Chapter Four – the Avatar State
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Aang wanted to scream all night and forever after that. She was dead and that was all that mattered right now.
The monks had told him about broken hearts, but they only told him why it happened, not any of the details that he was experiencing right now. His heart felt like it was being wrenched out of his chest as his whole world shattered. He could vaguely sense the others trying to make him feel better behind him, but he wouldn't release his grip on her.
His arrows started to flicker like a spark that is desperate to ignite.
It all happened too quickly. One moment, he was mourning the loss of his love, the next his arrows were blinding everyone else with their glow.
He was in the spirit world, tears still streaming down his face with a half amazed, half sympathetic look on his face.
"She's gone Roku." Aang whimpered.
"The people we love are never gone Aang, they are always with us, wherever we go." Roku's sympathy turned to amazement again. "You must have really loved this girl. Before you were not able to go into the avatar state because when Azula's lightening bolt hit you, your heart locked up to the cosmic energy, but now that your love is in the spirit world, your heart is accepting the energy in the hope that you will see her again."
It did make sense after all. "Hang on; you said she's in the spirit world right?" Aang asked Roku.
"Yes that is what I said" Roku replied with a bemused look in his eye. Realisation to what the young avatar meant hit him. "But there is only one way to bring her back from here."
"Anything Roku!" Aang said; hope shining all about him.
"If you wanted to bring this girl back, you would have to give up the avatar state permanently. You would still be able to come to the spirit world, but we could no longer give you our powers. Think about this hard, as you may regret your decision, whatever it may be, in the future."
"Obviously I'll save Katara!" Aang said, smiling. "Sure the avatar state is great and all, but without Katara I wouldn't be able to survive normally, never mind in battle."
"It seems your mind is made up." Roku sighed and summoned Katara's spirit. Aang was surprised. In her spirit form, he could see how happy she really was and she wouldn't know because even in the spirit world, she was unconscious. He did not expect what he saw.
She was miserable about all the deaths and losses she had suffered; she was hurt at all of the betrayals that she had sustained; she was worried that they wouldn't survive and she was at the end of her rope with all of the problems that people had poured out to her as she had no one to share her problems with herself. The only thing that kept her going was the hope that they would succeed and the love of all her friends. But Aang in that moment promised himself that he would help her more-she needed support.
So he took Katara's spirit in his arms and came back to the physical world.
Aang was still holding her to his chest, tears still fresh on his face. He looked down at her, remembering what he had seen.
"Ughh" Katara moaned.
A chorus of "Katara" was all around causing her to moan again with the sudden noise.
"Thanks Aang" were the only words she managed before she slipped back into unconsciousness.