CHAPTER 14: Awake

"Being alive is a luxury that many do not get to experience for long."

Aang breathed in deeply.

As his chest expanded, he felt his body being filled with a sense of renewal and vitality as if he did not only draw in air but the energy of the world around him, infusing his entire being with clarity.

While he laid there with his eyes closed, he felt the muscles in his face soften, a furrow of his brow easing.

He exhaled deeply.

He could hear birds chirping in the distance, and he felt the rays of the sun caressing his skin, a gentle warmth spreading through his body. He felt soft and enveloped as if the sun was a cozy blanket that wrapped him in a tender embrace.

As the warmth seeped deeper into his body, he felt his muscles beginning to relax, loosening knots of tension.

He tilted his face towards the sun, basking in its radiant glow.

The golden light washed over him, and he felt as if he had been replenished from within, his spirit rejuvenated by its warm touch.

He felt movement in the air next to him, but he did not pay it much attention, as he took another deep inhale, detecting a faint hint of sweetness drifting in the air around him with a tantalizing allure that captivated his senses.

He knew that smell.

It was an incense that reminded him of the many times he had sat in the meditation garden with monk Gyatso.

Aang smiled as the aroma enveloped him, and he discerned notes of spice and earth, mixed with woody undertones of sandalwood, sage and a fiery cinnamon.

As he inhaled the fragrant perfume, he felt another wave of calm wash over him, and he stretched his body, his arms reaching overhead, elongating his spine and opening his chest to the sky above him, as if greeting the world anew.

He moved his fingers and feet a bit, and he suddenly felt a certain soreness in his muscles, as if he had spent the last couple of days fighting a moose lion or something.

And in an instant, realization hit him.

How he had felt overwhelmed coming to the Eastern Air Temple, and how surprised he had been by the sudden exhaustion that had seemed to overtake his entire being. How he had pulled away from the others to meditate in order to possibly connect with past Air Nomads, and…

He felt a pain stabbing his heart, and he gulped down, as he remembered the landscape of bones that he had found when entering the Spirit World.

How alone and isolated he had felt sitting atop mountains and mountains of the dead. How detached he had felt from the world, and how he had not been able to speak to anyone until…

A sudden jolt of surprise coursed through his body like an electric shock, when he felt someone grasping his hand.

His lips parted in a silent gasp, and his eyes snapped open, wide with astonishment, while he felt his heart race with a flurry of emotions, as he turned his gaze towards the source of the unexpected touch. However, his eyes were completely overwhelmed by the sudden amount of light around him, and he blinked rapidly trying to adjust his eyes.

"Hey Aang," a soft voice cooed. "Sorry if I scared you."

He himself did not recognize the voice at first, but it felt like something inside of him did. A sense of relief washed over him, even though he did not exactly understand why.

Aang tried to sit up, but as soon as he encaged his core muscles, a ripple of discomfort radiated through his abs, causing him to close his eyes and hiss out in pain.

He lied down immediately. What had happened to his body?

He felt a warm hand on his forehead.

"Try not to do any quick movements. Just relax," the soft voice told him.

Aang opened his eyes once more and looked towards the source of the soft voice with warm hands.

Although his eyes had not completely adjusted to the light around him, he was able to see the arm that belonged to the hand on his forehead, and he noticed the golden color of its skin which appeared to have been kissed by the sun.

It reminded him of a shimmering dance of honey and melting sugar and it seemed smooth like silk, causing a curiosity stirring inside of him as to know what touching it would feel like.

He followed the contour of the arm, and he was soon met by a couple of almost black eyes looking back at him with a depth and intensity that immediately mesmerized him in an almost enchanting allure.

He heard himself gasp.

It was as if he were looking into deep pools of the darkest chocolate, warm and lustrous, or a rich night sky in which stars twinkled like precious jewels against an infinite expanse of darkness. As light danced around them, they seemed to come alive with a brilliance that revealed flecks of gold and amber that shimmered like hidden treasures.

But it was not just the color that captivated him.

It seemed like behind their dark depths lay a wellspring of emotion, from the warmth of love and compassion to an intensity of desire and passions. It was as if these eyes spoke volumes without uttering a single word.

He felt an unfamiliar tingle in his stomach.

"Hi you," the owner of the eyes smiled before she removed her hand from his forehead in a slow movement.

He felt the warmth of her touch lingering.

"Uh," he heard himself breathe out mindlessly.

Confusion set in as he realized that they were in a room inside the Air Temple.

How did he get there?

"Give yourself time," the soft voice hummed beside him. "You've been through a lot the last couple of hours."

Aang exhaled, baffled.

Hours?!

"Who are you?" Aang managed to whisper as he let his eyes travel around the room.

He could tell by the golden pink hue of the light coming in from the windows that it was morning.

"I'm Nii," the voice cooed. "Would it be okay if I laid my hands on your feet? To ground you a little."

"Um…" he answered as he closed his eyes, feeling a slight stabbing near his temples.

Before he could say anything else, he felt her warm hands gently lifting his head that seemed heavier than a boulder, and she soon placed a soft pillow for him to rest his drowsy head upon.

It felt good.

"Okay," he breathed, and he kept his eyes closed, as they were connected again through her warm touch that sent waves of comfort and relaxation throughout his body as he simply laid there.

Glimpses of their encounter in the Spirit World soon welled up in him, and he felt a deep sense of gratitude towards her. Even though he did not know her, or where she was from, or how she had found him in the Spirit World, nor how she had ended up there with him here in this moment, he felt deeply grateful.

He would have to tell her what their encounter meant to him at some point.

But right now he could not do anything else but lay there.

It felt like his feet were being enveloped in a cocoon of kind healing energy, causing his confused mind to quiet a little, his thoughts fading into the background as he sank deeper into the sensation of her hands kneading and stroking his soles.

The warm cocoon seemed to spread from his feet and upwards, embracing his body with a sensation of trust.

A spark of curiosity soon flickered behind his eyes, and he could not help but to open them slightly to catch just but a glimpse of the woman at his feet.

Aang did not know whether it was because he was still feeling a bit lightheaded, but as he saw her sit there working on his feet, he was struck by her radiant beauty.

Her black hair was long and lustrous, adorned with all sorts of beads and feathers, and it seemed to shimmer with a life on its own in the sunlight, cascading down over her shoulders in waves.

Her features were delicate yet strong, with high cheekbones and a graceful jawline. Her lips, full and sensual, curved in a knowing smile, made his stomach tingle again.

The feeling of her skin against his reminded him of brushing his fingers against the pedals of a tropical flower, and it sent jolts of a strange sensation through his body.

He closed his eyes for a mere second and gulped down.

He did not know if he liked that sensation or not.

As he continued to gaze upon her, he was captivated by the way she moved. The graceful sway of her hair over her shoulders and chest, the subtle tilt of her head, the delicate curve of her lips.

Every movement seemed imbued with a sense of confidence and poise, as if she moved with an elegance and rhythm that was entirely her own.

It was as if he was unable to tear his eyes away from her. And it both frightened and intrigued him at the same time.

She still kind of looked like a spirit, even here in the physical world.

"Can I move my hands further up your body to ground you a bit more?" the woman named Nii asked, looking up from his feet.

Aang felt his heartbeat quicken when their eyes locked.

He blushed a little when he saw her smiling at him. He felt like she had caught him misbehaving.

He cleared his throat.

"Um," he started again in a weak voice, suddenly feeling a bit nervous.

He closed his eyes once more as he felt blood pumping through his body with vigor.

He felt very alive.

"I won't be inappropriate, monk. I promise," Nii giggled at his feet, and he heard himself laugh out too, shaking his head lightly at himself.

"Where're you from?" he asked as he enjoyed the feeling of her hands massaging his sore calves.

"A village in the forest just a little south of the temple," she said.

Aang had never heard of a village near the Eastern Air Temple. But then again, it had been a very long time since he had spent time around here.

"Your friends came asking for my help," she continued. "You know, the one with the scar and the blind girl. I'm a kind of… healer, you see. They didn't really say much about you, besides the fact that you're a monk. And then I just knew I had to come. I've always wanted to meet a real monk."

Aang smiled to himself as he felt her hands sway over his skin, soon kneading his muscles gently just above his knee.

He felt something that reminded him of pride beaming from his heart.

He heard Nii giggling as if to herself as he enjoyed the sensation of her warm hands moving over his legs.

"And then, when I saw that giant animal of yours, I knew in my heart… That guy must be the Avatar."

Aang felt her hands pause as she reached his thigh, and he opened his eyes to see her looking at him with a smile on her face.

Nii blushed heavily, the color of rose petals coloring her cheeks, and she quickly let her eyes fall down to his body, resuming her circular movements on his thigh.

"Yeah, I don't even know why I'm telling you this. It's kinda embarrassing," she breathed.

"No, it's okay," Aang heard himself say in rushed words.

He did not want her to stop.

She made him really curious.

"Well, I'm kinda embarrassed but, I just had to come see you. I had to know what it feels like working with the Avatar. Someone so deeply attuned with the universe. It kinda felt like a test to me. See if I could handle a guy like you."

Aang laughed out.

"A guy like me, huh?" he smiled, raising an eyebrow at her.

Nii blushed even more, and she lowered her chin a little to hide her face behind her black hair.

"We shouldn't talk this much," she laughed. "Lay down and relax, Avatar."

PS. It is intentional that Nii cannot remember Toph and Zuko's name here in the physical world, even though she knew all of their names in the Spirit World. I imagine that one has access to an expanded consciousness in the Spirit World. Thanks for reading :-)