Chapter 1: The Many Faces of Love
"Monk Gyatso! Monk Gyatso!"
The monk in question turned around and smiled as he watched two boys race towards him. Aang, ever light on his feet, caught up with him first. He threw himself at the old man who in return welcomed him with open arms. A few seconds later the other boy joined him in hugging the monk.
Monk Gyatso shook his head fondly as he softly pats their head.
"Tell us about that story," Kuzon beamed and Aang eagerly nodded his head to second that statement.
Monk Gyatso raised an eyebrow, "Again?"
"Yeah!" they answered in unison.
The old man laughed and he pinched both of their cheeks, "Very well. How about we find some shade to sit under as I retell you the tale?"
Aang had utterly and hopelessly fallen in love with Katara.
And now he wonders if he had committed a sin.
The Airbender is sitting by the windowpane, watching ribbons of clouds roll and pass by. His mind however is preoccupied by a certain Waterbender.
The passing crush he thought he had for her has now turned into a full-blown infatuation. And now, he is trying to phantom why did he let that happen.
The moment he had set his mind to retrieve her mother's necklace from Zuko, Aang knew how serious this situation is. He remembered the pain in her voice when she told them that the prince had her mother's momentum. Aang was so confused at that time; a mixture of emotions stirred in his chest when he saw her troubled face. Although, one thing he was so sure of was that he didn't like seeing her like that.
Then, the kiss at the cave happened.
Now, Aang can never unfeel her soft lips against him.
The Airbender blushed when he remembered the feeling of how she faintly smiles as they pull apart.
He bit his lip.
It felt good. Too good.
But despite that, Aang hasn't made another move. He wants to be sure if he's really serious about this. It's unfair for Katara if he's not even sure how to feel about her. He can't falsely lead her like that. That's just wrong.
Besides, it seems like she's confused about this matter herself. She's been avoiding that topic ever since.
Aang wasn't really surprised.
They are all aware that Katara takes this matter seriously the most. Of course, that girl is the type of person who will unconditionally love the person who captured her heart even if fate itself forbids it. And Aang refuses not to give that same devotion to her if he really wants to spend the rest of their life together.
Aang knows he is playing a dangerous game.
He knows that she too is hiding a soulmark somewhere on her body and she might choose her soulmate over him.
However, that's not the only thing that's been bothering him.
Usually, what keeps him awake at night is the guilt that's clawing on his chest; Aang feels like he's betraying his soulmate.
If he loved Katara wholeheartedly and poured all his affection onto her, wouldn't he be stealing something from his soulmate? Wouldn't he be taking away that one thing that's supposed to be theirs? Is it really right to enjoy life with another person when his soulmate probably suffered a lonely life?
The sound of giggling from below drew his attention.
He looked down and watched some children play by the fountain. They were splashing water at each other, one even pushed his friend into the pool.
Aang smiled when they all laughed at that.
Their parents will probably scold them once they find out but the joy on their face tells him they don't mind it at all.
Water.
It does suit her.
For Aang, amongst all the elements, water is indeed the best for Katara. The art of Waterbending had truly captured her beauty through and through; From the way she moved: so elegant and fluid, to how her soul speaks: healing when she cares but fierce when invoked.
And Aang can't help but be drawn and sway with her.
Like how a small boat glides along with the dance of the ocean.
Realizing that his train of thoughts is back to her again, Aang stood up. Maybe some mediation will help clear his mind, perhaps a council from his past selves could also do the trick.
Aang went to the center of the room and lowered himself down to the ground. He crossed his legs and closed his eyes. Straightening his back, he exhaled a long, deep breath to free himself from any worldly attachments.
Before he could do that, however, Sokka's voice flooded his ears.
"Aang."
He turned to the direction where it came from and saw him peeking at his door. The young warrior motioned for him to come closer before opening the door all the way through.
Aang stood up and went to him.
"Yes?" he asks.
"The girls went to a spa, they're going to have a 'girls day' as Katara dubs it," he paused, "I thought why not let's have some fun too? You know, just you and me?"
Aang thought about it for a moment. He do need some distraction to wave off these flocks of unwanted thoughts that's been plaguing his mind recently.
Yeah, a break would be good right now.
The Airbender raised an eyebrow, "Like boys day?"
Sokka sticks his tongue in disgust, "Let's not call it that, sounds pathetic."
Aang repeated what he had said on his head and mentally cringed when he realized how weird that sounded.
Sokka looked up for a moment to think before declaring, "Let's just call it 'bro time'. It still sounds bad but not as awful as what you had said earlier. "
Aang laughed and grinned, "Okay. Lead the way, Bro."
"They say everything in the universe has souls…"
Aang props his elbows and cradles his head as he watches Monk Gyatso. The monk shifted to correct his posture, he claps his hand, and gingerly places them on his lap.
Aang smiled.
He always does that whenever he preaches or tells a story.
The old man was sitting on a slab of rock while Aang and Kuzon were sitting on the grass in front of him. The monk chuckled when he saw how their eyes were sparkling in excitement as if they had never heard about this story for the hundredth time.
"Everything?" the young Firebender asked in amazement and Aang giggled when his friend shuffled to move forward.
"Yes, everything."
Monk Gyatso gestured his hands towards the tree as he continued, "The birds singing in the tree, the tree itself, even the very bits of soils beneath our feet carry tiny little souls within them…"
Upon hearing that, Aang picked up a tiny pebble to stare at it.
"Many even believe that the planet itself has a soul and it breathes and lives just like we do..."
The Airbender glanced at him and asked, "How's that possible?"
Monk Gyatso leaned forward to playfully poke his foreheads with his fingers, "That is something your tiny little head can never comprehend."
Kuzon laughed and made a face to tease Aang only for Monk Gyatso to playfully poke his head too. The three of them laughed as the old man moved to settle on his seat.
"Now, where was I?"
"You're about to tell the best part of the story!"
"So, where are we going again?"
An arm suddenly swung around his neck.
Sokka leaned all his weight against the Airbender before answering, "I told you, there's a festival just down the street. I thought we might as well check it."
He studied Aang for a moment.
The Avatar knows that kind of look on his friend's face. It's the look that conveys that the older man is considering the possibilities of what might happen. Aang knows that despite how silly Sokka acts most of the time, he is very clever. He also knows that Sokka is aware of how careless Aang could get whenever he loses himself in the moment.
The Airbender prepared himself to be warned by the man beside him.
To his astonishment, Sokka halted and threw his other arm in the air and said, "What the hell! you know what–"
Sokka pulled him closer and cracked a mischievous grin and said, "–Let's go crazy."
Aang wasn't disappointed.
They had fun.
True to his words, Sokka allowed him to let loose. They ate a lot of food, played a lot of games (they won most of them and decided to give all their prizes to the children who were watching them), and watched some of the exhibitions on the street. They even stopped by in some stalls to buy something for Katar and Toph.
And by the time the high of their adrenaline went down the sun was long gone.
They are now walking down the street; slowly taking in everything this time.
Like any other festival, this one too is much more alive during the evening hours. It's starting to get cramped as more and more people come and join the crowd. But Aang doesn't mind it, he likes the sensation of life bustling around him.
He doesn't know why but Aang suddenly felt a pang of nostalgia. Maybe it's because the paper lanterns had illuminated the place in its strange, pensive light. Or the sound of people laughing and having fun reminded him that this world deserves saving.
The Avatar watched how a group of toddlers ran past them with great exhilaration. The innocent look on their face reminded him of that one friend who has that same boyish charm.
He felt someone tap on his shoulder.
When he turned to the young warrior beside him he was greeted by the question: "You hungry?"
As if on cue, Aang's stomach rumbled loudly.
They stared at each other for a moment before they burst out laughing.
Sokka patted his back and announced, "Okay, let's grab some dinner first then find somewhere quiet to rest."
"They say that The Great Spirits made it a little special for humans, they loved us so much they decided to grant us an eternal gift–''
"They made every human soul with a twin!" Kuzon, out of excitement, cuts the monk off.
Aang and Monk Gyatso chuckled.
The Airbender turned to him and asked, "Kuzon, I thought you wanted to hear this story from Monk Gyatso?"
"Sorry, I got excited!" his friend exclaimed.
The monk smiled and watched them tease one another.
He contemplated for a while before deciding to call attention, "Have I ever told you the reason why Air Nomads think soulmarks gain color once a person finds their other half?"
"No, you haven't!"
Monk Gyatso laughed at how betrayed they looked upon hearing that.
"Well, have you ever heard about the saying: 'The eyes are the window to your soul?'"
Sokka and Aang released a contented moan at the same time when the sweet flavor of grilled corn flooded the insides of their mouth. They eat in silence for a while, quickly wolfing their meal like starving men who hadn't had anything for weeks.
Sokka was the first to finish, he stood up to throw the used cardboard box and wooden stick into the nearby trash can. He then went back to sit down and quietly drink his tea as he watched Aang finish his food.
Aang was about to take his last bite when Sokka suddenly asked, "Alright kiddo, spit it out. What the hell happened back at the cave?"
The Airbender choked when he heard that and Sokka patted his back to help him unclogged his throat.
Once he's not in the danger of dying from something as dumb as that, he whipped his head toward the older man and looked at him with a scandaled look.
First of all, that came out of nowhere. Second, why did Sokka sound like he already knew the answer and was just asking to confirm his suspicion?
"Nothing!"
Maybe answering that question with a high-pitched voice was not a good idea.
Sokka shoots him an unimpressed look, "You know, in these kinds of things, nothing always means something."
Aang averted his eyes and suddenly found a new profound interest in the people passing by.
"Aang."
Oh wow. That man's frizzy hair looks so funky, it almost looks like-
"Fine. I'll just ask Katara about it then..."
He felt Sokka stand up and started to walk away.
When he had put a good distance between them he off-handedly remarks, "And maybe I should tell her about your little crush while I'm at it."
Aang had already intercepted Sokka before he even finished that statement.
The Avatar raced to him so swiftly that he left a gust of wind in his wake. Creating a large cloud of dust around them. The Airbender heard some of the people who witnessed that gasping and he quickly locked Sokka's arm with his to pull him away from the onlookers.
"Alright, alright… I'll confess. Just don't do that," he hissed as he stirred them to somewhere secluded.
Sokka only raised his hand in mock surrender and let Aang lead him.
Kuzon smushed Aang's cheeks between his hands and turned his head from side to side in a manner that's not-so-gentle-but-also-not-that-forceful. He then leaned forward to take a closer look at Aang's eyes; His charcoal eyes boring into his silver ones.
As he peers through him, he softly repeated Monk Gyatso's words:
"The eyes are the window to your soul..."
He lets out a contented hum before he finally releases the Airbender, "Yeah, okay. I can see how they came up with that."
Monk Gyatso, who was watching their interaction, chuckled.
Kuzon then stood up and went to him, "I want to see your eyes too, Monk Gyatso."
The old man stayed still to allow the child to peer into his eyes. After a minute the Firedender nodded, satisfied with what he had seen.
"I guess we're not soulmates then, Kuzon, "Aang said that as he feigns an act of checking his body.
"Thank goddess I still don't have any soulmark," he teased the boy.
The Firebender laughed.
His friend claps his hand close to his chest, shuts his eyes, and tilted his head upwards to make it look like he's sending a prayer to the sky, "Oh Great Spirits, if you ever think of making Aang my soulmate in our next life remember that I said that just a glob would be fine rather than this ugly, mannerless kid."
"Hey!"
The older sibling patiently waited for him to spill the beans.
Sokka has been watching Aang phase back and forth for minutes now. He was about to yawn when Aang abruptly halted and stormed towards him.
"We kissed! Your sister and I kissed!"
Aang closed his eyes and braced himself for an impact. He was so sure that Sokka was going to hit him for kissing Katara but was surprised when the man burst out laughing.
He gawks as Sokka laughs his ass off as if Aang had just told him a joke.
Aang stood there awkwardly for a few moments before Sokka finally gathered his wits.
"Damn, I knew it!"
"You did?!"
"Hell yeah. Do you know how painful it is to watch the two of you tiptoeing around each other for weeks? With the way you would stiffen whenever you accidentally touch, even a corpse would know what's going on!"
Sokka spent another whole minute of cackling before suddenly sitting up straight to shoot him a serious look, "Wait. You didn't forced her, did you?"
Aang's face shifted into mortification, "Spirits, no! Besides, as if Katara would let me do that..."
Sokka smiled, "Okay. Good!"
With that, he went back to laughing again.
"Wait."
The two of them turned to Aang and watch him sit upright and ask, "Once you meet your soulmate your soulmark is going to gain color, right?"
"Yes," the monk confirmed.
"But you have to meet their eyes first," Aang stated.
"Supposedly, that's what we believe," Monk Gyatso answered approachingly.
"What if for some reason your eyes never met?" he asked with a genuinely worried look resting on his face.
The old man blink.
Smiling, he said, "Then your souls will find another way to connect."
Aang was about to say something when someone from the distance shouted to call their attention. A man in his mid-forties slowly made his way to them.
"That's my Dad," Kuzon stated, making Aang and Monk Gyatso turn to him.
His lips curled into a pout.
"Awww man, I think I have to go now."
"Is it wrong?"
"What? That you fell for my sister?"
Aang nodded.
The young warrior paused and turned to him to regard his profile. Sokka's face turned serious when he saw how troubled Aang is. He sat up and leaned back to take a better look at him.
"Why do you think of that?" he asked.
Aang pursed his lips first before answering that, "Because she's not my soulmate."
Sokka remained silent.
He watched the Airbender loosened the bandage on his left hand, he lifted it up to show his soulmark.
Contrary to most soulmarks, theirs was very simple.
But Aang doesn't mind that.
What he minds is the fact that it was glaring black; Devoid of any color but that seemingly darkness.
Aang didn't have it before he got himself frozen inside an iceberg. He wasn't sure when did his soulmark manifested on his skin, he just woke up one morning to find it engraved on his left ring finger.
Supposedly, there are only two reasons for soulmarks to be muted in color; the first one is that the owner of that soulmark hasn't met their soulmate yet; while the second one is that the other half of that person had died.
Aang couldn't count how many times he had spent daydreaming what theirs would look like.
But on February 13th **BG, his heart broke when no soulmark manifested.
That was the breaking point.
For him, it was so burdensome being the Avatar. And now he was expected to shoulder that alone? How unfair that such heavy responsibility was suddenly thrust upon him when all he wanted was to live a normal and carefree life?
Now he knows he shouldn't have run away, he lost everything: Monk Gyatso, his friends, the whole Air Nomads, and his soulmate.
He should have been patient. Why did he let himself be selfish? Now they're all dead. And it's his fault.
Sokka stared at his soulmark for a while.
A moment later he said, "You know that I also fell in love with someone who's not my soulmate too, right?"
Aang stiffened.
Actually, he had forgotten about it.
He turned to Sokka.
Aang never really noticed that his eyes are a shade darker than his sister's. He saw something settle on his face, something he had seen somewhere before.
Sokka stood up and said, "Come on, let's talk about it while we walk back home."
Monk Gyatso and Aang accompanied Kuzon to the gates of the temple to see him off. The child ran to drop off his bags to their carriage before running back to them. He squeezed the old man first before turning to Aang next.
After giving the Airbender a tight embrace he pulled back and placed a hand on both his shoulder.
The Firebender studied him first before the corner of his lips tugs upward, "I like your soul, Aang."
He raised an eyebrow at him, "You mean my eyes?"
"No. Your soul," the boy firmly assured.
Aang was taken aback by how Kuzon is looking at him now. He had such a look on his face that the Airbender had never seen before: an old look.
Something ancient and familiar swirls behind his dark orbs.
"I'm glad someone like you is the Avatar."
Aang remembered the day Yue sacrificed herself to save her people.
For the first time in his life, his friend crumbled in despair. And for months, no real smile graced Sokka's face. He would always put on a funny and carefree facade but Aang and Katara are aware of how forced it is. They pretended to laugh at his joke though. After all, that's the least that they can do.
Aang had caught Katara and Sokka talking about it a few times.
But Aang knew that even his sister cannot take away the pain of losing Yue.
Then, Sokka and Suki crossed paths again.
The Airbender remembered how the light in Sokka's eyes lit up upon seeing her that day and Aang couldn't count how many times he thanked the heavens for that.
That evening, Katara went to his room; Crying how relieved she was to see her older brother happy again.
"I can't tell you how to feel Aang but I can tell you my experience," Sokka solemnly.
Aang bent down to pick up a stick and he repeatedly hit the ground while they were walking.
"I met Suki first, right? But even though we were soulmates we still decided to go separate ways. We didn't really connect the way we thought and we agreed that maybe we're not just meant to love each other that way..."
Aang stopped in his tracks and asked, "You mean you thought you guys are just platonic soulmates?"
The warrior glanced back at him and smiled, "Yeah."
That's not something new for Aang. After all, Monk Gyatso and his soulmate chose to be just friends and live separate lives. Although, they would still visit each other from time to time. Aang recalled how fresh Monk Gyatso's smile whenever his back from spending some time with his soulmate.
One thing he learned from that is no matter what, your bond with your soulmate is really special no matter what kind of relationship you choose to have with them.
"For me, Suki is like home."
His friend's voice cuts off his musing and Aang mentally slapped his head from getting distracted.
The Airbender nodded and Sokka continued, "The feelings she gave me is like going back to that one place that provides you comfort after a long day; that kind of love that you know that's going to last forever. We just both simply knew that no matter what happens we will return to each others arms in the end."
He went quiet for a moment before speaking again, "On the other hand, I think the love I shared with Yue is something fresh to my soul. Something that I had never experienced before. Back then, I knew that we wouldn't last long…"
Aang watched Sokka gulp that pain down his throat, "I still pursued her anyway because deep down I also realized its the type of love I'll probably never experience again. And I felt that I needed her to learn something new about life..."
Sokka looked at him, "And I did learn something from her: That love is not selfish… that sometimes you have to let someone go for the greater good."
He probably saw something in his face because he answered that question he had in mind, "Who do I love more? I can't say."
He looked up to the sky and Aang mimicked his action.
They both watched the crescent moon hide behind a cluster of clouds before his friend continued, "The only thing that I can say is that my love for Yue had passed now... I had found my way back to Suki. But you know Aang, I probably wouldn't have found my way back if it wasn't for Yue... losing her made me realize how precious life is and there's nothing to fear about showing someone how much they mean to you."
Aang threw the stick he was holding.
"Although, I think Yue took a part of my soul with her when she died and no one, not even Suki, will be able to fill that void. Just like how Yue will be able to fill the part of my soul dedicated to Suki," the warrior said as he watches the stick roll away.
Sokka stopped on his track and smiled at Aang, "I think that's what life is about. You meet many people along the way but only a few of them will be able to really connect with you. At some point, you will inevitably give a part of your soul to them. So when for some reason fate decides to break you apart you will never truly lose them because just like how they are carrying you within them, you are also carrying a part of them inside of you…"
Once again, he wrapped his hand around Aang's shoulder and prompted him to walk forward.
He released a soft laugh before saying, "I think that's how our souls are made; by collecting and carrying parts of the people whom you loved dearly throughout lifetimes."
"So, you will still do the same even if you had the chance?" Aang asked.
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because whoever my past lovers were, it's not going to change the fact that I loved them. You see Aang...love, like suffering, is still love..."
He paused to look at Aang, "And no love can weigh heavier than the other."
"Monk Gyatso…"
The old man turned to him and answered, "Yes, Aang?"
"Is it possible to see through someone's soul even though you're not soulmates?"
"Of course," the monk placed a hand around his shoulder, "Sometimes you don't have to see someone in a romantic light to understand their soul."
Aang looked up.
"Love, like death, has many faces and it takes many from; a mother nurturing her child; a son taking care of his aged father; a couple sharing a life; a man accepting his flaws; people caring for nature; the strong defending the weak; and–"
He paused to pat the Airbender's head.
"–Friends having fun."
Aang watches the soft smile that settled on Monk Gyatso's face.
The light of the afternoon sun painted him with its orange glow; he was picture perfect.
And Aang fell in love with how he is tenderly looking at him right now. He was looking at Aang like he was his own son whom he will preciously keep inside his heart until Lady Time withers away.
Right then and then, Aang understood what he meant.
His eyes darted to the carriage in the distance. It disappeared behind the slope of the hill for a moment but a few seconds later Kuzon suddenly popped up.
His friend is enthusiastically waving his hand goodbye.
Kuzon shouted, "I'll see you again, Aang!"
They finally reached the place they were currently staying at. Toph and Katara's voices can be heard inside the house, they were laughing about something.
They stood in front of the porch for a moment before Sokka turned to him.
He said, "I think what really matters is how true you are to your feelings. Ask yourself Aang, do you really love my sister, and will you stay by her side no matter what happens?"
A sober look rests on his face.
He raised his hands to ruffle Aang's head, "You're never sure if loving someone is worth it or not. It's a leap of faith, the only thing you should be sure about is whether or not you will see it through until the end; If you're brave enough to stand your ground, fate will reward you."
The Airbender could only nod.
He supposes he had to think about that for a while.
When Aang grabs the doorknob to open the door, Sokka suddenly placed a hand on his shoulder, "And Aang I want you to remember this–"
His blue eyes squared Aang's silver ones.
"– Love never takes, it only gives."
Aang dreamed about a woman sitting by the ocean that night.
She had her back turned away from him.
And Aang just stood there watching the wind play with her hair. Her brown earthy locks swayed along with the waves. The Airbender wonders how something as simple as that could take his breath away.
She perked up when she sensed his presence.
The woman turned around; greeting him with a warm smile.
She was wearing the necklace he crafted for her when he asked her hand for marriage. He wanted to whisper in her ears how perfect she looks right now; So ethereal with how the ocean was shining in the moonlight behind her.
He felt his chest swell up with happiness when her kind eyes bore into his.
And he thought: he really, really loves her.
End of Chapter
N/A: I always thought about how Aang's philosophy best forms whenever he talks about it with someone else unlike Toph who likes to handle things alone. I think our resident Earthbender is most comfortable contemplating her problems internally, barely letting anything out unless it's too much to take in.
So, I decided to focus on both of their first flashback chapters to mirror how they cultivate their view about life. But honestly, we all know this is just an excuse for me to highlight Aang and Sokka's friendship. Our homeboys didn't get enough bro times in the series. At least in my opinion.
Again, thank you for reading.