"Woah… Like….. Woah….."
"I concur with Nap," Alphys said. "That's a lot to take in."
"Yeah," Toph added. "And I thought I'd seen weird shit in my time. Murderous flower and all that."
Aang didn't add anything. He merely looked out over the desert they were currently flying above. He'd added enough and they seemed to have a grasp on how fucked up this all was.
"Honestly," Toph continued. "I half hoped this would be a nice little vacation of sorts. I get to see the world. Beat around a whiny little kid. Now I have to help said whiny little kid with stalkers! One alive. One dead!"
"Toph," Alphys admonished.
"What? Am I missing something?"
The doctor looked at the back of Aang's head. Try as he might to come across and stoic and detached in this moment, he couldn't hide the shaking.
"Avat- Aang. Might I call you Aang? I don't mean to disrespect your title or- "
"Nerd, I call him twinkle toes all the time, and he doesn't blink. I don't think he'll hold it against you."
"Nerd? Well, anyway. Aang. I see similar situations like this often believe it or not."
He finally turned to face her. His face was blank, but he was still shaking.
"Living in the ruins where death is common, I've had to deal with PTSD often. Self-harm and hallucinations are not uncommon."
She stared for any sign of anger or retaliation but didn't see any, so she continued.
"Isn't it possible that your sister is one such hallucination? You first saw her when you returned home and saw the fate of your father figure. A moment of intense self-hate where feelings of failure overwhelmed you. In these moments, our failures take shape. To hurt us."
"I'm just imagining her?"
"I think it's your subconscious hurting yourself. A manifestation of your guilt. Your belief that you deserve to suffer for your failures. And this image of your sister is you hurting yourself. Punishing yourself."
Aang let that sink in for a moment. He both hoped for and dreaded the likelihood of that. On one hand, it meant what he had was not unique and could be treated. On the other hand, it meant his sister was truly dead and out of reach.
"I… I don't know. She feels so real. Even more than usual. And once…." He paused. Wondering whether he should even… Ah, hell with it.
"When I was escaping the Fire Nation, I fought Azula. And it felt like she…. I don't know. It felt like Chara took my hands over at that point. I wasn't trying to kill Azula. But she was. It took everything I could to keep my hands from strangling her."
They stared at him as if he were mad. Maybe he was.
"Methinks we should perhaps rest somewhere for the night," Alphys suggested.
"Sure! I think I can see a hotel off in the distance!"
"Ms. Beifong, please."
"Actually…. I think I see…. No… No way…. Ignore me…."
"No," Aang pointed out. "You're right. There is something out there. A pillar of some sort."
They landed at its base. In the darkness of the night, it cast an ominous shadow over them all.
"What do you think," Alphys asked. "Should we take a look?"
Aang felt a shudder run up his spine. Even without knowledge of the inside, he sensed the danger.
"Don't go in brother. Keep moving."
"I think we should go in. Just not right now. We're tired and I want us to be at our best."
So, they lay down in the darkness. The last halfway decent sleep they would have for some time afterwards.
All except Aang anyway. He slept to his sister cooing softly and promising him all sorts of nice things if he didn't go in.
….
When the sun began to rise over the horizon, the airbenders launched into the air to reach the open window which appeared to be the only entrance.
"Appa," Aang called out. "If anyone comes, land on the top."
The bison roared happily.
"Wait. Did he really understand that" Toph asked. "Reckon he'd hear it as gibberish."
"Bisons are thinking feeling creatures," Aang retorted. "Never think of them as anything less."
"Woah. Easy there. I'm not! I just…. I didn't think animals could understand speech."
"I didn't think blind folks could earthbend. Shows how much we both still have to learn."
She snickered.
"Was that you showing some spine? Nice Twinkle toes. But then you did kill someone, so I guess you've got some already."
Thanks for the reminder.
Through the window, they then descended into a vast chamber from which multiple halls stretched out.
"Hey, twinkle toes. You can put me down now."
"Sorry."
She sighed in relief when he placed her upon the cold hard ground.
"I don't know how you can stand the air. How can anyone live without both feet upon the ground?"
"If you're that spooked, you shouldn't be here. You shouldn't be here anyway come to think of it."
A great black owl descended from the sky and landed before them. It spread its wings in intimidation The three airbenders stepped back while Toph frowned.
"I didn't say I was spooked big guy. Just not a fan of the wing."
"Nor a fan of sight either. It makes me wonder what use you could have for a library?"
"Didn't know this was a library. I just wanted out of the sun."
"There's a small village southwest a few kilometers if relaxation is your forte."
"I dunno. This is a pretty nice- "
"You don't seem to understand. This is not a place for humans. This is a place of knowledge. Of wisdom. Things humans have no appreciation of."
"What?" Alphys stared at the owl bewildered. "Humans value knowledge above all else. It's how we communicate. Build towns. Make food. Build relationships- "
"Kill for sport. Wage war. Steal. Dehumanize. All admittedly beautiful thing humans make is corrupted and transformed into an instrument of violence."
"Oh, come on," Toph rolled her eyes. "That's cherry picking. Most humans are wusses who couldn't hold a spear properly."
"And yet they can't go a day without a fight for over one hundred years. I learned that the hard way when one of your kind came in here and burned the entire Fire Nation section to the ground."
"That- "Alphys thought that over. "That is bad. But we're not the Fire Nation. We're airbenders. A group of people who have suffered more than anyone over the last hundred years."
"Not me," Toph said. "I'm just here to whip these wusses into shape and laugh at their failure. "
The owl stared at them. His eyes narrowed.
"And so, you've come to the library of Wan Shi Tong, he who knows ten thousand things. To what? Seek vengeance on those you think hurt you?"
"No!"
Everyone stared at Aang perplexed.
"None of us want to fight! None of us want to kill! We just want to live! We just want happiness! Peace! You think I want to be like this? You think I want to kill- "
"What he means is," Alphys quickly interrupted, "we hope to rebuild our nation. That matters more than revenge. Do you have any information on the air nation? Say… the orbs?"
The owl was hard to read as he remained silent for a few moments.
"I could allow you to explore. If you seek knowledge for your own good. But payment is needed. You must offer something to this library."
Aang and Alphys looked at each other.
"Like what?"
"Anything. Everything has value to someone somewhere. Something you know that I do not. Something you have that I do not."
Toph was the first to come forward.
"To make up for my disability, I had to develop a new technique. I call it seismic sense."
She raised her foot and slammed the heel into the ground.
"It lets me sense the heartbeat of anyone within range. Lets me sense their position."
The owl tilted his head.
"Impressive. Doesn't come in a studying form. But for you, I can overlook that. What of the rest of you? What have you to offer?"
Alphys pursed her lips in contemplation and asked for a roll of parchment while Napstablook pulled out his own.
"I made this song. It's called ghost song. I like to lie down on my back and hum it to myself while staring at fake stars. Helps me collect myself when I start thinking I'm worthwhile."
The owl blinked.
"I… see. Thank you. Old woman?"
Alphys showed some hesitancy. As if she didn't want to hand whatever she'd made over. But she relented.
"This is the seeding process for a crop we've developed in the underground where we live. It requires minimal sunlight which we allow to filter in through cracks in the ceiling."
The owl might have smiled in that moment. Hard to tell.
"Quite useful. And inventive. I thank you. What about you boy?"
Aang had been silent for some time now, wracking his mind for something to offer. But he couldn't think of anything. He supposed he could have offered some kind of air nation exclusive knowledge that might have gotten lost. But… Couldn't think it up.
Pain. You can teach him pain. Spill his blood. Take the knowledge for yourself.
While he didn't follow Chara's advice to the fullest (or his own inner voice if he really was just going bonkers), he did accept that he had more to offer when it came to destruction than creation. But dare he share such a technique?
"Avatar? Aang? Do you have anything to offer?"
"Avatar? This is the avatar?"
"Yes. I have something to offer. An…. Airbending trick."
"Is that so? Well, go ahead. Show me. I'll write down the execution later."
Aang blanched. Show it? But on who-
"Is that…. No no….. Ignore me… Can't be a fox."
"Actually, it is a fox. Fox spirits who bring most of this knowledge from beyond. Now. As for your technique. Feel free to show it on- "
The owl paused as if suddenly realizing the predicament he'd put the boy in.
"You may demonstrate it on me. I can take it. Besides, exposure to such techniques makes one more capable of- "
Without thought, Aang began rotating his arms. If he thought, he would produce excuses to stop.
He didn't think sprits needed to breathe. Yet he was able to pull the air out of the shocked owl's mouth anyway. Still able to form the air into a sphere around his head.
Alphys stared wide-eyed. Napstablook was still staring at the fox. Toph frowned.
"What are you waiting for? Do it twinkle toes."
The owl's wings twitched. Through the haze around his head, one could see his eyes wide with shock and dumb confusion through the mist. He'd probably never had a human get the one up on him before. His knees buckled.
And then Aang released him. The owl dropped to one knee. He and Alphys stared at him like he was some kind of demon. Toph stood still with her hands on her hips, and Napstablook finally turned away from his staring contest with the fox spirit.
"Did I miss something…. I did, didn't I…. I'm such a loser….."
"I don't think you missed anything," Toph pouted. "I wanted noise and violence! What the hell happened?"
"What… What was that" the owl asked.
"A technique I made. It's…. it's how I got these tattoos."
"That…" Alphys' brain was a whirlwind. Such a technique. All these years and all the types of defenses the air nation had developed; None had ever managed to devise such a lethal move.
"I… I'm impressed Very well. I keep my word. You've all provided something to contribute to these halls of wisdom. I will allow you to explore. But if I learn you intend to use anything you find for nefarious purposes…. Well, you won't. Will you?"
"No," Alphys assured him while bowing her head. "We will do no such thing. We seek knowledge to better our lives. Not preserve carnage."
As the owl flew off to who knows where, she turned to the avatar. Before she could open her mouth, he held up his hand.
"Don't. Please."
….
"Seriously? You can bend the air out of people's mouths? That is so hardcore!"
Toph of course did not heed his discomfort with what he'd just demonstrated.
"That's total Earthbending stuff! Standing your ground and taking your enemy head on! Why didn't you show this before?"
"Because it's an abomination. An insult to airbending and its lessons. And an insult to the air nomads."
Toph clearly wanted to press the issue, but Alphys placed her hand on her shoulder.
"We'll discuss this later. Though, I must say. It is an impressive technique. Something like that could prove beneficial to the war effort."
Aang didn't respond. Alphys decided not to press the issue any further.
"So, where should we start first?"
"I have no idea. What exactly are we hoping to find here?"
"Anything. Anything that could benefit our people. Help us rebuild."
"Help us kick ass!"
"Toph, shh. You heard….. Wan Shi Tong? Was that it? You heard the owl. No nefarious purposes."
"Hmm. If he really were all that wise, he'd know that's only going to happen when the fire nation- "
"Toph. Not here. Not now."
"So why are we here then? What can help us if not weapons of war?"
"We could…. You know….. Go to the air nomad section….. See if we forgot anything….. That's stupid right…"
"No. That's actually a great idea. I mean it won't do me much. No eyes. But it's great for airbenders I suppose."
So, they walked through various halls. All of them containing scrolls or books or even objects made of metal. It was all very impressive. All doubtless filled with extremely useful tidbits. Until they reached the Fire Nation section.
"It's… burnt. All of it burnt," Aang exclaimed shocked. "They torched it! Everything in this section!"
"No wonder the owl distrusts," Alphys said. "We need to tread carefully."
Past that sad sight, they entered the air nation section. Unlike, the other sections, there was practically nothing missing from here. Many scrolls surrounded the place, but it was the object in the center that drew their attention.
"An orb," Alphys said astonished. "I mean, we have one back home, but it's cracked. This one though: Looks like it works!"
"Wonder if the owl would let us bring it back… Actually… hard to do….. huh…"
"What's this about an orb? We mean like a rock?"
"No. A metal device. It emits a strange energy that allowed the air temples to hover in the air."
"Wait, what? You kidding me? Flying buildings? Why couldn't my folks teach me more about that? Also, why would they do that? I'd die without the feeling of the ground under my feet!"
Alphys and Napstablook looked lost for words. Aang's heart sunk when he realized it made perfect sense. They must have lost that knowledge long ago. He then smiled a little when he realized he would have a chance to teach them.
"It all started with an air nomad named Guru Laghima."
"Guru what?"
"Guru Laghima lived long ago in the northern air temple."
Alphys raised an eyebrow.
"You don't say. Hold on. I think I might have heard of this. Didn't he fly or something?"
"He lived his final forty years without ever again touching the ground."
Toph shuddered.
"Poor bastard."
"He lived a hard life full of wants and lust. Unfulfilled dreams He eventually decided to unchain himself from his earthly desires. From all he couldn't have. It's part of the teachings of airbending. To be free from the problems of the world."
"And so, you airheads decided to do that with your homes?" Toph shook her head. "Wusses. How'd you do it anyway? This sounds way beyond the abilities of any bender. Even an avatar."
"The orbs are powered by spirit energy. One airbending avatar apparently ventured into the spirit world and returned with these. Since then, the temples have functioned as a haven for meditation and reflection. It was a safe place. No one had the means to get up there save the nomads."
"Until the comet came," Alphys added. "By which time, Sozin had developed flying machines that could pierce the heavens."
Toph took this all in.
"And you want to raise it back up into the sky again, is that it?"
"It would… be something. We've dreamed of it for over a century. We can only dream of the stars at night. We've been forced to live below the surface out of fear of attack. Imagine living amongst the stars, though. Being able to feel the wind on our face without threat of death. That's what we've strove for all this time."
"Well, why can't you get twinkle toes here to power it up for you? He did a fairly good job with the one under my city."
"It's not self-sufficient. When the orbs work properly, they can hold a temple aloft indefinitely. When I lost control of the avatar state, the whole city came crashing down. I couldn't keep it going forever."
Toph thought this all over.
"Forgive me, but I'm partly against you sticking your head in the clouds. It disconnects you from the world you're a part of. If you're not there to help, why should anyone help you?"
"Don't follow."
"Well, I mean that maybe part of the reason you got so beat up a century ago is because you cut yourself off from anyone who could assist. You need to stay grounded and in touch with other people. You can't do that from the sky."
Before any of the airbenders could respond to that, she continued.
"Anyway, what about your old man and your sister? To hear you tell it, they wanted you to raise the temples even higher. What's up with that?"
"Amongst the stars….. Real stars…..Sounds groovy… Maybe we should look it up…"
"Sounds like a plan," Aang concurred. "There's got to be an astrology section around here. Maybe there's some information in there that could explain their interest in it."
"You can go ahead," Alphys said. "I'd like to stay here for a moment. There's so much here we've probably forgotten. So much that could humanize us. Maybe even help us thrive."
"You can read whatever you want," Toph shrugged. "It means nothing to me. Just blackness. I'd rather talk to people."
Aang's eyes widened.
"People. That's it! I need to talk to people!"
"Come again?"
"This place is run by a spirit. Managed by fox spirits. I'm sure it's close enough to let me interact with the spirit world."
"Woah. Woah. What are you saying," Alphys asked.
"It's been too long since I've spoken with my past lives. I haven't had any opportunity to do so because I haven't been anywhere spiritual enough. But this should be just the place!"
"Wait. Hold on."
"I'm going to meditate. See if I can venture into the spirit world. Please guard my body until then."
"Just stop and explain what you're- Hello? Aang? Please don't close your eyes when we're."
Toph frowned at Alphys' pause.
"What's he done now, the idiot?"
"His eyes are glowing. As are his tattoos. He's not responding to anything. It's like he's unaware I'm here."
"Great, so he's lost it. Good to know. Well, at least he chose to go mad in a library and not on the battlefield or whatever. Well, I guess we might as well leave and- "
"Leave him here? In this library himself?"
"We're not leaving the library nerd! We're just checking other things out! Or at least we are! IF you wanna stay here, surely you can keep an eye on him for a bit, right?"
Alphys looked at the avatar again before nodding her head.
"Awesome! Come on…. Nap whatever. Let's go look at stars! Or rather you look at stars while I provide emotional support.
….
The first thing Aang noticed was the absence of breath. There wasn't any need for it apparently. Then he opened his eyes.
He was in a forest of strange colors completely different from any he'd encountered before. The air overhead swirled with green clouds.
"The Spirit world. Not entirely sure what I expected but… I feel strange. Kind of like a burden's been lifted from my shoulders."
"That is because you are not burdened by your body and its limitations. Here your spirit need not concern itself with the chains of flesh."
Aang looked about wide-eyed. An old man walked out of the darkness of the foliage. A familiar one.
"Roku! It's been a while!"
"Indeed, it has Aang. And I can tell that much has changed. While you may not carry the burdens of the flesh here, I can sense your spirit's turmoil. What has happened to make you this way?"
Aang opened his mouth to explain. He responded with tears instead.
Without opening his eyes, he felt Roku's arms wrap around him and pull him close.
"I… I don't… How can I.. cry here?"
"The spirit world is a strange place. Rules and logic don't always apply."
They stood like that for a time, until Aang was calm enough to tell him everything. No secret unturned. All he'd seen. All he'd bleed. All he'd done. All he may yet do.
"So much rides on your back. So much you must fix. If only I'd been stronger. Stopped Firelord Sozin before he could see his plans completed… Instead, I left all my work to you."
"I… I don't know if I can do it. I broke the rule. I killed two old women…. And my sister feels stronger than ever…."
"This is quite the dilemma you find yourself within. It's become even more complicated than I would have imagined."
"So, what do I do? What can I do?"
Roku rubbed his chin.
"This sounds… I can't even make the right word for it. Unprecedented? Yes. That sounds about right. Unprecedented. Most of your other issues, I could tell you to rely upon your friends. But if your sister is indeed haunting you…"
"Is it possible? Can someone really come back from the dead? I mean you kind of do it with me, right?"
Roku pursed his lips.
"I can only do so because of our connection. Unless she had such a connection…."
"Yes?"
"I think we need to have meeting with your other lives. They're all here in the spirit world like us. Let's gather some of them up. See what this is all about."
"Oh, you mean like Yangchen?"
"Ah you've already met her! I had a great deal of help from her during my time, let me tell you!"
He held out his hand.
"Come Avatar Aang. Let me take you on a tour of the Spirit World. Welcome."
….
"It's….. an astronomy…. I think…. Reads stars and all that."
"Stars. I've heard of those myself. Don't see the appeal of them really. Since I don't see anything you know."
"Only got to see fakes underground. Crystals from the ceiling."
"Crystals, huh?"
"Sure….. Not bad… Not real though…. Used to…." He trailed off as if unsure whether he should continue.
"It's ok… Hmm gotta think up a nickname. You're a member of this team. You have every right to speak."
"Well…. You caught onto the trick at some point, you know….. You realized it wasn't really stars….. You weren't really watching the stars… You were underground…. Couldn't see the real stars out of fear you might get seen…by something else…"
"Well, you can look at real ones now and maybe quit being so mopey all the time."
Rather than retort, Napstablook looked at the images of stars on the ceiling. Toph raised an eyebrow.
"Hello? Are you listening to me? Hey! Don't ignore me!"
"Oh…. Sorry… Please don't hit me with a rock…."
"I'm not going to. Come on. Give me some credit."
"I- "
"Don't demean yourself again. Seriously. It's getting tiresome."
He didn't respond so she turned her head in all directions. Until she recalled she couldn't see.
"So, Twinkle toes said his dad was kind of obsessed with the stars. But how do we know what exactly? Not like he left notes here saying I read this."
Though, she couldn't see it, Napstablook was looking over some of the scrolls in the room, hoping Aang's father had in fact done just that.
"He said his father believed the world was tainted….. Maybe he thought the sky was better….."
"What? That sounds weird as hell."
"Weird guy….." Napstablook shrugged.
"Yeah. And I thought my dad was weird."
The two went silent for a time as he looked through the scrolls while she tried to reach out through the building. She frowned. She could feel the other two airbenders, but not the spirits. No heartbeat. It disturbed her.
"Here's something interesting…. Look…"
Toph stared his way for a few moments.
"Oh….. Right…. Well, this scroll is called the origin of humanity…."
"Oh! Like it already! Play! Or read!"
Oh uh….. well, a lot of it is scribbled out…. But it says humans…. Came from the stars…"
Toph blinked.
"Came from the stars…. War with spirits….. Lost our…. Forms….."
Toph blinked again.
"Only reading bits I can make out….."
"We came from the stars? Lost our forms? Sheesh! And I thought a murderous flower was weird."
"You think his father was interested in that…. No what am I saying…. Stupid idea…. Ignore me….."
"Actually, maybe not. If we could find more- Or rather if you could find more about this shit, we might have an idea of what's going on with twinkle toes. Assuming he isn't in fact totally bonkers."
"Oh …. Sure… That makes sense….. You're pretty smart….. Unlike me….."
Toph sighed.
"I bet Twinkle Toes is having more fun right now."
….
"What are spirits exactly?"
"They are…. Well to hear them say it, they are the original stewards of this world. The embodiments of life and nature. They can be terrible indeed, but also…."
At that moment, a little snake creature with wings curled itself around Roku's arm. It looked at him with big wide eyes and nestled its head down.
"Well, most are genuinely harmless. Like animals. They just do what they do. As long as humans don't interfere with them anyway."
Aang held out his hand to the snake. It looked at him, recoiled and flew away.
"I'm used to this place," Roku assured him with a hand on his shoulder. "You're new here- "
"Oh please. I'm not naïve anymore. It probably smelled the blemish on my soul."
"That's… A curious conclusion to come to. But I highly doubt it."
Aang did not doubt it.
"You know, Monk Gyatso tried to help me enter the spirit world. I wasn't particularly good at it. Unlike the others."
"That's not surprising from what you've told me. It sounds like you carry a lot of grief and remorse. That makes it much harder to focus."
"But I was able to do it simply fine now. And I'm more burdened with trauma than ever."
"You did it from the spirit library correct? Well, the library sticks out of the spirit world. The proximity likely has something to do with it. Just as it becomes easier for humans and the spirits to cross over into other worlds during the solstices, when the worlds are closest."
"Huh. Well, I'm thinking of how ironic this is. I always heard not to trifle with the spirits, yet here we are on their home turf."
"We're not disturbing them or anything. As long as you don't show negative emotion or attack them without provocation."
"Negative emotion?"
"This place is…. Strange."
"Thanks. I figured that out already."
"Emotions have an influence on the surrounding environment and the inhabitants. If you're happy and content, they appear normal, but if not…."
They heard rustling in the trees. It appeared to be the little snake creature. But it was purple with red eyes. All around them, they now could hear growls. Purple dark bodies moving in the foliage. Heading their way.
"Aang! You need to calm yourself! These spirits are reacting to your inner turmoil. You need to achieve inner peace!"
"Not easy for me."
"Please, try! Focus on happier memories!"
Happier memories? For him? Well, he could try he supposed. What's the first happy memory that comes to mind?
He was on Ember Island. He and Frisk rolling in a huge pile up of children on the beach. All of them drunk. Azula on top of him, her face leaning in-
His face flashed red. The spirits stopped in their tracks. They all turned pink and started giggling.
"That's it, Aang! Get them to laugh! That's the power you and I hold here! Spirits react to nature and the environment! But if we change the environment, we can change them too!"
"That… sounds weird. But sure. Whatever you say."
He didn't like the creatures rolling around at that to his memory. As if him kissing-
Wait. Did he for sure kiss Azula? He was clearly under the influence of something that night and couldn't remember everything. He could have kissed anyone. Maybe he kissed that Ty Lee girl.
Oh right. Ty Lee. That bubbly overly cheery girl with the midriff who wouldn't let go with the hugs or talk about aura. He liked her. He couldn't believe she was best friends with Azula. She didn't feel him with dread. She filled him with laughs. And so, he laughed.
The spirits guffawed. Their cheeks reddened even though he was fairly sure they lacked blood. It was both hilarious and bizarre.
"You see? Even though you can't bend here, you still have power."
"I can't bend?"
He immediately tried to airbend and true to his predecessor's word could not.
"Well, I hope you've- "
The spirits suddenly stopped frolicking about on the ground. What appeared to be fear clouded their features. They turned to flee.
"What the h- "
"Aang! Don't show any emotion!"
What?"
"Show no fear! Show no emotion! Make no expression!"
Before the avatar could demand elaboration, a deer spirit came running out. The trees behind it moved and a… centipede came out.
Despite Roku's command, Aang couldn't keep the horror off his face, as the creature thrust its claws into the deer's neck.
Aang couldn't look. He turned away as he heard the deer's shriek of pain. When he turned around, the deer's face was… gone. In its place was a blank slate. An empty canvas…
The face showed up again. On the centipede's carapace. A cruel smirk spread across it as it turned to Aang's horrified expression.
"An airbender? Been a long time since I've added one of your faces to my collection."
Before he could blink, he was pushed to the side by Roku as the centipede lunged forward with its claws stretched out for him.
"Run Aang! Find the other lives! They can help!"
"But where- "
"Trust your instincts! Now g- "
He couldn't finish his sentence as the creature dug its claws into his cheeks.
Aang meanwhile could only run. Just like he did a century ago. Run and abandon his mentor,
He thought he could sense Gyatso's disappointment.
….
Alphys had looked through many scrolls and found many different airbending techniques unknown to the underground. Skills that both aided with travel and day to day life experiences, but also with battle. Bloodshed. The kinds of things they built the temples in the air to escape.
Such things could be useful. Help to rebuild a nation. An army.
At least until the comet returned in less than a year and made it all moot.
And then there was the problem of the Avatar. What would he think of such militarism? True, he'd developed his own fatal technique, but he was hardly proud of it. The death of two old women had left a significant bruise on his psych. The thought of killing no matter the cause was disgusting to him.
She felt bad for him and a little envious. She wished they could live like the old nomads. A life of peace free of war. But that just wasn't possible. Only through the extermination of every oppressor could they even think of returning to such a coveted lifestyle.
Also necessary for a return to the old ways however was the revival of the orbs which granted them levitation. Aang had proven capable of temporarily powering them. But building one from scratch was another matter. She could find nothing on it.
Maybe she was looking in the wrong area? Perhaps it was time for another look elsewhere.
She began to walk out of the air nation section when she remembered.
Oh right. The avatar. Sitting there with his eyes closed. Guess she had to carry him.
She grimaced as she did so. This was really more Undyne's thing.
Spirits did she miss her.
….
Roku had told Aang to trust his instincts. A fat load of good that had done him.
He found himself deeper in the woods. No light shining through. It seemed less magical now and more frightening. More unnatural.
He had no clue where he was going. No idea where to find his other past lives. Roku had found him easily enough so he assumed the others would turn up if he thought about them or something.
But no such luck. And here he was. Stuck in the darkness. Jumping at every sound.
Maybe if he meditated- Oh wait. He already was meditating!
He didn't know where to go. What to do. So, he just kept running in the same direction he'd been running in. As long as it kept him away from that monster.
How long had he been here? What were her friends thinking? Had they given up on him coming back to life? Would he be stuck here forever? Was that shaking of the ground his imagination?
That last one in particular was stressing him out because it became quickly clear that the rumbling was very much real and very much getting closer.
He looked for somewhere to hide but could only get behind a tree. Not the best cover, but he couldn't afford pickiness right now. In the darkness provided by the canopy, it was impossible to tell if he was in the shadow of the tree.
He leaned in against the roots as far as he could go. He didn't need to hold his breath in since he was essentially a spirit here too, but he still felt sweat drip down his forehead. Another manifestation of his fear.
The shaking grew closer. Soon enough, he couldn't hear anything else except the movement. Just as it was too much to bear, the shaking stopped.
At the very least, he could be sure it wasn't that centipede. That thing had moved almost silently and with no shaking. So, what could this-
To answer that question, vines snaked around from the other side of the tree and pinned him against its girth.
"Hi there! I'm Flowey the flower! Your best….. Nightmare…"
The monster grinned as he recognized the avatar. Aang meanwhile tried to pull free.
"Hey! Let's play a game! It's an old game! I'm gonna- "
"Maybe later!"
Aang didn't have his airbending, but he had his agility. He could still move. Still dodge and get out of the flower's grasp.
"Hey! Hang on buddy!"
Pellets tore into his shoulder. He screamed in alarm as parts of his body came off and dissipated in the air like petals.
"That's it! Run! Run! It's what you airbenders do! Run until you die!"
He didn't plan to run until he died. But he did plan to run. Through the dark. No idea where he was going.
"Twice you've humiliated me. So, I'm gonna kill you twice as hard!"
The flower stopped.
"Forget I said that. Or don't. What does it matter? You're not gonna tell anyone!"
Aang didn't respond. Just kept running.
"Stop! Please! Let's start over! Just do what I say, and we can pretend you didn't treat me like shit, ok?"
He still didn't respond. Save his breath. Actually, he didn't have to worry about that. No body. No air.
"Stop ignoring me!"
The ground shook even more as the tumble of vines came closer. He saw nowhere to go.
And then he fell. Through some kind of invisible hole? He had no idea. All he knew was he was being chased one minute. And the next was falling down through darkness.
He landed down in the middle of a vast ocean. The water was green. It seemed peaceful on the surface.
Aang however was anything but peaceful. His turmoil and fear over his circumstances caused him to thrash about. His emotions turned the peaceful sea into an endless barrage of waves and storms.
"Having fun, huh! Humans sure like the water huh! Doesn't make sense though, huh! No gills and all!"
Aang stopped and turned to find himself face to face with… A large head atop tentacles.
"You should probably calm down though, huh! This place does weird things based on your mood, y' hear! Probably best you calm down a bit, huh!"
Aang stared mouth open. Then he laughed. Laughed at the absurdity of it all. He'd just gone from running from a centipede to running from a flower to swimming in the ocean with a giant tentacled weirdo.
"That's the spirit, y' hear! And it's already having an effect!"
Indeed, it was. The storm cleared up followed by calm… yellow skies?
Ah well. No point dwelling on logic. He had little sanity left to spend on it.
"You look lost little buddy, huh! Want a lift somewhere, huh!"
"Uh, yes. I'm looking for…. Avatar past lives. You uh… Wouldn't happen to know- "
"Where, to find them, huh! I do know actually, y' hear! Hop on and I'll take you there, y' hear!"
"Uh… sure. Let me just climb on and- "
"And we're off y' hear! Boy, this is so exciting, y' hear! You know, this is the first time I've seen any humans since that last solstice, huh! Two waterbending kids on a ship with a scared- "
Aang nodded while his mind was elsewhere. He'd grown quite good at feigning interest.
….
"Hey guys. Whatcha looking at?"
"I'm not looking at anything. Nap is doing all the looking. Not sure for what though. I don't see the appeal in stars."
"You don't see anything."
Toph smirked.
"Ouch. Walked right into that, huh? What about you? Find any airbending stuff?"
"Not what I'd hoped. Nothing telling us how to build the orbs."
"The orbs I don't think you should make. A win win then! You can't bury your head in the clouds! Literally!"
"I did find some new- Well, maybe not new. But unknown to us airbending tricks. I wonder if Aang knew it before he went to sleep for a century."
"Who knows? Twinkle Toes said his dad knew some weird things. Wouldn't put it past him to teach him some. Not that I can see him using it ever."
"It is a nice thing I think. An airbender so different from any other kind I know. He's a relic of a time long gone. A time we strive to reclaim."
"A time I still think you should maybe reconsider. It's a different world. Everyone needs to adapt to it. Yourself included."
"I know that. It's going to be very difficult for airbenders to adapt to any kind of world though after so long. It's been a huge culture shock for me, let me tell you! No doubt some will be tempted to flee to the heavens rather than adapt."
"Big mistake there I'd say. That's why twinkle toes had so much trouble with Earthbending. You can't run from your problems. Fight them head on."
Alphys smiled sadly.
"I fear more airbenders these days are willing to do that than you think. Living amidst people they don't know is one thing. But I believe most airbenders are ready to fight. They've lived underground for decades after all. There's more Earthbending in them than you think."
"Not in the avatar. He killed two old women from the enemy side and now… Well, look how he responded."
"Makes sense, given what we know about his past. He learned brutality from a young age. The air nomads tried to teach him a better way and now he's forced to relive those painful lessons again. He fears sliding back."
"Well, he's gonna need to grow a pair if he wants to bring down the bastards who killed his bros."
Alphys ran her fingers through her hair.
"He'll need more than that to defeat them. No one's been able to beat the fire Nation back in all this time. It would take a miracle. Maybe even more than the avatar to change that."
"Maybe I…. Have something… I dunno….. Maybe not…"
"Oh, come on! Out with it already lame o! Shoot, that nickname doesn't ring either."
"I've found something cool…. Cool to me anyway…."
They followed him into a room in the back of the room. A wide room.
"So, what are we looking at," Alphys asked.
"Nothing," Toph replied. "My feet I think?"
"Seems boring at first… But check this out…"
He pulled a lever, and the ceiling was replaced with stars. They hovered over them all for a moment then disappeared, leaving the ceiling blank again.
"So, I take it you did something? Or are we sitting around picking our noses?"
"It's a…. I think they call it a planetarium…. It records position of stars… in the past….. and makes predictions for the future…. At least I think so…"
"Predictions for the future? How does that frigging work? Can spirits time travel?"
"These are human inventions," Alphys responded. "They make predictions based on past movements."
"That sounds like utter nonsense. And I say that having made seismic sense, traveled with the avatar and lived with a talking murderous flower."
"Well…. Let's take this one day… 50 years ago…"
In the center of the room lay a great dais. It consisted of several rings.
"Year….. Month…. Day…."
When the dais date was locked in, Napstablook pulled the lever and a model of the sun moved across above.
"See…. This was the weather that particular day…. Now try this day….. I just did it on a whim and….."
He entered in the date and pulled the lever. A model of the moon rose into place and covered the sun.
"See…. Eclipse…. Never seen one myself….. Heard about them though….. Blot out the sun… Shroud the land in darkness…."
Alphys' eyes suddenly widened as she realized something.
"Eclipse. Why does that remind me of something?"
"Whatcha looking through?"
"Yang! Don't sneak up on me like that, please!"
"I was yelling at you from across the room, ma. You were just too into your… whatever you're reading."
"It's called a scroll. A history of the fire Nation. What we've been able to gather."
"Yuck. Why can't you read about musicians or entertainers? Why's it gotta be such gruesome stuff?"
"I'm looking for any signs of weakness. Anything we can use against them."
"Like airbending?"
"Not enough. We need something more. Weakness on their part."
"Weakness?"
"It's part of the airbending philosophy. Strike them when they're weakest. Knock them off balance from many angles. Then deliver the kil- No. Not the right term in airbending. Deliver the finishing blow. No killing in airbending and all that."
"So how do we make them weak?"
"That's why I'm reading this. It's about a moment of fire nation weakness. Their darkest day they called it. A day when the sun went out. On that day, something bad happened. I can't be sure. But it happened on the day of a solar eclipse."
"Any idea what?"
"Probably some kind of major battle. One where they had many casualties. But there's no mention of the battle or who did it. Only that it happened during an eclipse for some reason."
Yang sighed.
"If we beat the fire nation we get to leave this shithole, right?"
"Yang! Language!"
"What? Others say it all the time. Why can't I?"
"Because you're young and I don't want to hear you saying that ok?"
He pouted. It was cute.
"So, when we beat those ash makers, we can leave. Go anywhere we want, right?"
"If you're talking about Ba Sing Se, then yes. I guess technically we could. Though the plan is to go out only long enough to find the means to repair the orbs and- "
"No! fuck that! I don't want to go into the sky! There's nothing up there! I don't want to shave my head and eat pies! I want an audience! Fans! I want to be a star!"
Alphys sighed. The boy was always too ambitious for this life.
"You promised, remember? You said you'd take me there one day."
"And I will. One day."
The boy smiled and leaned his head on her shoulder.
"No matter how many fans I get, you'll always be my bet mom."
"The eclipse blocks out firebending. I don't know what happened on the darkest day, but I know why. There was an eclipse that day. The Firebenders were powerless. It's the perfect opportunity to attack."
"Wait. What? Girl, I think you're tripping on cactus juice!"
"Try to find when the next eclipse is going to take place, will you Napstablook?"
He nodded and began trying different dates until eventually…
"A few months from now. That's when the Firebenders will have no access to their power. Without the sun, they have nothing. It's the source of all firebending."
"Huh. It's like being separated from the earth."
"So…. If we invade the Fire Nation on this day….."
"It's the moment, we've waited for. Our people will have their revenge. And the Fire Nation will experience ethe hell they put us through. This war can end."
"Mortals are so predictable. It's tiresome actually."
They hadn't noticed the owl walking up behind.
….
"Avatar Aang? It's been some time since we last spoke. How are you toda- "
Avatar Yangchen instantly shut her mouth as Aang rambled almost incoherently an insane story about murder and the loss of avatar Roku to some kind of centipede spirit.
"I see. So, Koh the Face stealer took his face. Even the slightest hint of emotion and he can steal it. This is a grim moment for us. We've lost a valuable member of the avatar coalition."
Aang didn't respond. He merely continued looking at the ground.
"Why don't you come talk with us? Let's see if we can help you with your problems."
"Us? Who else- "
"That would be us, Avatar Aang."
Avatar Aang as he was now known stared with wide eyes at the tallest human being ever. Painted face underneath a gold headwear. Her face displayed no warmth unlike Yangchen.
"Aang. "Yangchen beckoned with her hand. This is Avatar. My successor and Roku's predecessor."
He bowed with all the respect he could muster. He'd heard stories about Kyoshi. How she had lived for over 2 centuries. How she'd handled Chin the conqueror. He'd once fancied himself being an avatar like her. Now, he wasn't so sure.
"So, you're having trouble because you couldn't kill without getting sore feet? My advice? Grow a pair."
"Avatar Kyoshi," Yangchen admonished. "I don't think that's the most helpful advice in this scenario."
"Why not? It's one I learned well enough. Kill or be killed."
"This avatar is young. Forcing him to- "
"He'll have to learn sooner or later Before the comet arrives, I believe."
Aang suddenly realized something strange.
"Wait. She's your successor? But wouldn't a waterbending avatar have to come before her?"
"That's actually been a problem for some time," Yangchen replied. "Avatar Kuruk has not shown himself since before the turn of the century."
"I'm glad for that," Kyoshi said. "He was lazy and unaccomplished. He left the world in a state of disarray and disunion. I spent my whole life cleaning up the mess he left behind."
"Where is he?"
'We don't know. We can't find him or sense him. He's not responding to us."
Aang sighed. So, all he had for help was two lives at the moment. Not much to work with.
"Still, you are having trouble with visions. Doubt. The pressure of an entire world."
"We all had duties. Suck it up and do them."
"Kyoshi, please."
"How then? How do I take down an entire nation in a few months and with these… hallucinations?"
Yangchen tapped her chin.
"That is a peculiar dilemma. You say these hallucinations cause you actual harm? It's not just in the mind?"
"I still feel bruised from places she's hurt me. Once I remember she choked me out of frustration. It sill ached for some time after."
Yangchen and Kyoshi looked at each other.
"Any idea what that means? Let me guess. It's a reflection of my self harm? I'm doing it to myself?"
"Maybe not."
The two avatars stared at Yangchen.
"It is possible for someone from the spirit world to affect someone in the living. If there is a tie between them. Like there is a link between all three of us."
"But we are all avatars. What kind of link would there be between Aang and his sister? Blood? If that's the case, why have we never heard of any other siblings or family members doing this?"
"An excellent question. Somehow she must have found a way to create a bond."
"And she's using that bond to make him kill oppressors. Why is this a bad thing again?"
"Because that's not me anymore! I'm not The son of a madman! I'm not a killer! I am an air Nomad! I'm meant to promote life! Not take it!"
Both avatars were quite stunned by his outburst.
"I've seen the pain that infects this world! The violence! And that isn't solved by more violence!"
"If all those who promoted violence in the first place are eliminated- "
"What? No more violence? If that's the case, then why is this all happening after your time. You had over two centuries to- "
"Watch it kid. Terrible ideas always resurface. You need to put them down when they do."
"That just leads to a cycle of more violence! That's not how you stop war!"
"Then how pray tell do you stop war?"
Aang paused. He knew how the towering amazon was going to react. It didn't matter. He had to stand his ground.
"Mercy."
Kyoshi blinked.
"Mercy? Mercy for the enemy. That's how you get them to stop fighting?"
"Well, it hasn't been tried in any major capacity so- "
"That's because it's ridiculous! Forgive the ones trying to kill you? No one's tried it because any fool with half his brain missing can tell that doesn't work!"
Yangchen frowned.
"I'm sorry to take her side Aang, but the traditions of our people come second to the world's restoration."
"But if I could find another way to get through to them. A way to defeat them wi- "
"The only way to defeat those who commit genocide is genocide," Kyoshi interrupted.
Aang paled.
"And I think you know that too. Whether your sister is real or not, I think you should listen. Within you I sense the capacity for violence. The capacity for war. We need that version of you. The violent version. The kind that gets things done."
Aang didn't respond.
"So, your advice is suck it up? Fine. I guess There's nothing more to say. I'd like to leave."
"Aang…" Yangchen tried to say.
"No. Let's go. I've heard enough. Yangchen. Can you lead me back to the regular world?"
Yangchen sighed and nodded before whistling. A horse spirit with pink flowing hair materialized out of seemingly nowhere and she got on its back before beckoning to Aang.
Aang bowed to Kyoshi.
"Thank you Avatar Kyoshi. It was nice to meet you."
"Aang. Only justice will bring peace."
He stared for a moment more then nodded.
He intended to prove her wrong.
He wondered what Yangchen's opinion he was as sat on the back of the horse.
"You think I'm stupid don't you?"
"I didn't say that."
"But you do. You think I'm childish and naïve to put my ideals first."
"Again. I didn't- "
"And you're not wrong. You or Kyoshi. It would be the simplest step. The most likely to assure the fire Nation could never harm anyone again."
She didn't speak this time.
"But at what cost? To kill again. To become a beast again. If I go down that hole again, I'll never crawl back out."
He clenched his fists. The air darkened. The horse's features grew twisted from his conflicted emotions.
"Aang. Calm yourself."
"That's what my father wanted me to be I think. A killer. Someone who could get the job done without hesitancy. Spill blood without batting an eye."
His shoulders shook. The horse now began crying. Rain fell from on high.
"But that's not who I am! Not who I want to be! The air nomads. Gyatso. They saved me from that! They taught me a better way! A way of peace and contentment! A way not drenched in misery! They gave me happiness for the first time in my life! And I don't want to forget that way! I don't want to dishonor them! I don't care how hard it is!"
Yangchen didn't respond.
"Doesn't it matter to you? You're- were an air nomad. Didn't that mean something to you? That way of life? What good is saving the world if there's no beauty in it? Must we stain ourselves endlessly in blood for some measure of peace?"
Yangchen smiled.
"Maybe there's someone else you should see before you leave. If you're willing to ride with me a little more."
He nodded. And they rode until they reached purple mountains. In the air danced flowers of many different colors. It was a peaceful place despite Aang's inner turmoil.
"Lovely. But you said someone I should see. Not somewhere."
"I believe that would be me, my pupil."
Aang's eyes widened. He must be hallucinating. Or mad.
"Gyatso!"
….
"You lied to me! From the beginning you planned to use my knowledge as an instrument of war! For evil designs!"
"Don't talk to us about evil mate," Toph responded. "The Fire Nation started this war! They're the evil ones! We're just ending it!"
The owl scoffed.
"Do you think you're the first to consider your war justified? Countless have come here in search of battle tactics or other ways to destroy their enemies and leave them the only ones standing."
"We don't have a choice," Alphys responded. "If they won't leave us in peace, we must respond in kind. We're only trying to protect wo we love. What we love."
"And now I'm going to protect what I love."
With this declaration, the owl began flapping his wings quickly and causing a mini storm within the confines of the room.
"What's he doing," Toph asked.
"I'm taking my knowledge back! No one will ever abuse it again!"
"Huh… Guess it's time to leave or something… you know…."
"I'm afraid I can't allow that. You've already seen too much."
The airbenders took a step backwards as the owl's neck stretched long and his eyes grew demonic. Toph meanwhile simply put her foot down. Literally.
A pillar of stone rose up from the ground and hit the owl in the chin, knocking him off his feet.
"You got the date written down Nap?"
"Uh…. Yeah… I did something right….. Heh…. Imagine that….."
"Great. Then let's vamoose! Oh, and don't forget twinkle toes, please! I know he's annoying but the world needs him, I guess."
Napstablook lifted the avatar in his arms with some difficulty and began to run after the ladies. They made some distance before Alphys stopped outside the air nomad section.
"There's a lot of good stuff in there," Alphys muttered. "Useful stuff. IT could prove a huge boon to- "
"Take it then, nerd. The owl wants us dead anyway."
She hesitated a moment then nodded before scooping up what texts she could carry.
"So much more in here. So much I'll never read. Least of all how to repair the orbs."
"No great loss then in my book. Come on nerd! Let's ditch this joint!"
"So that's my nickname then?"
"Yeah I know. It's not my best."
"What about me…."
"Eh, I dunno. You're so down all the time. I fear depressing you even more. "
They ran to the center room where they first landed. The entrance lay above them.
"Wish I could say I'll miss this place, but books and I have never seen eye to eye. Now everyone stand close, and I'll give us a lift out."
"Uh… Alert….."
The owl skulked out of the darkness.
"You disappoint me. I had slight hope for air nomads. I thought your kind always peaceful and distasteful of the sins of your kind. You've fallen far it seems."
"It's a new world bird boy," Toph remarked. "Learn to live in it."
The owl didn't dignify a response. Rather continued to walk closer.
"Guess I've gotta do something right…. Right…"
Napstablook of all people took a bent stance and pushed forward with a gust of air, sending the owl back against the wall.
Toph stared with wide eyes as she caused the pillar to rise.
"Wow. Like a true earthbender. Maybe there's hope for you after all."
They reached the open window and jumped out onto the ground just as the tower sank beneath the sand. The owl's screech of rage sounded out one last brief moment before vanishing along with the library.
"That's the last time I go to a library ever."
"It pains me to hear you say that! Look at all we gained! For the first time in over a century, we have a chance to take the fight to the Fire Nation! To throw them off their stolen throne! If we present this to the Earth king along with the entire might of the new Air nomads, we can begin our assault to take back our homes!"
"And twinkle toes here slept through it all. And I thought he was lazy before."
She leaned down before the avatar and began shaking his shoulders.
"Hey twinkle toes! You gonna nap for the rest of time? What's going on? Twinkle Toes!"
….
"My dear pupil. I'm so so sorry for all you've endured. I'm so sorry for the burden we placed on you. And at such a young age."
"I'm sorry I ran away. If I'd been stronger, stayed behind- "
"Don't think of it that way. You would have died too."
"We don't know that! I could have provided a fighting chance! Instead, I left you all to die! I saw my home! The northern Air temple burned to the ground! I… I almost killed myself. Almost threw myself off the edge…."
Gyatso hugged him closer.
"Don't do that. I implore, you never do that. No matter how hard it gets. You are proof we existed. You must carry our memories into the future."
Aang snorted.
"I'm not the only proof. There are more airbenders. Survivors."
Gyatso smiled thinly.
"Yes. But from what I've heard, they don't exactly follow our ways."
"And they don't want me to either. They want me to kill. Everyone wants me to kill. To do the unforgivable. Even my past lives."
Yangchen looked away.
"Not just them. Other airbenders here in the spirit world feel that same way."
Aang raised an eyebrow.
"What do you mean Gyatso?"
"The other airbenders in this world after death feel perhaps our ways were too lenient. Invited others to attack. Presented us as weak. They think a little more violence is necessary for our future nation. They too have come to practice the art of genocide."
Aang buried his face in his hands.
"In other words, they're me before I met you."
Gyatso smiled.
"Nonsense. You never showed warmongering. And you never will. Though I am impressed by how opposed you are to battle against our oppressors. I figured you might still have a little temptation. I mean, no disrespect but last we spoke there was a little part of you that wanted to run off and have a little tussle here and there."
Aang didn't respond. After all, Gyatso was right. There was a part of him that did enjoy that, even now.
"Might I ask what exactly helped you undergo this change? Because the way you speak, it appears this is about more than just upholding your beliefs. Have you gained sympathy with the people of the Fire Nation?"
Aang twitched.
"Or rather have you gained sympathy with specific people of the fire Nation?"
Aang didn't respond.
"Is it a girl?"
Aang's head whipped his direction. Gyatso laughed.
"I can't blame you. All that time spent with old men and boys in the air temple. I was always against gender segregation. It gives us no experience when we interact with them."
"I… It's not like that! I'm not attracted!"
"Oh? Then why the huge blush? Is it platonic?"
"It's complicated. That's what! She hates me. Wants me dead. And yet…. There's more to her. Sadness. Despair. A father she can never please no matter how hard she tries. The future of an entire nation on her back. I… Her eyes are full of sadness."
"She reminds you of yourself. What? Don't look at me that way. I know you. So, you don't want to fight this girl? Even if it is the easiest path to victory?"
Aang thought in silence for a moment. He'd been contemplating some version of this question ever since he'd left the Fire Nation behind. Ever since he left Frisk behind. Ever since Azula… touched him. Did he have an answer after all this time.
"Yes."
Gyatso nodded.
"In that case, let's consider again how to talk down an enemy. When you see an enemy or someone otherwise trying to harm you, what are the three things you can do?"
"Oh! I remember this! You can fight! Show mercy! Or…. Act some other way?"
"Correct! You can act! It's unlikely an enemy is going to show you mercy when you first meet. So, you can act in ways that might increase their likelihood of surrender or retreat."
Gyatso stood up and went to go make some tea. Apparently in the spirit world, it was even better.
"It's sort of like airbending in a way. Rather than kill, we try to find other ways to take our opponent off balance. We take little jabs here and there to throw them off. Weaken them at different positions. Then go in for the defeating blow."
"The killing blow?"
Gyatso cringed.
"I prefer my way. We're not trying to kill remember?"
"Right. Sorry."
"So, think about what you know of the enemy you're facing. What's one thing you can do with any enemy you encounter? What's the first thing you usually do with anyone you don't want to fight?"
"You uh… Well, I try to talk them down."
"Correct! Try to build common ground between you and your opponent. Or if not talking, by some other means. Understand them, then find a way to bridge the connections that exist between you."
"What if there are no connections? Nothing we have in common. Nothing to create empathy?"
Gyatso put his hand on Aang's shoulder.
"Everyone has something in common. Everyone is united. Didn't you learn that from the swamp? Time. Space. Death. These things are illusions. Everything is connected. If you can just find that common ground, you might stand a chance."
Aang laughed.
"Gonna be hard to explain that to anyone and for them to keep a straight face."
"No doubt. But that's the whole point of airbending isn't it? Finding an enemy's weakness and using it against them. It's not that different from some of the training I've taught you, remember? What's the first thing you should do if you can in a fight?"
"Observation? Wait. No that can't be right, can it? Damn. I'm sounding like Napstablook."
"No, that's correct! The greatest weapon is knowledge. Seek knowledge about your foe. Whatever you can do to bring them down without violence. Open a line of conversation. Give them a head pat. Talk about their favorite hobby- "
"Head pat? You serious? Get out!"
They heard movement nearby all of a sudden. Out of the blue, a dog-shaped spirit bounded into view. It growled upon seeing the trio of airbenders.
"Wait." Gyatso held up a hand before Yangchen who looked ready to fight. "Let me handle this."
He leaned down and picked up a shimmering rock. As the dog began to run, he took careful observation.
"I can't fight. But neither can I show mercy yet. I must take a different action. I say… Fetch!"
He threw the rock. The dog stopped for a minute, its eyes trailing the little sphere as it sailed overhead. Then it ran after it.
Aang and Yangchen blinked a few times to make sure they were seeing things right. They shouldn't be surprised. It was a dog. Spirit or not. But it still seemed totally out of place.
The dog held the stone between its teeth. Its eyes remained fixed on Gyatso's. still somewhat angry.
"I've peaked its interest. But not enough. Let's try… Head scratch!"
Aang was increasingly growing worried for his mentor and his state of mind at he leapt at the dog and rubbed its head with fervent speed.
"Who's a good boy? Who's a good boy?"
"Gyatso? Are you all right?"
The dog seemed happy now, both panting ang wagging its tail.
"Right. I've gotten it to open up. But I'm not ready to try mercy yet. Let's try…. Petting!"
And so Gyatso did just that. Petted the spirit. Just a regular head pat. Nothing special, but the dog looked at him like he was a hero.
"Now that he's practically in love with me, only one thing left"
He bowed.
"Mercy brother."
The dog bowed in return and walked with its tail still wagging.
"That… That really just happened, right?"
"Yes," Yangchen nodded. "Yes it did."
"Anything or anyone can eb talked down my pupil. Behind the veil of anger and bloodlust, there is character and personality. Appeal to that and you can deny your sister the freedom she so craves."
Aang's eyebrows raised.
"What does that mean?"
"I don't think your sister is a hallucination Aang. I think…. Spirits! Yangchen! We must go! Get Aang back to the regular world!"
Rather than ask what he meant, they turned around to see… Flowers. Grinning flowers. And at the front was one particular plant he didn't want to see again.
"That's him! That's the little shit! Make him hurt!"
"Move horse," Yangchen yelled. "Move! Move!"
Flowey extended his tendrils, but they had already gotten out of range. He cursed at losing the avatar again.
The horse ran for a time until they reached familiar territory
"The other airbenders have been corrupted," Gyatso explained as he backflipped off the horse. "Lust for revenge has corrupted them and her in the spirit world, emotions can warp reality. Warp their very image. I suspect your sister has something to do with that."
"What do you mean? And how can those be airbenders? They're not even human!"
"It's a new experiment. A new hybrid of- "
Movement could be heard in the trees nearby. A horde of spirits came racing out.
"What now," Yangchen sighed. "I've had more excitement today than in the last 2 decades combined!"
Behind the horde a snake spirit came flying out and landed on the ground before them. It bore no face.
"Aang! My Pupil! The entrance back to the regular world is back in the clearing that way!"
"Gyatso- "
"Go my son. Save the world. And don't let it change you. You are not your father's son. You are the avatar. You are filled with strength, love, compassion… And determination. Now go prove it."
Aang closed his mouth, nodded and bowed.
"Thank you Sifu Gyatso. It was great to see you again and.. Thank you for everything."
"Great to see you again too. Now go! Before it catches you!"
So, the avatar turned and ran again from his mentor. His people. But this time with purpose and determination.
He stopped upon the same ground he had entered. The same forest of swirling colors with the same strange colored sky. He felt something different about the ground here. This had to be it. The way back.
Without any prior knowledge, he somehow knew how to get back. He sat down in cross legged position and closed his eyes. He heard movement and opened his eyes to find himself staring into Roku's face.
"It's been a while since I added a child's face to my collection."
"Twinkle Toes! You gonna wake up? Aang! Aang!"
His eyes flashed open again. He shot up to find himself aboard Appa and flying across the desert. Napstablook sat atop Appa's head.
"About time! What the hell happened to you? You go on an acid trip?"
"A what? No! I saw Gyatso, my old mentor! And other avatar spirits! And then I ran from Flowey the flower and a centipede who steals faces. And then I rode an octopus- "
"Yep. Acid trip. Well, while you played around in your head, we found some rather good news. Well, technically Nap found it."
"If you say so…."
"Oh, come on! Give yourself a little- No. Forget it. We've got a plan. A plan to take down the fire Nation."
"It's true," Alphys said. "Up until now, Our plan was to perform duties across the Earth Kingdom and prove to the Earth King that we could make a difference in the war. But now, we have more to offer."
"That's right," Toph grinned. "In a few months, we're going to invade the Fire Nation Capitol and face them head on like an earthbender. At a time when they won't have fire powers. It'll be a massacre for them. Awesome, right?"
Aang felt sweat roll down his forehead.