Please read this before going onto the story:
Sorry about the deleted story but I had to revise the beginning! It wasn't getting much reviews so...meh. Also the other story, Save me from Me...don't worry I will update it, but I just had to write this story down before I lost the idea. The name that Koh says is the portal of time is the actual Chinese name for portal and time...if not blame the internet! Anyways, I'm just going to have a quote at the beginning to kind of reflect what is to happen. The main reason why it is rated M is for violence...I might have more M stuff later...but for now that's it! Oh and if you hate the Avatars reaction to Aang...read further on and Koh will say why, if you look.
"That's very noble of you. I believe people can change their lives if they want to. I believe in second chances."
General Iroh
The night's moonlit skies shed light to the world below, casting enough light to show the scene below.
There, on a small remote Fire Nation island, a lone figure walked along the ocean line, watching the waves push and pull in a never ending cycle. Many would recognized this figure instantaneously because of the light blue arrows tattoos, yet few would recognize his piercing grey eyes nor his shoulders which seemed to bear the weight of the world.
This has in fact gone on for the last few days. The Avatar would vanish at night to a place unknown and return in the morning. No one knew where he went, not even some of his closest friends. No one noticed, no one except a certain waterbender. In fact, that certain waterbender seemed to notice everything about Aang these past few days, the changes in his behavior, the nervousness, the nightmares he has been having. At first she had thought that Aang wouldn't sleep because of the nightmares and so went for a walk, but as she soon found out, these walks would go on for hours and every time she would try and follow him, she lose sight of him.
It was starting to get to her. Her maternal instincts, which had started to develop the day her own mother died, wouldn't let this go. She had to know that Aang was alright and, though she was too embarrassed to say, she had to be able to feel Aang just to make sure of it. For the last few days, she had always made some excuse to touch Aang, whether it be a hug or just a simply grabbing of a hand. She had made excuses to heal Aang's scar as if to see that he hadn't gotten a new one on his unknown trips at night. She would never let Aang out of her sights and constantly watched over him at night, yet it always ended with Katara accidently falling asleep. This night was no different; Aang had managed to escape from her ever watchful eyes.
Katara sighed as she silently tossed in her bed. As always, she was waiting for the quiet squeaking of the sound of an opening door to confirm that Aang had returned.
'Ugh! Where is he?! It's almost morning! He was never this late before!'
A stray thought entered her mind 'Maybe…maybe you're being a bit overprotective.'
'No! I need to know where he is?! What if he is hurt?! What if he is doing something stupid?!'
'That's not the real reason is it? You're scared that he is seeing some fire nation girl, aren't you? You're jealous that Aang might be seeing another girl.' Her mind inquired.
'What?! N-no! Aang is my friend! My best friend! I…I d-don't…love him'
'That's not what I said and that's not how you felt on the submarines nor at that secret dance party. Remember you were jealousy of Aang dancing with another girl. What if he is sneaking out to see her again?'
'He wouldn't!' Katara thought with disbelief.
'Why not? She is beautiful, carefree, everything you are not. After all you had shot his heart down, he might as well move on.'
'He wouldn't! It would jeopardize the whole mission!'
'That didn't stop you from scamming those fire nation men nor did it stop you from stealing that waterbending scroll.'
'Yeah but Aang is-'
'What? More mature, more caring and deserves more than just you, a lowly water tribe peasant?'
Katara shuddered at this. It was true…all of it or at least she thought it was true. Katara closed her eyes, shivering again at the thought of Aang with another girl, a girl that wasn't her.
'Imagine it…they might be doing things you only dreamed of.'
'Stop it! STOP IT! Aang…Aang loves me! He wouldn't do that!'
'Ha! Why would he love you? You act like his mother! You shot his feelings down!'
'That was for his own good!'
'For his or for yours…'
'For his!'
'Oh really. If I recall clearly, you said you were confused, you said that it had to wait after the war, you knew it was better for you and for the world. But did you ever think of him? Did you ever foresee the effects on him from this? He was thrown into a world of mistrust and hatred and you turned down his feelings? I wouldn't be surprised if he brought her home today.'
Katara gasped and sprinted out of her room with such haste that she almost stepped on Momo who was sleeping peacefully in the hallway..
She ran as fast as she could to Aang's room and knocked loudly.
"Aang? Aang open up!" Katara yelled. When no reply came, she tried opening the door and to her surprise, it opened instantly. She peered hesitantly inside, afraid of what she would find inside.
She sighed with relief as she saw that the room was still empty.
'That doesn't mean that Aang still isn't out there in her house.' Katara groaned. Why did her brain have to always bring these things out?
Katara cautiously moved inside, she was determined to find any damning evidence of Aang's whereabouts. Whether it be love letters or notes, hoping to the spirits that there weren't any.
Katara yawned tiredly. She had been searching for an hour now, and to her disappointment there was absolutely nothing in the room, literally...well except for a small bed.
'He's a monk you idiot. Of course he would keep to the policy of owning near to nothing.' Katara berated herself, yet silently she thanked the spirits for answering her prayers.
Katara yawned again; she hadn't slept all yesterday and today. How Aang could stay up all this time was a mystery to her. She barely acknowledged the fact that she climbed into Aang's bed, too tired to go back to her own room, and slowly fell asleep. Her senses captivated by the scent left by Aang's body, her dreams plagued with a certain airbender, in fact…the only airbender in the world.
--
Katara woke up with a start, her eyes slowly recovering. She could barely make out a figure come into the room. She heard a light click as the figure locked the door and turned to her. The figure stopped suddenly, surprised to see someone here.
"K-Katara? What are you doing here?"
Avoiding the question, Katara stood up and slapped Aang....hard across the face.
"Do you have any idea how worried I was?! You do the same thing over and over again every night, yet I have no idea where you are or what you are doing!"
Aang started to chuckle even though the sting from the slap hurt, obviously amused by an inside joke. Katara's eyes widened with realization, she sounded just like a mother would, even more so. Katara started to blush as Aang started to full on laugh.
"Ugh! Aang! Sometimes I wonder if you-"
Aang held out his hands to stop Katara.
"So-sorry Katara...I really couldn't help it. Could you please forgive me?" Aang said, putting on his best "I'm sorry" face.
"Fine…but only if you tell me where you have been for the last few nights." Katara said as her face relax and her lips curled to a smile, knowing she got him cornered. She knew that Aang would do anything to get her forgiveness; it was just his nature to be kind.
'There you go again…manipulating his kindness for your own worries.'
'It's for his own good!'
'Oh jeez…this argument again?'
Katara dismissed the thought and returned back to reality. She continued to stare at Aang, daring him to lie or run away.
"I…uh…was somewhere."
Katara stood up from the bed and took her classic motherly pose with one hand on her hip, her mouth pouting upwards, and one eyebrow raised as if amused by his half-hearted answer. Aang started to smile at this pose, thinking silently to himself that it was the cutest thing he had ever seen.
"Fine…don't tell me." Katara said while biting her lower lip, her eyes downcast, making it seem as if she was about to cry. She allowed herself a small smile as she heard Aang immediately try to stop her from crying.
"No don't cry Katara! Please don't! I…I was…"
"Was?" Katara said, compelling Aang to go on.
"Was…at the Fire Nation…palace…freeing the prisoners and formed a resistance with them…sabotaged their operations…and…stealing information." Aang closed his eyes, waiting for the explosion that was Katara.
"WHAT?! Do you even KNOW how dangerous that was?! Spirits! Do you even think things through before you do it?! They could be following you right now! Of all the stupid things to do…" Katara said, her voice cracking with pain and anguish, her eyes filled with tears threatening to fall. She started to pace around in a circle, trying to think of the implications of this. If that's what Aang was doing all night, she would have chained him to the ground.
She stopped this pace as she realized Aang's face contorted in regret and remorse.
"Oh…spirits…I'm so sorry Aang. I-I didn't mean to say that. I was just so worried that you might get hurt." Katara said while capturing Aang in a tight hug and for a while all they did was find comfort in each others arms.
They were quite ready to stay that way when they heard clapping. Katara instantly ended the hug and took her waterbending stance, facing the intruder. Aang too took his stance. They both gasped as they saw the one and only Azula standing at the doorway.
"Aww…how touching. I always knew you two would get together. Are you still a virgin Katara, I bet not. That... is your name isn't it?" Azula asked mockingly as she too took her wicked stance.
"Don't talk to her that way!" Aang shouted as he threw a boulder the size of his head at Azula. She dodged it easily.
"Awww...now you hurt my feelings, which could only mean that I'm right. After all…I'm always right." Azula said, smiling cruelly as she dodged Katara's ice daggers.
"You know…it wasn't hard finding you, I already knew that Zuko would come here. Zuzu is so predicable some times and those attacks on the Fire Nation prisons weren't helping you either." At that moment, they all heard a huge explosion and a blood-curling scream.
Azula turned her head around and smiled again. "That would be the reinforcements. I'm sure that was your brother wasn't it?"
Katara's eyes started to water as she saw behind Azula, her brother being dragged by two Fire Nation soldiers. The blast from the explosion blew out most of his face and his legs were blown off as well.
She felt the rage within her flare up like a caged dragon.
"You bitch!" She yelled as she sent a water whip as fast as lightning towards Azula and, even with Azula's agility, cut her in the arm.
"That was the best you can do?! Ha! It's a wonder that my brother keeps on talking about your amazing waterbending skills...though now that you've hurt me physically…I have to punish you." Azula smiled.
"My father wants you all dead, but I'm sure my father can make an exception for you…I'll take you home as my slave. Maybe you can give us some information as well on this resistance which seemed to pop out of no where."
Aang growled, he could take insults, threats, and torture, but when it was directed towards Katara, especially if it was his fault, something inside of him boiled like lava.
Aang yelled and shot out a huge wave of air, pushing Azula out of the room into the wall opposite in the courtyard.
Aang took this opportunity of freedom, grabbed Katara's hand and ran out.
In the background, they could hear multiple screams. Most of which were from Fire Nation soldiers.
Aang started to run out, but Katara stopped him and pulled him into an empty room right besides the exit. Before Aang could say anything, Katara spoke first.
"Listen Aang, I know I'm not going to survive this battle. I know most of us won't, but you have to go. I'll stall them…and before you go…I-I want you to know…I will always l-love you." With that Katara started to sprint out, but before she could reach the door, Aang grabbed her wrist pulling her back to him, allowing him to capture her lips.
Everything from there was from instinct. Aang's hands idly snaked around her hips and into her mahogany hair, pulling her flush up to his own body. Katara's tongue pushed against Aang's lower lip, seeking passage, which Aang allowed. Instantly, the two tongues collided with each other, fighting for dominance. Katara moaned into their mouths as she felt her own tongue being pushed back. She loved the way Aang tasted, the sweetness and the overall feeling of his tongue, and vise versa. Katara's own hands snaked around Aang's bald head, compelling him to force his tongue deeper into her own mouth. Neither wanted to end this kiss, this moment in time when they were happy, but the need for air was too great and they finally broke apart.
Katara was breathing heavily, her eyes filled with compassion and love. Aang too was breathing heavily, his face filled with joy and a lopsided smile, his forehead resting on Katara's. Aang concluded that kissing Katara was very addictive and was about to kiss her again when a huge explosion interrupted their solace.
Katara looked instinctively at the door and started to move towards it.
"Go Aang. We'll be fine." With that, Katara opened the door and sprinted to the heart of the battle.
As she did, Aang could hear shouts from Azula saying that Katara should be captured alive.
Aang too sprinted out, trying desperately to escape like Katara had commanded him to do, but as he stepped out of the room he paused at the scene before him.
In the center of the courtyard, on the fountain, Katara was readily blocking all of the fire blasts heading towards the group. Toph was injured in the leg and was on the floor, doing what she could to stop the oncoming soldiers. Suki was tending to Zuko, who had been shot by lightning by his sister. Surrounding them were more than fifty soliders, all of them firebenders and on the top of the roof surround the courtyard was Azula.
Against his nature to help his friends, he sprinted out to the exit only to find hundreds of soldiers, tanks, and blimps surrounding the house. Aang gasped, he failed the easiest thing in the world, running away. Instantly the soldiers saw the Avatar and started to shot without asking.
Aang conjured up a huge earth wall to block the incoming fire, but a blast from the bomb dropped, threw Aang backwards into the wall. Aang slumped forward as pain shot through his body, knocking him out. He could faintly hear Katara screaming his name over and over again, desperately trying to wake him up. He felt two strong pairs of hands pull him up and drag him over to the center of the building. He could tell that all of his friends were dead except for a Katara, and even so she was probably hurt as well. He could barely make out that Azula was talking to him, probably bragging about that.
Suddenly all he could feel is heat, burning his nerves. Aang tried to scream but he was too weak to do more than just whimper. Finally, he could feel the heat reside…in fact he could feel all of his pains and anguish reside…it was as though all the horrors of the world was no longer his. He felt as light as a feather, the feelings of living left him.
--
Katara screamed Aang's name over and over again as she rushed towards his burnt body. Trying desperately to wake him up with her pleads.
"No…Aang! Please…please don't be dead!" Katara whispered so softly that the soldiers could barely hear her. She slowly kissed Aang on the forehead as if to bring him back with a kiss, tears ran down her face, soaking the body below.
"Please…I love you…please!" Katara yelled, not caring about the soldiers around her, as she kissed Aang over and over again. Her arms wrapped around the airbender, not letting him go.
It started to rain above, as if the world itself wept for the lost. The soldiers started to cheer, nothing could stop them now. The world was doomed to be ruled by the Fire Nation.
--
Aang couldn't tell what was happening; he hadn't opened his eyes yet. Knowing too well that he was already dead, but what was going to happen and where he was going was a mystery to him. All he knew was that he had lost again. This time there was no going back, no fixing the problem, no more adventures, no more Katara. Funny…he couldn't feel anything, it was if his senses were…oh right.
Suddenly, his senses and feelings rushed back to him and he felt as though he was forced to go through the ground. Aang groaned and slowly rubbed his head.
Aang stopped moving, he could tell that he wasn't alone. He reluctantly opened his eyes. Aang reeled back in shock at the sight.
Before him was what looked like a huge courthouse, to one side was hundreds of stands towered above him. The first hundred rows were filled, but the rest was empty. As he looked closer at the stands, he was surprised that he couldn't tell where the stands ended…it was as though it didn't, as if it would always be welcoming new guests.
Looking around, he was also surprised that he couldn't see much. A mist covered all of the floor and the surroundings, only leaving the stands and a huge podium clear.
He gulped as he realized who the people in the stands were, Avatars.
Aang heard someone clear his throat and he turned to the source. On the podium, looking as ominous and sad as the day he had been betrayed, was Avatar Roku.
"Aang…you have failed and worse, died. The world isn't prepared to defeat the fire nation and the next Avatar doesn't have enough time to train to be a fully realized Avatar or even learn any of the elements." Roku sighed. At this comment, the rest of the Avatars started shouting accusations and insults.
Aang felt worse now, he had failed everyone who had believed in him. Not only that but he failed to keep the airbenders alive and ruined the only chance of saving the world.
Avatar Roku softened as he saw Aang, knowing that he didn't mean to die…that doesn't make it any better, but he had an ace up his sleeve and Aang was part of this plan. Aang had to feel regret to fuel his determination.
Roku turned to the other Avatars and silenced them.
"Don't worry Avatars…I have a plan. As you all know the spirit Koh has caused us trouble in the past, but he may be of help." Roku paused to listen to their reaction.
The other Avatars suddenly realized what the plan was and erupted into huge chaos as they all argued that they should be the ones.
Roku rubbed his temples in frustration; it was a surprise that they were able to work together as one in the Avatar state. He decided that it was enough as he pounded on the podium, creating a huge crack down the middle.
"Enough!" Roku commanded, causing an eerie silence to follow. He turned and pointed to a very scared Aang. "This boy will be the one to go!"
Unable to keep their disbelief in, the Avatars erupted once again into argument. Until this time one of the Avatars spoke above the rest.
"Eh! Shut UP! I want to hear why this…boy should go stead of one of us!"
Roku rolled his eyes. 'Wasn't it obvious?!'
"Because this BOY is one of two who has the guts to actually face Koh without having his face be stolen! Because the other, Kuruk, was too carefree to learn any of the other elements!" Roku spat out in rage.
"But-" One Avatar said.
"DAMN IT! I mean it! He only lost because he was outnumbered and he lost the Avatar state. I bet you couldn't win in the position he was in!"
"Well…if he hadn't wasted time going to the North Pole, he would have more time to train and if he hadn't released the prisoners, it wouldn't have drawn attention to them." Another Avatar said.
"It was a mistake…he didn't know the urgency of the situation and he was only doing what he thought was best...Enough of this! This is the only way! He made a mistake and now he has learned from it!" Roku waved his hand dismissively and the other Avatars disappeared in the wind like sand.
"Now Aang…you will be going to Koh's lair again. You are to ask him where the portal of time is. He will decide what point of your life he will return you to. Remember this is crucial to life itself! Do NOT mess this up!" With that Roku too disappeared.
"Good…no pressure." Aang muttered as he looked around for the exit, but the mist was covering everything.
Aang decided to try and search for the exit by touch. He was running his hand against the almost invisi ble wall, when the floor beneath him disappeared dropping him into darkness. Aang started to scream more out of suprise than pain, he had already failed and it hasn't even been ten minutes, his arms flailing around looking desperately for some cliffhanger.
Suddenly, Aang spotted a small dot beneath him. He stopped screaming and examined the fast approaching dot. His eyes widened with fear as he realized it was the ground, or more specifically a lone tree.
'Either way I'm dead!'
Aang closed his eyes and started to scream again, when, after a few minutes, he realized he wasn't falling anymore. He gulped with apprehension and slowly opened his eyes. He was outside of Koh's lair…unharmed. He looked around and, to his surprise, he was standing on nothing, literally.
Aang sighed with relief, he sat down on what seemed to be empty air and tried to calm his nerves down. He couldn't meet a face-stealer jittering like a maniac.
Unbeknownst to Aang, a shadow moved behind him, watching his every move. The shadow allowed itself a smile, everything was going to plan…just like Roku had requested. Just as Roku promised, the boy was here.
"Hello Aang." Koh said, appearing from the shadows, his regular mask on.
Aang yelped in surprise and instantly he gasped. His hands flew to his face, checking it to see if it was still there. To his surprised that it was.
Koh chuckled, messing with people had its own rewards. "Don't worry, I need your face on your body. Besides…I already have too much in my collection"
Aang decided to put on his own mask of indifference just incase. "Why do you need me?"
Koh laughed, his voice cracking when he spoke again. "You don't know?! HA! You are move oblivious than I thought!"
"Anyways, what do I owe the pleasure of seeing you again?" Koh asked while bowing mockingly.
"Wait! Wait…why did you say you need me?"
Koh laughed again, he slowly encircled his centipede-like form around Aang.
"Your world affects ours. To put simply, I need a pawn to topple a king. If your world is in chaos because of some idiot, then our world is in chaos also…didn't you meet the Avatars yet? Now imagine a whole world filled with them. Those Avatars have already felt the effects. You, on the other hand, had just gotten here and have not felt the effect of the chaos which ensues from your world…instantly making you their superior." Koh said while swaying his head side to side, captivating Aang's gaze.
"Now…I ask you again. Why are you here? Only people of purpose are suppose to be here."
"I…I am here to use the portal of time to travel back, fix my mistakes, and defeat the Fire Lord." Aang said, choosing his words as carefully as possible.
"Ah the Mén Hù Shí Jiān, I haven't used that in centuries…mostly because I don't need to, but I did send some spirits back. I remember, it was created even before I." Koh stated, while looking up to the empty sky as if pondering.
"The problem is…can I trust you? Time is such a delicate thing, it is not a toy." Koh said seriously, its eyes piercing Aang's.
"I…I think you can trust me."
Koh whirled around, his face flashed and turned into a dragon's. "How can I trust you?! You who failed the world already! You who is not even considered a man yet even by your own terms! How do I know that you won't mess up the future even further?!"
Aang stood still, pondering on how to answer without making his situation worse than it already it is.
Koh's face returned to normal and its lips curled into a smile. "Good…you passed. You didn't flinch so you are not a coward and you didn't stutter out some half-baked answer, you thought before answering. Very good indeed, though maybe think faster in the future."
"Follow me and stay close." Koh slithered into the base of the tree, inside were rows and rows of doors. The mahogany wall seemed to continue forever, the doors almost identical. Finally Koh came to a stop at one of the millions of doors, this one as big as Koh with a strange symbol carved upon it. It had a snake encircling what seemed to be two triangles, one facing up and the other facing down. The two triangles overlapped each other, making it look like an odd star. In the center, there were three strips, the last one split into two individual lines.
"This is the door...the symbol represents time if you are wondering. The three strips actually represent the air nomads, what it means I don't know. The snake represents the slithering path that is life." Koh paused to see if Aang was still paying attention, he was.
"Now before you enter, I will ask you a question…a question you must know the answer to pass. No pressure, no answer is wrong…well if you use your mind that is. Are you ready for it?"
Aang took a deep breath; he had to do this for the world, for his lost ancestors, for Katara.
"Yes."
"Why…do you fight? Why are you trying to kill the Fire Lord?"
Aang almost laughed, it was an easy question.
"You already said the answer before. Anyways don't you believe the Fire Lord should be killed?"
"That is not the question…it is why do you want to kill the Fire Lord…I am not part of this."
"Well…the main reason is to help people who are being hurt by the Fire Lord and his war."
"Hmm…but tell me this. What of the Fire Nation? If you overthrow their lord, won't it hurt their lives? How can you justify destroying the peace of their lives? And if you campaign against the Fire Nation, wouldn't that too require the deaths of millions of more? Also if you destroy their lord, who would protect them from prejudice and persecution? I doubt anyone would want to rule a hated nation."
Aang paused, he never thought about it that way.
Koh frowned when it saw that Aang couldn't come up with a retort, it would have to tell Aang the answer and that won't be any good. Koh was about to speak when Aang spoke again, hesitantly.
"Well…if the Fire Lord…is allowed to live, he might not tolerate the other nations…just like his father didn't tolerate the air nomads…"
Koh's scold turned into a some-what indifferent smile.
"Keep going…you got it." Koh said, almost excited with the breakthrough.
"And if he takes out the other nations, it would destroy their own nation because of the loss of balance in the world…and I'm sure Zuko would be a great leader since he has seen the horrors the Fire Nation had cause and will know the people's needs...and it is the only way to…restore the air nomads in peace?"
"Perfect…well except with the air nomad part, though peace would help with it. Now you understand. You must use this knowledge to encourage you in the toughest of times. It might even help with gathering members. You have shown an amount of intelligence, hopefully you will use it to mold the past to your favor. You may enter and you alone. I may not and will not enter; it is for you and you only. Inside, in the center of the room, you will find what seems to be a gateway. Simply step through it, don't be bothered by the images you will see in between the gateway. It will determine where you will be placed, don't be afraid of the journey through time...it ends almost instantly. Oh…and Aang…I believe in you." With that Koh gradually disappeared into the shadows once again.
Aang took what seemed to be the hundredth deep breath to calm himself. He cautiously opened the door and step inside.
Aang gaped, inside was what seemed to be a brightly lit room, and in the center was a golden arc with a white screen in the middle the arc. He looked around the room, but all he could see is white. It made him uneasy, what if he somehow messed it up.
He took another step into the room, when suddenly the door behind him shut close and the room started change, colors swirling through out the walls. Aang gasped and shot a look back at the direction of the door, but the door seemed to have vanished.
Aang groaned, he was stuck, no turning back if he goofed up.
Aang looked back at the arc, which had turned a deadly black. His mouth gaped, his eyes filled with pain. Inside the arc, the white screen turned into what seemed to be a point of time. He could barely make out Katara on the lower left side. What surprised him was the number of bruises and cuts covering her entire body, her fire nation clothes almost torn into shreds, her hair disheveled, her eyes lost its playful gleam. She was tied to a chair in what seemed to be a prison. Aang shivered as he heard Katara scream in pain as a fire whip came upon her again and again.
"Tell me! Where is the rest of your...Gang?" A gargled voice demanded.
"Screw…you." Katara said, her voice heavy with pain.
The man yelled and punched Katara as hard as he could in her chest, causing Katara to slump over, this time not moving…she was dead.
Aang could feel his tears streak his face and fall down to the now multi-colored floor, his fingernails dug into his palm, drawing blood. All apprehension dissipated into rage. Without a second thought he jumped into the portal.
'I'm coming Katara.'
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