~A~

I Want to be With Her Forever

~A~

"You have a great disturbance within your spirit, Aang," Avatar Roku said softly as he materialized in front of the form of the newest avatar. "It must be something important if it was upsetting enough for you to meditate into the spirit world. What is wrong?"

The young air nomad looked up at his spiritual adviser with a deeply troubled and saddened expression and met Roku's gaze with confused and uncertain eyes, concerning the older man greatly. What could be wrong?

"Roku," he began softly, his brows drawing together, "remember when you were showing me about your life?" As the previous avatar nodded, Aang continued. "You were married... and you loved your wife, right?"

The distinguished figure of the older man was taken aback at the question, not having expected that subject to be introduced at all. But as always, mention of his wife made him smile as his eyes softened with deep affection. "Yes... I love Ta Min with all my heart and I always have," he agreed. Then his eyes sharpened on his spiritual charge, and he asked, "Was there some question that you have about love? I do remember you indicating that you understood about the difficulties of love when young."

Looking almost dejected, the teen nodded and then just plopped down on the ground and wrapped his arms around his upraised knees. "I... I love Katara with everything that I am." He paused, and Roku sat down beside him.

"The young water tribe girl that freed you from the iceberg?"

Aang nodded, looking into the distance sadly. "Yeah. But... I love her so much, Roku – I can't even tell you. Too much to want to let her go when I... when its my turn to come here and a new avatar is born," he said, referencing his eventual death in a roundabout manner. "I don't think I can spend the rest of forever separated from her. How can you stand being away from your wife like that?" he finally blurted out, his eyes meeting his mentor's desperately, causing Roku to blink.

After a moment spent taking in exactly what was truly worrying the boy, he chuckled and shook his head, patting the monk on the back comfortingly. "Oh, Aang, where did you get the idea that you won't ever see your love again after you both die?"

Now it was his turn to blink and look surprised. "You mean... I really can be with her forever?"

"Did you think all the past avatars just spent eternity here waiting on the occasional call by the current avatar to assist he or she when needed and doing nothing else?" He seemed truly amused, and the younger boy cocked his head, a hopeful look pushing back the scared and conflicted one he'd worn since appearing in the spirit world.

"I... I guess I never really thought about it before," he admitted sheepishly after a moment, blushing a little.

Roku laughed. "Well, I can't say that I thought much about such things either, before I got much older, anyway," he said ruefully. "So don't be embarrassed. But yes, I'm spending my afterlife with my wife just as I spent my life with her. Well, except when I'm with you, of course."

A bright smile pushed all lingering worry away from Aang's face and eyes, and he beamed at Roku as he released a huge sigh of relief. "Oh, I'm so glad to hear that! I've really been worried about this whole thing. Ever since she-" his blush deepened and his smile turned bashful, "-accepted me, I've been thinking about how happy I am when I'm with her, and how I want to be with her forever. But then... then I started thinking about how I'm the avatar, and I didn't know if the avatar could spend his afterlife with anyone but the other avatars. I couldn't stand the thought of losing her, not ever, and so I..." he trailed off and then shook his head. "But I feel better now. Thanks, Roku!"

The previous avatar shook his head wryly and chuckled again, truly amused. "I'm glad you found the one that was meant for you, Aang. It's always this way - when the avatar finds the one soul meant for them the bond is permanent and unbreakable. So do not worry, my young friend... one day, when you both pass into the spirit world you will be rejoined and then you will never again be apart."

Once again the young airbender beamed, his face just lighting up with joy. "Really?"

"Truly," he replied, his own smile lighting his features.

The boy jumped to his feet and bowed to his past incarnation as Roku also stood and bowed back, and Aang's bright smile softened a little around the edges. "I'm glad you get to be with your wife. She must have been an amazing person." He paused a moment, and then shyly added, "Please pass on my respects to her."

Roku smiled widely as Aang started to fade back out of the spirit world. "I will. Do the same from me to your young lady, as well. She has a remarkable spirit. Be well, young avatar."

"Okay! Be well, Roku," he returned happily before he vanished completely, and suddenly Roku disappeared as well, returning to his small part of eternity to pass on the message to his wife with his own soft, reminiscent smile.

The joy and terror of young love is never forgotten... no matter how old you get.

He huffed a soft laugh.

Not even in the afterlife.

~A~

To Anna, guest: I'm so glad you are enjoying this story and I humbly thank you for the compliments, but I'm sorry that I'm going to have to disappoint your desire for Zutara fics. I'm strictly Kataang – I absolutely adore Aang more than any other character ever, and I could never stand to take Katara away from him. Don't get me wrong – I love Zuko too, and enjoy writing his character. But I'll never pair him with Katara, I just... can't. I literally can't. So I apologize again, and hope you aren't too disappointed.