A/N. I don't own Avatar the Last Airbender.

Katara walked over the terrasse, after having helped Toph to sit down next to the fountain. It had actually been a good idea to clean up. For some reason, it felt like half her problems didn't seem so… Horrible. Still, there was enough to be concerned about… but it was good to at least take an afternoon and put those worries aside.

The bathhouse had really been beautiful… The mosaics on the walls, and the clean, fresh water had done wonders to at least feel a little less stressed. The moment she had been emerged in that water, she had felt like everything was going to be alright… somehow.

Looking over the terrasse, she saw that Appa and the guys were all gone, so they had probably gone to that river in the canyon. Even if she understood why Aang didn't want to disrespect the fact that the bathhouse was only for women… It would maybe be a nice place to spend some quality time with him… It was far away enough from the others, they wouldn't even need to know…

But of course, they couldn't. No, that firebender was lurking around the temple now. And all hopes of sneaking away was gone now. She was sure that Zuko would want to keep an eye on his prize. Katara was convinced that the whole I'm good now act was just that. An act. How could an evil bastard like Zuko become good, in the matter of days? Just some days ago, he had been on the right-hand side of the Fire Lord! No way he would give that up. No, there had to be an ulterior motive. There had to be.

From below the temple, she heard the soft bellow of Appa. So, the others were returning… That was good. At least the whole group would be in the same place, which was safer. Katara didn't like being forced to spend all her time with the others, but it was the only way to be sure that nothing happened, to anyone.

From the soft mist below, the bison did appear, and Katara looked how Appa raced to the terrasse. Squinting her eyes, she realized something was wrong… Only Haru and The Duke were with the bison.

Where were the others?

What had Zuko done?

The bison landed next to the fountain, and Katara quickly walked to the Haru, who stayed on Appa's head while The Duke slid off the saddle.

"What happened?" She asked as soon as she was close enough to be heard.

"I don't know! Sokka told me to get you, and get The Duke away. Aang… Aang seems to have found something. We were all thrown out of the water by some wave. Sokka apparently understood what was happening, for he said that everyone should get away… As far as possible. And that I should go and get you…"

Oh no… Not that. Everything but that.

"Oh Spirits…" Katara heard Toph mutter from the fountain's ledge… Yeah, she had also understood.

For some reason, Katara had thought Aang couldn't access the Avatar State anymore… Every time he had been angry or sad, it hadn't happened. She had thought it was because he mastered it now, but that couldn't be it, because he had explained to her that he hadn't actually mastered it at the Eastern Air Temple…

But apparently, he could. Because Sokka wouldn't have warned everyone to hide if Aang was completely in control. No… It had to be that.

And the other thing Katara realized… If Aang was in that situation… It meant they had found something. Something horrible.

"Did his eyes glow? His tattoos?" The waterbender asked quickly, as she scrambled into the saddle.

"Eh… no… Why? Is that a thing?" Haru sounded fearful as Appa took off, without any guidance.

"Yeah. That is a thing… I'll explain later. But tell me what happened! Did you see something?" She needed to know… In case Aang was actually in the Avatar State.

"No idea! Aang dove into the water, and after a few moments, we were all pushed to the riverside by a wave. When I left… Aang just stood in the middle of the river! And… Well, he seemed angry. So horribly enraged… What happened Katara? Why did Sokka ask to get you?" Haru shouted above the whistling wind around them as Appa nearly dropped down as a stone, to get back as fast as possible to his friend.

"I'll tell you later!" She managed to yell back. Tui and La, Appa was really not slowing down… But she understood the hast of the bison. He too wanted to get back to Aang, for he had, of course, understood what was happening…

What had he found? It was too similar to what had happened at the Southern Air Temple, with Gyatso… So, probably something to do with the Air Nomads who had lived here… Maybe a corpse, or a skeleton? Yeah… That was probably it… They had found nothing in the temple for the moment, but it had to be something like that…

The mist disappeared, and Katara saw a beautiful valley and the bottom of the canyon, green grass and trees growing tall, with a wide, slow river in the middle of the valley. But as her eyes raked over the landscape, she also saw… Well, what Haru had described.

They were still to far away to recognize the people, but it had to be them. A small group, probably Sokka, Teo and that prince, stood behind some trees, and a few yards into the water, stood a lone figure. The water had disappeared around him, making a dry circle in the middle of the water…

And Katara could help but let her hand fly to her mouth.

Aang was standing in the middle of a whole riverbed littered with yellow bones. Oh Spirits… Those had to be the nuns, and the children who had lived in the temple… Or the people who had lived in the valley below…

"Great Spirits…" Haru spoke as Appa landed between the others and the riverbed. From the trees, she saw Sokka run towards them.

"You're here! Have you…-"

"Yeah, I saw… What happened?" She cut her brother off.

"I think Aang tried to play a prank on me, but that backfired. He was swimming underneath me when we were all pushed out of the water. And since then, he has just been standing there… Sis… He has not said a word… but neither did he go in the Avatar State… I think it is just… too much." Sokka's voice sounded incredibly sad. And no wonder… Katara looked at the airbender, whose back was turned to them… And yeah, it was too much. Too much for anyone. How could anyone be alright after finding his friends at the bottom of a river?

"I'll try. Keep the others away…" She whispered to her brother and began to walk towards the river.

"Aang?" She called softly, but there was no reaction. Katara took a step forward, into the water. She hoped that there weren't any bones there, for she really didn't want to step on someone. The waterbender could feel the soft mud enter her sandals, but that didn't matter… No, what mattered now was the airbender in front of her.

As she was taking some more steps, she arrived a point where the water arrived at her waist. Feeling the ground in front of her with her toes, Katara realized that the field of bones began just in front of her. So… No further.

"Aang, please come out of the river." She said, and still there was no reaction. What worried her most was the lack of emotion coming from the airbender. Sure, the circle of dry land around him in the middle of the water meant he was bending the water to stay away from him, so there was at least something happening in his head… But Katara had thought there would be violent winds whipping around.

But instead it was eerily still. It was as if the air around them was actually being held into place. For not even a soft air current could be felt. Looking back to the trees where the others were standing, she saw the leaves from those trees moving softly in a breeze. So yes, Aang was holding the air still around them.

Sound carried through the air…

Oh spirits, that was why he hadn't heard them…

Katara pushed the bones in front of her softly away with her feet, sending a silent apology to whoever she was disturbing in their graves. It was horrible, but she needed to focus on the living person in this field of death…

She arrived at the edge of the dry circle. Stepping out of the water, she looked down to make sure not to step on bones. Some of the yellow bones were partly imbedded into the river mud, so it was difficult to really be sure that she didn't disturb anything, but as she edged closer towards the airbender, Katara felt the slight change in the air, as if the air was able to move closer to the airbender.

She heard the laboured breath first.

Katara realized why Aang had created that air shield around him… It would make sure no one heard how he reacted.

"Aang?" She said softly, hoping that here, he could hear her.

"They threw them in the river." His voice rang, and Katara's heart cracked at how broken it sounded.

"I know… Please come out of the water… There is nothing you can do here." She whispered back, still looking at his back.

She took a step forward and was now close enough to be able to touch him. Shuffling towards him, Katara managed to put her arms around him, and pressed herself against his back, with her head against his shoulder. At least, he wasn't alone here.

"Katara… They cleaned up their crime. They knew. They knew what they did. And still, did it. No one protested. No one did anything." Anger began to seep into his voice.

"You don't know… Perhaps there are also some soldiers lying here who protested. Aang, please come to the shore… We can't do anything here, there are too many." As she looked over his shoulder, the waterbender saw how several skulls lay in front of them, staring at them with empty eye sockets…

"They should not lie here." Aang responded, still with that slight tinge of anger.

"I know…" Katara realized she actually didn't know anything about Air Nomad funerals rites, but that was not important at this moment, "But there are too many, and we are too few… Please come to the shore. Let the dead rest for now. We will come back here and do what needs to be done, but we can't now. Please my love… Come to the shore."

She felt how the airbender sighed, and how he took her hands in his, making her break the embrace. Then he turned to face her. Katara watched those wide grey eyes, and it hurt to see how much pain was in those eyes.

"Come on Aang…" She took his hands in hers and began to pull slightly. The airbender let himself be steered towards the riverside, and Katara made sure to bend the water away to make a path. It was just heart wrenching…

All those bones had been people he had known… Quickly looking up, she calculated that if it were the nuns and novices from the temple, their corpses had probably been thrown from the great terrasse that had kind of became their meeting place, and the place they ate… But if it were the people who had lived in the valley... Well, where were the remains of the people who had lived in the temple?

Her feet hit the shingles of the riverside, and Katara knew that at least, Aang was out of the water. Looking over the airbender's shoulder, she saw that the circle had disappeared in the water, and that the bones were now once more hidden by the river.

At least, until the day they could come here and give these people a funeral, as they deserved…

"Aang… I… Spirits, I'm sorry." Sokka came walking up to them, and Katara quickly released the airbender's hands. As much as she wanted to keep hold of him… Well, it was better if the others didn't know exactly how close they were.

"It's alright." Aang answered as he began to pull his clothes back on. Katara, in the meantime, saw Zuko still standing next to the trees, with Haru. Knowing she could trust her brother with Aang now that the airbender was calmer, she directed her attention to the firebender.

Katara marched towards the two young men and put her hands on her hips as she drew closer. Glancing over her shoulder to make sure Aang couldn't hear her, she spoke.

"Did you see that?" She looked Zuko right in the eyes, "That is what your glorious nation did. Aang has to hide in a place where his people were massacred. Where he has to face that truth over and over again."

She nearly spit the words at the firebender, and she must have looked angry, for Zuko took a step backwards, and even Haru was looking at her with wide eyes. But she didn't care. Let that criminal know what his people did to Aang.

"I… I never…" Zuko stammered, looking at her with something akin of fear in those ember eyes.

Good.

"No. Indeed! You never thought about this. How your people became powerful! Over the skeletons of these people! Over the bones that are resting in the river behind me! You think your little betrayal of your family makes everything alright! But it doesn't! You and your kind will pay for this! For everything you've done!' She spoke louder now. Sure, the ordinary people of the Fire Nation were not to blame. But Zuko's kind, the rich and powerful… Oh, she would give nearly anything to watch those suffer.

"Katara, it's alright." Aang spoke behind her, and, turning her head around, she saw her brother and the airbender stand closely behind. Aang had put his clothes back on, and was now just looking at her with those broken eyes…

She held Zuko's gaze for a few instances, scoffed, and turned around. The waterbender joined her brother, who nodded discreetly at her. Yeah! She was right! That firebender should be on his knees begging for forgiveness. Or even for his life.

But she also knew that that was not the Air Nomad way… And it was Aang who had the only right to judge someone's complicity in these crimes. But still, she didn't like it. How could that prince just stand there, not saying a word, as the crimes of his family were literally lain before him! How could anyone be so cold and uncaring!

"For those who still want to take a bath… You can use the bathhouse." Aang sighed, walking towards Appa.

Katara knew that tone. It was just resignation. It sounded as if the airbender had just admitted that his world was gone… And even if she understood the practical reasons… She hated the fact that the rules of the temple couldn't be respected.

They climbed on Appa in silence, and Katara watched as Zuko walked hesitantly towards the bison. If it was up to her, they would leave him there. He could camp in the valley, and if Aang still wanted firebending lessons, he could fly down each day. There was no reason for that prince to be in the temple. Certainly not after what they had seen.

But Aang, sitting on Appa's head, grabbed the bison's horn, hung from it and extended a hand towards the scarred prince. Katara bit her lower lip as the airbender pulled Zuko up on the bison. The firebender installed himself at the very front of the saddle, and Katara made sure she was at the other side. Glaring at the firebender, she felt how Appa jumped into the air.

She knew that the Air Nomads wouldn't exactly care if some of their rules were broken… It had actually surprised her to know that in this temple, there were such divisions between men and women. She had always thought that the Air Nomads were… Well, didn't do that. At least, that had been the impression Aang had given her. And maybe it wasn't the case. This place seemed to be the most easily accessible temple of the four, so perhaps they had more visitors a century ago, forcing them to make rules. That had to be it.

Appa flew back and landed on the terrasse, where Toph and The Duke were still sitting at the fountain. It had been good of Sokka to make sure that the youngest of their group wouldn't see what Aang had found. Even if the boy seemed rather tough and mature, it was still not something you wanted to see. Tui and La, Katara didn't want to see it.

"You were finished in the bathhouse?" her brother asked as they slid from the saddle.

"Yeah, but Sokka… Don't stay there too long. At least not longer than necessary." She answered. Of course, it was still breaking the rules of the temple… But perhaps, if they limited their time there, it would be alright. Or less horrible.

"Of course… Just keep an eye on him, will you?" Her brother answered, pointing his chin to Aang who had also come down from Appa's head, and was now staring at the bison mosaic at the end of the terrasse once more.

"Yeah, I will. Just… Just take the other guys with you. I want to talk to him, without anyone being able to hear..." Katara answered, looking at the airbender.

"I'll help Toph to get back to her room, so that you two have the terrasse." Sokka spoke, and walked towards the blind girl. Katara didn't hear what they murmured, but she did hear Toph groan. So… She had also been told about the discovery.

After a few moments, the terrasse began to empty. Sokka had brought Toph to her room that she was sharing with Teo and The Duke, and now was leading a group towards the bathhouse. Leaving the terrasse to only her and Aang.

Katara walked towards the airbender, looping her arm around his elbow as she came to stand next to him.

"How are you?" She asked, as she put her head against his shoulder once more. Normally, he felt relaxed and soft against her, but now, she could feel every muscle in his arm clenched.

"I don't want to be here." He answered, pain in his voice. Looking up, she saw how his eyes were closed.

"I know… The coming days, when you will be training with him… I'll explore the temple a bit, to make sure there are no more surprises. If that is alright?" She suggested.

"Yeah… Take Appa, some of the buildings are not accessible without an airbender. And… Well, if you find something, could you do something for me?" His eyes opened, and he took a step away from her, forcing her to break the contact between them. He fixed the mosaic, before walking up to it.

"Do you see this?" He gestured a hand to the wall, "The nuns changed it every generation."

Katara looked more closely, and realized that every nun depicted on it, was different. Too specific. And then, she understood… Those had been the nuns of the temple at the moment of the attack. Those were the people Aang had known. That was why he had immediately walked to it the moment they had arrived.

Some of the nuns were elderly women, and the bison next to the women had grey streaks in their fur, unlike Appa. But there were also younger women, with smaller bison close to them.

And Katara felt her heart nearly shatter. They had been eating and talking at a place where the eyes of the people Aang had lost were constantly fixed on him… Tui and La, why hadn't he said it earlier?

"If… if you find a pendant…. Could you check if it is one of them?" His voice now sounded so much more unsure, as if he really didn't want to know what happened to each of them.

"Of course." She answered, before biting her lip once more. Was one of the nuns that Jinora Aang had clearly been upset about?

"I… I didn't see any pendants in the river. So… Perhaps those were the people living in the canyon." The airbender sighed, before turning around. Katara watched those grey eyes look around, over the terrasse, to the ruined school building behind them, and then to the guest house.

"I… I'll sleep in the room with you tonight. Sokka was right, I can't leave you alone, not with Zuko roaming the temple." Aang spoke. What was that? Had her brother seriously reprimanded the airbender for not sharing a room with her? Spirits, their lives were really messed up in that case.

She had wanted to move to another place in the temple, but… Well, if Aang wanted to join her once more in her room… Well, she would stay in that case. It was probably the only place the airbender would even want to sleep, and it was better if she had an eye on him. Because Zuko would surely try something.

"Alright… And… if you're up for it… Could we talk about what happened before? You know… about that." Katara asked. She still wanted to explain her reasoning for not accepting the necklace.

"Could… Could that wait? At least until tomorrow? I have had my fill today of these kinds of things…" Aang sighed, and the waterbender heard the small tinge of bitterness in his voice.

"Yeah, of course. But know that it isn't bad what I wanted to say." She answered, smiling hesitantly at him.

Aang nodded, before walking away. Katara had to resist the urge to follow him, but she knew it was important to him to be left alone when he was unhappy. In case he had such a mood, he would always retreat towards Appa, and stay there for a while, seeking comfort from his companion. And… Well, Katara guessed that Appa needed that too, for he was sad too here.

As the footsteps of the airbender receded behind her, the waterbender stepped towards the mosaic. She looked at each depiction, imprinting each face that looked back at her into her memory. These people had lived here, had known Aang. He had visited these people, because he liked them. And the Air Nomad art had something… living in it. The small shadow of a smile on the face of one nun made Katara think she was probably one with humour.

Another nun, an old woman, seemed to be a grouch. The mosaic showed her with clenched hands and a frown on her forehead. The water walked the long line of nuns, looking at each one. Some had dark grey eyes, some even the ember eyes of the Fire Nation… That surprised her. Katara had always thought that the eye colour depicted the nation of origin, but apparently, there had been mixing in the past.

As she arrived at the last nun, the waterbender took the picture in. A small woman, around eighteen or twenty years old, with her forehead shaven to show of the tattoo. Katara smiled, seeing how this depiction showed the personality of the girl perfectly. One hand on her hip, the Air Nomad nun was bent slightly to the right, where a bison was also portrayed. In the other hand, the girl held a flute, like the one Aang had in his chest.

But just then, as she looked at the girl's face, it seemed familiar. The depicted nun was grinning, a lopsided grin. It seemed that when this had been made, the girl had been constantly smiling and joking around, for her face showed just pure joy.

But what startled Katara the most, were the nun's eyes. Some of the people on the mosaic had brown eyes, or dark grey eyes, or ember eyes. But this girl had eyes a startling silver grey.

A silver-grey Katara knew all too well.

A cold fist clenched around her heart as she realized what she was looking at.

Jinora.

Answers :

I hope Aang's reaction is believable! I think it is, because after too many bad things… Well, you become rather numb to it, even if it hurts.

Alyssa : As I explained, I think that becoming numb to these kind of discoveries is something Aang would do. And of course, I was going to do something with finding something of Jinora, but in this case, it was staring them in the face.

Jjsmith103 : Oh no, that would be so weird lol! No, nothing like that is going to happen, but there will be chapter of awkwardness, I think when Aang and Zuko go on their fieldtrip!

Kalaong : Exactly, Zuko has no idea who these people were. In his mind it was "Avatar and people who keep fighting me to regain my honor". I really wanted to show how he thinks, and how his ideas influence his actions! Yeah, about the genocide, it is horrible and just disgusting, but I think it would be realistic if the Fire Nation would have tried to hide the evidence in case someone would check it.

CoyotoLemon : Glad to see your back! Oh, I didn't realize that in English, you can't use that word! In my native language, it is used to described an handicapped person, but not as a insult or something like that. I changed it the minute I read your comment, because I really don't want to insult anyone.