This story takes place during the Book of Water season, some time after the Winter Solstice-
As summer draws near, Aang's mounting fear that he will not be ready for what lies ahead leads to some disturbing nightmares. How will he find the courage within himself to erase his insecurities and face the inevitable?
Sometimes the one who can be of the most help is not the one who would choose to offer it.
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Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: TLA or any of the corresponding merchandise. Please don't sue! You'll get naught but the pickled eggs I hid under the sink.
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A Nightmare's Armistice: By KaleidoscopeKitten
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Prologue
"Our Remedies oft in
ourselves do lie,
which we ascribe to Heaven"
--Shakespeare
All's Well That Ends Well
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Below him the ground melted into green and brown liquid, blurring into the burnt horizon. Billows of dark fumes erupted from the structures beneath, adding violent pumes of color to the wind as he glided past.
He could feel the heat of the flames despite his altitude. He squinted as a trickle of sweat slid into his eye, and blinked hard to refocus. He choked on the gritty consistency of the air. The taste of ashes filled his throat and he gagged.
Not willing to relinquish his grasp on the glider long enough to wipe his eyes, he let them stream down his face until the wind whipped the droplets away. It made seeing where he was going nearly impossible, but given the circumstances he deemed it to be a good thing.
Through hazy eyes the town looked distant, murky. The outlines of the buildings were soft, the trees gray smudges rather than stark, dead skeletons scratching at the air. The flames licking the streets were merely an orange blankets tossed haphazardly about.
It could have just been a watercolor painting...
If not for the harsh smoke now clotting the air.
This time he coughed up black spittle, feeling his nostrils clogging with soot. He looked around frantically. Searching for some place, any place to be free of the smoke. But the horizon was bleak for miles, the sky a dusky red orange mottled with clouds. Not rain clouds.
Oh, why couldn't this be a dream?
He wanted to wake up and see the sky blue. The grass uncharred.A soft, clear breeze whispering through the trees.
Sokka and Katara would be sitting nearby.
They would be talking and laughing. They were so happy, and they were looking at him. Then Katara would stand up and walk over to him. She would plop down beside him with a hand on his shoulder. He could see the sunlight spilling into her striking blue eyes.
She was telling him something. Motioning with her hands and smiling. Pointing to the sky and...
...and screaming?
"Katara!"
The abrupt shriek brought him to a wincing halt as he reeled around, faltering in midair. He quickly caught himself, using an air current to boost himself into the air once more. Katara. He scanned the ground for his friend closely. Was Sokka with her? He could feel his pulse quickening, his arms weakening with dread.
No sign of her.
Please...Please scream again! He forced his eyes to focus.
Please...
The moments dragged by like hours. He barely dared to breathe, straining his ears against the hissing of the wind.
Please let me find her! he pleaded, although he knew not to who, or if such things even helped. He felt heavy enough to leave a crater in the crisp earth if he crashed.
"HELP!"
Blood pounding at his temples, he swooped downward, picking up tremendous speed. Eyes narrowed, he focused on a blur of movement.
"Katara!"
Within seconds he reached the hunched form. He could feel his heart sink as he landed and walked over to her. He knelt beside her, trying to hide the raw emotions he knew must have been playing across his features. Silently, he put his arms around her shoulders. She looked up at him briefly before returning the embrace, face pressed tightly to his shirt.
"Are you alright?"
He patted her on the back, trying to comfort her and ease her silent shaking. Whether it was due to fear or sorrow, he couldn't tell.
I know how you feel, he thought, brushing the hair out of her face and wiping off the soot. He could feel hot tears soaking his own cheeks.
It wasn't Katara.
Sniffing, she looked up at him again.
"I can't find my...my mom..."
She couldn't have been older than eight or nine. He rubbed her back and tried to smile encouragingly.
"We'll find her."
For a moment she stared at him, curiosity overriding the despair in her features. His voice was gentle and reassuring, but he looked to be in no better shape than her. Dirty and crying, he looked more like he was in need of help. Not someone who could offer promises.
But with the unbiased heart of a child, she believed him.
Nodding, she wiped a sleeve across his eyes with a shy smile and didn't flinch as he grasped her hand and pulled her to her feet. They scanned the surrounding houses silently. There weren't any active flames too close to where they stood, but the scarred soil told of its passing. Burnt sticks and shattered glass lay in clumps in the street. There was no movement for some distance, except the shadows playing across the walls of ravaged dwellings.
She leaned against his side, eyes red rimmed and restless, but silent. She was not even sniffling now, but appeared to be focusing all of her attention on discerning rubble from possible family member. Her grip on his hand was fierce but warm.
"Don't worry," he heard himself say, feeling the sharp stab of guilt penetrate his thoughts.
This is all my fault...
Crick!
The sound of splintering glass reached his ears and he spun around slowly.
"Mom?"
The little girl bolted in the direction of the noise where a shadow emerged from behind what looked to have once been a shed.
The tiny smile that had found its way to her face vanished, however, when the figure stepped out of the darkness. Her gasp was audible despite the distance. Sinking to the ground, she quickly wrapped her arms around her knees, burying her face.
The figure stopped a few feet from her trembling form and peered down at her with an unreadable expression.
It was by no means the child's mother, and even without motion, this person possessed the stance of a warrior.
"Zuko!"
The figure looked up. Locking eyes with his opponent, a scowl crossed his lips.
"Avatar."
"You did this!" Anger danced behind the airbender's eyes as he confronted the prince of the fire nation. Cold fury blazed within him as he glared at the taller boy. "How could you!"
Zuko remained silent but returned the glare. He was wearing his usual outfit consisting of fire nation armor, with the exception of a helmet. The grey and red tones blended in smoothly with the atmosphere.
"All this..." The younger boy swept a hand at their surroundings, "All this destruction and pain and..." he choked on the words as visions of the decimated town flashed before his eyes.
"All this...because of...me?"
"I will do whatever is necessary to capture you," came the bland reply.
He could feel his grey eyes squeezing shut even as he told himself to open them, open them! He wanted to hold onto the anger and disgust. Wanted to amplify it, send a current of hatred at his opponent. But to his dismay, all he could feel was it slipping away. Why? Why was this hapening?
He let out a ragged sob as he sagged to the ground.
Because of him.
It was all his fault.
And he couldn't do anything to stop it.
"You really don't expect me to fall for that, do you?"
The avatar lifted his gaze from the ground momentarily.
Zuko was standing over him, amber eyes blazing. The younger boy could see the threads of fire flickering from his fists. Up close, fury was plain on his face, and his shoulders shook as though he was trying to contain the fire within his arms.
A few feet away, the little girl had raised her head and was watching them from where she sat, rocking and wide eyed.
"Stand up."
He ignored the order, and glanced beyond the firebender in front of him. He could see the little girl clearly, motioning for him to rise.The forlorn, pleading look on her face brought another wave of anguish to the airbender.
"I never wanted this..."
He thought of the air temple. Ravaged. Deserted.
"Stop crying and get up!"
Katara.
Sokka.
He felt his arm wrenched from his side and twisted behind his back. He could see the red ties of the prince's black boots as he was pulled to his feet.
"You're coming with me, Avatar."
The voice was beside his ear, and he shrank away from the slight heat of the breath on his neck.
The ground was colorless. He stumbled in the direction he was being pushed.
"Noo!" The small voice echoed in his ears. He felt a jolt as something rammed into his captor, and looked over his shoulder.
"Let him go!" The little girl screamed, yanking on Zuko's arm. Futilely, she continued, alternating between tugging and kicking at his legs.
The prince scowled, but otherwise ignored her and kept walking, not even breaking his stride.
The captive boy watched her over his shoulder. He couldn't make out what she was saying. She twisted furiously at the arm which grasped his wrists. He could see her mouth moving. Tendrils of brown hair splayed out in the thick air. The soot ran in streaks down her face, pooled at her mouth.
Suddenly, there was no noise at all.
He couldn't even hear his own footfalls. The wind had died.
Why couldn't he hear anything?
Without warning, he pitched forward. He could feel his enemy tumble over him, and came down upon the ground roughly. He could taste dirt and metal and knew he had bitten his lip as he attempted to dislodge muck from his teeth.
His toe began to twinge and he realized dimly that he had merely tripped. Coughing, he struggled to sit up without the help of his hands. Beside him the prince got to his own knees and glowered at his charge.
He looked around for the little girl.
She knelt beside him and flung her arms around his neck. He could see her face clearly despite the haze hovering on everything else. Her eyes were as green and vivid as new leaves budding on a dormant tree.
She was looking right at him, straight into his eyes.
She smiled and said something.
Zuko looked at her, from where he knelt.
Could he hear her?
What was she saying?
She was still looking into his eyes. A single tear spilled from her left eye. She spoke again.
And he heard her.
"Aang."
Shocked, he backed away a little. "What?" he inquired. How did she know his name?
"Aang!" She looked worried now. Concerned. Shadows played across her brow in unease.
She put her hands on his shoulders and shook them slightly. She continued peering intensely at him. Zuko was looking at him now, too. He crossed his arms, looking confused.
He was confused.
"Aang!"
What was going on?
She was shaking his shoulders harder.
They both leaned over him.
He looked back and forth from her worried face to Zuko's inquisitous one. They leaned in closer and their faces began to blur with the surroundings.
Why couldn't he...see?
"Aang!"
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"Aang!"
Katara shook the airbender once more. A look of relief crossed her features as his eyes opened slowly, struggling to focus on her face. He seemed to be trying to figure out who they were.
"Easy, Katara. You'll shake his brain lose or something."
Sokka peered down at the pale boy, finding himself highly curious. What had he been dreaming about? The twelve year old's cryptic words still rebounded dimly in his head.
It's all my fault...
With a jolt, Aang sat upright, causing the rolled blanket his head had been resting on to uncurl. He eyed the siblings before him suspiciously for a moment before cautiously asking:
"Guys?"
Before either of them had a chance to respond they found themselves in a bearhug vice. Their necks were protesting painfully by the time he released them.
"What was that for?" Sokka rubbed his throat, backing away slightly.
"Are you alright, Aang?" Katara straightened a strand of hair subconciously, eyeing her friend with concern. "You seemed so upset..." Regretfully, she noticed the sadness had returned to his eyes and mentally chided herself.
Aang folded his arms over his knees and sighed.
"I'm ok. It's not much to talk about." Solemnly, he rested his chin on his arms. But catching her gaze, he grinned.
"Just a bad dream..."
