Well hello my fellow readers this story I've been working on since the beginning of the summer and finally have all the kinks worked out for me to start this takes place some where in the middle of season three. I'm not sure how good this turned out but here it is for your reading pleasure……. Fire Awakens Darkness!
Disclaimer: I don't own avatar, but I do own this plot line so if ya steal it I'll hunt you down like a hawk. (insert evil laugh and scary thriller music here)
Prologue: The Fountain of Youth
The gang arrived at an old yet small town at the bank of what seemed to be an endless lake.
"The water seems so……." Katara tried to explain while chewing on her lower lip.
"Hypnotizing" Aang finished her sentence, just as fascinated with the water as she was.
"Eh, I've seen weirder" Sokka concluded obviously fed up with the conversation but by then Aang and Katara where off in their own worlds feeling as if the water was drawing them in some how, on Appa's back. The town was called "mirage" which actually didn't fit the town at all. It was old, abandon, and the only sole livers left had only a few years left in them but, still, it was somewhere to rest and find food.
"why hello little ones" and old woman greeted as the gaang entered the town.
"hello, um we're just looking for some food and a place to stay for the night" aang informed her, she just gently nodded her head and lead them to the nearest available sleeping area.
"Not a lot of people come here so you'll have plenty of room, just make yourselves at home and your welcome to the market for dinner" the woman instructed pin pointing every area she had named, and with that she left.
"Well I don't know about you guys but in turnin' in early because sokka's whole 'wake up early to save time' thing is draining me" Toph finally spoke for seemed to be the first time in days. Following Toph's lead the four slowly began to prepare themselves for bed. Sokka, Toph and Katara feel asleep almost instantly but Aang on the other hand lied awake in bed. The lake seemed more like an ocean to him, he could hear the waves breaking against the shore. But not in a regular tone, it was like a charming sound than normal persons perspective of 'waves breaking against the shore'. With all this going on aang was still bewildered with the lake itself. He had already locked the thought in his head that Katara was interested because of her water bending nature but for him it seemed more in the spiritual category. He was drawn to it. It called to him, and slowly without warning he slowly and quietly made his way toward the lake making sure not to wake anyone in the process.
It seemed they stayed there longer than planed, which of course was driving Sokka crazy, but the group insisted on relaxing. In these days Aang would spend his time by the lake, watching the water clash and leave, and clash and leave. Simply amazed by it. By now he'd come to the conclusion that this water was special like the water oasis at the North Pole but it was a more "come in" call than a spiritual bridge. In fact he was actually leaning toward the thought that this connection wasn't even spiritual, it was more of a premonition.
"Aang" a familiar voice called out. As Katara approached the distant airbender. "You missed breakfast…..and lunch," she babbled until she noticed the fact Aang was barely listening. "Aang" she called once more, but with slightly more power. Finally he turned his head.
"What?" He spewed, quietly, but with and annoyed undertone.
"What's with you and this lake anyway?" She questioned, "all you do is wake up and sit and stare at it all day"
"So?" He simply replied half listening and half gazing. Katara sighed and took a sitting position next to him, making easier for her to the message across to him.
"You wanna go in don't you?" She finally asked after a few moments of awkward silence. Aang just stared at her amazed as if she was literally reading his mind and just shook his head in response. "Well than…" she trailed off when she heard the footsteps of Unchilee, the old woman who greeted them.
"Well I see you've taken an interest in the water?" she stated "they say only a wise man can appreciate this waters"
"Really why?" aang eagerly asked.
"Well don't ya know what you're starin' at?" she yelled knowing they had no idea. "This is the fountain of youth!" Unchilee continued. Aang and Katara where shocked, and took a minuet to observe the woman. She was old, of course, you could tell by her light gray hair and thin as a twig body. But her skin surprisingly had not a wrinkle in sight.
"Did you go into the water than?" Katara asked.
"Is it obvious?" Unchilee laughed. "Ah yes I remember when I first came to this town it all seemed so big now it's just a withered memory, like myself." Bewildered both Aang and Katara decided to leave her with her memories (which obviously she had a lot of). But as they began to exit the lakeside Unchilee called out to them.
"Don't go in the fountain of youth!" she warned "for the age in which you go is which you stay!" Both benders stopped at her words and turned to her to see her face was dead serious. "It defines time, ya know, so you can travel time through it as well. But be wise because there's no forward and no backwards…..just now…..but if you ever do become lost in it you will drift, out of sight out of mind, until the sands of time bring you back to existence." It was a rather vague and poetic speech, one Katara was completely baffled by, and one aang couldn't stop thinking about for the remainder of the day.
Unchilee's words ran through Aang's mind like a hurricane. It seemed so stupid to obsess over some old as dirt lake but he couldn't get it out of his mind. He buried his face in the pillow of the couch he was laying on as the rest of his peers began to prepare for supper.
"What you like for dinner aang?" Katara asked, imagining how hungry he must be from not eating all day.
"It doesn't matter," he mumbled in the pillow.
"Are you going to tell me what's wrong anytime soon?" Katara questioned, placing her hands firmly on her hips.
"It's just about what Unchilee said" aang explained, not yet meeting her gaze. "About how you could travel through time in that water, well I might be able to use that to my advantage."
"How?" Toph asked jumping into the private conversation.
"Come Toph use your head" Sokka's jumped in as well. "If Aang can travel through time in that water he might be able to go back in time and stop the war from happening."
"Aang, that's a major choice your making I think you might want to think this through" Katara acknowledged.
"What for?" Toph snipped.
"Well think of all the things that have happened because of the war," the waterbender explained. "All those little details that have a really big impact one us that we never paid attention to might all be undone, even meeting you Aang."
"Maybe you should think this through" Sokka added.
"That's a risk I'm going to have to take if I want any hope of winning this war now, I mean I haven't even started learning firebending yet! How do you expect me to win the war this way? I have to take every easy opportunity that comes my way!" he was breathing heavily now as he scanned the room for anyone to back him up but all he got were wide eyes. No one knew how to respond and just let him drift slowly out of the room.
"Let him cool off" Sokka ordered pulling Katara away when she went to go comfort him, Sokka knew it would only make matters worse.
"Guys dinner is ready!" Katara yelled putting down a bowl of stew. Everyone gathered around the table, all but one at least.
"I guess Aang's still sore about what happened today" Toph guessed.
"Sokka I think now I should go talk to him he's been in there way too long" the waterbender sighed getting up form her place at the table. Down the long hallway she walked, breathing heavy and short. She was always somewhat nervous to talk to Aang whenever he was in one of his "moods" but still certain things had to be done.
"They've been in there a long time" Sokka mentioned as he and Toph took away the dirty dishes
"Oh, you know them the most likely just-" Toph realized Sokka had already headed down the hallway in her mid-sentence. The warrior was about the break open the door when reached but realized it was already open only containing a crying Katara and a crinkled note in her hand.
"Katara what's wrong?" the concerned brother asked.
"S-Sokka," Katara sobbed, "A-Aang's gone"
"What!"
"He left a note this time" she mentioned referring to the last time he ran away without a simple notice. She handed Sokka the note.
My dearest friends,
I'm sorry I had to leave you again like this but this was too big an opportunity to let pass by……………
The young avatar floated helplessly in the water. He knew where he was going just no possible idea how to get there.
………...I know the risk I'm taking by going alone, and I know how much could change if I do this. But I have no way to win the war in the condition I'm in and I'm willing to try anything. I just want you all to know that I love you all differently, but equally…………
Aang was well aware of what could happen to him he remembered Unchilee's words about the lake very well, in fact he hadn't forgotten them ever since they where said, it was almost like a haunting to him now. He had no need to breath, no need to swim, he just floated, and suddenly in the midst of his floating he felt different as if something where taken away from him. His eyes closed as he drifted to where he hoped was his destination.
…………don't worry we'll meet again. But in a better place, a better world. I promise.
Love Aang.
A year passed, and as expected no Aang. A world without the avatar was nothing but dreadful. Many people believed the avatar was still dead from what Azula had done, there it was only a matter of time when what the fire nation had been plotting to do for so long took force. Lives and homes alike were destroyed, and no ones hope returned. But then on a fateful day a boy washed up on the beach. His long black hair draped over his face as he took his first gasp of air. The beach was deserted not even a crab or two, only one little girl who walked the beach alone landed he eyes one the motionless boy. There she sat watching him wake but finally his eyes opened and with another gasp he looked at the mysterious tiny girl's wide eyes starring at him. He was confused of course to be greeted by such a small child (she must've been only two). The pair just stared in awkward silence until the little girl built up the courage and extended her tiny arm out towards him to be the first to say-
"Hello."
blackrose's note: Well I hope it's not too short but that's the prologue, has it got you interested? If it did I'll continue but I need to know so jus hit the nice review button on your way out if you wanna read the next chapter: the water witch. Oh and if you're a little confused don't worry the story will even out, promise. plus parings may be subject to change.
-Blackrose