Avatar and Chalice at Last
Aang could barely contain himself, he was about to be reunited with his true love. A million thoughts were processing through his mind all at once. She was alive, which was the main reason for his excitement. She was safe, which had concerned him; if she had survived he had hoped she had not been taken prisoner somewhere. He would finally be able to hold her in his arms and tell her how much she meant to him, how heartbroken he was at the thought of her demise. He would never leave her side, EVER again. He began blushing at the possibilities.
Katara noticed the mood change in Aang. She was nervous to finally meet Ava. She had known that the young girl had always been on the Avatar's mind. It was a theory at first that because they were predestined to be together that the particular link they had to one another was ordained and unavoidable. Yet the more Katara looked at his gleaming smiles as he spoke of her, the way his eyes began to dance and how his whole aura seemed to lighten everyone up at the mention of her name, was a little overbearing. She knew that it would take a while for him to come to terms with what had happened to his people, but she was more than willing to step in and take Ava's place. She didn't want to admit it, but she was slowly growing attached the young boy.
"The Earth Kingdom of Omashu!" Aang announced triumphantly. He barely let the others take in the sight before he up and ahead of them again. He knew that this was most likely a rude gesture on his part, seeing as how they had never really been away from the South Pole before, but Ava. "I used to always come here and visit my friend, Bumi."
"Aang, are you sure about this?" Katara hesitated as she called out to him. This all seemed too easy. He had been mourning Ava and then all of sudden after word got out that the Avatar was alive, she miraculously shows up in Omashu. It seemed fishy and she was glad to see that her brother agreed.
"Yeah, you'll need a disguise", he concluded, "This just doesn't seem right."
"We were welcomed by the king himself! If the Chalice is welcome, then surely the Avatar is welcome!" Aang countered, "Besides, what I am supposed to do? Grow a mustache?"
The Avatar sighed to himself. The things he did for his friends was unnerving to no end as he wiggled the itchy make shift wig and mustache that Sokka had him put on.
"Great! Now you look like my grandfather!" Sokka announced proudly. He ignored the dirty look he got from Aang.
"Well technically, Aang is a hundred twelve years old", Katara rubbed the salt into the wound.
"Hey!" Aang shot back, "I am not an old man, I mean look at me." He began to dance around and show off. He didn't want to seem old, he wanted to look fresh and young for Ava.
"Alright, calm down!" Sokka patted him on the shoulder, "Let's get you to your girlfriend."
"She's not my girlfriend", the Avatar corrected.
"Wait, what?" Katara was curious. The way he talked about her, the way he was thinking about her…
"She's my soul mate", Aang stated, "There's a HUGE difference."
"Okay, whatever", the water tribe boy began to walk off but was amazed at how Aang wanted to stand his ground on the issue.
"No, not whatever! It's hard to explain. You live for her, you breathe for her, you would do anything and everything for her. She's your best friend and your most trusted confidant. There is no boundaries between the two of you because in actuality, you are one", Aang tried to simplify it.
Sokka had fallen over confused by all of the graphics and details of what a soul mate was, while Katara was blushing madly wishing that she had been the Avatar's soul mate. Aang simply shook his head and laughed at the pair.
"Alright then whipper snappers. The big city awaits!" he humored them by acting old and using his staff. He had been trying to communicate all day with Ava but he was not getting a response and he was beginning to see the suspicions that the siblings had. Why not take a chance at a disguise? If it was useless then there would simply be a good laugh to be had.
Ava was getting annoyed with the king. She was not seeing what was so grand about his plan for Aang's return.
"Oh let me have a little fun. You always rain on my parade!" Bumi exclaimed.
"Fine, but don't take too long with your games. It's killing me not to answer him!" she huffed as she walked away. She knew that Aang and Bumi would have their laughs about what Bumi had in store for the Avatar but she was ready to see him. Oh! To see him again, see that he was real and not a façade of her imagination. She smiled to herself thinking about what she would do. Would she hug him? Would she slap him? Would she kiss him? Oh the possibilities!
"You guys are going to love Omashu! The people here are the friendliest in the world", the Avatar smiled as they walked up to the gate of the city. It was then the trio saw a merchant getting thrown from the gates for having rotten cabbages and trying to seek entrance into the city. They looked at each other and then looked to the guards.
"Just keep smiling", Aang was glad that they had suggested the disguise. Perhaps it was going to be easier to get into Omashu pretending to be an old man.
"State your business", a guard demanded as he levitated a giant boulder above Aang's head.
"My business is my business young man and none of yours! I've got half a mind to bend you over my knee and paddle your backside!" Aang began pointed his finger in the guard's face. He saw how uncomfortable the siblings were and had to keep from laughing. He even admitted he went a little overboard.
"Settle down, old timer, just tell me who you are", the guard backed down a bit.
"Name's Bonzoo Pippenpadlopsicopolis the Third!", the Avatar shouted out, "And these are my grandkids!"
"Hi! June Pippenpadlopsicopolis", Katara walked up going with Aang's character, "Nice to meet you."
The guard looked suspiciously at the travelling party. He determined that an old man and a couple of kids couldn't be too much trouble, but the old man did cause a ruckus. He advised Katara to keep her "grandfather" out of trouble and scolded Sokka for not carrying the "old man's" bag. The guard became completely confused when he saw a pair of giant ears come out from the old man's hat, but they were already in.
The water tribe siblings were in awe of the city. They had never really seen stone housing before due to being in the South Pole it was just ice and snow. Aang couldn't help but giggle a little at the way they kept looking around.
"This is the Omashu delivery system. Miles and miles of tubes and chutes. Earthbending brings the packages up and gravity brings them down", Aang explained as they watched the earthbenders in charge of mail work.
"Great! So they get their mail on time.." Sokka was obviously not too impressed.
"They do get their mail on time, but my friend Bumi and I found a better use for these chutes", a wicked grin crossed Aang's face.
"Look around you!" Bumi announced to his companions, "What do you see?"
"Um..the mail system", Aang shrugged his shoulders and looked to Ava as he answered the question. She shrugged hers back.
"Instead of seeing what they want you to see, you gotta open your brain to the possibilities", Bumi smiled first at Ava then to Aang.
"A package-sending system?" Ava was not impressed at all. Bumi had promised fun and so far they hadn't really had any.
"The world's greatest super slide!" Bumi declared. He laughed at Aang's remark about him being a mad genius and the look of horror on Ava's face.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Ava's voice faltered. They had decided to put her in the middle of the two, so that if something were to happen she would be safe. She clutched onto Aang tightly and buried her face into his back as Bumi pushed them down the chute. It was cute to see how she clung to him and screamed as if she were being murdered and when they reached the end she was quick to embrace him and make him swear not to make her ride with him on that "thing" again.
"One ride", Aang promised to not only his companions but to Ava as well. He was getting a little worried that he had not been able to communicate with her still, but he figured he would be seeing her shortly. He had to get this out of his system.
Ava glared at the mailing chutes, quietly listening to her lover's thought process. She rolled her eyes as she remembered that day with Bumi and of course Aang could not resist for nostalgia's sake.
"Is he here yet?" Bumi was bored as he sat on his throne.
"Yes, he's testing out the chutes after all these years", Ava quirked an eyebrow at the king who started laughing.
"My lord, my lady", a guard approached the two, "We have captured some children who have made a mess of the city using the mailing chutes."
Ava and Bumi looked at one another. They began laughing at the damage report so much so that they ended up supporting themselves on the seat of the throne. Neither one was surprised of the damage that Aang caused. The king asked that the children be brought before him. It was then he winked at Ava, letting her know that his latest game with Aang was on. She retired to her room by threat of sutras again from Bumi. She was beginning to think he really didn't know how to do them anyways but she would humor him for now. She wanted to prepare herself mentally for seeing Aang again and she began to meditate.
Aang could feel her presence in the palace but he could not pin point where it was at. He kept looking around for some clues, any clues as to where she was and when he might see her. He was getting put out with the guards who would not answer where he was being taken to. The Avatar was pleased to see that they were taken straight to the king, but he knew it was for their little adventure down the chutes that ended terribly. This was not the way he wanted to come to Omashu. He wanted to be welcomed and he wanted to have Ava in his arms at this very second.
"Your majesty, these juveniles were arrested for vandalism, traveling under false pretenses, and malicious destruction of cabbages", the guard tried not to laugh at the last charge, "What is your judgment, sire?"
Bumi looked at each child. The water tribe boy seemed particularly frightened of the consequences and was stammering to say something. The girl tried to look innocent but he knew she was about as innocent as Ava had been in her campaigns against the Fire Nation. Finally, he looked at Aang who was whistling. He used to do that when he would get nervous, but he could tell that the boy's mind was elsewhere.
"Throw them…", Bumi left a cliffhanger pause, "a feast."
The trio looked to each other and then back at the king who had a proud smile on his face. They looked at the guards who were completely shocked as they were. The king then asked that they sit at the Great Hall table. Aang kept trying to work up the nerve to ask about Ava, but he didn't know if the guards knew and he wanted to keep his true reason for being there discreet as possible.
"The people in my city have gotten fat from too many feasts. So I hope you like your chicken with no skin", the king waved a chicken leg in front of Aang. He was surprised the young boy declined. Ava had given up on that particular part of being a monk a while back.
"How about you? I bet you like meat", Bumi looked at Sokka and then proceeded to stick the chicken leg in his mouth.
Katara leaned over and whispered to Aang, "Is is just me or is this guy's crown a little crooked?"
"So tell me, young bald one, where are you from?" Bumi interrupted. He knew that Ava would be watching from a secret place and he didn't need the other girl to get too intimate with Aang and ruin his game before it begun.
"I'm from Kangaroo Island", Aang fibbed, "But your majesty, I thought that you had invited us here?"
"What on earth on you talking about?" the king seemed confused, "Kangaroo Island, eh? I heard that place was really hopping!"
It took a few minutes but Sokka began to laugh as the joke finally made sense to him. He was confused as to why his sister and their friend did not think it was a great joke like he did. Aang was completely put out. He kept calling to Ava but did not receive anything from her. Had she only been allowed to communicate with him that one day to lure him here? This was not looking up for him.
The king drew his attention by yawning, "All these good jokes are making me tired. Guess it's time to hit the hay."
Out of nowhere a chicken leg came hurling at Aang. He reacted by using his airbending powers, causing the guards to voice their shock and awe.
"There is an airbender in our presence, and not just any airbender, the Avatar!" Bumi stood up and announced to his subjects, "Now what do you have to say for yourself, Mr. Pippenpadlopsicopolis?"
"WHERE IS SHE?" Aang stood up and pointed his finger at the king. He was tired of playing games and he wanted to know where HIS Ava was.
"She's safe, I assure you. She awaits you later on in your stay", Bumi assured.
"I'm not staying here any longer than I have to. You will return Ava to me NOW!" Aang's eyes threatened to start glowing.
Ava took this opportunity to send out waves of calming and relaxing suggestions. Wishing them upon Aang and hoping that he take their good measure and realize she was okay. This whole concoction of Bumi's was falling apart. 'Aang, I am perfectly fine, please indulge my friend the king, he's harmless, a little eccentric, but harmless.'
'When will I see you? I need to see you!' he begged her.
'Please believe me, that when you do see me, do not be angry with me.'
'Why would I be angry with you? Ava? AVA?'
"Why would I be angry with her?" Aang demanded of the king. The king smiled and began laughing, ignoring the question.
"You can't keep us here! Let us leave!" Katara demanded as she realized that this was only going to get ugly.
"We're not leaving without Ava!" the Avatar growled.
"Lettuce leaf?" Bumi asked as he bit into a lettuce leaf.
"We're in trouble, this guy's nuts!" Sokka whispered to his friend.
"Tomorrow, the Avatar will face three deadly challenges. But for now the guards will show you to your chambers", the king announced.
"When will I get to see her?" Aang demanded. He was so confused. He kept trying to trigger his Avatar spirit but something was blocking it.
Once the trio had been taken away, Ava walked into the room. She was upset because she thought that Bumi's game had gone too far. His argument was that Aang would understand and find it funny in the end. Her argument was that was his personality one hundred years ago and obviously it wasn't now.
She couldn't help but watch as his tattooed bald head turned the corner with the other two. She sighed and told Bumi he had to do the challenges as quickly as possible. The Chalice was ready to be with the Avatar and rekindle their love.
Aang had barely fallen asleep when he was woken up by the arrival of a palace guard. He noticed that the siblings were missing and demanded to know where they were. He was informed that they along with Ava would be released once he did the tasks. The Avatar was ready for it, yet he was slightly annoyed a little of center when he appeared before the king and was asked what he thought of the outfit. Aang became upset when the king teased him and said that it was the first test but not necessarily one of the ones he needed to pass to get his girl and his friends back. He rushed the king demanding that he and the others be released at once due to time constraints. The king simply laughed and stated that he figured he would deny him so he had fitted his friends with some "souvenirs".
Sokka and Katara appeared from behind a wall. They had both been fitted with a ring on their finger, called "Creeping Crystal". It would encase their bodies little by little until there was nothing left and they were completely encased. The king promised to remove it once the tasks he asked for were completed.
"Where is Ava?" Aang demanded as he saw his friends. The siblings were a little hurt by his response but knew that Ava was of importance as well.
"She's fine, I assure you. I didn't think it would be wise to have her physically present and all that. It would distract you from your game for now", Bumi promised.
"Aright, I'll do what you want", Aang huffed as he looked at his friends.
The first task was in a cavern. Aang was to retrieve a key from the top of a ladder right in the middle of a waterfall protected by stalagmites. Aang tried to climb up the ladder in the waterfall at first, but there was simply too much force coming down for him to get it. The commentary from the king was not helping either. The idea of Ava physically being there was not as distracting than now that she wasn't. He was getting annoyed and with his last bit of concentration gone he was flung from the water. Thankfully he stopped himself from being impaled from the groin up on one particularly nasty looking stalagmite.
'Are you crazy!' Ava's voice resonated in his head.
"Ava, I don't think I can do this. Are you safe? Are you alright? I just want to see you…to hold you", Aang whispered to himself.
'You won't be able to think the way we were trained', Ava urged on.
Aang considered another possibility and climbed to the top of the cave. He shot down into the waterfall going with the forceful flow downwards, but again he was thrown face first into what seemed to be the same stalagmite he almost impaled himself on. A comment that the king made finally gave him an idea. He broke off the top of the stalagmite and threw it towards the key with a blast of airbending to cut through the water so that the stalagmite spear could cut through the chain. It worked with the chain and key dangling from the spear on the doorway right above the king's head. The king smiled and saw the determination on the boy's face and head the seriousness in his voice when he demanded Ava and the others.
The king stated he had another matter that needed attention. He stated that he had lost his pet. Aang was getting mad, this was ridiculous what he was having to do. First the lunch box key and now a missing pet? Aang shook his head and followed the king to an arena that looked like it held a large animal. Aang was surprised to see that this challenge was easy. There was a long eared rabbit sitting on a rock and Aang assumed it was the infamous Flopsy. The king grinned and opened up his arms stating that he wanted a kiss from Flopsy.
"Come here, Flopsy", Aang started to try and pick up the rabbit when he felt something big behind him. He looked up to see a strange animal that looked like a cross between a pig, a goat, and a rabbit. It was huge. He reached for Aang who quickly dodged the advance and began running trying to catch up with Flopsy. The rabbit hid in the hole and Aang kept trying to reach for it until he realized something. Every time he called the name Flopsy, the big animal chasing him tried to catch him, so….
"Flopsy?" Aang turned around to face the Neanderthal behind him and noticed that the animal stopped upon Aang recognizing him. It began to wag its tail and picked him up and kept licking him. When the king whistled for Flopsy, the animal ran away and jumped up to get to the king. He rolled over on the ground with his belly in the air enjoying the attention it was getting. Aang checked with his friends who were encased from right below their necks until right above their ankles. He demanded the last task from the king so that he could get the creeping crystal off of his friends and see Ava.
The final task was a duel with whatever opponent that Aang chose. The Avatar thought he had chosen wisely by picking the old decrypted king but when the king took off his robes to reveal a well-cut body, his jaw dropped.
'Never underestimate the enemy', Ava's voice sang in his head.
"Right", was all the Avatar mumbled. The duel began and it seemed that both opponents were going to win when finally they came to a draw.
"Well done, Avatar. You fight with much fire in your heart, just as she does", the king laughed as he used his earthbending powers to move up to the ledge that held the water tribe siblings. Aang followed and thought that he would be seeing Ava soon but there was another catch. The king asked that he tell him what his name was.
"Wait what? I am supposed to know your name?" Aang demanded, "Give me, Ava and my friends now!"
"From the looks of your friends, I would say that you only have a few minutes", the king walked away.
Aang talked it over with his friends until he realized that he had to think outside the box on everything and that laugh of the king's…
Ava walked into the Great Hall. She started clapping her hands and smiling at the king. She bowed, "To the King of Jokes."
"Do you think he will get it?" Bumi sat down on his throne.
"What do you think?" Ava quirked an eyebrow.
Both parties knew the Avatar would come to the right conclusion after being given a moment to figure it out. The pair looked at each other. After over a hundred years this is what it came down. She was going to be reunited.
"Are you nervous?" Bumi inquired.
"More excited than anything, I thought I would be angry you know. He was gone so long and he left me to wonder, to worry, to think the worst. I was all alone in the world", she paused, "I know I had you Bumi, but it wasn't the same."
"I wouldn't expect it would be. The two of you are meant for each other, in this lifetime and all the ones to follow and the ones that have already come to pass", Bumi grabbed her hand; "Let's get your Avatar, hm?"
The Avatar stood before the king with a smile on his face. "I came up with the answer to your question the same way that I had to face all of your challenges. It's like you said a long time ago, I had to open my brain to the possibilities. Bumi, you're a mad genius!"
Aang ran to his friend and hugged him. He had assumed that his previous life was gone and all that he knew had been wiped out with it. He was happy to see at least one of his friends still lived. "Oh Aang, it's good to see you. You haven't changed a bit."
"Uh..over here", Katara reminded the friends that she and her brother were still being overwhelmed by creeping crystal.
"A little help", Sokka called from his encasement. All that was left of the top of him was his mouth. Bumi quickly used his powers to cause the crystals to explode off of their bodies.
"It's basically rock candy", the king commented as he took a big bite out of a piece that had flown into his hand.
"So the king is really your old friend Bumi?" Katara was confused by what had just happened. The trio looked at him as he stated he was not old and then admitted that perhaps he was.
"So why not just tell Aang who you were? Why go to all the trouble?" Sokka questioned.
"It's pretty fun messing with people, but there really is a point to this", Bumi turned to Aang, "A lot has changed in the last hundred years that you have been gone. You are the Avatar, and you must bring balance to the world. You must master the four elements and defeat the Fire Lord Ozai, and when you do.."
"I hope you think like a mad genius", a female's voice called from behind the king's throne.
Katara and Sokka looked at each other and then to the king, who simply had a bigger grin than the ones that they had seen him brandish before. Aang simply stood there with a strange look on his face.
The girl the statue at the Air temple was fashioned after stood before them, very much alive, very much breathing. She was flesh and blood. Her hair was still long but this time it was completely down instead of in a braid. It cascaded past her shoulders to the middle of her back. She had obviously cut it somewhat. The dress she wore was white and flowing with lotus blossoms decorated all over it. Her earth brown eyes were dancing with the same amusement he was used to seeing. Her olive toned skin looked flawless. Aang didn't notice the way Sokka stared at her, nor the way Katara couldn't help but glare because this was the girl she felt like she had to compete with now for the attentions of not only Aang, but her brother now as well.
"Ava…" Aang began to walk to her but hesitated. He didn't really know what to say to her. He had been begging to see her, longing to hold her, and here she was and he was completely petrified.
"Aren't you going to hold me?" she whispered. Why was he just standing there?
"You have no idea how badly I just want to hold you and kiss you and…", Aang began to blush, "But I am afraid that this is a dream."
"I'm very real, I assure you", Ava walked closer to him until she was but an arm's reach away. She wanted to be sure he truly wanted her. "I still love you, even though you left, even though I have been without you for all these years, I am still very much in love with you."
Aang didn't hesitate at her admittance. He pulled her into his embrace and kissed her more passionately then when he did so long ago when his spirit had spoken to her. The feel of her lips on his was almost more than he could bear. They were both breathless by the time they parted and both were weeping. They held on to each other and fell to the ground, staring into each other's eyes, caressing each other's faces and smiling like fools.
Bumi ushered the water tribe siblings out of the great hall and ordered that a feast and pillows be brought in to the pair.
"Looks like we hit another detour", Sokka mumbled.
"You truly do not understand the relationship between those two do you?" Bumi inquired.
"Yeah they're soul mates or something like that…" Katara looked away trying to find something to do to keep her mind off of what was going on in the room.
"They are one soul. No matter how far one is from the other, they shall always find a way to one another. They are connected spiritually and soon to be physically", he joked as he nudged Sokka.
"Shouldn't they be married or something first?" Katara chimed in, "It would be dishonorable."
"Ha!" Bumi laughed, "Aang would never dishonor Ava by doing that and Ava would never allow him to."
"What exactly is their relationship?" Sokka was curious.
"She balances the Avatar as he balances the world. When his soul is in turmoil, it is she who brings it back and heals it. She is the protector of Man as the Avatar is the protector of the Spirit World. They are a bridge that connects both. She connects Man to the Avatar as the Avatar connects Man to the Spirit World. It's quite complicated, but in essence it makes sense", Bumi smiled as he walked away. He was a little disappointed for he knew his longtime companion would be leaving soon. He was not used to the thought of a day without Ava. He was about to go mad while she was away at the Great Library, but he knew her place was with Aang. He smiled as he remembered the day he realized he was in love with her and how for a while he had actually asked her to marry him, but she of course always declined , citing differences. He secretly wished happiness for her, but wanted her to stay. He went to tend to his duties to keep his mind off the fact that she would soon be leaving.
"Where were you?" Ava whispered as she held his face close to hers.
"Believe it or not I was in an iceburg for almost a hundred years", Aang blushed.
"An iceburg?" Ava sat up from their pillow bed that they were cuddled in.
"Yeah, me and Appa. Katara and Sokka found me, released me, and have been helping me so far", Aang pulled her back down into his embrace, "I'm sorry."
"It couldn't be helped. I saw the nightmare you had a few weeks ago and what happened. You were terrified. I wish I was there with you", she cuddled into his chest as he kissed her head.
"I promise to make it up to you for the rest of this life and forever after", he looked her in the eyes as he held her face to his.
"For eternity", she yawned.
The pair took a nap together on their pillow bed, content to be with each other.
A/N: Sorry about the wait guys, I have more in store for the reunion on the next chapter! Read and Review!