"Could you guys stop fighting please? How many times are we going to have to go over the same argument?"
Aang was exhausted and his normally exceptional patience was growing thin. Over and over, Katara would point out some -failing- on Zuko's part, he would defend himself, Sokka and Haru would jump in on Katara's side, and the Prince and every decision he made in his life was subsequently analyzed and criticized.
Once the argument became heated, Aang would step in and defend the 'new and improved' Zuko without defending his past actions, ask the siblings and Haru to cut Zuko some slack, appreciate how invaluable his help has been to Aang, appreciate the sacrifices Zuko has made, think of the relationships of the four -er- three nations after the war, and so on and so forth. There would be pretend respect and friendliness until Zuko did something to rub Katara the wrong way again, which Aang discovered was exceptionally easy to do on Zuko's part, and the arguments would resume.
It was old.
Their group was on the move again, taking training on the road and trying to avoid attention from not only the Fire Nation, but the Earth Kingdom as well. It was far from easy with the size and well... uniqueness of their group. Nearly anything that involved interactions with people was done in groups of two or three. Zuko was never a part of these groups, except when Aang begged him for company. Aang, for additional camoflouge, was growing his hair out again.
On this particular night, the group had found cover in a small valley in the woods. There was even a pond, albeit swampy. Aang hoped that they may even spend a week here before moving on. Appa and Momo stayed at the camp while the group gathered supplies for their stay. As they wove through the rocky path into the valley, Aang again began begging for peace from his masters, when the entourage came to a surprising halt. He separated himself from the back of Haru, and looked up to see Zuko in a fighting stance, Katara and Sokka weary but still undrawn, and Toph looking confused.
"What is wrong with you people? I swear, you have all gone crazy!" Toph began pushing past the siblings. Zuko ignored her.
"Who are you?" he directed to someone outside of Aang's vision. Aang too began to push forward to see who they had run into.
"What is wrong, Your Highness? Have you never seen an old man before? Or are they all a deathly threat in the Fire Nation?" Katara's chastising caused Zuko to drop his stance only slightly. Very very slightly.
"There is no one there." Toph was not asking. Aang was still trying to wedge his way past Teo's chair to see what was going on, but at the sound of Toph's voice Aang decided to get to the front of the group a little faster. Taking a light leap from the valley wall, Aang moved to the front of the group.
"I apologize for disturbing you my dear, but I'm afraid I am indeed present."
Aang didn't even reach the ground before he had regretted coming to the front.
"Gu- Guru Pathik! What... I'm..." and then he gave up, and dropped his eyes to the ground. "You know him Avatar?" Zuko asked.
"Ohhhhh... You're the guy that was helping Aang with the Avatar State." Sokka rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "But why are you here now? Aang already mastered the Avatar State - unless you're here to help him unblock it!"
Guru Pathik did not respond. Aang briefly entertained the thought of making the ground swallow him up.
Toph wasn't to be distracted. Her world was out of orbit and she wanted to know why.
"Why can't I see you?"
Guru Pathik chuckled lightly. "I am afraid Toph, that I don't know." He uncrossed his legs and stood up. "Perhaps if we move some place more comfortable, you will be able to see me better." And he proceeded down the path into the valley. Aang allowed everyone else past, politely taking up the rear.
"What is going on?" The Duke asked Aang as he walked by.
"A umm.. another master of mine is paying us a visit I guess."
"Oh, that will be nice."
"Yeah, I'm sure this is going to be a pleasant exchange." Aang replied, mostly under his breath.
"How do you know my name?" Aang could still hear the bother in Toph's voice, even from the back.
"The young Avatar introduced me to all of you during our exercises."
"oh." And apparently that was the end of the conversation. Guru Pathik's walking must have allowed Toph to 'see' him again, but Aang doubted she was over the confusion. He was left with his brooding thoughts until the group reached their camp. Guru Pathik found a large, flat boulder and took his meditation pose. As the group stood around awkwardly, looking from Aang to the Guru, Guru Pathik broke the silence.
"Tell me Avatar, how was your trip to Ba Sing Se?"
Ouch. That's how it was going to be. "Guys, do you think you could let us talk in private?"
Katara and Sokka exchanged a glance, and the group dispersed. The Duke followed Haru to an open plane for training. Teo headed off himself to work on his new glider. Zuko was working his way back to the center of the camp to organize the supplies that they had just returned with, but was distracted when Katara, Sokka and Toph, who were following him, took an abrupt stop when they were out of eyesight.
"What are you doing?" he whispered to them.
"Hush up your Highness, we're trying to hear!" Toph whispered back.
"Isn't this wrong?" Zuko was trying hard to adjust to the new, good lifestyle, where concern for others overtook concern for himself. He still hadn't decided if this group should be his role models or not.
"We need to make sure everything is okay with Aang. He is our friend." Katara used the 'f' word, and that ended protests from Zuko.
When it came to the Avatar, Zuko wasn't sure who was doing the teaching anymore. Zuko had never had a fire bending pupil before, but he was fairly certain that Aang was an excellent one. He paid rapt attention, worked hard, and very often experimented with is own techniques, nevermind that they were more amusing than useful.
In fact, it amazed Zuko that someone with all the pressures and heartache that Aang had to bare this past year could still laugh so heartily. Aang simply enjoyed life and Zuko, in all his life, had never seen the world as Aang did now. Zuko thought it childish at first, but the more time he spent with the Avatar the more he came to accept it. Often it reminded him of life with his mother and of his new hope of finding her again.
The strangest thing about his time with the Avatar, was that Zuko was beginning to be genuinely concerned about Aang's well being. It even bothered him to see Aang sad. Zuko tried not to think about it too much, because it usually just made his head hurt. Aang was visibly bothered by the presence of this guru, so Zuko decided to join the others and check on his well being.
After his friends left the area, Aang still had nothing to say to his guru. He didn't know what there was to say. He made a mistake that almost cost the world everything. He stood there in silence in front of his master.
"Tell me Avatar Aang, did Avatar Roku not teach you about the Avatar State?"
"He did."
"Do you realize what nearly happened at Ba Sing Se?"
"Yes."
"Do you honestly? Avatar Aang, already the world is counting on you to save it from destruction, but the loss of the Avatar from the world forever? I don't know that I can convey the chaos that would ensue. Both the spirit world and the physical world would suffer irreparable damage. Avatar Aang look at me."
Aang pried his eyes from the ground.
"I apologize for chastising you, but it is vital that you are never, ever in a position like this again. The Avatar state is for emergencies only."
"Katara and I were trapped underground being attacked by the Prince and Princess of the Fire Nation and at least 20 Di Li agents underground during a coup of the Earth Kingdom capital. How much more necessary could the Avatar State be?"
"But you had yet to master the state Aang, you put yourself in great danger! You should not have even been there in the first place, do you disagree?"
And there was the dilemma. It had been haunting Aang since he awoke from his coma. What sacrifices was he able to make for the people he loved?
"Katara needed me."
"Avatar Aang, the world needs you. Without you, there is no hope for any of us." Aang said nothing, so Pathik continued. "I know you will not enjoy hearing this Aang, but you cannot endanger yourself for your friends." Aang shut his eyes, but unfortunately his guru's voice did not disappear. "You cannot give up your life for them, too many other people are counting on you."
How unfair. How could he ask his friends for help and not repay them in kind? How could he stand by and not care when their lives were in danger? What kind of friendship was that? It wasn't, and that was what was bothering Aang so much about seeing Guru Pathik again.
"I hate this. How much more are you going to take from me?! when I found out I was the Avatar, I lost my friends, I was losing my life and my family. I ran away before they could take me away and then I wake up the next morning to find ALL MY PEOPLE ARE DEAD." Aang squeezed his palms to his temples, trying to keep calm, keep back his tears. "I finally have friends again, a family, and you are taking them away from me too! I don't want this! I've never wanted this! I HATE THIS!" Aang checked his temper. "You can't ask this of me. Please leave."
Aang paid his friends no mind as he stalked by them, as they were exchanging surprised glances at one another.
Guru Pathik continued to sit on the rock, closing his eyes and thinking of the young Avatar's pain. It gave him no pleasure to bring the Avatar this news, but the very existence of the world was at stake.
Toph was the first to break the silence of Aang's masters. "What just happened?"
Sokka replied simply. "I have no idea. Maybe we should ask Aang."
"Maybe we should ask Guru Pathik." Katara wanted, needed to know what had happened in the caves of Ba Sing se. Clearly, after hearing that exchange, something more serious occured than what she formerly believed. Which was difficult to wrap her mind around, since there was little that was more serious than Aang dying in her arms.