Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender
Author's Note: Since so many of you asked, I'll address the issue of my accident. No, it wasn't bad. It involved four cars in a multiple rear-ending situation. Everyone walked away. My oldest son and I were in the vehicle, and we're fine, but there was a large amount of work done on our van. We got it back today.
Nerves and Explanations
"Back already?" Sokka inquired as Katara helped Aang into the house.
"Aang mastered firebending," Katara said shortly. She inclined her head toward Iroh and Zuko. "They can explain." She briefly heard the flurry of questions before closing the door of Aang's bedroom behind them, muting the sounds from the main living room. Katara hovered as Aang lay down gratefully on his bed and closed his eyes.
"Do you still have a headache?" she asked him, bending some water into a cup for him. He nodded. Katara handed him the cup and urged him to drink it. With an effort, he sat up enough to do so, and she put the cup back on the side table.
"I think I just need some rest," he told her quietly, lying back down. Katara hesitated. She knew she should leave him alone, but she had a few questions, and she was afraid he wouldn't be able to answer them as well if too much time passed.
"I…I got some mental pictures from you when it happened," she began tentatively. That got his interest. Aang rolled up on one elbow and gazed at her intently.
"What kind of pictures?"
"I'm not completely sure. It was just strange because what I usually get are emotions, never the actual thoughts that are going through your head."
"That's a good thing," Aang muttered, so low that Katara wasn't certain she had heard correctly. Sensing his discomfort, however, she decided to let it go and continued.
"It was all so fast that I couldn't really make sense of anything," she tried to explain. "Do you know what that was?" Aang rolled onto his back again and stared at the ceiling.
"Yeah," he answered. "That was how I got the instructions for everything I could do. It was all in images, and it was awfully fast for me, too. I guess I'm not surprised you got some of it; it was really strong, like the ocean flooding a town. I don't think I was really able to make much out of it until I passed out."
Katara paused and thought about this for a little while. She had long wondered if dreams were a way of the mind working things out without outside distractions. It seemed to work that way for Aang, like those nightmares he'd had before confessing to her the truth of how he'd run away from being the Avatar. If that were true, it made sense that he was able to gain understanding while unconscious.
"You also seemed really scared," she whispered. This was the part that worried her most of all.
"Well, it was scary," replied Aang, just as softly. He seemed to be carefully avoiding looking at her. "Not just having that flood of information running through my brain, but knowing how much power I really have. I mean, I guess I sort of knew it before, but…in the Avatar State, I'm kind of detached from myself. These are things my past lives have done as themselves. Things I could do." His mouth worked, but he didn't seem to know where to go from there.
"Let's hope you don't have to use any of them," Katara said. She kissed the tip of the arrow tattoo on his forehead and prepared to leave.
"Still, knowing I have that much inside me," Aang went on, stopping her. It felt like he needed some kind of reassurance. "How much destruction could I cause? How do I know I can control it?" Katara smiled and ran her hand along the left side of his face, ending by cupping his cheek and chin.
"I don't believe you'd have been given this burden if you couldn't handle it. Besides, I love you, and I have faith that you'll do the right things." With that, she kissed him, gently but firmly.
"I've screwed up before," he protested. Katara paused, considering her words carefully.
"I won't lie to you," she decided. "Yes, you have screwed up, but I've never seen you make the same mistake twice. You've learned, and I think that says a lot. I'm very proud of you. Now try to sleep off that headache. I have a feeling there's not much my healing can do for this."
"Katara?" Aang's voice stopped her at the door. When she turned, he continued. "Thank you for always being there for me. I love you." Katara nodded, smiled, and left him.
"So, what do we do now?" wondered Suki, after Zuko and Iroh had shared what they knew about Aang's recent experience. Toph had been thinking much the same thing. It seemed like it had taken so long to get to this point, she didn't really know what to do next. Since she'd joined the group fairly recently, she knew it must seem even longer for Sokka, Katara, and Aang, who'd been trying to reach this goal from the beginning.
"I don't see what we can do except wait for the eclipse to come," Zuko replied.
"I hate waiting," Toph sighed.
"Me too," agreed Suki.
"What's taking them so long?" complained Sokka. It took Toph a moment to realize that he was facing the hallway where the bedrooms were located and must be talking about Katara and Aang.
"They may wish to discuss some of what happened," Iroh ventured. "It's the first chance they've had to be alone."
"They're pretty much just sitting there," Toph confirmed.
"Are you sure?" Sokka pressed.
"Wait, Katara's standing up," Toph revised her observations. "I think she's getting ready to come back out here. Believe me, if they were doing anything you needed to worry about, I could tell." Of course, that didn't necessarily mean she would tell him, but he didn't need to know that.
"What do you know about it?" he challenged her. "You've spent most of your life locked up."
"Yeah, in a stone house," she pointed out. "With my parents." There was a pause as Sokka (and probably the others, too) took this in and realized what married people often do at night.
"Oh. Eww. Um, sorry," Sokka apologized to her. Toph actually appreciated this from him. Naturally, she had not always understood those peculiar vibrations coming from her parents' bedroom sometimes, but once she did, it was extremely awkward. Before anyone could change the subject, Katara exited Aang's doorway and rejoined them, sinking into a cushion on the floor.
"So, how is he?" Suki asked gently.
"I think he'll sleep for a while, but he should be fine," replied Katara. "He's bounced back from worse than this."
"You're not looking so good, either," Sokka remarked, concern suddenly evident in his voice. "Are you all right?"
"I think so. It was just kind of a shock."
"Why was it a shock to you?" Toph objected. "I thought it was Aang who had a bunch of stuff packed into his head." She surreptitiously put her hand to the floor. Katara's heart rate was increasing. She was getting nervous, so it was clear there was something she was hiding, and she was probably trying to decide how much to tell them.
"I hadn't really thought about it before, but there is something we haven't told the rest of you," Katara admitted. "Maybe we felt it was so obvious we didn't need to mention it. Or maybe it just seemed too…personal."
"What is it, Katara?" Suki encouraged her, coming to sit beside her.
"It's just that Aang and I are connected," Katara said.
"Well, yeah, he's your boyfriend," Sokka didn't sound enlightened. "That's not news."
"I suspect she means something else," contributed Iroh. Katara nodded slowly.
"I'm not sure how to explain it," she began. "It's like admitting we loved each other opened some kind of channel between us. We can sense each other's emotions and things."
"A spiritual link," Iroh added wisely.
"Exactly," Katara agreed. "But this time, it was different. I could feel his confusion stronger than usual, but it was more than that. I actually got images. That had never happened before. They were really fast, though, so I couldn't see them very well."
At this point, Toph was a little lost. Her idea of images were the way she "saw" the world through vibrations, so she supposed it would be like sensing that, only everything kept shifting, like a series of small earthquakes on top of each other. Of course, that might be a bad example because she could work with earthquakes. Maybe it was closer to standing on the sand dunes of that bay where the Water Tribe warriors were staying. The sand kept blowing around, making it hard for her to get good pictures of the land and the objects on it. She could also tell that Katara was still holding something back, but under the circumstances, that was understandable.
"Did you find out what they were?" Suki wondered.
"Yes," Katara acknowledged. "We were just talking about it. He said it was how he got the instructions for all the Avatar stuff. Somehow, it leaked over to me."
Sokka now went over and knelt in front of his sister.
"I've wondered about that," he confessed.
"You have?" Katara seemed startled.
"I read something like this in the library," Sokka explained. "I didn't want to say anything before because I didn't want to put any pressure on you. Besides, I wasn't even sure it was true."
"Pressure?"
"When the Avatar finds his – for lack of a better term – soul mate, their minds connect with each other. Once they accept their relationship, nothing can break that bond. I figured if it had happened, you'd tell me when you were ready. If it hadn't happened, there was no point. It would only make you worry that…"
"I wasn't the one?" Katara guessed. Toph sensed Sokka nodding.
"Wait. I don't understand," said Zuko. "Does that mean she's somehow reborn, too? They've always been together, sort of?"
"No, that's not how it works," Sokka replied, shifting so that he was in a more comfortable sitting position. Suki also moved to be close to him, though not quite touching. "This is where it gets complicated. See, the Avatar Spirit is reborn into a new individual each turn in the cycle. While the spirit remains the same, just adding any new knowledge obtained with each incarnation, the new Avatar is a completely separate person from the one that came before. Aang can talk to Roku in the Spirit World because their souls are separate. Roku and all the other previous Avatars are there, while Aang's soul is here with us, still in his body."
Toph had to agree with Sokka's assessment; this was complicated. She was grateful to be a simple earthbender, even a really talented one who'd gotten sucked into this strange world of destiny and spirits.
"This seems really mystical for you, Sokka," she remarked.
"Don't remind me," he shot back flatly. "I've learned to accept a lot of things over the past few months, but this is probably the weirdest yet." Toph actually smiled at his use of the word "yet." If there was one thing she'd learned about Sokka, it was that he rarely failed to expect something even worse or weirder than he'd already experienced to come over the horizon. Odd as it sounded, it was a rather endearing trait.
"How do you feel?" Suki was asking Katara.
"Strangely, I'm not really all that surprised," she responded. "It's almost like I've always known."
"Yeah, back home, you always were the weird one," her brother reminded her. This lightened the mood somewhat, but Sokka quickly grew serious again. "So, are you okay with all this?" To everyone's surprise, Katara laughed a little.
"I'm sorry," she apologized. "It's just that Aang asked me the same question right after we realized what was happening, and I can't help but think the same thing I did then – it's a little late for that, now."
"Yeah, I guess, but…have you really thought about it?" Sokka insisted.
"We've been a little busy," she reminded him sharply. "What exactly are you talking about?"
Sokka paused, and everyone was so still, Toph could sense him chewing thoughtfully on his tongue.
"Well, you know, Aang's the last airbender," he started slowly.
"Of course I know that!" his sister snapped. Toph was starting to get an idea of where Sokka was going with this, and she was considering finishing his point when it didn't sound like he would. However, Iroh stepped in first.
"I think what your brother is trying to say is that Aang will need to have children," he interpreted. "That's the only way there will be future airbenders to continue the Avatar cycle."
"Yes, I'd figured that out," Katara replied calmly. "Besides, why wouldn't Aang want to have children? He loves them. So do I." Again, there was something she was leaving out, and she felt a little tense and almost defensive. Toph suspected that Katara and Aang had already had at least a portion of this conversation.
"Yeah, but we could be talking a lot of children here," Sokka continued steadfastly. "He has to repopulate a nearly extinct race. Are you sure you're ready for that?"
"I think you've officially crossed into the territory of none of your business," Katara grated icily, finally pushed over her breaking point. She stood up, slowly but determinedly. "Aang and I will have as many children as the spirits grant, and it will be because we love each other, not because of some stupid sense of duty! Now, I think I could stand to lie down for a few minutes." When she had finished, she swept out of the room with a decidedly regal air. Toph practically felt like applauding; Katara might not have been raised in the upper levels of society, but she sure could pull off the attitude.
"Nice going," Zuko remarked sardonically.
"That went rather well," Sokka returned. Toph would have expected a healthy dose of sarcasm in his tone, but oddly, there was none.
"That's the reaction you wanted?" she asked in disbelief.
"Of course," he shrugged emphatically. "I had to get her riled up to make her speak the truth. Now I know she knows what she's getting into, and I'm sure she'll be happy. What more could a brother ask for?"
"How did you know what to say to get her to react?" As an only child, Toph didn't understand sibling interactions. Of course, she sometimes thought they didn't, either.
"What can I say?" Sokka shrugged modestly. "Irritating my sister is one of my many talents."
"Well, if you're free now, there's another talent of yours I'd like to try out," Suki invited.
"Okay, but let's go outside," he modified the request, and they went to the back garden. Toph was pretty sure this was because of the revelation she had shared with everyone a few minutes ago. What they didn't know was that she could sense them outside, too. However, loose earth didn't conduct vibrations quite as well as stone, and there were more things in the way, making it easier for her not to think about it. This departure left only her, Iroh, and Zuko in the room. No one spoke for a long time. It finally got on Toph's nerves.
"So what do we do right now?" she asked the others.
"How about a rousing game of Pai Sho?" Iroh suggested.
"I'm out," Zuko declined shortly, retreating to his room.
"Is it something I could learn?" Toph was willing to try just about anything at this point. Although it hadn't bothered her for most of her life, she was coming to understand that her blindness did have its drawbacks.
"I think so. The tiles are hand-carved, so they all feel different. You'll just have to learn what they all are. And remember where they are once they're played, of course. Do you think you could do that?"
"Whatever." Why not? She appeared to have quite a lot of time on her hands at the moment.
"Wonderful! I'll just put on a pot of tea for us…."
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Member of the Boomeraang Squad: charleegirl, Jesus.Lives, Liselle129, Strix Moonwing, Avatarwolf, MormonMaiden, libowiekitty, Snows of Yester-Year, La Vixen de Amor, chocolatecoveredbananacheese, Aangy, and honorary member SnakeEyes16
Author's Note: Let's see…it looks like I might make 600 reviews this chapter. I'm looking forward to that! Thank you in advance for understanding my brief hiatus next week. I'll get a new chapter posted as soon as I can. I'll be taking a notebook and trying to jot down some ideas for Avatar Goes Broadway while I'm gone.
Review responses:
Thank you to Lahmikhara, misskiki28, Billeh, Justcallmewolfy, libowiekitty, H2P2, chocolatecoveredbananacheese for reviewing Chapter 34.
UNDER-CITY WALLS: No problem. I'm glad you see it now.
Aangs fangirl1214: I think most of your comments were answered in the chapter. As for how I do everything, I just sort of do it. I also do as little housework as possible. Iroh must have been good to keep Ba Sing Se under siege for nearly three years (1,000 days).
TTAvatarfan: I know I like seeing Aang that way! Your review was a nicely concise synopsis of the chapter, so the only other thing I can think of to say is thanks!
La Vixen de Amor: Glad you liked it!
TheKataangKing: Actually, firebenders are only shirtless during an Agni Kai. All the times we've seen Zuko or Aang training, they've been fully clothed.
Chocolatecoveredespressobean: I think one of the things I do really well is come up with things that are logical but hardly anyone else would think of.
Snows Of Yester-Year: Yeah, I usually have to wait until my kids go to bed to get much writing done. Then I only have the cat to contend with.
kataangfan22: I'm proud of him, too. Of course, I'm the one who wrote that, so does that mean I'm actually proud of myself? Being in charge of your own universe is so confusing.;) Glad you liked the Kataang.
Giggleman: Thanks, I'm trying to.
LiveInThaskyE: Yeah, that would have been cool. Well, I'm sure the show will find some impressive moves for Aang to do.
Kimbalynn616: Oh, I see. In that case, I may have one or two good George moments up my sleeve. I've probably spent more time than is healthy thinking about the Avatar State and such, so I'm glad you appreciate it.
MyOtherName: I didn't really think of that as being funny, but it sort of fits in with Aang's personality. In the first episode, Sokka's all wondering how Aang got in the ice and why he's not frozen, and Aang just sort of shrugs and says, "I don't know." And let's not forget: "Penguin!" in the middle of a conversation about the war.
redskin122004: I look forward to seeing more of your writing. I'm kind of doing the opposite, spending more time writing than reading.
Sunkissed Guacamole: I'm very impressed that you read the whole thing in one day. I know how much reading that is. I'm doing my best to find time to write.
Vanille Strawberry: Yeah, I loved the idea of Aang taking charge there. Um, "Iss guh day thoo avoorneen slawn." We sang a song partly in Gaelic when I was in high school, and that was the refrain, but I'm not entirely sure what it means or if I remembered how they spelled it.
Queen: Glad you've caught up now! Yes, I'm putting all my pieces in place. My greatest fear is that I'll leave some loose end hanging. I hate when authors do that, and I've got so many subplots going that I really hope I remember to wrap them all up.
cormalin: Wow, two days? That's impressive. Was that last one a cliffhanger? Maybe a little. There might be worse to come, though. Just warning you.
AvatrLori: Well, I'm glad you found my story and enjoyed it, and welcome to the site! I have a lot of other stories, too, if you're interested. Shorter ones!