Chapter Two

" I never thought I could have this much fun with a boy." Aoi laughed, rolling over onto her stomach. It was Aoi's first time in the Earth Kingdom, and Aang had just showed her how to sky skate on the grassy hills that covered the kingdom. Aang touched down and plopped down next to her.

" So you're pleasently surprised then?" Aang asked, smiling at her. Aoi squinted up at the sun before answering.

" Yeah. I guess I am." She said gently. Aang lay back onto the cushy grass, putting his hands behind his head and staring into the clear sky.

" I'm glad you agreed to come with me, Aoi."

Aoi glanced over at him, putting her hands under her chin. " I'm glad too."

" Aang, where are you going?" Katara asked from behind him. Sokkas' stomach growled and he doubled over pathetically.

" I am so hungry!" He whined. Katara elbowed him.

" Aang?" Aang looked back as he continued walking forward.

" I have to see something." He replied, distracted. Katara eyed him suspiciously.

They had arrived at the Southern Air Temple and were walking the winding paths that seemed endless in the temple. They had walked for some time before they came to a clearing. A statue of an old man was placed in the middle. Aang walked up to it slowly, he had been here so many times before, yet so many years ago. In addition to the temple being deserted, it had grown cold and sad. Nothing likehe had remembered. He desperately wanted to find something that was still alive in his mind. This statue of Gyatso. His friend, his mentor, his father. Well, that wasn't correct. Monk Gyatso wasn't his biological father. He had never known his real father. Aang was taken as a baby from his parents before he even remembered their faces. Gyatso acted as a father to him. He watched out for him, and now he was gone.

Aang stretched his hand over to the statue. He placed his palm on the side of it, which acted as the statues' arm. " Gyatso…" He breathed.

" Who's that?" Katara whispered, cautious of disturbing him. Aang smiled to himself then turned to his friends.

" This is Monk Gyatso. He was my mentor and an amazing airbender." Aang explained. Katara noted that this man must have been very important to him. Aangs' smiled faded.

" What's the matter?" Sokka asked, feeling a tinge of pity for the boy.

Aang walked past the statue, ignoring the question. " Let's go." Sokka and Katara exchanged looks before following. Aang changed into a sprint as he darted down the hallway of the temple. Katara and Sokka sped up in an attempt to keep pace.

" Now where are you heading?" Sokka huffed. Aang laughed and shouted back to them.

" No where. It's just I never got to run in this hallway before!" The siblings stopped and stared at Aang in disbelief.

" He is one weird kid." The older boy said, shaking his head. Katara chuckled in agreement. Aang slowed down to look up at a very large door. Or doors. There was two and they had airbending signs and symbols on them. Aang recognized this door. It was the Air Sanctuary.

" Hey, look, doors." Sokka said sarcastically. Aang turned to face Katara and Sokka who had just caught up to him.

" Not ordinary doors, Sokka. These are the doors that lead into the Air Sanctuary." Sokka stared.

" And that would be?"

" Let me show you, it's easier that way."

Sokka shrugged. " 'Kay."

Katara was more hesitant than her brother. " I don't know about this Aang. Do you even know what's in there?"

" No, I don't," He replied happily. " But I'm ready." With a blast of cold air, the doors opened and Aang led them in. He was speechless when he saw whatwas inside.

Statues. Dozens, no hundreds of statues of people. They were of different people dressed elaborately, inh clothing from different races. " Who are these people?" Aang mumbled.

" I don't know, but there are so many…" Katara mouthed. Aang walked around a couple before his gaze settled upon a man. He looked like a firebender; he walked up to him and tilted his head up to stare at him.

" Avatar…" Aang whispered. Sokka ran up clumsily behind him.

" Are you saying that that guy is an Avatar?" He asked. Aang nodded.

" Yeah, I don't know how, but I'm pretty sure he was the one before me." Aang explained without prior knowledge. Sokka gaped.

" The one before you? How do you figure?" Sokka persisted.

" Past lives." Katara came up from behind them.

" What's a past life?" Sokka asked.

" Sokka, a past life. You know, like your spirit living before."

Sokka blinked. " Still lost over here." Aang turned to him.

" I think what Katara is saying is that before I was alive, my spirit inhabited someone else's body, right?" Aang looked for Katara.

" Yeah, that's pretty much right." She nodded.

" Alright. That's freaky." Katara tried to explain more of what she meant, while Aang stared up at all of the past Avatars. He felt dizzy. All of this time, this place was in the temple and he didn't know it. Maybe if he had looked for it sooner instead of obeying what Gyatso said there wouldn't be a war going on? His people would be alive. There would be peace. Why didn't he bother to look sooner? Gyatso would have lived and Aoi…

Aoi. She died too. Aang knew she had died, he had come to grips that his people were gone, but it didn't sink in fully until then. She didn't get to live her life, she died with the others, and it was his fault. He was responsible. If he was there to protect her they could have been happy.

" No…" Aang whimpered, and fell to his knees. The guilt had taken him; he could feel moist tears in his eyes, blurring his vision. Katara and Sokka ran over to him and bent down to comfort him. They knew it would be hard for him coming back to this place, seeing everyone gone, finding out he was the last of his race. They knew it would hurt. It's just, they didn't know how much.

" It's going to be okay, Aang. It'll be alright." Katara whispered, trying to console him. She wrapped an arm around him. She could feel his shoulders go up and down as he cried.

" We have to move on, Aang. We can't linger too long."

" Sokka!" Katara angrily shoved him.

" I'm sorry, Katara, but it's the truth." Sokka replied, sitting back up. Sokka didn't mean to be hurtful. He was just trying to be comforting in his own way. He was a practical thinker, after all.

" …All my fault….my fault…" Aang muttered. Katara turned Aang around so he was facing her.

" No. Stop it, right now, Aang. In this day in age," Her tone softened. " There is no room for regrets." Aang looked up at her, his face shiny from the tears. He wiped them away with his sleeve and sat on his knees.

" I just…I lost my mentor, my people. My best friend, Katara." Katara sighed sadly.

" I know how you feel, believe me. I lost my mom, because of the Fire Nation." She said, placing her hand on his.

" Were not going to let the Fire Nation get away with it, Aang." Sokka intervened. Katara stood up and pulled on Aangs' hand.

" Come on. Let's go." She urged. Aang didn't want to leave. He just let his hand slip our of hers and he looked at his lap.

" I can't go yet, you guys. I just…can't." He said smally. Katara looked from Aang to Sokka. She thought a moment and then settled back down next to Aang. Sokka looked at her questionably until she motioned for him to do the same. He obeyed and sat down on the other side of Aang.

" Aang?" He looked over at Katara. " Do you want to tell us about your friend?" Aangs' eyes brightened suddenly. She smiled.

" Katara!"

Katara grabbed Sokka by the arm and dragged him to the side. " Listen, Sokka. I think that if Aang tells us about his best friend, he'll be more at peace. Do you get me?" She explained.

" Not really, but if it will help Aang then, okay." Sokka agreed and they took their seats next to Aang.

" Tell us about your friend, Aang."

Aang thought about Aoi, then looked up at his two new friends. He took a deep breath. " Okay. Aoi was my best friend. She was a lot like you Katara…"

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