Summary: Avatar AU. Peggy Sue fic. Aang has, through the help of the Spirits, travelled back in time again and again to try and stop the Fire Nation from conquering the world. Each time (including the very first), however, he fails. And he, along with his friends, die again and again. Only Aang can travel back in time—his friends can't. And everytime he must repeat his adventures with them-an emotionally breaking taks for Aang who must then experience their deaths over and over again.

After many cycles of revisiting his life, we have an Aang that is tired and simply wants it all to end. And finally, he has found a way to save the world. He must turn Azula good—and make her turn on her father (and murder him). This Aang, who holds a deep grudge against Azula for the numerous times she kills him and his friends does not want to do it at first. But fueled by a need to save the world, he has no choice. And so begins an elaborate act on Aang's part. He befriends Azula and even gets her to fall for him. Even though inside he harbors an intense hatred for her; and he still loves Katara in his heart.

Note: Aang does not retain his abilities, only his memories, since he is after all, born again and again--not just sent to his body at a certain age; meaning the whole timeline is repeated.


Chapter One: A New Life


"Katara!!" Aang shouts as he watches his love die once more before his eyes. He sees her fall to the ground; felled by a large amount of blue flames. He turns toward her killer with anger in his eyes.

Azula laughs a cruel evil laugh as she begins the sequence of katas that will end his life yet again. He doesn't bother to fight back. He knows that this life is a failure as well, and he leaves the world with blue in his eyes, and defeated weariness in his heart.


"Aang, how about a game of Pai Sho?" Monk Gyatso smiled as he asked his young charge.

Aang gave a small, slightly rueful, smile and nodded, "Sure, sounds fun." He smiled a bit wider as he sat down across his friend.

In the dozens of times he relived his life, he had managed to accumulate almost a hundred years of time with his old friend, Gyatso. It was one of the few good things about having to relive his life. Though more often than not it was overshadowed by the very, very bad thing of having to relive his death as well.

He remembered the first time he relived his life. He was so optimistic, then. He thought it was second chance—his chance to make everything better. He was a fool, then. He tried to undo all of his mistake; which only ended up creating more mistakes; which ended up ending his life earlier. Because the first mistake he tried to fix was running away from the Air Temple. He had stayed to fight the Fire Nation invaders, that first time. And he, along with the rest of the airbenders, had lost miserably. He was only an airbender, then—not yet a fully realized avatar. He did not have the power to defeat the invaders. And so, for that first life, he ended up making the world worse.

So, after many more failed lives wherein he tried to desperately train to become strong enough to save his people from extinction; he simply gave up. That was when he had begun to lose his childish idealism and became more realistic (or some might say, cynical).

"I win," Aang said with a cheeky grin on his face. This was one of the few upsides about having lived over a hundred years (total).

He could finally beat his old friend at Pai Sho.

"Looks like you lose yet again." Aang grinned as he leaned back casually, trying to fully enjoy what precious little time he had with his friend.

"That's because you learn from the best." Monk Gyatso gave a slight chuckle as he prepared the board for another game.

Aang smiled a peaceful smile as helped his friend set up. Eventually, he had learned to simply appreciate the little time he had with his old master and friend, as well as his people. Even though it hurt to have them all taken away from him time and time again, he realized from moments like these, that he would greatly regret it if he simply stopped caring about them. Something he did after the first few failed lives he had been so distraught after having experienced his old friend dying yet again and again that he ended up deciding it would be better to have not befriended him at all.

But he realized that it was a moot point, since he still had all his old memories anyway; and even if he wasn't his friend in that life—he would still be his friend in his memory. So he decided to simply try to make the most out of the little time he had with his old friend and to enjoy it while it lasted.

"You act far too old for your age," Monk Gyatso said suddenly. He looked Aang straight in the eye with an uncharacteristically serious expression on his face. Aang cast his face downwards, unable to face his old friend.

"Just because you're the Avatar doesn't mean you have to act like you're a thousand years old—which is actually your real age now that I think about it…" And his face turned into one of mock confusion (which made Aang briefly chuckle inside; Gyatso was always like that) before becoming serious again,

"You may be the Avatar but you're also Aang—a twelve year old boy. You aren't your past lives, Aang." He gave a brief pause before continuing, "And you don't have the weight of the world on your shoulders, no matter what you may think."

Finally, Aang looked his friend in the eye with an equally serious expression, and a look in his eyes that made Gyatso think for a moment that he was channeling his past lives (in a way similar to the Avatar state); for that was how old he looked at the moment. Over thousands of years old, not twelve years old. He had looked simply tired and weary.

"But that's the truth, isn't it? It's up to me to save the world." His voice was flat but had a bitter edge to it, "I do have the weight of the world on my shoulders. The lives of countless people are in my hands."

Monk Gyatso stared sadly at his young friend. He was far too young to have to be burdened with such a fate. "I'm sorry, Aang. But that is the fate of the Avatar."

Aang nodded in a combination of defeat and understanding. Something which only made Gyatso feel worse. He wished his young friend wouldn't act so mature, so old. He was far too young, Gyatso thought sadly.

"I was not lying when I said you don't have the weight of the world on your shoulders," Aang was about to retort when Gyatso held up a hand to silence him, "Let me clarify, you don't have the weight on only your shoulders." Gyatso smiled warmly as he said, "I am here to help carry the weight, Aang."

Gyatso only wished he could do more for his young friend.

Aang bit back tears as he gave his friend a tight hug. His tears were for an altogether different reason than the one Gyatso suspected. He was grateful, but not for the reasons his friend thought. Because Aang knew, in only a few more weeks, that he really would have to carry all the weight on his own.


A/N: In case the above is too vague, Aang is referring to the invasion where Monk Gyatso will be killed. And if your asking why the difference from canon? Because this Aang is different from canon, and thus different events are in order.

Note:There will be a very major divergence point much later on. I will be splitting it into two stories that have drastically different results. Those two stories will be 'sequels' to this one. One of the differences between the two is the OTP for each. In the first, it will be AangxAzula and KataraxZuko (which will be explored in another sequel) with AangxKatara as the other pairing. The second, will have AangxKatara and Azulax(undecided, if any) as the OTP. But these will happen much much later on, so feel free to ignore this right now.