This chapter is going to be another one of those short chapters because the Bitter Work episode doesn't give me much to work with since it's focused on things Kaiko wouldn't really be involved in. So, this is mostly just about another topic with a few mentions of that episode in it. Anyway, sorry for the wait, I have been diagnosed with a horrific case of writers block. It isn't that bad, but it kept me from writing faster than I would have wished. This hopefully will falter soon so I can update faster.

Book Two – Chapter Eight: Thankful You're Alive

You know how people have always said that before you die you see a bright light? How you're frozen but somehow you're body is still slowly creeping toward it? That theory is described as a blissful ending because even sometimes people supposedly see flashes of their passed loved ones in the light. How someone could know what the inception of death is like, I have no clue. But, I am pretty sure this idea was thought up so no one would be afraid of dying; to believe that all death is a new beginning or a better place. Although, now that I have actually experienced what truly happens when you're about to leave the world forever, I know this "heavenly passage to dying" assumption is a load of crap.

There is no bright light. There are no welcoming loved ones. There are no blissful or relieving feelings. And, there is defiantly no hope for a better beginning. Death isn't happy; it's the complete opposite.

I'm entirely surrounded by darkness. There's nothing around me but this awful empty feeling that seemed like it would never cease. I have the urges to cry, to run, and to scream at the top of my lungs until someone rescued me but I can't. It's like something made me incapable of doing anything but stare into the blackness. The horrifying realization that I just died and this place, this terrifying, lonely place, is where I am meant to spend the rest of my spiritual life hit me like a wave. I kept asking myself what had I done wrong. Why was I put here? Did I do something that sinful in my life that I just don't recall?

But then, I was lifted out of the horrible pit and brought to a never-ending grass field. My eyes dart around, searching for anything other than plants and grass, but there's nothing. My disappointment is replaced with utter shock when my long lost cousin, Lu Ten, appears in front of me. My heart skips a beat when I study his still twenty year old self. He's supposed to be dead! He was killed in the war years ago... How is he right in front of me right now?

"Lu... Lu Ten?" I choke out, my eyes practically bulging out of my head.

"Hello, Kaiko," he greets in his familiar deep voice, a smile gracing his lips. "It's great to see you again. It's stunning how much you've grown."

Flabbergasted, my hands fly up to my face and I franticly rub my now closed eyes, expecting for me to just be hallucinating this, but he's still standing there when my eyes reopen. "H-how are you here? Wherever here is..." I ask, my troubled tone matching how I am feeling.

"You're in a part of the spirit world," he answers before frowning at me in concern. "Do you remember what happened just a little while ago?

My eyebrows scrunch together for a fews seconds as I try to recall and when it all comes rushing back to me, I double over like someone just punched me in the gut. The whole horrifying scene replays itself in my head and it almost brings tears to my eyes - if that were possible in the spirit world. I can't believe such a thing happened to me! And by my own sister!

My eyes shoot back to Lu Ten when I realize something. "I died, Lu Ten. When Azula shot me with lighting..." I gulp, not wanting to say the dreadful next words. "I... I am really dead, aren't I?"

"You were," he sighs out, but then smiles once again. "But, it's not your time to go, Kaiko. That's why you were put in such a terrible place because you aren't meant to leave the world yet. The world needs you and so do many other people, including my father. You'll be with him and Zuko quite soon." I am filled with joy and relief about the first part of his statements, but the second part I don't understand so much that it distracts me from the remarkable news about my live no longer being over.

"I will?" I raise my eyebrows in confusion. "Why would I be with them soon?"

"I'm sorry, but I can't tell you that."

"What? Why not?"

Suddenly, he starts to glitch, fading slowly with every passing second. He shines me one last, genuine grin and says, "Goodbye, Kaiko," before disappearing completely.

I'm left there dumbfounded, my eyes glued to the spot were my dead cousin was just standing. I don't know how to comprehend what he just told me, but my biggest concern right now is how I am supposed to get out of here. My head whips around, trying to find a portal or something of that sort that leads me out of the spirit world, but once again there's nothing. I am about to yell out pointlessly before I am cut short when I am suddenly glitching just like Lu Ten was. I stare at my fading body parts wide eyed until the scenery around me is gone.

When I can finally force my eyes open again, I am met with two small, cloth walls. As I pay closer attention to the details of my location, I discover that I am inside a tent - Sokka's tent pacifically. My body is cocooned in a sleeping bag and my head is rested on what feels like a bag. When I go to sit up, a sharp pain shoots through my abdomen and I instantly fall back down with a blatant moan. After I recover, I pull up my shirt to reveal my bandaged torso. I gently brush my fingertips across the spot where the pain was most extreme and sigh shakily.

I still can't grasp the fact of Azula shooting me with lighting... Never have I thought she could resent and hate me so much to attempt to murder me. These thoughts bring tears to my eyes and they soon are pooling down my cheeks as I choke out a strained sob. I hiss when even this simple act causes me to be in pain.

Suddenly, the flaps to the entrance of the tent are being swung open and Sokka comes barging in. I gasp breathlessly when he lands on his knees and immediately has me wrapped up in his arms. He's muttering things I can't really make out but all I know is that he sounds very relieved. I would be embracing him back, but the pains are getting too intense from the position he's holding me in. "Sokka," I force out through gritted teeth. "Abdomen... hurts..."

He abruptly lets go and carefully lays me back down, his expression etched with guilt. "S-Sorry," he apologizes quickly. "I'm just so glad to see you're okay."

A loving smile spreads across my lips, most of my sadness washed away now that he's with me. "It's alright. I'm just as glad to see you as you are me."

"I doubt that." He places one of his hands tenderly on my cheek and wipes away the stray tears. "I heard you crying. Is the pain that bad? I can go get Katara so she can give you another healing session. She's sleeping right now but that's okay! She and the others will be delighted to see you're finally awake anyway. So -"

"Sokka, you don't need to go wake her up," I interrupt, quieting him by putting a finger to his lips. "It's not really the physical pain as much as the emotional."

He frowns, his eyes sparkling many different emotions like sorrow, sympathy, and a lot of worry. "Baby, I'm so sorry I let this happen to you," he states sincerely, his voice pained. "I should have saved you somehow."

"How could you have saved me?"

"I don't know! I... I should have thrown myself in front of you; took the lighting bolt instead of you!"

"No." I clasp his hands in mine. "Sokka, you know damn well that you jumping in front of me wouldn't have made anything better. I-I can't stand the thought of you dying or even getting injured just to save me..."

"Well, you know damn well that I would risk my life for you no matter the circumstances. Do you really think if there was time for me fling myself in front of you I would have even hesitated? I've told you countless times before that I would do absolutely anything to keep you safe."

"You wouldn't kill Katara," I counter.

He glowers down at me. "Be serious, Kaiko."

I click my tongue on the roof my mouth. "I know you are determined to keep me safe from all the dangers in this world but you can't," I tell him, my thumbs stroking the smooth skin on the tops of his hands. "Things are going to happen to me, you, Katara, Aang, to everyone! We can't help that. But, you have to remember that just because horrible situations happen, doesn't mean we won't be together in the end."

By the end of my mini speech, I am taken aback by the tears that escape down Sokka's cheeks. His bottom lips is quivering and his voice is coated with grief as he utters, "You have no idea how scared I was, Kaiko."

I feel my own tears prick in my eyes but I blink them away. "Of what, honey?" I question, taking one of my hands from our hold to swipe my fingers under his eyes to get rid of some of the tears.

"Of you dying."

That's when I realize how much me getting struck really affected Sokka. He saw it happen, he was there, and he wasn't able to do anything about it. He's had to wait who knows how many days not knowing if I was going to open my eyes again. I've never had to go through that; I've never had to consider that the fact that he might die on me. He has and now, from a twist of fate, I'm gazing into his eyes once again. The relief he must feel... Because I am certain if the positions were ever flipped between us I would be feeling like the luckiest girl in the world to have him back, alive, by my side.

Ignoring the pain, I sit up and lean my forehead against his, a small, adoring smile sneaking it's way onto my face. "How many times do I have to tell you you're never gonna lose me?" I murmur softly. He just smiles a watery smile before he crashes our lips together. But, as we kiss, Lu Ten's worrisome words pop into my mind.

The world needs you and so do many other people, including my father. You'll be with him and Zuko quite soon.

xxxxxx

"Kaiko!"

After Sokka assists me out of the tent the next morning, his arm wrapped securely around my middle so I am capable of at least limping, Katara is sprinting toward me with a genuinely joyful smile plastered on her lips. She is about to tackle hug me when she reaches us but I put one of my hands up so she halts.

"I want a hug, but the one you were about to give me would have not been a good idea," I tell her while gesturing to my bandaged abdomen.

"Oh yeah," she says sheepishly before throwing her arms around my neck and squeezing me gently - after Sokka gives us as much space as possible without letting me go though. I return the embrace as best as I can as she mumbles, "I'm so happy you're okay."

"Thanks to you," I reply, departing away from her. "If it weren't for your healing sessions, I highly doubt I'd be here right now."

"I would have done it no matter what the circumstance, so it's no big deal."

"Well, it's a big deal to me."

We grin at each other and she is about to respond but she's interrupted by a pained yell and an obnoxious thud. The three of us share the same quizzical glance and while Katara jogs off toward it, Sokka hoists me into his arms bridal style as he begins to hurriedly follow her. I don't protest like I normally would since it would take way longer than needed if I were to insist on walking myself. Once we arrive to where the sound came from, I see Aang sitting down on the ground with his head in his hands frustratingly while Toph is glowering with irritation. But, once they notice my presence, both their moods brighten up so much it's visible. Sokka sets me down gently as I wave at them.

"Kaiko!" Aang cries delightfully. He hovers to his feet and in less than two seconds, with the help of his air bending, he's perfectly in front of me. Taking note to my damaged condition, he carefully envelops me into a hug and thankfully I am able to wrap my arms around him, too, without being in more pain than I'm already in.

"Hey, Aang," I greet quietly, chocking back the joyful tears that I've been holding back since I saw Katara.

He pulls away from me to shine me his usual giddy smile. "It's such a relief to see you finally awake," he tells me. "Nothing has been the same without knowing if you were gonna open your eyes again or not."

"Hey, you can't get rid of me that simply," I joke, rubbing his bald head playfully which causes him us both to chuckle. I catch a glimpse of Toph standing off to the side with uncertainty and Aang does, too, because he moves away slightly as I call out to her. "Hey, Toph. Are you gonna come give me a hug or am I gonna have to limp my way over to you?"

The corners of her lips twitch upwards and she strolls up to me. I pull her into my arms and she stiffly returns it – I figure she isn't used to getting such sincere embraces. Fortunately, she loosens up after a few seconds. I suddenly feel other arms circle around us and the tears I've been forcing back finally fall when I discover that the others are joining in. Sokka lips press against the back of my neck tenderly as I bury my face into Aang's shoulder.

"I love you, guys," I mutter.

"We love you, too."