Chapter Text
The sun was high in the sky as everyone in the temple prepared for the incoming fight. Most were gathered in the courtyard, ready to act and waiting for Sokka and Sai to prepare the hot air balloon.
Elsa stood apart, at the courtyard’s edge, her eyes on the path winding up the cliff face in the distance. The mountains below offered a breathtaking view—and a perfect battleground. She narrowed her eyes, calculating. The terrain was open and ideal for a large force to move across.
The young queen's mind drifted to the fights on Kyoshi Island, in Roku's temple, and her escape from that Fire Nation fortress. But she felt the impending battle would be different as she suspected the man who had visited the Mechanist was an important figure in the Fire Nation hierarchy.
Lifting her hands, she exhaled in quiet focus, and the snow beneath her shimmered. In a smooth motion, sharp ice pikes rose from the frozen earth, lining the base of the slope in jagged rows, disrupting the natural approach. The formation resembled the teeth of some slumbering beast—silent, waiting.
"That should slow them down," she murmured to herself, the crystalline structures forcing any approaching army to break formation and navigate the deadly maze she'd created.
As the Fifth Element completed her work, she heard light footsteps approaching. Turning around, she saw Aang walking toward her, his staff in hand and a mixture of determination and nervousness on his young face. There was something steady in his gaze now, a subtle shift from the wide-eyed boy she’d first met. Still young, still light-hearted at his core, but learning to carry the weight.
“You’re quiet,” he said gently, watching the ice formations behind her. “You always get quiet before something big.”
Elsa’s lips curved faintly. “Focus requires stillness. Especially when you’re preparing to alter the weather itself.”
Aang stepped closer, standing beside her, hands clasped behind his back. “It’s… kind of beautiful, you know. What you do. Even when it’s dangerous.”
She glanced at him, her expression softening. “Thank you, Aang.” After a pause, she asked,“Is everyone ready?”
“I think we’re ready,” the young Avatar replied. “just waiting on Sokka and the Mechanist to finish up with the balloon."
She nodded, glancing toward the direction where the workshop was. "Let’s hope they—"
"They're coming!"
A girl’s voice rang out from the ledge above, sharp with urgency. Elsa and Aang snapped their attention forward.
The warning hit like a cold wind.
A beat of silence. Then—
Aang met her eyes. "Showtime."
Elsa agreed, her expression steady despite the gravity of the situation. Her fingers curled slightly, the air around her cooling sharply as frost began to trail from her fingertips.
She faced the edge again and inhaled deeply, grounding herself. She didn’t know whether it was because it was cold or because it was high, but she felt her powers were stronger than usual.
“Useful,” she thought as she focused.
Her breath misted as it left her mouth, slow and even. Raising her hands toward the sky, her eyes half-lidded in focus, the air around her shimmered and twisted.
The horizon rippled.
A wall of white surged into existence as clouds gathered unnaturally fast. Winds swirled like circling birds, snowflakes forming from nothing, thickening into a storm. It spread quickly—an unnatural wall of white descending from the peaks above like a living wave.
******
Down below, a strong Fire Nation column was already mid-advance. Tanks rumbled against the rocky slope, soldiers moving in tight formation up the winding path toward the temple. Their red and black armour stood out sharply against the white terrain, torches and engines burning defiantly.
Then came the wind.
The leading troops looked up in confusion. Snow whipped suddenly into their faces. Visibility dropped in seconds. The machines groaned as wind pressed hard against their flanks. Shouts erupted.
“What is this?!”
“A blizzard—there’s no storm scheduled!”
“It’s not natural!”
The advance slowed. The line faltered. Firebenders struggled to ignite flames in the biting cold, their armour frosting over. Soldiers clutched their helmets as the wind threatened to rip them away.
Even the tanks, with their heavy wheels and fire-powered engines, began to skid against hidden ice beneath them, lurching as the blizzard slammed into them, their crews shouting in confusion.
Inside the chaos, the officers tried to regroup—but the white veil thickened with every heartbeat, and shapes disappeared in the whiteness.
******
Elsa stood firm at the edge of the stone courtyard, high above the chaos she had unleashed. Her hair danced behind her in the sharp wind, snow threading through the air like silver ribbons. Her hands, raised toward the heavens, trembled slightly—not from cold, but from sustained focus. Her face was calm, her expression carved with concentration, and her breath continued to mist in the air as the blizzard roared on, allowing her friends and allies to have time and hopefully for Sokka and Sai to arrive with the hot air balloon.
Behind her, some of the refugees readied their gliders, their faces a mixture of awe and disbelief. Some whispered among themselves, their eyes wide as they stared at the woman with hair like moonlight who commanded the storm with grace no waterbender had ever shown.
Near the edge of the courtyard, Aang approached Katara, his expression a mixture of concern and excitement. His eyes darted between the blizzard and the temple interior.
"How long do we need to wait for Sokka and the Mechanist?" he asked, shifting from one foot to the other. "Elsa can't keep this up forever."
Katara's brow furrowed as she gazed in the direction of the workshop. "I'm not sure." She bit her lip. "I hope it's soon."
Aang nodded, a hint of worry crossing his young face. "Yeah, I know." He turned toward the gathered colonists and Teo, who was preparing his glider with determined focus. "Everyone ready? When Elsa drops the blizzard, we need to move fast!"
Teo looked up from his preparations, his eyes bright with anticipation. "We've been ready! Just waiting for your signal, Aang." He patted his glider with confidence. "The Fire Nation won't know what hit them."
The other refugees nodded, their faces set with determination despite the fear evident in their eyes. Many had never fought before, but they would defend their home with everything they had.
Aang gave them an encouraging smile before turning back to Katara. "You'll be with Appa?"
"Yes. We'll provide cover from above after the first wave," she replied, her hand instinctively touching the water pouch at her side.
Meanwhile, Elsa's breathing had become measured and deliberate. Though the blizzard came naturally to her, maintaining its intensity over such a large area required concentration. She could feel her powers responding to the heightened emotions of the moment—fear, determination, and the fierce desire to protect these people who had welcomed them.
A thought struck her as she watched the white wall of snow and wind before her. The blizzard wasn't just buying them time; it was creating the perfect opportunity for a surprise attack. Remembering the chaos she provoked in the escape of the stronghold, she knew the Fire Nation men would likely be in chaos and paralyzed because of her the storm and she remembered that firebending was affected by cold. It meant her friends and allies would have a window of opportunity.
Elsa turned her head slightly, never dropping her concentration on the storm. "We need to strike now!" she called to her friends. "The blizzard has them confused and cold."
Katara nodded, already moving toward Appa who waited patiently nearby. The colonists grabbed their gliders, checking the small bombs attached to their harnesses.
"Get ready," Elsa instructed, her voice carrying a rare commanding edge that reminded them all that she was, in fact, a queen. "I'll lift the blizzard on my signal, and you'll have your window of opportunity. Don't waste it."
Aang twirled his staff, extending it into his glider. "We won't. Everyone, positions!"
The refugees scrambled to the edge of the courtyard, gliders ready. Teo wheeled himself to the front, his expression focused and determined. Katara climbed onto Appa's saddle where a supply of the different bombs created by the Mechanist were gathered.
Elsa took a deep breath, feeling the cold air fill her lungs. She raised her hands higher, gathering the storm tighter for one moment—then she thrust her arms outward and up with a sharp motion.
"NOW!" she shouted.
The blizzard dissipated with unnatural speed, the snow and ice particles scattering upward into the clear sky.
Aang leaped off the edge first, his glider catching the air. "Let's go!" he called, his voice carried by the wind.
Teo and the colonists followed, launching themselves into the air with fearless determination. Their gliders caught the sunlight as they soared downward, a cloud of blue wings against the blue and cloudy sky.
Cheers erupted from the remaining refugees watching from safety. Children jumped up and down, pointing at the sky, while the adults clasped hands in nervous hope.
Elsa watched them go, her heart in her throat. She hadn't known these people long, but seeing their courage—especially the children like Aang and Teo—filled her with fierce pride and protectiveness. They reminded her so much of Anna in their bravery.
The flyers descended through the natural clouds that still lingered after Elsa's storm, coming to face with the stunned Fire Nation forces, many still struggling to regain their footing, brushing snow from their armor and wiping frost from their visor.
"Fire Nation below!" Aang called out, leading the formation. "Drop your payloads!"
The gliders swooped low over the troops. Small bombs—slime bombs, fire bombs, stink bombs—rained down upon the soldiers. The first wave hit with devastating effect as explosions of colour and chaos erupted.
Soldiers slipped and coughed, some howling in frustration, others falling to their knees. A few lost their footing entirely and tumbled from the narrow path.
Panicked shouts rose.
“Get back!”
“Where’s our cover?!”
“Regroup! Regroup—!”
Aang dove low, leaping from his glider onto an air scooter he formed in mid-air. He raced along a ledge above a group of soldiers who were trying to regroup, using his airbending to send a cascade of snow down upon them. They cried out in surprise as the fresh powder buried them to their waists, effectively immobilizing them.
With a graceful leap, Aang returned to his glider, soaring back up to rejoin the others.
More gliders made another pass, dropping bombs with increasing accuracy. Slime-coated firebenders' hands, preventing them from bending effectively. Smoke obscured officers trying to give orders. And the constant swooping of gliders overhead kept the troops looking up instead of advancing.
The Fire Nation soldiers were now in complete disarray. Between the lingering effects of Elsa's blizzard and the aerial assault, they couldn't establish any formation or mount a coordinated defense.
"Retreat!" called one of the officers, his voice barely audible over the chaos. "Fall back and regroup!"
The soldiers began a disorganized withdrawal, sliding and stumbling down the path they had so confidently climbed.
Aang flipped back onto his glider, catching the wind just in time to rejoin his allies in the air.
“We've got them on the run! We need more slime!” he shouted to his companions.
The gliders soared upward through the dissipating clouds, making their way back to where Appa hovered above the battlefield. Katara was waiting for them, her face etched with concern as she peered over Appa's saddle.
"How's it going down there?" she called as the first gliders approached.
"We're pushing them back!" Teo responded, maneuvering his glider alongside Appa with expert precision. His eyes were wide with excitement behind his copper goggles. "But we're almost out of bombs!"
Aang landed gracefully on Appa's saddle, his lithe movements betraying none of the exhaustion he must have felt. "They're retreating for now, but we need to reload quickly."
Katara nodded, her hands already moving to distribute more of the makeshift bombs she'd been preparing.
Once the gliders were supplied again, Aang and his companions plummeted to ensure the complete retreat of the Fire Nation forces.
But this time, when they reached the base of the cliffs, the landscape had shifted.
The tanks were moving again.
The bombs fell—splashes of green and sparks and slush—but the armoured behemoths barely slowed. Slime sizzled off their heated hulls. Snow did little against their reinforced tops. One tank turned and fired—a jet of flame roared skyward. The gliders scattered, reeling back.
“They’re pushing up!” Aang yelled as he veered, eyes wide.
With a sharp, metallic thunk, one of the tanks fired a grappling hook. It soared past Aang and struck the cliff’s edge near Appa. The hook is locked. A whirring chain followed as the tank began to climb. Another hook shot upward. Then another.
On the edge of the courtyard, Elsa tensed as she heard the noise of chains hooking on the cliff and the distant noise of engines. She knew something was coming, even more so as she saw the gliders moving again as if to stop whatever the Fire Nation was sending.
Beskytt arrived at her side, his round form crunching softly through the frost-laced stone. The snowman tilted his head, following her gaze.
His coal-black eyes blinked once. “Bad?” he asked.
Elsa's jaw tightened. “I don't know. I hope not.”
The saw Appa jerk and spook and blasts of fire flying to the sky, indicating to the young queen and the snowman that the Fire Nation was trying to disperse the gliders.
On his glider, Aang surged into view, air-scootering along the cliff face. He swerved toward one of the hooks, formed a small vortex, and with a sharp whip of air, pried it loose. The tank below groaned and tipped backward, vanishing in a crash of metal and stone. But another hook shot up in its place.
From above, Katara’s voice rang out faintly. “They’re climbing! Aang! Go lower!”
Elsa took a sharp breath as she realized how dire the situation was turning, even as she saw the first tanks appearing on the edge of the cliff.
“Beskytt,” she said, voice low but clear. “If they reach the top, it’s over. If it gets too close, I need you to get the refugees out.”
The snowman rumbled quietly, the snow around his feet crackling. “And you?”
Elsa’s gaze didn’t waver from the edge. Her hands, gloved in fur-lined sleeves, began to shimmer faintly with frost. “I’ll hold the line.”
His head dipped in a slight nod, slow and heavy. He didn’t argue. Then, with surprising gentleness for his size, he turned to the nervous colonists. "Come," he said simply, extending his arm toward them. The refugees hesitated, though finally started to follow the living snowman.
Down below, the gliders regrouped, flying lower now, weaving between fire blasts as they dropped their bombs with urgent precision. Slime splattered across tank hatches. One lucky glider dropped a smoke bomb into an open viewport, eliciting a shout from within. Another glider was nearly clipped by a fireblast, veering hard as flames licked its wing.
The gliders finally fell back now, retreating to the safety of the temple as the tanks continued their relentless advance.
With a determined expression far too grave for his young face, Aang planted his feet firmly and extended his staff. A powerful gust of air erupted from his movements, catching the lead tank and sending it careening backward.
Seeing it, Elsa felt a surge of hope—until she watched in dismay as the tank flipped midair, landed on its treads, and continued its advance.
"They're... adjusting themselves," she said, her voice tight with concern. She stepped forward to the very edge of the courtyard, her hands curling into fists. With a swift gesture, she sent a wave of ice spreading down the cliffside, forming jagged spikes and treacherous barriers.
The tanks paused momentarily, then pressed forward with renewed determination. Fire erupted from their hatches, melting through her ice as if it were nothing more than morning frost. The sight sent a chill down her spine that had nothing to do with her powers, even more as she saw others of her obstacles being broken by the blasts or the worrisome engines.
In the sky above, Katara and Teo circled on Appa. The waterbender's dismayed voice carried down: "Those things are unstoppable!"
Teo tilted his head, his expression thoughtful beneath his goggles. "I think I know how they work," he called back, gesturing excitedly despite the danger below. "I remember my dad tinkering with the counterbalancing system. Something to do with water. Works great, huh?"
Katara's eyes widened with sudden understanding. "Water?" She grasped the saddle edge, leaning forward. "Can you get me close to one?"
Teo's face broke into a confident grin. "No problem!" He banked downwards and Katara followed, bringing Appa into a sharp dive toward the approaching tanks.
Back in the courtyard, Elsa watched Aang fending off another barrage of firebending blasts, her stomach knotting with anxiety. The young Avatar moved with incredible speed, redirecting the flames with powerful gusts of air, but for every tank he pushed back, two more took its place. Despite all his power as the Avatar, he was still just a child—a child who had already lost everything once before.
She inhaled deeply, her fingers curling with frost as she prepared to join the fight.