Chapter Thirteen: The End for Now

"I'll tell you in good time, my dear." The king said. Ceres could tell he wouldn't reply if she asked him anymore questions.

Ceres sighed and looked up at him. "Then when?" she asked quietly.

"Soon, soon. Come" he said, beckoning with his hand for Ceres and the rest to follow. Ceres followed him, walking quickly. She wanted to get to wherever they were going as quickly as possible.

He led her through the castle non-stop. He knew exactly where he was going. They went up a few stair cases and down a few as well. He stopped at a door suddenly and Ceres crashed into the back of him, and in turn Aang hit her back, Katara hit his back, and Sokka hit her back.

He turned to the group who was on the floor. "We're here." He said with a smile. He was oblivious to the fact that they were on the floor.

"What's in there?" asked Ceres.

"Why don't we see then?" he said.

Ceres and the others stood up and anticipated what was behind the door. The king turned the knob and the door slowly swung open. Ceres peeked inside and was disappointed by what she saw. Just another mound of dirt.

Ceres stepped into the room and looked back at the king. "What's so special about this place?" she asked him with an unhappy look on her face.

"Katara, can you come in here please?" the king asked Katara. She warily stepped inside, not knowing what to expect.

She saw a bowl filled with water nearby. She looked at the king with a confused look. "What do you want me to do?" she asked.

"Not yet." He said to Katara. "Ceres, place a seed into the mound of dirt." He instructed.

Ceres placed a seed in the mound of dirt. "Now Katara, bend water onto it." The king instructed her. Katara took a deep breath and water bended most of the water in the bowl onto the mound of dirt. The king twisted his hands together tightly and the dirt hardened in the shape of a flower. The corn seed was in the center.

"Why did we make that?" Ceres asked the king.

"If you move your hand over the corn seed you'll find out." The king said to her.

"Fine, but tell me what's going on after I do it." She said angrily. She held her hand over the corn seed and lifted it up quickly. The corn seed grew into a giant stalk at her hand's every move. She pulled her hand back quickly in shock. The stalk followed it like an obedient dog. One large cob of corn stood out from the others.

"Pick that cob of corn." The king said, pointing the largest cob. Ceres reached for it, and picked it off. It was covered with leaves. She looked at him quizzically.

"Well? Aren't you going to peel it?" the king asked her sarcastically.

Ceres frowned at him and peeled it. Katara, Aang, and Sokka looked at the cob curiously, waiting to see what was going to happen. Once all the leaves were gone there wasn't a cob of corn waiting inside. A small ball of green light rested inside.

"First a necklace, now this." Ceres said sarcastically.

"Oh, and you aren't happy to see me?" a voice rang out into the room. The little ball of light jumped out of Ceres' hands and hovered in the air. Ceres jumped back in surprise as the ball continued to speak. "You may not see what I really look like, but that doesn't really matter now, does it?" it said with a laugh.

The light flicked over to Ceres face and was invading her personal space. "So, this is who I inhabit. You're scrawny." Ceres glared at the ball of light for calling her skinny. Before she could react, the ball of light flew away and flew around Aang closely.

When it stopped, it invaded Aang's face space just as it had with Ceres. "The avatar, huh? Rouku wasn't bald…" it said with a laugh.

"You knew Rouku?" Aang asked the ball of light.

"Knew him? Of course I knew him! And all the other avatars!" it said boastfully.

"You knew them all?" Aang asked her; he'd be called speechless if he hadn't just said something.

"Of course I did." The ball of light said flying around in circles slowly. "I am a goddess you know. Plus, since every time an avatar is born, I have to assist him or her somehow. Since you were frozen, I waited. My older sister didn't feel like freeing you until a century was up. Ceres here is my way of assisting you. I am her soul."

"Okay, I know I have bad hearing. You did not just say that you're a goddess and that girl's soul?" Sokka said.

"I have a name!" Ceres protested. She instantly disliked Sokka.

The others ignored Ceres for that moment. "What's your name?" Aang asked the ball of light.

"Flora. Yes, I know it's a corny name, but blame Gaia for naming me that. And yes, I a a goddess and I am Ceres' soul" Flora said.

"Alright, then why are you here?" Ceres asked Flora.

"So you would know." Flora said cheerfully. The king laughed when flora said that.

"You haven't changed much, have you Bumi?" Flora asked the king. Apparently she knew him as well.

Bumi laughed again. "It has bee a while since you've visited." He said. "I haven't seen you since I was a child."

"That was such a long time ago. I'm surprised you remembered how to summon me" Flora said with a laugh.

"Bumi?" Aang asked, surprised. "Bumi…that's you? Wow, you're old"

"Wow! I've never seen a bison before!" Ceres exclaimed. They were outside of the palace, and Aang had brought Appa into the city. Ceres was staring at Appa in amazement; she'd never seen an animal that big.

Sokka and Katara were packing to leave. King Bumi had given them a supply of money and some other supplies for the trip. Aang was saying his goodbyes to Ceres.

"Why do you have to leave?" Ceres asked him unhappily.

"I have to learn water bending. Remember, I'm the avatar?" Aang explained to her for the millionth time. "But don't worry. We'll see each other again. I promise."

Ceres nodded, not wanting to speak. Aang jumped onto Appa and with a call of "Yip yip!" he was in the air.

Ceres reached into her pocket. There was a piece of cloth that was wrapped around an object. A piece of paper was tied to the piece of cloth. She threw it at Appa's saddle and it landed in the center of it. "Remember me!" she cried into the air. She then ran off into the city, trying to forget how angry her father would be.

Aang looked at the small package that'd been thrown onto Appa. He removed the piece of paper and read what it said. "Aang, in here is something that you MUST return to me. So don't go and get yourself killed, alright? Love, Ceres" Aang opened the package and inside was the necklace that Ceres had found not too long ago. He held it gingerly in his hand.

"She game me her necklace." Aang said with a sigh. He held it tighter, but was careful not to break it. "I will come back, and I'll return it to her." He said with vigor. He would return it; nothing would stop him from doing so.

I'm REALLY sorry everybody with how long this took. I admit that I was lazy for a VERY long time. This is the longest chapter ever, because I wanted to get this done. Thank you all for the positive comments! The story is finished now!

But I want to warn you all. I can't promise that I'll stay up-to-date at I have somewhat lost interest in writing fan fiction.