Author's note: Hi guys! Sorry that it's taken me a little longer than usual to post this week's chapter - I've been spending a lot of time planning how I'm going to let the story unfold from this point. In this chapter, we learn a little more about the mysterious goings-on in the city, and take a deep dive into Aang's head. Next week's chapter is going to be a big one - plenty of stuff between Aang and Katara (and Sokka!) to look forward to... This week though, we're getting spiritual. Oh yeah, I almost forgot. TOPH! Enjoy...

This chapter's song is 'Feel First Life' by Jon Hopkins. It's an amazing song to listen to late at night, when nothing seems to quite make sense...

Toph Beifong had changed a lot in the last seven years, Aang thought. Well, not changed exactly. More…evolved. Underneath the hardened exterior she was still the same sarcastic, secretly-fun-loving hard case that Aang had known when they were younger. But over the last seven years, she really had grown up. Conversely, while his time away had turned Aang into both a hardened warrior and a skilled diplomat, he felt more out of balance now than he ever had. He was directionless, lost in a sea of unfamiliar emotion, and constantly at war with his conscience. He hadn't spoken to Katara since their last encounter two days ago, and the occasional shared glances across a room or down a hallway were driving him to a breaking point. He desperately wanted to just tell her everything, that Kya wasn't his, how much he missed her, but the more he thought about it, the more he questioned himself. It was like some invisible halter was preventing him from saying anything. He was lost.

Toph though… Toph had seemingly found herself a long time ago. The pressures of training a new generation of metalbenders and the responsibility that came with helping to run a city had rendered her less…destructive. In fact, she seemed calmer. She carried an air of strength, that while once untamed, wild, even reckless at times, was now composed and expertly controlled. She was no longer just the greatest earthbender in the world - now she was the most respected too. Faced with a city rife with disorder just after its founding, Toph had taken it upon herself to 'force these bozos into line' (though she now referred to it simply as 'policing'), and had founded the Republic City Police Department. What eight years ago was a fledgling rag-tag group of volunteers had begun to grow into a well oiled machine, restoring peace (mostly) to the city as it rose from the dust into the metropolis it had become. Yes, evolved was the word Aang thought. Toph had become…responsible.

Of course, that wasn't stopping her from screaming her head off at him at the moment.

'SHE'S WHAT?!'

Aang couldn't tell if she was laughing, or furious.

'I- I just didn't get a chance and-'

'SHE. IS. WHAT?!'

'She's…not my kid? Not my kid. Ugh, how can I put this-'

'So you didn't just get dumped and make a terrible error of judgement on your rebound!?'

'Wha- no?! Do you all think that?!'

'I mean I can't speak for anyone else, but…'

'Well I mean there's not exactly much of a family resembla- Oh. Sorry.'

Toph looked unimpressed. Then she couldn't help but burst out laughing.

'Twinkletoes. Seriously. This is ridiculous. You're ridiculous. HOW COULD YOU LEAVE THAT OUT? You know your avatar duties or whatever don't extend to babysitting, right?'

'Toph, please. Kya isn't mykid, no. But she is my kid. It's a long story, but I've raised her since she was a baby. She's more my daughter than anyone else's - and I've not exactly had a chance to talk to any of you since I got back. Katara's basically been ignoring me - oh yeah, you CANNOT TELL HER. I'll figure that out.'

Toph said nothing for a second.

'I'll admit I was surprised when you showed up with a kid. I didn't see you as the type to go off and get some other random girl pregnant. This does make more sense. Though it also makes no sense. Tell me how the flameo any of this has happened.'

'Shouldn't we get back to that?'

Aang gestured towards the warehouse in front of them. It was empty, aside from five ghostly figures, motionless, seemingly suspended in air in the centre of the room.

'Oh. Well. There's nothing we can do for them. Unless you've figured out why this might be happening?'

Aang turned away slightly. He was all too aware of his failure on that front.

'No…'

Aang walked cautiously towards the bodies in the centre of the room. They were like the others - alive, but empty. The sight of them made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. As far as he could see, there was nothing holding them up in the air, like some invisible force was compelling their bodies upwards, in stasis. It wasn't even like they were floating, it was more like they were bound by unseen ropes, completely devoid of all movement. He slowly reached up towards the central figure, a woman of about 40, short brown hair, grey eyes open and glazed over. Feeling the air currents moving around them, he noticed that there was nothing surrounding them, no force keeping them suspended. It was like nothing he'd seen before. As he made contact with her leg, she suddenly dropped, limp. Aang rushed to catch her.

The second she settled into his arms, she did something neither Aang nor Toph were expecting. She looked up. In fact, she looked right in the eyes of the man who caught her. Aang stared right back, somewhere between shocked, terrified and intrigued.

'Can you hear me?'

As he spoke, something else unexpected happened - she began to make a noise. It was unintelligible, nothing more than a scared sounding whimper, but this was something new. Even worse, as she looked deeper and deeper into Aang's eyes, her glare almost boring into his soul, something in her demeanour changed. She looked…afraid. Like she recognised him. Yes, that was it. Her breathing became shallow, rapid and erratic.

'Can you hear me?' Aang asked again. 'Do you know who I am?'

The woman's breathing reached a crescendo, then….silence. As if someone had simply flipped a switch, she was calm again. She closed her eyes, and began to breathe normally. She could almost have been sleeping.

As Toph signalled outside for the small group of officers and healers who had accompanied them to enter the warehouse, take the woman off Aang's hands and recover the others, the avatar was left sat on the floor, troubled and confused. She had recognised him. How? He had never seen her before in his life. What was happening?

'You ok there twinkletoes?'

Toph had placed an uncharacteristically gentle hand on his bare shoulder. His skin was cold to the touch.

'Oh. Yeah no I'm fine. It's just that - did she seem to…know me?'

'Well I didn't see anything. Obviously. But her heartbeat…it went crazy the second you touched her.'

Aang exhaled. None of this made sense. Nothing made sense right now.

'Now I need you to tell me everything about your kid. And I need a drink.'

'I don't know if I'm really in the mood, Toph- '

'Shut up. It's been a long day. You must be exhausted dragging her around with you anyway. Come on, I'm buying.'

'I don't even dri-'

'Don't care. I do. And I'm not done interrogating you yet!'

He sighed.

'Do I have a choice?'

'Nope!'

Toph practically dragged him to his feet and out the door.

'You did good today. Be happy.'

'I just have no idea what's going on. I don't like it.'

'Oh you'll figure it out. You always do. For now though… tell me about Kya.'

'Fine. But Katara can't know. Not yet.'

'Wh-'

'She just can't. I need to…take care over that.'

'Eh. Suit yourself.'

Aang shook his head. Maybe Toph hadn't changed that much after all. It was good to see her again. But the afternoon's events were replaying in his mind, the image of those bodies, suspended in air - the woman's eyes, vacant, yet terrified. And oddly familiar.

That evening, after dusk had cloaked the city in darkness, and golden sunlight was replaced by the neon glow of a thousand lanterns, Aang sat on his balcony, meditating. Katara, who had (come to think of it) been spending far more time with his daughter than him lately, seemingly jumping at every opportunity to look after her rather than helping Aang, had just left the building for a walk. Every fibre of his being was screaming at him to follow her. He didn't. He needed time to think - to process what had happened that afternoon.

Kya was asleep early after a long day training under Katara, So Aang had plenty of peace and quiet. He could feel each subtle breath of the wind, air currents flowing around his body and dancing over his skin. He picked up faintly the smells of the city - bustling food markets packed with shoppers after dark, fumes of the great stem powered machines building through the night, the city relentless in its upward expansion.

He listened once more for that little part of his soul that drifted untethered somewhere out in the ether, down a darkened alley or perhaps in a small old lady's tea shop somewhere.

Silence.

Aang sighed, and relaxed back into his breathing. He focused on the chi in his body, letting it flow through him, slowly allowing it to permeate each of his chakras in turn. He felt… disconnected, like somehow his spiritual energy was being hampered. The fact that he could barely keep himself focused wasn't helping either. His mind, usually razor sharp and clear when he meditated, was all over the place. What felt like thousands of thoughts raced all at once through his head, images flashing wildly - memories, fantasies, some that he didn't understand at all. Suddenly, the haze began to clear, and Aang found himself sat in a small room that he vaguely recognised from a long dormant memory. Am I…?

Yes. It was. He was, somehow, sat in his childhood bedroom at the Southern Air Temple. He got up, cautiously, and looked around. It was empty, a thick layer of dust covering everything. It hadn't been touched in years.

'Hello, Aang.'

Startled, Aang froze on the spot. Wait. He recognised that voice. He turned slowly.

Sat in the corner of the room, barefoot, with his legs crossed was a small, jovial man that Aang hadn't seen in a long time. He smiled. This was a comforting face to see.

'Guru Pathik. It's good to see you. It's been…so long.'

'It has indeed. You look surprised to see me, Aang?'

'If I'm honest, I am. The last time I saw you was…well the last time I saw you was in a dream, actually. Over ten years ago.'

'But is this not also a dream?'

'A vision, I suppose, yes. Why are you here?'

'I believe I can offer you some assistance, Aang. I sense great spiritual turmoil in your city - and in you. I helped you when you were in need of guidance once before. I believe I am destined to do so again.'

'Are you even…still alive?'

Pathik chuckled.

'Oh yes. Still very much alive. Old, granted, but alive nonetheless. If you wish to receive my guidance, Aang, seek me out.'

'But whe-'

'You will know where to look. Trust in yourself, in your instinct. Look inwards. To know others is only to better understand yourself. And be careful, Aang. Spirits are not to be underestimated - you must find a way to bring about balance.'

'Okay. Thank you, Guru. I'll find you. I promise.'

'I will be waiting. Good luck, Aang.'

And with that he was gone. Aang slowly shifted, closed his eyes, and the room evaporated into white light, leaving the Avatar exactly where he began, sat on his balcony, the cool night air flowing over his bare shoulder.

He heard a stirring inside, and looked over his shoulder to see Kya, drowsy, but awake.

'Hey sweetie. You ok?'

'Yup. Tired.'

Aang chuckled.

'Why don't you try to fall back asleep?'

'Mmhmm.'

Kya flopped back down onto her pillow.

'I like Katara.'

'What?'

'I like her, She's nice. I think she likes me too. Why do you not really talk to her'

Aang smiled at her, kindly.

'I'm sure she does. And yes, she is nice. I like her too. And it's not that I don't talk to her - we're just…both very busy people. And when you haven't seen someone in a long time, especially when you were…so close to them, it can take time to get used to it again. That's all.'

'Well I like her. You should talk to her more.'

Huh.

'Maybe... I should. Sleep tight sweetie.'

'Mmhm-night' Kya mumbled into her pillow. She was out like a light in seconds, leaving Aang once again alone with his thoughts.

Maybe she was right. Maybe he was avoiding Katara. Maybe he needed to just talk to her, to tell her everything. But what if it went wrong? What if she doesn't want to talk back? What if she really had let him go? Was that why it was all so awkward between them - was he searching for something that simply wasn't there? He almost felt further from her now than he had when he was away. But he cared, so much. He just couldn't bear the idea that she had left him behind.

No. He couldn't let it - them - end like that. He had to at least try. For the sake of his own sanity, if nothing else. He would have to tell her. Soon.

But Guru Pathik…

He was torn. To try to solve one problem would be to neglect the other - and he couldn't think straight when it came to either. Yes, he felt like he was losing his mind, but there were lives, or at least, souls at stake here.

Sokka. Sokka will know what to do.

He knew Katara better than anyone. And he trusted him with his life.

He would ask Sokka.

Sleep. You need sleep.

He was still exhausted. He had barely got any decent repose since he got back to the city, and was beginning to feel the impact of his lack of sleep. He forced himself into bed, and shut his eyes, willing himself to rest.

Whatever it was he chose to do, he would need all his strength for it…