A/N: No, I didn't die, and I'm sorry I haven't updated in so long. The season 3 vibe is really exciting me, and I can't wait for it to come out! Even though I don't want school to start…XP But hey, I've still got a while. Oh, and there's only going to be one more chapter after this, then this story is done! Yay!
Kaiyt: I can't remember if I already responded to your review in a PM or not, but oh well. Kaibutsu doesn't have any specific markings or anything, but if you wanted to add a few random scars, that could work. I can't wait to see how the pictures come out!
Aangsfan: Glad you like it so much!
libowiekitty: Don't worry, Katara will find out who he is next chapter. That whole last scene has actually been in my head for a while, but I didn't know how I could fit it into the story, so yeah. I guess it worked out in the end!
firehawk101: Thanks!
Avvygirl: NO! NOT KAIBUTSU! Actually, I think you'll like Habakku in the end. Just keep reading and don't kill me!
Swimstar: Thanks, and here it is!
goldenwing57: Well, it's kinda hard to tell someone who you are when you can't talk to them. Katara will find out next chapter though, don't worry. Can't wait for your birthday! Season 3 trailer…XD
aangxxxkatara: Okay, I guess I'll update…joking, of course I'll update!
DemonicBrat 13: Of course she'll find out! It wouldn't be a good story if she didn't!
DuHSPaZZiNGFel: Why did you have to change your pen name? I like this one though. And thanks!
Member of the Aang Fangirl Squad: Kumori Doragon, libowiekitty, Aechigo, TTAvatarfan, Invaderk, Twilight Rose2, KataangNutyBabe, and goldenwing57
Aang wandered aimlessly around the village, unable to push Katara's crying spell out of his mind. Knowing that she missed him that much…
Of course, Katara and Aang pushed their way back into the tent's main area acting as if Katara didn't have an emotional breakdown all over him. Sokka had looked at them suspiciously, but said nothing. A few minutes later, Habakku had arrived and asked Katara to take a walk with him. Nodding and a slight blush spreading over her cheeks, Katara had agreed. Aang had to hold down a growl of frustration as he padded forcefully out of the tent.
But what was he so angry about? Habakku hadn't done anything wrong. All in all, he seemed like a very nice young man. He played with Alita occasionally and he and Sokka would get into long conversations about "warrior stuff" as they called it. Sokka didn't even seem to mind that Habakku was a bender.
You're just jealous, a voice mocked in his head.
Okay, I'm jealous, Aang admitted, Because I have no way of telling Katara who I am, and much less of a way to tell her that I love her. It's just frustrating.
"Namyu?" a voice called, followed by the sound of running feet. A flash of red and white fur soon appeared beside him.
"Hey, Akatora," Aang greeted tonelessly.
"What's wrong?" Akatora asked. "You haven't stopped by to see us all day."
Nothing you'd understand, Aang thought, before he answered, "I'm fine."
Akatora gave him a look that told him he wasn't convinced.
Aang sighed and said, "It's nothing you would understand."
"Maybe I would, if you'd tell me," Akatora countered, though not harshly.
There was a pause, before Aang decided to try his luck. "Do you believe in reincarnation?"
Another pause ensued as Akatora thought this over. "I hear how the people of this Tribe talk about the Avatar being reincarnated. They're worried because the next Avatar hasn't revealed itself yet, and it's been over a year since the last one died."
Because I'm technically still alive, Aang figured, before he continued, "Well, I mean, do you believe that a person can die and be reborn into an animal?"
"I suppose it's not entirely impossible," Akatora answered. "The spirits do strange things, but they always have a reason for doing what they do."
"Well, why do you think they would reincarnate someone?" Aang asked, growing intrigued.
"Because that certain creature they reincarnate has some unfinished business left to accomplish in the physical world," Akatora finally answered after a moment of thinking, "Either that, or they have a destiny laid down for them by the spirits."
They walked in silence for a few minutes as Aang took this in. He knew he had unfinished business left to do here, and that was to tell Katara he loved her. But what if he had a destiny that had to be fulfilled too?
"Why do you ask, Namyu?" Akatora wondered.
Aang paused for a minute and stopped walking. Akatora stopped with him.
"Well," Aang started uncertainly, "I"-
Just then, a loud crash was heard, forcing both dogs to raise their heads in alarm, their ears pricked. A shadow passed over their heads, and Aang and Akatora looked up to see Momo flying above them, chattering warningly.
"Oh no," Akatora breathed.
"What is it?" Aang asked, suddenly nervous.
"Kaibutsu," the polar dog answered. "He's come again."
The cougar leopard in question suddenly revealed itself behind them, snarling and teeth flashing.
"Namyu! Get out of here!" Akatora shouted above the turmoil of warriors and benders readying themselves for battle.
"No! I'm going to stay with you and fight!" Aang argued. "I not a pup anymore!"
There was a crashing sound as Kaibutsu fled to another part of the village, before Akatora finally said, "Very well. Follow me."
With that, he took off, Aang hot on his heels.
Appa was already trying to hold Kaibutsu off when they got there, growling and his head low.
"You again?" Kaibutsu snarled.
"Aw, you remembered me, how flattering," Appa shot back, thoroughly annoyed with his attitude. "I'll make sure this is the last time you invade the South Pole."
"Cocky bastard," Kaibutsu smirked, before lunging forward and sinking his long sabers into Appa's shoulder. The sky bison roared in pain before swinging himself around, trying desperately to ram one of his horns into Kaibutsu's side.
"Appa! Hang on!" Aang cried as he and Akatora leaped in unison to land on top of the enormous cougar leopard. Aang dug his teeth into the back of his neck while Akatora bit down further down his spine.
Kaibutsu threw his head back in a roar of anguish, letting go of Appa, and giving the sky bison time to thrust his horn into his side. He roared again, louder this time and leaped up into the air, throwing all three of his adversaries off balance.
Aang was thrown into a building made of hard packed snow, the back of his head hitting it. It dazed him enough so that he couldn't see the impending danger. The building he had crashed into swayed until it began to topple towards him. Aang stared at it in shock before bracing himself, preparing to be crushed.
But the impact never came. Instead, a waterbender stood above him, its hands outstretched as it held up the pile of snow.
Katara? Aang thought dazedly. But upon closer inspection, he realized the waterbender that had saved his life had not been Katara, but-
"Alita!" he barked in surprise, even though he couldn't understand him.
"Run Namyu!" Alita said urgently, straining, "I can't hold it up much longer!"
Aang hastily scrambled to his feet before racing away, trying to locate Kaibutsu once more. The cougar leopard had disappeared once more. But the sounds of war cries told him that he couldn't be far. Following the sounds, Aang soon found himself face to face with Kaibutsu once again. And what he saw taking place wasn't good.
"You little shits!" Kaibutsu growled manically as he tossed yet another water warrior to the side, "I'll massacre you all one by one!"
"Attack!" a call sounded out, and a dozen spears followed it. Kaibutsu dodged before coming in again, snatching up another warrior and tossing it against yet another snow structure.
A water whip came out of nowhere, attracting the huge beast's attention. His eyes glinted with hatred and his ears flattened as he lunged towards the source. Looking in that direction Kaibutsu was heading, Aang realized he was heading for-
"Katara!" he cried. "No! Katara!"
Katara's look of brave determination soon turned to pure fear as she realized she had no way to defend herself. Aang made to leap forward, but soon another figure jumped in front of Katara so that he was grabbed instead. Kaibutsu clamped his jaws down hard before tossing the figure away.
"Habakku!" Katara screamed before racing to his side.
That was Habakku? Aang thought disbelievingly. Habakku had just risked his life, and possibly just had it taken away, to save Katara?
Now Aang understood. Habakku would do anything for Katara, just like Aang would. He would willingly risk his life for her, just like Aang would. It was then that he realized that he and Habakku weren't so different after all.
With a sadistic growl, Kaibutsu took off.
"After him!" Akatora barked. A few Water Tribe warriors followed him, including Sokka. Not about to be left behind, Aang followed and soon joined Akatora at the front.
"Namyu?" he questioned, surprised to see him.
"I'm going to help whether you want me to or not," Aang said pointedly.
"Good," the polar dog said surprisingly. "We'll need your help."
Aang gave him a grateful look before turning his attention back to Kaibutsu's fleeing form.
ooo
"The blasted beast gave us the slip again!" a warrior said, frustrated.
"Don't give up yet, Taluk," Hakoda replied. "I'm sure there's some way we can track him down."
There was a pause before Sokka said excitedly, "What about Namyu? He's a great tracker. He helped me find that mammoth caribou when I couldn't find anything. And he helped me bring him down."
Hakoda looked thoughtful, before he finally said, "Alright. We'll send Namyu and Akatora after Kaibutsu. They'll chase him here, and then we'll take him down."
The other warriors nodded in agreement.
Sokka kneeled down between the two dogs, giving them each a pat on the head.
"Alright, you know what to do," he said in a low voice. "Now, go on."
He pushed them forward lightly and they took off over the icy tundra, their noses to the ground.
ooo
It didn't take long before they reached the end of Kaibutsu's scent trail. It lead directly into a large, dark cave, big enough to hold the cougar leopard.
"Why must trails always lead to big, spooky caves?" Aang muttered.
I'm starting to sound like Sokka, he thought, slightly mortified.
"He's in there now," Akatora murmured. "We need to get him out somehow."
"He'll want to fight, won't he?" Aang guessed.
"Knowing Kaibutsu, yes," Akatora agreed. "So we have to be very careful."
With that, the two of them crept into the cave, crawling. When they got inside, they were surprised to see no one inside. There was no sound except for the occasional chip of ice hitting the ground that had come from a stalagmite.
Akatora sighed, standing up, his breath visible in front of him. "We should go back. He's not here."
Suddenly, a pair of ice blue eyes appeared in the darkness, and with them came the rest of Kaibutsu.
"Akatora, look out!" Aang cried, jumping on top of him as Kaibutsu sailed over their heads.
"I won't let you two out of here alive," Kaibutsu threatened, advancing on them.
Aang and Akatora growled, baring their teeth before they lunged forward. Kaibutsu leaped forward as well. The two dogs jumped off his head to land on his back, where they bit down on areas of his spine.
Kaibutsu howled in pain before he started bucking. Not strong enough to hold on, Aang and Akatora went flying to hit the walls of the cave. As they did, two stalagmites came crashing down to land in the middle of the cave floor.
At this, Akatora looked up at the ceiling, and then back at Kaibutsu, who was readuing another attack, knowing what he had to do.
"Namyu, get out of here," he ordered, standing up.
"And leave you alone? No way!" Aang argued.
"Please," Akatora insisted. "I don't want you to get hurt with what I'm about to do."
"Akatora, I won't leave you!" Aang countered.
The old polar dog turned towards him, a look in his eyes that told Aang he had to do this alone.
"Grow great Namyu," he murmured, accepting his immanent death, "Grow strong. Become the great warrior you were destined to be."
Turning back around, Akatora leapt into the air towards Kaibutsu, aiming for his head. The cougar leopard opened his jaws, ready to deal the killing bite. But this was exactly what Akatora wanted. He latched onto his top jaw and bit down hard. Kaibutsu growled and slammed him against the cave wall, trying to dislodge him; but Akatora held on. Kaibutsu slammed him again, harder and harder. However, he didn't notice that the cave walls began to rumble, and that stalagmites and other larger rocks coated in ice began to fall.
"I've taken my revenge for my comrades," Akatora told Kaibutsu in a low voice.
Aang realized what was happening the moment Kaibutsu did. Backing towards the entrance, he heard Akatora speak again, his jaws still clamped onto their target.
"Tell Appa I'm sorry," he said above the roar of the falling rocks. "Tell him that Akatora," he bit down harder, a look of determination on his face, "died like a real dog!"
Then, the rest of the ceiling caved in, burying both Akatora and Kaibutsu under over a ton of rocks.
Aang, who had raced out of the cave, ran back inside once the rumbling stopped. Everything was so quiet…
"Akatora?" he called, still clinging to the faint chance that he was alive. "Akatora, please, answer me!"
He began scanning the wreckage, moving stones out of the way, until he caught a glimpse of a limp red and white shape. Moving more stones out of the way, Aang soon discovered it was Akatora, dead.
The familiar feeling of grief crashed down on him, causing Aang to lower his head as a sign of sorrow and respect for what Akatora had just done. He had given up his life to save the Southern Water Tribe. That's what dogs were supposed to do after all; willingly put their lives in danger for the people they loved.
Aang took the scruff of his neck and dragged him out, deciding to bury him next to the place where he had given up his life. He would honor Akatora for the rest of his life, as would the rest of the South Pole.
And a few hours after Aang left, a single rock moved on the pile, signaling that life was stirring beneath it.