Author's Note: Don't be scared of the fact that this is a Kingdom Hearts crossover--I've tried to make this story as readable to my fellow Avatards as possible...and if you don't like it, then you get a cookie. But if you keep reading and replying to this fanfic then you'll get not one, not two but THREE cookies. I'm sure you can do the math.--s7

Avatar Hearts

PART I:

The Door

Chapter 1

Aang's eyes moved from cloud to cloud in the sky, to the setting sun and then slowly fell on Katara, sitting next to her on the large hill overlooking Ba Sing Se. "I've been having these weird thoughts lately."

"Really? Like what?" asked Katara.

"Like…" Aang struggled with his words. "…is any of this for real or not?"

Katara grinned. "Of course this isn't real, Aang. You were shot in the back with a bolt of lightning!"

"I…was?" Aang paused, trying to remember. "I was. Wasn't I?"

"Yes. You died, too. It was only for a few minutes but it did the trick. Death's a bit angry that you, well, that you lived. So you're going to be stuck here for a while. But that suits my needs perfectly well."

"You're not Katara, are you? You're some sort of spirit…"

"It all depends on your viewpoint, really. I may be Katara, I may be a spirit. I may be something more. You'll have to decide this for yourself. The real point here is that your heart holds a special bond with me—with Katara—, one that will be extremely important in the coming events."

"I don't understand."

"People seldom do. I don't really understand it myself, and it's all about me."

"Who are you?"

"Aang." Katara turned to the Avatar, her face showing an expression of concern. "Aang, the Heartless are coming. And when they come you'll need to be ready."

The horizon dripped downward into nothing. "I'm going back to sleep again, aren't I? I mean, I won't be able to talk to you."

"I'll always be with you, Aang. So will Sokka and Toph. In heart, body and spirit we all share unbreakable bonds. Remember that."

Katara's face vanished, leaving Aang once again precariously close to Death's icy domain.

--

"How's Aang?"

Katara jumped, startled. She hadn't seen Sokka and Toph walk up behind her, probably because of her mindset. Her mind focused entirely on her wounded friend. Nevertheless, her answer was quick. "Not good, Sokka. I mean, good, but he's still asleep."

"Two weeks now," said Toph. "He's been out for two weeks." The earthbender shook her head worriedly.

"He's going to wake up, Toph," said Katara.

"But when?" Sokka shot back. "I know Aang's our best—our only—shot at taking the Fire Nation, but If he doesn't wake up soon Sozin's Comet will come and then…" He stopped.

"We'll die," Toph said, glaring at Sokka. "Admit it. Don't just pretend it's some little crazy idea floating around in the air—it could happen. It might happen."

"No, it won't," Sokka growled. "Aang's going to week up, alright? So shut up right now or I'll--"

"Quit it. Both of you. Now." Katara's words were so forceful, so packed with rage, that the two others immediately turned to her and shut their mouths. "Aang has never, ever let us down. He's saved our sorry butts more than any of us can count. He's coming back, okay?" Toph raised her hand as if to reply, thought better of it and stormed off.

"I'm going to bed, Sugar Queen. G'night." Toph skulked away without looking back.

Sokka broke the silence first. "Katara…what are we going to do?"

"I don't know," said Katara. "Somebody needs to talk to Toph. She's been weird lately…"

"I think she just feels hopeless. We all feel a little hopeless right now."

"Then cheer her up."

Sokka studied Katara's face. "What are you talking about?"

"Sokka, she likes you. Can't you tell?"

"She likes all of us."

"No, genius. She likes you."

Silence.

"Um. Um…I'm involved. With Suki. Right?"

Katara shook her head. "Yeah, but she doesn't care. You're the only guy she has a chance with, in her eyes at least."

"I am?"

Katara shook her head. "There's something in the guy brain that prevents you all from understanding things unless girls say them twice. She thinks you're the only guy she has a chance with."

"Is she right?"

"Sokka, you don't just see her like some helpless blind girl and you don't see her like some brainless musclehead either."

"Neither does Aang."

"Yes, but she probably understand that she could never be with the Avatar," said Katara.

Sokka stared at the floor. "I've got to give this some thought. Dad promised to go fishing with me today…I think I will. I hope you feel better, Katara."

"I will," Katara replied. "Wait, what?"

"I know you miss Aang more than any of us."

Katara smiled. "Yeah. I do." Sokka walked out onto the deck of the captured ship, leaving the waterbender alone with her thoughts. She went into Aang's room and looked down over him.

"Aang, I don't know if you can hear me. I don't know where you are or if you'll wake up. But…" she hesitated "…I've been thinking a whole lot about what you said in the South Pole. I keep thinking, you know, that we're…not kids. Not anymore. Not after the things we've seen. But we're not adults either.

"I don't know what I'm trying to…I just…I miss you, Aang. I do. And it feels like everything's falling apart, and if you were here maybe things would get better. Even a little. We don't even have to fight the Fire Nation, you know? We can…all of us can just live in solitude I guess. I don't know what I'm trying to say. Just please…please wake up, Aang.

"Please."

--

The Dai Li claim to protect the city of Ba Sing Se with their lives. They do not. They claim to Azula to protect her with their lives. They do not. The one thing the Dai Li protect with their own lives is their own lives. Like rats they scamper about and hide, ever searching for the stronger leader to hide behind. And when something enormous, something terrifying comes into being that might just be a threat to their life, they tell their fearless leader all about it.

"Captain Satoshi!" Private Leers stammered, stumbling out of the mine's darkness. "Captain Satoshi!"

The Captain turned his weathered face to Leers. "Leers. Calm yourself. What do you have to say?"

"I found it! No one believed in it anymore but it's there, by the spirits, it's there!"

"Private," Satoshi said gently. "Private Leers. Come into my office and we will discuss this over a warm cup of tea."

Leers was more than agreeable to this idea. The two sat down by Satoshi's desk and the Captain sipped his green tea while Leers gushed about his experiences, about being lost in the mine, about his unbelievable discovery. Satoshi listened carefully, seemingly uninterested but listening to the words; to the words themselves, their tone and their actual meaning.

After the third telling Leers was calm. The Private thanked the spirits themselves that he could talk so freely with his Captain, gave his blessings and requested another cup of tea. Captain Satoshi obliged, for what else could he do for such a wonderful agent?

The poison was quick-acting—Leers was dead after three sips.