Prelude

Screaming, fire, smoke, and death surrounded her. Darya panicked as she saw a fire nation soldier prowling towards her with his sword drawn. Darya quickly sent an narrow blast of air at him, knocking him back. The soldier fell hard into the ground with a sickening crack and lay limp. Darya hurried over to him and felt his pulse, making sure he was still alive. A pulse fluttered lightly beneath her finger and she sighed in relief. She had no wish to kill someone, even if they were slaughtering her people.

'Where is the Avatar?' She thought, searching the sky for his bison. Heart heart clenched as she noticed that there were not as many as there had been earlier that day. 'Maybe it's people escaping' she prayed.

"Darya!" The voice of Monk Gyatso came from behind her and she spun around as he ran through the smoke.

"Monk Gyatso, where is the Avatar?" Darya asked, looking worriedly at the large burn on the monks left arm.

"He is not here, I pray he is safe." The monk coughed.

"Gone! How could he leave us at our time of most need!" Darya roared in anger.

"Calm your fire, Darya! He left last night, he knows nothing of this massacre." The monk paused, his face pained. "We cannot win this my dear. The Fire Lord has decided that airbenders are no longer necessary in this world. Thankfully the Avatar is not here, the world needs him desperately. But he needs a companion. Follow me."

The monk ran past her, surprising Darya with his swiftness. Darya did not like his tone but she followed him as well. He had something up his sleeve and she would help him until she breathed her last breath. As they ran past the flames that were quickly devouring the beautiful gardens, Darya tried to block out the screams of her friends and family. Her heart was breaking but she continued to follow Monk Gyatso. After several more agonizing seconds they arrived at the entrance to the avatar's sanctuary. Quickly, Monk Gyatso airbended the doors open and stepped inside.

Darya followed, in awe at the sight of hundreds of statues before her. She had never been in this sanctuary before since it was strictly forbidden for any but the masters to enter. The heavy wooden doors slammed shut behind her and there was nothing but darkness. Then, suddenly the room was full of a soft blue light. It came from every statue, every eye and every arrow tattoo. Darya gasped at the beauty of it all.

"What is happening?" she asked, walking behind the monk, who was delving further into the sanctuary.

"I do not know. I pray it is the avatar bringing us help. Whatever it is, you must stay here with it. Aang will need someone who can guide him in this horrific times." Monk Gyatso said, stopping at the last statue. Darya looked at it.

"Avatar Roku would be ashamed of how Fire Lord Sozin is behaving." Darya whispered. She turned back towards the monk. "What do you mean someone to guide Aang? Surely you are going to do that?"

"No my child, I am old and I must help my people. You are young but wise beyond your years. Hide here until the Fire Nation soldiers are gone. The Avatar will be back and he will need your help." the monk said sadly. Darya let out a choked sob and hugged Monk Gyatso with all of her strength.

"Do not cry, Darya. You are a strong and beautiful airbender. I hope to see you after this, but if I do not, know that I have been proud to have you as a pupil." with that, Monk Gyatso kissed Darya on her forehead, making her sob even harder. With a final smile he left, a blast of heat and smoke billowing in from the open door. Darya quickly shut it, needing to fulfill Gyatso's orders.

She slunk back to Avatar Roku and curled up in a ball at his feet. She cried quietly for several more moments before there was no more sound from outside. She rose, waiting for Monk Gyatso to open the doors and tell her the soldiers had retreated or that their people had escaped. But the door did not open, and no one came. Unsure of what to do, Darya crept closer to the door, hoping to hear the sound of her friends outside, or Aang to have returned, but what she heard was worse.

"Not that hard really." a harsh voice crowed.

"Ha ha! Not at all Hizu! They didn't even fight back, it was liking hunting for turtle ducks." another high pitched voice whined.

"We don't even have a casualty, the closest was Akai, and he just got knocked out." the first voice cackled.

Darya turned away from the door, not wanting to hear anymore. Something inside of her had burst and waves of hot fire was burning her inside. Fury like nothing she had ever experienced engulfed her, bleeding her sigh to red. She wanted nothing more than to open those doors and blast those men off the cliffs. No, they did not deserve to see the beauty of the land as they fell. Instead she would bend the air out of their lungs and watch them suffocate. In that moment she felt like she had the power to do that. As her hand moved to bend the door open, a voice interrupted her.

"Stop! Calm your fire, child."

Darya spun around as the unfamiliar voice used Monk Gyatso's saying. In front of her stood a spectral figure surrounded by a blue aura. He carried himself with grace and power, and Darya immediately recognized him.

"A-avatar Roku." Dary stuttered and bowed deeply.

"Rise." Roku ordered. Darya stood straight again and marvelled at the Avatar before her. "You have been charged with the protection of the Avatar by Monk Gyatso. He is a good friend of mine, and therefore I shall grant his wish."

"I don't understand?" Darya said.

"No you do not, and that is why I am here. Come, sit by my statue." Roku motioned for her and she followed. She sat at the feet of his statue and she suddenly felt extremely drowsy. She had had an day full of horror and bloodshed, but she knew that this was from an otherworldly source. She looked up at Roku and saw that he no longer stood alone. An enormous dragon with the same aura towered over him. Darya's eyes widened a fraction but her heavy eyelids refused to move much more.

"Dragon." she muttered before slumping over behind the statue.

"Yes, Fang is my animal guide. He is here to help lend me strength. It takes an enormous amount of energy to suspend one person in time, let alone two." Roku growled as his and Fang's aura's grew. "Now sleep child, you will awaken when the time is right. The Avatar will wake you."

With that, Darya's eyes closed and she fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.