Chapter Six: Ice
"I've been thinking ever since the vision Roku sent me", Aang said, "and I've been wondering. Since my seventh charka is no longer blocking me for entering the Avatar State, does that mean I can enter it at will now and be in control of my actions, just like the guru promised?"
It was the next day and the gang had decided to start combat training once again.
"Trying couldn't hurt", Sokka said after thinking for a moment.
"Why doesn't everyone step back" Katara suggested.
They all did as Aang put his hands together and hardened his face muscles. Nothing happened. They stood there a few more minutes as the look on Aang's face became more and more pained.
"What's suppose to happen?" asked Suki, how was unfamiliar with watching Aang enter the Avatar State.
"I'm trying to concentrate!" Aang shouted, "Do you guys mind being quiet!"
"Aang", Katara said softly, "I don't think it's going to happen this way. Maybe we should try something else".
"Like what?" Aang sighed.
"I have an idea", Toph interjected, "Maybe you should try bending all four elements at once".
"All four elements at once?" Aang pondered, "I don't know if that is possible outside the Avatar State…."
"Heads up!" Toph shouted as she hurled a boulder his way. Quickly getting the idea, Katara sent liquid daggers flying at him. Aang flew up in the air, dodging bother dangers. Sokka threw his boomerang at Aang, and he used airbending to set it off course. Sokka ducked as it came back around and nearly hit him in the head.
"You can't keep going back to using only airbending every time you're outside your comfort zone!" Toph shouted, "You're the Avatar. Act like it!" Aang quickly used firebending to dispose of Katara icy blast.
"Better, Twinkle Toes", Toph shouted, "But still not good enough".
Sokka and Suki sat back and watched the display.
"Do you think they could use our help?" Suki asked.
"Nah", Sokka said, "I think we should just sit out on this one".
Aang dodged, light as a feather, as spikes of rock rose up from the ground. In between leaps, Aang shot several blasts of water, earth, and fire at his two attackers. Katara dodged them all, but a wave of ice succeeded in knocking Toph to the ground.
"Better", Toph grunted.
"Aang!" Sokka yelled from the side lines, "Try it now! Try going into the Avatar State now!"
Aang screwed up his face and tried breathing deeply. Still nothing.
"It's not working", Aang shouted back.
"Look out!" Suki warned. Aang suddenly saw a stream of water and a boulder both rushing towards him. He quickly reached out a hand to slow the boulder with earthbending. As he did, he also tried to waterbend the water to a stop. For a second, it was working. The boulder began to slow down and he turned his attention to the water attack. With a twitch of his hands, he was able to turn the water to ice and watch as it fell harmlessly to the ground. For a moment, he felt pleased with himself, when he suddenly heard Katara scream. He turned and saw that the boulder was still flying towards him. He jumped up into the air just in time to clear the boulder and escape injury. He landed back on the ground on all fours.
"Aang!" Katara yelled, running over, "Are you okay".
"No", Aang said, stilling staring at the ground, "I am not okay. Why can't I enter the Avatar State at will? We can't keep doing this. It's not working, Katara. It isn't the way. Something else is still wrong. I just don't know what"
"I-I…" Katara faltered, "I don't know, Aang"
"I'm sorry, Aang. That was a close call", Toph said walking forward, "I think we should try a different approach".
"You're right", Sokka agreed, "It sort of reminds of how that one Earth General tried to make you go into the Avatar State by attacking you and threatening Katara".
"Any ideas?" Toph asked.
"No", Aang said sharply, "I don't want to try anything else. I'm done for today. It's almost midday. Let's just get going". Everyone silently looked at each other as Aang hoped on to Appa's back. Together, they followed and took off.
…
Zuko watched the speck on the horizon from the deck of his war balloon.
"Azula", Zuko said under his breath. About an hour ago general Chau had burst into his room and announced the first sighting. They hadn't known at first, but now they were sure. It was definitely her. Zuko looked at the balloon to his right and to his left. Three balloons full of warriors should be enough to handle anything Azula could dish up.
"Can't this balloon go any faster!" Zuko demanded.
The general answered hesitantly, "Sire, we are doing all we can. At the rate we should catch them by sundown."
Zuko clenched his fists, but did not say anything.
For the next three hours, Zuko stood on the deck with his general, watching their target get closer and closer. Around dusk, they were close enough that Zuko could make out the faces of the Dai Li aboard Azula's balloon.
"Faster!" Zuko commanded, "I want every firebender aboard powering this craft!" The balloon surged forward at the sudden blast of firepower. Zuko expected Azula's balloon to try to outrun them, but instead to his surprise, the balloon started to descend.
"What are they doing!" a young soldier exclaimed, "Do you think their craft is giving out?"
"No", Zuko said, "This is probably one of Azula's tricks. Where is she? I don't see her."
"She is probably just hiding in the cabin", the general assured, "There is no way she could have gotten off that balloon, especially not wounded like you said she was". Zuko thought back to Azula's screams when he had fired his lightning at her. Until now he hadn't even considered how hurt their battle might have left her. That still wouldn't change anything when they met again, Zuko thought, not after what she had done to Mai.
"Start descending, but not too quickly", Zuko ordered, "I don't want to get too close until I know what she is up to." They were only a few hundred feet away from Azula's craft.
Zuko clutched the rail as he suddenly saw what was up ahead. It was the Serpent's Pass, painted red in the light of the dying sun. Suddenly Zuko understood what they were trying to do.
"FULL SPEED AHEAD!" Zuko bellowed, "They're trying to escape on foot!" His order was echoed along all three war balloons and the gap began to close again. The fours balloons flew lower and lower, until Azula's balloon was almost skimming the water.
"Now what is she doing?" Zuko muttered. Instead of trying to control their landing, the craft was just crashing into the water. The rough winds and waves were making it difficult for Zuko's war balloons to hold their own.
"Pull up!" he ordered sharply, but it was too late. All four balloons hit the water together. The tremendous roaring of the waves and cracking of wood filled Zuko's ears as they hit. For a brief moment, he was able to see the entire scene, soldier screaming and balloons sinking, before he was dragged underwater and his vision blurred. His legs were caught in the torn balloon canvas and he was sinking. He struggled in vain as the surface fell farther and farther away, and Zuko's world grew darker and darker.
…
Aang stood alone in the dark. He looked from left to right, but all that stretched for miles was a sea of blackness. He tried to use earthbending to get a better idea of what was around him, but it didn't work. He began to panic and run. Suddenly, he stopped as he saw brightness up ahead. Katara, Sokka, and Toph were standing in the patch of light. For some reason, they couldn't see him. Slowly, the other two disappeared, so only Katara was standing there. She began to waterbend, a stream of water twirling around her. Suddenly, she jerked her hand and everything thing turned to ice. Aang looked down in horror as he felt something cold grasp his feet. He yelled. Ice was creeping up his legs, slowly encasing him. Suddenly, he was sinking into the ocean, trapped in his icy prison with Appa.
"NOOOOOO!" he shouted
He looked up at the surface, but Katara was gone. Instead, looking down at him, he saw someone who looked like Zuko. Aang looked closer and saw that it was a girl with a jagged scar running down her face.
"Azula!" he mouthed. The face began laughing.
"No!" Aang tried shouting, but water filled his mouth, drowning out the words. Aang began to struggle as he grew colder and colder. He was about to give up and when he suddenly felt a soft breeze stir the air around him.
He opened his eyes and saw his friends sleeping soundly around. They were all safe.
"It was just a dream", he told himself, "It was only a dream".
...
That morning the gang awoke and Aang was nowhere to be seen.
"Where's Aang?" Suki asked, yawning.
"I don't feel him nearby", Toph said putting her hand down on the ground.
"Maybe he had to use the little men's room", Sokka said, "Let's just start making breakfast while we wait"
"Sokka!" Katara scolded, "He might be in danger!"
"He's the Avatar", Sokka sighed, "He's already defeated the Fire Lord, restored balance, and mastered all four elements. What danger could he possibly be in?"
"Oh!" Katara huffed, "Well I guess I'll just go look for him by myself". No one followed her as she stormed off. Instinctively she headed towards the river. Even though she didn't want to admit it to herself, Katara realized that Sokka was right and Aang probably wasn't in any danger. It was much more likely that he had run away to be alone again, like he did after the fall of Ba Sing Se. Katara hoped he hadn't gone too far.
"He's probably upset and frustrated about not being able to enter the Avatar State", Katara thought out loud. Katara didn't know whether to be mad at him or to blame herself. Maybe she and the others had pushed him too hard yesterday.
To her surprise, she found Aang sitting on a rock over looking the stream. She sprinted over to him.
"Aang!" she called, "I need to talk to you". As she neared his rock, he continued to stare at the river with hooded eyes.
"Aang", she asked, "Why did you leave like that? You had me worried. I'm really sorry about what almost happened yesterday, please believe me. From now on, I promise we won't interfere like that again." Aang turned his head and saw the sincerity in her eyes.
"That's not what upset about", Aang said, "Well, I guess it's part of it…"
"What do you mean?" Katara asked in surprise. Aang fixed her with his gray eyes. In his head, he heard the guru's words.
You must learn to let go of earthly attachments.
He felt anger wash through him. Hadn't this problem been fixed when he defeated the Fire Lord?, he thought, Wasn't that all in the past?
He looked and saw Katara still waiting for answers. "It's nothing", Aang told her through clenched teeth, "Let's get back to the others."
Hint, hint; does anyone see where this is going?? P.S. If you catch any typos, please report them. :)