Author Note: Disclaimer, blah, blah, blah... you guys all know I don't own A:TLA right?

Chapter Four ~ Surrounded By White ~

Mist swirled around me, obscuring the ground under my feet from view.

I felt at peace, but a nagging feeling of sadness pulled at my heart.

The calm scene changed and I was surrounded by hundreds and hundreds of people.

Old and young, short and tall.

Some were clothed in earthy colors, greens and browns.

Others were dressed in light blues, purples, and white.

Everyone's face held untold sorrow.

The crowd separated to let a girl stepped out.

Her hair was pulled back in a long brown braid and her eyes a shinning blue that matched her outfit.

She looked at me, mouth turned in a sad frown.

"We need you Aang."

Her voice sounded beautiful as it echoed around me though her words sent chills down my spine.

"We need you Aang." She repeated, hands spread. "We need you."

I wanted to walk forward and ask her what she was talking about, but my legs wouldn't move, my head wouldn't turn, I couldn't even blink. I didn't have control of myself.

The ground began to rumble and puffs of smoke took the place of the people that were standing around me.

I felt fear, not my own… I felt the peoples' fear of death, separation, longing, and the dim light of hope that was fading.

After just a moment, only the girl was left.

The bright sky above us turned dark as storm clouds raced. Thunder broke and lightening lit up our environment.

Fire surrounded the two of us. If I had control of my body, I would have backed away from the flames, but I didn't.

Unknown to everyone, I had a deep fear of fire, its dangerousness and its will to be uncontrolled.

The girl looked up for a moment, taking in the changing dreamscape.

"It's almost time." She whispered creepily. "Do not forget."

"Aang." Her voice changed, suddenly louder and clearer. "It may hurt."

"What?" I asked, gaining control of my actions. "Hurt?"

A popping sound shook my world and the girl disappeared as the fire and the ground beneath my feet dissolved, sending me plummeting into darkness.

I screamed and sat up, trying to escape tumbling into the black void.

My eyes were closed and my body was burning up as sweat poured from my face.

"I told you it would hurt, setting your shoulder."

I rubbed my eyes, slowly adjusting to the bright light around me, then let out a quick sigh of relief.

I wasn't tumbling into space unknown.

It was all just a dream.

I back-handed perspiration from my brow; my skin felt hot to the touch.

If it was all just a dream, then why did the girl seem so real and her words so urgent?

I tried to push her from my thoughts, but couldn't shake a feeling of dread.

"Where am I? What happened?" I asked, gradually looking around.

I was on a white bed with white sheets and pillow, much more comfortable then my own bed.

The walls of the room I was previously sleeping in were white as well; the floor matched the walls and pretty much everything else.

My brown and black clothes stood plainly out, I felt extremely conspicuous.

The room smelt of herbs and medicine, a mixture that sent goose bumps over my skin though I felt like I was in an oven.

A woman with light silver hair pulled into a tight bun was staring at me from a low stool. I recognized her as Tin Mang, the orphanage's personal healer.

"You're in the infirmary." She answered, putting her hands on her knees as she stood slowly.

I figured that much from the pure whiteness of the room, but I didn't voice my thoughts; just nodded.

The movement sent my head spinning.

I grabbed my head and groaned as I felt suddenly sick and dizzy.

"You might have a headache." Healer Tin Mang mentioned; back turned to me as she mixed some leaves in a small bowl. "You took a knock to the head when you passed out in the hallway. You were lucky Chang was there. He brought you in."

Oh yea, I felt so lucky.

I closed my eyes until everything stopped turning. "Am I… ok?"

"Oh, you're fine. You have complete movement of your shoulder now. You may have a good sized bump on the back of your head… but besides that, you're a healthy young boy."

"I-I don't know…" I mumbled; my vision darkening around the edges.

I didn't want to pass out again, but seeing that girl seemed very tempting, even if the message and scenery were eerie.

Tin Mang shuffled over and placed a wrinkled hand on my wet cheek, brushing aside some of my sweat damp hair.

"I can't tell if you have a fever… why don't you take off your headband?" She asked, moving her hand down my face.

I shook the covers of the white bed off my legs and got to my feet, a little too fast as I noticed Tin Mang look alarmed.

I kept one hand on the wall to steady myself. "You know what? I'm fine."

Taking a deep breath, I backed away from Tin Mang and towards the door. "What time is it? I have to get to Lady Ilah's office… for a lesson, I guess."

From a glance out the window, I saw that it was well past noon.

Guess I missed lunch…

My stomach gave a angry grumble, reminding me of my missed breakfast and soon to be missed dinner.

Tin Mang had her hands on her hips. "Aang, if you're feeling ill, you should lie down. I'm sure Lady Ilah wouldn't mind if I reschedule your appointment. You should give yourself time to rest after being unconscious for nearly half the day.

She placed a thin finger to her chin. "You must be suffering from dehydration… perhaps heat exhaustion on addition to your previous injury; of course it may just be shock and adrenaline pumping and your body catching up to all that's happened."

I cocked an eyebrow in confusion.

Tin Mang caught my look and gave a tired smile. "It's unusually hot today and you should have some more time to rest. Why don't you get changed into something lighter then we can see if you feel better? I think I have some extra clothes…"

"Bye Healer Tin Mang, thanks!" I shouted as I sprinted down the hallway, jumping out of the way of other orphans as they walked by.

Suddenly, being at Lady Ilah's didn't seem like such a bad thing…