PARADOX

Chapter Nine: Spirits and Solstice Part 1

A/N: Okay, first things first before I start this chapter. I've gotten several reviews that suggest (or rather bluntly state) that Kiara is a Mary-Sue. I really want to correct this before it gets too far along in the story. Kiara is not a Mary-Sue. She's an anomaly, an inconsistancy, an oddity, a paradox. She doesn't exactly fit into what would be considered normal. She's one of a kind. I gave a sort of Harry-Potter-Horcrux explaination for why Kiara has powers. She was given a small piece of Roku's spirit, that's what is keeping her in the Avatarverse. If she didn't have it she would still be in her own world. It sort of explains some of it but not all of it. I might expand the explanation more later. Kiara is far from perfect but she is more mature than the rest of the group because she is actually 24 and she spent 6 years taking care of herself and providing for a village that didn't know she even existed, in the South Pole. Now I apologize for taking up time for the people who didn't think Kiara is a Mary-Sue but now you won't have to wonder later.

We were flying once again on Appa's back. I had mostly gotten over my fear of heights but sometimes if I looked down when we're flying it makes me feel dizzy.

"The clouds are so fluffy. It almost looks like you could jump on them." Katara said.

"Why don't you try?" Sokka asked aimed a glare at her brother.

"I will!" Aang volunteered eagerly. Before anyone could protest he jumped off of Appa's saddle right into the clouds. Katara and Sokka immediately ran to the edge he jumped off of and looked down at the clouds.

Aang reappeared behind them. He twisted a large amount of water from his shawl.

"Apparently, clouds are actually made of water." Aang said. He gave up drying his clothes that way and put his hands together like monk Gyatso's statue had his and a burst of wind rippled out from him. It instantly dried his clothes but also threw moist air at all of us on the bison.

Katara turned away. "What's that?" She asked staring down at a black spot on the otherwise green landscape.

It looked like ash. Someone had burned a portion of the forest.

"It looks like a scar." Sokka said.

Aang directed Appa to land.

When we set foot on the ground we noticed there was not a sound made. No twittering of birds, no cricket-hoppers chirping and no other animal sounds that were normally natural in a forest setting.

Aang sank to his knees staring at the burnt ground with an expression of utmost pain. I sank to my knees next to him and pulled him to my chest. A one-sided hug.

"Aang are you okay?" Katara asked a question.

The saying "There's no such thing as a stupid question" had obviously not been in this situation.

"Fire Nation! Those evil savages! They make me sick." Sokka began what would be a long rant if he was allowed to continue.

"Shh." Katara hissed at her brother. I ignored them both hugging Aang more firmly, trying to project what little emotion I have to Aang to help him cope with the destruction of the forest.

Katara moved around and kicked something looking down at it. She knelt down and picked somethings up and held them in her hand.

"Hey, Aang are you ready to be cheered up?" Katara asked. I looked up at her worried.

"No." Aang muttered sadly.

Katara pegged him in the forehead with an acorn. It barely missed me.

"Ouch." Aang yelped rubbing his forehead. "How is that supposed to cheer me up?" He asked.

"It cheered me up." Sokka said chuckling. Katara pegged him with an acorn too.

"I guess I deserved that." He muttered rubbing his head.

Katara picked another acorn up and put it in Aang's hand, curling his fingers around it. He opened his palm and stared at it.

"These are all over the place. That means in time the forest will grow back." She told him.

"Thanks Katara." Aang said gratefully.

We all heard the sound of foot steps and turned to see an old man walking out of the forest he had a can in his hand and was bald except for his beard.

"Who are you?" Sokka demanded suspiciously.

He ignored Sokka and walked straight toward Aang. "When I saw the flying bison, I thought it was impossible, but those markings... Tell me, are you the avatar, child?" He asked Aang.

Aang looked at Katara for approval, then nodded after she nodded.

"My village desperately needs your help." The old man announced.

"We'll do whatever we can to help." Aang assured.

"Thank you, child." He turned and headed towards the forest. "Follow me." He ordered glancing over his shoulder to make sure we would follow. I brushed the ash off of my pants and followed Aang, and Katara. Sokka walked behind me sulking.

In several minutes we reached the gates to a small run down village. Some of the buildings were wreaked, roofs sinking in the middle threatening to fall in at any moment.

The old man lead us to a big building on the other side of the village. It was red with a green roof and there was a crowd of citizens dressed in green robes.

"This young man, is the avatar." The old man announced to the crowd gesturing to Aang.

One man, who was younger than the man who led us here, was dressed in green and gold robes and he moved forward at the old man's introduction. He appeared to be the leader of the village.

The man bowed to Aang. "So the rumors of your return are true. Its an honor to meet you." He said.

"Nice to meet you to." Aang answered bowing slightly back.

There was an uncomfortable silence for a moment before Aang brought up the question of: "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Well, I don't know." The man answered looking worried.

"Our village is in a crisis. We need his help." The old man interrupted. "For the last three days a spirit monster has been terrorizing our village. It comes at sunset. Its name is Hei Bei, the black and white spirit."

"Why is it attacking you?" Sokka asked.

"We do not know." The leader-ish man answered. He walked over to the door and looked out. "Each of the last three nights he has abducted one of our own. We are especially fearful because the Winter Solstice draws near." He said.

"What happens then?" Katara asked.

I interrupted at this point. "When the solstices draws near the spirit world and the human world touch, more so than usual. On the night of the solstice the line that divides them will disappear completely for a short time, a few minutes. A spirit can come to our world without the solstice, but with the solstice, the spirit will have a much easier time, thus have more energy left when it gets here." I explained. I had read the book I had found about spirits on the ship. It gave all the information I would ever want or need to know.

"Well said young lady." The old man praised.

"What do you want me to do?" Aang asked.

"Who better to solve a crisis between our world and the spirit world than the avatar himself." the old man said the question like a statement.

"You are the great bridge between our worlds." He finished.

"Right, that's me." Aang said skeptically.

"Hey great bridge guy," Katara called "can I talk to you over here for a second?" She asked leading him over to a window.

I didn't hear what they were saying but it was obvious Katara was comforting Aang.

I walked over in time to hear Sokka quip about us all being eaten by a spirit monster.

Katara punched him in the arm for it though.

The leader man came over. "Avatar, Hei Bei should be here soon. We need you outside." He told Aang.

Aang tried speaking to the spirit, but no answer came.

"This isn't right. He shouldn't have to face this alone." Sokka muttered. I nodded absently in agreement watching Aang like a hawk.

"If anyone can save us, he can." The old man said.

The room grew as quiet as a grave as the sun began to set. Everyone including myself held our breaths waiting for the spirit to appear.

Aang said something about demanding the spirit to leave the village in peace and I nearly groaned. Spirits needed to be treated with respect, even if they were terrorizing a village.

Nothing happened and Aang turned away deciding nothing was going to happen.

Aang was halfway back to the building when a black and white monster spirit suddenly appeared from the woods.

Hei Bei's form blurred in my vision for a second and suddenly I saw a panda. Then it blurred again and it was the monster from before.

"Its a panda." I muttered softly. Almost unconsciously I drew closer to the door.

Aang tried to introduce himself, but Hei Bei ignored him and began letting out blast of light blue energy that destroyed what it hit.

"The avatar's methods are unusual." The leader commented.

"It doesn't seem to be interested in what Aang has to say. Maybe we should go help." Sokka suggested.

I scooted closer to the door knowing the time to act was coming.

"No!" The old man ordered. "Only the avatar stands a chance against Hei Bei."

Aang finally landing in front of the spirit trying to talk to him only to get backhanded away.

"That's it, he needs help." Sokka declared. He ran out the doors of the building and I followed on his heels. Katara tried to follow us but several villagers held her back.

"Hei Bei! Over here!" Sokka yelled throwing his boomerang at the spirit. The boomerang hit the spirit in the butt but did no damage.

Sokka ran over to Hei Bei and Aang.

"Sokka go back!" Aang ordered worriedly.

I heard Aang mutter something about not wanting to fight him, but I saw the muscles in Hei Bei's upper arm twitch and realized he was going to grab Sokka seconds before it happened. I tackled Sokka to the ground and Hei Bei's grasped missed mostly, tearing a large gash in my coat as I was the last one to get out of the way.

I yelped rolling to my feet and started running away hoping the spirit would lose interest and leave.

That didn't work. I was suddenly snatched up into one clawed arm and was being carried through the forest.

I shrieked in surprise. Aang appeared off to the side of us flying on his glider. I reached out desperately for his hand. Our fingers brushed lightly, then I was no longer in the forest.

I was still in a forest but everything looked off. It was sort of misty and I could see the three villagers that had been taken.

Hei Bei dropped me beside the other three. "Oof." I grunted alerting it to the fact I was in fact conscious. It looked at me with an inquiring expression. Then grunted in annoyance. The grunt sounded like a wuff a bear would make.

I sat still as the spirit looked me over. It finally sighed in exasperation. I was knocked onto my back harshly with one of the spirits massive arms. It pinned me there for several seconds then let go. I didn't move. It was obvious the spirit wanted me to lay down and stay down.

I sighed as I laid down and closed my eyes. Maybe I could get some sleep.

I drifted off to sleep and didn't wake up until I felt a light caress against my face. I cracked my eyes open to see Hei Bei. It was in its panda form not the monstrous form so I figured he had been calmed.

I reached up and rubbed the spirits head lightly. It rumbled appreciatively and nudged me to my feet. I walked forward and suddenly I was in the town.I rubbed my eyes lightly.

"Kiara!" Sokka and Katara yelled cheerfully. The instantly wrapped me in a hug. Aang followed behind them.

I looked back at the place I had come from and saw it was a small patch of bamboo.

"You were in the spirit world for a whole day, how do you feel?" Katara asked.

"Fine, I'm fine. I slept most of my time there." I answered honestly.

I sort of faded out of awareness and next thing I know I'm being woken up during the middle of night as Aang tries to get Appa to leave. I yawn irritably and climbed up Appa's beaver-like tail and sit in his saddle.

"You're not going." Sokka said. "At least not without your friends." He finished.

To be continued...