AQ: (Looking VERY sheepish) Err…sowwie I've taken so long…hehe, bin kinda busy, with school, and Dad's bin hogging the computer 4 his university wrk! Not much of an excuse…but…um…hehe, I've made up for it with an XTRA LONG CHAPTA!!! WARNING! Character death.
The Legend of Aria: The Avatar's daughter
Book 2-Chapter 2: The spiritual plain.
All was well in the air temple.12 year old Aang looked this ways and that, recognising old friends, meeting new ones. He glanced at his old teacher, Monk Kiatso, who was caring for some new born Flying Bison. Aang laughed as they tumbled this way and that.
Then the sky turned dark, and a storm was brewing. He heard a voice…her voice. "Aang! Help me Aang!"
Aang's ears perked immediately. "Katara?"
"Aaa-aang!" came her echoing voice, bouncing off the temple walls. "Help me Aang!"
"Where are you? Katara, answer me!"
"Come and find me! I'm lost Aang! Help me! Help me Aang!"
"I'm coming!" he called, rushing towards the temple entrance, but the further he ran, the further it was. He ran with all his air bending power, but he was still in the same place as he was before.
"Hurry Aang! He's coming! He's hurting me, Aang!"
Aang roared with anger. Suddenly he was inside. He ran up to where her voice was coming from. A closed door, he flung it open. Bright light flooded the doorway, blinding him. As his eyes became accustomed to the light, Aang saw her, Katara, fully grown, with graceful curves and a full torso, her dark hair flowing, defying gravity, her eyes the purest ice blue. She wore a robe that floated in the non-gravitational aura that surrounded her, exposing one of her cocoa coloured legs, and protruding from her shoulder blades were soft, ice blue wings, arched and jubilant. "Step inside, Aang." echoed her voice.
He hesitated at first, and then let himself move into the room. As soon as he did this, the doorway he had stepped through melted away, and his own limbs grew stronger, more muscular. He grew taller, into the man he is now.
"Aang, it has been sometime since I've contacted you."
"You said it was because every time you did, it weakened your essence, your own spirit."
"I have an urgent message, for you as well as Zuko."
"Zuko?"
"Yes, Ozai plans to resurrect himself by using Zuko as his new vessel, by killing Zuko and taking his body."
Aang pursed his lips. "I'll go to the spiritual plain and banish him to the darkness."
"You can't, not alone. He's too strong; he's consumed the power of his fallen soldiers and comrades."
"I won't be alone."
Katara looked at him in confusion. He smiled and touched her cheek, she sighed sadly as he did so, for even though his fingers were there, she could not feel their warmth. He saw her sadness, and whispered: "Wait for me."
And with that, he stepped back and let the white light consume him. Katara watched him go, whispering "Be careful"…
Aang woke up with a start, he turned to his window. Daybreak. He got out of bed and pulled on his tunic, and then looked out at the water tribe city, dishevelled and destroyed, but slowly rebuilding and finding order. This war is bad enough. With Ozai wading in to claim the world as Fire Nation property, it would be catastrophic; it would be…doomsday…
Aria opened her eyes slightly, just to peep at what on earth her father was doing, but as she did this, he briskly said "No peeping! This takes utter focus!"
Aria sighed and fully opened eyes. "We've been at this for an hour! Can you just tell me what we're doing?"
They were in the sacred place in the Water City, filled with grass and warmth, and in the pond swam two fish, one white, one black, circling each other. Aang, Aria noticed, had smiled fondly at the white fish when they arrived. Zora was taking Jarro on a shopping trip, getting the supplies, and, according to Zora, the 'Necessaries', you know, clothes, perfume, more clothes, shoes, more clothes, jewellery, more clothes, a so on.
This gave Aang time to teach Aria how to cross over, but it wasn't doing too well.
Aang sighed, then knelt down and sat cross-legged before her. "Last night a spirit came to me, to warn me that Ozai, Zora's treacherous grand-father, plans on killing Zuko and taking control of Zuko's body, in order to conquer the world under the Fire Nation."
Aria's eyes widened "A spirit? What spirit?"
Aang hesitated, then answered "Katara."
Aria stared at him, shocked. "Mother?" Aang nodded. Aria inhaled deeply, then exhaled very slowly, any quicker and it would have caused a typhoon.
"Do you understand now? We must help her fight!"
Aria looked at him with her determined eyes and said "Let's do it."
It was weird at first, one moment Aang had his index finger pressed to her forehead, the next, she was falling through the ground, melting in and out of existence, blending into the spirited wind, becoming the calm water, feeling the passionate blaze of the fire and the sheer determination of earth. And then…where was she?
The forest seemed to be in twilight, honey light dappled through the trees…hang on, what kind of tree has plum coloured leaves? Aria touched the leaf, it felt like silk. "Where am I?"
"The Spiritual Plain."
Aria jumped out of her skin, then turned around briskly. Aang grinned at her.
"Does that mean we're dead?" asked Aria
"No, I'm the Avatar, the passage and consol to and from the Spiritual Plain."
"What about me?" murmured Aria, turning pale.
"You're my daughter, Avatar blood runs in you second hand."
"Gee, that makes me feel so much better."
Aang laughed, then his face turned serious.
"Do you smell that?" he asked in hushed tones.
Aria sniffed the air, then replied confusedly "Smoke?"
Aang pressed his fingers to his lips and whispered "Follow me."
Gliding gently on the breeze, they silently made their way to the source of the smoke.
Ozai sat cross-legged on the golden grass, puffing on an ornamental pipe. Smoking. Smoke. Aria was unimpressed. "That's him?" she said loudly, her face exasperated. "That's the great Fire Lord who gave you a run for your money? Gee, you must have been a lousy Avatar then!"
Suddenly a ring of fire surrounded them, wild a strong, yet controlled. A husky voice spoke up.
"I could say the same thing about your mother, Child."
Aria gazed in horror as Ozai rose from the ground, and turned to face them, eyes gleaming with success. "What kind of bender, The Guardian of Water no less, let's themselves be trampled by a few rocks? She is so gullible, pass a few rumours, I knew she would come and find you, and tell you of my plans, Katara missed something though, why settle for just fire bending, and being fire lord, when I can rule the world as master of all four elements?"
Aang snarled. "Not if I drag you down to the darkness first!" He then leapt at Ozai, thrusting element after element at Ozai. Aria watched her father, who pulled apart a tree, revealing a dark vortex. Ozai was sucked in immediately. Aang turned to her and said "Aria! Run! Get out of here!"
"What about you?!" she yelled back.
Aang's eyes were saddened and misty. "I have to stay, to end Ozai once and for all."
"And then you'll come back?"
Aang looked away from her and said "Go, before you're swallowed by the darkness too."
Aria could see now, the fact that her father was slowly vanishing. His legs were gone, and his waist was slowly vanishing into the dark abyss.
She screamed "DAD! NO!"
He turned to her and whispered "Just go."
On the word 'go', Aria felt like she was emerging from a pool of ice, breaking through the surface of life and death, rising like an angel. She gasped. She was sat on the grassy floor, opposite Aang, with his tattoos glowing. As she watched, his glow began to fade…
He slumped back onto the floor, his eyes open, but misted, unseeing. Unable to see the tears Aria was shedding. It's was so rare that she cried, but this…these tears were acceptable. The salty droplets poured from the corners of her eyes.
"Dad?" she whispered "Dad, get up. Please get up…" No reply. Aria nudged him slightly, unwilling to accept the truth. "Dad, get up, please! Dad?" she moved away, her attempts futile. She let the tears flow freely. She then screamed "IT'S SO UNFAIR! WHY?! I FINALLY FIND MY DAD AND THEN HE'S RIPPED FROM ME!!!"
She crumpled into hysterical sobbing, her breathing irregular, her heart broken. She cried for some time. When she raised her head, she turned back to where Aang lay. Crawling back to his side, she raised her hand, shaking uncontrollably, and slowly closed Aang's eyes… forever.
When she raised her head though, she realised that someone was stood beside her.
She turned and found a woman, with black, flowing hair and eyes of ice, a robe that matched her eyes, and yet her skin the colour of coconut. From her shoulders sprouted luminous white-blue wings. "Who are you?" asked Aria in awe. The Angel didn't answer. Instead, she held her arms wide. Somehow, Aria knew this woman was trust worthy, and so let herself fall into a strong embrace. "He's gone…he's gone…" Aria sobbed into the ice blue robes.
"No, he's not." Came the kind reply. Aria released herself from the woman's arms in confusion. The Angel continued. "He's always with you, right here." She pointed at Aria's chest, roughly where the heart should be. Aria looked at the woman gratefully, but she continued to say "as am I."
Now Aria truly was confused. Then it struck home. Aria looked the beautiful woman in the eyes, suddenly able to see why she had immediately trusted this woman. Those eyes…they were her own…
"Mother?" asked Aria. Katara smiled, then said "I can't stay to long, I have a message from the past Avatars. Seeing no Avatar has had children before, this is a unique situation, because now, with Aang…passed on…you are, by birth right, …the new Avatar!"
AQ: Ok, I know what you're thinking, who does she think she is, abandoning us for AGES, then killing off the main characters father?! I have a good explanation, and that is…
Aria: That you're a sick woman who likes causing pain? Zora told me about the axe.
Zora: I hope your readers butcher you, then I can give your remains a good barbecuing!
AQ: Touch me and you die! I actually have the power to do that, you know.
Aria: Don't you dare! I don't think I can handle another loss! (Starts sobbing)
Zora:(Comforting Aria) There, there. You, Authorqueen, are EVIL!
AQ: Well DUH! Now go away, otherwise I'll kill off Jarro.
Jarro: What have I done to deserve that?!
AQ: JUST GO! Hehe… Review pleez…If you want Jarro to live…
Jarro: OMG! Review! Review! REVIEW!
