CHAPTER RATING: M (Language, Violence, Mildly Sexual Situations and Dialogue)

A/N:

Azutara, anyone?

Even for a brief moment...?

...Anyone...?

Anyone at all...?

Yes? Okay. Yes.

ready for this?

Ready for this?

Ready For This?!

ARE YOU READY FOR THIS?!

Stay with me now, this is going to be pronoun Hell.

Chapter 31: Recovery

Part I: The Remedy

Dream of us tonight? What could that...

No. He knew what it meant. And as the sun began to set, the door to his room opened again.

They closed the door behind them, and stood at the foot of his bed.

"Is something wrong?" He asked.

"Why does something always have to be wrong when you see us?" Azula answered.

"We were just...Wondering." Katara said.

"About what?"

"About you. And...About how lonely you are."

"Lonely? Who said I was lonely?"

"Come on, Avatar. Don't lie to us."

"It must be frustrating, Aang." Katara leaned over and began tracing her finger into his bedsheets. "You've been lying in this bed for weeks, alone, uncertain, and what's worse...You can't feel anything below your waist."

"And now, we may have a solution for that problem." Azula placed her hands on Katara's shoulders and turned the waterbender towards herself.

He definitely could feel something stirring below his waist.

Azula's hands took a gentle hold around Katara's face. Her nails creating soft craters at their points.

Aang watched the two women he loved lock lips in the most arousing way since Azula first forced herself on Katara back at her zeppelin. Their lips met, their cheeks flooded with red. They let out soft, weakened moans as their lips came apart, and then fell against each other again.

His heart was about to explode. His mind went numb, and in this moment, it was as if he wasn't even there. As if he'd stopped breathing, and was merely an observer to this...This...

Their hands worked together, untying the bindings in their hair, letting loose their bangs to fall around them. Slowly, they pulled apart, letting a string of glistening saliva thin itself around their lips before breaking.

"Well now, can you feel anything yet?" Azula asked with her hands sliding down the small of Katara's back, caressing her gentle curves.

His jaw hung wide. His eyes glued open.

"Do you think it's working?" Katara whispered in a giggle.

"Definitely." Azula grinned and eyed the fabric between his legs that began to tighten. "But let's keep going." She whispered into Katara's ear with another light laugh.

"I've got an idea." Katara whispered, her hands already pulling apart the Princess' robe, that slid down a toned, flawless body.

Azula sat down on the bed, her hand entangled in the brown strands of the waterbender's hair. Katara parted the Princess' legs, her fingers caressed Azula's thighs, as she slowly inched closer...

A knock came at the window.

His eyes shot open just in time to see a small bird fly away from the windowsill. The sun was rising now, and he was alone in his room.

He balled up his fist, and struck his numb leg.

Stupid bird.

...

Two knocks came from the door, Katara and Azula both stepped into the room. Immediately, his cheeks flooded with blood.

"How are you feeling today?" Katara asked him with a tray in hand. "We brought you something to eat. It's your favorite!"

The scent was familiar. The horrid, nightmare-inducing scent.

"It's okay. I'm...not that hungry." He replied. Katara turned around, and placed the bowl of icicle cabbage and ginger root stew onto a table.

"Well, if that's the case." Azula walked up to him with a cup in hand. "Drink this."

He eyed the cup.

"What is it?" He slightly tilted his head. "The Blue Dragon Lotus? Because I'm kind of tired, and don't think now's the time to-" Katara turned around, and he stopped himself.

"It's not that." Azula giggled. "We were concerned about the fact that you can't feel your legs, and decided to try and help you. "This is a remedy here that is used to 'get the blood flowing.'"

"No." He shook his head. "Absolutely not. Please."

"Don't say that. We need to get you walking as soon as you can."

"No. It won't help. I know it won't help."

"And how do you know this?"

"Just believe me when I-" He grasped his chest again, pain shot through his muscles, a searing pain that ripped at him.

"Here." Azula handed the cup to Katara. "Let me handle this." A static-infused hand touched his shoulder and a shock ran through him.

His head flipped back into the pillow, his breathing returned to normal.

"What did you do?" Katara asked.

"I paralyzed his muscles."

"What?! Why?!"

"Uh...Maybe because he's in pain?" Azula shot a scowl at her. "He can still talk, he can still hear, he's just not hurting anymore." She cleared her throat. "Avatar, are you still in pain?"

A blissful smile took his lips.

"...Nope..." He managed to slur in response.

"See? He's fine. Aren't you?" She placed a hand on his cheek. With a slow turn of his head, and a far off look in his eyes he managed to nod. "Good." She turned towards Katara. "Now, why don't we give him that medicine?"

"You heard him. He didn't want to drink it." Katara placed the tea on the table next to her.

"Oh, you'd be surprised at how much he enjoys having to do things against his will." She ran her finger down his cheek, and across his smiling lips. "Or for that matter, having things done to him."

Katara slapped away Azula's hand.

"Fine! I'll give it to him!" She held his chin, and tilted his head back. "Ready, Aang?"

He gave her a clueless nod, and she brought the cup up to his lips. A stream of liquid ran down his throat like a waterfall. A waterfall that was made out of fire that burned every inch of his throat and then exploded into his stomach.

...

"Could you do me...a favor?" He asked with a relaxed, easy tone, his eyes were unfocused and his head was swaying.

"What is it?" Katara asked.

"Could you two...Like...Kiss each other and ...like do stuff to each other...?"

They both have him tantalizing smiles as their robes slid down their bodies, and gathered onto the floor.

"I'll start." Azula smiled, and brought two fingers to Katara's chin. She pulled her closer until they were only inches apart, and...

...

"What's happening to him?" Katara watched Aang's head sway back and forth, his cheeks flooded with red, and his eyes nearly closed.

"He's just...Relaxed. Incredibly relaxed." Azula pointed to the cup Katara still held. "Eight-hundred year old wine." The strongest stuff in all of the Earth Kingdom. With a special ageing method to eliminate the scent of alcohol."

"You gave him wine?! He's a monk, he's never drank alcohol before!"

"Well, first of all, you gave him the alcohol. And second of all, doesn't he just look adorable?" His smile widened.

"Why do you treat him like a dog?!."

"Because he loves it. Don't you, Avatar?"

"Yeash, Aye doo."He responded with another weak nod.

"That's it! We're getting out of here!" Katara dragged Azula with her and threw her at the door. "Move!"

"Hey! Don't put your hands on me! You filthy Water-Tribe-"

"I said move." Katara's fingers twitched, and Azula felt her muscles seize. "Or I will make you."

"O-Okay. Okay, I'm going." Azula stepped through the door.

"Toph!" Katara called to the earthbender down the hall.

"Yo. Sugar Queen. Sugar Tits." She nodded. What's up?"

"Block off the door to Aang's room, please."

"You know, that's not a very flattering nickname." Azula scowled.

"You got it." Toph pointed to Katara. "And I don't give a damn what you think, so stop bringing it up." She pointed at Azula, and stepped onto the ground. A solid granite slab, twelve inches deep on both sides of the door rose from the floor.

"What? Why would you do this?!" Azula stared at the doorway. "What if he gets hurt in there?!"

"Because I know you." Katara's voice was low, sharp, and venomous. "And I know what you would do to him without his consent if I left you in there." She held her head high, turned around, and walked away.

Seconds passed before Toph or Azula offered a response.

"No comeback? No 'Water-Tribe Peasant' insult?"

"No, not this time." Azula turned around and began walking in the opposite direction. "Because this time..." She knocked on the huge granite slab. "She was right."

Toph felt the Fire Nation Princess' footsteps echo down the hall. Assuming she was the guard for now, she leaned against the door, and thought to herself.

Who knew Twinkletoes was so kinky?

...

Part II: The Omen

A few hours later...

"Uh...My head..." Aang rubbed his temples as his vision cleared. "What happened...?" He looked around his room, and saw no one. Then, the ground rumbled, and one of the walls collapsed. Behind the wall, there was the door.

"You're up, Twinkletoes!" Toph barged in. "And you will not believe what your two Sugar Babes have been doing."

"Don't call them my 'Sugar Babes,' Toph. Please." He rubbed his temples. "I've got a massive headache."

"That's probably because of the alcohol."

"Alcohol?!" He turned towards her. "I drank alcohol?! When?!"

"This morning. When they were with you. I heard everything they said."

"That wasn't alcohol! It didn't smell like..." His head hurt, his words were slurred. "...Monk Gyatso's going to kill me..."

"Sure he is. So, ya ready to walk yet?" She punched his knee.

"Ow! Toph, that...Hurt..." His eyes brightened. "THAT HURT!" He grabbed Toph's hands and almost leapt out of bed with joy.

The door broke down again, with Katara and Azula busting through into the room. Water and Fire engulfing their hands and fists.

"Take it easy." Toph held her hands up. "I'm not doing anything to him." She chuckled. "But, he can finally feel pain!" She stomped on his leg.

"OW!" He rubbed his thigh. "How do you hit so hard, Toph?"

"Practice." She grinned. A piece of earth fell from the ceiling into her hand, one movement she pulverized into a fine dust within her palm. "Maybe you two should re-teach him how to walk! I'm out!" She shouted before exiting the room.

They scorned at each other before each begrudgingly nodded, and walked over to him. Katara on his right, Azula on his left. They both took one of his arms, and lifted him up onto his feet.

"Okay, Aang, focus." Katara instructed. "Imagine your feet moving, visualize yourself walking."

"Why do I get the feeling that I've heard this before somewhere?" Azula asked. They offered her blank stares of confusion. "What, you don't get it?" They shook their heads. "Here, Avatar, why don't you make small platforms, like shoes made out of air for yourself?"

"That's...Actually a good idea." Katara's eyes were wide. "Where'd you come up with it?"

"I guess you can say I saw it in a dream somewhere."

"Well. It's worth a try." Aang waved his hand, and summoned two small clouds under the soles of his feet. When he shifted his weight onto each "shoe," it was softer than any cloud in the sky. He was literally walking on air.

Step by step, he was soon walking again in the Great Palace of Ba Sing Se.

One step at a time, Aang began regaining the natural sensation of walking. The palace was quiet, with the Firelord's departure, everything seemed to calm down.

And for a brief moment, it seemed like everything was fine. Everything was going to work out. Everything was at peace.

They walked him out to the courtyard, and there, something caught his eye.

Someone caught his eye.

A man was standing in plain sight. A man dressed in all black. A hat covered his eyes, his skin was as pale as dried bone. He stood there, unmoving, as if he was staring a hole into the ground.

Aang blinked.

And then the man was gone.

He turned to his left, Katara looked at him with glowing eyes, a contrast to his faded, unfocused ones.

"...the beach! Would you like to come with us?" Her voice faded in.

"Huh?" He blinked and shook his head. "The beach...Yeah, sure."

...

At noon, most of Team Avatar had arrived on the northern edge of Ba Sing Se, directly across from the island refuge that had sheltered them during the execution.

Aang, wearing only a pair of shorts that matched the orange of his robes sat on an blanket as green as grass. His legs crossed, his spine straight. Across from him, two airbenders kneeling down on the white sand.

"Return to the Eastern Air Temple."

"Are you sure about this, Avatar?"

"This is an order." Aang nodded. "Return to the Eastern Air Temple. You can travel faster than any messenger hawk. Get a status report on their progress with the temples, and then find me again."

"But that could be weeks from now, how are we supposed to find you?"

"A few weeks," Aang tapped his leg. "I'm sure I won't be going too far. Besides, you don't have to worry about me. I've got good caretakers." He looked over at his friends.

Azula practiced her firebending forms, occasionally letting out a stream of flames or ball of fire that created a steam cloud when it struck the cool ocean.

Katara was experimenting with the ocean water. She gathered a clear globe in her hand and hovered it above a pot. With a clench of her first, the water evaporated, and salt fell into the container.

Sokka sat with Suki, a fishing pole in one hand, the other draped around her shoulders. Suki herself nestled her head on Sokka's shoulder.

Toph seemed to be trying to bend the sand, even if she was waddling while walking on it. But he saw her twitch with a moment of clarity. The earth around her began to rumble, and a solid block of sandstone picked her up from the ground.

"In your face, sand! IN YOUR FUCKING FACE!" She threw her hands up into the air. "I WIN!"

Everyone laughed at the outburst.

"Forgive me, Avatar." Tia bowed. "But this band of misfits does not seem to be appropriate to serve as your protectors." She bowed. "They seem too relaxed when considering our current situation. Come with us, we can protect you."

"Sometimes we need to take a break from the hectic events of the world." Aang looked towards his friends, everyone-even Azula was showing happiness. "Everyone needs to learn how to work hard, as well as how to relax." He nodded.

"We will leave immediately." Lin bowed.

"If that's what you want, I won't stop you."

He watched them board their Air Bison, and take off into the East. They disappeared from his view within minutes.

And then he heard it.

The sound of a horse's hooves hitting the sand that echoed like gongs. The overpowering wheezing of an animal that had run for too long, and the impending sense of dread as he felt a pair of eyes drilling a hole into the back of his head.

Aang turned to see the man in black. His muscles frozen in terror. In front of him, a horse that gasped for every single breath. It's eyes, as black as night. It's yellow, decaying flesh grasping onto a ribcage that nearly broke with every inhale.

Sitting atop the monstrosity was the man in all black. His skin looked like it was broken. As if it was made of cracked bone, forced to bleach out in the sun. He presented Aang with cloudy, opaque eyes, lacking pupils or irises.

"One day, I will come for you." The man's lips didn't move, but his voice bellowed within Aang's mind. "And if you manage to escape my grasp again, I will take all of those you love."

Aang couldn't speak. He couldn't reply. He was frozen, and wordlessly...hopelessly, he watched the terrifying figure and the sickly horse walk away, and then dissipate into thin air.

PUBLISHED ON: 02/17/2015

A/N:

As of this chapter, I've just got another personal milestone. A Change of Heart is now the longest piece of writing I've ever created with just over 100,000 words.

Once again, Thank you.

If you weren't reading, I wouldn't be writing.

Extra points if you caught the meta reference.

Thanks for reading!