This was a long and very emotional chapter to write, just to give a little warning. Personally, though, this was one of my favorite chapters to write thus far. Enjoy!

The Southern Air Temple

A week before the Battle of the Southern Water Tribe

After several days of flight, Appa landed in the courtyard of the Southern Air Temple. Aang jumped off the large flying bison's back, his yellow robes fluttering as he used airbending to cushion his fall. Momo flew off of Aang's shoulder, circling around Appa as if he were excited to return home. The high altitude air was peaceful, the trees remained silent. Aang looked around at the relic that was his former home with melancholy, nostalgic eyes.

I need to do this before I can meet with Raava…

Telling Appa and Momo to stay in the courtyard, Aang walked over to the rail overlooking the lower levels of the Air Temple. Descending down the stairs that lead from the courtyard down to the former training grounds, Aang glared for a moment at the old Fire Nation tents, weapons, and armor. He took a deep breath before indignantly airbending any trace of the Fire Nation off the side of the cliff. After exhaling, Aang advanced to an unpleasant sight.

He kneeled at the skeleton of his old master, friend, and in many ways despite being nomads, his guardian. A bittersweet memory overcame Aang, remembering when he entered the Avatar state upon seeing Gyatso. Katara told Aang that Sokka and she were his family now. A bittersweet smile stretched on his face.

Aang knew that the monks never believed in burial; as airbenders, they believed that their moral bodies should be free to travel in the wind until they settled where they were needed most. The spirit would then transcend the body and enter the Spirit World. Because Aang could not carry the skeleton anywhere else, he gathered any dried up grass and leaves he could find and built a bed around Gyatso. He took out incense from his robes and set it next to Gyatso's resting place. Aang then summoned a flickering flame, lighting the incense first. He maintained the tiny flame in his hand, remembering the Sun Benders words: fire was life, not just destruction.

Aang closed his eyes and breathed, the fire growing bigger with his breath. He then removed Gyatso's necklace, a final memento, and placed it around his neck.

"You can finally rest, Gyatso."

Aang then allowed the flame to burn gently over Gyatso. The dried up plants caught the fire, consuming Gyatso's resting place. Aang continued to feed the fire with his own firebending and airbending. Eventually, Gyatso himself caught fire, and the gentle flames cracked the bones of his skeleton. After some time had passed, the bones turned to ash, which Aang collected into a pile.

Aang bowed respectfully before picking up the ashes in his hand.

"Be free," Aang whispered before forming an orb of air around the ashes using Airbending. Aang then summoned a gentle, swirling pocket of air and allowed for the ashes to slowly travel in a spiral upward. The ashes danced in the air above Aang before the winds began carrying them to distant lands. After the last of the ashes flew off into the distance, a tear fell from Aang's eyes. Three more followed. Eventually, Aang could feel the bittersweet memories run down his face.

Several days passed. Aang wandered the Southern Air Temple aimlessly, believing that his former home might help him find peace. A natural curiosity overtook the young Avatar as well; he had neglected to explore the Air Temple in its entirety four years ago. There were also restricted spiritual areas he was not allowed to enter when he was younger, and Aang intended to preserve any artifacts of his ancient civilization. Most of all, Aang wanted to rebuild the Air Nation and there were still traditions and information that the airbender might not have been aware of.

Aang had already tried to contact Raava through meditation several times, but received no response. Roku and the other past Avatars also fell silent to Aang's calls. Frustration coursed through the young airbender's veins, although Aang could not help but feel a sense of relief. Remaining here at the Southern Air Temple felt like a long needed vacation away from the world, the serenity allowing for Aang to clear his head.

Walking past a hall, he walked into a courtyard overlooking a cliff. On the other side of the crevice-like canyon lied a plateau, the grassy fields leading to a small Airbender shrine. No path bridged over the canyon and there was no distinct path up from the base of the canyon, suggesting that the temple was only accessible to Airbenders. Aang opened up the glider he received from Teo's father, the narrow blue wings and handlebars popping out, and glided his way over to the plateau.

Reaching the shrine, Aang walked across the clearing, admiring the untouched forests. Entering the sanctuary, he could see that every relic remained in its proper place, the wall paintings and reliefs were perfectly preserved, and Aang realized that this sanctuary wasn't touched by the Fire Nation one hundred years ago.

I'm glad that at least one piece of my civilization, no matter how small, could be preserved.

Aang then suddenly heard a low grumbling coming from outside. Preparing his staff, he slowly walked outside, noticing a large figure walking towards him from his right.

"Appa?" Aang stepped closer, but the bison growled, causing Aang to retreat a step.

"Wait…you're not Appa…"

The creature did not growl, but it stared intently without blinking. Aang remained where he was, sitting down calmly, patiently. The flying bison remained, staring at the Avatar with hostile eyes, but did not move. Aang knew that flying bison, especially the older bison, were weary to trust anyone if they did not choose somebody at a young age to be their companion. Hours passed and Aang remained seated. The bison grew weary, but would still growl with vigor if it sensed any movement from Aang. Aang remembered Guru Pathik recounting his own experience with Appa when Appa was lost; he spent many hours he spent waiting for Appa to fall asleep. Eventually, Aang realized that this bison would not attack him and decided to get some rest.

Hours later, Aang awoke from his nap, noticing that the bison had fallen asleep. The moon dappled palely on the bison's exhausted figure and Aang realized that the bison was female. Aang crept away from the bison through the clearing and opened his glider. Looking back at the bison and then at the night sky, Aang flew away, promising in a hushed voice that he would return.

As the sun rose, Aang returned to the shine on Appa alongside Momo and a basket of fruit he was originally keeping as rations. The bison was still asleep and had not moved from her spot. Aang first placed a pile of fruit in front of the bison. Then, he removed the saddle from Appa.

"I think she'll trust you more than she'll trust me, buddy," Aang smiled, "You should try to become friends with her first."

Maybe there are other bison around here too…

Appa moved cautiously into the clearing as the other bison woke up. She sniffed at the fruit and scooped them all up with her tongue, eating the fruit gratefully. She then looked up at Appa. Appa did not move, but rather remained still as she approached him, smelling his fur. Recognizing the scent of Aang, the female bison stepped back hesitantly. After a few seconds, she curiously prodded her nose against Appa trustingly.

Location Unknown

The day after the Battle of the Southern Water Tribe

The exile of the Southern Water Tribe had moved into its third day. Aang lied down on top of Appa while Sokka steered them, resting from fatigue. Below, the Southern Water Tribe ships swerved with the water, despite their clumsy size. Aang, the captain of the ship, and Hakota had hoped to have reached Kyoshi Island sooner, but most of the normal crew was injured from the squabble with the Dark Spirits and they had to spend a day tending to the wounded. The waterbenders helped steer the ships in place of the crew, but food was running as scarce as morale.

To some miracle, most of the Southern Water Tribe survived the surprise attack, but the pain of those who were lost to the Dark Spirits settled heavily in the hearts of their loved ones.

I wish I could have gotten there sooner… Aang's eyes closed.

"Look!" Sokka pointed. In the distance, a large, jagged wall of rock rose up from the oceans. There was hardly any beach, however. Sokka, nonetheless, took out his map.

"I think that's the Southern Air Temple," he turned to Aang. Aang sat up and looked.

"Yeah, you're right," Aang stretched, "but we can't land there. The airbenders were known for living in isolation up on top of the mountain, but that was because nobody except them…and the fire nation…managed to find a way to climb the mountains on their own."

"We'd need a flying bison and I doubt Appa can carry that many people," Aang shrugged.

"Hmm…" Sokka considered this, placing an inquisitive finger on his chin. A little bit of a beard was growing in, Sokka's fingers combing back the facial hair.

"What's with that beard anyways, Sokka?" Aang asked.

"Well, I figured if we were on the run, I should grow a beard," Sokka responded simply.

"How come?"

"Well, I wore a beard when we went to the Fire Nation and we were on the run then, so I thought 'sure, why not?' this time 'round and grew beardy," Sokka continued to stroke the growing beard proudly.

"That way, I don't need to use a fake beard anymore."

"Wait…'beardy'?" Aang chuckled.

"Hey! What's wrong with beardy!" Sokka's words were loaded with an exaggerated sense of betrayal. He then turned to himself and cradled his chin, "that's OK, beardy. I think you're great."

"Anyways…" Aang looked down at the ships below and frowned.

"I wish I could find a way to keep them alive until we get to Kyoshi Island."

"Well, if you can't bring them to the Southern Air Temple, why not bring the Southern Air Temple to them?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Sokka. I may be the Avatar, but I can't level an entire civilization and put it next to the ocean."

"No, that's not what I mean," Sokka waved his hands dismissively, "what I mean is we, with Appa, have access to the Southern Air temple. We have water, thanks to the benders purifying the ocean water, and shelter in the ships. But what we're missing is land and food."

"As for land, all we need is for you to crank on the Avatar state and raise some earth from below the sea near the craggy coastline. As for the food, just get Appa to take you up there and find some. Gather any fruit you can find and grab plenty of larvae hoppers."

"…Oh! So we can use the hoppers to fish! Sokka, you're a genius!" Aang raised his hands to the air.

"I get that sometimes," Sokka smirked.

Since Katara and Kairi were needed at the ships to make use of their healing abilities, Aang, Sokka, and Suki decided to find some food before the sun began to set. Despite Kairi's protests back at the ship, however, Aqua insisted on coming along. Somehow, as if she was healed by spirit water, Aqua's wounds seemed nonexistent, but Aang could still tell that a gripping sense of fatigue hung over their mysterious new ally.

As for 'raising the earth', as Sokka called it, Aang decided to wait on that part of their micro mission until they had plenty of grub with them.

"We should stick close when we get up there. It's easy to get lost in the temple," Aang warned, guiding Appa up the large incline as they ascended to the temple.

"Gotcha'," Suki gave Aang a thumb up. Sokka stretched, lying back in Appa's saddle with his hands stretched behind his head.

"Ah…flying at a 90 degree angle. Just like the old days…"

Aqua remained quiet, staring intently at the incline, taking in her environment.

Sokka turned to her, but Aqua spoke first.

"I haven't seen the sun in a very long time," Aqua produced a melancholy smile, not too bitter but not too sweet, "I'm glad I was able to come along with you."

"Of course," Suki nodded, "who knows how long you were in the Spirit World for."

"I still remember having to pee…" Sokka let out an exacerbated sigh.

"So you were stuck in the Realm of…I mean 'Spirit World' as well?" Aqua looked intrigued, "How did you end up there?"

"Well, a giant Panda spirit came out one day to terrorize a town, I threw a boomerang at it, and it kinda snatched me up. If it wasn't for Aang here, I wouldn't have ever made it out." Sokka pointed at Aang. In the meanwhile, Aang began to stabilize Appa, flying more horizontally now.

"So you can go there? Who exactly are you?" Aqua examined the bald headed teenager.

"He's the Avatar," Sokka smiled, "keeping balance between humans and spirits is his thing."

"The…Avatar?" Aqua questioned.

"I know it's hard to believe. I'm surprised to know that some people still don't know the Avatar returned, but then again, I was shocked when I first found out," Suki reassured Aqua.

Aang stayed quiet. Breaking through the clouds, they managed to reach the pinnacle of the mountains, to where the elusive Southern Air Temple sat solemnly. Aang looked back at Aqua briefly, catching her awed reaction of the temple. For some reason, Aang always loved seeing people's first reactions to the temples, as if he can share the admiration and joy of his home to others.

But for a split second, Aang recognized another emotion etched into Aqua's expression…

Loneliness.

Upon reaching the temple, the group decided to split up into two to cover more ground. Since Sokka and Aang were more familiar with the temple, and due to Sokka's insistence, the lovely couple went off on their own, leaving Aqua to go with Aang. The two of them were walking down a corridor in the Southern Air Temple's interior, working their way towards the courtyard in the back.

Aang didn't know what to say to her, although several questions seemed to plague his mind when he thought back to the Battle of the Southern Water Tribe. What was that strange weapon she was carrying around? How did she get those inhuman abilities? Was she more powerful than him, the Avatar? His tried asking Katara about her, but Katara seemed just as confused. Whatever Aqua's abilities are, it seems that Katara's new friend – Aang remembers Katara calling her Kairi – also possesses that key-shaped weapon and similar abilities. Katara simply assumed that they belonged to the Spirit World in some way, although Aang never remembered Spirits having such incredible combat prowess and spirits rarely take human form.

Then, almost as if to answer him, Aang could've sworn he heard Raava's voice.

"Kingdom Hearts?" Aang blurted out loud. Aqua's eyes widened.

"How do you know what that is?" she seemed panicked. As far as Aqua knew, only her friends, Vanitas, and Master Xehanort knew what Kingdom Hearts was. Kingdom Hearts was the source of all the pain and misery her friends have endured, so how did a random stranger know what that was?

Unless…

"Who are you? Do you work for him?" her eyes glared. Aang panicked.

"W-what did I say wrong?" he asked. Aqua summoned her Keyblade and pointed it at Aang. Aang noticed that both of Aqua's eyes were now corrupted by the amber tint and a faint aura of darkness radiated from her.

"Do you work for Xehanort?" she demanded. Was she referring to that man he encountered at the Southern Water Tribe? Aang shook his head.

"Of course not!" Aang waved his hands. Almost as if summoned by instinct, light enveloped Aang's hand. A small, wood-carved Keyblade with the Air Temple emblems made up the teeth of the key, the key-chain resembling the charm Monk Gyatso left behind.

"Oh…I see." Aqua dismissed her Keyblade, the darkness retreating inward. Her eyes returned to their former state, one eye blue the other amber. "

"Your Keyblade has not been corrupted by darkness." Her voice seemed distant.

"A…keyblade?" Aang looked down at his hand, just noticing the light-weight weapon snugly pressed between his palm and his fingers. The weapon was lightweight, the shaft long, reminding him faintly of his glider.

"Whoa!" Aang let go of the weapon, dropping it onto the floor, "W-what the heck is that?

"You mean you don't know what a Keyblade is?" Aqua questioned. She looked down in guilt. Why was she so quick to accuse him? What was overcoming her?

"I'm sorry I assumed the worst from you. It seems that the Realm of Darkness has taken a toll on me, as if part of myself is slipping away, festered by the darkness."

"It's OK," Aang smiled, "I understand that you've been through a lot. If you mind, though, I'd like to know what a Keyblade is."

"Oh…yeah," Aqua looked to her side sheepishly, "of course."

"A Keyblade is a physical manifestation of the heart, or at least my Master believed this to be true. In truth, the only thing we know about the Keyblade is that it reflect the internal state of its wielder and that it has the ability to unlock anything. Keybearers, the people who wield the keyblade, have the responsibility of safeguarding the worlds and protecting the light. The creatures we fought, the ones corrupted by darkness…it is my, no, our job to dispel them."

Aqua turned away from Aang, "But not all Keybearers are good people. If the heart is corrupted by the darkness, much like the creatures we fought, Keybearers can lose control of themselves and use their keyblades to pursue immense power…and to harm others."

"So that's what you meant when you said my keyblade wasn't corrupted by darkness," Aang nodded in understanding, "but still, why do I have a Keyblade? What do you mean by worlds, and what is Kingdom Hearts?"

"Why you have a Keyblade…I am not sure," Aqua turned back to Aang, "perhaps someone passed it down to you or maybe you're strong enough of heart to possess one on your own."

"As for other worlds, Keybearers aren't allowed to reveal the existence of other worlds to anybody, but since you are a Keybearer, you should have the right to know." Aqua stopped walking, bringing Aang to a halt.

"There are many worlds in this vast universe; these worlds are separated by a domain of empty space we call the In-between. As Keybearers, we are the only people allowed to traverse the Lanes Between, or what connects one world to many other worlds. Each world is vastly different and runs on different principles."

"So there are other people in these worlds?" Aang inquired.

"Yes, although many of these people take on forms that you would not expect." Aqua continued to walk, Aang following behind her. She looked out at the steep valley past the colonnade bordering their right. "I've only spent a brief time out there…when I was looking for my lost friends. The worlds out there can be beautiful, as well as terrifying." Aqua and Aang finally reached the steps leading down to the courtyard, but they decided to sit down momentarily.

"Regarding Kingdom Hearts," Aqua stared off into the distance, "all I know is that Xehanort seems to want its power for some reason…and a great Keyblade war was waged over it. It's been a long time since I was trapped in the Realm of Darkness, so I have no idea how powerful Xehanort is or what he has managed to do while I was gone."

"Aqua…how long were you in there?"

"I don't know. I thought only about a month…but if Kairi was right, then I've been gone for a whole twelve years…" Aqua looked away from the scenery, barely able to hold her emotion in.

"Twelve years, wasted…" Aqua shook her head, "twelve years I should have spent helping my friends, fighting Xehanort, saving the worlds…" Aang looked away.

"I understand," Aqua was stunned at Aang's response, "the whole world, this world, needed me a long time ago, and I ran away in fear of my destiny as the Avatar. I wasted a hundred years trapped in an iceberg until Katara and Sokka found me. The world was so different and there was so much I had to fix, but in the end, my friends helped me pull through everything, and I became a better person because of it. That was four years ago."

Aqua didn't have the words to express her reaction. Instead, she stared off into the distance.

"I have a question for you, then," Aqua turned to Aang.

"What exactly is an Avatar?"

"That's…difficult to explain…" Aang leaned back on his hands.

"Indulge me."

"Let's see," Aang pondered, "I'd say an Avatar isn't all that different from a Keybearer, really…My job is to protect this world and I was given the power to bend all the elements to do so. I am the bridge between the human world and the Spirit World and I maintain balance between the two worlds, mortal and spirit, as well as the four nations."

"Spirit World?"

"A world where the deities of this world reside separated from humans. At least until now. Somebody seems to be corrupting the spirits, and I think it's that old man I faced back at the Southern Water Tribe."

Xehanort…

"I see," Aqua nodded, "so the Spirit World and the Realm of Darkness do not appear to have a connection." Aqua considered this.

"I am not too keen as to what the situation is right now, but it seems that Xehanort is most likely responsible for the angered Spirits as well as for the appearance of the dark beings, which reside in the Realm of Darkness." Aqua trailed off.

I know they are not Unversed…so what are they? I believe the man who visited me in the Realm of Darkness...he told me that the worlds were endangered by a threat known as the 'Heartless'. What exactly are Heartless and what connection do they have to Xehanort?

I will have to ask Kairi later…

"Aqua?" Aqua's attention was drawn back to Aang.

"If it's not too much trouble…and I understand if it's too much to ask, but…would you please teach me how to use the Keyblade?" Aang placed his hands into a bow respectfully.

"Please…if there is anything I can do to end all of this. I am the Avatar; I want a chance to protect this world."

Aqua didn't even hesitate, returning the bow.

"It would be an honor…although I might be a little banged up," she chucked, cracking a smile for the first time since Aang has met her. He felt that he was starting to really understand Aqua and returned the heartfelt laughter.

"Now let's get some bugs, Grasshopper," Aqua smiled.

"Actually, I'm going to get some roots and berries. I am a vegetarian…" Aang then considered an idea.

"Aqua, there is someone I'd like for you to meet."

After Aqua gathered a few bugs and Aang a few edible plants, he grabbed Appa and left a quick note for Sokka and Suki about where they were going. Aang then flew Aqua over to the shrine across the deep crevice, landing gently on the grass covered plains.

"I wanted to pick up some roots and any berries I could find over here, but more importantly, I want you to meet a friend of mine," Aang separated a few of the berries and roots from the pile and placed them in the middle of the clearing. He then took Appa's saddle off and airbended it into the brush surrounding the clearing.

"Now hide," Aang lead Aqua to the edge of the clearing behind the trees. He allowed Appa to stay out in the clearing. Silence filled the air, a sense of anticipation and curiosity dominating the mood. The sun was just beginning to set. A gust blew in from the south. A few moments later, Aang could see the female bison from before as it rustled its head out of the brush, glancing around the clearing from the other side. The bison noticed Appa and slowly emerged. Appa nodded to the food Aang left on the ground, which the bison paced slowly up to. Sniffing it, she scooped up the food with her tongue and ate gratefully.

"Wait here. I'll signal for you to come later," Aang then emerged slowly from the brush. The female bison seemed cautious of the young airbender at first, but he raised his hands to the air to show that he came without malice. The bison allowed him to step closer until Aang was able to hover his hand gently over the bison's head. He did not make contact, however, but rather signaled for Aqua to come over.

Aqua, gently and cautiously, emerged from the brush, making the bison wearier than before. Aang continued to soothe the bison as Aqua approached, who was mimicking Aang by raising her hands into the air. Appa tried to ease the female bison's fears as well with a reassuring grumbling, allowing Aqua to get within arm distance from the great flying beast. The female bison tensed its muscles, but remained planted in its position nonetheless.

"Here," Aang gave Aqua his last apple, which Aqua graciously accepted without words. Aang cupped his hands, non-verbally suggesting for Aqua to mimic his movements. Aqua copied Aang, placing the apple in her cupped hands, and then slowly bestowing the apple to the female bison, stopping halfway between her and the bison. The bison seemed hesitant at first, but then sniffed the apple in Aqua's hand. Gently taking the apple, the bison ate it graciously. Without Aang even needing to tell her, Aqua gently placed a hand on the bison's head, petting its soft, but coarse fur affectionately. The female bison accepted Aqua's touch fully and completely, nudging its head into Aqua's hand as if to return the affection.

"The monks that raised me believed that flying bison never forget someone when you've established a compassionate bond with them," Aang smiled at Aqua, "you were able to form a bond with her, the first bison to ever be found in a hundred years other than Appa. Your bond with her may be weak at first, but she will grow to be an irreplaceable friend."

[Leaves from the Vine - Avatar soundtrack]

"Our hearts…are connected," tears began forming in small beads across Aqua's eyes. It felt that every ounce of her body had been relieved of a terrible weight. Her one amber eye was being washed away by her purifying tears, and Aqua finally released her composure, crying into the female bison's fur. She wailed over Terra, over Ven, over her Master, and everybody that she had lost. She wailed over the time she had spent in that dark abyss with only the faint presence of light guiding her way. She sobbed about not being able to protect the people she loved, the worlds, or herself. She released her emotions, accepting her fate and coming to terms with her loss. The female bison took in all of this emotion and snuggled close to Aqua, as if they were akin to one another.

Aang placed a comforting hand on Appa.

"I think those two needed each other more than they know," Aang smiled compassionately.

As always, leave a constructive review, like, follow, and I hope you've enjoyed!