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Portal Potion: Aguya

Summary:

The Storyteller summons Fire Lady Aguya from her world to ask for her help battling a relentless heatwave. After Aguya cools the sweltering apartment, their chat sparks creativity in the Storyteller, and Aguya returns to her world, blissfully unaware of Sozin's looming darkness.

Notes:

The AI image is of Aguya in her wedding clothes.

Aguya: Salli Richardson: Elisa Maza from Gargoyles

Everyone has a breaking point. Don't judge or condemn others for losing their temper occasionally. It's a problem only when it becomes abusive.

Everyone has feelings and struggles. Don't condemn someone for being human.

Never bottle up your emotions. Express your true feelings or find healthy coping skills to process intense emotions.

Sometimes, someone needs you to listen. Listening helps others deal with their emotions and shows your support.

Don't be afraid to ask for help. Everyone needs it sometimes.

Shaming is one of the worst forms of bullying. Words can cut deeply and cause lasting harm.

Never laugh at someone. Even if it seems harmless, it can be the final straw for someone in pain.

Never make assumptions.

Be true to yourself. Don't let others dictate who you should be.

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Work Text:

 

 

 

aguya

 

 

The Storyteller was in an apartment, attempting not to die from the heat. The entire nation had been under a heat wave for two weeks now. Plus, because her apartment didn't have central AC, she was forced to shower or go to the lobby when she couldn't handle it anymore. 

She had thought about using the portal potion to bring Katara in and use her waterbending to try and cool the place down. But then, she turned down that idea because if it was over 90 degrees, there would be little water in the air for her to bend.

So, the Storyteller used the portal potion to bring someone else into her world. A woman whose story she'd only told once and hoped to tell more once the psychic link to that universe would reveal more for her to write. She only hoped the woman she was about to summon didn't' attack her with firebending from being pulled from one reality into another. 

Spraying a light mist on the screen with the opening chapter of her recently finished story, “The Mistress of Fire,” she waited with bated breath. Due to the heat, it took what felt like an eternity, but eventually, Fire Lady Aguya was brought into her steaming hot bedroom. 

She blinked her golden eyes in confusion as she took a moment to look at her surroundings and her odd new clothes. She'd never seen clothes like the one she was wearing, a tank top and elastic shorts.

She then became frightened when she finally saw the Storyteller. She got ready to firebend when the Storyteller held her hands up peacefully, “I truly apologize for bringing you into my realm, Fire Lady Aguya. However, I thought we could chat briefly and maybe you do something about the heat in my home.” 

“I do not wish to sound discourtes, but who are you? And where am I? I last remember waiting for Sozin to come to bed with me.” 

“My title is Storyteller. If you wait a moment, Alanna's powers will answer the rest of your questions,” the Storyteller explained. Indeed, a few moments later, the knowledge the ravishing woman needed was there.

“It's an honor to meet you, Storyteller. How may I assist you?” she asked as the Storyteller gave her some Gatorade to help cool her down. The Fire Nation may've been hot, but the small apartment was still like a sauna. 

“Hmm, I've never tasted anything like this. However, thank you for allowing me to try a new beverage. So please tell me what you want from me?” 

“I'd like three things. First? Is it possible for you as a firebender to make the heat in my home vanish?”

“Well, my husband knows a technique he taught me to redirect heat. I can redirect it out of your home to hopefully cool it down. But you'll still need to open a window an inch for me to send it outward.” 

“I'll crack the balcony door a little. So please, can you do it before we both die here?” The Storyteller wiped the excessive sweat from her brow. Aguya nodded and gathered all the heat in the room at her fingertips before sending it outside. The room felt instantly better, and the thermostat had dropped ten degrees. 

“Thanks, Aguya. I hope it stays this temperature for at least an hour,” the Storyteller thanked her kindly.

Aguya blushed before replying, “I do love to help people. I hope that as the new Fire Lady, I can help those who are at a disadvantage in life. I was born and raised as a servant without knowing of my noble heritage on my mother's side. 

I want to cast away the invisible social barriers of Fire Nation. I don't want people to think a person's worth comes from that which they are born to. I want to ensure everyone is treated fairly and given equal opportunities,” the stunning monarch explained. 

“Well, you've unknowingly helped me make headway with the block I was feeling,” the Storyteller replied with a smile.

Aguya raised an eyebrow. “What block? What are you talking about?” she asked, confused, as the woman before her cleaned the mist off her glasses.

“As one of many Storytellers, it's my duty to tell the stories from the worlds beyond my own. However, something was blocking me from knowing the rest of your story. You've chipped a bit of that block away.”

“Well, I'm glad you intended to share more of my story with others. Yet, I'm scared, but I must know, do you know how my life story will end?” 

The Storyteller ponders this a moment before answering, “Yes and no. I know one way it could end, but that doesn't mean it will end that way.” 

“So you can't foretell the future or anything?” Aguya asked, to which the woman shook her head. 

“As a storyteller, I can see the possibilities, Aguya. However, even I don't know how every story in the multiverse ends. Besides, no one should know their future at any rate. The important thing is to live in the moment and shape the future according to how you live in the present.

So learn from past mistakes, work hard in the present, and you'll shape a better future. That's about all I can say on the matter,” the blue-green-haired woman replied to the young lady she had summoned. 

“You're very wise, without a doubt, Storyteller. So what else did you want to know?” Aguya asked courteously.

“I just want to chat briefly with someone since I can't get anyone on my cell. Before you ask, you'll magically have the knowledge of a cell phone in a few seconds,” which she was correct about.

So the two ladies sat on the floor with the AC blowing on them and chatted before Aguya politely requested to be sent home to her husband. The Storyteller honored her request; however, she made her promise not to reveal this world to her husband. 

Aguya looked confused as she didn't want to keep secrets from Sozin any longer. She thought it over for a moment before deciding this was merely a rule not to speak of other realms with those who hadn't been summoned by one of the millions of Storytellers. 

She thanked her as she returned to her world, still blissfully unaware of what kind of monster Sozin would turn out to be. The Storyteller whispered, “Aguya, I don't know if your story is just part of what happened before the 100-year War or somehow you prevented it altogether. 

I'll figure that out when my link with you opens again. Until then, I'm heading back to the lobby to cool down some more!” With that, she grabbed her keys, water, and backpack before heading downstairs. 

Notes:

Compelling Characters: The characters are distinct and interesting. The Storyteller's desperation due to the heat and Aguya's bewilderment upon being summoned are portrayed well.

Descriptive Setting: The oppressive heat and the relief brought by Aguya's firebending are vividly described, making the reader feel the temperature changes.

Intriguing Plot: The concept of summoning characters from different stories is intriguing. It provides a unique way to blend different worlds and explore character interactions.

Dialogue: The dialogue feels natural and helps develop the character. The exchange between the Storyteller and Aguya is well-paced and informative without being overwhelming.

Thematic Depth: The story touches on deeper themes such as the struggle with writer's block, the weight of knowing one's potential future, and the desire to help others.

Portal Fantasy: The Storyteller uses a portal potion to summon Aguya from another world, which is a classic example of this trope.

Fish Out of Water: Aguya finds herself in a completely different environment, leading to moments of confusion and adaptation.

Reluctant Hero: Aguya is initially unsure about her role in helping the Storyteller but ultimately uses her abilities to assist.

The Storyteller: The protagonist is a literal storyteller, whose job is to narrate stories from different worlds.

Temperature Tropes: The extreme heat and the subsequent cooling down by Aguya's firebending play significant roles in the plot.

Expository Hairstyle Change: Aguya is described in terms of her golden eyes and distinctive appearance, which highlights her otherworldliness.

Names to Run Away From Really Fast: Sozin, mentioned as Aguya's husband, hints at his future as a villain, adding a layer of dramatic irony.

Metafiction: The Storyteller's awareness of Aguya's story and her role in narrating it adds a metafictional element to the plot.