Time for another chapter! I hope you are all enjoying the story so far! Please review if you can! It helps me write BETTER and FASTER!

Justice: Oh yeah, Zuko gets to do the disclaimer!

Zuko: But I did it last time!

Justice: Yep! And you will do it again!

Zuko: (grumbles) Justice333 doesn't own Avatar: the last Airbender...

Justice: That's the TRUTH!

What Just Happened?

Aang was screaming. His body was thrashing all over the place and sweat was beginning to form on his forehead and chest. He felt like he was burning. It hurt just to move one muscle, one simple finger. It brought on a world of agony. "Dear Spirits, make it stop!"Aang thought as his breathing became more hammered.

His lungs were starting to feel sore and his legs were kicking out as cuts seemed to form all over. Aang felt scales pricking him and thought he heard a monster roaring from somewhere far away. Aang's body began to tense up and started shaking violently. Aang squeezed his eyes shut as he felt something tapping him on the head, hammers piercing his skull. But Aang wasn't screaming anymore. He simply curled into a ball and stayed silent as the tapping continued.

...

"Aang! Come on wake up!"

Zuko shook Aang's body again and again, his panic rising onto the surface. So far Aang hadn't moved an inch since Zuko found his body outside on the ground near the palace. It had been close to an hour so Zuko was just about to check on Aang when a servant informed him that Aang was sleeping outside by the kitchen window.

Zuko looked at the monk's chest and saw that Aang was still breathing, but heavily. Zuko couldn't really think of anything to do, so he just started tapping Aang's head. But Aang still wasn't responding. He wasn't making any noises which made Zuko almost believe he was asleep at first.

"Darn it," Zuko muttered.

Just then a servant walked by. "Do you need some help, Lord?"

"Yeah, take him to see the physician. It looks like he had a fainting spell or something."

"I will do as you request, my lord," the servant replied. The servant then proceeded to carrying Aang's body as Zuko watched silently. Zuko then followed the servant over to the medical aide center in the palace. They asked for Judis, a well known healer in the area whose herbs cost nearly a fortune.

"Well, well. I never thought I would see the day when the Avatar would be in my office. It's a great honor to-"

"Thanks, but could you please just help him already? His condition could be serious and I don't want to waste time when he could go out at any minute!"

The doctor stuttered. "But of course, Fire Lord Zuko. Okay, let me see the boy."

The doctor looked at Aang closely, paying attention to every little detail.

"We are going to need special herbs for this one."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Zuko said.

"I sense great power in this one. It is very strong indeed."

"Well, yeah. He is the Avatar."

"Well of course. That is not the power I am referring to. I'm talking about something foreign, something new that has been introduced into the boy's body."

"What are you saying? Is he going to be okay or not?"

The doctor looked at Aang quizzically. "I..I think he's okay. Could just be the stress, poor boy pushes himself to hard. How about you leave him with me and I will call you when he wakes up."

Zuko sighed. Then he looked at Aang with tender eyes that he usually only reserved for his Uncle, Iroh. "Take care Aang. You better get better. You still have a lot more to experience in this world."

Zuko then left the doctor with a nod and started walking to the other side of the palace. He still had to do his workout routine, no matter how much he wanted to stay with Aang.

~~~a few hours later~~~~~

Aang slowly opened his eyes. He felt strange, almost calm despite the fact that he had been screaming a few moments ago. Or maybe he had been lying there the whole time. Aang really couldn't tell which was which at the moment. Have I been out for a couple of days, or has it only been a few hours? He thought as he sat up painfully.

Aang looked at his surroundings. He was in a white T-shirt with white pants. His skin looked paler then usual and his muscles were feeling really sore at the moment. The room itself was also completely white with some office supplies here and there along with a counter that had many bowls full of weird looking plants (and other miscellaneous items).

Aang felt slightly uncomfortable being in this room. It was like the absence of color was suffocating him or something. Aang was about to get up when the doctor came back into the room. He was wearing the four ceremonial clothes from all the four nations which made him look bulky and unnatural compared to the blank and dull room.

"Hello, Avatar Aang. I see that you have finished resting now, yes? You must be quite dizzy after your fainting spell outside of the palace. I suggest you look into finding a new meditating spot, yes? The roof can be quite dangerous as we have seen today."

Aang blinked his eyes warily. "I...I was meditating?"

"Yes, don't you remember?"

Aang stared blankly at the wall as he rubbed his hands through his course, unruly black hair. He distinctly recalled feeling agony and pain all over his body but besides that his mind was drawing a blank.

"I guess I don't...How long was I out?"

"Oh, only a couple of hours. Thought it would be much longer the way your body was responding. We almost thought you were dead. Your heart rate was very slow in the beginning, but after a while it returned back to normal."

The doctor hesitantly walked closer to Aang, almost as if he didn't want to be seen talking.

He whispered, "I sensed a very strong power within you, Aang. But it wasn't yours. It was entirely foreign. How do you feel about that? Can you sense the power now?"

Aang stared at his body sharply. A foreign power? What was that supposed to mean? Aang wasn't sure if he believed the doctor, but he did noticed this rather funny feeling in his back.

"Well, I don't know about power, but my back seems to be tingling a little."

The doctor looked slightly disappointed. "That's all?"

"Yep. I'm pretty sure that's it." Aang said this bluntly, wanting to change the subject.

"Well, I was just curious. Anyway, I am glad you are in better shape. You can now go see Fire Lord Zuko if you like, but come visit me again tomorrow. I just want to make sure your heart remains stable."

Aang quickly got up and started stretching his hands and legs. "Thanks. I'll try to remember that."

"Please do."

Aang walked quickly out of the medical center. He didn't really care for the doctor. Aang felt like the guy was trying to experiment on him rather than help him. As Aang entered the living room he saw a servant walking towards him.

"Fire Lord Zuko requested me to bring you to him once you were done resting."

"Okay, take me to him."

Aang followed the servant as they entered another row of stairs just across from the kitchen. Once on the second floor they headed down the hall to Zuko's grand bedroom which was almost the size of the living room. Zuko was sitting quietly by his parchments and appeared to be writing a letter when Aang and the servant entered the room.

Zuko stared up at Aang briefly before shifting his gaze back to his letter, the quill pen still moving in his hand.

"How are you feeling, and if you say fine I'll punch you in the face."

Aang's eyes grew wider at the threat.

"Well, I...I feel...sore I guess, and my stomach hurts."

Zuko stared at Aang, his amber eyes forming into slits.

"What. Happened? Don't leave any detail out."

Aang stared at the floor. He couldn't meet the angry Fire Lord's glowing eyes.

"Uh, well I sort of remember falling off the roof, and..uh...I remember feeling like I was on fire or something. It hurt really bad but now I don't feel the pain anymore, so..."

Aang couldn't continue as Zuko looked at him with fury.

"So you decided to pull a stunt to get out of training, eh? Well guess what, your trick was for nothing because we are still going to work out today."

"Are you serious! I just FAINTED and we are still going to TRAIN? You're joking right?"

Zuko smirked. "Nope."

"Aww, that is just...that is just..." Aang could barely stand still. He was so angry right now! His hands were going into fists, his jaw was tensing up, and he could feel his eyes closing into a thin line.

"THAT'S A BUNCH OF BULL!"

Aang suddenly put his hands over his mouth. He couldn't believe that he had actually said that to Zuko.

The servant in the room let out a loud gasp as Zuko himself couldn't prevent the shock from spreading over his face. What did he just say? Did he just almost swear at me? What is wrong with him? Zuko shook his head and gained his composure back before Aang looked at him.

"Well, it may be hell for you, but we're still going to train. You got a problem with that?"

"Zuko, I.."

"I don't want to hear it! Listen to me, Aang. What you did was childish and stupid. Do you know how worried I was? How do you think Katara, Sokka, Toph, and the others would feel if they saw you now? They would be really hurt."

Aang stared at Zuko sadly. He knew his friends would have hated seeing him act this way, especially Katara. He couldn't believe how selfish he had sounded a moment ago. Sure Zuko had accused of him of faking the faint, and that wasn't true. But he still had his responsibilities that he needed to accept for the world. A part of that falls into training, so he could truly understand and appreciate the power of bending.

"Look Aang. I know it has been rough for you now, but you can't flake out every time I make you do a training session. This is to help keep you safe. You must become a true master in all the elements so that you can use them to effectively defend yourself."

Aang sighed. "I wouldn't have been able to defeat your father if I hadn't mastered the elements, Zuko."

"You may have mastered the four elements, but you can always improve your technique. Everyone needs more practice when it comes to this, and you know it."

Aang looked up at his firebending mentor bitterly. He knew Zuko was right. Why did his body have to be so sore right now? If only Katara were here. She would have been able to use her waterbending to help his legs heal at a faster pace. Zuko wouldn't have allowed that but it was nice imagining it. Aang sighed dreamily as he remembered the last time he had seen Katara.

~~~~Two weeks after the defeat of Fire Lord Ozai~~~~~

"Aang! Come on and show me the surprise already! I can't keep this blindfold on forever."

Aang smirked playfully. Katara only had the blindfold on for about twenty minutes, but he wasn't about to point that out.

"Relax. We're almost there."

Katara giggled with excitement. She had no idea where they were going, but she knew it would be very romantic. Ever since their first kiss at the pews in the Jasmine Dragon Tea Shop, located in Ba Sing Se, Aang had been taking her out more to see many natural wonders. Some days it was a picnic at a lagoon, others it was a trip to a village they had been to before where Katara could chat with old friends. Every visit was special and warm because Aang put so much time and energy into planning these events. It was one of the things Katara loved about him.

Despite the fact that she was older, it was easy for Katara to imagine the two of them being a couple. After all they had been through together Aang had become an important person to Katara. She loved him with all her heart and soul, but she wasn't ready to tell him that yet. She wanted to wait for the right moment now that they had time since the war was over.

As Katara sat there daydreaming, Aang was staring at her with awe. He couldn't believe this beautiful girl was actually riding with him. He studied every aspect of her; her creamy brown skin, the long flowing dark brown hair, the ocean blue eyes hiding behind the blindfold, and those precious lips that were now in a joyful position. Aang loved Katara so much. He had already made a betrothal necklace, ready to be placed around Katara's neck, if she accepted his proposal. Aang knew that Katara was reaching the age where a woman marries or gets engaged. But he figured Katara needed a little more time to get used to their relationship before pushing it to the next level. So Aang was taking her out on small dates to keep her occupied. Then later he would find the perfect place, like a valley or waterfall, and then he would bend down to one knee and ask this wonderful person to marry him.

Aang's smile grew at the thought. Then again, to get to that point he would have a lot more work to do. He had to get the blessing from Katara's dad. There was also the matter of telling Sokka. Aang laughed out loud as he imagined Sokka's reaction to the idea.

"What are you laughing about?"

"It's nothing. Just some stuff involving Sokka."

Katara smiled smugly. "Yeah, my brother is something, huh? It's too bad that he is the best comedian when he isn't trying to be funny."

Aang laughed again followed by Katara as Appa landed softly in the middle of a small village. They were right next to a small water well (one that sprouts water up to ten feet) that was surrounded all over by glowing candles. The candle lights were reflected all over in the water and it gave the area a soft, peaceful touch that was enhanced by the silence in the clearing. The display was glowing magnificently since it was very dark out.

"Okay, you can open your eyes now."

Katara stared at the beauty around her. It was very enchanting to her as the ripples ran through the large well, standing out due to the candle lights.

"Oh, Aang. This is amazing! I love it."

Katara walked up to the pool, staring silently at her reflection. Aang followed her and looked into the water as well. Aang suddenly held up a small copper coin to Katara.

"Make a wish. They say it brings good luck."

Katara took the coin and looked at it with longing. "Then I'll make sure this wish turns out good." She dropped the coin softly into the water. It plopped in lightly, causing ripples to form shattering Aang and Katara's reflections. The two were now staring into each other's eyes, grey into blue.

Aang slowly leaned closer until his face was inches away from Katara's. Katara's lips parted slightly as Aang said, "I love you."

Before Katara could reply, Aang kissed her full on the mouth. Katara kissed Aang back as he wrapped his hand around her waist pulling her closer. They continued to kiss like that for a while before Katara broke away.

She smiled as tears streamed down her face. "I..I love you too."

"Aang! Hello! Are you there?" Zuko scowled as Aang stumbled, his mind quickly coming back to the present.

"I'm sorry Zuko, I..I just miss them so much."

"Yeah. But you need to stay focused. It's time to train." Zuko smirked, already guessing who Aang was thinking about.

Zuko walked away as the young airbender followed glumly. They quickly got into sweat pants and plain shirts as they walked outside into the courtyard. Zuko immediately went into a fighting stance as Aang stood there watching him.

"I'll be nice and let you pick the exercises this time. Which will it be? Target practice, run a couple miles, brawling, lightning form techniques,...any one will do. I personally don't care at the moment." Zuko was actually tired from his training session earlier, but he wasn't going to tell Aang that.

Aang decided to be a good sport and pick Zuko's favorite exercise, despite knowing he would regret it later.

"Brawling..."

Zuko smirked. "You positive? You really sure you want to do that?"

"Yep, sure as I'll ever be."

Oh, you so asked for it, Zuko thought as he shot a large amount of hot, red flames from his hands.

Aang dodged the fire perfectly, firing a counterattack with his feet. The fire whip nearly tripped Zuko, but he easily brought a small wall of fire to cover his feet as the whip went past him. He then shot more fire, this time from the tips of his fingers. The fire sprayed out like small bullets and hit Aang all over his arms, causing small burns. Aang grimaced, but tried to keep his ground as he shot his hands out, spraying liquid fire that went everywhere. Except for where Zuko was standing.

Although Zuko was dodging well, he was starting to lose his energy very quickly. The flames Aang was producing were very hot and tall. The fire was spreading into many areas, and soon it was going to catch up to him. Why did he have to pick today to be a pro? Zuko thought while blocking the fire that was being pushed towards him.

Meanwhile, Aang was surprised to discover that he wasn't even breaking a sweat. He didn't feel tired at all. The fire flowed from his hands and legs as if he were meant to produce it. The sensation was like his muscles were suddenly waking up from a long dream and they were firebending like they had been masters of the art all along.

As the battle continued, Zuko was starting to get slower while Aang still fought hard as if he had just started the fight a few minutes ago. Aang's fire remained big and strong while Zuko's fires were starting to get weaker and became smaller and smaller.

Finally, Zuko held his hands up in surrender. Together, Aang and Zuko calmed the fires down until there was just dark smoke drifting into the air.

"You've been holding out on me, airhead."

"No! Trust me, I have no idea how I did that! I usually get tired more easily and my firebending has never been that strong before."

Zuko chuckled darkly. "I'll say. Jeez, you're not sweating! Are you even tired at all?"

Aang rubbed his hands against his legs. "Yeah, a little bit."

Zuko grumbled unintelligibly while Aang laughed softly.

"Do me a favor. Never tell anyone about this."

"Wouldn't dream of it Zuko."

The two benders got up and entered the palace. Aang followed Zuko into the living room as Zuko practically fell into the couch.

"Before you clean yourself up, take a look at this."

Zuko handed Aang a letter that was wrapped in gold strings. Aang took the letter while staring at Zuko with one eyebrow raised.

"Since you were being such an idiot earlier I thought I should wait till tomorrow to show you. But I guess the training pays up for it."

"Looks like an invitation," Aang replied.

"Just read it."

Aang took the letter out of its binding and skimmed through it quickly. Then his face brightened into a smile.

"Sokka's getting married!"

Zuko smiled. "Yep, and we're the best mans. Next week will be heading to the North Pole."

Aang and Zuko laughed as they eagerly thought about seeing their friends once more.

Whew! Man that was long! Thank you to everyone who actually took their time to read this! Read and Review! (P.S. check out my brother's, King SONIC oF tHe STORY Writers, story! He just got an account recently and he is eagerly waiting for reviews!) PEACE!

Last Edit: June 29 2012