I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender

AN- Hey, you guys before I start the next chapter I just want to say something:

I GOT 1000 HITS ON THIS STORY! I know 1000 hits isn't a lot on FanFiction. But I'm happy anyway:) Back to the story!

The confession! hehehe

Chapter 8

"You can't be the Avatar! Aang is! There is only one Avatar. There can't be two!" Katara said. She was riding a roller coaster of confusion. Just as soon as one thing became clear another fogged it up.

"Hey! I don't make the rules. For some reason there are two of us and only the spirits can answer why." Airis said not giving up any ground. "I didn't choose to be the Avatar and neither did Aang. We play with the cards were dealt. We don't choose our destinies!" Airis looked away and spoke softly "but we can control them." She looked at Katara with hard eyes. "That's about all we get!"

The people around her went silent, each one new exactly what that statement meant.

Airis sighed. Knowing this was more confusion then anyone could handle, she decided to start things off at the beginning.

"I'm guessing that Aang told you that he was really 112 years old even though for 100 of them he was frozen in an iceberg." Airis asked the group. They nodded. "Same goes for me except I was stuck in the Avatar state underground in elaborate magma tunnels and I only came up four years ago when Mt. Fawu erupted so technically I was in the tunnels for 95 and a half years"

Airis looked at Toph. "That's how I met the benders, Toph. I met Eema, an earthbender and Faikai, an orphan of the Fire Nation Colonies who turned out to be a firebender, when they found me at the bottom of Mt. Fawu when it erupted."

"I left Mt. Fawu and my new friends to master waterbending, I had known I was the Avatar since I was four, imagine, Aang thought learning when he was twelve was tough imagine my confusion at four! Anyway I first learnt waterbending foggy swamp style with the swamp-billies. Awesome bunch of people. I mastered that in about a week and left for the South Pole. You know the rest."

"How did you get inside a magma tunnel?" Sokka asked pointing his club at her throat. At least it wasn't on her throat, Airis relaxed a bit. But hung her head when she remembered his question, she looked away.

"You've all heard about Fire Lord Sozin and his ambush on the Air Nomads."

Everyone nodded.

Airis sighed. "I was there, I fought…but I couldn't save my people." Airis slumped over her hair covering her face. Katara heard soft crying sounds coming from Wata-…er Airis. Katara's face softened as she remembered the time Aang had found out that his people had been massacred by the Fire Nation. He had gone into the Avatar state and had almost blown Katara and Sokka clear off the Southern Air Temple. Aang had only been depressed for one night after. She knew he had stuffed all his anger and sadness deep inside him, almost forgotten. After that Aang only brought up the murder of his people when he felt he absolutely had to.

Katara looked back to Airis. Even though she had hated the girl minutes ago she couldn't even imagine the pain of seeing her entire people wiped out right before her very eyes. Aang had not been there to fight and he often hated himself for it. But, Katara believed deep inside that no one on earth would have lived through that and was silently happy that Aang had not been there, at the inevitable end of the Air Nomads; his people, his family.

Airis hauled her head back up and looked at Katara with her grey eyes glistening with tears and her tear stained face. Airis choked back sobs as she spoke. "It was a blood bath; I couldn't do anything to stop it. Sure I was an airbending master, but the firebenders…they…they were so powerful all thanks to a stupid comet." Airis turned her head away from the waterbender. "I tried to go into the famous Avatar state that was supposed to give me untold power. And I finally did, when I saw my mother die right in front of me. Airbender children never get to know there parents but I accidentally found my mother and she became my master and we developed an unbreakable bond."

Tears began to well in Katara's eyes. She knew her pain the exact same thing happened to her so many years ago. She missed her mother so much.

"When she died I couldn't control myself. I let my anger get the best of me. I went into the Avatar state. But instead of saving my people I just set up a target for myself and surprised the airbenders fighting around me, letting them get caught off guard and killed. They didn't know I was the Avatar. I knew they knew Aang as the Avatar. My mother and I were the only ones who knew that I was also the Avatar, for some fucked up reason."

Airis took a deep breath and looked around. Everyone seemed captivated in her story. They have no idea how hard it is for me to say this Airis thought to herself.

Hakoda surprised everyone by speaking up. In a calm voice he said "Please continue"

Airis nodded her head solemnly. Katara noticed her grey eyes had lost their usual happy and relaxed shine and now were completely taken over by a ripping sadness she, Sokka, and Aang knew all to well. It tore at Katara's heart to know that she had caused Airis remember so much pain.

Katara took a step forward "You don't have to Airis."

Everyone looked at Katara in shock, except for Airis. She just stared at the girl, silently thanking her kindness and understanding.

"No, you guys will have to learn this sooner or later. I'd rather it now." Airis continued. "Fire Lord Sozin found me and challenged me in the Avatar state, we fought but I soon came out of it. Just soon enough to not be in the Avatar state when Sozin hit me with lightning sending over the side of the mountain into the inside of a volcano. I was in a barley conscious state but I managed to create an air bubble around me before I crashed into the boiling magma. When I was completely surrounded by magma I went into the Avatar state again and created a solid rock shield made out of the magma and I ended up being stuck in a stupid rock for ninety-five years, in the Avatar state." Airis turned to Sokka who was still pointing his weapon at her exposed throat.

"Is that a good enough answer for you?" Airis said to the young warrior. Sokka nodded stiffly in response. Even the "big brother" had been affected by Airis's story. But Airis could see the tell tale signs of anger in his blue eyes.

"I am so, so sorry I misused your trust, Katara and all of you." The female Avatar told the Water Tribe and the blind earthbender, lifting her head up. "But, I didn't know what else to do. You have no idea how complicated my life has been for the past four and a half years." Katara could see that Airis was truly sorry for her action, Katara didn't blame her, and if she had been in Airis's place she was sure that she would have done the same thing. Katara was ready to fully forgive the young Avatar though sure she wasn't sure the others would be quick to forgive her.

"Chief Hakoda may I show you how truly sorry I am." Airis asked the middle-aged chief.

He nodded. Airis looked around at the tribe silently asking them permission for something they did not know.

Airis wiggled her fingers and the two solid pillars became sand and so did the rock boots. The warriors jumped slightly and pointed their weapons to the sixteen year old. She gave them a look that was as calm as a pond, to reassure them. She closed her eyes, slowly exhaled, and the ropes that held her arms to her body slowly burned away and landed on the beach as ashes. She then wiped her eyes with her arm and sniffed; sucking in the pain. The Avatar bended some water out of the ocean and walked over to Chief Hakoda, the water levitating in an orb shape in her left hand.

No one made a move to attack her and she made no move to anyone. "Chief Hakoda, her hair is one of the most prized positions a female airbender posses. She will never cut it unless she feels she has to." Airis bended the water into a long sliver and grabbed the end of her braid. She quickly cut off a small bit of the end of her hair. The clump of hair was fairly big, even though her overall hair didn't seem to have shortened a bit. Airis went to her knees and offered the clump of her hair to Hakoda.

"I feel as though I must give this piece of my hair as an offering since you placed hard earned trust in me and I just destroyed it. I do not expect your trust in return, but I must make sure the other Avatar completes his training." Hakoda took the hair awkwardly, unsure what to do with it.

"My life belongs to the Water Tribe. I will do anything you say as long as I can help Aang."

When Hakoda didn't answer Katara stepped in. "We need her to get into the Fire Nation safely- wait a minute" Katara came to a realization. "You're a firebender why don't you teach Aang!"

Airis looked into Katara's eyes. They were dancing with hope; she hated being the one to sweep it away. "I can, but we would still have to go to the Fire Nation. Aang needs to see how the Fire Nation has changed and to gain his own perspective on firebenders. Aang has already seen what has happened to the Air, Water, and Earth Nations it is the Fire Nations turn. It's a process every Avatar must undergo."

"Damn it!" Katara cursed not bothering to argue with the Air Nomad.

Airis slowly stood. "Does this mean you'll allow me to take you to the Fire Nation?"

Katara turned around. Words got stuck in her throat and before she could say anything Airis spoke.

"I don't expect you to fully trust me. But I want you to trust me enough to let me guide you through the Fire Nation and to help the other Avatar with his training." Airis continued to look at Katara "I do have one selfish reason why I want to be with Aang; I want to learn why there were two of us. I can only get the answer once I find him and we go to the spirit world together."

Katara looked at her brother, then Toph. She asked them both a silent question, they both nodded. Katara turned to Airis and nodded. "We will continue as planned but as soon as we get Aang safely in the Fire Nation you teach him firebending. Deal?" Katara asked as she held her hand out to the Avatar.

Airis took the waterbenders hand. "Deal"

Both girls nodded with determination.

"Well, that's settled then" Katara said dropping the feud. "We leave tomorrow morning to see Suki and then we head for the Fire Nation."

"What!" Sokka ran up to Katara. "Are you crazy!?"

"Sokka think about it" Katara said putting a gentle hand on her brother's arm. "Airis is a fully realized Avatar. She can teach Aang both firebending and things he doesn't know about his Avatar spirit. Besides now we have two Avatars fighting on are side. Do see the advantage that gives us, now that the Fire Nation has conquered the Earth Kingdom."

Sokka sulked "Fine." He ran up to Airis and threatened her with his club. "But I still don't trust you."

"I understand" Airis' face showed no emotion.

"Okay" Hakoda said as he stepped in between Sokka and Airis. "Avatar Airis, I think you better butcher the deer before the flies get to it." Airis nodded. Hakoda continued "The rest of you either get dinner ready or come help me with the boat repairs." Everyone separated in to groups letting everyone mull over their thoughts on what had just happened.

Airis worked silently as she butchered the deer. She didn't give the people looking at her a measly glance. An entire tribe now knew that she was the Avatar. It felt a little creepy. Ever since she had come to this century she had, in total, told only three other people besides herself and they were the benders. Eema an earthbender, Faikai was a firebender, and Watomm; a waterbender she had become real close with, he had actually helped her leave the North Pole, and had actually figured out himself that she was the Avatar. He had wanted to travel the world and she gave him that. But, six months later, all of her friends were dead and buried and when she did bury them she buried her earthbender name; Exia, and she vowed to kill the Fire Lord in the name of her fallen friends. And she had wasted her chance, she had been too soon. Now it was Aang's turn to fight, if he could.

She heard the men gossiping and sighed, going back to the meat. Who knew men gossiped? She laughed at her own vain attempt to cheer herself up.

Airis heard footsteps behind her. "Avatar Airis" a gentle voice said behind her. It was Katara.

Airis set down her knife and stood up. "Please just call me Airis, I don't want to be treated any different than when I was Wataki." Airis saw a pot cooking on an open flame. The smell of sea prunes filled the air. Katara had always been good cook.

"Airis…" Katara's eyes fell down to the tan sand. "Are you really an airbender? Are you really on our side? I know I know stupid questions. But I'm just trying to figure everything out. I was so scared when I saw you firebending at those wolves. I didn't know what to do. I'm sorry I made you remember all those painful memories-"

Airis placed a soft hand on Katara' shoulder "calm down, I understand. The thing is, was that I was going to tell you I was the Avatar as soon as I came back to camp. I did end up telling you but, just in a circumstance different than what I expected." Katara nodded slowly. "If you want proof that I'm an airbender, here" Airis stepped back and fire sprang out of palm, it stayed there though, so Katara didn't jump. She brought the flame to her forehead and the fire soon made her forehead black and crusty. For some reason Airis didn't scream in pain or even flinch, though Katara flinched for her.

Airis extinguished the flame and put her hand in front of her face. Soon little particles of earth leapt from her forehead and left in their place a familiar mark. In the center of her forehead Airis had a large sky blue arrow coming out of her hairline. It looked exactly like Aangs.

Katara gasped and Airis smiled. "Only airbending masters where these. Me, like Aang, graduated early and got my arrows sooner than normal. I have to hide them, so the Fire Nation won't suspect me of anything." Airis placed a hand on Katara's arm. "And Katara" Blue eyes searched grey ones for an answer. "I'm on your side no matter what. Sometimes it may not seem like it but, I'm only doing it so the Fire Nation trusts me."

Katara nodded thinking about the near future.

"Hey Katara, If you want I can show you how to give a healing session to Aang and his lightning wounds. I think he might trust you with it more than he'll trust me when he wakes up" Airis said with a light laugh.

Katara looked into the Avatar's eyes. She has the same eyes as Aang. So full of hope and inner peace and yet somehow worry and pain. I guess all Avatars are like that.

"Okay" was Katara's answer. She needed to build trust with this new Avatar.

Airis nodded "We better get back to our chores."

Katara stared at the Avatar long enough to see her place the weird minerals back on her forehead and cover her arrow. She then waterbended it to her skin, somehow and it looked exactly like a normal forehead. She went back to the deer as if nothing had interrupted her in the first place.

Katara turned away and went back to preparing dinner.


Everyone seemed to enjoy Katara's sea prunes, even though most of them were chatting about anything and everything. Katara looked at Airis. She had finished her sea prunes and was lying on her back with her arms folded behind her head and was staring at the sky who had just barely turned form dusk to night. Only a few stars were out by now. Katara walked over to the other teen and sat down.

"Hey"

"Hey"

"Umm Airis…" Katara fumbled with words.

"Yeah?" Airis said not removing her eyes from the darkening sky. Her voice was calm with a little hint of curiosity showing through,

"Do you think you could show me that healing technique now?"

Airis sat up in surprise "Right now? You want me to teach you it right now? You trust me enough to let me help you with Aang?"

Katara nodded, worried at what the older girl would do next. To Katara's surprise tears came to Airis's eyes.

"Thank you Katara you have no idea how happy I am to know that you trust enough to let me help heal Aang." Airis's voice wavered slightly and she smiled. Katara returned the smile and placed an arm around Airis's shoulder.

"C'mon" Katara said getting up. "I'm guessing you have a lot to teach me, but I'm a quick learner."

Airis got up giggling softly "We'll see, we'll see."


Later that night, Airis found herself once more staring at the night sky, this time it was filled with sparkling stars and the bright gorgeous moon. Her healing lesson with Katara and Aang was really easy. Katara was right she was a quick learner and Airis had been able to show her more advanced healing techniques. Katara was right now fixing up Aang with fresh bandages. Airis was supposed to be in the tent Katara and her still surprisingly shared. Instead Airis chose to relax and mull over her thoughts with the comforting moon over her. She heard footsteps coming toward her.

She knew who it was; everyone else had gone to bed earlier that night. Though some people (cough Sokka cough) had been reluctant to sleep with such an untrustworthy person still awake. Hakoda had finally managed to persuade Sokka into sleeping and he was sleeping like a rock right now.

She heard footsteps coming towards her.

"Hey Katara" Airis said calmly not even glancing at the waterbender.

"Hey" was the reply. Airis heard Katara lay down in the sand beside her.

"I was wondering Airis" Katara said starting to focus on the millions of diamonds in the night sky.

"Yeah" The Air Nomad turned her head to Katara. "Ask me anything, I'm sick and tired of keeping secrets. They cause too much pain."

Katara nodded "How do you know Aang?"

Airis laughed softly. "Aang and I were like best friends. Well I guess we really didn't have a choice."

"I was born close to Aang, anyway they gave him the Avatar test before me and they said that he was the Avatar. I on the other hand was said to have a spiritual connection with the spirit world deep enough to rival the one of the Avatar. I soon found out that I was also the Avatar with the help of my mom."

"I had mastered air, had gotten my tattoos and was a far in learning about the spirit world when Aang and I turned twelve and we told about our abnormal destinies. Aang was to master the elements and I was supposed to be his special guru once he was ready to master his Avatar spirit. After we got started on our full on training, we were never able to play with other kids. Aang was the only kid I was able to actually be a kid with, since we both had important rolls in the world once we grew up. I remember the day I first met Aang…"

Flashback

It was a warm morning in the Southern Air Temple, her mother, Master Chen, had woken her up early. They were now walking thought the elaborate paths of the Temple.

"What's the surprise mom?" A 12 year old Airis looked up to her mother. Master Chen was a very beautiful woman and was equally beautiful with her skill in the airbending arts.

Chen looked down at her daughter and laughed softly. "You'll see"

Airis folded her arms across her chest. "Awww, mom!"

They made their way to a park on a far corner of the Air Temple. Airis looked at her mother in confusion when she saw an old man with a moustache and a boy her age waiting for them in the calmness of the park.

As they entered the gentleness of the park the old man spoke up. "Chen, we have been waiting for you. I'm sure your suggestion will do both of our students some good." he had a calm and gentle voice. Different from most of the old men she knew.

Chen looked at her daughter "Airis this is Monk Gyatso and his student Avatar Aang. Avatar Aang I am Master Chen and this is Guru Airis. Well not guru yet."

"Hey" Aang and Airis said at the same time. They bowed at the same time and banged their heads against each others.

"Ow!" They said as the pulled back both rubbing their sore heads. The two adults laughed at this.

The two kids scowled at their masters. "Hey!" They said at the same time again. Then they pointed at each and laughed. Their teachers laughed too.

"Go on you two go have some fun" Chen said still slightly laughing.

"REALLY?!" they both said in union. Since their Avatar and Guru training had began, they had never been allowed to play with other kids. This came as a real surprise to the two young people who were destined to save the world.

Both masters nodded.

The two kids looked wide-eyed at each other with smiles reaching from ear to ear. "C'mon you want to go play air ball or play with the bison, I have one! Really!? Cool!" Again they said it in union and they laughed hard again before running off to throw fruit pies at the mediating monks.

Before she ran off with Aang however she looked back to her mother and Gyatso. They were both exchanging sad expressions and Gyatso placed a hand on her mom's arm. Airis shrugged it off though. She finally had a friend!

End Flashback

Katara laughed at the mention of the two of them throw pies at the respected monks, getting into mischief even when they had been aware of the heavy weight on their shoulders. She couldn't even imagine what a duo Airis and Aang would make either in pranks or fighting. The thing that worried her though was that she would get to see the second one once they entered the Fire Nation. Airis pulled her out of her thoughts as the Avatar stood up and held a hand out to Katara.

"C'mon we have a big day tomorrow. We'd both better get some sleep." Katara nodded in agreement and took Airis's hand and the two girls walked back to the tent and crawled into their warm sleeping bags.

And for the first time in a long time Airis went quickly fell to sleep with no negative thoughts bothering her. Everything will turn out good was her last thought before drifting into a calm but dreamless sleep.

AN- I kinda like this chapter but I also don't like it. But, things needed to be said before they entered the Fire Nation. Tell me what you think about it!

Please review.

Reviews are nice things that make chapters come faster :)

Homework and no reviews bad things that make chapters slow down :(

I want 3 reviews before I post the next chapter. That doesn't sound too mean does it?

So review, please:)