Chapter 22: Goodbye

AN: Not a fan of the ending of this chapter, but I tried my best :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender

It seemed to Katara that almost as soon as they had arrived at the South Pole, they were now leaving again. Though this wasn't necessarily a bad thing this time, as Katara felt surprisingly more than ready to continue on with life's adventures. Just before they had gone to bed last night, a messenger hawk came and requested Aang for an important meeting at the Palace of the Fire Nation, followed by a commemorative ball that night. They had a week to get there, so Aang was still insistent about wanting to go back to the Southern Air Temple to properly have funerals for his fallen brothers and the firebenders.

Aang had let the rest of the group in on what he was planning on doing, and he told them that he had zero expectations for any of them to come along. Toph immediately agreed as she was aching to get out of the snow and back on land where she could see again, but Katara had noticed that Sokka was initially hesitant. Then when he thought back to how tough the previous two trips had been to the Southern Air Temple, he caved in and decided to come along for the trip. Suki of course followed suit immediately after. Aang was visibly moved by his friends, which was more of a family at this point, and the group shared a heartfelt moment before turning in for the night.

When it came time to take off towards the Southern Air Temple and say goodbye to her home again, Katara didn't hesitate to give the biggest hugs she could to her Gran Gran and father. Though it was hard for her to leave them again, Aang had promised her that they would be making much more frequent visits to the South Pole, and that he wants to make sure that she stays connected with her family. She once again was reminded just how much she adored her companion, and how selfless of a person he was. Because they were returning to the Southern Air Temple, Aang decided to shave his head once again and wear his arrows proudly. While Katara secretly will miss the hair, she couldn't help but admire the almost ethereal pride and glow that came from Aang in response to showing his arrows.

As they rode Appa to the Southern Air Temple, most of the group tried to catch up on some sleep. Toph, Suki, and Sokka were all passed out in the saddle, and Katara decided to join Aang up on Appa's head to keep him company. Taking a look at the airbender, she noticed that he lacked his usual lighthearted demeanor, instead he looked solemn, yet determined. She could notice how nervous he was to return to his home and face the horrors and tragedies from over a century ago. The last two visits were extremely painful for the both of them, and Katara could only imagine that this visit wouldn't be any easier.

Cautiously, she moved her hand forward and intertwined hers with his. Aang turned to her and gave her an appreciative smile, but his gray orbs looked like they were about to burst, and that he was doing everything within his power to hold it back. Words didn't need to be shared between them at this moment. They both knew each other's pain. They understood each other's grief. At this point, there were no longer any words that could fix things or make them truly better. Instead, they relied on each other's presence, hoping that being in proximity of their loved one might keep them from breaking apart.

Eventually, the Patola Mountain Range came into view, and the magnificence of the Southern Air Temple shined upon them. Even when the temple was in ruins and tattered, it still looked glorious. The other three had awakened by the time they arrived, and it was still impossible for Sokka and Suki to hold back their gasps in amazement when they came into view of the temple. Appa let out a low groan at the sight of his former home, and he slowly started to make his descent near the temple entrance.

The group decided to set up camp at the entrance of the Temple, as it was already nighttime from their long days of travels. They set up a campfire with the goal of eating dinner, but Aang wasn't hungry and instead chose to wander off and explore the temple. Sokka and Katara then chose to spend this time retelling the time of their first visit to the Southern Air Temple with Aang, describing the challenges they had faced about trying to keep the past a secret. Looking back on that moment, Katara had a lot of regret, knowing it would have been easier for the airbender if he would have known what had happened before finding his mentor.

Hours started to pass and yet Aang still hadn't returned. The group decided to stick together to go looking for him. He lost his family, and they knew it would be best if his makeshift family was together to comfort him. Using Toph's earthbending abilities, they followed her vibrations to get closer to the airbender, when they heard a desperate scream in the distance. The group took off running towards the direction of the sound, making their way through the dormitories as they anxiously searched for the airbender. Finally, they found Aang curled up in a ball at the entrance of the door, and they ran forward to be there for them. The sight they were met with on the other side of the door made them stop in their tracks.

Bones were scattered everywhere. Not just any bones, but small bones. The pile of bones formed a mountain in the room before them, and the sight of the miniature skulls everywhere was unsettling. Suki immediately turned around and threw up in the corner of the room, causing Sokka to follow behind her and comfort her. No one knew how to react to the scene before them. It was utterly disgusting and disturbing. All the children that Aang had grown up with were brutally slaughtered and he was the one who had to find them this way. Though the scene was absolutely horrific, it wasn't the image of the skulls that would be haunting her dreams.

Instead, it was the absolutely crestfallen expression that Aang currently wore as he desperately shielded himself from the scene. The pure devastation took course through his entire body, and the strongest man in the world was once again reduced to just a weak child. Aang began to shake, his breaths becoming heaves as he hyperventilated, and soon the tears followed as his panic attack became out of his control. Instantly, Katara made herself available to him, wrapping her arms around his body and holding him tight. "I'm here, Aang." She began to coax, "It's okay, we're all here. Breathe. Take one breath at a time. I won't let you go." The rest of the group stood back in shock, Katara had shared with them about Aang's mental struggles, but this was the first time they were really seeing it in action.

Aang's shaking eventually calmed, and he slowly began to gain control of his breathing. Katara breathed her own sigh of relief as his body almost stilled in her grasp, and she let him rest on her for a few seconds. She then gathered that it would be best to talk about this situation in a different place, so she helped him up and almost dragged him around the corner as they allowed themselves to collapse against the wall. She made a motion to her friends that she wanted some privacy, and she immediately tucked her companion's head against her and held him tight. They sat there for a few moments in silence before Aang gently whispered, "I'm sorry Katara."

The waterbender could only shake her head in response. "There's nothing to apologize for, Aang," she softly coaxed. She softly began to run her hands over his head, trying to bring any amount of comfort to the airbender. "Are you okay?" She finally settled on asking as she desperately was trying to find the right words for the situation.

"No." Was all the airbender could muster for a reply. Katara understood. She knew that words couldn't heal the pain he was experiencing. Honestly, nothing will ever fully heal the pain that he's going through. That was the worst part for her, she knew that he would forever live on with this pain and there was nothing that she could do to make it go away.

"Let's get you away from here," she softly coerced. "We'll get some sleep and then I'll return with you tomorrow. I don't want you taking this on alone, Aang." She knew her demands were selfish of her. He had every right to go off and explore his grief alone. The absolute hatred that she had towards the thought of him taking that pain alone helped bring comfort to her demands. Aang softly nodded in response to her statements, and the two stood up and began to make their way back to camp.

On their way back, Aang quickly found her hand and took it in his. She looked over to the airbender and noticed that this act wasn't meant to be a sweet gesture, but he was desperately trying to cling on to his source of comfort. She didn't mind this at all, and she stepped even closer to him so their shoulders brushed against each other as they walked. It was comforting to the both of them knowing that they still had each other, and their physical proximity just served as a gentle reminder of their bond.

When they reached the camp, Sokka immediately stood and rushed forward to Aang, and threw him in his arms. Katara's heart fluttered at the sight of them, as they both shared a bond that was deeper than either of them would most likely ever admit. When Sokka backed out of the hug, he then moved his hand up to the airbender's shoulder,giving it a light squeeze as the two of them shared a quick nod with each other. Suki came over and gave a small hug to both Aang and Katara, but she quickly went back to her bedroll as she was still lightheaded from the horrific scene she had witnessed earlier. Toph came and gave Aang a light squeeze on his forearm, and she gently placed her hand on Katara's shoulder before slowly backing away.

Aang surprised everyone when he then spoke out to the group. "Can we all sleep together tonight?" When the group met him with puzzled looks, he continued to explain, with a sheepish flush of embarrassment seeming to take form. "Whenever one of us had a nightmare or had a bad day, a lot of us would go and sleep on the floor of their room to keep them company and be there for them. It helped us really form bonds as a community of brothers." A bittersweet smile formed on his face as he gazed out towards the mountains. "I'm having a really bad day, and it would mean a lot to me if you all stayed with me."

The group didn't hesitate to accept his offer, and they all moved towards Appa. Aang and Katara settled against his leg, while Sokka and Suki were not even 5 feet away from them. Though Toph usually slept in her earth tents in areas like these, she opted to sleep in the open, but kept a 10 foot distance for her own comfortability. Aang let Katara settle into his arms, and he took time to silently thank the spirits for the amazing family that he had gained from this pure tragedy.

Sleep overtook the group, and although the airbender was convinced that he would have a nightmare that night, he was blessed with a peaceful slumber.

The weather at the Southern Air Temple that morning was brisk, which caused the group to get up way earlier than they normally would have. This would serve to their advantage, as they had a lot of work ahead of them. After a quick breakfast, Aang delicately explained what they needed to do. He wanted to separate the pile of bones to the best of their abilities between Air Nomads and Fire Nation. He wanted to have a proper funeral for both of them, as he explained that the soldiers were most likely just following orders.

Sokka, Toph, and Suki all went out towards the fields to see what they could find, and Aang and Katara went back into the dormitories to be greeted by the terrible scene that they were greeted with last night. Wordlessly together, they worked on separating the bones into two separate piles, and then creating a contraption to bring the piles back into the courtyard. Not only was it extremely tiring work and was both physically and mentally exhausting, but there was an extra level of pain for Katara as she saw her companion's suffering.

The group reconvened shortly after noon to break for lunch, and Aang worked with Katara to make rice and fruit pies for the group as his way of showing thanks. During their meal, Aang briefly explained to everyone the traditions of the sky burials that Air Nomads did. Essentially, while there was still flesh on the bodies, they put them out in nature for the bodies to naturally decompose. That way they were giving back to the world around them in their time of passing, giving nutrients and life to the world that freely gave it to them.

This couldn't be done now however, as all of the bodies had naturally decomposed already over the century time frame, and all they had left were the bones. Because of that, Aang gently explained that he wanted to have a massive funeral pyre for the Nation, so they could be respected together as the community that they once were. For the remnants of the Fire Nation, he was going to burn the bones into ashes, as it was their Nation's practice and tradition.

The friends quickly got back to work as they searched and cleared the remainder of the bones from the Temple. At last, there was only one spot left to be cleared, which the group of friends knew was a very touchy area to approach, Gyatso's final resting place. Aang led the group down to his area in silence, and Katara was eerily reminded of the pure panic and despair that she had seen him in just over a month ago. At last, they had reached their way to the bottom of the hill, and the airbender stood in front of the curtain with a look of uncertainty spreading across his face. The curtain serves as both the physical and mental barrier between him and unfathomable pain and grief.

Finally, the airbender took a deep breath and closed his eyes before nodding- a silent way of communicating to his friends and himself that he was ready to face this pain once again. As they entered, Katara could notice the immediate change in Aang's face. She could tell that he was desperately doing everything he possibly could to hold himself together, and that he was trying to remain strong for both himself and his friends. Silently, he signaled to Toph, Suki, and Sokka to deal with the remains of the firebenders around them. At last, he silently signaled to Katara that he wanted her help in dealing with Gyatso's body.

The two of them silently made their way over to his former Mentor, and as they both bent down to pick him up, Katara noticed him let out an extremely shaky breath as he made contact with the remnants of Gyatso's body. Worried, she silently stood there with him as he took a few more breaths to gather himself, before he grimly nodded to her that he was ready. They made their way back up the mountainside with the bodies, before finally placing the remaining remnants in their proper pyres. All that was left was to properly bury them and hold the respective funerals.

They were well past dinner time at this point, but the group stopped to eat dinner anyways. Everyone but Aang shared dried Seal Jerky that they had packed along with them, and Aang ate only a few lychee nuts, clearly not having much of an appetite. An imminent silence was shared amongst the group, as if they knew the severity and impact of what they were about to take on together. Even when everyone had finished eating, no one made any sort of movement to go back to the pyres that they had made, almost as if they were delaying the inevitable. Aang was the one who finally decided that it needed to be done, as he wordlessly got up and started making his way over to the remains.

The rest of the group followed him, keeping a respectable distance as no one was quite sure how to approach him for the moment. With a silent nod, he gestured them to come over to the pyre that was filled with the firebenders' remains, and he began his speech. "Although I still question your actions over a century ago, I know that most likely it was just a result of following orders from your Fire Lord. I can't imagine how hard it must have been for some of you to do this. As the last representative of the Air Nomads, I wanted to inform you that your actions against our Nation have been forgiven, and I hope that through this ceremony, we can finally not only lay your bodies, but your souls to an eternal rest."

With that, he used his firebending to carefully light the pile of bones on fire, and he stepped back and joined the group as they watched the fire slowly grow and engulf the pyre that encapsulated it. There was something powerful about how the flames of the fire gently moved with the winds of the Air Temple, almost as if it were a sign of peace. Though Katara herself felt like she could never personally forgive these people and their horrible actions, she noticed that a huge weight seemed to be lifted off the airbender's shoulders as he silently watched the flames before him. The group sat there, admiring the flames for the better part of a half hour, before Aang gestured to Katara's water pouch, and the two of them put out the fire, leaving only a pile of ashes to their remains.

At last, Aang moved over to the pyre that they had now covered with the Air Nomads' remains, and he sat down in the lotus position. With a shaky breath, the airbender began to speak, although struggling mightily to get through his speech. "My friends, my mentors, and Gyatso, words can't begin to express how sorry I am. Every single day I kick myself knowing that I left you all to this fate, and the grief and pain I deal with is a rightful consequence to the selfishness I showed over a century ago." At this he let out another shaky breath, tears forming at his eyes as he bent his head down in shame. "I love you guys. Every last one of you. You all made me the person I am today, and without your teachings and guidance from so long ago I would be so lost. I will never forget the days of playing Airball with my friends, throwing fruit pies at the leaders, or playing Pai Sho with Gyatso. You all showed me what it meant to be a family. What it felt like to be loved. I'm so eternally grateful to all of you, and your memories will never escape my heart."

At this point, Aang's voice cracked as his tears turned into weeping, but he tried his best to use the remaining strength he had and continue. "But, it isn't fair for me to continue being selfish. Your bodies have been here over a century and yet your souls deserve the chance to rest. It pains me to know that this is my official goodbye to all of you, but know that your memory will live on. To my dying breath, I promise you that the rest of the world will learn the ways of our culture, our love, and our freedoms. You've done your job, and now it's time for you all to rest, so please, be free, and may your spirits journey around the world for the good of others. I look forward to seeing you again someday in the Spirit World. Goodbye, my brothers."

With a final bow of the head, Aang closed his eyes, allowing his body to sob uncontrollably. Katara immediately came up and joined him, tears streaming down her face, and the two held onto each other similarly to how they did in the Desert so long ago. Katara would refuse to let him go, whatever happens, they are going to go through this together. As the two sobbed into each other, they were stopped by the sounds of a gentle breeze flowing through the Temple. Back and forth the breeze went, gently making its way through the clothing of the group and towards the mountains. Hundreds of souls were finally being released out into the world and free from their burdens, and a tranquil feeling filled the air as the wind comforted them.

An immeasurable amount of time passed before the unexplained wind gently died down and came to a close. Silence filled the air as the group sat there in wonder and awe at the supernatural experience that had just taken place. Aang settled himself into Katara's arms as she wrapped herself tightly and protectively around him, placing a gentle kiss on his forehead. The rest of the group formed around the couple, not wanting to leave them alone. They would be taking off towards the Fire Nation tomorrow, but not without remembering this experience that was shared between them.

Sokka, Suki, and Toph took off back towards camp after a while, leaving Aang and Katara sitting at the makeshift grave. The two sat there in silence for what felt like forever, and Katara spent the entire time trying to guess what could possibly be running through the airbender's mind at the moment. Eventually, Aang turned towards her, and his gray orbs were trembling as he met her gaze. At that moment, Katara understood that there was still so much pain left, so much grief stored within him. She gently took his hands, and she leaned forward and kissed both of them. "You're safe here Aang, it's okay, let it all out." She let out as softly as she could with her simple demand.

Aang tentatively leaned forward in response as she softly wrapped her arms around him, and she gently placed his head so it could lean into her chest. As soon as his head made contact with her body, he began to sob. His open cries of anguish filled the air with his sorrow and grief, and Katara grieved with him. Together they grieved for the Air Nation, the fallen soldiers from the Fire Nation, her mother, and everything else. Their tears were a testament not only to the pain of their losses, but the emptiness that was left in their heart as a result.

Exhaustion quickly took over the two, and Katara with half of a mind left managed to drag the two of them back to Appa. As soon as they made contact with the bison, both of them collapsed into their exhausted state of sleep. Finally, they were afforded the luxury of a goodbye. A goodbye to the ones they loved, and just as they had freed the souls of the ones they buried today, they freed themselves of the pain and grief that they desperately held on to.

Eventually, with a little more time and healing, they will get the opportunity to say goodbye to their sorrows, but for now, they allow it to hang over them as they remember what had been taken from them as a result of a war.