Aang was awoken to commotion downstairs. He felt a warm body next to him in bed and sighed in relief. Katara was safe, at the very least. Though, he recalled the noise going on during the middle of the night. This couldn't be good.
He made his way downstairs in a hurry just in case something serious was going on. He was relieved and instantly annoyed when he realized who it actually was.
Sokka had finally arrived home, drunk.
No wonder. He thought as he rolled his eyes. It had been an extra year of peace. Everything seemed to be improving in the nations since the war over the colonies of the Earth Kingdom. He had a beautiful girlfriend who was his entire world, wonderful friends for life, and students whom he taught the air nomad ways. Of course, this imperfect world would never find peace but this was clearly close. Things were good. So, why was Sokka drunk?
"Oh, hey there Aang. S-sorry for the noise, I've just been sooo sad, you know. Needed something to throw the rocks off." He slurred his speech as he stumbled his way over to the airbender.
"Sokka, what's wrong?" Aang asked with tired eyes but genuine concern for his friend.
They made their way to the living room couch of their shared home. Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Toph were together in the new and improved Cranefish town. Plans were coming along to turn this old colonized town into a huge city for all people of all nations and cultures. Zuko and Suki were back at the Fire Nation on an important Fire Nation holiday called National Tea day. It was bound to be chaotic so Suki and the Kyoshi warriors were over there serving as highly trained guards.
Sokka began to tear up, "It's Suki… I feel like I n-never see her anymore and I miss her so much." The water gates began to flood and break open.
Aang hugs his warrior friend, "Yeah, I feel you but you could always visit her. Or perhaps you could send her a letter telling her how you feel. I'm sure she'll understand."
Sokka continued to sob into the young avatar's shoulder. It was rare to see Sokka so vulnerable considering how he was raised. "Every… everytime we actually s-see each other, all we do is fight. We don't even have sex anymore." He whined.
Aang's eyes bulged open at that last sentence, "Wow, I did not need to know that. What do you think is going on between you two that is causing such isolation and distress?" He asked patiently.
"I'm not sure… maybe the distance isn't helping. Whenever we are in the same room, there's always an emergency or problem to solve." He said as he finally calmed down his breathing.
Aang was about to say something before Sokka interrupted, "I made her a betrothal necklace." He dug into his pocket and showed Aang this beautiful emerald green jewelry accessory. It was almost like Katara's but green. Instead of a small blue stone in the middle, it had two elegant shells wrapped around each other with the Water Tribe and Earth kingdom symbol carved into the middle. The fabric had golden streaks going through it and a subtle blue hue. It was gorgeous.
"Oh spirits, did you make this all by yourself?" Aang gaped, stunned into silence.
He blushed, "No… Toph helped me out a lot. But anyways, I want to marry her but things haven't been so good."
"So, that's why you feel so hurt? You wanted to betrothe her?"
"Yes… exactly my feelings."
Aang paused to think for a moment. The advice to give to Sokka here in this particular situation was clear, "You should go to the Fire Nation. Surprise Suki, take her out on a date, explain to her how you feel, and propose to her."
"I thought of that too but… don't you all need me here?" He asked, weighing his options.
"We've been here an entire week already, why not wait for an extra one? I wanted to take Katara to the festival anyway. So, maybe we could tag along too."
He smiled appreciatively, "Thanks, Aang. Sounds like a plan." Sokka yawned, "But I'm tired so let's talk more in the morning. 'Night."
Aang sighed in relief. Finally, he could go back to sleep.
Aang and Katara were a world-famous couple. Everyone knew them as the teenage heroes who helped end a war and fell in love during their travels together. It was a heart-warming love story. Of course, not everyone accepted this. Some thought that the Avatar shouldn't be in love because it could consequently disrupt his job to protect the world. Others found it weird that the woman in the relationship was older. Misogynistic. Some just felt that it was odd seeing two people from different nations in a relationship.
Aang and Katara didn't listen to those criticisms. They felt happy together.
Aang had passed Katara's height this year. He was also close to reaching Sokka and Zuko's. Katara was a naturally tall woman so seeing how he managed to pass her made him feel the least bit of proud.
Aang's physical features also began to fill out over the course of the year. His torso and muscles had become more defined especially with all the training that came with his role and as he was going through puberty, his body continued to change. All in all, Aang had become a very handsome young man.
After explaining to Katara about Sokka wanting to go to the Fire Nation for a few days, they began to pack their things. Aang, of course, didn't have many belongings to load.
"So… I was thinking that maybe we could go to that one tea festival that Zuko will be attending? I heard that ever since it was invented, it has always been a blast to go to." Katara asked as she put her belongings in a blue bag.
"I was actually gonna ask you about that too because I also want to go. And it may be a good opportunity to search the catacombs. I need some information regarding spirits and I'm not sure whether the guru I visited 2-3 years ago is still, well you know… around."
Katara looked down in grief, "Yeah, of course. Whatever you need. I needed to go anyway because Zuko was telling me the other day about some Southern Water Tribe belongings still stored in chests. I think it would be appropriate if we returned every artifact stolen from the nations back to their proper owners, don't you think?"
Aang looked at his feet, as well. It was still a sore spot. Aang missed his people and his friends. Talking about it has become easier over the years but he wasn't really sure he would ever get over that pain and shame. Katara cleared her throat to conclude the uncomfortable silence, "If you don't mind me asking, why do you need information on the spirits, Aang?"
"Do you remember when I fought General Old Iron a few months ago? He mentioned something about the spirits having enough of humans destroying nature and the meaning of spirits. I need to make sure nothing bad is going to happen anytime soon… and if something does occur, I need to be prepared." Aang explained while looking out the window as he sat on their shared bed,
"Can't you talk to your past lives about this? Aren't they spirits as well?" Katara asked with concern in her eyes.
"Yeah, but they don't really know much. However, the ones that do have knowledge on these sorts of things… I can't get to them, or access them. I need more energy."
Katara pondered that for a moment, "Hm, I think I may know a way to help. There's a water bending technique that uses healing to give energy to another. It's technically healing with having to actually heal any injuries. If you want, we can try it out right considering it's a pretty quick process."
Aang beamed in appreciation and amazement, "Ok! Sounds great to me. So, what will we be needing?"
"A tub full of water."
Half an hour later and Aang had finally created the perfect hole in the ground to fill with water. His first few attempts were either too big or too small. Eventually they all became sloppy and lazy considering how exhausted he got after a while. His earth bending had exceeded over the past two years, however, it was still easily his least favorite element. The mindset needed for earth bending was the complete opposite of his personality so it was understandable.
Katara had just come back from a quick trip to the lake. She brought a floating ball of water trailing behind her. She did a few elegant movements and the water flowed into the ditch.
"That's perfect. Now, all you need to do is get in and calm your chi pathways. I'll be doing the rest of the work." Katara said as she took a vial of spirit water out of her bag.
Aang nodded and took off his top. Soon after, he strode over to the man-made pond. He stepped in and sat down using the exterior walls as back support. He was in a slanted sitting position. He looked up at the waterbender, "Is this good?"
She nodded kindly. She then proceeded to empty the vial of spirit oasis water into the pool. She moved her hands in a circular motion, facing her hands down. The water moved along with her hand gestures and it swirled. It seemed like she was mixing the spirit water and the regular water together.
She halted her movements and cleared her throat, "Now that the water is ready. You will need to follow my strict instructions."
"Breathe in." She demanded. Aang breathed in.
"Now, hold."
5 seconds later, "Breathe out."
They continued this process until Aang could feel his body begin to let go of his inner tension.
"Right, so now just stay that way." She asked him. Katara then began to hum as she placed her hands in the water. It began to glow a brilliant blue starting from her fingertips extending towards Aang's body. Her personal humming stopped but the sound of a light singing continued. Aang saw how the color of the water changed from a bright blue to a bright golden yellow. Nature continued to sing. Birds passed over them and bunnies jumped through the nearby meadows. Aang's conscious state began to go from awake to a dream-like state. He closed his eyes for a small second and opened them again but only saw a glow of white.
The Avatar state.
He was standing in the middle of a forest, all by himself. No woodland creatures in sight. Just the sound of leaves rustling in the wind.
"Hello?" He called out. No response.
"Is anybody out there!" He yelled towards the void. Suddenly, he felt a consuming presence. He turned around and saw Avatar Roku.
Behind him was Avatar Kyoshi, Avatar Kuruk, Avatar Yangchen, and so on.
"Hello Aang. It's nice to see you. What brings you to the spirit world?" The older man smiled down at him.
"I need information about the state of the world. I have a sensation in my stomach telling me something is cooking, even with this facade of peace. Call it Avatar's intuition if you will. Point is, something isn't right."
"You're right. As much as the Avatar works hard, evil works harder. It will never end and that is why we must be reborn every time we die. Until there is no longer evil in the world, we cannot rest." Kyoshi budded in.
Kuruk then stepped in, "I know enough about spiritual matters to know that this next time, won't be like any other time. Something more ancient. Dare I say, a spirit. Although I have a good amount of knowledge, I'm afraid I cannot help."
"Can I speak to another past life with more knowledge in these situations? What about the first Avatar?" Aang asked politely.
"My name is Wan. I may be able to help you." A past life appeared before me. I bowed slightly.
"Wan, what do you know about the vengeance spirits may have?"
"From the beginning of human life, spirits have done their best to stay out of human wars and business. Of course, there are cruel spirits like Koh and the Sirens but-"
Aang interrupts Wan, "Wait! I've heard of Koh The Face Stealer before, many times actually, but… can you elaborate on 'The Sirens'?"
"I don't know much about them, unfortunately. But legend states that they were ancient spirits who terrorized the world. They came in storm clouds and sung into the ear's of the broken, telling them to wreak chaos. It was a terrible time as I've been told." He noticed Aang's worried face so he tried to reassure him, "Nothing you need to worry about of course! Avatar… Morana, I think, was the one who exiled them back to the spirit world. They can't do any damage here or in the material world anymore. Not unless someone breaks them free… but that's not helping! Sorry, sorry!"
Aang began to hyperventilate, "Oh no! Knowing how bad some people can be… what if it has already happened? With Azula on the run and nowhere to be seen, it was a matter of time before something bad would occur. And it all falls on my damn shoulders! Monkey feathers!"
Another past life comes up behind Aang. A fire nation man named Szeto assures him, "It's going to be adequate enough. Back in my day, the spirits weren't too hellbent on taking over but if there were something brewing, you would already know it." He pointed at his chest.
Someone else, this time, appeared. It was an Earth kingdom past avatar named Salai. Then a woman behind him suddenly showed her presence. Then a man behind her who happened to be an air nomad. A woman from the Fire Nation. Then another man from the Earth Kingdom. And so forth.
He wasn't alone. In fact, he had plenty of help. He just needed to know when to reach out to them.
"Do any of you… or of us… know how to defeat a spirit or know when one is about to attack?"
A woman came up to Aang and spoke, "I was the one who put it way The Sirens. During my short time, I wasn't a very happy avatar. Troubles from my past and problems with my family kept me at a sad place. The Sirens took that as an opportunity to cause a storm. These types of storms were different. The winds of the downpour would whisper into the ears of the people below them. It would make them say things they didn't mean. To cause anguish. Their lightning strikes were so powerful that it wouldn't kill a human. It would harbor their souls for eternity and they would feed on the pain they felt in this oblivion to grow even stronger." She explained with a distressed look on her face as she searched her memories.
"Oh no… how did you defeat them?"
She took in a deep breath, "It was hard considering how many souls they had fed on. Their power was unbelievable and I almost slipped away. Their last lightning strike was the most powerful of them all. It was charged with spirit magic. The only way I fought it was with the Avatar State. I had to balance it out using lightning of my own. But… it was too much for my human body. So I died, but it died with me in the process."
Aang gasped, "So, where is it now?"
"It's been scattered all across the spirit world. It won't reassemble unless a human brings it back to life. So there is no need to fret, not until it is brought back again."
"What is your name?" He asked.
"My name is Morana." She said with a small smile, "Trust in yourself and you will prevail when the time comes."
With that note, Aang felt that his spirit was being stripped away from this world. It left him in a weird sense of vulnerability. He could feel his body being pulled back into the consciousness of reality. But for now, he felt relief knowing he had strong connections.
Aang woke up with a gasp. Katara gasped as well as she felt Aang's soul recuperating. She jumped into the water with a splash and pulled him into a hug, welcoming him home. "Did you find what you were looking for?" Her hair was knotted and her eyes looked exhausted.
Aang was immediately concerned, "Yes, I got help but… are you okay?"
"Don't worry, Aang. I'm fine! It just takes a lot out of my personal energy, that's all." She insisted.
"But it's hurting you, isn't it?" Aang questioned.
"No! Of course not. As long as we don't do that everyday, I'll be okay. I promise." She said kindly.
Aang sighed in relief, "If it ever does do any damage to your soul, body, or mind… let me know. I'm not trying to harm you."
"I know Aang, I know. So, what did you find out? Is something bad about to occur?"
Aang looked at the sky, "Not for a while, no. I did learn about an ancient spirit though, who may hold a grudge against the human world. We do have to try to prevent anyone from releasing such a devastating spirit into our world."
Katara scrunched her eyebrows in confusion, not knowing what Aang was talking about. "But, what can we do to prevent this creature you speak of from escaping?"
Aang thought about it for a moment. What could they do? It's not like they could lock every bad person away. That was way out of the realm of possibilities. Just like his past lives explained, it is human nature to be cruel and evil will always have a place in every world. However, there was one person who demonstrated to be a wildcard in the past and in the present. With a clear answer set in his head, he spoke, "We will have to find and capture Azula."
Katara immediately retaliated, "Azula?! I mean, I understand why she proves to be a danger but we haven't heard or seen her in a year. How are we going to find her?"
"I'm not sure, this is something we need to talk about with the entire team. Sokka and Zuko will probably have some ideas. Even Toph and Suki." He answered, still seeming unsure himself.
"So what you are saying is, we should resume this talk once we get to the Fire Nation?"
"Yes, but after the festival. I really was looking forward to enjoying the festivities and I don't want to ruin everyone's stay."
Quick Author's Note:
Another time jump, yet again. This story is based off of the comics but the scenes that I recreate that are from the comics are my personal ideas. I thought that it was good to move on from their time right after the war. After an event, a new one happens. However, this new upcoming problem is going to be based off greek mythology but with an Avatar Universe spirit twist.. It will make more sense once the story begins to unwrap.
Also, I know I said that I would write lemons for this story but I really don't want to. It feels wrong to me for some odd reason. There will be strong language and fantasy violence but there will most likely be no lemons until further notice. I'm sorry.
Anyways, new chapter shall be up shorty. :)