CHAPTER RATING: M (Language, Sexually Suggestive Situations, Sexually Suggestive Dialogue)
A/N: I said that I would try to keep these chapters short(er). But when the ideas just keep dripping in…The pool just builds, larger, and larger.
Thanks to all the reviewers for taking time to post their comments and critiques. I've said this before, a long time ago, but I'll say it again. When I wake up in the morning and see that I have notifications from Fanfiction, Wattpad, or AO3, I start the day off with a smile.
So, thank you, especially to those who come back and continually share their thoughts.
Chapter 7: "Finally, you gain victory."
"If you love her like that, she'll love you, too."
Lightning.
Aang shot up from his bed, clutching his chest with desperate gaps for air. Sweat rained from his pores, and heat ravaged his body. He flinched at the stinging from the scar on his torso. His eyes widened as he realized that his robe was open. Oh no. from the corner of his eye, he saw something that made his heart stop.
A cup of tea, spilled onto the table.
It did happen. He turned to the head of the bed, and shame washed over him.
Hanging on the wall, there was golden hoop, a cultural symbol of the Air Nomads used ward off evil spirits. Hanging from that symbol, was a faded red cloth; and on his wrists, stains of crimson.
No way. He shook his head. How could I have let it happen? What's wrong with me? Thoughts began to fill his mind, running wild; racing as he tried to rationalize, reason, and even deny the fact. He didn't want to believe it, and in anguish buried his face in his hands.
How could something so wrong...Feel so...
With his hand still clutching at his heart, he felt a liquid coating his palm. A sharp pain seared across his chest and ripped at his nerves.
The wound had opened.
Panicked, he tore his robe, and pressed the orange fabric against the scar. Limping to the door, he called out to the one person he needed most.
"Katara." He coughed, and felt the red stream dripping down his lips; a few more steps, and heard her call his name before the world went black.
...
"Aang!" She rushed towards his call as he staggered out of his room. She watched as he fell to the ground with his hands clasped around the orange fabric. A deep scarlet began to spread throughout the cloth.
Toph called to the Earth, and created a platform to lay down the unconscious Avatar. Sokka rummaged through bags before he found a roll of bandages.
"Hold him up!" He instructed. Katara and Suki supported Aang on their shoulders as Sokka began wrapping the bandages around the open wound.
"We need to get somewhere with water!"
"This way." Toph pointed towards the monumental doors that hid the inner sanctuary.
The group nodded, and followed the Earthbender. Zuko lead the way, lighting the path with the fire in his hand.
"Right!" Toph directed. The vibrations of her steps mapped out the rooms of the temple. "We're almost there! Left!" The vibrational feedback was getting stronger, returning to her with force as they closed in.
Katara could hear the noise growing. It began as a tapping, like a faucet. The faucet became a stream. And as they approached the door with light streaming through its cracks, the stream turned into a waterfall. Toph stepped back and thrust her hands forth. The stone doors roared as they opened.
The doors lead into a massive underground cavern. Glowing crystals hung from the roof of the cave. The shine of the surrounding cliffs beamed into the stone halls, revealing how dark it had been. When their vision settled, they saw a magnificent waterfall, hundreds of feet tall. The water flowed from an opening in the cliff face, and collected into a pool in front of them.
"Quick! Toph, make a bed for him!"
"On it!" With a slam to the ground, a bed appeared near the edge of the pool. They laid his body down, making sure to not drop him on the hard stone. Katara summoned a mass of water with her hands, and hovered it over Aang's chest.
The blood that stained the bandages washed away as Katara continued to work on him. She held her head low, her eyes, hopeless.
"Katara." She turned to see her brother's reassuring smile. "You've got this." He nodded. "You can bring him back." She nodded, refocused, and continued.
...
"Here." Toph pointed to the wall. Zuko let loose sparks from two fingers, and lit the wall-mounted torch. They walked a few more paces. "Here." And did the same.
"Is there anything else worth noting?" Suki asked. "That room back where Aang and Katara are is amazing. What else is there?"
"There are hundreds of rooms within this place." Toph turned, and entered the darkness. "Here." She pointed, and Zuko set fire to a brazier that lit up a room meant for a single disciple.
"Looks pretty comfortable." Sokka noted. "At least we don't have to sleep outside anymore."
"That's not all." Toph added. "There's one that identical to it. Only smaller."
"You mean…" Sokka gasped. Toph walked a few yards and opened the stone door. The glow of the crystals were faint, but the room was the same, a waterfall fed a small pool at the base of the room. "I can take a bath?!" Sokka's voice echoed through the cavern.
He ran towards the pool, shedding his clothing along the way, before he stopped.
"…I get to take one first." He gazed at their confused looks. "Actually, Toph. Why don't you create a wall?" Toph followed his advice, and separated the pool into two halves.
"Suki, Toph, Go to the other side. This is the Men's side."
Her foot clashed with the ground, and with a fist she directed the marble to move, pushing Sokka into the pool of water.
Toph turned and began to exit the room.
"Damn it, Toph! What was that for?" He spat while stepping out of the pool. Sokka looked up to see Suki with a grin. She placed a single finger on his forehead, and pushed him back. He fell, crashing onto the surface of the water again, and rushing to bring his head back up.
"And here I thought you wanted to share a bath with me…" Suki retracted her smile. "I guess not."
"Wha~? Wait! Suki!" She turned and began to exit the room. "Toph! I change my mind, take this wall down!" He crawled out onto the floor, his clothes, dark and soaked, the two walked back into the fire-lit halls, ignoring his every plea.
"You…uh…Want me to dry you off?" Zuko asked with flame in hand.
Sokka sneered at the offer.
I'm the one who's supposed to be funny.
…
"What?" Azula spat towards Katara. "Why do you keep starting at me like I'm going to kill you? You don't have to hide anything."
"I would end you right now if Aang wasn't hurt." Katara's tone was low.
"You think I hurt him?" She asked. "Sure, I may have originally struck him, but I did not do this." Azula shrugged and walked up to him. "Why would I attack him? He gave me a new life." Azula moved her hand towards him.
"I said don't touch him!" Katara smacked Azula's hand away from Aang. "If you hadn't shot him in the first place this wouldn't be a problem."
A tangible silence came after Katara's words echoed through the cavern.
"You're right." Azula's weak answer chilled the anger within Katara. "I did apologize to him. And he accepted. But you must know that he was the first one to accept me for who I am." Azula pleaded. "Think about it. Why would I kill the only person in this group of rebels that trusts me?"
Katara didn't have a reply
"I swear I've changed." Azula shrugged. "What do I need to do to prove it to you?"
"You need to do a lot to prove it to us."
Katara heard a deep breath from Azula, before her footsteps faded into the stone halls.
...
When he opened his eyes, he felt a cool breeze against his back, and the warm grass brush across his face. He pulled his head up to meet the eyes of a rabbitmouse. It tilted it's head as it stared at him.
"Hey, little buddy. Do you know where I am?"
"The Infinite Shore." It replied in a small voice. Aang nodded and stepped up to his feet. "What are you doing here?" The creature inquired.
"I was...Well, it's a long story." Aang looked over the cliff that he stood on. He realized how the Infinite Shore earned its name. The horizon was a mix of dark and light blue from the sea and sky, the white sands created a shoreline that stretched beyond his vision.
"Are you dead?" The rabbitmouse asked.
"What kind of question is that?" Aang answered.
"Why else would you be here?"
"I'm the Avatar. I can't be dead. The Avatar Spirit never dies." He took a deep breath before sitting down on the cliff. "If I were dead, I'd be a new born baby in one of the Water Tribes."
"Oh. You're the Avatar? Well then, I have someone you should meet. He's been waiting for a century to see you."
"A century...You can't mean..?"
"Hello, Aang." A soft, elderly voice came. Aang turned, his heart stopped as he laid his eyes upon the familiar airbender robes of his master. "It's good to see you again."
"Gyatso?" Aang rubbed his eyes, and looked again. "Gyatso!" He ran towards his former mentor, and hugged him. "I can't believe it." He felt like he was crying, but no tears came.
"I've been waiting for you, Aang." Gyatso returned his embrace, and offered him a seat on the grass. "I know you are overwhelmed with emotion right now, but in this realm, sadness doesn't exist." He smiled.
Aang smiled back.
"Now, I've waited one hundred years to tell you this." The old monk took a deep breath. "A century ago, Sozin's comet tore through the sky, and the Fire Nation attacked the Four Temples."
"I know, I ran, I abandoned you, I abandoned everyone. Now I'm the last airbender."
"Ah. That is where you are mistaken, my young pupil. You were not the only one who ran." Gyatso laughed. "The Council of Elders decided to attempt to preserve our people." He pointed to the sky. "Those who were chosen had their tattoos removed, adopted new identities, and settled in the Earth Kingdom."
"Where?" Aang felt his heart become as light as his body.
"Remember, Aang." Gyatso looked towards his pupil. "We are the Air Nomands. Nothing can stop us from living, and nothing can stop us from flying. We were born free and will always be free. Seek out the village of Feixing. There you will find the remaining airbenders."
"Thank you. I will go there immediately! I will rebuild our people. I swear it. Even if I have continue to do it in my next lifetime!" He swelled with pride.
"One last thing." Gyatso rose to his feet. Aang followed. "You will experience a vision soon. It will present you with your greatest fear, and will be difficult to bear. But you must endure to become stronger. There, you will find the resolve to save this world."
Gyatso turned to face him.
"I know you can do it Aang. You have saved the world a thousand times in a thousand lifetimes. Now, you must do so once again."
Aang curled his hand around his fist and bowed.
"Thank you, Sifu Gyatso."
"I will see you again one day, Aang." Gyatso bowed. "...Avatar Aang."
Gyatso faded from his view.
It felt as if tears were rolling down his eyes as he heard his Master's...His best friend's voice echo into nothingness.
...
Katara took in the familiar sight of Aang laying still on a bed, his soft breaths raising his chest as he took them in. She took in a breath herself, and caught sight of tears rolling down his eyes. They opened as she moved to remove the liquid.
He felt a warmth across his temples, wiping away a stream of liquid that blurred his vision. He awoke, staring into the bright crystals of the immense cavern.
"Katara?" He began to sit up, but felt pain across his chest.
"No sudden movements." She calmed him, placing a hand on the back of his neck, she helped him back down. "You need to rest."
"Where are we?" He asked in a forced whisper.
"Toph lead us through the temple." She pointed to the doors that were still ajar. "We needed water to heal you. So we came here." She pointed to the waterfall, and pool. He pulled himself up onto his elbows.
"It's all because of you, Katara. I don't know what I'd do without you." He smiled, and wrapped his hand around hers. She blushed, pulled him close, and hugged him.
...
Zuko entered the pool of water and leaned up against Toph's divider wall. He heard splashing from the other side.
"Zuko?" Azula's voice came.
"Yeah, I'm here. What is it?" He replied.
"You don't think I had something to do with what happened to the Avatar, do you?"
A silence followed.
"Aside from the fact that you did shoot him with lightning back in Ba Sing Se...But as for this incident. I don't think so, it's just the consequences of what's happened."
"How do I get the Waterbender to trust me?"
"You've got me there." Zuko laughed. "I don't even know if she trusts me." He washed himself as he spoke, and began to exit the pool before adding: "But I'm sure you'll get a chance."
...
Aang walked down the hallway. The pain in his chest had subsided, and thanks to Katara's efforts the scar seemed to be fading.
"Zuko." He saw his firebending master round the corner with a change of clothes in hand. "Where's Azula? I need to talk to her."
"She's still in the bath," he pointed to the room he had just exited. "It's best to wait until she-"
"Thanks. But I need to talk to her. Now." Aang pushed open the doors, and clapped his hands, making them slam against one another, locking into each other.
"Is that the Avatar? Or the little Earthbender?"
"I need to talk to you." He looked to the edge of the wall, and saw Azula peeking towards him.
"Don't come to this side. Apparently this is the girls' side of the bath. I'm practically naked behind this wall, so stay there." He imagined that she licked her lips with a wide grin as she shot an offer: "...Or would you like to join me? Just take down this wall."
"What you did, last night..."
"You didn't enjoy it?" She further leaned out, giving him with a view of her curves. Her long, black hair flowing down her back, while stopping at the water's clear surface. He turned his head down, trying his best to look away.
The water moved with her every stride, calling to him like a Siren. He looked up, and caught a glimpse of her. His eyes focused on the clear water that distorted the image of her. Almost against his will, his eyes panned upward to see a damp red towel, pressed against her body with one hand. He turned away, his heart pounding at the sight of her figure pushing through the scarlet cloth.
"I just want-"
"Katara? Is that who you want?" He tightened his fist as she spoke. Her voice became louder than the waterfall and only grew as her footsteps echoed in the cavern.
"What did any of that have to do with firebending?" His spiteful tone came.
"You don't need to be so vindictive. It's not like you at all, Avatar." Her velvet voice slithered into his ear. "Shall I tell you?" He could feel the heat from her body growing at his back. "Do you want to know how everything ties together?" She placed her hands on his shoulders; her nails skidding down his chest, threatening to add more scars.
"Very well." Her breath fell upon his ear. "I'll tell you." He tensed as she pushed forward, pressing her voluptuous figure into his back. She took hold of his hand and held it out. "First, you need desire..." A flame appeared in his hand. "...Then you show passion" The flame grew larger and brighter. "You show how much you want your desire" Her words sent chills down his spine. "Once you have those elements, you have a chance, and..." He felt her breath and lips rub against his ear. "...Finally, you gain victory." She pulled his arm back and thrust it forth. A stream of flames shot from his palm.
He turned, eyes closed, and bowed. In silence, he reopened the door, and left the room.
"You're Welcome." Her velvet voice returned to his ears, and then faded.
PUBLISHED: 8/7/2014
A/N: Extra imaginary points If you caught the Legend of Korra reference. I'm going to take a break for a while, meaning, I'm going to be writing ahead of maybe 2-3 chapters, and not publishing them right away. Right away after revising, of course.
Share with me your criticisms, hatred, inferences, and thoughts, either by PM(FF,WP,AO3), Review(FF), Message Board Post(WP), or Comment(WP,AO3).
Thanks for reading!