Twenty years ago, Avatar Aang and Prince Zuko defeated Fire Lord Ozai and successfully brought an end to the Hundred Year War. While a period of struggle followed, the Fire Nation Colonies in the Earth Kingdom eventually came together to form a multi-cultured state known as the United Republic. After over a decade of peace, many of Aang's friends have started their own lives and families.
To the shock of much of the world, Fire Lord Zuko's first-born daughter possessed the ability to command all four elements, making it the first time in recorded history that two Avatars walked the earth. How she gained this ability…is still a mystery.
Now at the age of 16, she has mastered three of the four elements, and has assisted Aang in his many endeavors keeping peace across the world. However, the machinations behind her existence have only just begun to take hold, and the Avatar fears she exists for a far darker purpose than anyone could imagine…
AVATAR: MANIFEST OF DARKNESS
BOOK ONE
WATER
A battle was never chaos, Aria had learned when she had won her first firebending duel against her father. Although it may look unorderly, every decision, movement, or punch thrown had a purpose…a pattern. Even the most unpredictable combatants had a foundation, and the key to their defeat was discovering it, and then exploiting its weaknesses.
These "trainers" were elementary. They followed all the basic forms of firebending and earthbending, which was forward-leaning charges for the former and stalwart defense for the ladder. Charges just needed quick movement and flanks for surprise, and stalwart defense needed overwhelming force.
As a ball of fire raged past her head, Aria sidestepped and somersaulted to the side of her firebending attacker, kicking a hurricane-force gust of wind into his shoulder, sending him tumbling away into a snowy plow. The cold gravel below her rumbled and threatened to give way, but she grabbed ahold of it with her own raw strength and redirected the command back to the green-armored earthbender who watched in horror as his own attack reared back to swallow him whole.
Two more firebenders charged, and she acrobatically leapt into the air, twirling until she faced them from above and retaliated with her own bursts of flame, both impacting each of them before they knew what had happened. She landed with a vengeance, summoning an earthquake that threw the rest of the firebenders off their feet long enough for her to summon a barrier of air against the boulders that were careening toward her, the force enough to split them into pieces that passed around her harmlessly.
In a covered area to observe from afar, Fire Lord Zuko, Avatar Aang and Councilman Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe watched Aria continue to defend herself and attack against the onslaught of trainers that pressed forward, trying to outdo the raw power she displayed.
"She looks strong," Sokka commented. "I haven't seen a kid move like that since…well, uh you," he nudged Aang, who didn't look as impressed.
"She hasn't even tried waterbending yet. This test would've been over if she had by now," Aang protested, ruffling his short beard.
Zuko said nothing, his eyes fixed on his daughter.
"Then let's switch it up," Sokka suggested, and then signaled the blue-dressed trainers to join the fray. None of them noticed Zuko's gaze become more intense.
Aria continued her calculated avoid and retaliate strategy, knocking each and every opponent away or off their feet enough for later. She could feel the pattern repeating and found herself reacting more than anything.
Her foot was frozen in place by a sudden movement of water, and while she tried to pull herself free, she was bombarded from behind by a hose of water, knocking her sweating face into the icy snow.
"Son of a bitch!" she cursed, pulling her face out of the snow, and frustratingly flash-melting it with a column of fire.
Zuko was already walking her way. "What is wrong with you? You get beat by the same waterbending tricks every time we do this!"
Aria grumbled. "That trick is as dirty as it gets! Only a coward would freeze someone's foot from a distance. It's not my fault I'm the only one fighting clean!"
"When is any fight outside of here going to be clean, Aria? There are people out there who want nothing more than to hurt you, and they'll use any means necessary to do it!"
"I'm sixteen years old, Dad! I don't need another safety lecture!"
"Alright, alright," Aang interjected, his hands raised. "Everyone just calm down," he urged, his eyes trained on Zuko, imploring that he allowed her instructor to handle it, which he reluctantly obliged. "Aria, your father is right. I didn't once see you even attempt to use waterbending."
Aria huffed. "Aang, you know my waterbending is sky bison shit-," she cursed again, and almost instantly regretted it after her father gave her a trying look, despite Sokka's amusement. "Sorry…and I'm sure I can get by without it."
Zuko huffed. "That shouldn't be good enough for you!"
"It's impossible!" she reasoned. "I can't even make a water droplet move more than a few feet before I exhaust myself, and yet I can conjure a tornado in seconds. So what if I can't waterbend? The world doesn't need two Avatars!"
Aang shook his head. "That's not the point, Aria."
"Whatever," Aria flung her arms in the air and stomped off. "I'm heading home for the day!"
"We're not finished today!" Aang called for her.
"You aren't, but I am!" she shouted back, and then air-scootered away before he could protest again.
Aang grunted and rubbed his eyes before pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. "Oh, for the love of…"
"I'll get her back here," Zuko offered, but Aang stopped him with an outstretched arm.
"No, no, it's fine. She needs to cool off. Teaching her when she's angry is a mistake, especially for waterbending," Aang reasoned. "Admittedly, I'm beginning to believe in her pleas. She's not learning it even remotely as fast as she picked up earth and airbending."
Sokka scratched his chin-beard. "I wonder why that would be."
"It's the opposite of fire," Zuko answered, still visibly frustrated, but on the back end of his rise. "It requires slow movement and serenity, while fire is fast and ferocious."
"She's got the serenity part," Aang said. "That's how she figured out airbending, but airbending is fast-paced and free-moving. Waterbending is slow and restrictive, probably the exact opposite of her fighting style and personality."
Sokka crossed his arms and sighed, feeling the weight of everything Aang described, and knowing only one viable solution. "You're great and all, Aang, trust me. But maybe she needs a waterbending master."
Aang sighed at first, but then Zuko said, "Like Katara?"
"Absolutely not. We've got three kids for spirit's sake. She doesn't have the-,"
Sokka had a dead serious look on his face, something Aang hadn't seen since…
Since he burned Katara.
"All due respect Aang, but that's not for you to decide. Besides, having children isn't a one-person responsibility, and I think you've forgotten that," Sokka implored, his expression stern.
Aang's arms crossed. "What are you trying to say Sokka?"
"I'm saying while you understand your duty as the Avatar, you've forgotten your duty to your kids. Bumi is 10 years old now, and how much time have you spent with him? Not to mention your newborn, and what have you been doing to help?"
The bald, tattooed airbender scoffed. "I don't expect you to understand; having the future of an entire culture on my shoulders, the duty to preserve peace to this world, and the responsibility to train the world's second Avatar!"
"Zuko is Fire Lord! Do you ever see him away from Aria and Izumi?!"
"Hey!" Zuko protested. "Don't bring me into this!"
Sokka leaned in. "I get that you're shoveling this world's shit, Aang, and there's a lot of it, but Katara can't take care of them all on her own!"
"This isn't even about Aria anymore, is it?!" Aang shouted back.
"Enough, dammit!" Zuko growled, pushing them apart. "This argument is pointless. We'll ask Katara if she'll train Aria. If she says yes, then I'm sure we can figure out a solution for your kids, Aang."
The Avatar still had his eyes fixed on Sokka, frustrated that he dared to bring his family issues into the argument, but found the will inside to let calmer heads prevail. "Fine."
Luckily for everyone, a dinner get-together at Aang and Katara's Southern Water Tribe home had already been planned for that night, since Zuko had intended to take Aria back to the Fire Nation the next day, assuming she had made much better progress in regard to her waterbending. Since that had obviously not been the case, the table wasn't as bittersweet as Aang had hoped.
Well, it certainly had the bitter part to it.
Part of him knew what Sokka had said before was right, but he also knew the responsibility he had as the Avatar. He and Katara knew this going into their relationship, well aware that his duties would require him to be away from home more often than not…but Aang knew that wasn't enough anymore. Blissful hugs from his wife when he returned had become weakened interactions that could be categorized as "business as usual", followed by cookie-cutter conversations with no life to them whatsoever. It had taken his brother-in-law's comment to finally allow him to realize how distant he and Katara were becoming.
Bumi had just turned 10 last month, and he hadn't even been home for his birthday, let alone the past 4 he had missed for his daughter Kya, who was in fact a waterbender. Embarrassingly, the last time he had laid eyes on his family…was when their youngest, Tenzin, was born.
He felt elation just remembering Tenzin. The young infant was an airbender, which meant that Aang would not be the last of a forgotten culture, and he could hardly wait for the boy to become old enough to travel and learn the art of the air nomads. He could barely contain himself thinking of the plans he had for his son.
Aang noticed Katara was trying to get his attention, seated cross-legged on the pillow next to him. He turned and saw the same deflated, miserable look she always gave him, and his heart almost begged to see her smile again.
"Aang, you haven't even touched your food," she said, leaving out any kind of pet name, unlike when they were younger. "And Bumi is asking you a question."
"Sorry Sweetie," Aang tried, but elicited no elation from his wife, leaving him to turn to his son without any motivation. "What is it, Bumi?"
His black-haired son had his head drooped down over his plate, sitting next to Sokka's 14-year-old son Hakoda, named after the teenager's grandfather. "Mom says you're going away again."
Aang felt like he had been caught red-handed, and in the mind of Bumi, if he said no, then the boy would assume that his mother was a liar, leaving him in an uncomfortable position.
"I have to go back to Republic City. Aunt Toph has another case she needs help with," he tried to use Bumi's pseudo-aunt to justify it, but he knew it didn't have the same effect it once did.
"Why does Aunt Toph always make you go away, Daddy?" he heard Kya ask from the other end of the arrangement, who was sitting in Aria's lap, always drawn to the older girl when she was around. He winced at how easily his daughter had put the pieces together.
"Your Dad's just busy, Kya," Aria answered for her, and Zuko looked as if he had wished his daughter hadn't involved herself in the conversation. "He's the Avatar."
"But you're always gone, Dad," Bumi continued. "I want to go with you!"
Katara shook her head. "Bumi, we're not having this conversation again. You're too young to go with your Dad."
"But I can take care of myself! Remember when I-,"
"Listen to your mother, Bumi," Aang cut him off. "When you're a little older, I promise I'll take you."
Bumi moped. "You always say that," and then rose to his feet to head to his room, leaving the drapes flapping behind him.
Katara looked visibly frustrated but lacked the energy to chase after their son. He felt helpless, and when he looked to Sokka, he didn't see the I told you so look he expected.
He just saw pity.
"I can waterbend Daddy!" Kya suddenly shouted, catching him by surprise, and Aria grunted as the young girl jumped from her lap, holding her cup in the air. Placing the cup on the floor for everyone to see, Kya began to go through the basic movements of waterbending, the same ones he himself had learned from Katara.
"You've been teaching her?" Aang whispered.
His wife shrugged. "A little bit."
Kya was able to get the water to levitate from the cup like a snake, and then twirl it around her in a slow, circular motion. Aang could only stare in shock at the ability she displayed, until the water began to shake…and collapse to the floor.
"Awww," she whined, but was met with subtle applause from everyone.
"That was great, Kya!" Aang said and received a great reward in his daughter's joy. However, his eyes panned to Aria and he only witnessed shame along with a tinge of embarrassment at the prospect of a 5-year-old waterbending while she could not.
Sokka and Zuko noticed it as well.
"Katara," Sokka began. "We were…you know…," he paused, thinking better of leaving Aang out to dry despite his frustration. His sister only gave him a puzzled look.
"We were wondering if you could teach Aria waterbending," Zuko finished for him.
"Me?" she asked, confused. "I thought she had already mastered all four elements by now."
"That was the plan," Zuko continued. "But her waterbending training has stalled. Aang has done great to get her this far, but I believe it's going to take a specialist to nail it for her."
Aria looked somewhat betrayed, which Aang did not expect. "Hey, Dad! You can't just cut Aang out of my training!"
"You said it yourself, Aria," Zuko countered. "You can't move a droplet a few feet before exhausting yourself. You've been training for months now, and you haven't made any progress!"
Aria balled up her fists. "I'm not abandoning Aang!"
"No," Aang interjected. "Your father is right, Aria. I need to step aside."
Now she was furious. "So, what? You're giving up on me?! After all that you're just going to…throw me to someone else?!"
"That isn't what I'm saying!" Aang protested.
Aria jumped to her feet. "Oh, forget it! I don't need you!" she yelled, and then marched through the cloth-covered entrance.
Zuko grit his teeth. "Aria, get back here!" When she didn't return, he growled and rose to his feet. "I'll go get-,"
"Now, wait Zuko," Katara insisted, catching his attention in time. "I think she's had enough grown men try to decide what's best for her. I'll go talk to her."
"You're not offended by what she said?" Aang asked.
Katara shook her head. "Of course not. I was sixteen too, you know."
Aria didn't care how cold it was outside, or the fact that the sun was beginning to dip down below the horizon, and crescent moon taking its place. Her red pants were beginning to soak at her rear from the log that she sat on, and she hated being wet.
Not as much as she hated being blindsided.
She felt like the entire world was against her, working its hardest to make her life as miserable as possible. How could Aang abandon her training just on a whim? They had come so far as not only mentor and student, but also partners. She could tell how much easier she had made his job in some cases, able to solve issues that he may have had to let be if he was on his own.
Not to mention her father, who had always been hard on her, which was fine to her, but the controlling side of him seemed to only get worse as she got older. Sometimes it felt like her own decisions routed through him, and she had no power to object to the course he was plotting for her.
Aria looked down at the running stream, her eyes burning with jealousy as even nature having more success at waterbending than she ever could. With her teeth grit, she erupted to her feet and pooled all her frustration into a focused beam of lightning that arced from her two fingers and into the stream, its residual thunder echoing across the snowy landscape.
"You really showed that water," a voice beside her said, and she turned with her fist ignited and raised behind and her palm forward, only to see that it was just Katara. "The fish too. I'm sure they won't be bothering you anytime soon."
Aria looked down to see some of the aquatic life belly-up on the surface, fried from her electric attack. She was too frustrated to be remorseful. "Have you come to scold me too?"
"No," Katara said, taking a step forward. "Just to talk."
Aria took a seat back down on her log. "Not sure what there is to talk about. Aang and my dad said it all back there. They think I've failed as a bender, so they're throwing me away."
Much to Aria's surprise, Katara said nothing, and instead just listened.
"My dad may mean well, but he's driving me crazy! Every time there's a test its always, 'well you did great here, but you were absolutely pathetic here', and when I ask for a say in anything it's always 'this is for your own good'. Ugh! Why is everything he does for my own damn good?! It's like he doesn't trust me to think for myself!"
"Your father just wants you to succeed, Aria," Katara explained, calmly.
"Well, he can do it with less eyes on me all the time! I feel like I don't have any space. There's always some dipshit reminding me of my 'duty' as the Avatar. When are you people going to understand that I'm not the fucking Avatar!"
"I know you aren't the Avatar, Aria."
Aria scoffed. "Finally. Someone gets it."
"I also agree that your father and Aang shouldn't have made this decision for you," Katara continued, taking a seat next to her. "But they aren't doing it because they believe you've failed. They're doing it because they believe they've failed you."
Aria paused in thought, but eventually shook her head. "No one has failed me, Katara. I'm the failure who can't even pull a droplet of water out of this stream before I faint," she pulled her legs up on the log and buried her face in her knees. "It's so embarrassing. Even Kya is better than me at waterbending."
"That's not fair," Katara eased. "You've already mastered three elements in such a short time. You couldn't have expected it to be easy the entire time, could you?"
"No, but," Aria paused, not knowing what to say next. "I-I feel like everything is working against me now."
"Not everything. I'm here for you," Katara continued, rubbing the teenager's back. "We're all here for you, even if it may not seem like it sometimes."
Aria's heart shattered after Katara had finished, her emotional outbreak winding back down from her initial breakdown. She didn't cry, rarely did she ever, but she could only feel ashamed for her reaction.
"When I was about your age," Katara reminisced. "I had finally began learning how to waterbend, but when Aang asked for help, he was able to pick everything up in about a fraction of the time it had taken me. I had become so overwhelmed with jealousy that I snapped at him, not realizing what I had done until after it was over."
Aria looked up, seeing Katara's distant expression. "I felt so horrible for what I had done, but in the end, he forgave me, because he understood my situation. I felt like I had the entire weight of my tribe relying on me to push back the Fire Nation…but I was wrong. We all have our own pace, Aria, and we shouldn't feel as if the weight of the world depends on our success. It's just not a realistic expectation."
"What about Aang?"
Katara tipped her head and grinned. "Save a few exceptions."
Aria smiled back. Katara had always had a way of making the world smaller, which was why she had enjoyed spending time with the waterbender until she had her own children to take care of. In a way, Katara had been almost a second mother to her, since Aria's mother was an Earth Kingdom woman who was killed during the Harmony Restoration Movement, making her the bastard child of the Fire Lord. Her circumstance had resulted in the absence of a motherly figure in her life, and also made her ineligible to ever take the throne.
Those were facts that Aria had long buried and forgotten, not that taking the throne ever mattered to her…or the face of her real mother.
Katara's face was all that mattered.
Aria leaned into her chest and hugged her tightly, a gesture that the mother of three returned happily. "Thank you, Katara."
"Of course, Aria. Anything you need."
When they pulled away, Aria stood and bowed. "And I'd be happy to accept you as my waterbending teacher, if you'd have me."
Katara stood and bowed back. "It would be my pleasure, Princess Aria."
As the night began to set in, Aang kept his arms tucked inside his robe as the temperature began to drop. He knew remaining inside would've spared him the grief, but he found it almost impossible to look his children in their eyes knowing he'd just have to leave again. The Republic Council requested his presence on a monthly basis as it continued to establish itself as a sovereign nation within the vast Earth Kingdom.
This time may be much longer.
Sokka came up beside him, followed by a heavy sigh. "At least this time, I'll be there too," he said, referring to his new appointment as Councilor.
"How can there be more border skirmishes? King Kuei promised and agreed to leave the United Republic alone, and yet here we are, month after month, dealing with threats of reconquest," Aang huffed, his annoyance obvious.
"I don't think it's him. I think it's his first-born daughter, Princess Nikuya," Sokka explained. "She was named Commander of all Earth Kingdom forces last year. Since, border skirmishes have risen significantly."
"You think she's planning on invading?"
"The kid's 20 years old, but she's proven to be a prodigy when it comes to strategy and politics," Sokka explained. "She kind of reminds me of myself, you know."
Aang rolled his eyes. "Leave it to you to sound impressed by a threat to our nation's security."
Sokka slapped his hand on Aang's shoulder and squeezed with a chuckle. "Don't you start worrying. Remember who you're talking to."
The Avatar smiled back at his point well made, but they both turned to see Katara and Aria returning in the distance, relieved to see them in somewhat good spirits. Aang and Sokka both met them halfway, and the awkwardness set in quickly. Aria's black hair was roughly tied behind her head, and the residual length fell from there to just below her shoulders. She looked flustered, which was uncommon for her, usually maintaining a confident stature that projected strength, something almost certainly instilled by her father. He sometimes found himself on guard for moments at a time, for in the corner of his eye he sometimes swore that Azula was standing beside him, and that never brought forth a pleasant feeling.
Sometimes he forgot Azula was the teenager's aunt, except when frustrated lightning erupted from her fingertips.
She looked up, and from there he had already knew what she was going to say. "You don't need to apologize, Aria," Aang stopped her. "We should've told you what we were considering."
Aria shook her head. "No Aang, I do need to apologize. I reacted irrationally and didn't consider the current situation. I know you both want what's best for me, you and my father, I mean."
Aang bowed his head. "There is no need for worry, Aria. I understand."
She nodded, but then she looked away, her posture full of uncertainty. "But you were right…I think it's time that we…part ways," Aria admitted, her eyes almost despondent. "I've decided to accept Katara as my waterbending trainer…so I won't be joining you when you return to Republic City."
Aang's eyes met Katara's, and while he was happy that Aria had chosen his wife, he felt as if he was taking his own burden and laying it on her needlessly. "Are you sure you can do it, Katara?"
She didn't return his gaze with any assurance, just with a sense of bottled-up annoyance. "I can handle it Aang."
Sokka smiled, then stooped in to hug his sister, which she returned. "I know you can, sis. I'll be sure to keep you both updated on what's going on. Can't have our Avatar trainee not know what's what right?"
Katara chuckled. "Maybe having the stress lifted of the outside world might actually do her some good."
"Suit yourselves, I guess," Sokka shrugged. "I'll just be keeping it all together for when you can return."
Aria tipped her head and smiled. "Thanks, Sokka."
Aang only felt a tinge of jealousy at how easily they all could lighten the mood. To hide it, he bowed, palm to fist. "It has been a pleasure serving as your teacher, Aria."
Aria bowed back in the same manner. "It's been an honor to be your student. Best of luck to you in the time to come."
With that, Sokka took his leave, as did Aria followed by Katara, but before his wife was out of arm's reach, he gently grasped her shoulder. "Katara, a word?" he asked.
She turned, and with a wave, she ushered Aria to continue on without her, leaving just the two of them. "What is it?" she asked.
Aang swallowed, his eyes unable to stay on his own wife for too long. "Listen, Sweetie, I know things have been…difficult."
Katara's eyes drifted away. "Aang…"
"Katara…just," he reached out for her hand, clasping it between his two. "I need you to hear me out. I haven't been around enough, I know, and I wish things could be different. I just want you to know that when I'm out there…working…I'm always thinking about Bumi, Kya, Tenzin and you."
She didn't meet his gaze. "You're the Avatar, Aang…I understand."
He knew she was lying, and it took what Sokka had said earlier for him to finally realize it. Whether he liked it or not, he and his wife were drifting further apart each day that he didn't wake beside her. Of all the battles he had fought, and all the power he possessed, this fight rendered all of his wonderful abilities absolutely useless. All he had was himself; a broken shadow of the go-lucky and goofy kid he once was, replaced by his adulthood, driven by the singular necessity to continue his role as the Avatar. Aang wasn't the same man he once was, and he knew it.
He had never felt so helpless.
"I'm sorry, Katara," he apologized in the sincerest manner he could muster, but he knew it wouldn't be enough. "Goodbye Sweetie," he leaned forward and kissed her atop her head, before releasing her hand and turning away, back to his life as the Avatar.
As Katara watched her husband go once again, she had never felt so alone.
Hello Avatar readers. I am JSN7, and this is an idea I've had for awhile now. I've always been more interested in the stories of the Aang Gang when they grew up, and this is also my chance to once again take one of my more childhood memories and warp it into an adult take. Yes, the M rating is there for a reason.
I hope I've tagged your interest! I know two avatars at a time may be something that's done before, but I have a little spin in mind, and I hope the subtle ominous tone will engage you! I do plan on introducing some more OCs from respective corners of the Avatar world, but don't worry. Aang will definitely get his keep in this tale, Katara probably even more so (as she is my personal favorite character).
Also, I feel like I know my Avatar, but if I screw up some lore or miss a beat on how each elemental combat works, feel free to correct me. I am open to criticism, good or bad (but constructive, please, lol).
Who is Aria? Why is she the second Avatar? What's going on with the Earth Kingdom? All questions I hope to answer for you!
Thanks for checking this out, and I will try to get this story moving as soon as possible!
