CHAPTER RATING: M (Language, Imagery comtaining self-harm)
A/N:
Disclaimer: I do not advocate the use of suicidal methods and/or forms of self-harm to try and master the art of Waterbending. I am merely doing it because I didn't have any other ideas.
Chapter 38: Water
*Ahem* (Avatar Roku's voice) PREVIOUSLY, ON AVATAR…
Chapter 32: Misinformation
"Aang, I know, just listen-" Roku pleaded.
"No! You've shown me who you really are!" He pulled away his hands, now holding the medallion in one hand. "You won't see me again."
"Aang, wait-" His fist slammed shut, the emblem shattered, and the world around him faded back into the physical world. Blood covered his hand, wooden splinters sunk into his flesh. On the ground, the relic was broken into pieces.
…
Aang stumbled out into the courtyard, dressed as neatly as he could manage in his current state of mind. His thoughts were clouded, obscured by the scenario that played in his dreams as if they were reality.
But it couldn't have happened. They'd left two months ago, and for all he knew, they were 'gone.' His mind reached back towards the strange man he met in the Boundless Sky.
"..."
If they were gone, maybe he could master flight. Maybe he could-
A pair of arms wrapped around him. Her breath fell on his neck, and relief came to him.
"I missed you." He whispered.
"I missed you, too." Katara replied, hugged him, and then pulled away.
"You're finally back!" Sokka wrapped his arms around his sister.
"It's good to see you too, Sokka." She said while waiting for him to let go.
"I didn't have any idea if you were alright or not, Katara. But I'm happy to see that you're doing fine."
"I told you that there was nothing to worry about. What's new?" Katara could hardly contain her excitement.
"Check this out!" Sokka unsheathed a blade as black as volcanic obsidian and as sharp as a dragon's claws. "Made it myself! It took over three days!"
"Wow." Katara gasped. "What's it made of?"
"While you guys were gone, a meteor landed just outside the walls. With the help of Aang and some earthbenders, we were able to move it here."
"And it sure does seem..." Katara brought her hand to the blade and ran a single finger against it. She gave in to a slight flinch when a deep cut ran down her finger.
"Hey, watch it!" Sokka pulled the blade away. "Be careful. Are you hurt?"
"It'll be okay." Katara reassured him, conjured a small sphere of water from the air, and placed it on the wound. She looked back towards Aang, and winked while the droplet glowed with the brilliance of the sun's light against the shimmering surfaced of the water, which disappeared while taking the cut with it.
"Oh, yeah. I almost forgot." Sokka laughed. "Anyway. Master Piandao is going to have me take a final test in a little while, so if you're not busy, come check it out."
"Yeah, we'll do that." She smiled and turned towards Aang. "What do you think?"
"What do I think about what?"
"Tonight, I'm going to teach you how to heal."
...
"You've learned all I can teach you, Sokka. You've done very well. And I see that you've gathered quite an audience for your final test." Master Piandao praised.
"I just want to make them proud." Sokka looked into the crowd: Aang, Katara, Toph, Suki, Zuko, Iroh, and even Azula was seated ringside for the spectacle. "
"Go Sokka!" Katara cheered.
"Very well, let the test begin." Piandao drew his sword, and pointed it towards his pupil. "Your final test is to strike me in anyway you can."
"What?" Sokka said.
"Anyway you can, cut me, stab me. Land a blow, and your training will be complete." He explained in a stoic tone. "Kill me, and you'll become legend." Everyone's jaw dropped.
Except Azula's.
And Toph's.
"But-"
"Draw your sword."
"But-"
"Your Master commands you, draw your sword!" Sokka looked away, bowed, and did as he was told.
Katara shot up to her feet. "Hey, you can't be serious! Sokka can't-"
"Silence!" Piandao's voice boomed. "Do not interrupt such a sacred ritual with your petty squabbling!"
"Don't worry, Katara. I've got this." Sokka's tone was dark, serious, and rough. "I'll do whatever it takes."
"No!" Aang pushed himself on air jets and came between them. "Sozin's comet is coming soon! We can't risk this!"
"Step aside, Avatar. This is none of your business." Piandao pushed his blade towards Aang's neck.
"No," Aang protested. "It is my business, Sokka's an important part of our plan, and I can't have anyone jeopardizing that."
"Step aside, Aang." Sokka murmured.
"No, Sokka, you can't.-"
"Not even you can stop me, Avatar." Sokka replied in the darkest time they'd heard him muster. The statement nearly froze the air.
"If I can't stop you, then maybe we can."Aang closed his eyes, and called upon his ten thousand past lives for help.
Nothing.
No brilliant glow.
No booming voice charged with ten thousand Avatars.
No memories of any other Avatar in history.
"Huh?"Aang sighed in confusion.
Sokka's hand smashed against the Avatar's chest, and pushed him to the ground.
"I said don't interfere!" He rushed forward and thrust his sword towards his master. Piandao jumped back, and ran further away from his pupil. Sokka gave chase, running after his master, clearing the space for any unsuspecting spectator.
Aang stared at his hands, his fingers twitching, eyes widened in disbelief. Katara ran towards him, her hand resting on his shoulder, watching him shudder in confusion.
"What's wrong?" She asked.
"I...They..." He looked up and shook his head.
"Don't worry, Aang. They don't mean anything personal. They're not angry with you or anything." She smiled to ease his nerves.
"Y-Yeah. Right." He nodded. She didn't know what he meant. He just kept quiet. And he couldn't believe what had just happened.
...
Later that day, Aang retired to his room, Sokka, covered in bruises, bowed to his master, jubilant in his victory, and Katara made her way to the Avatar's room.
"I talked to them." She stepped into the room. "They said they're not angry. Don't take anything personally. Cheer up."
"No. That's not it, Katara." He turned away. "I can't..." He sighed. "I can't go into the Avatar State anymore."
Her silence was deafening, and disheartening. Even the woman he loved didn't know how to react to this. She had no way to comfort him, no matter how hard he tried.
Or so he thought.
Katara pulled her arms from behind her, revealing a sphere of ice. Aang's eyes filled again with life, a brightness accompanied by the sight of his traditional Air Nomad medallion.
"You kept it?" He asked with a hopeful, breaking voice.
"Yes." Katara split the orb in half, reached into it, and pulled out the trinket, scarred with cracks, but in one whole piece. "And I put it back together for you."
"T-Thanks." Aang was hesitant, but reached out to it. He touched it, and something amazing happened.
His posture stiffened, his eyes, stricken, unfocused, and unblinking. Katara took a step back, saw his grip on the trinket tighten, and his body become overtaken. His tattoos became a brilliant white. His eyes glowing with beams that could penetrate the darkest of skies.
...
Within a space of bright white light, blue skies, and an infinite emerald meadow, he turned around.
Ten thousand spirits.
Ten thousand of his past lives.
Ten thousand Avatars.
He fell to his knees.
"I'm so sorry." He bowed. "I was a fool."
The hearty aged laughter of Avatar Roku beckoned Aang to look up.
"Rise, Avatar Aang." He commanded. "You are not the only one who has made mistakes in our lifetimes."
"Speak for yourself." Kiyoshi stepped up. "Avatar Aang. Long ago, I offered wisdom to you that you could not bear. I ask now. Are you prepared to do what must be done?"
"I...I don't know. Yangchen told me that-"
"That there is always another way." The female Avatar finished his thought. "Yes, Aang. But sometimes the choices given to us are paths that ultimately lead down the same road."
"Seek us out." Roku nodded. "Keep it close." He touched the small medallion in Aang's hand. "And we will always be here when you need us."
...
The glow of the Avatar State began to fade. Katara stepped forward, saw Aang's eyes focus again, and then saw tears rolling down his cheeks.
Aang draped the amulet around his neck by the thin cord, decorated with beads that held it. He bolted forward, pulled her close, and held her.
His tears soaked into Katara's darkened robe. Her own eyes began to become misty,
"Thank you." He whispered. "You've saved me again."
...
Later that night...
"Okay. Are you ready?" Katara sat across from Aang, a wooden table between them, her hands laid out before her, and a bowl of water next to her.
"As ready as I'll ever be. I mean if Toph cut her arm to teach me how to bend iron," he looked at the small knife next to her. "I guess I could tolerate getting a small cut to heal with water."
Katara's face was blank.
"When did you train with Toph? We were gone for the last two months."
"Well...I..." He blinked, shook his head, and dismissed it. "Nevermind, it must have been a dream or something. Sorry." While he threw away the thought, in his blood, he was sure that he felt particles of iron, coursing through his entire body.
"It's okay. Now, just do what I do." Katara raised the knife to her finger and cut into it.
Now he knew something was wrong. In the small droplet of blood that dripped down her finger, there was iron. He could feel it.
"Remember what the element of water is." Katara instructed, and pulled from the bowl of water a small sphere. "Water is the symbol of life, persistence, and flexibility."
"Flexibility?" Aang asked.
"One of the scrolls I found a while back had a note written in it that said 'water is the softest stuff in the world, but it can destroy even the strongest of stones. It fits in any container, and can take any shape.'"
"I suppose that is true..." He scratched his head. "Who created that scroll?"
"His name was Bruce Lee."
"...Bruce Lee?..." Aang's eyes widened. "That's a strange name."
"Anyway." Katara looked again towards the cut on her finger. "The element of flexibility, and even life. Water heals as much as it injures." The orb of water floated over the cut, and began to glow with a light almost as brilliant as the Avatar State.
No matter how many times he'd seen it, it was always stunning.
"Remember this, and you'll get it faster than I did." She removed her hand, and the wound she'd self-inflicted has disappeared with the sphere of water.
Aang took in a deep breath, and placed his arm down onto the table. Katara handed him the knife, and he stared at his scarred forearm. The knife ran fast across his arm and cut shallow into his skin.
But there was blood. Blood that spilled too fast for how shallow the cut was. Yet he didn't falter. The pain coursed through him, but he began to feel something even more present than the iron in his blood.
He felt the water.
The crimson from his arm began to glow, as if the Avatar State itself as in his veins. A swirling typhoon of red washed over the opening, and sealed it away.
"..."
"..."
They stared at each other, then smiled.
"I told you that you'd get it!" She jumped up and hugged him.
"Y-Yeah." He stuttered. "But, you know. I couldn't have done it without you."
She pushed the table away, jumped up, and wrapped her arms around him.
He returned her embrace and looked up. Engraved into the door were the words:
"No tricks, just treats, II"
PUBLISHED ON: 09/12/2015
A/N:
Thanks for reading!