Set Seven: Sokka the Southern Wolf.

I didn't know where Aang's body is, but I was going to find out. I was still the southern temple with Suki and my two daughters, I wanted to take them home but then Suki would have to stay at Kiyoshi. So we had to bring Aki and Uluu with us and watching two girls in a big temple was a lot of work until....

"Heya Sokka! Need a little help." I jumped back two feet in the air to see Ty Lee with Uluu on her hip. I blinked half confused at why Ty Lee was even here.

"Oh! Mai is waiting for you upstairs, I'll watch the girls for you and Suki, you can go up and talk Mai, she's been taking care Aang." I wanted to ask a bunch of questions but I just sighed and thundered up the marble steps.

I passed the walls of murals, prayers and mandalas of a people no longer here. Suki round-bellied, was in a room with Mai sitting on a desk.

"Whats going on? Why is Ty Lee here?" I sat down beside Suki and looked at Mai's nonchalant face. She crossed her arms and titled her head back.

"Ty Lee, was helping me out today, I told her to come by so I could multitask. Zuko and Katara should be arriving in a few days on air ship, they will be helping us find Aang." I was silent at this and I wondered why Mai was left in charge of watching over Aang and not Katara. Suki however, beat me to the punch.

"Why did Aang choose you? To be his guardian." Suki had a stern look on her face almost questioning Mai's motives.

"Really? You want to know? Because Katara thinks with her heart not her head. That's why. Aang needed someone with no emotion ties to him. It's a long story, but Katara had feelings for Zuko for a few years after the fall. Still grateful for him risking his life to save her. However she was still in love with Aang. So those two years after the war she spent her time figuring out who she loved more. I don't know all the details, but Aang notice that there was some heavy political problems with the Water Tribe and Fire Nation. So he asked Katara to "marry" Zuko while he celestially travels to prevent anything between the nations while he is gone. He left year before Katara legally wed Zuko and became "Fire Lady" or at least in the legal, political context. Aang hopes to return soon so he can null the marriage and have Katara back." Mai finished with a drink of water. I wasn't too happy with Aang's scheme.

"I don't like what he is doing, he what makes you think that Katara will "go back to him" he can't just put her on layaway or something?" Mai blinked and Suki crossed her arms sliently agreeing that we both assume that Aang was running away again from his problems. Mai had that same blank expression not answering out quiet accusation. It was Ty-Lee that broke the quiet, my daughters behind her.

" I don't think it's like that at all. I think Aang didn't want to make her choose between he and Zuko, and the last thing he wanted was another war between the Water Tribe and Fire Nation. So he decided to kill to birds with one stone. Katara will stay with Zuko in a political arrangement to prevent conflict, and to buy her some time to mature and figure out what she wants in life. When he comes back she hopefully have a enough wisdom to make a choice she won't regret." Mai smiled smugly and got down from the desk.

"Precisely, he wanted a grow up bit before settling down. Too bad you never thought about that before you knocked up Suki."

Set Eight: Seven Rings...

Continuing to travel in the Aether, Aang discovered another spot he never journeyed before. He was still looking for whom ever took his body, but he managed to find a spot he had never seen, at least he thought so. It was far more substantial than the Aether. While he was intangible in the Aether, here in this dark and miserable place he could walk and he was more flesh then soul.

Aang felt a wave a gloom and true sorrow, the place was a pit of rot and stench he walked down a barren path passed mounds of bones and bodies. What in realms is this place? He wondered as he his face twisted in disgusted. He thought he saw what was the peak of the horrible of this place. But that was before he reached metal suspended pathway with rows and rows of cages. Aang felt his jaw physically drop as he saw starving, and in destitute people claw and scream from the bars of their cages. They look like skeletons, with their arms reaching out to grab and, teeth gnashing and eyes empty sockets. Aang felt like he could be sick. Oh my dear gods, where am I? What's going on? He could only whisper privately as he continued on the metal pathway. He felt a great shadow engulf him and Aang whirled around to see giant with green skin and head of bull. Around his neck was skulls of people and he carried a club.

"Aaaavataaar, So you found the Pit. I was wondering when you would cross here." Bellowed the bull-headed god to Aang who looked up in awe and horror.

"The Pit? What is that?" The bull god gestured with his free hand.

"This place, where all the unclean and hateful souls fall when they don't reach reincarnation or Paradise. A handful of them, oddly are of your people. Angry and in so much suffering that end up here refusing to be reincarnated. Most, however, wander the Spirit World, some airbender souls haunt the temples they were murdered in. And then you get these guys." Said the bull-god thumbing a cage where there was a burned corpse was writhing and screaming, Aang could see the blue arrows however on the skin that wasn't charred. Aang felt so much grief he looked at the bull-god pathetic eyes.

"Why? Why are you showing me this and who are you?" Aang asked dismally

"Me?" Answered the god, "I am the Watch Keeper, call me Xao, and I am telling you the truth because it something you should reconcile with. You believe the pretty little lie that your people are all happily reincarnated and no longer suffering. That is never the case. We never had a mass genocide like this. Lao Shu Ping, Lord Emna and I had to spend YEARS organizing and sorting the souls. I have gotten a some airbenders yes, but mostly fire nation soldiers. Many of them, cocky young men too arrogant and brainwashed to accept defeat. Many never repented and so they end up here." Xao looked at the dark and guilt ridden face of Aang and frowned deeply. He slammed his club on the cage making the ghosts shriek and Aang awake from his reverie.

"Stop. Stop with the damn self-pity. It's not their fault that they never let of go their hatred. You are better than that Avatar, and I know you are looking for your missing body. Go check gods of the roads and passes, they might know who took it." Aang blinked and then started head to back where he started when Xao pointed.

"Faster this way." Aang blinked and ran the other way, pausing for second to see an old Fire Nation man with hollow eyes, chained to a wall. Aang noticed, that he was wearing a the hair piece of the Fire Lord.