CHAPTER RATING: T(Language)

Chapter 47: "3"

The bright lights surrounded him like a peaceful aura, beams of light came from the opening from the ceiling. The crystals that served as windows bent the light itself, and made it appear as if rainbows stood alongside him in this place, he'd hoped to find some peace here.

But peace of mind eluded him. Here, in the South Air Temple's Inner Sanctuary, he tried his best to cope. Still burning in his mind, the image of their bodies, bloody and scarred. His only companion now, in this peaceful, sacred place was self-doubt.

A self-doubt that was rooted in confusion as he recalled the events of this life. How could he carry the whole World on his shoulders, how could he carry the millions of people in this World, when he couldn't even carry two lives that mattered to him most.

He stood in silence, asking.

Begging.

Pleading.

For an answer.

The creaking doors interrupted his silent thoughts, a voice came.

"Avatar…?" One of the airbenders who had begun to return to the sacred Temples.

"What is it?" His voice was rough, a bare whisper in the stillness of the air, only to be broken again as the door shut behind this woman.

"I bring a message." She ran up to him, fell to her knees, and bowed. "A message of great importance."

"From who?"

"The Lady in White." She lifted her head. And Aang saw a familiar crimson tint in her eyes. The Sanctuary began to fade, until he was in a void, a void of nothing but clean, white walls.

"What do you want now?" His voice was monotone. "I think I've seen enough of your tricks to not be surprised anymore." His eyes shifted around the space he stood in. "No more games. No more lies. Just get it over with."

He saw surprise in its expression at how blunt, and uncaring his reply was.

"Okay." She raised her hands. "Fair enough. No more games. I get it, no more jokes." She snapped her fingers, and Aang saw that he was yet again, in the red room with no way in, and no way out. He looked down, and there, by his feet, stood the coin that he had flipped, still standing upright after all this time.

"What is it that you have to say to me? What lie do you want to tell me now?"

"I bring a message. A message from Fate, Destiny, Prophecy...Whatever you want to call it." Another snap of her fingers, and the unbreakable walls that surrounded him fell, revealing the unending blackness he saw before. The unending blackness that was swirled in a massive collage of brilliant colors. "You remember what I said about this?" She pointed to the place she'd called the 'Milky Way.' "Every light that you see in this unending black sky, is a place where there is life. And where there is life, there are possibilities, and where there are possibilities, there are choices. In every one of those lights, lies another world that is begging to be explored." She straightened her posture, and presented him with a serious, stern look.

"I'm here to keep the promise we made to you, long ago. There are other stories to be told, Avatar Aang." She extended her hand, and presented him an image of three swirling portals in her palm. "You've known my name for a long time. 'The Trickster' they called me. Well, I've had my fun. I've played my games. And now, I act under the mercy of the entity that truly controls everything."

He looked at the swirling portals she held. One was red, another was blue, and the last was green.

"Forget what they call me. Take my hand. Trust me...Trust me one last time."

Aang nodded, took her hand, and felt an infinite energy flow through him.

…

Portal 1: Lust

His eyes opened to a massive red room, lit by strong braziers with roaring flames. The chains were unrealistically cool, but held him upright. He took a deep breath. A door opened, and into his vision, she stepped.

"You've had time to think about my proposal." Azula asked in her mocking tone. "What's your answer?"

He kept silent.

"Come now, Avatar. Don't be so cold to the only person who cares for you in this world. Don't push away the only one who visits you in this 'prison.'" Her footsteps were nearly as heavy as the chains that held him. "Give me an answer." Her quizzical look was taken by a sly smile. "Or do you need some more convincing?" She whispered into his ear.

He kept silent.

She placed her hand on his chest, and pushed him down. His bonds disappeared like dust, and he fell onto the smooth blanket, the comfort hugged him, as if he'd been forced to stand for a lifetime.

"One last time, Avatar." She gently kissed his cheek. "Do I need to put more effort into 'convincing' you?"

Then he spoke.

"...Yes."

...

Portal 2: Love

Again, he opened his eyes. Into the Boundless blue sky, he stared. Across the horizon, his gaze walked across the unending green pastures. And he heard her speak.

"I've been waiting for you." Katara's voice came. He turned to see her, standing before him. "And you're finally here."

He nodded.

"I'm finally here." Aang replied.

"You kept your promise to me." Her warm hand caressed his cheek. "You said that you'd meet me here, remember?"

"I could never forget." He turned his head up, the Boundless Sky merged before him, the bright blue sky turned into a sapphire hue, that shined like her eyes. The moon's light was cast upon them, and the sand that they stood in, as the waves pulled into the coast of the Moonlit Shores.

"Will you stay with me here?" Katara sat in the sand and invited him over. The Moon's radiant light made her more beautiful than he could remember.

"I'll stay with you here." He sat down beside her.

"How long do you think it'll last? This life that we have now." She bent over and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Forever." He brought his arm up and held her.

"And you'll stay with me through that whole time? You'll never leave again?"

"...Yes."

...

Portal 3: Loss

Good-bye, Avatar Aang. We shall not meet again.

He opened his eyes to the beauty of the snow-tipped peaks that surrounded the Southern Air Temple. Just in front of him, a monument that he had erected for the one's he'd lost.

A flame, a flame that would never die.

A shard of ice, a shard of ice that would never melt.

The silence of the Inner Sanctuary was broken by the busy work of the Air Nomads, working to rebuild, and recover after a century of loss. The wind blew passed him, caressing his face like a caring mother's touch, and passed through the thin beard he'd grown out.

"How many years has it been?" Toph's voice came from behind him.

"Four." he replied.

"It seems like just yesterday."

"Life moves on." He nodded to himself. "The best we can do is remember those who we've lost."

"Take your time, I'm ready when you are."

"I'm ready." He led her to the edge of the Temple's courtyard, and stared down into the clouds below. Toph walked up behind him, and wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders just as he leapt from the courtyard into the white clouds.

"Republic City?" She asked as they descended.

"..Yes."

THE END

PUBLISHED ON: 07/20/2015