SUMMARY
Postwar fic. Six years have passed since the fall of Ozai. A lone man dressed in white robes stands on deck as his ship approaches the southern water city, a staff in one had and a lemur perched on his shoulder. His once youthful eyes have grown dark with pain and guilt. "At least they don't know who I am huh Momo?"
Eventually katang, maiko. Aang is undercover rooting out rogue fire benders but before this adventure ends, more than one disguise will be removed. My first fic, really would like constructive criticism. Flames are cool too but only of my writing and plot, not my choice in ships please. If you are interested, I am looking for someone to Beta my work. Below are the first 8 chapters. I wont be finishing the final formating with correct chapter breaks until the I get a beta, so for the time being, enjoy the first 8 chapters and see if it interests you.
-CHAPTER 1-
-A MAN IN WHITE-
A lone figure leans against the cold black railing of the fire nation ship. His white robes seem to clash with the stark black surroundings, but no one notices. The other passengers are busy talking amongst themselves to notice the quiet outsider. He leans against the railing,, holding his weight on his long wooden staff. The cold salt air biting at his cheeks was a welcome reminder that he had not been this far south in a long time. He was glad: glad for the refreshing sting on his face, glad that he was finally away from the endless bickering of the nobles and royalty, glad that here no one knew who he was. He had long since learned his lesson, and kept his arms and legs covered at all times. He had grown his hair out so his bangs would cover his tattoo and some of his eyes as well. The back of his palms were the real problem, but some a pair of white gloves masked the blue nicely.
His disguise was perfect. For once Aang was just like everyone else, and he loved it. Normally being the avatar meant parades and cheers wherever he went. Any visit was a cause for celebration and without a real home to return to, there was never a break. It was funny, but of all things, what the avatar wished for most was to be able to spend a quiet evening sitting amongst the people, sipping is tea in the corner of a tea shop. No matter, wishful thinking was not something he would indulge himself in. Not anymore.
As if on cue, Aang was pulled from his thoughts by a tugging on his left ear. He turned to see his lemur companion with what could only be described as a sad puppy dog look on his face Aang reached into his sleeve and drew out another litchi nut and watched as the once sad puppy greedily devoured its new treat. He smiled. It was not one of his signature grins, those had disappeared with his youth, but it was enough to catch the eye of a certain young woman who had been eyeing the mysterious man in white.
Momo had finished his snack and was preparing his best face to convince his master to give him another. An all knowing Aang was just about to playfully reproach his lemur when a delicate hand broke his concentration. Aang turned to find an attractive young fire noble holding out a litchi nut to a surprised but please lemur.
"He has quite the appetite doesn't he."
"Unfortunately it's one that I indulge a little to often," replied Aang. "But how could you say no to that face?"
Momo chirped and returned to his feast.
The young woman smiled, " I'm Ayame." She held out her hand.
"Aang," he said as he gently took her hand. The name was rarely associated with the Avatar, so he felt safe being honest.
"Just like the avatar!"
Or so he thought…
"Yes, I suppose so," was all he could muster as he tried to change the subject. "So, what brings you to the South Pole?"
"My father," she replied. "He has been appointed the new ambassador to the southern water tribe, so our family is relocating. I hear it really is very beautiful, but I must admit I do not look forward to the cold."
"It's not so bad, you'll get used to it," Aang said, mustering a comforting smile.
She smiled back, "So Aang, what about you? What brings you so far south?"
He hesitated, not really knowing. Why had he decided to come here? Officially he was on business as the Avatar. A rogue group of firebenders had escaped their failed attempt at a coup and ran here. Normally, a coalition force would have been sent to track them down, and bring them to justice, but this time Aang decided he would himself. Maybe he just needed a break from all the politics, but whatever the reason, the Council of Nations could not turn him down. After all the work he had done, how could they refuse the first request the Avatar had made in 6 years. (Author's Note: The Council of Nations is sort of a United nation's formed by the avatar after the fall of Ozai. It consists of 4 individuals, Avatar Aang, Fire Lord Iroh, Earth King ???? and Water Chief Hakoda.)
"Aang?" A soft voice brought him form his thoughts.
"Oh, Sorry. What were we talking about?"
"The reason for your visit."
"Ah, yes. A bit of a holiday I suppose. Needed a break from it all."
She smiled and deciding to be a bit forward she said, "Well…seeing as you're on vacation and you've been here before, maybe… you could… show me around after we dock… I don't really know where anything is."
The question caught Aang by surprise. "Yeah… maybe after I get settled…" He tried to hide his blush, but failed miserably. Even after all this time, he could not quite deal with the opposite gender. He had grown into quite a handsome young man, with hard features defined from years of training in the elements. At events, he was always attended by the most beautiful women present, and yet his first response was always to distance himself. Unfortunately for him, Aang's awkward attempts at deflecting attention only made him that much more attractive to the young women and made his life that much more difficult.
Ayame, being a remarkable observant girl, noticed the pink in Aang's cheeks, and decided that rather than prolong his embarrassment, she would leave him to his own devices for a bit. "Great!" she said, "You can find me at the fire nation embassy." And with that she turned and left, leaving one very confused avatar and a rather satiated lemur.
-CHAPTER 2-
-FIREBENDER-
Aang retrieved his small pack, and made his way through the disembarking crowd. The water nation dock was a thing to behold, spanning as far as the eye could see in both directions. For a moment, Aang was taken aback. In the back of his mind, he still expected to find a small encampment surrounded by a Sokka's flimsy snow wall. What he found was a towering city of glimmering ice. The main gate loomed before him several hundred feet in the air. Waterbenders were hard at work working the locks so the ships cargo barges could be moved in. All around him, people were moving about, dragging their luggage to waiting family and friends. A wave of loneliness passed over him but left just a quickly, and the young avatar boldly set ahead to customs.
His customs officer was a brutish woman, whose first, and only word was a brutish "PASSPORT!" Aang had an odd feeling of de ja vu, but dismissed it as he addressed the middle aged woman.
In the most judicious tone he could muster he said, "I will give you my passport, but I must insist that you keep my identity a secret. I have important business, and would be compromised if I were to be recognized."
"Oh my, a celebrity." She responded, dripping with sarcasm. "Just like all the other nobles around here, thinking that they're something special. Hmpf. Just give me your passport."
"I'm sorry, but I must insist. I require your secrecy, do I have it or not?"
"Fine, fine, let's just keep this moving along. There's a long line of people behind you."
Aang nervously reached into his sleeve, drawing out his identification. He passed the parchment to the woman who snapped it up with a distinct air of impatience. She paused, and looked straight into Aang's face. Rapidly her eyes shifted between the parchment and the avatar, a look of awe and reverence slowly building upon her face.
"I'm sorry my lord Avatar. I didn't recognize you."
"Think nothing of it, only remember your vow of secrecy. My presence must not be known."
"Of course sir, I won't breathe a word of it to a soul." She returned the parchment, and bowed, making quite a stir amongst the other workers. "You honor us with your presence."
"You honor me with your courtesy." Aang replied, matching the depth and flourish of her bow.
As he left, he mused to himself, "for someone that is trying to downplay his presence, I sure did put on an act back there, didn't I Momo?"
The avatar smiled, as he walked on, not knowing exactly where he was heading. He ambled down the vast canals and ice bridges, marveling at the intricate work that had gone into creating such beauty. Master Paku and his students had lived up to their promise. With their hard work, the southern water tribe had been reborn. The city was almost as busy as its dock with people hurrying about.
Aang had managed to stumble into some sort of market, and vendor's stalls surrounded him as far as the eyes could see. The last time he had seen such variety was back in the lower ring of Ba Sing Se. Wares from the earth kingdom and the fire nation were just as prevalent as the water tribe. It made him smile to see people from every nation together. No arguments, no battle, just people. Momo leapt of his shoulder into the crowd, and Aang sighed. "He'll find me when he wants to."
It was hours later, and Aang began to feel the fatigue in the soles of his feet. Being in the presence of people who were not hounding him for something or other had been intoxicating, but his long hours of travel were catching up to him. He wandered to a nearby stall and found a kindly old woman tending to a soft fire.
"Excuse me Ma'am"
"Oh, how can I help you sonny?" The old woman replied.
"I was wondering if you could point me in the direction of an Inn. I just arrived, and am in need of a place to stay."
"Oh of course. There's one just down the way across the bridge. Are you here for the water bending tournament?"
"Tournament?"
"Yes the annual tournament, held by master Katara. The main event is tomorrow, they say she will actually be bending tomorrow."
Aang froze when he heard the name. "Katara…" He had not thought that he would see her. In hindsight, how could he not have known, of course Katara would be here. This was her home. But why had he not realized it until now. With glassy eyes, Aang thanked the old woman and gave her a gold piece for her trouble. He left the stall in a daze not quite knowing how he felt about the prospect of seeing Katara again. So many memories, so much pain. Thoughts ran back and forth across his brain. He wanted to see her, so badly. He never realized how desperate his need was until just now. Perhaps this was why his subconscious wanted him to come here. But why now, why after 6 years? Would she still look at him with those cold eyes….
Aang was jarred from his memories by a terrible scream. He looked in the direction of the sound and herd the faint sounds of crying. His air bending prowess had not diminished and without a moments hesitation, he leaped towards the cries. His speed was unfathomable, and being clad in white he was invisible to the casual observer. He quickly found his way to a sort of park. An area of the city left un developed so that children could play. A small crowd of children were surrounding a young girl. She was lying on the ground with one leg stretched before her.
To the children, the man in white had appeared out of nowhere, as if by magic. Aang landed with a flourish creating a small cloud of snow and quickly knelt before the injured child.
"Where does it hurt?" He asked.
The child pointed to her shin through blurry eyes. Aang placed a hand over the injury and instantly felt the fractured bone. Bending some nearby snow into water, the Avatar deftly healed the injury. It was one of those advanced skills that he had learned like metal bending, and shooting lightening. Feeling confident in his work, Aang applied some pressure and asked her if it hurt. The young girl's face lit up as she shook her head. It was then that Aang noticed that she was shivering, and her fingers were just the slightest shade of blue. He looked for something to cover her in, but found nothing around him. Acting on instinct, he gathered the young child in his arms and wrapped her in his robes. He sat cross legged, and surrounded himself in a ring of fire. The air around him warmed quickly, and the child color began to return. When he saw the little hint of rose blossoming in her cheeks, he knew she would be just fine. With a few gentle words, Aang set her down and dropped his nest of fire.
Her smiling face was quickly snapped away by a very angry looking woman.
"You unhand her!" She screamed.
Other voice joined the ruckus, and Aang turned to find himself surrounded by angry villagers. Some were holding their children defensively, others were spitting out profanities.
"Damned firebenders, why don't you go back home!"
"We don't want your kind around here, war monger!"
The crowd was closing in on him, and Aang was becoming nervous. The voices were surrounding him. When the crowd started chanting "Murderer!" Aang's mind flashed back. The day of the final battle. Such a terrible price to pay to end that war. His own consciousness joined in with the crowd. "You're a Murdered Aang! You can't deny it."
-CHAPTER 3-
-THE FALL OF OZAI-
The avatar screamed. It was a scream of pain and fury. In an instant he was consumed by flames, and was gone. One of the many tricks he learned to escape a crowd was to ignite a column of air around him and distract people while he flew away. The trick worked, and a visibly shaken avatar watched from a distance as the angry crowd dispersed.
When it grew quiet, again, Aang collapsed, silent tears streaming down his cheeks. The exhausted young man fell into unconsciousness. He knew what was going to happen as he had been in this dream before. The day of black sun had come and gone. While the earth kingdom and water tribes launched a successful offensive, they could not fight their way to the palace in the short amount of time. The allied nations had a foothold on fire nation ground and from there had launched a series of sieges led by none other than the avatar. While he was not yet a fire bending master, Prince Zuko had taught him a fair bit. He used what skill he had along with the power he summoned form the avatar state to crush the fire nation's defenses.
Every battle he vowed to disarm and defeat without killing. As if to pay homage to his fallen air bending brethren, he would not take a life, and to that vow he stayed true. That was until the lasts siege. Time had grown short. Sozin's comet arrived today, and if Fire Lord Ozai was not defeated, then it would spell disaster. All of the allied forces were poured into the effort. Battalions of fire benders and soldiers were sent to defend, but as the day progressed, it was clear that the firebenders could not hold out. Allied forces surrounded the palace. Sokka, Toph, Zuko, Katara and himself, they were chosen as the strike force. The others would take on Azula and the remaining elite guard while Aang confronted the fire lord himself.
The fighting was furious, Katara and Azula were evenly matched, and Toph, and Sokka were doing their best to hold their own. Mai and Ty Lee had already been imprisoned for betraying Azula, and were locked in the dungeons. Zuko left to set them free, leaving Aang to forge on. He entered the throne room to find a shadowed figure sitting before him. His eyes shone an eerie blue confirming Aang's worst fear: the fire lord had harnessed the power of Sozin's comet. Without warning a powerful bolt of lightening blew past him destroying to doors behind him. Knowing he had no hope of defeating him normally, Aang summoned his avatar state. His tattoos and eyes were glowing brightly and his face adopted a look of furious determination.
The battle was devastating. The First few blows had destroyed the throne room. Warriors on both sides stopped and watched this battle of titans. Lightening was streaming continuously from Ozai's hands. Aang had adopted a shield of water that insulated him while he dealt terrible fire balls and destabilized the ground. Aang was being beaten relentlessly. All of his attacks were proving futile, while all of Ozai's were proving lethal. His previous incarnations were screaming at him what he must do. His vow would have to be broken. This battle would not end until one had died.
The two had worked their way to the palace ballroom. It took all of Aang's remaining strength but he summoned to fierce tentacles of earth and grounded Ozai's hands. The trapped Fire Lord screamed a terrible scream as Aang summoned his power. The electricity surged from Aang's body and in an instant he had released it. The spark arced across the room and stuck the fire lord in the heart. His body went limp and collapsed. Aang fell to his knees exhausted. It was then that he had finally heard the screaming. Behind him, was Zuko, hunched over in grief. Aang's eyes met his and the pain drove straight to his heart. Aang did not think he could live with what he had done. That was when he saw Katara, She rushed to Zuko's side. Her eyes flashed towards Aang and he saw nothing but cold anger. In that moment, the Avatar died inside. His once open and loving heart had frozen.
Aang fell into unconsciousness, exhausted from the battle, and emotionally broken.
-CHAPTER 4-
-THE PHOENIX-
When Aang opened his eyes he found himself right where he left off, hunched over in a snow bank overlooking the park where he had found that child. The sun had already set, and the sky was lit with stars, and a bright full moon. He stood, stretching his stiff muscles as he became upright. The afternoons events, and his vivid flashback still rang clearly in his mind. He needed calm, maybe a cup of tea, but the shops had already closed. He decided that he would focus his mind with some bending practice. He had long ago adopted a practice of focusing his mind on a bending task to forget the worries of his political life. And while these worries were not political, perhaps they could be calmed in a similar fashion.
Seeing a bright full moon, Aang chose the hardest form he could think of. The phoenix was a high level fire bending form where the bender controls a large whip of fire with the face of a dragon. It was difficult in the middle of a sunny day let alone at this time of night. Aang entered his stance and allowed a long column of fire to rise from his upturned palms. The column grew and began to snake out in a large S. As Aang slowly moved his arms about, the whip took to life. The fire swayed with its bender as the head slowly began to form. With swift motions he launched the dragon and sent it high into the air, a blazing trail following it into the night. The dragon seemed to take on a life of its own as it danced high in the sky, swirling and coiling about itself. The spectacle went on for nearly a minute before Aang drew a final breath and quickly drew his palms together. The flying serpent went into its death throws almost collapsing in on itself and right when you thought it had all but died out, a brilliant explosion. A flaming bird swooped across the night sky circling Aang and died in his hands.
"That was exhausting, but it sure did the trick," said Aang, a small smile creeping on his face. After a brief silence, he hear a pair of small hands clapping. He turned to see none other than the little girl from the afternoon.
"That was amazing!" She cried. "Do it again!"
"Oh, it's you. What are you doing here so late? Shouldn't you be at home?"
"Mommy was angry with me for playing with you, so I went to find Daddy at the docks and got lost. Everything looks different in the night time." The little girl frowned.
Aang could see the fear in her face, and quickly swooped her onto his shoulder.
"Do you remember where you live?" Aang asked, lifting her high in the air and spinning around in a circle for her.
"THERE! By the big tower near the bridge."
"All right then, Let's go!" and the two set off into the night
-CHAPTER 5-
-AN INN?-
They walked along moonlit canals, every once in a while stopping so Aang could get his bearings.
"So I never asked you your name." Aang said breaking the silence.
"Rin, how about you?" She sleepily replied.
"My name is Aang, its nice to meet you Rin."
There was another long silence before Aang tried to speak again. He did not have much experience around children so this was all a bit new to him. He was about to turn to ask if they were close, but noticed that Rin had already fallen asleep. He lowered her down form his shoulders and held her in his arms. "Poor girl must be exhausted."
When he reached the tower he debated on whether he should wake her and ask which house was hers, but in the end she looked so peaceful that Aang could not bring himself to do it. He looked for a fire that was still lit, and knocked politely at the entryway. A young woman came to the door and was surprised to see a mysterious young man clad in white, holding a child.
"Pardon me miss, but do you know whose child this is? She said she lived around here but fell asleep before she could tell me which house was hers." Aang turned slightly so the woman could see Rin's face.
"Oh, Rin! Her family lives down there, third on the right. Her mother has been worried sick. Thank you."
Aang walked down the street and knocked on the specified entryway. A frantic young woman came to the door, and screamed with relief.
"Rin!" She scooped her baby into her arms, jogging her slightly from her sleep.
"You're Rin's mother I take it?" Aang said with a broad smile.
The woman looked up, apparently having forgotten the stranger who had brought her child back. "Yes, oh thank you sir, thank you so much for returning my daughter. I was just making some dinner and the next thing I knew she ran off. I was so scared…" She broke into tears.
"Come come, it's all right now. Everyone is safe and sound, back where they belong." Aang's smile grew even broader.
The woman regained her composure and returned the warm smile. "Please come in, you must be freezing out there."
Aang hesitated, remembering what Rin had said about getting in trouble earlier. "No I really shouldn't. Its so late I wouldn't want to trouble you."
"Nonsense, it's no trouble at all. It's the least I can offer you for rescuing my Rin."
Aang decided not to press the issue. "Well, maybe for a bit."
The young woman beckoned him to sit by the fire while she tucked Rin in her bedroom. She offered him a cup of tea as they sat by the hearth.
"I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself, my name is Reika."
"Aang" he replied.
"I haven't seen you in the city before, are you a traveler?"
"Of sorts, I'm on a bit of a vacation. I just arrived today actually."
"Oh and my Rin has already troubled you. I am so sorry. Where are you staying?"
Aang paused. He had forgotten to check in at that inn. It would be much too late now. "I think I'll be camping out this evening. I never got around to finding an inn. He he."
"Oh but it gets so cold, I cannot possible allow such a foolish act. You will stay here as our guest."
To this Aang vehemently objected. "I'll be fine out there. I'm used to the cold. You don't want to put up with me for a night. I hear I snore terribly. It's simply out of the question." Aang was getting desperate, dhe would not be too happy to find out the he was the firebender from this afternoon. Nothing good could come of this.
"Nonsense, I will not hear of it, you will be our guest tonight and that is that." She said with a tone of finality.
Unbeknownst to Aang and Reika, their little argument had gained an audience. Reika's eldest daughter Mei had wandered in, wondering what the commotion was about. What she saw made her scream.
"Mother, it's him. It's that firebender from the park!" She screamed taking a defensive hold of her mother's arm.
A stunned Reika stepped back, a look of shock and disgust across her face. Aang knew it was over right then and there. The proverbial jig was up. He bowed low and apologized. "I'm sorry, I should have told you earlier. I meant no deception, I will take my leave. Thank you for your hospitality." As Aang raised himself upright, he grabbed his pack and staff and quietly turned to the door. He knew this would happen. He knew he should have refused her first offer and left straight away. Sometimes he was so stupid.
Aang's graceful strides were cut short as an arm grabbed his sleeve. Aang turned to see Reika, her eyes shamefully lowered.
"I'm sorry, please forgive my response… I have never met a firebender in person who wasn't trying to kill me. The war took my husband and I guess haven't forgiven the fire nation yet. I doubt I ever will… but that is no reason to turn a decent young man out to the cold. Regardless of your past, you took care of my Rin today, and for that I am grateful."
Aang turned to meet her face and saw no malice.
"If you wish, my offer still stands. I think you will find that our futon is much more comfortable than the snow banks outside." To Aang's relief she wore a smile, and after a moments consideration he set down his pack and bowed low.
"I gratefully accept your offer."
Reika turned to Mei, "Mei, go and set up the futon for our guest."
"Yes mother." Mei said as she scurried to a back room.
"Please follow my daughter, she will take care of you."
Aang turned and bowed once again. "Thank you for your kindness" and he turned to follow Mei.
At the end of a short corridor, Aang found Mei had already drawn and set a futon and was working, unsuccessfully, on setting a small fire. Aang drew near and placed an arm on her shoulder.
"Allow me." He said as he flicked his wrist and a roaring fire appeared. Mei turned and scooted away slightly offering a quiet "thank you." In the firelight, Aang got a good his first good look at Mei, and found that she was quite a sight. She must have been at least as old as he was. Lng dark hair cascaded down her slim figure to the small of her back. Her eyes were a deep cerulean and sparkled in the dim light. Her face was a shade darker than Aang's but still pale for a water nation girl. He saw the hint of fear hidden in the girl's eyes and he knew his presence was making her uncomfortable. Trying to break the awkward silence he said,
"We haven't been properly introduced. My name is Aang, and I believe your mother said you were…. Mei was it?"
Mei nodded silently.
"Well it is very nice to meet you Mei, thank you for setting all of this up for me," Aang said as he pointed to the futon. He could see that she was feeling a little more comfortable so he sat down and took a very non-aggressive stance. Her eyes clearly reflected the battle going on in her mind. Stay or leave, what to do?
After a short silence, she spoke. "I've never met a real firebender before." Another silence filled the room before she continued. "Did you fight in the war?"
Aang hesitated, but decided he had deceived these people enough for one evening. "Yes" he said in a solemn tone.
There was another long pause before Mei spoke again. "Have you ever….ever…killed anyone?" Her eyes were fixed on the fire beside her.
Aang drew his knees to his chest and sighed. "Only once, and only because I had no other choice. I wish it hadn't come to that."
Mei saw Aang's eyes grow darker as he stared off into space. She could see the pain in his visage. A sudden surprising sympathy rose in her. This man who she should be scared of, who she should hate, was sitting before her and all she could feel was sympathy. His eyes held a perpetual sadness, a burden of guilt unparalleled in this world.
"My father was killed by firebenders," was all she could manage to mumble.
Aang drew in a quick breath, the guilt in his eyes jumping ten fold. "I am so sorry for what you have lost. The war was a terrible tragedy. If only it had been stopped sooner…." Aang's voice died off and cast his eyes to the fire.
The two sat in silence for what seemed to decades. Mei finally turned and broke the silence. "You must be tired after all of you travel. I will leave you to rest, if you need anything I am in the next room." Mei bowed and left. Aang sat in silence, lost in his own thoughts and never saw her leave. When he finally did take notice, he muttered one last apology under his breath and got ready for bed.
-CHAPTER 6-
-AVATAR-
Aang slowly removed his robes, his muscles finally feeling his long day of travel. He laid his gloves by his pillow and before settling in, he quickly placed a wall of ice at his doorway. It would not do to have one of his hosts wander in and see his tattoos. As soon as Aang had laid his head down, his fatigue form fell into a sweet unconsciousness.
Mei lasted a good half hour before her curiosity got the better of her. She quietly slinked from her room and tiptoed to Aang's door. She was more than a little surprised to see that behind the thick fabric that hung in the doorway was a newly formed wall of ice.
"Where did this come from?" She asked nobody in particular.
Her curiosity was nearing its limit and she decided that now would be a good time to put her water bending skills to the test. She took her stance and quickly drew both of her hands downward.
Aang awoke to a ear shattering shriek followed by a considerable shaking. He opened his eyes to see a very terrified Mei trapped beneath several shard of ice that was once his door. Mei's attempt at bringing down his wall had been les than successful, and a now terrified Mei was dangerously close to being crushed to death.
Aang leapt into action. With several swift motions, the ice chunks had been cleared to the corner and Aang had moved a shivering Mei to the fire. As she sat huddled by the fire, a concerned Reika came running wondering what had happened. What she found was a terrified daughter and a half naked avatar (though she didn't know it yet) and was less not exactly pleased.
Aang, realizing his nakedness, hurriedly threw his robes on hoping the two had been too distracted to notice his tattoos. Reika was crouched over her huddled daughter before she spoke.
"What is the meaning of this?" Her voice was laced with a deadly undertone.
A flustered Aang tried to respond, "She must have been water bending. I woke up and she was buried under that mountain of ice." Aang pointed to the corner. "I rushed and dug her out and moved her to the fire when you came running. I swear to you on my honor that I speak the truth."
Reika turned to her daughter who confirmed the story with a feeble nod.
"Mei, what were you doing water bending in here?"
Reika waited for her daughter's response but for some reason she was concentrating on Aang.
"Mei, what is it? Answer my question. What were you doing."
Her mother's harsh tone finally brought her out of her daze. "Mother… his hands."
"What about his hands?" Reika snapped as she turned to examine her guest.
Aang realized too late that he had forgotten his gloves. His tattoos were showing. Damn. He hurriedly brought his sleeves together in a last ditch effort of preserving his disguise.
It was too late. Reika had seen and the realization washed over her face.
"A..a..avat..ar…" was all she could manage.
The two women stared dumbly at Aang, as the reality of their situation set in.
Aang waited, but as the two women in the room were clearly dumbstruck and probably going to stay that way, he decided an explanation was in order. Taking on the formal tone that so easily came to him, he said,
"I apologize for my deception, I meant no disrespect. I came to the south pole in order to track down certain fugitives who seek to disturb the fragile peace between nations. It was necessary for me to disguise myself so as to not draw attention to myself. The Avatar's presence would have put these men on edge and made them that much more dangerous to the public. I implore you both to protect my secret for the sake of the people of this city."
Aang stood there, waiting for a response. His face did not betray the nervousness beneath its surface. Reika was first to respond. She stood and bowed deeply.
"It is an honor to serve you my lord Avatar. Your presence here shall remain unknown for as long as you wish it."
Aang was relieved but at the same time disappointed. He was enjoying being treated like a regular person and now that was ruined. He remembered days long past when he was with Sokka, Toph and Katara. He remembered when he was just Aang, or occasionally 'twinkle toes'. But that was in the past, and his duty made such indulgences impossible. He must uphold the dignity of his position… but perhaps his little vacation could last a little bit longer.
Aang straightened his bowed form and looked towards Reika. "I thank you for your help, but if you could not address me with such respect. It does not seem fitting for a wanderer such as myself to be addressed in such a manner. It would draw suspicion. If you could just call me Aang I would greatly appreciate it."
"Of course a…aang, anything to be of help."
Reika brought Mei to her feet and moved to the door. "We have interrupted your rest for long enough, please have a good night."
Mei lingered behind her mother and before leaving turned to say, "Th…thank you for saving me ava….aang"
Aang stood staring into the fire. "It has only been one day…" Aang sighed, and went back to sleep.
-CHAPTER 7-
-TOURNAMENT-
Aang woke up to an enticing aroma all around him. He had not eaten since he left the ship making the scent all the more attractive. Aang crawled out of his bed and, using an old bending trick that he had learned, liquefied a mass of ice from outside his window and proceeded to clean himself and his clothing. It was a simple task, but it left him quite refreshed. He donned his robe, and gloves and decided to let his nose lead the way. He found Mei sitting by the fire stirring something that looked like a stew. Whatever it was, it looked delicious and Aang silently prayed hoping there was no meat present. Cursed meat, depriving of so many meals…
"Good morning." He managed politely, his growing hunger being quite evident.
Mei looked up with a start, "A…aa.. avatar Aang.. Good morning. Did you sleep well?"
Aang slowly crossed to her and sat down. "Yes, the most refreshing nights sleep I've had in ages. What have you got there?" He asked pointing at the pot.
She cast her eyes aside, "Just some vegetable stew. I thought… that you might be hungry after your trip and I knew that the avatar refrained from meat and I didn't know what else you would like. Not that you would like this. It's just a simple stew, but if you're hungry, not that you should be, but if you are, you could…"
"I'd love some stew." Aang interrupted before the flustered girl dug herself into a deeper hole.
"Really, I'll get a bowl!"
Breakfast past smoothly, with Mei slowly getting used to idle conversation with the man that saved the world. They talked of his travels and her hobbies, quite a bit focusing on bending. Aang came to learn that Mei was a water bender in training and was looking for a master. He also learned that Katara had made quite a name for herself.
"The most powerful water bender from both poles eh?" Aang smirked.
"Oh yes, she is very talented, they say her octopus form can support a hundred tentacles! I can't wait to see her this afternoon at the tournament."
At that moment Reika came in arms full of various fruits and vegetables.
"Good morning ava….Aang, did you sleep well?" Reika asked setting down her load.
"Wonderfully, but I wouldn't want to impose on your hospitality any longer. I'll set off for an inn once I finish your daughter's delicious stew." Aang replied.
Mei blushed and cast her eyes to the floor.
"Oh, it has been no trouble at all, you are free to stay as long as you'd like." Reika's smile was honest and refreshing, not like the smiles he got from those politicians.
"No I'm afraid I must set off, duties to attend to and all. I will ask, however if before I leave, if I could have the pleasure of escorting lady Mei to today's water bending tournament."
Aang's gracious bow elicited another deep blush from Mei's cheeks. All she could manage was a flustered "I'd be honored" while quickly meeting Aang's eyes and avoiding them again. Aang was already planning on catching a glimpse of Katara, and after all the disturbance he had caused, it would only be fair for him to be Mei's escort as a thank you of sorts.
Aang grabbed his pack and offered Mei his arm which she graciously accepted.
Reika smiled. "Take care of yourselves, and Mei, be home before dark."
The two young adults looked oddly like a couple, Mei hanging off of Aang's arm, the two laughing and smiling as they walked though the city's streets. Mei had taken quite a shine towards the young avatar, and now that she'd overcome her nervousness, she was playing quite the flirt. This time it was Aang's time to be awkward.
The sun shined in a beautiful clear sky as Mei led the two to the tournament grounds on the other side of the city.
"I am so excited to see master Katara in person. I would love to be her student…"
Aang smiled, "Well you know Katara and I are old friends, I might be able to ask her for a favor…"
"Really would you?" Hope was streaming from her eyes.
"Well I can try at least, don't know if she'll even speak to me now that it's been so long…" A look of despondency set into Aang's eyes.
The two walked the rest of the way in a companionable silence.
The crowd grew thick as the two made their way to the main stage. Aang's peculiar attire, made it easier for the two to make their way forward. Having staked out a suitable claim, Mei ran off in search of the usual event fare: some miscellaneous meat on a stick no less. Aang decided to make himself comfortable, the surrounding spectators keeping a safe distance as they found their own places.
The tournament began just as Mei returned to find a place by Aang. It was an open tournament very similar to the annual Earth Rumble events he had attended before. Despite the relative equality between male and female water benders, the tournament seemed to be dominated by men. One by one they took the stage and faced each other, the winner staying on to face the next competitor.
Aang had to be impressed by some of the originality that was displayed, but the warrior in him dismissed them as no real threat. It was not long before one bender stood out as the dominant force in the tournament. He called himself the Blizzard, a failed attempt at intimidation. His name aside, The Blizzard was quite a skilled bender. Instead of simply deflecting and redirecting his opponent's attacks, he was also to summon quite a bit of force in his own. His ice daggers were especially dangerous and unlike most of the other competitors, it seemed like he was not afraid to shed some blood.
As the Blizzard continue to make a spectacle of his shows of strength, the number of new volunteers quickly diminished. When it was clear that he was the victor, the announcer took the stage.
"Well it seems as if we have a winner! As such, he has earned the right to challenge our resident champion!"
The crowd erupted in cheers as Katara took the stage. Aang was floored. He had not expected her to be so beautiful. She wore robes similar to those when they were fighting together, but she had grown. She was not as tall as Aang, but reached his chin easily. Her hair was done in a braid that ran to the small of her back. Her figure had adopted a definite hourglass shape and Aang was hard pressed to draw his eyes away from the swell of her chest. As his eyes traveled upwards, he saw the exposed skin of her delicate neck, followed by that smile that had melted his heart so many years ago. There was still so much kindness in her face but her eyes were duller than he remembered. A sadness was weighing her down and clouding those beautiful cerulean pools.
Katara and the Blizzard squared off. The blizzard laughed a hearty deep laugh. "I will claim my prize this time."
"You've said that before. I'll try not to hurt you this time." Katara smiled.
Aang turned to Mei and asked, "What is he talking about?"
Mei turned and smirked, "The blizzard has been trying to beat master Katara for four years now since the first tournament. He's her fiancé, but she doesn't want to be married. They made an agreement that if she lost to him in the tournament, she would consent to the betrothal."
Aang grew livid. How could Katara have a fiancé?
The two benders on stage took their stances and without hesitation began their battle. The Blizzard released a barrage of his ice daggers that were quickly parried by Katara's octopus form. The blizzard shifted to water whips, but found them equally ineffective. Katara remained serene and did not even bother attacking. She knew he was not a real threat. The Blizzard tried to shake her stance by breaking the stage into chunks but was chagrined to see Katara draw water between the fishers and reform the stage. As the battle was drawn out, the Blizzard knew he would not be victorious. But he had planned for this contingency. This year he would win, even if he had to cheat to do it. He let loose one last barrage of daggers, but this time while most of them were aimed at Katara, three were aimed at the arch of the lock behind her.
Aang followed the projectiles as they found their marks in three points that had been intentionally weakened. The giant doors of the lock started to crack. The debris would catch Katara's undefended side and give the Blizzard the opening he needed. What he had not considered, however, was that the lock might be full. Instead of the ice debris gently tumbling towards the stage, it was being hurled at full speed with the force of an entire ocean behind it. As water spewed through the cracks, Katara turned and realized her predicament. Aang knew that the water would take out a good bit of the audience as well, and instinct took over. Before Katara had realized the gravity of her situation, Aang had leapt from his seat, staff in hand. In one swift motion he scooped Katara into his arms and let loose a mighty blow into the stage. The floor erupted into an icy wall pointed against the incoming deluge. The wall bought him enough time to bring Katara to safety and gather his power for what came next. As the water rushed over Aang's ice wall and towards the audience, Aang took a deep breath, and froze the wave in place.
The crest towered 30 feet above the audience as they prepared to be hit. But the wave never came. They all turned to the sky and saw the frozen wall of water, and they turned to Aang and they started to cheer. The Blizzard took the opportunity to flee what would surely become an angry mob when they realized what had happened. Aang turned his attention to Katara, and rushed to her side.
He kneeled beside her placing an arm on her back to hold her steady. His free hand moved instinctively moved to cup her cheek and turn her eyes toward his.
"Katara, are you hurt?"
-CHAPTER 8-
-AANG?-
She was still in a state of shock. That wall of ice should have killed her? Why didn't it kill her? She heard a voice in the distance and felt a warmth on her cheek. Her head was turning, her eyes were focusing. There were two smoke colored eyes. They looked so familiar.
"Katara, are you all right? Can you hear me?"
The voice was becoming clearer and so was the face. There was so much concern in his stare. That face seemed so familiar. She knew that face.
"Please Katara, answer me. Tell me you're okay."
It couldn't be. Could it? Was that really him?
Katara nodded a response but could not summon the words to go with it. Aang was relieved and grinned one of his signature boyish grins.
That was it. That was his smile. It really was Aang. He was stilling cupping her cheek and Katara moved to place her hand over his. She could not believe it. There he was after six years, strong and handsome and saving her from danger.
"Aang?"
Aang's grinned fell to a soft smile. "I've missed you Katara."
Katara could not hold back her tears any longer. She threw her arms around him and cried, cried like she hadn't cried in six years.
There were no words as he held her. The feeling of Katara in his arms overwhelmed his emotions. He cried, only a few tears, but they were filled with joy and guilt and longing and all of the other emotions he had long since hidden away.
She buried her face in his shoulder and let the tears flow. Katara mumbled into his robes.
"Is it really you?"
Aang nodded and said, "Hello Katara."
Katara stared into his eyes not knowing what to say. As she slowly regained her senses, she realized that this tearful reunion still had an audience. All around them the cheers had long since died away and the audience fell to a quite silence. Katara was a bit of legend in the city. She had fought along side the avatar and saved the world from the fire nation. She had lived in the city since the fall of Ozai, and helped the masters in the original construction efforts. She was a beacon of strength, meeting every situation with a smile and a positive attitude. But here she was, frail and weak, in the arms of the mysterious man who had just saved them. She was not the legend, she was just another soul saved from the brink of disaster.
Katara grew self conscious and, realizing her intimate pose with Aang, started to blush. She stumbled to her feet with Aang's assistance and summoned her most authoritarian tone. "All non benders please clear the area. All healers make your way to the rear of the stage to treat the wounded. The rest of you please start clearing the debris and look for anyone trapped in the ice."
Katara stood to watch as people moved to their assigned locations. Now what should she do? Aang was here. She was just being held tightly in his arms. What should she say? How would she act? She stood there, frozen, for nearly 10 minutes.
Aang was startled when she moved to stand. Without making eye contact she turned to address the crowd. After her statement she stood, frozen in place shoulders square against his gaze. He waited for a sign that she would turn back, that she would speak to him, but after 10 minutes of silence his hopes had fallen. He was a fool to think she would forgive him for abandoning her for six years. He had no right to expect anything from her. He was the one that ran. He was the one that never returned her letters. Realizing what a horrible position he had put her in, Aang moved to apologize. He placed a hand on her shoulder.
"I'll leave you to your work… It was very nice seeing you again Katara…"
She turned suddenly.
"You're leaving… again…" her voice died out. He had already turned to leave when she acted.
"Wait! Please… I haven't seen you in so long. Could we… talk… maybe over a cup of tea?"
She hated herself for being so awkward. She had long past grown out of this phase hadn't she?
Aang stopped dead in his tracks. Had she just said she wanted to talk? He turned slowly, seeing…. desperation in her eyes. He smiled and said, "I'd really like that."