Chapter 20: Reset
AN: Here's to the last arc of the story starting! This arc will focus on Aang's internal struggle with his role as the Avatar, the quest for peace, and bringing a proper ending to this beautiful story. This honestly was my favorite chapter to write so far, I hope you enjoy it! Also, a side note. I'm not sure if the last scene would fit in with "Water Tribe Culture" too well, so if there are anyone who are more experts on the subject than I am, please let me know. Lastly, we're getting into tax busy season, which means my job is going to be super busy here! I apologize if my uploads aren't very consistent because of it.
Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender
The roaring wind that filled the air around them filled Katara with nothing but joy. They had been flying on Appa from Ba Sing Se for six days now, and today would be the last full day of their journey before they return to the South Pole. As the climate around the group slowly became brisker and the only thing that they could see below them was the waves of the expansive water below, the waterbender knew that they were getting close to home, and she could only squeal with excitement at the prospect of her homecoming.
Flying on Appa for the past week hadn't been bad per say, but there were far more interesting things that she would have rather been doing. Fortunately, Aang had been smart and had made everyone bring a pillow and blanket along with them as they were planning on doing multiple overnight flying sessions as Appa would allow. With the addition of her father to the group, Appa's saddle had become quite crowded, so someone always had to be up on his head and controlling the reins.
The group had become quite lazy however, with a lot of them taking the opportunity of being in the air for so long to catch up on sleep. When they weren't sleeping, they were constantly telling stories from the war, sharing jokes with each other, and making up games to pass along the time. It was a much needed trip for everyone, and especially with the political tension that had come to the forefront in Ba Sing Se, no one was complaining that they were taking this time to themselves.
Unfortunately, the only person from the group who wasn't having as good of a time was Aang. Since his "date" with Katara on the island, he had taken a turn for the worse with his injuries, and he found it especially hard to move. The airbender was also quite exhausted from the pain of his injuries, as well as the burden that his Avatar duties had brought him. When he was awake, he was extremely happy, and he made everyone (especially Chief Hakoda) laugh with his stories from his childhood and his silly jokes. He also loved to spend time up front with Appa, taking the reins as often as he could. However, he wasn't awake very much. He often slept for around 12-14 hours each day, but the one good thing that came out of it was that he was always curled up next to Katara.
The couple's favorite way to show intimacy with each other was cuddling, and this trip had given them every reason to be in each other's arms. Not only was it comforting and relaxing for the two, but it also soothed Aang as he was still jittery and traumatized from his imprisonment with the Dai Li. With the lack of privacy that came with Appa, the airbender had woken up the rest of the group three different times because of his nightmares of his imprisonment, which actually caused the group's bond to become stronger, as they worked together to calm him down.
For the first time in Aang's life, he was really starting to understand the joys that came with a sense of belonging, and undoubtedly in his mind the ragtag group of friends that had formed in the purpose of ending the war had become his family. Ever since his time with Katara on the island, Aang had made it a priority to allow himself to grieve each day. What he found was that his grief didn't have to just take the form of crying. When it was his turn to share a story to the group, he always chose to share something from his times at the Southern Air Temple, and he started to share more details about his culture, too. To his surprise, the entire group was extremely eager to learn more about the Air Nomads, but there was none more eager than his lovely companion.
Ever since sharing their grief with each other on the island, the couple had never felt closer. It was as if an imaginary wall that was between them was suddenly demolished, and Aang and Katara could not have been happier. Both members of the couple were especially delighted in Aang's growing hair. Katara thought that his hair made him look especially handsome, and Aang discovered the wonderful pleasure that came when Katara would run her fingers through his hair. The rest of the group had also wondered why Aang had chosen to grow his hair out, and fortunately for the airbender, they were all more than understanding when he explained that it could help him be incognito and take a much needed break from his Avatar duties for a while. On this trip, he just wanted to be Aang.
The excitement was palpable across the group as they had just finished lunch. Within a couple of hours, they would be landing in the South Pole. Katara, Sokka, and Hakoda were all curious and anxious to see how it had changed since they had last seen it. Currently, Sokka and Hakoda were excitedly bouncing ideas back and forth on the changes that they would like to make to the Southern Water Tribe. Katara noticed Aang had moved up to take the reins of Appa, so she decided to join him and keep him company. Climbing down onto Appa's head, she sat down next to the airbender, curling up next to him and resting her head on his shoulder. He turned his head to meet her, and her heart fluttered as she was met by his sparkling gray eyes and bright smile. "Hi my love," Katara affectionately smiled back at her companion, "I forgot to ask you, how are you feeling today?"
Aang gently pulled his companion in so she could lie down and lean against his chest more comfortably while still getting a good view of his face. "Well . . . I've been better," he stated with a sheepish grin, causing the waterbender to frown. Katara knew that Aang tried to hide his pain the best he could, not to look weak, but to prevent others from worrying about him. His statement was the same one that he had made the other days on this trip, so she could only conclude he was still in pain. "Are you excited to finally return home today?" Aang followed up, hoping to change their conversation to a happier topic.
Katara's face lit up in response. "Yes! I can't wait to see Gran Gran . . . I can't believe it's almost been a full year since I've been home. Life was so different back then . . ." She looked up to meet Aang's adoring gaze, a small blush forming over her features.
The airbender let out a soft chuckle in response. "Tell me about it! Back then I was just a block of ice. Maybe since I've fulfilled my destiny we can go put me back in the iceberg so someone else can wake me the next time a war starts." Aang joked, causing his companion to roll her eyes in response.
"No chance of that happening. Now that I have you, there's no way I'm ever letting you go again." Katara emphasized her statement by snuggling into his chest further, happily content with her current position. When Aang started to run his fingers through her hair, she happily purred in response, enjoying herself as she started to think aloud. "You know, this trip has been really nice so far. I can't wait to get back on solid ground and be able to stretch my legs and all, but with no pressing obligations or political matters, it's been nice to relax." Then, the waterbender formed a grin as she looked back up to her companion. "Plus, it's been nice to have you all to myself."
"I don't know . . . you can be a lot sometimes. . ." Aang sarcastically responded with his own grin, causing Katara to scoff with a laugh and playfully hit his shoulder. "I agree though, being able to spend so much quality time with you and the rest of the group has been . . . really nice. For the first time in what feels like forever, we finally don't have anything to do. We can just enjoy ourselves and each other. Besides . . . I'm just focusing on not getting kicked out of the Tribe this time."
His companion laughed in response, affectionately nuzzling her head into his chest. "I can confidently say that you are the first person that I ever saw get removed from our tribe. But . . ." she raised the pitch of her voice playfully while placing her hand under her chin while she pretended to think, "I think we'll allow you back this time."
Aang wiped his forehead and let out an exasperated sigh of relief. "Oh, good! I was so worried!" The airbender grinned once again as he leaned down and pressed a light kiss on the top of her head, before mumbling into her ear. "Besides, my absolutely gorgeous companion is taking me to her home for the first time, I have to be on my best behavior." When Katara's face responded with the exact blush that he was hoping for, he heartily laughed in response, his heart fluttering as she affectionately gazed into his eyes. "I love you so much Katara."
Katara then closed the gap between them, allowing a short but affectionate kiss to be shared. "And I love you too, my goofy troublemaking companion." The two kept up their playful banter for the rest of the trip, but they also made sure to cuddle with each other and enjoy their well-deserved time together.
The Gaang couldn't help but gasp as the Southern Water Tribe came into view. It was no longer just the group of tents and small igloo that they had left 11 months ago. The Tribe now had official entry walls, sculpted carefully out of ice and creating a large archway as it opened up to the main square of the tribe. Inside the walls, there were no longer tents being used for people's homes. The Tribe was full of igloos, and a large ice watchtower stood near the entrance wall, imitating the one that Sokka had built out of snow. Currently in construction it seemed, an extremely large building was being worked on, and it seemed to be some sort of community building for Tribe Meetings.
As Appa slowly made his way towards the ground, a huge crowd started to gather in the main square. Katara, Sokka, and Hakoda could barely contain themselves as they had ached to return home for the longest time. At last, Appa finally landed, and Katara was able to make out the appearance of an older woman standing at the entrance of the village. Finally recognizing who it was, her eyes became as wide as saucers as joy took over her face. "Gran Gran!" The waterbender shouted, getting off of Appa as fast as she possibly could and sprinting her way over to her grandmother, colliding in a tearful embrace.
Kanna's eyes shined with pride as she warmly smiled at her granddaughter. "It is so great to see you, my little waterbender. You look so grown up." Katara wasn't given any chance to respond as Sokka was soon colliding into them, and her father was close behind. For the first time in years, their little family was officially reunited. The four of them gathered together in a long group hug, almost afraid to let go again. Finally, the group slowly backed away from their embrace, and Kanna turned to officially greet the two boys in her family. Affectionately cupping Sokka's face, she warmly greeted him. "My young warrior, you have made me so proud. Not to mention you've become quite handsome." Sokka sheepishly blushed as he gratefully looked at his grandmother, before she finally turned to Hakoda. "My son. . . oh how good it is to see you, I've missed you so much. Thank the spirits you all are safe."
The family once again gathered for a warm group hug, none of them having a dry eye as they were finally together again. As they broke apart, Kanna noticed the rest of the group getting off of Appa. Suki had come next to Sokka and placed her hand affectionately on his shoulder, and Aang was currently helping Toph, their arms linked together as she could hardly see in the snow. Turning to her grandchildren, she warmly gave them an inquisitive look, "and who are your friends that you brought with you?"
Sokka stepped forward proudly with his arm around Suki before answering his grandmother's question. "Gran Gran, I'd like you to meet Suki, leader of the Kyoshi Warriors, and also my girlfriend." Suki respectfully bowed to Kanna, who warmly placed her hand on her shoulder in return. "It looks like my grandson made an excellent choice, it is so nice to see you Suki." Kanna warmly replied.
Katara then turned towards Aang and Toph who had finally made it to the group. "Gran Gran, this is Toph Beifong, master earthbender, and greatest earthbender in the world." The two of them exchanged respectful bows. "Then this is Aang, the last of the airbenders and the Avatar, and most importantly he's the one I love." A blush formed across Aang's face as he bowed respectfully to Kanna, and the entire group noticed the wincing of pain that the action had caused him.
Kanna gave Aang a long look over before she finally warmly responded. "It is good to see you again, Avatar Aang. I must say that I didn't recognize you with your hair." Aang sheepishly smiled as he once again bowed out of respect to Kanna, once again wincing, before replying.
"It is great to see you again as well, Kanna. Thanks for your warm welcome. Please, feel free to call me Aang." When met by a short nod in response, Aang allowed himself to relax a little, and he had just noticed that Katara had placed her hand on his shoulder. She had a small look of concern on her face, which he tried to warmly dismiss with a smile. Fortunately for him, Kanna spoke up once again to address the group.
"Well, any friend of my son and grandchildren are more than welcome in the Tribe. Welcome everyone to the Southern Water Tribe. You all must be starving after a long day of travels. Please, come and join me for dinner. Besides, I want to hear all about your journey and adventures." When Toph, Sokka, and Hakoda all enthusiastically responded to this statement, the entire group of friends burst out in laughter. The group took off towards the main igloo of the tribe, where Kanna lived, Suki taking Toph's hand so she had someone to guide her. Katara lagged behind, and gave Aang a warm embrace, tears filling her eyes. "Thank you," she murmured into his ear as he happily accepted her hug, "thank you for bringing me home."
Aang formed a sad smile in response, before leaning in and kissing the tears on her cheeks. Both of them blushed as they felt so intimately close with each other. Hand in hand, they headed inside the igloo to join the rest of their family.
The igloo felt tight yet inviting with everyone crammed inside. When Aang and Katara had arrived, they were reunited with Master Pakku, and both of them were excited to see their former waterbending teacher. Eventually, dinner was ready and the one big family was gathered around the dining room table. Unfortunately, there weren't enough chairs or the space for everyone to fit, so Aang had volunteered to sit on the floor since he was the only one there not eating meat anyways.
Kanna had invited them to start sharing stories of their adventures, which Katara and Sokka happily obliged. With great enthusiasm and detail, Sokka and Katara started from the very beginning, from when they had left with Aang to head to the Southern Air Temple. Once the timeline started to include Suki and Toph, they both happily joined in on the storytelling, providing their own commentary and perspective on their journey. As the four of them reminisced, it was clear as day that the Water Tribe siblings were happy, and their grandmother was more than happy to know that they were back with her and safe.
Aang, however, had remained silent during this entire time. As he watched his friends recount their stories and share their meal with their families, he had a bittersweet smile as he watched his friends. Although he was extremely happy for Katara and Sokka to be reunited with their family, there was a tint of sadness spread across his features as he had his own sense of longing for that type of interaction. At first, he was able to distract himself by listening to the fond memories that he had made on his adventure, but eventually he felt the familiar pain of his grief overwhelming him, and he silently made his way outside the igloo.
He didn't walk very far, as he found his way to the makeshift stable that had been made for Appa. When Appa saw him approach, he gave a tired bellow and groan, closing his eyes and laying down. With a soft smile, Aang closed the distance between his best friend and gently stroked his fur, "I know buddy, you did a great job this week. You deserve some nice rest." The airbender made sure to get the best hay that he could find to feed his friend, and once Appa was properly taken care of, he curled up into the fur of his sky bison companion, just enjoying the company.
Appa let out a melancholy groan, as if to almost read Aang's thoughts. Aang could only hug his companion tighter as he murmured, "I know buddy, I miss them too." It was times like these where Aang had such a pang of longing for his Nation. With being back in the South Pole, he was so close to his home in the Southern Air Temple. The dinner that Sokka and Katara were currently sharing with their family reminded him of the dinners that he used to share with his friends at the temple after a long day of training. He remembered how he would be the one sharing stories of his training with his friends, and they would then heartily argue and laugh over the games that they had been playing together. Once again, a bittersweet expression of longing formed over Aang's face as he became lost in the thoughts of his former home.
"I thought I'd find you out here," a deep voice suddenly interrupted his thoughts. Startled, Aang looked up to see Hakoda standing in front of him with his arms crossed. Aang immediately started to get nervous as he realized that he had just left the dinner without telling anybody, and he possibly just made a bad impression once again on everybody. His anxiousness was quenched however when Hakoda's expression immediately softened and he gestured towards the wall where there was a bench sitting against it. "Mind if I join you?"
Aang nodded to show his approval and watched as the Southern Water Tribe Chief sat down. Figuring that people were upset with him, Aang decided to start off with an apology. "Hakoda, sir, I just wanted to apologize for leaving the dinner, I didn't mean to upset-" He was stopped when Hakoda put up his hand to cut him off.
"Don't worry about it Aang, no one even noticed that you were gone. Heck, they probably don't even know that I'm gone right now." He finished his statement with a soft chuckle as he seemed to study Aang's behavior. "No offense to you and your friends, but I had already heard the stories enough times this week, I didn't need to hear them again." This brought out a soft laugh from Aang, as he once again formed that bittersweet smile. Noticing this, Hakoda decided to get to the point. "What brings you out here, Aang?"
The two of them sat in a comfortable silence as Aang pondered how to answer the question. Debating on whether he should tell him the truth or not, he finally decided on the former. Letting out a soft sigh and nervously running his fingers through his hair, he looked up at Hakoda as he asked his question. "Is it wrong of me to be jealous of Katara and Sokka right now?"
Hakoda's brows raised up questioningly as this was not the response that he was expecting. Inquisitively looking back at the airbender, he decided to probe further. "What do you mean?"
Aang looked down in almost some sort of shame as he began to explain himself. "I'm really happy for Sokka and Katara, I really am. I'm also happy for you, too. I'm sure being able to return home after all of this time has been amazing for you. It's just . . . seeing them with their grandmother, and even you, I just sometimes wish that I would have had the opportunity to get my reunion." Hakoda's face fell as he understood where Aang was coming from. "Don't get me wrong, you all have taken me in as your family and I am so grateful for all of you, but . . ."
"You miss your own family." Hakoda empathetically responded in understanding. Aang slowly nodded his head, again looking down in shame like it was a bad thing. Hakoda decided that he would do his best to resolve that shame, if anything. It was the least he could do for the young man who had kept his family safe, and even saved his life. "You know, Aang, you've always amazed me about how well you've been able to keep yourself together considering what happened to you. But, to answer your question, yes. It is perfectly okay for you to long for your lost loved ones, and there is no shame to be had in that. No one inside that igloo, including me, will ever be upset with you for wishing that you could also return to your family like we got to with ours. We just got lucky with that part of the war."
The airbender looked back up appreciatively at Hakoda as he continued to ponder his wisdom. Studying the Water Tribe Chief's face, he recognized the pain that formed across his face, and he realized he was not alone. "This return has probably been really hard for you as well," Aang softly spoke. "I'm so sorry about what happened to your wife, sir. Believe me, I wish I could have been around to prevent it."
Hakoda sat in silence as his own memories of his lost wife sprang into his mind. Eventually, he looked back up and responded. "Unfortunately, it's the cost of war. Just as your own Nation faced that same cost as well. War is a terrible, evil thing. There's no good that comes out of it, and even when we are victorious, we can still feel defeated. I appreciate you thinking of our family Aang. Kya would have absolutely loved you."
A comfortable silence formed between the two as they sat there and thought about the loved ones they had lost in the war. Eventually, Hakoda continued speaking. "It's not fair, what's happened to you and my children. You, Aang, are an impressive young man. You have grown up so much and you have taught me things about how to approach things in life. I just wish that you didn't have to lose your childhood and your innocence to achieve those things."
Aang nodded in a sober understanding. "I bet you also wish that you didn't have to go away with all of the men from this Tribe to fight in the war. You're a great warrior and leader, Hakoda, but I'm sure that you would have rather been a great father first. One thing that I've learned from the war is that we all had to make sacrifices in order to chase the "greater good." Now that it's all over, we long for the things that we had to give up for peace. Unfortunately, some sacrifices made were bigger than others, and they all have varying effects on how they will change us for the future."
Hakoda stared back at the young man in shock as he imparted his wisdom. Shaking his head and staring at the ground, he finally looked up at the airbender with a gleam in his eye. "You are extremely wise, Aang. I hope that you are able to use your wisdom to help our world prosper, because we need you. More than any of us truly know."
The Chief stood back up, and was about to head back inside, when he was stopped by the airbender. "Hakoda, sir, if I may ask, is there any memorial that the Tribe has for your wife? I would like to go pay my respects." The Water Tribe Chief stopped in his tracks, and slowly stood there before turning around. Aang noticed a couple of tears rolling down the Chief's cheeks as he got ready to respond to him.
"It's just over the hill and into the tundra there," the Chief explained. With that, he placed a firm hand on Aang's shoulder and gave it a soft squeeze, before making his way back into the igloo. Aang quickly gathered a candle, and he found some flowers to take along with him. Feeling content, he made his way in the direction that Hakoda had pointed him to.
Eventually, he arrived at his destination. The memorial that they had set up was absolutely beautiful. On her gravestone, the symbol of the Southern Water Tribe was etched onto the stone, and an ice shaped heart sat against the side of the stone. The environment was entirely serene, as the soft crashing of the waves could be heard in the distance. Aang set up camp, lighting his candle and placing it at the foot of the tombstone, and laying the flowers that he had brought along with it next to the grave.
He sat there in a contemplative silence for a moment as he contemplated meditating, but then, he decided to speak out, not knowing for sure what to do. "Hey there, Kya," he let out with a shaky voice, "I'm sorry for using your first name, but I honestly don't know what your family's last name is. I don't really do this type of thing a lot, trying to remember the people we lost, so I'm sorry if this all just sounds weird to you." He sat there in silence for a few more moments, letting his heart guide the words out of him.
"I just wanted to start out by thanking you. You have an incredible family, and getting to know Hakoda, Sokka, and Katara has been one of the greatest joys I've had in my life. I hope you know how much they miss you. You mean everything to them, and you helped raise two of the greatest kids on the planet. Selfishly, part of the reason I'm here is I wanted to ask you for your permission in something."
"You see, I've been courting Katara for about a month now, and it's been the happiest month of my life. I've gotten permission from Hakoda, but, knowing how much you mean to Katara, I kind of wanted to come and ask permission from you, too. Katara means the world to me, and I promise you that I will do everything in my power to make her happy. I promise that I will love her every day, and I will make sure that through our good days and bad days together, she will always know how special she is to me. You see, we both lost some important people to us. I'd like to imagine that you and Gyatso are both out there in the Spirit World smiling down upon us as we find our way through these crazy adventures. But, I'd like to ask for your permission to find my way through life with Katara."
Aang sat there in silence, as if waiting for a response. Suddenly, a gentle breeze began to pick up and flow around the area, and the candle that Aang had lit flickered brightly as if something were controlling it. Just as quick as it started, it died down, and the only thing that Aang could hear was tears from behind him. Turning around, he saw his beautiful companion standing there, tears streaming down her face. He stretched his arms out to her, and she quickly walked forward and fell into his protective embrace.
Nightfall had already come a long time ago at this point, and as Katara sobbed into his chest, she quickly exhausted herself. Soon, the waterbender was asleep in his arms, and he could only smile as the sense of peace had taken over her form. He didn't know how much of the conversation that he had with her mother that she had heard, but it didn't matter. Coming to this area was probably just as painful as it was for him to return to the Southern Air Temple, and grief always comes at the most unexpected times.
Carefully cradling her into his arms, he gently lifted himself up, ignoring the pain that it brought, and walked back with her towards the Main Square. Pakku had created an igloo for all of the friends to stay in during their stay, and they were each given their own bedroom to stay in. He found the bedroom that was meant for them, and tucked Katara in under the covers. As he climbed into the bed with her, a thought dawned on him. He had every reason to be happy at the moment, even if he badly missed his own family. As long as he could always be returning to Katara, that was the only reunion he would ever need.