Zwischen Chapter 1: A Breath, an avatar: last airbender fanfic

Each step you take brings you farther away; for each step, a crack in my glass heart.

We present to you will much love

Zwischen

Push

Pull

Twist

Glide

Focus your attention on the water

Easy…easy…

SLAM

"OWW!"

"HAHA! Gotcha!"

And the world tumbled down

"I'M GONNA GET YOU KAITO!!!!!!"

After the snowball fight had ensued and finished with a draw, a young girl struggled to brush off the clingy snow from her clothes that were starting to become thoroughly soaked. The cold was seeping in and but she did not shiver from the chill.

Her stature was petite, probably resulting from her malnutrition in her childhood years. Her skin was a paler tone than her friend's, but now rosy from the cold. Her face, hauntingly beautiful, looked like a porcelain doll and held the most peculiar set of eyes, a glowing gray blue that would fade occasionally to a warm, golden amber. She wore the traditional waterbending garb but lacked the heavy, warm coat that her friend wore. She did not mind the cold.

"Here, lemme help you with that!" Kaito smiled mischievously, seeing the struggles of his friend. Then he pulled pack into a familiar stance. The girl's eyes widened in alarm.

"Wait!" To no avail she shouted. She was blown over by her friend who blew air effortlessly toward her, blowing the snow off but at the same time, chilling her to the bone. She was left lying there, shivering and glaring up at the blue sky above her until Kaito's head came into view and blocked out the light. She shot a dirty look at his handsome face and lively blue eyes. His long, brown hair covered them slightly when he shifted.

"Whoops, sorry about that. Let's dry you off!"

Long, dark hair whipped wildly around the chilled girl as Kaito once again bended air at her, but this time drying her clothes. Once he finished, she stayed lying there, looking up. Kaito smiled cheekily down at her until he started getting annoyed at her silence. He frowned.

"Hey, aren't you gonna dry me off?!"

She stared blankly at him.

"Awww, c'mon. We help each other out! Dry me off!"

She cracked a smile. "You asked for it."

She threw herself up in a back flip, forcing him to step back, and landed lightly on her feet. Her eyes darkened and the boy grinned in anticipation. "Get ready to be toasty warm!" She pulled back into the unfamiliar stance and then suddenly without warning, leaped at the tall boy. She grinned when she saw the surprise on his face before they collided and tumbled to the ground.

You know I hate to choose.

"UUNGH! OW! What was that for?!" Kaito sputtered, breathing heavily from where he lay under his friend's small body. He blushed slightly as she grinned down at him.

"I just won!" she cried, smiling foolishly.

She grabbed him into a bear hug, feeling the cold from his body but not minding.

The cold soothes my burn.

"Hey, you cheater!"

He twisted until she was under him. And then a wrestling match broke out, the two children laughing and crying out with happiness, struggling to end up on top. Finally, Kaito gave up. He untangled himself from her and rolled himself in the snow, bending the snow so that it would stay with him, spinning and spinning until he was done.

"Hey, look! I'm a snowman!" He exclaimed.

The disheveled girl let out a laugh and set out to decorate him. The orphan busied herself, trying desperately to forget the war ensuing outside her home, and the war fought inside of herself.

But without light, I die.

She smiled sadly at Kaito.

What would you have chosen, mother, father?

Her eyes slid past him, resting on the setting sun in the horizon. Kaito stopped, recognizing the signs of his friend's inner conflict pushing through. Her gray-blue eyes were distant and far away, darkening as she remembered painful memories. The sun fell on a unique angle upon her face and the girl truly made a dazzling picture. "She just doesn't realize it," he thought, shaking his head. He let the snow fall off him and took her small hand. Her eyes slid back to him, questioning.

"Let's go home."

Fire or ice?

She gripped his hand tightly and they turned as one toward the water village, their home.

I choose…

choose…

ne?

Fire and Ice

Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.

Robert Frost

ZWISCHEN

Avatar State!

Zzzzzzzt

Let her go

I'm sorry, Katara…

Lightning?

Zzzzzzt

Zzzzzzzt

Falling…

………….

It hurts.

AANG!!

NOOOOO!!!!

"Katara, is he going to make it?" Sokka asked anxiously, peering nervously over her shoulder as she worked desperately over the figure of a small boy, arrows on his head, arms and legs, and with a huge gaping hole in his back. Toph stayed back, claiming the situation contained too much drama, but really worring she would interfere with the intense healing that Katara was trying to carry out. Appa let out a low moan, showing his anxiety while Momo hovered nervously, much like Sokka.

Katara did not answer, crying silently as she struggled to bring Aang back. She had used her spirit water from the spirit oasis but it was no help. His seventh charka path was blocked but it should not have been a fatal wound when she had used her healing water to aid him. What was wrong?

Why am I so weak? Why? She thought, slamming her water into Aang, trying unsuccessfully to bring him from death's gate. 18 minutes and he had still not woken up. Her tears dropped on Aang's pale face. One landed on his arrow. It glowed.

Katara gasped, shifting back. Aang opened his eyes and they glowed a bright blue also. He opened his mouth, and the voices of the avatars spoke.

The Avatar will be no more.

"No!" Katara gasped. Sokka stared with pain in his eyes at Aang, and Toph turned away from the voice.

But the world will not burn. Listen carefully.

Katara's head was bent in grief, but Sokka looked up at the sky, determination creeping in and Toph slowly turned back towards Aang. She closed her eyes and let her other sense take control.

The Avatar will be no more, but the tradition is not lost. The next element in the cycle is water. The world's only hope is a water bender who has the ability to bend all four elements. She will have no Avatar state to help her, but she is strong. However, she fights two wars, your war, and her war. She has a great power residing inside her but you must find her and help her to overcome the fire within her before it consumes her and destroys the world.

The avatar's voice ended on the ominous note and Aang's glow faded. However, his eyes remained open. Sokka stood there in shock.

"Ka-tara," Aang whispered.

Katara's head snapped up as she looked at Aang with tears in her eyes. "Aang!"

Aang smiled shakily and put his hand over hers. "Look for her," he said. He inhaled painfully and spoke again. "Start in fire nation. My friend-."

Aang was cut off by a sudden, relentless bout of coughing.

"Aang!" Katara worriedly cried, pushing more healing water into him. More tears came to her eyes as she fiercely tried to hold them in.

"It's okay, Katara. We'll meet again," Aang said, managing to shoot her a grin. Katara tried hard to hide her pain, and flashed him a hesitant, answering smile.

"Yes," She said tearfully, hugging him tightly. "Yes, we will." She did not want him to go. And she did not believe him.

Toph felt the disturbance in the young waterbender and frowned. "Katara, let him talk. We need the information if you don't want Aang's death to be in vain," She said in a flat voice.

Sokka flinched and Katara whirled around to glare at her. How could she say that while Aang was dieing? But then Katara assessed Toph's face and saw her pain also.

Aang had offered Toph freedom from her overbearing parents, parents who hid her from the outside world in order to protect her. Aang made her feel strong and capable, instead of how most felt when blind. Katara understood then that she was not the only one who felt loss and reluctantly nodded her apologies.

The group turned again towards Aang as he made another attempt to speak through his pain.

"My…friend. Fire nation. His…grandchild married. Good person, died," Aang spoke slowly, losing breath.

Katara held onto him tightly, refusing to let go.

"Remember. She is…ice and fire…" Aang said, finally, his eyes slipping shut, taking in the faces of his friends, and lastly his love. Her blue eyes shimmering with tears held his sadly. Her bottom lip quivered and he could not help but feel sadness.

I won't say goodbye yet.

I'll be there for you when you need me.

Just you wait and see.

But his eyelids grew heavily and they unwillingly slid shut.

Katara held her breath. They did not open.

The crushed girl stopped her healing and looked at the peaceful face of Aang. Her eyes slipped shut, and she kissed him lightly on the cheek, and whispered goodbye.

"I'll avenge you, Aang," she thought. "I'll kill them all," she thought murderously.

Her eye's opened, and they were a blazing blue. She could almost see the lightening that struck Aang.

"Azula. You're dead."

dead

…….

She's freezing. Shivering

Crying

zzzzzzzzt

A beautiful woman looking down at her…

Blue eyes

A tall, dark man…golden eyes. They are full of love.

Warmth

We love you

We-

zzzzzzzzzzt

Someone arguing. Someone's angry. Why?

"You must choose. Which one do you love more?"

Tears

…………

Daddy? Daddy!

Red. Red everywhere. It's warm. Is it…fire?

Mother? Mother? Why is the snow red?

There's so much…

Blood

Haine woke up suddenly with a scorching fire within her, burning her from the inside out, causing her to writhe in pain. She twisted and jerked sharply, lying on her bed, waiting the pain out. After a few moments, her body relaxed and she remained limp, exhausted and overwhelmed. Beads of sweat ran down her face as she lay on her right side and she closed her eyes, willing herself to fall asleep again.

She had always hated that dream, the nightmare that refused to stop haunting her. It was always accompanied with the burning in her chest. But this time, the heat had been more intense, and there was a new occurrence in the dream.

A young man of tall height and dark, black hair like her own had appeared. His unmarred skin was a perfect ivory color that clashed with darkness around him. He had looked down at her with his golden eyes, reminding her of her father's. His eyes were filled with sadness and pain, but when she looked closer, she could see something in his reflection.

Haine sighed; the pain had left her feeling drowsy and warm. She could not remember anything more and decided not to dwell on the dream. As time passes by, she slowly slipped into slumber again.

But dreamless sleep would not last her for long; her nightmare came back in clear focus.

Haine dreamed again. Of the beautiful boy with sad golden eyes. He seemed so lonely.

Again, she was staring up into his eyes. This time, the image he was seeing was clearer and sharper.

There was a young woman, sleeping. She was curled on her side, her face slightly covered by the shadows. She was rather beautiful, but her skin was an unhealthy pale. The woman had long, dark hair swirling around her body. On closer inspection, Haine noticed she was not breathing and her locks were limp against her heart shaped face.

Mother?

Haine reached for her, intending to shake her awake, to help her, but instead of touching skin she felt something wet and cool.

She looked down.

Blood on her hands.

She was frozen in shock until she smelled the disturbing scent of burning flesh.

No…

She quickly reached for the woman and turned the woman's face toward her.

Haine woke up with a choked gasp.

It was not her mother that was dead.

It was her.

………

They play tug of war on my heartstrings and I can't help but hate being in between.