Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: the Last Air Bender, but wouldn't it be nice if I did? I could make a fourth season based on this fan fic and make everyone happy!
--
Rated M: Mature Content. Blood. Guts. Sex. Drugs. All the good stuff.
--
Author: Yeah, yeah I know I haven't updated in a while.
Toph: A while? It's been almost a year!
Author: Yeah I know. I have no excuses. But I am back and ready to keep on trucking!
Sokka: It's about time! The worlds been in chaos the whole time you have been away!
Aang: I was engulfed in light for months!
Katara: I still look like a harpy!
Author: Not to mention seeing blue.
Katara: Yeah... Thanks for that.
Author: Any time. Alright I am back. I have a method of working on this while at work which is when I write the most, so you are all going to get your lives back.
Toph: Does that include Sokka? Since when does he have a life?
Author: One point for Toph.
Toph: To hell with the points! Get to the story already!
Author: Sheesh. Alright already.
--
Chapter 32: Aang's Incredible Journey
The light engulfed Aang as he touched his master's medallion. He felt himself wrenched from his body as his spirit was pulled forcefully into the realm between worlds. He traversed it unwillingly, feeling some unknown force pulling his spiritual form along as if by a strong invisible hand. Suddenly he felt himself land hard on solid ground. The light flickered and then faded away to reveal the swamplands of the spirit world. Looking around, he saw no one around him; nothing that would mark this place as important.
He had always known that Giatzo's amulet was special, but had never fully understood how or why until this quest had begun. The front was decorated with Air Nomad symbols, but the back... the back had the symbol of the spirit king. Touching it must have somehow forced his journey to the spirit world. The last time he had been here, a strange spirit had been messing with the weather on the way to the Northern Water Tribe. Aang could not fathom why he had found himself here. Worse still, his view still had the blue tint.
Aang decided to try and find a way back to his body. He sat down on a dry rock and began to meditate. He was at it for only a few minutes when he heard something coming towards him. He jumped up and quickly took a fighting stance, but found it unnecessary when a little glowing sphere of light came into view. The little light moved fairly quickly as it bobbed and jerked through the air towards him, producing a faint whistling sound. As it grew closer it grew brighter until it was truly illuminating the dreary landscape. When it was a few feet away it just hovered there, bobbing up and down.
"Hello." Aang greeted the little light. It pulsed in response, moved away a bit then returning to where it had been before and continuing to hover. Aang took a step towards it and it moved back from him a bit, staying out of reach. "You want me to follow you?" Aang asked it, and it pulsed again and moved a bit farther back the way it had come. Aang shrugged and began walking after it.
--
Aang had walked for what seemed like hours as the light led the way through the swamp. Sometimes Aang tried talking to it, but all he ever got in return were little pulses of light as it bobbed this way and that, floating along. After a while Aang began to wonder if he would be able to find his way back to where he started. He was about to turn around and try when suddenly the swamp ended and ahead of him a unbelievably huge mountain peak stretched up into the sky before him. It was so tall; the pinnacle was out of sight as the little light moved towards the base of the huge mountain. Aang followed the light and noticed near the base of the mountain what appeared to be some sort of temple. It looked like it had architectural similarities to all four of the Nations. As Aang approached it, he began to see the grace of the Water Tribes' icy structures mixed with the rigid Fire Nation battlements and the Earth Kingdom formations. What drew his eye the most, however, was that it was all built in such a manner that it reflected an Air Temple. As he approached, Aang marveled at the sheer size of the structure.
The light continued to lead him all the way to the giant stone doors and then disappeared through them. Aang saw that the door was emblazoned with the symbols for all four nations repeating endlessly in a giant circle upon the stone. A moment later the doors began to open, falling down into the ground before him. Aang entered and gasped; the courtyard beyond the gate was paradise!
The courtyard was park-like; plants of all kinds neatly kept and flourishing all about in small gardens eloquently placed. The paths were lined in smooth marble bricks and were soft yet firm earth. Fountains, statues and decorations were tastefully placed about the area, giving it an open and joyful feeling. Strange and interesting creatures seemed to be living amongst the trees and plants, moving about happily as they picked fruit or went about their business.
"The garden pleases you?" a voice from behind him asked. Aang jumped with a start and turned to face the speaker. He was very tall; maybe as high as seven foot. He was very trim yet incredibly muscular. His hair was black and long, untied yet straight and tidy. He had a presence about him; an aura of power and authority beyond anything Aang had ever experienced before. His voice was deep yet soft. The man's steady gaze was focused on Aang, who found himself unable to turn away.
"Yes sir." Aang replied as calmly as he could.
"It is quite impressive, I must admit. It took a long time and no time at all to put together." the man stated matter-of-factly.
"What is this place, sir?" Aang asked him.
"This is my home, the Quintessential Palace." the man replied, then noticed Aang's blank look. "I take it you have not yet heard of this place? Surely you know who I am?" the man asked him with a single eyebrow raised.
"No sir." Aang responded.
The man looked surprised as he looked at Aang, and then started to laugh. "You must be the current Avatar."
Aang nodded. "I'm Aang."
Aang thought a moment and then it dawned on him; "You're the ancient one?" Aang asked in surprise, looking up at the man who couldn't be older than thirty.
The man smiled kindly at him and nodded. "I am Ao, the ancient one, also known as the first." he told Aang as he took a seat on a stone bench nearby.
"You don't really look ancient to me." Aang said without thinking. Ao laughed.
"I would certainly hope not. Once in the spirit world, you appear as you were at your peak if you so choose." Ao explained. "When I passed on to the spirit world, this was the form most pleasing to me."
"So then; you're a spirit?" Aang asked him.
Ao laughed again. "Yes and no. I am both spirit and soul."
"Both spirit and soul..." Aang echoed, obviously puzzled.
Ao stopped his laughter when he saw Aang's confusion. "Perhaps you should tell me why you were sent to Me." he suggested.
Aang nodded. "I spoke to Tui and La at the North Pole after we discovered that there is something wrong here in the spirit world. I was told that I needed to seek you out but they did not tell me why." Aang explained.
"Something is wrong in the spirit world?" Ao asked in mild surprise. "Just what do you believe is wrong?"
Aang explained about how Jet had appeared in the real world with white eyes after having passed away and all the other strange occurrences. As he continued to explain, the smile died from Ao's lips and turned more into a grimace. By the time Aang was done recounting what had been happening, Ao was clenching his fists.
"The Spirit King has much to answer for." he said gravely.
"Sir, why would the Spirit King do any of this?" Aang asked.
"That's a good question Aang. First things first, however." Ao replied, motioning Aang closer. Aang approached Ao tentatively. "Keep your eyes and mouth wide open." Ao instructed. Aang did as he was told. Ao performed a strange maneuver that Aang had never seen before, but the results were immediately discernable. Aang's body seemed to be on fire as his blood boiled and his insides squirmed. The blue mist was being drawn from Aang by bending! Ao continued to draw out the blue until it was completely out of Aang and then took a flask from his tunic and poured the substance into it. He handed it to Aang. Aang's eyes were now back to their normal form and the bluish tint was gone.
"Thank you!" Aang exclaimed happily; then he frowned as if something had just occurred to him. "Will I be back to normal when I return to my body?"
"Yes Aang." Ao replied calmly. "Hang on to this flask and it too will return with you as well. Use it wisely, as you have already seen that it can remove someone's' bending."
Aang took the vial and carefully pocketed it. He looked up at Ao, still unsure of just who he was. "I don't mean to give offense, but just who are you exactly?" Aang now asked haltingly.
Ao looked at this young boy standing before him curiously a moment before replying, "I... am you."
--
"What do you mean, you're me?" Aang asked.
Ao smiled. "I was the Avatar." he replied.
Aang frowned, trying to understand how that was possible. "I thought that the Avatar was always reincarnated into the cycle. How are you here in the spirit world if you're a part of me?" Aang asked him.
Ao smiled again. "I am not a part of you Aang; you are a part of me."
"I don't understand." Aang admitted. Then something nagged at him. Ao was called the ancient one... and the... "The first!" Aang exclaimed. "You were the first Avatar!"
Ao smiled. "Very good." he said. Aang beamed at him. "Yes Aang, I was the first Avatar. If you like, I will tell you my tale."
Aang nodded. "Yes please!"
AO smiled and sat back down on the bench, a hand at his chin as he thought. "Back in time before there were tribes, nations, kingdoms or nomads, I alone learned the secrets of all bending."
"But how..." Aang began.
Ao silenced him with a glance, and then continued. "Back when the world was young and all the peoples were starting out, the first benders made their appearance. Animals such as the dragons had been born as benders. People never had that power. There were, however, some people that tried to learn from the noble animals and some few of those did in fact manage to learn. It was sheer luck that they did so however, for they never understood the key to bending." He glanced again at Aang and his tone changed from educational to serious. "What I will be explaining to you must never be told to anyone else. Will you swear on your life and the lives of those you love that you will never speak of what I am about to tell you without my consent?"
Aang nodded. "I swear." he replied lamely.
Ao's expression returned to normal and he continued, "The first benders were lucky in that when they were born, they were linked to the ley lines of elemental energy that were found where they were located."
"Ley lines?" Aang asked curiously.
Ao smiled down at him. "I forget that you have much to learn. Forgive me. The world of the living is made up of the four elements; earth, fire, water and air. These elements at some time in the distant past merged to create the world as we know it. Each element contains a unique kind of energy, or Ki. This Ki, when concentrated, flows through the world as ley lines, or lines of energy."
"They flow through the spirit world also, don't they?" Aang interjected. "I saw a creature messing with them and it was causing storms in the real world."
Ao nodded. "These ley lines connect the real world with the spirit world. However the spirit world is made of pure Ki, with no elemental association."
"That's why I can't bend here!" Aang exclaimed.
"Right; to bend here, you need to link yourself into the ley line network. It's possible to do if you know how." Ao agreed. "As to my story, certain children born in the various areas of the world were linked to the elemental energy before they were born. These children when they tried to learn from the dragons and sky bison were able to do so successfully and became the first benders. As more and more benders came to be, the nations began to form. I was the only one to be born among all of the elements."
"How did you..." Aang began, and then stopped himself. It was quite a story and he didn't want to interrupt it. Ao took no notice however.
"I was born on an island my parents had crashed on during a storm. They were the only survivors. My mother died in childbirth due to the conditions and the strain. My father cared for me on the island as best he could. I grew up on that island, a normal little boy. Eventually, my father managed to build a boat strong enough to get off the island and we found ourselves in the earth kingdom. It was there that I first met an earthbender. I learned about bending and wanted to be a bender too. My father humored me and took me to an earthbending teacher. He tested me and to my father's astonishment, I was an earthbender. I trained in earthbending for a few years and even invented a large amount of techniques. My father passed away due to illness, but I thrived. I travelled the world, wanting to meet other benders, challenging them to duels to test my ability."
"Eventually I found myself at the Eastern Air Temple. The nomads there refused my challenge as they were pacifists. It was from them that I learned about the spirit world and their goal to attain enlightenment. To their astonishment as well as my own, I accidentally blew a gust of wind when I was unconsciously mimicking some of their bending techniques. I was also an airbender. I stayed at the Eastern Air Temple and trained for a few years and became a master of both arts. From my friends there, I learned to be tranquil and understanding. As the only person they had ever heard of that could bend more than one element, they suggested I travel to the water tribe to determine if I could learn from them also. Learn from them I did; and after them from the firebenders of the west. It had taken me years, but finally I had learned all the bending arts."
"How were you able to bend all four elements though?" Aang asked.
"I wondered the same thing." Ao admitted. "I was determined to find out. As I travelled the world, trying to learn about bending, I made friends in all the lands and settled disputes. I learned as I went that my bending was more powerful than normal benders. People began to look up to me as a peacekeeper. I returned to the island of my youth to find it had vanished, gone from where it had once been. I continued to search for it for ages, finally discovering it in my seventieth year. I returned to the moving island and it was there that I found a gateway of mystical Ki. I studied it and with all of my collected research learned of the ley lines and the method of benders' birth. The firebenders can do so because their nation is build on volcanic islands. Children are born close to the fire ley lines which attach to newborns sometimes, creating firebenders. The water tribes' living at the poles or around large amounts of water such as swamps are affected by water ley lines, and the earth kingdoms land masses make anyone born there a possible earthbender."
Aang thought a moment. "So the Air Nomads are all airbenders because they live so high up in the temples?"
"Precisely." Ao agreed. "The Air Nomads were the only tribe to have only benders because they are spiritually closer to the Ki and surround themselves with mostly that element."
"The gateway you found; that was the Starfire gate on Starfire Island wasn't it?" Aang concluded.
"Correct." Ao agreed. "I was born on Starfire Island, which is the bridge between worlds and the focal point of all the elements. It is the island that made me the first Avatar."
"But how are you here in the spirit world and not with the rest of the Avatar's?" Aang asked. "And how did the rest of the Avatar's come to be if you are here?"
Ao laughed. "Very good questions, my boy. I shall try my best to answer them. When I discovered the Starfire Gate, I accidentally passed through it. I found myself here in the spirit world, no longer technically living. I learned about this world and made my way to see the Spirit King to plead for my life back. For whatever reason, he took a liking to me and granted my request, though with a condition. I was to keep the island and the gate safe and secret, and act as a bridge between the two worlds. Thus the Avatar has done so ever since. I readily agreed, and when I returned to the island I took as many precautions as I could to prevent anyone from ever finding the island or unraveling its secrets. The Spirit King had given me artifacts; medallions and trinkets with his seal that would allow passage through the gate. They were to be given only to those I trusted to keep the island and the gate safe."
"When I returned, I discovered I was once again like this," Ao said, pointing to himself, "and I eventually found the woman of my dreams and married her. We were happy, and I became known as the Avatar, the master of the elements and the peacekeeper of order and balance. Eventually, as all people must, I passed on with my wife and left the world of the living to the next generation. It has been ages since that time and much has changed. I have kept tabs on things there, however."
Aang did not speak; he was too busy trying to take this story in. Finally he asked, "So how did the Avatar line continue?" Aang asked him.
Ao smiled. "The Spirit king had done more with my return that I thought. Eventually, as I passed on, a child was born in the world that had part of my spirit within him. That child became the next Avatar. That tradition has continued through the eternal elemental cycle ever since. The Spirit King upon my return gave me this palace for the souls of my wife and me. He made me the Avatar spirit; as long as I exist, the Avatar will protect the worlds."
"So then I really am a part of you as much as you are a part of me." Aang understood. "The Spirit King sounds like a good person; so why would he send assassin's and free the tyrant Ozai?"
Ao frowned now. "That's a very good question and one we will need to answer. However our time here is brief, and there are things you need to learn."
"What do I need to learn sir?" Aang asked curiously.
"Quite a few things, boy. I have watched over you for over a hundred years. I have seen your life unfold before you in ways that even you might not imagine. It has been my pleasure to watch you grow as you have and do what you've done. Now it is my honor to train you to be the Avatar you were always meant to be. It's time you grow up and fulfill your true destiny." Ao told him.
"I don't understand." Aang admitted. "Why am I so special?"
AO smiled and motioned Aang to follow. He led Aang into the palace proper and Aang was overwhelmed by the grandeur of the place. Vases and pictures and statues adorned walls. Shelves held ornate curios and gadgets. They came to a grand hallway lined with portraits. It seemed to go on a long way, curving out of sight.
"This is the Hall of Destiny." Ao told Aang. "Lining the walls are the Avatars that came after me, in the order of their birth." Ao began walking down the hall; Aang followed him, taking almost two steps to the giant man's single stride. Aang looked at all the different men and women that had come before him. He recognized traits that depicted tribes and saw the pattern emerge; air, water, earth and fire. As they walked, Aang began to realize that the hallway continued to curve. He had been so lost in seeing his predecessors that he failed to realize that the curve had gotten a bit tighter as they walked. "As you can see, there have been many Avatars over the centuries. Many have lived long, happy lives." He stopped in front of one painting. "I believe you recognize this one?" he asked.
Aang took a look and realized who it was at once; Kyoshi, the avatar before Roku. "Avatar Kyoshi." Aang agreed. He looked to the next Painting and saw Avatar Roku's stern features and kind eyes. The next painting was of Aang, as he was now. He looked beyond it… and there was nothing. No more paintings; not even a hallway. It just ended; with him. He turned to Ao who nodded.
"The Hall of Destiny as you may have noticed is a curved hall. It is in fact a spiral, circling within itself until it reaches the center. It shows the history of the Avatar, and all that each Avatar has done is recorded beneath it. The portraits change as the Avatar changes, and deeds are recorded as they are accomplished. Just as the entrance to the hall represents the beginning of the Avatars line, so too, does its end."
Aang's mouth hung open. He couldn't speak; he couldn't think. Did he understand that right? Was he saying that…? "I'm the last Avatar?" he whispered.
"That does appear to be the case." Ao said softly. "However, that is not necessarily a bad thing; nor does it have to be so. The future is not written in stone or drawn in paint. The future is an ever changing thing that can be influenced by your decisions. Do not take this so seriously, for it may not yet be your future."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Aang asked, suddenly exploding in rage. He was feeling a lot more reckless all of a sudden.
"Calm down, boy!" Ao roared. Aang leapt up and jumped back, startled back to himself. "I showed you this to help you learn! Stop worrying about the future and listen to me. This is but one possible future. You alone have the ability to change it."
Aang took a moment to get a grip on himself. "I'm sorry. I will listen." he said finally.
"Good, for time is short." Ao told him, leading the way back to the entrance of the Hall of Destiny. "We have much to discuss. I know you have questions and I will do my best to answer them. I have much to teach you about bending, life and the ways of both worlds. I will teach you how to remove the negative effects on your friend, and I will give you instructions on how to return both to your body and to me. You will need to return to your friends and then return to me when your body is safe and moving on. Come."
--
Aang felt a wave of disorientation pass over him. When it passed, he opened his eyes to find himself sitting on the ground surrounded by the remains of the airbenders. Quickly launching himself into the air, he landed a safe distance away. What the Ancient One had taught him rushed through his mind. He could now save Katara from the blue mist affliction. He knew what needed to be done. He quickly returned to Appa.
"Ready to go boy?" Aang asked as he jumped up to Appa's head.
"AAAAAANNNNGGHHH." Appa replied.
"Yip Yip!" Aang called, and Appa soared off into the sky.
--
The Fire Nation ship cut through the waves like butter as it sailed towards the southern end of the Earth Kingdom and the Southern Air Temple. Sokka, Suki and Ty-Lee were aboard for the trip. Katara couldn't help but worry that Aang was in some sort of danger. They had left as soon as Suki would allow it; she had been giving out instructions to the Kyoshi warriors and residents. Somehow, Suki had been made leader of her people. It was not anything official, but everyone looked to her in a way previously unknown to the island's inhabitants.
"Are we there yet?" Katara demanded for the umpteenth time.
"Patience Katara." Hakoda insisted. "We are going as fast as the ship can carry us. We will be there as soon as we can."
Bato walked over with Nami by his side. "Are we there yet?" he asked while scanning the distance with a frown.
"No Bato, we aren't." Hakoda sighed warily. Sokka then came over and asked the same thing once again. "NO!" Hakoda roared. Kita, who had been sitting with Suki talking quietly, looked up at them all.
"If all of you don't stop pestering Hakoda, I am going to wash you overboard." she said with a straight face. Bato and Sokka retreated immediately. Katara and Nami stayed, however.
"Scare tactics Kita?" Nami asked.
"Whatever keeps Hakoda from killing everyone on the ship." Kita replied. She and Nami had seemed very cold to one another since they had set out. Katara wondered what was going on between them, but shrugged it off and continued to gaze off into the distance. Katara had been sitting there at the bow all day, just watching for any sign of land when she saw a small cloud moving towards them. It took a few moments before she realized it was Appa. The Avatar had returned.
--
Aang landed Appa carefully on the deck of the moving ship. He had been heading back to Kyoshi Island and intercepted the ship as it sailed towards him. As he landed, he was sad to see an evil looking birdlike woman standing on the deck. That was how people saw Katara, he mused. He wondered if he had looked so evil. Aang jumped down to the deck and used his bending to cushion his landing. He was not greeted warmly. Hakoda stood there, Katara beside him in her garish costume. Sokka was with Bato a short ways off to one side and giving Aang an evil glare. Bato didn't look too happy either. "Hi guys." Aang said in a half hearted attempt to make light of the situation.
"Hey guys?" Katara demanded. "HEY GUYS!?" her voice rose a few octaves. "You…"
Hakoda cut her off. "I see that you found a cure for your affliction, Avatar." Hakoda said matter-of-factly. "I assume you will be curing Katara before anything else?"
Aang nodded. "I will, but it's sort of painful. Maybe somewhere private where she can…"
"I'm not going anywhere with you!" Katara said loudly.
"Katara…" Hakoda started.
"No dad! I want to hear why Aang thought it was a good idea to leave on his own." she interrupted. Aang looked slightly crestfallen.
"Katara, I'm sorry. I…" Aang began, but once again Katara interrupted.
"Sorry isn't good enough Aang. I thought we'd been through this. You need us." Katara stated matter-of-factly.
"Of course I do, Katara. I need you; the whole world needs you." Aang agreed.
Katara seemed a bit taken aback with how easily he agreed. "Then why did you leave like you did?" she asked, slightly more calmly.
"I had to visit the ancient one. I met with him, after I found this." He held up the medallion that had once belonged to his best friend and mentor. "It was Giatzo's. I never realized the significance, but if you turn it over…"
"It has the symbol of the Spirit King!" Katara exclaimed happily.
Aang nodded. "I learned a lot, including how to remove the affects of the blue."
Katara was examining the medallion closely, but Sokka had approached and snatched it from her grip. "So this is what all the fuss is about? At least we know what to look for now." He took the medallion over to Suki and let her take a look.
"This looks like the amulet that Kyoshi wore. It's in the enclave. If I had…" she trailed.
Sokka shook his head. "We had more important matters to worry about at the time; or at least, more pressing matters."
"What happened?" Aang asked.
Later." Sokka brushed him off. "First, go make my sister look a little more human, and then we can trade stories.
--
Katara and Aang withdrew into Katara's chamber. Aang wasn't sure he would be quite as good as the Ancient One, so had her lay on her back on the bed so she wouldn't fall. Katara had not argued about following Aang into the cabin, but she had remained silent and cold towards him regardless. Aang noticed, but decided not to mention it.
"This is going to hurt. When I was cured it felt like my insides were on fire. Are you ready?" Aang asked delicately. Katara nodded but remained silent. "Open your eyes and mouth and keep them open." Aang instructed. Katara did as she was told, and Aang performed the move he had learned from his new mentor. In a mix of waterbending and airbending, he took his stance and slid his feet and moved his arms and hands in practiced form.
Immediately Katara began to jerk wildly, her mouth open in a silent scream as the blue mist began to pour from her large, fearful eyes and mouth. Aang knew it would be painful; the Ancient One had told him that the mist poisoned the soul more than the body, polluting the link to the leylines that connected a persons' soul and body to their bending. Aang's pain had been less than Katara's; he knew that immediately. The blue continued to pour from her face and slowly her harpy-like visage changed to that of her normal, beautiful human form. Her jerking continued as clear, untainted tears rolled down her cheeks. Her limbs continued to thrash as Aang drew the mist forth and added it to the now physical bottle of blue mist that had already been drawn from him.
The process lasted only a minute or so, but when it ended, the scream that tore from Katara's still open mouth was heard throughout the entire ship. Had they not been out to sea, Aang thought it would have been heard by people from miles around. Katara was still jerking wildly and Aang flung himself on top of her, trying to hold her still and calm her down as her screams continued to come and tears poured forth from her eyes. Soon he heard banging on the chamber door, but he had bolted it against intrusion at the onset. Slowly, Katara's thrashing lessened and her screams stopped as her throat became sore. Her tears had soaked the sheets beneath her as she lay still, breathing heavily as Aang kept his weight on her.
Katara lay there, slowly recovering. Aang was hesitant to move, and though he was aware of the banging on the metal door and the shouts from outside, they were as if from a far distance and not worth his notice. His head lay on her chest and his ear was pressed against her. He heard her rapid heartbeat slow down and become steady as her breathing slowed beneath him. Finally, reluctantly, he moved off of her. Her eyes were closed and her chest moved up and down in the slow rhythm of sleep. Aang slowly moved to the door and opened it.
"Aang! What…" Hakoda demanded. Aang silenced him with a single look and motioned for him to move away and be silent. Closing the door behind him, Aang led Hakoda and surprisingly most others aboard the ship up on deck.
Before anyone else could speak, Aang said, "She will be fine, but she needs to rest. It was much harder on her than it was on me. I tried to warn her, but…" Aang stopped, tears in his eyes. He couldn't stand seeing her in pain, let alone causing it, but he knew that he had no choice but to do so to save her from her affliction. The pain he had caused; her heart-wrenching screams and her tears… Aang thought his heart would break.
Hakoda nodded and waved everyone away. "Come on, son." Hakoda said gently, leading Aang off to a private spot near the front of the ship. Aang let himself be guided and sat in his meditative position on the deck near the rail. He gazed out over the water, watching the breaking waves on the ship's hull and suddenly wondering what sort of fish were looking back up at him.
Hakoda took a seat beside Aand facing him. Aang continued to stare down at the water, but he was aware of Hakoda's eyes on him. Finally, Hakoda broke the silence. "What happened?" he asked quietly.
Aang looked up into Katara's father's eyes and saw his sorrow; his grief and his worry. Aang quickly turned his gaze back to the water, unable to bare what he had seen. "I had to draw the blue mist from her. It was very painful." Aang said slowly.
Hakoda remained silent for a few minutes before asking, "Why was she in so much pain? I have seen healers draw poison from a person before. It was bad, but nothing close to what we heard."
Aang nodded slowly without removing his eyes from the turbulent waters. "The mist was more than a poison of the body; it was a poison of the soul, and of one's link to bending. Drawing the mist from her body was also drawing the mist from her soul and the link to her bending. While the poison was leaving her physical body, it was also like tearing the off the outer casing of her soul." Aang replied, tears again in his eyes. Hakoda's eyes were also filled with tears. He had suffered more than his share of wounds during the war, but he could not even begin to imagine damage to his soul.
"Thank you for telling me." Hakoda said. He noticed Aang's refusal to meet his gaze. He stood. Hakoda placed his hand on Aang's shoulder, and finally Aang turned and looked up at him. "Please Avatar, take care of my daughter." He asked gently.
"Always." Aang replied softly.
--
Author: Another day, another chapter.
Katara: About time too.
Author: Okay, I get the picture. I will try and be more regular.
Sokka: Sea prunes?
Author: That is not what I meant and you know it.
Sokka: How else are you going to get regular?
Author: Do you want more screen time or not?
Sokka: I will behave, I promise!
Author: I always knew you were smarter than you look.
Bato: So Nami and Kita don't like each other? Why are you screwing with us?
Author: I do it because I can, because it's fun and because the readers like the drama.
Toph: Good thing you specified readers.
Author: Always looking out for you Toph.
Katara: When Aang gets back I am going to kill him!
Author: Get in line behind Ozai, Azula, Rose, Kang, the Pirates... yeah…
--
Author's Corner:
Yes folks, he's back. After a very long reprieve I have finally found a little time to write. So, here I am. Sorry for the long delay. No excuses this time. I will try not to let it happen again. I promises in chapter one that I would see this through till the end. I mean to keep that promise. There are so many things left to do; so many stories to tell.
As you can see, the bulk of this chapter revolves around Aang. Well, he IS the main character after all. It's his show; the rest of the cast are just actors in it. The point of this chapter is to give some insight into the creation of the world, how bending works and how the Avatar came to be. Nifty, yes? So, those questions are answered.
I will be working on updating numerous grammatical errors as well as spelling errors in the near future. In fact, as I write this, I have already scanned through all one-hundred fifty thousand words already posted. I DO know however that some things may have been missed, like a type for time being tie not being caught. If anyone wishes to read through my soon to be posted or already posted corrections and find these errors and let me know so I can fix them, I would be forever grateful.
To those that have been waiting for another update, thank you for your patience. For those of you that are just reading up on this now, welcome to the party!
