I just wanted to take a quick second to apologize for the delay. One of the most important people in my life recently passed and I just wasn't in the mindset to write. Thank you for your words, again, they mean so much. I'll be back to updating regularly now, so thank you for sticking with me.
Katara wasn't sure how long she was wrapped up in Aang's arms, but she still couldn't seem to get herself to stop trembling. She buried her head further into her his chest, letting her sobs wrack her body. For a moment she almost forgot everything that happened between them. The pain of losing her mother was fresh in heart heart, as if the spirit had risen it to the surface. She tried to push it down and focus on the words Aang was murmuring to her, clinging to them as if they were a lifeline. The storm of emotions raging inside of her was more intense than she could put words to.
When she finally pulled back she looked into Aang's eyes, the silver orbs acting like anchors for the girl. But when she saw the unshed tears he was holding back she was overwhelmed with shame. How could she be so weak that she let them infiltrate her mind like that? She was completely fooled by illusions, her instincts did nothing to stop her. Without him, she may have been dead right now. She shuddered at the thought and felt the airbender grasp her tighter. "I'm sorry," she whispered, finding herself unable to explain the full depth of everything that she was feeling.
The avatar shook his head determinedly, his eyes shining brightly. "You have nothing to apologize for Katara. It wasn't your fault."
His words did little to quell the anguish pillaging her stomach. She was lucky, she thought, that she didn't have more to apologize for. She has seen Aang as a spirit, an enemy. If she hadn't frozen in fear she could have hurt him, or worse. For a moment she thought that she was going to be sick. "I could have hurt you. I thought you were a spirit, I could have really hurt you," her breathing quickened to a painful pace and her vision started greying.
Without any hesitation Aang pulled her into his chest again, running a soothing hand up and down her back and pressing his face into her hair once again before pulling back and staring deeply into her eyes. "No, Katara, don't think like that. Nothing bad happened, you didn't do anything wrong. I don't believe that you would have."
"I could have!" She snapped at him, struggling to pull away now, fearing herself in this moment. "You don't understand, Aang, I didn't see you. I looked right at you and I saw a spirit. If I had fought… If I had attacked you…" She screwed her eyes shut, bringing her hands up and digging her fingers into her pounding temples.
"Hey, Katara, stop, please," He grabbed her wrists, pulling them away from her face. He sunk his hands into her hair and used his thumbs to gently massage her temples for her, while his other fingers stretched to rub the base of her skull. "Stop. Don't torture yourself with what ifs. You didn't. I'm here now, I've got you. I'm not going to let anything happen to you, not while I'm still alive."
Tears once again began streaming down her face as she felt her walls begin to crumble. Her heart called out to him, and for a moment she wanted, so desperately, to give in. She knew that she couldn't, that she shouldn't, but in the moment she didn't care. "Sweetie," the pet name fell out of her mouth in almost a whispered prayer. She didn't even realize she had said it out loud until she felt a shiver run through Aang. She let out a little gasp and when she looked into his eyes they are burning. He seemed to sense her hesitation and let the comment slide, simply pulling her back into his chest and running a comforting hand up and down her back.
Aang heard footsteps coming from inside and turned his head to see Sokka running toward the pair. He skidded to his knees when he reached them and looked over them in fear. "Are you guys okay? What happened? I woke up and you guys were gone and then I heard a scream."
Katara buried her herself deeper against Aang, unable to stop her tears. The boy looked at the warrior and nodded his head. "Yeah, we're okay, Sokka." He explained everything that happened to him and Sokka's jaw was left hanging open by the time he was finished. Katara seemed to be calming down slightly, and Aang felt like the fist clenching his heart loosened slightly, and he glanced down at the girl in his arms to make sure she was okay. A faint tremble was still wracking her body, but it was much better than it was a few minutes ago. Aang looked over her head at Sokka and the two were able to communicate without speaking, just like they used to be able to. This definitely confirmed to the men that it was Katara the spirits were after, there wasn't a doubt in their minds. Aang nodded in understanding at Sokka, who turned his attention back down to his sister.
The girl had stopped crying and was just leaning against the Avatar weakly, her eyes half closed but still fighting the battle. Exhaustion consumed her face, along with a deep sadness. His heart ached. After everything she'd been through in the past years and even weeks, he couldn't imagine the new pain thinking they had their mother back for even a moment had caused. He even felt a punch to the gut just hearing about it, but seeing her, hearing her… He shook his head and closed his eyes, centering himself for a moment. A huge part of him wanted to scoop his sister up in his arms and take her away from this, from everything. He felt like he was failing at protecting her, which was his most important job in life.
He made eye contact with the avatar and his concern grew. He could see clear as day the love shining in his eyes, which confused the water tribe boy to no end. It was Aang who left his sister, crumpled, crying on the floor three years ago. It was Aang who ran out and hid in his air temple and wouldn't answer Katara's letters or come talk to her about what happened. So why did he look at his sister like she was his reason for breathing? He and Aang were going to have a talk soon. He knew now wasn't the time, but he had to find out what the hell the Avatar was thinking before his sister got hurt again. He wasn't about to stand by and let that happen.
But right now he needed to focus on taking care of Katara. For a moment he thought to have Aang let go of her and wrap her up himself, but a single word flashed through his memory. "Aang…" The only word his sister murmured when she went down during that fateful battle with the spirit. As much as he wanted to protect her, he feared by doing that he may hurt her. Maybe making up with Aang was what she really wanted, despite the risk. He sighed deeply, shaking his head, knowing that he didn't have to figure it all out now. Instead he turned his attention to the boy in question, who looked almost as shaken as his sister did. "I say we try and get some sleep for the rest of the night. In the morning we'll pack up and get the hell out of here. But right now she needs to rest."
Aang nodded his head, still absentmindedly rubbing Katara's back. "Yes, I agree. Tomorrow, when we're far enough from this place we should set up camp early, so I can try and connect with Roku and see if he knows anything about what we're dealing with. Maybe he can help."
It didn't miss Sokka's attention that Aang said that he would 'try' to connect with Roku. he thought that he had mastered communication with his past lives years ago. He made a mental note and tucked it away to ask him in the morning. For now he glanced down at his sister, his heart twisting at the tortured look in her eyes. "Katara?" The girl turned her attention to him and he shivered at the darkness in her gaze. "We're going to take you back to bed now, okay? You need to try and rest some more."
His words instantly distressed the girl, who shook her head violently a clutched Aang's robes so tightly that he knuckles turned white. "Sokka, I can't. What happens if I hurt someone next time. I can't sleep."
"Katara, that's not rational," Aang spoke up, cupping her cheek with his hand, "You need to rest. I'll sleep right next to you. If anything happens I'll be the first to know it."
The princess looked like she was going to open her mouth to protest, but simply closed it instead, nodding her head which she then rested against Aang's shoulder. Aang looked to Sokka, almost seeking permission, and when he slowly nodded his head he wrapped one arm under Katara's legs and the other around her shoulders, scooping her up. She nestled her nose into his neck and let him carry her, far too tired to walk herself. She knew that the boys were right, she needed to rest. Her body craved it at this point, but she knew that she couldn't give in. Whether he could stop her or not, she couldn't risk hurting her friends if she thought they were spirits. She wasn't sure exactly what she was going to do, but she knew she had to come up with something.
Aang started walking them back towards the others and she closed her eyes. Images of the meadow and her mother danced behind her eyelids and she shuddered. She could hear Aang and Sokka murmuring to each other, but she couldn't make out what they were saying. She raised her head to look between them, but they stopped talking when she did. She sighed and let her head fall back again, knowing that she could most likely pull it out of her brother later. When they got back to their spot in the cave she noticed that Mai and Zuko were still sleeping soundly.
Sokka ran a hand over her hair before taking his place back in his sleeping furs. Aang walked over to where they had been sleeping and bent down on one knee, gently placing her on her own sleeping fur. He carefully helped her slide in and wrap herself up in the warmth of it. She snuggled in, desperate to do anything to stop the cold from spreading through her limbs like it was. Silently the airbender moved his furs closer to hers, and when he was all settled she could feel his body pressed against her own. Her cheeks flushed at the memories the feeling stirred and she forced herself not to make eye contact with him. When she lost that internal battle, she found him staring at her so intently she could have sworn her heart stopped. Clearing her throat, she let her eyelashes flutter down for a second before meeting his eyes once more. "Thank you," she whispered, and when he drew his eyebrows together she continued, "For saving me. And for being there for me when you didn't have to be."
Aang's eyes shined at her words and she felt her breath stutter for a second. He shook his head softly, "You don't have to thank me." He hesitated, seeming to debate with himself whether or not to say his next piece, and after a few moments, he made his choice. "It's something that I want to do. Now rest, Katara. We have another long day of traveling ahead of us in the morning. I want to get as far from this cave as we can."
Katara nodded, willing the blush to leave her cheeks, or at least lesson enough that he wouldn't notice. She nodded her head and closed her eyes, trying to remember the times that she used to meditate. She knew that she couldn't fall asleep, but she didn't want Aang to realize that. If she at least seemed like she was trying to ret hopefully he would let sleep claim him as well. She put all her concentration into steadying her breathing, trying to relax herself just enough, but not too much. She didn't let her mind stray from her task of keeping her breathing slow and steady, but as soon as she heard Aang's light snoring she knew that she was safe. Without opening her eyes, she turned around slowly, making it seem like she was simply shifting in her sleep as she often did. Once her back was facing the airbender she opened her eyes, mesmerizing the lines of the cave walls until the sun rose.
Mai and Zuko were the first to stir, having been the only two who had gotten a full night's rest. Aang and Sokka rose within minutes of each other, both of them groaning as they stretched out on the cave floor. Katara rose to a sitting position slowly, feeling the exhaustion weighing down her limbs and not wanting to lay down any longer than she needed to. She rubbed her eyes and yawed, hoping that the others would take her exhaustion as an aftermath of the events from the night rather than her refusal to sleep. As they began to pack up, she heard Sokka softly telling Mai and Zuko about what happened. She heard a frustrated growl from Zuko and could practically feel Mai's eyes burning a hole in her back, but she refused to turn around. She didn't want to talk about it, yet. It was all still too raw.
"How did you sleep?" Aang's voice pulled her from her memories and she jumped slightly, not expecting it. His head was tilted to the side as he rubbed his neck, a gesture he usually did when he felt particularly awkward. She guessed that he, too, had overheard Sokka telling them and knew how the couple was going to react.
The waterbender forced herself to meet his eyes and kept her face as calm as she could. With how tired she was, the emotionless look wasn't too hard to summon. He knew her well enough that if she didn't meet his eyes it would mean that she was lying, hiding something, or in this case, both. "As well as I could have." She answered, feeling like she wasn't exactly lying, she couldn't sleep now without putting her friends in danger.
Aang nodded, giving her that famous lopsided grin of his. "Don't worry, it looks like we're just about packed and then we'll be able to get out of here in no time. Some distance should help you."
She nodded silently unsure of what to say, but his words almost ping ponged in her head. 'Some distance should help you.' Maybe he was right about that, just not in the way that he meant it. She bit her lip, playing with her idea in her mind, when Sokka walked up to the pair. "Hey guys, we're almost packed. Are you ready to go?" Aang said he was while Katara clung to her silence still, distractedly nodding her head. "Okay, cool. Appa up in five!" The soldier joked, walking back to his belongings.
The water tribe girl grabbed her bag, another yawn escaping her lips without her permission and she imagined for a moment she could feel the wind from Aang's head snapping to look at her. She met his gaze and held her breath, hoping to avoid further questioning or any arguments, but was instantly relieved when the airbender simply reached out his hand to take her bags for her. She handed them over without argument and walked with him over to Appa. When they reached the sky bison, Zuko walked over to her and simply put a comforting hand on her shoulder. She smiled up at him and they shared one of those moments where they knew that the other was thinking without having to say anything. If someone had asked her six years ago if they would have ever had a friendship like this with this man, she would have laughed if their face, but she was forever grateful for what they had now.
She climbed up and situated herself in Appa's saddle, curling up and resting her cheek in the side of it looking out into the icy distance. Once everyone was settled, they took off, quickly putting distance between themselves and this cave. Katara's body begged for sleep, but she knew that she couldn't, especially on Appa while he was in the air. So she closed her eyes against the wind and mentally went through every waterbending stance she could in order to keep herself awake.
On the other side of the saddle the girl's brother looked at her through worried eyes, not knowing what he could really do to help his sister in this moment. He sighed and ran his hand over his face, wishing that Suki could be here with him. She would know exactly what to do and what to say. He missed her terribly, especially knowing how pregnant she was. Thinking of her always relit the fire inside of him. The sooner they figured out what was going on the sooner he could go home to his wife and his unborn child. He switched his gaze to the airbender steering the flying bison they were riding and nodded to himself. It was time to have a little chat with Aang. It anything it would distract him from everything else he couldn't work on fixing right now.
Sokka made his way over to the edge of the saddle where the boy was sitting and climbed over the side. Aang's eyebrows raised in shock when he realized who was sitting next to him. Sokka watched him swallow hard and smirked to himself. Still got it, he thought, lacing his fingers together before stretching them out in front of himself to crack them. Unfortunately the move was more intimidating in his head because his fingers popped much louder than he anticipated, sending a jolt of pain up his hand that left him shaking it slightly and murmuring a quiet 'ow'. He shook it off, though, and looked the man sitting next to him up and down before speaking. "I think we need to have a chat, Aang."
Aang's eyes widened slightly and he looked at him in silence for a moment, before nodding softly and turning his attention back to the sky in from of him, his gaze lowering slightly. "I can't say I didn't think that this was going to happen," he said, and the quietness of his voice did seem to surprise Sokka.
In fact it surprised him so much that he found himself pausing, observing the boy for a few more moments before speaking. Another sigh escaped him before he, too, turned his gaze out into the horizon. "I'm not going to pretend to know everything that happened between you and Katara. After everything happened she really… closed everyone out. She refused to talk about it, or you for that matter. So I'm not going to sit here and lecture you on what happened three years ago." He looked over at the man he used to call his best friend, his brother. He was looking right back, his eyes shining and displaying a dizzying array of emotions. "But I just need you to know, that three years ago I picked up my sister, who is arguably the strongest person in my world, off the floor as she was broken and crying. And I'll be damned if I let someone do that to her again."
Aang's face scrunched up in pain as the full impact of Sokka's words coursed through him. Sokka watched intently, trying to figure out where the airbender stood. He didn't want to fight Katara's battles for her, no he knew better than that, even if it took him years and years to learn. But he was going to put his foot down with this. The airbender nodded his head softly, sinking his head down into his chest before he answered. "I can't speak much to what happened three years ago, Sokka. I don't fully understand it myself. When I try and replay it in my head to figure out what went wrong it just gets… fuzzy." He raised his head and met Sokka's eyes with fire burning in his silver orbs, "I can tell you that I never plan on hurting Katara again, Sokka. Even if that means that I go away and never see her again after this. I'll do whatever is best for her."
The brother scanned his face for any sign of deceit. For a moment he felt a pang in his heart as he wished that Toph were here to tell him if he was lying or not. But deep down he still felt like he could trust him, even after everything they'd been through. "I believe you, Aang, I do. I'm not here to tell you to stay away from her or anything like that. I know better to than to meddle that much. Katara will literally kill me with her water magic. If you guys want to try and figure it all out, that's on you guys. I'm just here to tell you, Avatar or not, if you hurt her like that again, I will kill you."
Aang smiled softly and nodded his head at Sokka. "If I ever hurt her like that again, I would let you." Aang sat in his thoughts for a moment before speaking again. "I really thought that you were going to say that you hated me," he confessed, so quietly the water tribesmen almost didn't even hear him.
Sokka looked down for a moment, not wanting to meet Aang's eyes. "I really wanted to at first. Hell, I even did for a while. You were my best friend but the way you broke my sister? I was really angry at you for a really long time. But I couldn't hate you forever, not after everything we had been through. I mean, we all owe you our lives." Aang was shocked for a moment, his stomach twisting when Sokka admitted that he had hated him for a while. He was lost in his thoughts before Sokka started speaking again, softer than before. "I don't think Katara ever hated you. I don't think she's capable of it."
Aang's heart soared, and he felt hope bubble inside himself. He tried to quell it, not wanting to get his hopes up. Just because she doesn't hate him doesn't at all mean that she's still in love with him. The boys looked at each other in understanding, then turned their attentions back out to the sky they were sailing through.
Sokka couldn't help but think back to when they used to soar through the air all the time. He would be lying if he said that he didn't miss it, because he really did. But those days were over, and he did still love his life now. The familiar feeling of flight did stir up all memories, though, and he soon found himself chuckling softly. The avatar tilted his head at the warrior and raised an eyebrow in a silent question. Sokka chuckled again, shaking his head but smiling. "Do you remember that time we wrote that apology letter to Katara from Toph?"
The airbender let out a hearty laugh at the memory. "Yeah, I do remember that. I can't believe that we forgot that Toph can't write."
Sokka laughed, too, smiling widely, "I know, we did that all the time. We sure were idiots."
The boys laughed together, finding a quiet camaraderie again. Aang looked at Sokka, grinning mischievously, "What about that time in the fire nation when you pretended to be my father?"
"How could I forget!" Sokka hollered in between laughing, clutching his stomach. The pair found themselves like that for the next two hours, exchanging memories of a life they shared years ago, finding comfort in the happier times, when they were a whole, mismatched family unit. Slowly the ice between them melted away, and the brothers laughed together as if they hadn't gone a single day without each other.
Four hours later, the gang found themselves all set up in a secluded section of the tundra. They found a little grove among the glaciers where they were covered on three sides. The majority of the group were happy with it, thinking of it as instant protection. Katara, on the other hand, had been worrying her lip for the last half hour thinking of how if she did fall asleep and attacked her friends she would be cornering them in. She tried to shake away those thoughts, fighting to keep her eyelids open. Aang walked over to her and she mustered up a small smile for the bender.
"Hey, do you need anything?" He asked, rubbing his neck in his same bashful way. The exhaustion seemed to lower the girl's walls, because she instantly found herself thinking back to when she used to give him healing massages that would almost always end up with them wrapped up in each other's heated kiss. "Katara?" he asked, his eyebrows furrowed in concern when she didn't answer.
A light blush tinted her cheeks and she nodded her head quickly, probably too quickly. "Yeah, I'm fine, sorry. I don't think I need anything, thank you for checking in, though." Her voice sounded off even to her ears and she internally scolded herself.
Aang stepped closer, putting his hand on her shoulder and lowering his head slightly so they were eye level. The gesture made her heart stutter. "We're going to figure this out, Katara. I'm getting ready to go into the spirit world, now that we have camp all set up. I'm sure that someone there will have answers for us."
Katara nodded her head, not breaking eye contact with him, but bringing her hand up to her shoulder and resting it on top of his. "Thank you, for everything you're doing for our tribe," She said, before swallowing hard and letting her gaze flicker away from his for just a second. "For everything that you're doing for me."
The avatar smiled a light blush tinting his cheeks and she found the corners of her lips tilting up as well. "You have to stop thanking me, Katara, we've gone over this," his words were light and joking and they successfully pulled a small laugh from her lips. "Okay, if you don't need anything, I'm going to go try and make contact now, okay?"
The girl nodded, "Yeah, that's probably a good idea. We need answers." Aang nodded in agreement and went to pull his hand off her shoulder, but Katara tightened her grip. The boy looked at her questioningly and tilted his head, his eyes speaking to her without having to move his mouth. "Be careful… I know you said it could be… tricky in the spirit world. If the spirits here are agitated they may be upset there, too. Just… Don't let your guard down. And come back to m- us. Come back to us, okay?"
His lips parted on a swift inhale of breath, his eye shining down at her. Not finding the words he simply brought his free hand up and cupped her jaw, gently rubbing his thumb up and down her cheek. He nodded his head and it was all the confirmation that she needed. After a few more moments he pulled away, and this time she let him. She walked with him in silence over to the others, who were all gathered together. When they reached him, Sokka stepped forward.
"Okay, since we don't know how much time this is really going to take and how dangerous this will be, I was thinking that we should all watch over you in shifts while you're in there, just to make sure that everything is okay." Everyone nodded in agreement and Sokka nodded. "Good. I'll take first shift."
Aang sat on the ground, getting into his normal lotus position. Katara crossed her arms in front of her chest, suddenly feeling unsure about him going into the spirit world, but knowing they didn't have another choice. He looked at her once more, before closing his eyes and pressing his fists together in front of himself. At first nothing happened, and Sokka, Katara, Zuko and Mai all exchanged confused glances at one another. Then his tattoos flickered, turning a blinding white before returning back to their normal blue. Katara found herself becoming more and more concerned. Was his Avatar state stable right now? But just as she thought it, it was like it switched on, and the constant glow emitted from his tattoos. The gang watched him for a few moments, before scattering and letting Sokka watch over him.
Katara found her eyes drifting back to him every few minutes. She had always hated when he went into the spirit world because she wasn't able to follow him there and protect him. She felt those feelings stir again and tried her best to push them down. He wasn't hers to protect anymore, he hadn't been for a while. But as much as she told herself that, another part of her doubted those words. Aang had been working hard to protect her ever since she got back, clearly the feeling was still mutual. She shook her head, trying to clear it. I need to sleep, she thought to herself bitterly.
Zuko and Mai couldn't help but notice their friend's pensive mood. Mai was making a game out of whether or not she could guess how many seconds would pass before Katara would look over at Aang again, and honestly, she was getting pretty good at it. Zuko pressed a kiss to Mai's head, pulling her away from her fun. She turned to face him only to follow his gaze right back to Katara. He sighed deeply and looked back down at his wife. "Maybe you should talk to her, Mai. The longer he's in the spirit world the more stressed out she always gets, and she's already really been on edge."
Mai nodded her head in agreement. "You're right, I should probably check in with her, he's really been in there for a while. I honestly expected him to give up after thirty seconds and run away for three years, that seems more like his style." Mai scoffed and rolled her eyes as she spoke.
Zuko raised his eyes at his wife, repressing the desire to smile. He loved his wife dearly, and her attitude was something he admired the most- especially when he wasn't on the receiving end of it. "You know, don't think your comments about Aang are going unnoticed, because they're certainly not." He wrapped his arms around his wife, pulling her closer to himself, "I thought that we had moved past this with him."
The firelady rolled her eyes, resting her hand's on Zuko's chest. "No, you moved past this. It's my job as Katara's best friend to continuously hold that grudge. Besides, you of all people know that I'm always happier when I have someone to hate."
The man couldn't help but chuckle at that, nodding his head in complete agreement. "I'm well aware. So this is completely about Katara, then, huh? No residual grudge from him attacking me?"
A laughed escaped the girl's lips as she pushed playfully against his chest. "Oh, please, Zuko. Face it, he'd already kicked your ass like a million times before that, it wasn't all that different." Zuko's jaw dropped and he sent her a playfully hurt look. She smiled back at him before her face grew serious. "But really. He had beaten you before. That was the first time that he'd shattered Katara's heart. That's not something I'm going to forget anytime soon."
It was impossible to keep the love shining in his eyes hidden as Zuko gazed down at Mai. "You're a good friend, you know that, right?" She blushed slightly, right before he captured her lips in a kiss.
She smiled softly at her husband when they separated, giving him a quick peck on the cheek before stepping out of his arms. "Don't tell anyone, though, you'll ruin my reputation." She heard her husband laughter behind her as she went to go and over to Katara. The girl was bending water on her side, healing her wound. "How's it feeling?" Mai asked, tilting her head.
Katara looked up at her friend and smiled. Slowly she bended the water away and stood. "It's feeling a lot better, honestly. I have it down to more of a dull ache, really." She quickly bended any remaining water off herself, trying to dry her dress as best she could. She would have a full healing session later, when she didn't feel compelled to keep an eye on Aang whenever she could. She ran her eyes over Mai, and noticed the way that the firelady was doing the very same to her. Her spine tensed for a second and she forced herself to relax. She didn't think she could hold up against Mai's questioning right now.
Crossing her arms over her chest, Mai tilted her head. "You sure look like shit."
Katara laughed, shaking her head. "You know, you've been telling me that a lot lately."
Mai shrugged her shoulders at the girl, the corner of her lips tilting up into a smirk. "You've looked like shit a lot lately, am I suppose to not point it out?" Katara laughed whole heartedly, a wide smile spreading on her face. Mai smiled back at her friend, happy to see her mood lifted. "Want to do some stretches with me? I can feel your anxious energy from miles away, I figured that was a good way to calm you down."
Katara's smiled widened further, and she nodded her head at her friend. "Yes, that sounds perfect, honestly. I need to start stretching my side regularly anyway, so that would be really helpful." Mai nodded and the pair found an open spot that they could still keep an eye on Aang from.
The two found their positions and instantly started going through an organized set of long stretches. They seamlessly flowed from one pose to another, almost as if it was a slow dance. Their stretches mimicked the art of bending itself, but at a much more relaxed pace. Katara could feel her muscles warming and lengthening, her side a dull ache as she worked to maintain pose after pose. Mai was right, she could feel her anxiety slowly melting away as her mind gave in to focusing on the silent dance she was performing.
When Aang entered the spirit world, he was left in the same state of shock he always was. He didn't think he would ever get used to how beautiful it was here, and a big part of him hoped that he never would. It had been a long time since he found himself in the spirit world. He hadn't said anything to any of the gang members, but ever since his split from Katara he often found himself struggling to achieve the avatar state or get into the spirit world. He had done it, just not consistently. So it was definitely a relief that he was able to get here pretty easily this time. He looked around, admiring the rolling green fields. The sky was a light purplish tint, that looked absolutely breathtaking, and there was just an overwhelming aura of calmness surrounding the land.
He knew that he had a job to do, and he didn't have time to gaze at the scenery and that he needed to get to work. With determined steps, he made his way into the forest before him, the mess or twisted trees looking ominous against the beautiful landscape surrounding it. It was calling to him, and he knew that when it came to the spirit would it was usually best to follow those calls. He navigated his way through the tangle of tree limbs, simply following his instincts. He wasn't sure how long he was wondering before he felt more than saw a soft glow of light appear behind him. He turned to see what it is and let out a soft gasp at the face starting down at him. "Yue…?" he whispered. in all him trips to the spirit world he hadn't seen her here before.
She smiled kindly at him, nodding her head once. Her white hear was billowing around her face, though the boy felt no wind. Her intricate gown was doing the same, and he noticed that her feet were floating above the ground. Even though he knew realistically that she had turned into the moon spirit many years ago it was still jarring to him to see it with his own eyes. "Hello Aang, it's good to see you again."
"It's good to see you, too, Princess Yue," Aang answered, bowing slightly in respect. "It's been too long."
Yue laughed and the sound seemed to float through the air and surround the boy. "No need to bow, Aang. I think we're way beyond that. But you're right, it has been too long. I try and check up on everyone as often as I can, but I really can only sometimes get glimpses during full moons. I haven't seen you in a while."
Guilt flooded him and he couldn't help but look down. He had been neglecting things for the last three years. Sure, he went places when it was asked of him, and he'd played peacemaker when he needed to. But when people didn't state their desperate need for his help he had curled into himself, staying inside the walls of his temple when he could. "Yes, I suppose you wouldn't have," He rubbed the back of his neck, quick to change the subject. "Yue, I need your help, though. I need you to help me find Roku. Katara's being targeted by a spirit, and I need help finding out which one it is."
The moon spirit's eyes widened dramatically and she nodded her head. "Of course, I can help you, Aang. Is she okay, has she been hurt?"
Guilt wracked the boy again as he was reminded once more that he didn't protect her. "She was hurt. She took a hit that was meant for Sokka and it almost cost her life. She's recovered now, but the spirit won't leave her alone."
Worry speed across Yue's face and she covered her mouth with her hand. "Oh my. Yes, we must find Roku at once." The spirit closed her eyes, and Aang held his breath, afraid that if he made a noise he would distract her and further delay accomplishing his goal. Her eyes snapped open and there was a fire in them that he had often seen mirrored in Katara's blue eyes. "I found him. I'll send you right to him, Aang."
Relief flooded his system and his mind went blank for just a moment. "Thank you, Yue!" He exclaimed, hopeful that he could find the answers that would help them defeat this spirit and Katara would be safe again.
She nodded, and came closer to the Avatar. "Before you go… How… How is Sokka?"
Aang smiled in understanding at the girl. "He's doing really well. He's happy. He married an incredible warrior and they're expecting their first child soon."
Her face lit up and the light around her grew brighter for a moment. When she spoke her eyes were full of happiness, although there was a tinge of sadness in them, too. "I'm so happy to hear that. She's the luckiest woman in the world." She lowered to the ground, her feet finally touching the silky grass as she reached her hand out to him. Right before she touched his forehead with two fingers she paused, looking into Aang's eyes a bit anxiously, "Will you tell him that I said hello?" Aang nodded his head, promising he would and a look of peace returned to her face. "Good luck, Aang. Look after our girl." And with that she pressed two finger's to the Avatar's forehead.
Aang's stomach lurched and he felt as if he was jolted forward, only to stop abruptly. He managed to stay on his feet, but was thrown off balance and had to lean over to stay upwards. When he looked around the forest was gone, and replaced with a rocky, mountainous landscape. It reminded him of the mountain the the air temple was on. "Aang, good to see you again." The young Avatar spun around to see Avatar Roku, sitting in a lotus position near the edge of the cliff.
He quickly walked over to where he was sitting and joined him on the ground. Once he was seated he spoke, "Hello, Avatar Roku, it's really good to see you, too. I really hope that you can help me."
Concern washed over the elder Avatar's face. "What is going on, Aang? It's been a while since we've spoken."
Aang nodded his head solemnly, knowing that he had avoided speaking to his past lives in the last three years as much as possible. In truth, he wasn't sure why exactly he had stayed away. Partially because he was having trouble accessing them, but a big part of it was that he didn't want to be lectured about messing it up with the love of his life. He took a deep, steadying breath and began explaining everything to Roku, well, everything he needed to. He casually left out the fact that he and Katara had broken up.
Roku listened, absorbing all of the information and nodding slowly. He sat silently for several- painful- minutes while he pondered the possibilities. "I think I have an idea of who you and your friends are dealing with, but if I'm right, it will be an incredibly difficult spirit to defeat."
Dread spread through the airbender's body, before settling in his stomach. He swallowed hard and nodded, pressing through his worry, "Who do you think it is, and what do we have to do?"
"I believe the spirit that you're dealing with is known as Isumak. It's known for infiltrating it's victim's minds, making them see things that aren't their. It usually wears them down from the mind games before defeating them, and consuming their energy. But I haven't heard of it being able to alter dreams like that before." He stroked his beard, breaking eye contact with Aang and losing himself deep in thought for a moment. "I suppose he could have teamed up with someone and is using their energy to fuel his powers. But I can't be certain. I need you to give me some time, Aang, I'll ask around and see what I can find."
Aang couldn't seem to help the disappointment that coursed through him. It wasn't exactly the answer that he was hoping for, and he really wasn't happy about having to wait for more information. But it didn't seem like he really had a choice in the matter. "Of course, thank you for your help in this, Roku."
The man smiled at him, nodding his head. "That's what we're here for Aang. I suggest you return back to your friends now, and keep an eye on them. Make sure that Katara rests, stress to her that exhaustion is this spirits way of gaining advantage."
"I will," Aang said, bowing slightly in respect. "Thank you, again."
"You're welcome. I'll find a way to let you know to return to the spirit world when I have more information. Until next time, young Avatar." With that he disappeared, leaving Aang sitting alone on the rocky cliffside. Sighing once more, he closed his eyes, trying to clear his mind to he could return back to his body, back to her. The simple thought of her calmed his mind and allowed him to focus. He felt wind rushing around him and then a still silence. When he opened his eyes, he was back in the physical world, sitting in his lotus position on the icy ground.
Sokka was sitting by him, looking out into the distance, not paying him much mind. It took him a few minutes to realize he was even back. "Aang! Did you find out who we're dealing with?"
Aang nodded to the soldier, "Yes, I did. Where are the others? I should tell you guys all together." It must have only been a few hours because the sun was still setting and the darkness hadn't completely consumed the land. Just as Sokka was about to answer, Zuko walked up, smiling at the two friends.
"Hey, good timing, I was just about to switch shifts with you, Sokka. Welcome back, Aang." The firelord said, crossing his arms over his chest.
Sokka rolled his eyes, though he was smiling. "Of course as soon as it's your turn to do work Aang comes back," he jokes with the firebender.
Zuko rolled his eyes right back, "Stop, please, you're starting to sound like my wife."
Sokka scrunched his face in displeasure at the comment, sticking his tongue out for a moment, causing his friends to chuckle. "Sick, Zuko. Where are the girls, Aang had information for all of us." Zuko nodded in the direction they were and Sokka and Aang stood up so the three of them could make their way there together.
Aang felt the uneasiness stir in his stomach, knowing what he had to relay to his friends. He was nervous to tell them all that even Roku thought that this spirit would be a difficult enemy to beat. He debated with himself whether or not to leave that part out. On one hand it felt dishonest, and that he would underprepared his friends, but on the other they may be discouraged if he told them. Sokka and Zuko stop walking and when Aang looked up, all thoughts left his head. Katara and Mai were moving together, bending and stretching in perfect synchronicity.
His mouth instantly went dry and a fire burned low in his stomach. He was certain that everyone could hear his heart pounding in his chest, but if he was being honest, he didn't care. Watching Katara's lithe limbs stretching stirred all sorts of emotions inside him. It was impossible not to notice how she had really changed in the years they were away, and Tui and La, she had just gotten even more beautiful. He swallowed hard, glancing quickly at Zuko and noticing that he looked the same way that he imagine he did right now. He resumed his observing when Sokka cleared his throat, loudly.
Zuko and Aang jumped slightly before sheepishly looking at Sokka, the pair rubbing the back of their necks. Sokka had his hands on his hips, his eyebrows furrowed together and his jaw open in disgusted shock. "Really?!" The boy practically screeched. "Do you need to stare like that in front of me? I mean, one of them is my sister, for spirit's sake! Have some respect!" The pair looked to the ground, both of their cheeks tinged red with embarrassment. "Gross," Sokka whispered, before looking at the girls, calling to them to come over. He shook his head and walked back to the fire, waiting for his friends to join him. "Just plain gross," he muttered.
Katara felt like she was going to be sick as Aang spoke, explaining what Roku said and that they would have to wait for more information. It at least validated to her that she wasn't going crazy, or making things up. She thought back to when she was practicing her bending and thought she had seen Aang in the Avatar state, which had caused her to fall. She shook her head slightly feeling overwhelmed and shaky. The lack of sleep was starting to strongly impact her and her head was spinning. She shook it slightly to try and clear it, but it was no use. She stood suddenly, gaining everyone's attention. "I'm sorry, I just need a moment." On shaky limbs she walked away from her friends, walking to the edge of the glacier wall and slipping on the other side of it, seeking some privacy.
She pressed her hand to her heart, closing her eyes and trying to even her breathing out. Her heart was racing in her chest and she felt as if she couldn't get a full breath. She wasn't sure how long she was out there, before she heard soft footsteps that she instantly recognized. "Katara? Are you okay?" The voice asked. The softness of it broke something in her, and she let her fear consume her, manifesting itself in irritability.
"I'm fine," she snapped, not yet feeling the guilt that she knew would come as she watched the boy flinch away from her.
"I'm sorry," he said, confusion etched into his face, "I just wanted to make sure you were okay."
"As if you even care!" She snapped again, more forcefully. His face snapped her out of her mood and guilt flooded through her, like water breaching a damn. She watched as shocked played across his face only to be quickly replaced with anger. She hadn't seen this much anger from him in years, definitely during the war, and never directed at her. For a moment she was fearful, and she couldn't seem to do anything expect silently stare at him, not knowing what was going to happen.
"Are you kidding me?" He snapped back, softly, but forcefully as he stepped towards her. "Do you really think that I don't care about you?" She couldn't seem to find her voice, though it didn't matter, because mere seconds later he stepped forward again, grabbing her face between his two hands and pressing his lips to hers. She froze for a second, just a second, before melting right into the kiss.
When she leaned into it, he let out a moan that sent a shiver through her body. Her arms raised to cup the back of his head, keeping his lips pressed firmly to hers. She mimicked his moan when he licked the line of her lips, seeking entrance into her mouth. He seized his opportunity to run his hands down her shoulders then her sides as he stepped forward and pressed his body against hers. She thought for a moment she was going to pass out from a combination of pleasure and lack of oxygen, but she couldn't care less. He pressed himself more firmly to her, and she could feel the pressure his arousal against her core, releasing a desperate moan from her throat and causing her to tighten her grip on him. He returned her moan, gripping her waist with more force, causing her to cry out in pain due to her wound.
He jumped back instantly, removing his lips and hands from her, trying not to cause her more pain. She stood there panting, staring at him through wide eyes, cursing herself to no end for ruining the moment between them. He was painting, too, his pupils blown wide, not even trying to hide the arousal coursing through his eyes. He wiped a hand over his face and licked his lips, taking a steadying breath. "Are you okay, did I hurt you?" She shook her head no, her words lost to her, and he nodded. He stepped forward, pressing another soft kiss to her lips before pulling back slightly, but still close enough that she could feel his warm breath on her face. "Don't think, not for a second, that I don't care about you."
And with that he left her, leaning against the glacier for support, staring out into the darkness, breath coming out in pants through her parted lips, trying to regain control of the emotions storming inside her.