apart. Thinking of those he loved- Gyatso, Katara, Sokka, Toph, Suki, Iroh, and even Zuko- he opened his glider, and flew down to meet his destiny.
Ok, this was just me taking clips from the trailer and expanding them into short stories. It was easier with clips from 0-1:00 because there was more plot, whereas the later clips were mostly battles. I couldn't include every clip that I wanted to just because I couldn't think of a good story associated with them. There was an amazingly cool clip at the end where the guy bended all 4 elements at once, but I had no idea what to think of that guy. Is it a past/future Aang? I'm sure I saw Roku in there at least twice, and there was a third man who looked like an Avatar- his eyes did the white glow thing. Sorry some were so short, I tried to add as much story to each clip as possible, but some got more attention than others (cough clip with Iroh cough). Anyway, I hope you liked, and remember: SEPTEMBER 21.