Avatar: The Legend of Fei Yen

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Pryngles
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Avatar: The Legend of Fei Yen

Post by Pryde »

Book One: Air
Chapter One: Invasion

It was dark outside the fire temple and not a single soul was stirring. Perfect, Fei thought to herself as she carefully peered over the edge into the empty street. She had just snuck out of the temple via an old underground passage that had been long abandoned and was about to make good her escape. She waited a moment longer to make sure there was no one around before silently counting to three and then rushing out into the open.

"Fei Yen," a voice suddenly cried and Fei skidded to a halt just three meters from the entrance of the tunnel. She turned to look over her shoulder and rolled her eyes. A very angry looking Zhang Wong and a small cadre of the White Lotus stepped out onto the street to confront her. "And where do you think you're going, young lady," the wisened old master of the fire temple demanded.

"Would you believe I was just going out for a burger," Fei asked with an awkward smile.

Zhang was not amused. "You are the Avatar, Fei Yen, and you have not yet finished your training. If you are to fulfill your role in this world as the Avatar you must successfully master bending the four elements."

"Look, I'm tired of your preaching, old man," the young Avatar snapped, "You've been lecturing me about 'being the Avatar' since day one. I never asked for this and I don't even want it! Why can't I just be a normal girl?"

"Because you're not a normal girl. You're the Avatar and you have responsibilities to this world."

Fei rolled her eyes at that and quietly mouthed those same words as Zhang spoke them. "Every Avatar before me has had to do some crazy thing to fulfill their destiny. Avatar Aang ended a war that lasted one hundred years and the Avatar after him had to fight angry spirits! I just want to live my life in peace, I don't want to have anything to do with wars or rampaging spirits or whatever else I have to do."

"You don't have a choice in the matter, Fei Yen, you are the Avatar. The spirits chose you to maintain the balance of this world, you cannot turn your back on them. Now return to the temple at once."

Fei considered the possibility of saying no but the tone in Zhang's voice suggested that would not be wise. So with a sigh of resignation she lowered her shoulders in defeat and followed the White Lotus guardians and her master back to the temple. The temple proper was a rather impressive building, as tall as it is wide and intricately designed with various pagoda's and zen style gardens. It was a place of study and discipline and Fei hated both those things. She had lived here most of her life, ever since she had been discovered as the latest incarnation of the Avatar, fifty years after the last Avatar, an earthbender, passed away.

So far she has only shown proficiency in fire and earth bending but has yet been able to bend the other two elements to her will. Not that she cared much about it, anyway. She enjoyed her status as a bender almost as much as she enjoyed her status as Avatar, which is to say not at all. There was just too much training involved, too many masters nagging her to get better or to focus. It was that last one she hated the most, everyone was always telling her to focus. Even when she did something right they would say she lacked focus. She just wanted to punch them all in the face then storm out of the temple in a huff. Sadly, she never worked up the nerve to actually do it, so she resorted to trying to sneak out only that doesn't seem to be working out for her either.

It wasn't all bad at the fire temple, though, she did have some friends. Some younger firebenders who were closer to her age, they were acolytes at the temple too but they weren't treated with as much scrutiny as the Avatar. Fei always envied them for that. How nice it would have been to be a nobody, to not have all these pressures weighing down on her.

"Sneak out again, Fei," a young boy asked as he hopped off from his perch atop a short wall surrounding the garden.

"Can it, Suko, I'm not in the mood for any of your jokes," Fei Yen replied as her grim troop passed by.

Suko fell into step with her and glanced back at Zhang who had an overcast look on his face. "Zhang seems more angry than usual. This is the third time you've tried to sneak out, Fei, I think he's getting impatient with you."

"Let him be impatient. I'm tired of him always telling me what to do."

Suko frowned. "He's just looking out for you, Fei. He wants what's best for you."

"How does he know what's best for me," Fei snapped, "Or for that matter how do you? The last Avatar gave his life to end a war. Are you saying that's supposed to be me?"

"No," Suko answered quickly, "It's just that--,"

"Oh just forget it," Fei interrupted him and then without any warning she took off running back to her room.

Suko watched her leave with a pained expression on his face and shortly after he felt a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Looking up his eyes met with those of his master, Zhang Wong. "The Avatar just needs time," Zhang told him, "Eventually Fei Yen will come to accept her role as the Avatar and the responsibilities that come with it, but until then we mustn't allow ourselves to become discouraged. It's a difficult thing to ask of anyone and such a heavy burden, especially for one so young."

Suko could only nod as Zhang spoke, his mind was elsewhere. For as long as he'd known her he's had a crush on the Avatar but to his dismay she's never taken notice of him. He's probably her closest in the whole world--well, at the temple at least, but that's all he's ever been, just a friend. They were both the same age, Fei just turning sixteen last month and Suko a mere two months before that, and Suko just wasn't sure if she hadn't gotten around to noticing boys yet or if she just wasn't interested in him. Part of him hoped for the former but the rest feared the latter was more true.

"I think I'm going to retire," he finally said to Zhang.

The wise old firebender gave his shoulder another squeeze and nodded. "Goodnight, Suko. Do not let tonight's events trouble you further."

The boy said nothing as he retreated from his master. As wise and old as he was Zhang never could figure out just what it was that truly bothered him, either that or he pretended not to notice. Suko could never tell which. Sometimes he wished there was someone he could talk to but aside from Fei and Lin there were no other girls at the temple and everyone else were a bunch of stuffy old monks. He wouldn't even know which one to approach first or even if any of them could help him at all. With a sigh his shoulders fell in resignation and he walked quietly to his room...
Pryngles
Posts: 17211
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Re: Avatar: The Legend of Fei Yen

Post by Pryde »

It was mid afternoon the very next day. Fei was perched on a window sill high up in the temple of fire overlooking the city beyond the gates. The skyscrapers stood tall against a clear blue sky and Fei gazed longingly at the hustle and bustle of cars and pedestrians crowding the streets. What she wouldn't give to be out there with them just going about her life in peace and not having to worry about all this "Avatar" stuff. With a sigh she leaned back against the window frame, her left hand slipping down and picking up a pebble that was lying on the roof just outside her window. She looked it over just once then hurled it over the side of the roof, where it landed she didn't know though she secretly hoped it fell on Zhang's head.

"Well you look cheerful today," Lin said from the doorway behind her.

Fei turned to look at her friend, gave her a sour face and then turned her gaze back out towards the city. Lin Sing was an eighteen year old girl, two years older than Suko and Fei. It wasn't much of a difference but Lin liked to think it made her wiser.

"Are you planning on pouting all afternoon?"

"I'm not pouting," Fei answered irritably.

"Brooding then," Lin corrected herself. "You know it's not the end of the world that you're stuck here. You don't know what it's like beyond those walls or why the world needs you."

Fei frowned. "You're starting to sound like Zhang."

"And that's bad? Like him or not, Fei, he knows what he's talking about."

Fei fell silent and her eyes fell to the courtyard below her where Zhang Wong was currently overseeing the meditations of the other firebenders in the temple. She knew the old man meant well and she didn't actually hate him. She was just frustrated that her life had become what it was, that so many things were decided for her and she wasn't given a choice in the matter. "I know, Lin," she whispered quietly, "but you don't know what it's like."

"You're right, I don't. I don't have the same responsibilities as you or the same destiny but the spirits chose you for a reason. They see something in you that's important, something the world needs."

"I don't want the world to need me. I just want to be myself. All this firebending stuff--," she held up her hand and a gout of flame appeared above her palm, "Maybe the world would be better off without it."

"I don't know about that," Lin answered thoughtfully, "Bending brings us closer to the spirits and to nature. It reminds us of what's important in this world and it's certainly better than the weapons they've been handing out to the Republic Army."

Fei had heard about that too, devestating weapons on wheels that could take out whole platoons of benders. Technology has certainly come a long way since Aang's time, maybe even surpassing the art of bending. There were certainly far fewer benders in the world today now that anyone could just pick up a gun and level the playing field. "Lin, do you think--," Fei started to say when a sudden explosion rocked the temple.

Fei nearly fell out the window but somehow managed to catch herself. Lin rushed over to help her and the two of them looked down into the courtyard where a column of smoke was rising from a large hole in the wall surrounding the temple. Men armed with machine guns rushed through the hole firing their weapons. A group of unfortunate monks were cut down right where they stood and others rushed out into the courtyard to defend the Avatar. Even Zhang was fighting back and almost instantly Fei felt her heart leap into her throat.

"We've got to help them!"

"No," Lin cried, "if they see you they'll kill you!"

"Why? So there will be another Avatar in a few years," Fei asked. She had a point there wasn't much reason to kill the Avatar, not when she would just be reincarnated again.

"We still need to get you out of here," Lin insisted.

"I'm not leaving without Suko and Zhang," Fei shouted and then she hurried out of the room.

Lin rolled her eyes then ran after her. Finally she finds her backbone.

The fighting in the courtyard had progressed inside the temple by the time Fei had reached the bottom floor. Zhang and a few remaining firebenders were bravely holding their ground but more and more gun toting attackers were pouring into the temple. It was only a matter of time before the defenders were overwhelmed. "Zhang," Fei cried, ducking behind a pillar as gunfire panged off the walls around her.

"Fei Yen, you should not be here," the old man shouted from where he was taking cover. He stuck his head out to try and cross over to her but a near miss forced him to duck back into safety again. "You need to get out of here Fei Yen! Find Suko and take the hidden tunnel into the city!"

"I'm not leaving you here!"

"You must, girl! It is your life that matters, not mine!" The old man popped out of cover to bend a jet of flame at the attackers, burning several unlucky soldiers and singing a few more.

Fei stamped her foot onto the ground and bent a wall of earth stretching from her position to Zhang's, giving both of them cover. She quickly rushed over to him and grabbed him by the sleeves of his robe. "Come with me," she told him.

"I can't, child, there are more of them in the courtyard and we are too few to hold them off for long. I will try to buy you as much time as I can but you need to go now!"

"But--," Fei said, her eyes filling up with tears.

Zhang Wong interrupted her before she could finish her sentence. "No 'buts', Fei Yen. You need to complete your training and bring balance to this world. It has been an honor to guide you this far but this is where we part."

Fei stared up at him, her tears falling freely down her cheeks. Finally she threw her arms around him and he hugged her tightly. "Now go, Fei Yen. Know that I will always be watching over you. From this world or the next."

Fei deliberately pulled herself away from him then hurried from the room towards the back of the temple. In the hallway outside the foyer she nearly crashed headlong into Suko. "Fei," the boy cried in surprise, "Thank the spirits you're alright!"

Fei quickly averted her eyes from him. "Come on, Suko, we're getting out of here," she said and the two of them took off running down the hallway.

They found Lin by the entrance to the secret tunnel. She had already pulled the statue guarding it aside and propped the door open. "There you are," she said when she saw them both, "I had a feeling Zhang would send you on ahead."

She stopped and looked at Fei momentarily who refused to make eye contact with her. "Are you alright?"

"Let's just go," Fei said and she started to head into the tunnel.

Behind them an explosion tore the doors of the antechamber off its hinges and armed men poured into the room. By now Suko and Fei were inside the tunnel but Lin had yet to follow them. "Go," the older girl shouted as she closed the secret passage behind them.

"Lin, what are you doing?!" Fei demanded but the door was sealed shut before Lin could answer.

Shortly after the metal around the outline of the door began to glow red hot and fuse together. This was followed by a cacophony of gunfire and then the glow faded. "Lin," Fei screamed, tears streaming down her cheeks.

From behind her Suko had a grip on her arm. He loved Lin like a sister, the two of them had grown up together long before they met Fei but right now his duty was to the Avatar. "Come on, Fei, we've gotta go."

"But what about Lin?!"

"I'm sorry," the boy whispered and he forcefully dragged the girl down the tunnel away from the temple.

The tunnel had led them out under the temple walls and into the city. Fei had used it the night before in her attempt to escape, but she didn't imagine she would be using it again so soon and not like this. Outside they could hear sirens blaring as Republic police forces hurried to the temple. The gunfire increased in volume but now the attacking soldiers were shooting at the police. Now was their best chance to slip away unnoticed and as soon as they hit the end of the tunnel Suko first leaned out to make sure the coast was clear and the two of them made their way into the city, away from the horrible nightmare that had erupted behind them...
Pryngles
Posts: 17211
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Location: Earth

Re: Avatar: The Legend of Fei Yen

Post by Pryde »

Fei Yen and Suko were hiding in an alleyway as more police ran by. The fighting from the temple had progressed into the city and now there seemed to be some kind of commotion going on in the harbor. "There are so many," Fei observed as she carefully peered around the corner, "Where did they all come from?"

"Did you see their uniforms," Suko asked quietly, "They're from the Earth Kingdom. This is an invasion."

"A what," Fei asked in shock turning back to look at him.

Suko ignored her and stood. "We need to keep moving," he said, "They came to the temple looking for you. We need to get you out of the city."

"I can't," Fei exclaimed, standing up next to him, "If they came looking for me then my parents are in danger! I have to know that they're alright!"

Suko started to say something but held his tongue. Finally he nodded, "Alright, let's go check on your parents."

Fei smiled at him and the two of them took off running down the alley towards the residential district. Making their way across the city proved difficult, with Earth Kingdom forces and Fire Nation soldiers battling it out in the streets. They kept to the alleyways mostly, sometimes sneaking in and out of buildings to avoid checkpoints or intense fighting. By the time they had reached Fei's old home the sun had long set and the Earth Kingdom had arrived before her. Fei skidded to a halt when she saw the armored van outside of her home. Two people were being led out of the house and into the van and Fei recognized them as her parents.

"Mom! Dad," she shouted, rushing forward to save them.

"Fei wait!" Suko cried but the girl had already charged on ahead.

Three of the four guards arresting her parents turned to fire their weapons at her. Fei stooped and slammed her fist into the ground using the earth to springboard herself up and over the gunfire. The soldiers tried to track her, firing into the air until one of them shouted. "Fools, hold your fire! We're supposed to take the Avatar alive!"

Two of them advanced, dropping their guns and earth bending a couple of huge rocks into the air. The other two had finished loading Fei's parents into the van and were now climbing into the front seat to drive away. "Bring me back my parents," Fei screamed, bending two gouts of flame at the earthbenders as she descended from the sky. The flames burned harmlessly against the rocks they had lifted and Fei had to quickly move again as soon as she landed. Two large boulders ricocheted off the ground where she had been standing. Fortunately, she managed to roll out of the way then she sprang back up onto her feet and round house kicked a gout of flame towards them that knocked both earthbenders off their feet.

By now the van had started and was driving away but Fei was not about to let them leave. She tried to run ahead of the vehicle and after a few feet she stomped the ground and sent a wave of earth upheaving towards the van until finally a pillar of rock lifted its front right tire off the ground, spinning the vehicle onto its side. The two earthbenders were trying to climb out just as their companions were beginning to recover behind her. Fei had turned to her left just in time to see a boulder flying towards her but she did not have any time to do anything about it.

Just then a jet of flame appeared out of nowhere, blasting the boulder apart and Fei turned to see Suko rushing towards her. "Get your parents," he shouted, "I'll hold them off!"

"Thank you," Fei replied then she turned and ran towards the fallen van. About halfway there she used the earth again to springboard herself above the van then she bent a gout of flame towards the front door forcing the two earthbenders back inside the vehicle and melting the metal around the door frame. Once she landed she ran towards the back doors, melting the lock off before throwing the doors wide open.

"Fei Yen," her mother cried, rushing out to hug her daughter.

"I'm glad to see you both," Fei said, holding her mother tightly.

"It was risky coming back for us, Fei Yen," her father said, coming up beside them, "You should have left the city while you had the chance."

"I couldn't just leave you behind," the girl replied, "but we don't have much time to argue about it now. I have to get you both to safety, come on!"

She turned and led her parents towards a nearby alleyway, stopping just long enough to shout at Suko to follow. The boy bent one last jet of flame towards the remaining to earthbenders before he spun on his heel and ran to join them. By the time the soldiers of the Earth Kingdom had fully recovered the Avatar, Suko and Fei Yen's parents were long gone...

**********

"The fire temple is secure, General Ratna," one of the officers announced as Ratna entered the main foyer of the temple. He stopped to admire what was left of the intricate architectural designs the Fire Nation was known for before turning to look at the young man who had addressed him.

"Any sign of the Avatar," he asked.

"None, sir, but we did find this girl," he stepped aside to reveal Lin Sing kneeling on the ground behind him with two soldiers on either side of her. "What should we do with her?"

Ratna shrugged, "Kill her."

"Wait," Lin cried out, "I can help you!"

The soldiers were about to carry out their orders when Ratna waved them off. "How," he asked, fixing the girl with a harsh stare.

"You're looking for the Avatar, right? Well, I can help bring her out of hiding. She and I grew up together in this temple, she trusts me!"

The young soldier standing beside him was looking at him questioningly, wondering if he should still carry out his orders. "The girl has a point," Ratna decided, "Have her put into custody for now. She and I will--discuss how she can be of use to me later."

Something about the way he said that sent a dark shiver down Lin's spine. For a moment she was afraid of what she had gotten herself into, but anything had to be better than dying, right? She didn't have much time to consider it, however, before an earthbender soldier hit her on the head with the butt of his rifle and she blacked out...
Pryngles
Posts: 17211
Joined: Sat May 10, 2003 2:11 am
Location: Earth

Re: Avatar: The Legend of Fei Yen

Post by Pryde »

Fei Yen and her small troop stopped running when they hit the middle of a large park somewhere on the eastern side of Capital City. Taking a moment to rest each member of the group stooped to catch their breath. "I think we lost them," Fei announced to everyone.

"But it won't be for long. The entire republic navy was in the harbor, they'll have the city secured by dawn," Fei's father told her. "You and Suko need to leave now while the soldiers are still fighting."

"But what about you?"

Fei's father looked to his wife. "We'll be fine," he assured her, "I know of a few places we can hide and strike back at the Republic, if it comes to that, but you. You need to visit the other temples and learn the four elements."

"I don't want to leave you behind," Fei said adamantly, "Not again! Not this time!"

Fei's mother stepped forward and gave her daughter a hug. "It's okay, Fei Yen. This isn't goodbye forever. You have a destiny apart from us. We'll only slow you down."

"But mom--,"

Fei's father rested a hand on her shoulder then encircled her and her mother in a huge bear hug. "I know you're scared, Fei Yen, but you're ready for this. Your mother and I will be fine, I promise."

Fei felt a tear fall down her cheek and silently she nodded. "Fine," she said, stepping away from them both, "but I'm going to hold you to that promise."

She turned then and started to run towards the city gates. Fei's father watched her for a moment then turned his gaze to Suko. "Watch over my daughter," he said, "She'll need your support."

"I promise, Sir," Suko replied and then he too took off running after Fei.

The Avatar spared one last glance back over her shoulder at her parents as they waved her goodbye. She felt the urge to cry but bit down on her emotions. She was the Avatar now and she had responsibilities. She couldn't allow herself to break down now, not when the Earth Republic had cost her so much. She promised that somehow she would come back and free her home from their grasp and then she would take the fight to Ba Sing Se and rid the world of the Republic's tyranny once and for all...
Pryngles
Posts: 17211
Joined: Sat May 10, 2003 2:11 am
Location: Earth

Re: Avatar: The Legend of Fei Yen

Post by Pryde »

Chapter Two: Rite of Passage

"Do you even know where we're going," Fei Yen demanded as she and Suko sloshed through the swamp.

"Of course I do," Suko insisted. He stopped momentarily to scratch his head then gazed up at the sun. "We're looking for the harbor right? Hence the water."

"This is a swamp, Suko! We've been sloshing through this swamp for hours! Face it, you don't know where you're going."

"Well, neither do you," Suko replied indignantly.

Fei straightened up and crossed her arms over her chest. "So," she asked, "At least I can tell the difference between the ocean and a swamp!"

"You youngin's should keep it down. It isn't exactly safe out here," a third voice interrupted them and both Fei and Suko turned around in surprise.

Behind them an elderly gentlemen was standing on a small patch of dry land. His clothes were barely a step above peasants clothes and he leaned heavily against his cane for support. Despite his frail demeanor, though, his smile and the look in his eyes relayed a cool confidence and a hidden strength that was not apparent on the surface. Fei Yen noticed it almost immediately, but Suko was unfortunately less observant.

"Thank the spirits you found us," Fei said excitedly, "My friend here got us lost."

Suko felt a little chagrined at the way she pronounced the word "friend".

The old man looked at Suko then back to Fei. "Seems to me you're both lost," he said, "Throwing the blame at your friend does not relieve you of your own responsibility."

"But he said he knew where he was going," Fei insisted.

"Ah but ask yourself, who is the more foolish? The fool who leads or the one who follows," the old man asked, giving her a knowing look.

Fei did not say anything and for a moment she was reminded of her old mentor Zhang.

"Do you know how we can get out of here," Suko asked.

The old man nodded, "I do."

"Can you lead us to the harbor?"

"I can't."

Suko and Fei both just looked at him. "But you just said--," Fei started but the old man cut her off.

"I can't because you did not say please."

Suko and Fei both exchanged glances then Fei looked back at the old man. "Can you please lead us to the harbor," she asked.

"Gladly," the old man said with a smile and then he half turned and waved them along with his cane. "Come along now, wouldn't want you falling behind."

Fei felt a sinking feeling in her gut as though this old man was going to be more trouble than he was worth. Still, he seemed to know more about this area than either she or Suko did so they didn't really have a choice but to trust him. With nothing else to do she climbed out of the water and followed the old man, Suko padding along sullenly beside her...
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