Aang's condition was rapidly accelerating. At first it had just been flickers, moments where his control of earth or fire or water would slip for a heartbeat, or his connection to the Avatar State would become occluded. But lately he would lose everything but his airbending for minutes or even hours, the other three elements and the pure energy of the Avatar State as far out of his reach as flying without his bending.
At first, he and Katara had assumed it was some kind of sickness or injury that was blocking a crucial chi point, as Azula's lightning had cut him off from the Avatar State. But after Katara spent hours analyzing every inch of his spiritweb with the Healing Touch, and found all Aang's chi paths as clear and unblocked as they ever were, they had to search for other explanations.
To make matters worse, the war was far from over, despite Ozai's severing. Between issues of colonies, reparations, and other miscellany, the negotiations at Ba Sing Se hadn't been able to achieve anything more than a watchful ceasefire, one that might become war again at the slightest provocation. And if war broke out again, Aang didn't think anything short of annihilation could stop it.
For the past three days, Aang had been seeking to enter the Spirit World, hoping his past lives would have some aid to offer. So far he had been unable to hold himself in the Spirit World long enough to even find his predecessors, much less ask them for help. But this was the Autumnal Equinox, one of four days on which the barriers between the mortal and spiritual realms collapsed. If he was ever going to be able to reach his past lives and heal whatever was wrong with him, it would be today.
Aang sat, cross-legged, in the Circle Of Winds. A circular platform atop the tallest tower of the Southern Air Temple, this had always been considered that temple's best place for meditation. He closed his eyes and slowed his breathing, deliberately stilling the racing of his heart. In and out. In and out. In… and out…
He opened his eyes again, and knew that he was in the Spirit World. Below him, above him, all around him, gusts of cloud and glints of wind swirled. The sprits of air surrounded him, taking the forms of ghostly sky bisons and translucent men and women in the garb of the lost Air Nomads.
"Roku! Kyoshi! Kuruk! Yangchen! I need your help!"
For a few moments nothing happened, and he tried to keep his fear down, lest it weaken the link and cause him to lose his chance. Then, almost as one, they arrived. Kuruk from the South, a crashing wave despositing him on the platform. Roku from the North, dismounting Fang and taking his seat. Kyoshi from the East, earthgliding up the side of the platform. Yangchen from the West, riding a translucent sky bison.
"You have called," spoke Roshu.
"And we came," echoed Kyoshi.
"But it was for naught," said Kuruk.
"We do not know what has damaged your link to us," finished Yangchen.
BUT I DO.
This voice Aang had heard only once before. Beneath him, the lion turtle rose up through the temple, a blazing form wrought of green and gold fires. It continued to rise, carrying the five Avatars with it as it surmounted the Circle. Its voice continued, echoing from every direction, as though the elements themselves were given voice.
YOU HAVE DONE THIS HARM TO YOURSELF, YOUNG AVATAR. YOUR USE OF ENERGYBENDING TO STOP THE MAD FIRE LORD WAS PRAISEWORTHY, BUT IT CAME AT A COST. WHEN YOU STRIKE A TREE WITH AN AX, IT IS NOT ONLY THE TREE THAT IS HARMED. THE AX TOO IS BLUNTED. IT IS THE SAME WITH ENERGYBENDING. YOU MADE OF YOUR SPIRIT A LEVER TO TWIST THE SPIRIT OF THE FIRELORD, BUT IN SO DOING YOU BENT YOUR OWN SPIRIT AS WELL. THAT PART OF YOU WHICH SHOULD CONNECT YOU TO ALL YOUR PAST LIVES IS TWISTED, AND NO LONGER FITS INTO THE AVATAR SPIRIT AS IT OUGHT. AND EVERY ATTEMPT YOU MAKE TO FORCE THE CONNECTION ONLY TWISTS YOU FURTHER.
Aang gathered his courage to voice the question on which all hung. "Can anything be done to fix it? I will need the wisdom of my past lives if I am to navigate the next months, and only fear of the Avatar's full power keeps the world from erupting into war once more."
For a brief moment nothing happened, then the massive voice of the Lion Turtle boomed out from every direction.
THERE IS A WAY. ROKU, KYOSHI, KURUK , YANGCHEN, YOU TOGETHER REPRESENT THE FOUR ELEMENTS OF THIS WORLD. WITH YOUR PERMISSION AND COOPERATION, I CAN SET IN MOTION A PROCESS THAT WILL PERMIT YOUR LATEST VESSEL TO REBUILD HIS LINK TO YOU. BUT BE ADVISED, YOUNG AANG, THERE IS PERIL IN THIS PROCESS. IT WILL TAKE TIME, AND ONCE IT IS BEGUN, YOU WILL LOSE ALL THE GIFTS OF YOUR CONNECTION TO YOUR PREVIOUS VESSELS UNITL YOU HAVE REBUILT THE LINKS ARIGHT.
The four Avatars in the outer circle glanced at each other, and then nodded. "It's your choice, Aang," said Roku. "If you are willing to attempt this process of The Lion Turtle's, we will provide whatever it needs. If you feel it is too risky, we will attempt what we can to rebuild the connection from this end."
Aang rose to his feet. "I'm willing. If it can restore my connection to the Avatar State in time to stop another war, or end it swiftly, it's worth any risk."
GOOD. ROKU, KYOSHI, KURUK, YANGCHEN, SIMPLY LET MY ENERGIES FLOW THORUGH YOU. I WILL PERFORM THE REST. AVATAR AANG, PREPARE YOURSELF. IN THIS TRIAL, YOU MUST FACE YOUR GREATEST LOVES AND YOUR MOST FEARED FOES, AND ALL WILL NOT BE AS IT SEEMS.
Around Aang, the four Avatars rose into bending stances. Emerald fire climbed up their legs, and power suddenly erupted from them. Fire, water, wind, stone, all swirled around Aang in a loop, leaping from Avatar to Avatar. Then the four elements seemed to sink into each other, merging into a single whirling loop of white light. Suddenly, the ring contracted, the braided stream of white power closing in an eyeblink like an enormous horizontal guillotine. Whiteness eclipsed Avatar Aang's world, and he knew no more.