Rage Of The Black Dragon

by Nazaki-Sama

Ozai and Azula won, and what was left of the world was burned to ashes... But when Zuko woke up ten years in the past with the ability to change his fate; he promised to win this war and end Ozai's reign once and for all. But first, he was going to hunt down everyone who robbed him of his mate and child. Time travel, Dark, Omegaverse, Aged up Aang, Dark Zuko! Cover art by me enjoy!

13. Chapter 13

…Rage Of The Black Dragon…

Warnings: This chapter contains:- cursing, a little bit of sadness, crying, mental health issues, possessiveness, fluff, more lore about the Spirits being dropped, poor Aang being this close to having a mental breakdown, and a secret is out! All reviews are appreciated.

P.P.S.: This is an Omegaverse story as in Alpha/Beta/Omega dynamic, with Alpha Aang and Omega Zuko, so you have been warned! And it is also a time travel one! The titles that would be used for the Omegaverse dynamic in this story, are from the Chinese fandom (As the story would have many customs and cultures from southern and eastern Asia; China specifically):-

Alpha - Qianyuan

Omega - Kunze

Beta – Zhongyong

P.P.P.S: This is a dark (and I mean really dark!) story that takes place in the ALTA's timeline (the original show, not the live adaptation, but who knows, maybe I will add a pointer or two from the NATLA after I watch it?) to some extent but with many major changes, such as Aang being aged up to sixteen and Zuko being OOC; this story is also the first part of the series that would follow the first chapter but diverge after a certain point.

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Chapter 13

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…(Aang was running… he was running… running, running, running, running, running; running, run-!

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There was no place to run, no place to hide, no place to… Aang was running… he didn't know why he was running, nor what prompted him to do so, but he knew that he needed to run away or else, something would… Aang didn't know what would happen, he just knew that he needed to run. Like a prey that had caught a predator's eye, Aang needed to run away or else…

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You forgot…

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A voice hissed, with it an edge of a growl could be heard, wrath and rage could be heard, and the promise of misfortune and death could be heard… Aang gulped, feeling terror coursing through him as he stopped in his place and whirled around, trying to find where that voice was coming from… not that it would have done him much favor, not when the voice echoed around, resonating in Aang's whole being until his breath felt like it was leaving him.

Suddenly the dark space he was in melted around him, disorienting him, and suddenly instead of blackness all around, there was a grey sky above, and Aang could only furrow his brows in confusion when he saw himself in the Southern Air Temple. Aang felt his breath hitch and he looked around, feeling his heart all but squeeze inside of his chest… he was running… Aang came across a room, and strangely enough, he felt his legs compelling him to go in, even when his rational mind was ordering him to run, run and hide, run and never allow that, that…

Aang entered the room, and his heart all but dropped to the floor then and there when he saw… Himself… standing in the middle of the room, in the Avatar State, finally raising his head and looking at Aang… looking at Aang with a look that was filled with loath and rage so strong it oozed in waves, drowning the room in it and coating Aang's tongue and the back of his throat, choking him with it. His image growled took a step toward him and hissed…

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You forgot…

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The wind started blowing past him, and Aang could only stay still in his place, terrified as he looked at the image that was more fit for a creature made of wrath and rage than Aang who never thought his face could twist up like this. Aang could hear Sokka and Katara's cries behind him, and the only thing Aang could do in that situation was turn and glance back to see the Water Tribe siblings huddling behind a rock, watching Aang with terror in their eyes as they called him in the hope of snapping him out of the Avatar State.

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You forgot…

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The voice that was his, but at the same time wasn't; spoken. That face that was his, but at the same time wasn't; twisted in rage. That fury that was his, but at the same time wasn't; squeezed his heart and brought with it loath and anger so strong Aang wondered how he was still breathing. The creature with his face snarled and sent a gust of wind so strong it slashed the walls and broke the rocks and Aang was thrown away with it and then… he was falling… falling… falling…

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…Falling…

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Aang's back slammed into the ground, and his breath left his chest, leaving him winded and out of it as he all but moaned in pain; the sense of danger, however, refused to leave Aang, taking him hostage and ordering him to run before he was caught once more and something worse than what just happened would take place. Aang scrambled to stand up, his legs were as shaky as a newborn lamb as he tried to regain his barriers; looking around the place in confusion, Aang furrowed his eyebrows at the familiar but unfamiliar sight… had he been here before?

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The Fire Temple… Roku's Temple…

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Aang strangely knew this place, but he didn't know why… had he been here before? Had he walked these halls before? Talked with Roku before? But that was impossible, it was impossible, it was impossible, it was-! Aang didn't talk with any of his past lives, not yet at least; there had been so much that was going on in Aang's life lately that he didn't have time to go to one of the past Avatars' temples and make a connection. It was never the time or place… so why was this place so familiar?

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You forgot…

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The same voice that had been chasing him ever since the beginning of the… the beginning of what? Aang didn't remember… hissed. Aang whirled around the place, his heart pounding in his throat and he tried to find where that voice came from. The doors to the room suddenly slammed open, and with it revealed his image, once more in the Avatar State and looking at him with loath and rage that seemed to mount by the second. Rage and rage, and rage so strong, it almost burned the room with it. Aang's image growled and it narrowed its eyes as it did.

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You still don't remember?

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Aang could only swallow, and try to scramble back, feeling like a terrified lamb in the presence of a savage wolf that wanted to kill him, not for food… oh no, never for food… but something far more sinister because he didn't… didn't what? Aang didn't understand… his image breathed fire and hissed at Aang like an angry wraith before it split the floor in half, and once more, Aang was falling… falling… falling…. Falling…

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…Falling.

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Aang fell into the sea, and he was pulled under; Aang thrashed around, trying to swim to the surface, wanting to save himself from the hands that took hold of his legs and dragged him down, wanting to… Aang kicked and screamed and cried out even when no sound could be heard underwater, and all Aang managed to succeed in doing was breathing in the water and filling his lungs with it, making him feel terrified… he couldn't even bend to save himself…

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…Sill don't remember?

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The same voice, his voice, resonated all around him sharp and clear, even under water; that voice, his voice, was filled with rage, rage, rage, rage, rage; Rage! So strong and clear, Aang felt it sinking him down into the ocean below, and he knew that the owner of the voice had reached his wits' ends and that after today, there was no going back…

…Aang was suddenly spat out of the water… Aang could only cough, and cough, and cough some more after he was slammed into a wooden deck, feeling disoriented and confused, but nonetheless terrified and resigned all in one. Aang could only moan in pain, a sob trapped itself in his chest as he raised himself to stand on shaky legs that refused to support him anymore, allowing him to slide down to the deck and remain sitting there numbly.

Aang could only shiver as he looked around, trying to find where the hell he was this time, trying to make sense of everything around him when nothing around him was making sense anymore, trying to… He was in the North Pole… Aang could only think numbly when he noticed that he was sitting on one of the Fire Navy ships in the Northern seas, but confusion could only take hold of him when he saw the red flag flapping in the wind… this was not the Kyu Navy's flag…

The sound of harsh waves slamming everything in sight; of ice cracking and breaking. The feeling of death and danger blanketing everything around, made Aang blink once, twice, three times… Aang turned his head toward the source of the danger and death, his heart stopping then and there at the sight of the monstrous creature that resembled a koi… La… this was La… La without… Something hissed in Aang's mind, and he could only watch that creature approach him, with his copy inside that creature, moving toward him with the intent that Aang could feel it oozing and coating everything around.

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How dare you forget?!

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The creature roared so loudly, that Aang felt his eardrums pop, and blood started oozing from his ears… from his Qiqiao… but by then, he could do nothing but stare at that creature that raised its hand and slash at Aang with the intent to kill and get rid of him once and for all; fury and rage-)…

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Aang gasped as he jumped from his bed, his heart pounding in his throat as he looked around the room, trying to find where he was and if that monster was still around; his mind not processing the fact that he was safe and away from any danger that wanted to harm him. Terror had clouded Aang's heart and mind, and in his disoriented state, he could only stumble to stand up from where he was and sprint outside, trying to find something that would make sense and wouldn't bring him the sense of danger that had blanketed him in his dream (A dream? A reality? A message from the universe? Aang didn't know, he didn't care, he only knew that there was danger around and that Aang needed to find a safe space to-!)… Aang stumbled his way out of the room, out of the hallways, and out into the forest, toward the river where he finally fell to his knees near the edge of it.

It was the cool breeze of air on his heated skin; the sound of the river and the waterfall not that far, and the scent of cherry blossoms, that finally made Aang's tense muscles relax, and he all but fell to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut but managed to hold himself up by the sheer power of stubbornness. "Fuck…" Aang could only mumble in a daze, his eyes falling on the moon high above. "…Fuck…" Aang moaned softly, feeling pain resonating from deep within and fear, confusion, horror, and rage swam inside him in a strange concoction that all but drove him crazy then and there. "…Fuck!" Aang hissed, hiding his face in his hands while taking deep breaths in the hope of stopping the craziness from taking hold of him because damn it all, Aang felt like he was losing it.

Aang remained seated in his place, taking deep breaths one after the other, trying to force his mind to go completely blank and not think about the crazy dream that all but made him go mad and lose it then and there. His mind was a mess, trying to sort things through; trying to make sense of what he saw, or thought he saw, and why most of the places in his dreams were familiar even when Aang was sure that he had never once in his life sat a foot in the Fire Temple.

Was it an Avatar thing? …Aang could only wonder in detachment, finally lowering his hands from his face and gazing at the river then at the moon, trying to make sense of a dream that was more of a horror lived through than a dream for him… The Avatar State… Aang scrunched his nose as the memories of his image in that state greeted him, looking at him with a look that was more suited for a bloodthirsty predator than Aang's face, who had never thought in his life that his face could twist like this… Was it something to do with the Avatar State? …Aang could only wonder, a frown crossing his face as he tried to make sense of what was said and done in the dream.

Forget… Aang looked at the river, biting his lower lip bloody as he remembered how the image of him in the dream kept getting angrier and angrier at Aang for 'Forgetting'… but what? What did Aang forget? What was so important that part of him went crazy and all but killed him because he forgot?

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How dare you forget?!

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A shiver went down Aang's spine as these words once more resonated in his soul, all but driving him crazy; the sense of danger intensified and a foreboding feeling took hold of Aang and choked him until he was left breathless, gasping for air… what was so important that Aang forgot? What did he forget?! …Aang couldn't help but think hysterically, his hands shaking and once more he felt himself slowly losing it to panic and chaos.

Aang didn't know how long he had stayed kneeling in front of the river; maybe an hour, maybe two. All that time, he spent trying to make sense of what he was feeling and to keep down the panic that kept resurfacing every time Aang thought he managed to snuff it out. "It's fine, it's fine; it will be fine." Aang kept repeating like a prayer, finally standing up from where he kneeled by the river and stumbled toward one of the benches under the cherry blossoms that overfilled the place they had taken refuge in that day. "It's fine, just a stupid nightmare, it's fine," Aang repeated as he sat on the bench, hiding his face behind his hands and taking deep breaths to calm down.

"Aang? Aang, what happened? Why are you-?!" Zuko's voice filled with concern and fear finally snapped Aang out of the spiral of chaos and panic he had all but thrown himself in. Blinking a few times as he tried to control himself and ground it back into reality, Aang turned toward where the source came from, seeing Zuko rushing toward him with a confused look; glancing at the sky, Aang noticed how the sun had started rising, making him curse about Fire Benders and their need to 'Always Rise with the Sun', something that Zuko seemed to take pride in and would always make sure to rise before the sun even deigned to show its face to the world. "Aang?" Zuko's warm hands cupped his face, and the concern in his voice finally managed to snap Aang out of the spiral he was in; it took all of his will not to slump in the Kunze's embrace and suffer a mental breakdown then and there.

"…Fine…" Aang managed to get out through his dry throat, feeling farther away from fine, but at the same time not wanting Zuko to get worried about something as trivial as Aang having nightmares. "I'm fine… just…. Just nightmares…" Aang reassured the Kunze, and he offered a soft smile despite being a step away from a panic attack; his hands went toward Zuko's and he held them softly, bringing them toward his lips to give them soft kisses, trying to ignore the searching look and soft frown on the Kunze's face.

"Well, this definitely doesn't look fine." Zuko frowned in concern, his eyes glancing at Aang's muddy sleeping pants and his state of dress with a scrunched nose, his eyebrows furrowed as he gave Aang a look that told him to fess up (If only Zuko was one of those who loved sleeping in and didn't have this hardcore vision about waking up before sunrise and spending his day training; then Aang wouldn't be here scrambling and trying to explain to the Kunze why he was in the sorry state he was in). Instead of answering, Aang only offered a smile and pulled the Kunze beside him on the bench, watching how the Kunze complied without a protest, still studying Aang from the corner of his eye while his lips twitched down. "You are not going to tell me, are you?" Zuko inquired gently after a few minutes passed in silence, minutes that were spent with Zuko studying Aang closely while Aang shifted in his seat and looked away not daring to glance at the Kunze.

Aang opened his mouth to say something, anything, but in the end, he closed his mouth, and shook his head softly, not having it in him to talk about it. The Southern Air Temple and the terrified screams of their friends as they held onto rocks for dear life, begging Aang to snap out of it; the Fire Temple where Aang knew every stone and painting even when he didn't step a foot inside, but at the same time knew about secret passages and secret rooms and secret shared between two. The Northern Pole where Aang saw the creature that shouldn't existed, but it did, and deep down, Aang knew that the only reason for its existence was that someone killed the moon; which was wrong, it was wrong, it was wrong! Aang left the Northern Pole and Tui and La were as fine as they could, he had left them and they were fine, so why would-!?

No… Zuko didn't need to know about any of this, he didn't need to worry and spend his day concerned and off-balance because Aang couldn't get his shit together, he didn't… Aang would be fine, he was always fine and would always be, so Zuko needn't worry about him because of some stupid nightmare that made the Qianyuan a bit shaken and out of it. "It's just a nightmare, nothing important… please…" Aang whispered the last part when he saw Zuko open his mouth ready to protest; that made Zuko press his lips tightly and let out a harsh sigh through his nose, sending Aang a look that told him this wasn't over but for now, he would humor him and let the matter go.

"You could tell me anything, you know?" Zuko ended up trying one last time, his left hand going to cup Aang's face once more. "You don't have to hide things because you think I couldn't handle it or something; you could tell me." Zuko tried, and Aang's lips couldn't help but quirked up into a smile, and once more, Aang caught Zuko's hand and kissed his palm.

"I know," Aang reassured the Kunze, giving the boy a soft smile and kissing Zuko's palm once more. "I know," Aang repeated, giving Zuko's hand a soft squeeze, watching how the Kunze hummed softly before sighing tiredly; Aang relaxed, knowing that for now, Zuko would discard any questions he had in mind to a later date when Aang least expected, but by then Aang knew he would find the perfect excuse to dodge the questions and concerned looks.

"Alright…" Zuko looked at Aang then he looked at the resort built in the middle of the Su Oku River with a complicated look. "Then go and change, and meet me near the waterfall," Zuko ordered, standing from his seat and offering Aang a challenging smile. "We are going to see how advanced your Water Bending is against Fire Benders." Zuko teased while pulling Aang up from his seat, making the Qianyuan chuckle softly at that, and offered his beloved a soft smile. Aang kissed Zuko's scarred cheek, before walking toward his room to try and change into proper clothes for training, waving to the other teen as he walked fast.

As soon as Aang felt he was far away from Zuko and that the Kunze's eyes left him; the smile on his face was swiped away and his shoulders slumped as he dragged himself to his room, feeling the weight of the world on his shoulders as the dream that had been plaguing him for over two weeks once more flashed before his mind-eye, making Aang let out a tired sigh…

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It was fine… it was fine… Aang could do this…

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…("Ah… This is what I have been missing." The sound of his uncle letting out a happy sigh as the man was getting massaged made Zuko roll his eyes, gazing at the man who was lying happily on the bed and having two guys working his muscles for him; Sokka was not that far away, lying in the sun and tanning with cucumber slices on his eyes while waiting for his turn, Momo trying to snatch the cucumbers from Sokka's face to eat it only to get his hands slapped by that heartless Water Tribe boy. "Who knew flying and moving around for three weeks in hiding could make one so tense?" Not that far away, Katara and Aang finally finished their Water Bending training and skipped toward them, Katara with excitement in her steps no doubt wanted to go to the sauna and enjoy herself like her brother and Uncle Iroh.

As for Aang, the Qianyuan was not that far behind, looking a bit sleepy and tired, but still having a small smile on his face. "Is that so?" Zuko questioned while crossing his arms over his chest, raising his brow, and tilting his hip, giving his uncle a look that made the man whistle and look away from Zuko. "Uncle, if someone should get this royal treatment, it should be poor Appa for carrying us over his back for three weeks. You don't see poor Appa complaining so why are you?" Zuko sassed back, watching how his uncle pouted and looked at Zuko like an innocent man.

"But nephew!" Iroh whined, looking at Zuko with a fragile look as if hoping the teenager would cut him some slacks. Fat chance, Zuko would do so! Zuko was still kind of pissed at his uncle for stopping them in Su Oku Village just like he had done years ago, all in the hope of relaxing and having his back massaged, putting them at risk of getting discovered by the Fire Nation. "I am an old, old man! I am not as I used to be in my youth; my old age is killing me!" His uncle whined, and Zuko once more rolled his eyes hearing the same excuse his uncle loved to play on Zuko every time he wanted to take a break, drink tea, and relax the day away, which was why it took them two weeks to reach Su Oku's village when they could have arrived to Kyoshi Island a week ago.

"Appa is one hundred and six and Aang is one hundred and sixteen, you don't see them complaining about back pain, or having bathroom stops every five minutes, do you?" That was Zuko's reply, his lips twitching up when his uncle sent him a mock glare of indignation at having his secret exposed in front of these gentlemen who were trying so hard to hold their laughter back as Zuko continued to sass his uncle for stopping them in this resort where everyone from the Fire Nation could drop in on them and they could be captured (Even if his uncle reassured him that he had friends here that would be more than happy to keep them a secret and help. Zuko was uncomfortable being in this place, not only because of what happened with Azula here years ago but also because this was dangerous and they should stop playing around and go get Suki before Zuko tried to find an excuse to make his friends go and find Toph to be Aang's Earth Bending teacher).

"Eh? Did someone mention me?" Aang questioned as he and Katara finally reached the massage parlor; the Qianyuan's voice caused Sokka to raise one of the cucumber slices on his face before snickering to his heart's content, once more hiding his eye behind the cucumber and tried to pick his glass of juice to take a sip (Stress on the word try because Katara as soon as she saw the juice picked the glass up and took a large sip, ignoring her brother's squeak of rage, especially when Momo used this as his chance to steal the cucumber from Sokka's face and fly away with his prize).

"Nah, buddy, no one did… unless we are talking about how Zuko comparing you to ancient old men sane the back pain." Sokka retaliated, sending Zuko a smug smirk that made the Kunze roll his eyes in annoyance. Aang, Agni above blessed his heart just blinked in confusion and shrugged his shoulders, not even looking offended.

"Slander! Trying to slander me in front of my own husband, truly no shame!" Zuko huffed, leaning on Aang's side when the Qianyuan stood near him. "Besides, I was telling them how ashamed they should be to lose to someone who is thousands of years old while they are still sixteen and fifty respectfully." Sokka and Iroh squeaked in indignation at that, sending Zuko a harsh glare, as for Aang, the boy's lips twitched up in amusement and he snickered softly.

"It's sixteen, thank you, and to be more precise, one hundred and sixteen. I appreciate the sentiment of you thinking I found the secret to immortality to pull it off, though." Zuko smiled as he felt Aang's hand sneak toward his waist and stay there, unable to help it (And uncaring about what his uncle would say later), Zuko leaned up to kiss the corner of Aang's lips, enjoying the soft flush of embarrassment that colored Aang's face when Iroh's screech of Zuko's name resonated across the resort.

"Oh, don't give me that look, uncle. Just get used to it, I am planning on doing more than that in the future, and then there is the marriage; you don't expect us to keep our hands to ourselves all of our lives, do you?" Aang's face flushed crimson red with mortification especially when Zuko pulled him into another kiss (On the lips this time while making it linger on purpose), causing Uncle Iroh to screech like Zuko had just murdered him then and there; Sokka (Having been at the end of Zuko's R-Rated speeches about what he wanted to do to Aang one too many) just rolled his eyes and poured another glass of juice for himself while his sister blushed in embarrassment.

"Zuko! How could you?!" Iroh screeched trying to scramble off the table while trying to keep his dignity intact and not flash anyone around. "The traditions! The order of things! You can't just-!" Iroh glared at Aang like the poor boy was the reason for everything wrong in this world, making Zuko roll his eyes at that.

"Fuck traditions! Fuck the order of things! Me and Aang are going to elope! In fact, we are going to do it right now, prepare the place for a wedding, we are spending our wedding night here!" Zuko shouted at the top of his lungs, enjoying the way his uncle all but paled, freezing in his place and looking so horrified and out of it; using this as his chance, Zuko took Aang's right hand in his (The poor boy was as shocked as his uncle, and actually had a scared look on his face looking at Iroh) before booking it away from the massage parlor, laughing his head off like a hyena and ignoring Iroh's dying screech that resonated all across Su Oku Village and startling all the people, making some of them stop in their tracks in confusion.

For the first time in three weeks, Zuko felt like he had got justice for all the shit his uncle had made him go through by separating him and Aang and watching the two of them like a hawk, refusing to move his eyes away from the two of them until Zuko all but yeeted himself and Aang off Appa and ordered the Qianyuan to fly as high as he could if it meant they would get some privacy.

Three weeks… That was how long that had passed since the invasion of the Northern Water Tribe took place, but this time? This time it was different, everything was different. This time Tui didn't die at Zhao's hands and Princess Yue didn't sacrifice herself to bring back the Moon Spirit from death. This time, everything went well, and people survived; everyone survived, and Zuko hoped that with his crew being in the North and some going to the South with Pakku and some of the Water Tribes, everything would finally look up and the Water Tribes would finally be able to make up for the centuries of pain and oppression they forced their people to live through.

Three weeks… That was how long since Zuko saw his sister after years and years; he finally saw that… that… Zuko finally saw Azula… and part of Zuko didn't know what to think or do about seeing the girl who was the reason for all of his pain and suffering years ago. A girl, looking at her now, Zuko found her unrevealing in a way that was never unseen before, even at her worst, years ago when the two of them fought under Sozin's Comet in that cursed Agni Kai… a girl, who was the reason that the secret Zuko had tried to hold into and hide from everyone in this world desperately, was revealed to all to see and judge; that more than ever was the reason for stoking the anger in him because now, after Azula showing everyone what he could do, Ozai would know, and years of planning just went down the drain then and there.

Three weeks… That was how long since Zuko managed to drive that crazy woman 'Huazo' away from the Northern Pole and away from his and Aang's lives, not wanting that crazy to try and infect them with her brand of craziness, nor did he want Aang and himself to be drawn into the path of politics and power struggle that woman paving for them in the hope of forcing Zuko to be the Fire Lord of a nation Zuko had washed his hands off years ago when they celebrated his beloved's death and chose to follow Ozai while discarding the rules and traditions given to them by Agni and Taiyou when their nation was formed.

Three weeks… That was how long since they resumed their journey, this time to the Earth Kingdom in the hope of finding Aang an Earth Bending Master to teach him Earth Bending before Iroh (Or Zuko, depending on his uncle finally cooling it down and let them be) taught him Fire Bending. Zuko, who remembered an annoying brat and firecracker who sassed Aang day and night as she taught him Earth Bending. Zuko, who remembered a friend who was always nosy and used to give him these 'Friendly Punches' of hers. Zuko, who remembered afternoon naps where the annoying brat who was like a bratty little sister would always drag him to the meadow above the Western Air Temple to rest there… Zuko who… he decided to bed his time, go to Kyoshi first, get Suki with them, and then subtly steer them to Gaoling to find Toph, as for Omashu and King Bumi? They wouldn't be of any importance after Toph was found and she took over teaching Aang, and that would come after they went to Kyoshi to rest for a bit.

Three weeks… That's when the nightmares started… or well, that's what Aang would always call them as he brushed everything off, ignoring how concerned and worried Zuko was getting as day in and day out, he saw Aang wake in the middle of the night and run away from their camp, shaking and disoriented by what was seen in these dreams… so far, other than Zuko and his uncle (Because his uncle always notice things even when people didn't want him too), no one seemed to catch on how tired and out of it Aang was, or how his smiles were dimmer than they used to be, or how he had been avoiding to go to sleep, or… Zuko was worried, and part of him didn't know what to do other than try and be there for Aang in whatever way he could…

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Three weeks… and many changes took place…

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Zuko was still trying to make sense of…

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"You are planning on getting me killed on purpose, aren't you?" Aang mock growled as they stopped running after what felt like hours; finally, out of Su Oku Village and near the place where Zuko and his uncle had once… Zuko shook that thought away and focused on Aang whose nose was scrunched as he tried to look mad at Zuko but failed miserably if the amused smile on his lips was anything to go by. "Seeking your uncle on me? That's a low, Zuko, especially when I needed to be on his good side!" Aang whined, a cute pout dominating his face that made Zuko chuckle happily, and he went to hold Aang, his arms crossed behind the Qianyuan's neck (Feeling content because this was the first time -In what felt like ages- that Aang finally relaxed enough and even had an amused smile on his face when he had spent days with tense posture and stiff smiles that all but drove Zuko crazy).

"Now, now, the only one you needed to be on their good side is me. Didn't you hear the famous saying?" Zuko cooed, feeling delighted when Aang's hands landed on his hips and an amused smile painted the Qianyuan's lips as he leaned down to kiss the corner of Zuko's lips several times, causing the Kunze to hum happily and try to kiss his beloved back, only to get teased as Aang pulled away and gave him a cheeky grin.

"What saying? There are so many I can't keep track of… hmmm… was it the one about the wife always being right?" Zuko snickered when hearing this and when Aang pecked his nose, Zuko's smile widened and his hold tightened around Aang. "Is it the one about Fire Nation Kunzes going rogue?" Another peck this time on the right cheek. "Or the one about always listening to someone's wife?" Another one on the forehead, and Zuko could only hum happily. "Or maybe, it is the one about how Fire Lord Zuko planned his betrothed's death and sent the Dragon of the West on the poor, poor Avatar who didn't know anything." Aang teased, and made his move; Zuko squeaked when he felt that bully pinch him in his ticklish side, and he could only jump away and send a harsh glare toward the Qianyuan who was snickering at him.

"First of all, I am not the Fire Lord, nor do I want to be." Zuko retaliated by pinching Aang's cheeks and pulling them, causing the man to whine and pat his hands away from his face while rubbing his bruised cheeks with a pout. "Secondly, why am I the wife in all of these metaphors? If someone gotta be the wife it's you, pretty boy." Zuko leaned up to kiss Aang on the cheek where he had pinched him, feeling his Spirit lifted at the happy smile that took over Aang's face.

"Well, I would love to, but…" Aang grinned as he raised his hand brushed Zuko's hair aside, and tapped Zuko's forehead where the Huadian (That Zuko painted that morning) was. "Unfortunately, my makeup skills are worth nothing, and excluded me from the position; a real shame." Zuko's lips couldn't help but twitch up at that even when he rolled his eyes.

"So, you say, pretty boy; so, you say." Zuko leaned up to kiss Aang, humming softly when the Qianyuan finally gave him the kiss he wanted and didn't tease him. "Oh, and by the way, I hear uncle," Zuko said just to be a little shit, enjoying how Aang let out a startled 'Meep!' and pulled away from Zuko as fast as he could, not even staying to check if Zuko tricked him or something, as he zoomed away from here trying to save his hide. When he heard the sound of leaves rustling, Zuko raised his head to see Momo in one of the branches, tilting his head while munching on one of the cucumbers in his hands…

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Zuko couldn't help but laugh…)…

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They arrived at Kyoshi Island a few days later… by then, Aang was a mess that was barely holding it in, but was trying to fake it like he always did; with cheerful smiles, happy actions, jokes, and laughs that were tinged with too much hysteria for Aang's liking. By the time they arrived at Kyoshi Island, the only reason Aang knew why he hadn't really lost it completely was the fact that Zuko was there with him to ground him when things got… too much… to the point Aang stopped being able to separate dreams from reality and feared that any moment now… any moment now…

In fact, Aang knew he was losing it and losing it fast at that, in a way that was never seen before, in a way that made him unstable, in a way… Aang started to suspect something… he started to suspect something and by now, after watching and studying and theorizing… Aang reached a conclusion that made everything more damning than it already was. By the time they arrived at Kyoshi Island, Aang was hoping that he was just crazy and was losing it because if what Aang suspected was true… if what he suspected was true…

Aang didn't even know why now of all times all of this started; why his mind decided to act out and drive him crazy when Aang thought he finally had everything under control. Aang was finally doing good, mentally and physically doing good, so why now of all times just when Aang thought he would finally be able to let go his mind decided that this was the time to drive him crazy? Why now of all time did Aang decide to go crazy? Was it because of the Spirits? Because of his new resolves? Because the world hated him and didn't want him to have one day of peace? Because he finally found happi…

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How dare you forget?

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The voice that was his but at the same time wasn't; the face that was his but at the same time wasn't. The rage that was his but at the same time wasn't… the memories that were his but at the same time weren't… Aang reached a conclusion, he reached a conclusion… Aang hoped he was crazy, he begged the Gods up there that he was crazy… because if he wasn't… if he wasn't…

For the first time in his life ever since waking up from his one hundred years nap; Aang wished that he was still a brat of thirteen or younger. Back then, Aang was rebellious, he was stubborn, he was bullheaded, and refused to think things through or connect the dots… not because he wasn't smart, no… but because he refused to connect them and allow his stubbornness to guide him to his ruin like he almost did many times in his youth until…

…Until he was stupid enough to enter the Spirit World when he was twelve… after, Aang decided to stop being stupid and use the smarts he had even when he didn't want to use it, because being in denial had almost cost him everything back then; it almost cost him his life back then… his face too… but he managed to survive by a miracle, and from then on, Aang decided to stop being stubborn and childish in the hope that in doing so, everyone would just leave him be.

Aang reached a conclusion… one was so crazy and out of this world, and to be honest, Aang would prefer for it to be his craziness that was catching up to him because of a brain injury after being buried in the ice for over a hundred of years than for it to be… visions… of some sort that would bring with it an ominous future…

But that was impossible, it was supposed to be impossible, and the Avatar, no matter how strong or divine, couldn't have… visions… that enabled them to see the beyond no matter how much they tried and mediated and detached themselves from worldly matters, not unless… a story flashed in Aang's tired mind, of how there was only one person out there who was supposedly given such a blessing by Agni themselves… Rangi… a voice whispered in his mind, and Aang could only bite his lip bloody as the story manifested inside of his mind and told him how it supposedly happened that a Fire Nation Kunze managed to… Fire Nation Kunze… Aang could only glance at Zuko who was joking with Katara and Sokka, still giving Iroh the cold shoulder… Could it be?

Impossible… Aang shook his head, returning back to what he was doing… Impossible… Aang tried to repeat the words over and over again, hoping that if he did, they would come true and everything would stop and Aang would stop being crazy… Impossible… Aang hissed in his mind, trying to ignore the manic laughter that he was the only one who was hearing. Aang was going crazy that was all, he was going crazy and that was that… Yeah, he was going crazy because… Aang was losing his own mind, and he didn't know why it was happening now after he left the North Pole and not way earlier than that.

Was it because I was drenched in the water from Tui and La's pond? Was it because I decided to choose a different path? A different destiny? Was it because I could finally let go of guilt and pain after learning that some Air Nomads survived? Was it because I changed something crucial and created a paradox? Or was it… was it because I touched Agni's fires?

Questions that rang in Aang's mind day after day after day after day, with no answer in sight, only madness that drove him over the edge. It was always the last question that drove Aang insane and made him look at his hands with a frown, wondering to himself why there were no burns when Aang knew… he knew… what Agni's fires would do to someone who touched them even in jest, but the question was… how did Aang know that?

"There it is! Guys, there is Kyoshi Island!" Sokka's cheerful shout as Kyoshi Island got closer and closer made Aang blink and snap out of his daze, once more returning to the world of the living and paying attention to everything around. Once more pushing everything into the back of his mind and forced himself to paste a smile on his face and ignore everything, even when he knew that this was not the answer to help.

Aang swallowed, let out a hum, and guided Appa gently toward the island and toward Kyoshi's village, wanting to land fast. Land so that Aang later, could find a tiny corner somewhere to crash down to meditate or something, knowing that by then, this was the only way for Aang to even get rest because sleep had eluded Aang for days on end and he was at his wit's ends by then.

It was only a few minutes later that they finally landed in Kyoshi Village and not even a few seconds after Appa touched the ground, they were surrounded by the villagers and the warriors all looking happy and excited to greet them. "Fancy Fingers!" Suki's screech of delight was heard, and not even a few seconds after everyone started to go down Appa, Suki and her girls jumped Zuko and pulled him into a hug, causing the Kunze to let out a huff of annoyance and try to push them away.

"Suki!" Sokka's whines resonated in the village when he was ignored by Suki and the rest of the girls, making Aang's lips twitch up into an amused smile that widened even more when he saw Katara laughing happily at the cold shoulder her brother was receiving from the Kyoshi Warrior who was all over Zuko and went as far as forgetting about Sokka who was pouting a storm.

General Iroh wasn't that far away as he went to greet Chief Oyaji. He looked happy as the two of them went toward the hut not that far behind. The way their heads leaned toward one another and the subtle glances sent his way suggested they were discussing something important… Aang just hoped that he wouldn't become a target or something with the way General Iroh was watching him like a hawk.

It was when Aang finally dismounted Appa and patted him on the nose that someone approached him, giving Aang a kind smile even when their eyebrows furrowed in concern (Aang knew he looked like shit to the point Zuko had all but been hounding him to rest and looking worried out of his mind; Aang thought that he had managed to hide it well considering that Sokka and Katara didn't seem to catch on it but to have a stranger give him the same look Iroh and Zuko were giving him for the past weeks was concerning).

"Avatar Aang, welcome back to Kyoshi Island." An older woman in Kyoshi Warrior's outfit except for the makeup and the headdress, stood before Aang and bowed, making Aang blink and scramble to bow back and offer his respect.

"Thank you, Ma'am. It's good to be back." Aang offered a smile, and it wasn't that long before Suki's screech resonated across the village making everyone turn toward the girl thinking something had happened, only to find Suki pointing at Zuko and stuttering something.

"You got engaged and didn't tell me?! You traitor! I thought I was your best friend! How could you do this to me? And to make things even worse I have to learn this from Sokka!" Sokka's loud 'Hey!' followed soon after as he glared at Suki with a harsh pout on his face that turned dark red when Katara's screeching laughter followed.

The old woman let out a tired sigh and all but facepalmed, as for Aang, an amused smile painted his lips as Zuko and Suki started to squabble like a pair of children in front of everyone. "Suki! I swear to Kyoshi if you don't get your act straight, you will run laps around the island until sundown!" The woman beside him shouted, causing Suki to let out a squeak of terror and hide behind Katara before shouting 'Sorry, Mom!', ignoring the grin Zuko sent her way and how he stuck his tongue at her. "Kids…" The woman let out a tired sigh and Aang just grinned.

That's how Aang was introduced to Warrior Yukari (Or 'Aunt Yukari' as Zuko liked to call the woman when he came to greet her happily after pushing Suki away), who turned out to be the former leader of the Kyoshi Warriors and second in command to Chief Oyaji. A woman that Aang heard about in passing thanks to Zuko and that one time, Zuko all but screeched the woman's name to bring her out of seclusion so she could stop Suki from embarrassing him.

A feast followed their arrival that day; festivity blanketed the village as everyone lost themselves in the joyful occasion that was the Avatar and his companions returning to Kyoshi's village after being victorious against the Fire Nation and stop their invasion of the Agna Qel'a (The version that seemed to spread around the nation instead of what happened, and Aang knowing how things would turn out for that crazy Lady if he exposed what really happened let the matter rest).

Also, the news about Zuko holding Agni's blessing and fires seemed to spread around, which caused much unrest, and a civil war all but broke out in the Fire Nation by now (Oh, the way Aang had to hold Zuko back when the Kunze lost it… that Lady was crazy, and she was begging death to come and bite her in the nose for spreading the word when Zuko himself ordered her to keep it a secret).

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"No, Aang! Stop holding me back! Your grand-grand-grand-grand-fucking-daughter or not, I am going to kill that bitch!"

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"Wait, what? Granddaughter?! You cheated on Zuko?!"

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"What? No! She is Kyoshi and Rangi's descendant! That crazy brat is not mine!"

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"Well, technically she is yours, so…"

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"Sokka!"

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"What?! All I am saying is that she could have been yours and Zuko's if you married decades ago! Also-!"

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"You know… the way you describe that woman sounds suspiciously like Zuko…"

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"Suki! Get your head out of the gutter!"

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"What?! Don't give me that look, Fancy Fingers, this is your anger issues I am hearing about!"

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Another squabble between these two broke out, and by then Aang just sighed tiredly as he watched from the sideline how Suki and Zuko had it for one another. Sokka feeling jealous by how close the two of them were, and how Suki was still giving all of her attention to Zuko and not him, pouted like crazy and grumbled to himself making Katara giggle and ask the two how they met one another, no doubt curious about their strange relationship.

The story went, that a few years ago, months after Zuko left the Fire Nation and gone Rogue, he had come to Kyoshi Island to resupply because it turned out that even if some of the villages on Kyoshi Island had closed themselves to strangers and refused to allow them to come, a few villages were still willing to trade with travelers if the travelers swore not to harm. During that period, Kyoshi Village and the surrounding villages suffered a severe drought that year, their harvest failed, and illness broke out in the surrounding villages. People had broken into two factions, one faction wanted to break their isolation and ask the outside for help, while the other faction was stubborn and refused to get involved and bring war their way after they managed to stay neutral in this war for over a hundred years.

Back then, Suki was sure that they could sustain their village's population by gathering dumpling weed on the Northern side of the island. So, off they went to the Northern side, planning on gathering food and medicinal herbs; what no one counted on was Zuko and his crew had been staying on the Northern side to rest after a long journey in the sea and fleeing the Fire Nation. In a very, Suki fashion, instead of going and alerting the Kyoshi Warriors' leader (Who was her mother), Suki had this brilliant plan of trying to capture Zuko and his crew and steal everything they had on their ship to help her people…

…As it turned out, it wasn't a very bright idea for a thirteen years old and her companions, and they were captured and knocked out single-handedly by twelve years old Zuko who dragged Suki and her companion by the back of their robes to Kyoshi Village (After giving them the scolding of their lives), talked with their Chief and the Kyoshi Warrior Leader and gave them Suki and the girls unharmed.

The next day, Zuko and his crew came back with food and medicine that were distributed all around Kyoshi Island to the villages in need; a tentative friendship formed between Zuko and Suki that later turned into a Sworn Brotherhood a year or two down the road, and the rest, as they say, was history.

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"…Back then, you should have seen Zuko; short hair, shorter temper, and he almost ripped my ear off as he scolded me about how it was dangerous to attack Fire Nation people unprovoked… and then he cried…"

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"I did not cry! You were imagining things! You threw a fucking dumpling weed into my eyes of course they will get irritated!"

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"Keep telling yourself that, Fancy Fingers; maybe someday someone will believe that story."

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"Why you-!"

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"Now, now, Zuko, no attacking your older sister! It's against the… ouch! What was that for?!"

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"For being a little shit! That's why!"

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"Wait! So, you are siblings? Aang did you know that?!"

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"…Well, they did say they formed a Sworn Brotherhood, didn't they? …Oh, yeah… you don't know what that is…"

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"…I don't know if I should be insulted or not, a little bit of explanation would do, Aang!"

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"Ok, Ok, no need to shout. Simply put Zuko and Suki are oath siblings because they have pledged their lives to one another in front of the Spirits and their family, so they are now considered part of each other family…"

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"I still don't understand…"

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"…Fine! Think of it as an adoption of some sort!"

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"You should have said that in the first place!"

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"Well, it's not my fault you don't know about it I thought you would have asked Lieutenant Jee about it or something considering that it's a mainland tradition…"

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"Don't tire yourself trying to explain to that Loud Mouth, Pretty Boy. Besides, that tradition fell out of favor after…"

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"After?"

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"…After Sozin killed Roku."

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"…Oh…"

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And they stayed that night sharing stories, laughing, and joking; for once, Aang didn't feel like he was on the edge and that any minute now, he was going to lose it or do something crazy. Suki talked about how Kyoshi Island was doing since they last been there and the news that arrived from the mainland and the Fire Nation from time to time.

Sokka and Katara talked about the journey to the North Pole and Spirits above, did they complain and dissed their sister tribe to their hearts' content? As for Zuko, he just leaned on Aang's side and grinned mischievously when Sokka recounted how Zuko almost caused General Iroh a heart attack when he fled with Aang, planning on eloping that night in Su Oku Village if Iroh hadn't found Aang and held him hostage… Oh, Sweet Merciful Lung-ta, the embarrassment Aang felt just remembering this…

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"All of this happening without me? So, unfair! Mom!"

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"What Suki?"

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"I am joining Zuko on his adventure! This Fancy Fingers had been causing chaos without me being there to help!"

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"What? No!"

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"Uncle, are you really going to stop Suki from joining us?"

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"…She is needed here."

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"No, she isn't, and I will be more than happy to give her to you so I can have a few days of peace."

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"Lady Yukari! Don't do this to me!"

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"Oh, it would be awesome! It would be just like what happened two years ago when we broke into Pohuai Stronghold and set it on fire!"

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"Wait, what? Come again?!"

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"Zuko, Suki… maybe you should stop, uncle Iroh doesn't look so good…"

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"Nope!"

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"In fact, Suki, cover me up."

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"Zuko! Where are you going?! Put Aang down!"

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"No! I am eloping with him and no one can stop me!"

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"Zuko!"

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Needless to say, Aang had the time of his life, and he laughed himself breathless as he was dragged by Zuko away from General Iroh who was fuming at the mouth. It was at that moment that Aang thought maybe… just maybe nothing was wrong and that it was his mind playing tricks on him for being a jittery mess ever since the Northern Water Tribe's fiasco. Maybe, just maybe, Aang could let go and focus on what was important now; maybe he could forget everything and move on, ignore all of this, maybe…

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How wrong he was…

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…(It was cold and ice and ice and cold; ice and cold and ice and ice. Water crashing on icebergs in waves and sinking ships, and ice that froze the blood in the veins. It was freezing temper and madness in one go; terror and fear that refused to go. It was the Southern Seas raging and sinking everything on its surface and Aang…

Aang could only stand on a familiar ship, watching everything unfold with confusion, wondering why the hell he was there, what the hell was happening, and why bitterness and terror coated him like a second skin. Aang heard a familiar voice gasp, felt a familiar present beside him, and he could only turn and his eyes widened as he saw… Zuko?

How could this be Zuko? It's impossible, this couldn't be his Zuko… right? Zuko was wearing the Fire Nation's armor, his beautiful hair shaven, and what was left was gathered into a high ponytail while he had a severed look on it, all harshness and bitterness, and none of the softness and happiness that Aang always associated with Zuko…

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Agni Kai…

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Lost…

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…Burned…

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…Disgraced!

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Something inside of Aang whispered, hissed, and laughed mockingly; Aang could only stand frozen in his place, watching Zuko's face twist in horror and fear as Aang's image in the Avatar State rose from the sea riding a vortex made out of water. Aang could only feel horror and bile rise in his throat as he saw his mirror image land on the deck sweeping Aang away and stealing all the air out of his lungs with the blow delivered.

Aang could only fall, fall, fall, fall, and before he fell into the icy water below, he saw his image grin in triumph, turning to Zuko who was stumbling away in fear before he used the water around to form ice spears before throwing it at Zuko, ignoring Aang's screams as he was submerged in the water…

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He was sinking…

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Sinking…

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…Floating…

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…And sinking…

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He was floating and sinking and sinking and floating, and floating and floating and floating and sinking down. Water in his lungs, water in his ears, water all around him, and it was dragging him down. Horror and pain, disbelief and terror and madness all but weighed him down.

Down, down, down he went and with it, the sounds of laughter and crying and screaming and shouting were heard all around. He thrashed and screamed; screamed and thrashed, and tried to swim to the surface and failed. Something held his leg, and dragged him, down, down, down, down, down he went and he went down…

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"You said together…"

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"You lied…."

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"How could you!"

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"You promised me Avatar! You promised!"

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Zuko's voice screamed at him, cried and shouted and screeched at him. pain and hurt, and hurt and pain, Zuko's agony resonated into his whole being as tried to swim to the surface, tried to go and find Zuko, begged him to forgive him, to make him understand, to make him explain… tell him that Aang didn't know what Zuko was talk about, that Aang…

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How could you forget?

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How dare you forget?!

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You killed her! How dare you forget?!

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Aang's voice resonated all around and he could only try and thrash once more, thrash and thrash and try to break to the surface, try to… water was all around him, all-encompassing, sinking and sinking and sinking him down until he thought that Aang would be forever lost in the darkness and madness, forever left to suffer and lose his mind and…

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"Enough!"

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A familiar voice roared and shook the world with its snarl, and Aang could only blink in detachment when he saw… himself… in the Avatar State standing right in front of Aang… suddenly, there was no water anymore and Aang could only stare at the version of himself from where he was lying down on the ground…

It was cold, it was icy, and the place around was nothing but an empty cell, metal walls were all around, and everywhere he touched was an agony of ice and coldness. The sounds of sobs resonated around and Aang knew who the person crying was, his heart was in his throat as he looked around, trying to spot where his beloved was amidst the shadows that blanketed the cold cell.

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"Oh, how I love the smell of fear…"

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A guttered laugh resonated around the place and shadows moved around in a strange intense dance that made Aang furrow his brows in confusion, tried to move his muscles that all but liquified and try to sit, to stand up… only he couldn't move… he remained lying down as he saw the shadows twist and twist and formed and formed until Aang saw… himself… standing not that far away.

I am losing my own mind… Aang could only think in detachment as he saw the shadows move around, and his image stalked around the cell like a predator stalking its prey, the dark eyes not moving from his other image, the one in the Avatar State that stood over Aang and looked at the shadows with a twisted face and a snarl so frightening Aang never thought his face could twist into such look.

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"The Avatar laughs in the face of death, but you are not laughing now, are you, darling?"

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Another gutter laugh resonated in the cell, and the sobs got louder and louder and Aang thought his eardrums were going to pop. He could only watch as the shadows stalked until it stood near its other mirror image, a grin twisting his face almost splitting it into two when the shadows struck and tied themselves around the Avatar State copy of Aang, refusing to allow it to move an inch. In all of this, Aang remained lying down, his limbs heavy as metal and his head felt like it was filled with cotton as he watched the shadows coming and kneeling beside Aang, cooing gently to him.

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"Do you want to remember? I could help. I could make you remember what was hidden, what was stolen, what was taken from you."

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"Forget!"

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"Don't you want to know about these dreams? Don't you want to know what really happened? What the world did to you?"

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"Be gone!"

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"Do you want to know why the only thing left in your heart is rage?"

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"Don't listen to him!"

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"Do you want to know who hurt your beloved?"

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"Forget!"

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"I could help, I promise I would… just close your eyes, put your head back, and sink into the shadows, and I promise it will all be explained."

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Aang could only stare in detachment, and when the sound of sobbing intensified the longer he stayed silent, Aang tried to move his jaws feeling his power all but zapped out of him as he tried to move, say something, do something. Aang's eyes couldn't help but trailed toward his mirror image trying to struggle out of the shadows, snarling and cursing and trying to reach Aang… so weak… so weak they couldn't reach him… and it was all because Aang…

Aang's eyes returned to the shadows; taking his features (Aang's features) that were twisted into something that not even Aang knew what it meant, but all he could sense was danger wafting from that thing that wore his face. That thing who leaned down and whispered promises of saving his beloved from the dark fate he was destined to have if Aang just…

"G… g… get… l… lost…" Aang managed to spit out after what felt like decades of trying to make sounds with his throat and failing to do so. "G… g-get… l-lost…" Aang repeated this time louder, feeling fury and indignation coursing through him. "Get… lost…" Aang hissed, glaring at that thing whose smile fell and he started at Aang with silent fury. "Get Lost!" Aang finally managed to snarl, raising his hand and sweeping at that thing's face, hoping to break its nose and send it away from him.

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"You need me…"

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"Get lost!"

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"…You will be back for me…"

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"Get lost!"

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"…I will be back."

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"Get lost, get lost, get lost; get lost!"

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"I resurfaced from the dark, and I refuse to go back into the shadows once more."

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With that… Aang started to sink…)…

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Aang woke up drenched in a cold sweat, shivering and shaking as he tried to calm his rabbiting heart down; his breath was trapped in his lungs that contracted on themselves, refusing to allow Aang to pull a breath. The sharp taste of something metallic on his tongue, coating it and bringing nothing but nausea; the smell of iron in his nose made bile rise in his throat… Aang sprinted out of his bed… he didn't know where he ran, didn't know how long he ran; he didn't know what was happening to him or what the hell was going wrong… Aang wanted everything to end…

He found himself in a secluded place, maybe outside of Kyoshi Village, maybe inside of it, maybe even off the damn island for all Aang knew. The only thing that Aang knew was that by the time he stopped running, he leaned on one of the trees not that far behind and started emptying his stomach until there was nothing left.

He coughed and coughed and gagged and held back his hysteric sobs, feeling like his mind was going to explode on him any minute now… Aang was losing it… he was losing it… it was worse than the time his mother died, worse than the time Monk Gyatso died… worse than waking a hundred years in the future and learning about what happened to his friends… what happened to Kuzon… Aang was losing it, he was losing it, he was losing it, he was losing it, he was losing it; he was fucking losing it!

Aang stumbled to another tree and leaned on it, his legs not being able to hold him up anymore and he could only slide down until he was sitting on the ground, his head between his knees and his hands covering his ears, trying not to lose it then and there and do something crazier that would cement in his head how low he had fallen and how close he was to losing it all.

"What's happening to me?" Aang's voice cracked as he repeated these words over and over again, sniffling as he tried to hold back his sobs. "What's happening to me?" Aang shook, hitched breaths left him and he could only sniff and try to stop the wails that wanted to leave him. "Am I going crazy?" Aang could only question his sanity, wanting someone to come and talk to him, tell him what was wrong with him, why was he having these dreams… these visions… that didn't make sense at all but Aang knew every detail like the back of his hand.

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"Forget!

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"How dare you forget?!"

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"I resurface from the dark, and I refuse to go back into the shadows once more…"

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Answers… Aang needed answers, he needed answers, he needed… Aang stumbled back on his shaky legs, whirling around the place and trying to make sense of everything happening around him in his daze… answers… he needed them… but where would he find them? …Aang bit his lower lip bloody trying to think of a way to get these answers.

"…The Avatar…" Aang gasped, realization finally struck him in the head as he realized that all the answers he could possibly need could be found with the Avatar… his past lives… Tui and La weren't here to answer his questions and help him in this dilemma, but his past lives? The Avatar? Raava? They could help, and what better way than to ask Avatar Kyoshi about this when it was known in the Fire Nation that her wife 'Rangi' was gifted with divine visions thanks to Agni himself… Aang could get help, he could get help! He just needed…

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With that, Aang started running toward Kyoshi's Shrine…

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"Are you really sure you want to come with us?" Zuko questioned Suki as the two of them walked toward the room Aang was staying in to wake him up for breakfast (A far, far away room, that his uncle had all but thrown Aang in after Zuko once more tried to run off with the boy, and almost caused Iroh to have a heart failure… really, uncle Iroh wasn't helping his case at all and all it made Zuko do, was be more persistent in pursuing his beloved). "Weren't you planning on going to Ba Sing Se to help the refugees?" Zuko reminded his friend about her plan to go to Ba Sing Se with some of the Kyoshi Warriors and help the refugees who wanted to escape from the Fire Nation into Ba Sing Se.

"Yeah, but after hearing about all of your misadventures with the gang it got me thinking… and well… my warriors could hold up on their own, but you on the other hand." Suki grinned and hip-bumped him, making Zuko roll his eyes in amusement. "I think my skills are needed here more than Ba Sing Se." Zuko smiled softly shoulder bumping Suki gently in retaliation.

"Thanks, that means a lot." Zuko grinned, happy that his friend was finally coming with him on their journey; now, the gang was all but complete, they just needed to find Toph before everything finally settled in and Zuko had all of his friends (family) beside him once more.

Years ago, when Zuko left the Fire Nation and went on his quest of training and planning to bring his family back to him. Suki was the first of his friends that Zuko found after leaving, a chance of a meeting really because back then Zuko was out of it most of the time, his emotions were all over the place and he was a danger to be around to those he didn't trust, not even able to control his fires and hide Agni's fires from the people. Zuko remembered his uncle stopping at an Island that night, he didn't know what island and didn't care if it meant that they were as far away from the Fire Nation as they could… It was only after Suki attacked that Zuko realized… the way he all but bawled that night, the way he sobbed and sobbed and all but went mad after seeing Suki for the first time in years; full of life, happy, and safe, just like she should have always been.

The rest as they say was a history. Zuko helped his friend and her village, his uncle made friends with Chief Oyaji and Lady Yukari (And if Zuko had to guess, he informed them about the Order of White Lotus and even made them members of it), and after that, Kyoshi Island just became somewhat of a haven to Zuko. Suki back then was the only one who could keep him grounded and from then they just grew closer to one another, like siblings; so, when Lady Yukari and Uncle Iroh offered Sworn Brotherhood? Zuko didn't even have to think about it before accepting it and after that, Suki was not only a friend, but a sister and a confidence he could lean on.

And now, after all these years of pain and doubt and hope; everyone was finally back together, they were back together, and Zuko just needed to direct everyone toward Gaoling Village so they could get Toph and then everything would finally be whole, and complete, and perfect… just like back then before Ozai and Azula burned the world down and took away his family from him.

"Aang? Are you up?" Zuko tried to knock on the door after they reached Aang's room, only to frown harshly when the door opened before his hand even touched it, looking at Suki, Zuko saw how his friend took out her fans and with that, the two of them decided to go in. "Aang?" Zuko pushed the door and went inside, freezing as he saw the blankets all over the floor and the sheets strewn around.

"Is this… blood?" Suki questioned as she pointed at Aang's pillow, making Zuko's breath hitch and terror rose inside his chest as scenario after scenario invaded his mind, each one worse than the last.

"Go sound the alarms." That was the only thing Zuko managed to choke out before he turned around and started running into the forest and following the tracks left behind by Aang, feeling so stupid for not thinking something was wrong when Aang didn't show up for breakfast that morning… but Zuko thought that Aang finally managed to get some sleep after weeks of nightmares and being on the edge; he thought that Aang had finally managed to get some rest after they returned to Kyoshi, he thought… Zuko was an idiot…

It wasn't long before the alarms were sounded, and the news spread out to everyone in Kyoshi Village. By then Zuko knew that the Kyoshi Warriors and Sokka and Katara had been informed and a searching party was already sent out to cover the forest to find where Aang had disappeared too.

Zuko was stupid, he should have done something, should have acted out when his uncle tried to separate them, should have confronted Aang about the nightmares, he should have… he should have done many things, but Zuko was stupid not to notice and by doing that, Aang had disappeared.

"Zuko! We found him!" Katara's voice resonated from above, and Zuko who was searching near the shore stopped and looked up, seeing Katara on Appa's saddle. "He is in the old temple of Kyoshi up the mountain!" Then Katara and Sokka landed Appa, and it didn't take long for them to fly toward the mountain, flying toward where Aang was…

Zuko didn't even allow Appa to fully land down before he jumped off his saddle and booked it toward the temple at fast speed, ignoring how Yukari was frozen in the temple entrance unwilling to move, and how Suki was on her knees, her eyes wide and a dazed look in her eyes; all Zuko cared about by then was finding his Aang and damn it all Zuko was not allowing anyone to stop him from finding his beloved.

"Stop right there, little one." A voice ordered, and a soft gust of wind was blown at Zuko in a warning, making Zuko stop in his place and raise his arms to shield his face from the wind that was blowing his hair and clothes around. Opening his eyes, Zuko blinked a few times, furrowing his brows at the woman who blocked him from going inside the temple.

Zuko froze when he finally recognized who he was seeing, and only now did he realize why Suki and Yukari had frozen in place, not moving an inch. "Avatar Kyoshi…" Zuko choked out the title of the woman before him, part of him going hysterical at the thought of what the woman was doing here and where was his Aang. "Where is he?" Zuko finally managed to get the words out of his mouth after opening and closing his mouth several times trying to make his throat work right.

"Inside." Was the woman's short and clipped answer, as she looked Zuko up and down with something akin to amusement and resignation. "But you are not allowed in." The woman stated, making Zuko bristle and glare at her, feeling on edge when he wasn't allowed to go in and see his beloved.

"May I know why?" Zuko hissed, taking a step forward, in a subtle threat that he wasn't afraid of marching up the stairs of the temple and going in if it meant he would see Aang and be told by his beloved that he was fine.

"A rite of passage, that needed to be completed and is something you shouldn't interrupt," Kyoshi answered Zuko with an amused grin, and Zuko who knew everything about the Avatar, about the Air Nomads, about what needed to be known thank to his years of hunting his beloved down, smelled the woman's lie from miles away.

"Move aside," Zuko ordered, taking another step followed by another, and another, and another until he stood in front of Avatar Kyoshi, raising his head and glaring at her with a look that promised her retribution if she refused to move and allow him to go and see Aang.

"No." Kyoshi narrowed her eyes before leaning down to whisper. "One more step, and I will tell your pretty boy about your secret. He will be so betrayed, you know. To discover that the person he loves with all his heart hid such a colossal secret from him. Tell me, what do you think he would do when he became aware that he was the reason the world burned into ashes? The reason you died? The reason your child died?" Zuko inhaled harshly upon hearing this and he could only look at Kyoshi's eyes, frozen in his place as he felt horror and confusion as he realized that someone knew... someone knew... someone other than him knew and was going to-!

"…Why are you doing this?" Zuko choked out, feeling nothing but fury and helplessness and he could only bite the inside of his cheek bloody trying to control himself from lashing out at the woman standing in front of him, looking at him with that damned amused look in her eyes like what was happening didn't concern her at all.

"Just because." Kyoshi smiled as she once more stood to her full height, looking down on Zuko. "Not another step, or you will lose him; I will make sure of that." Zuko twisted his lips down upon hearing this, and in the end, to his shame, he took a step back, clenching his hands into tight fists to stop himself from doing something stupid and making this… this thing… go and tell his beloved what should be forgotten and never remembered by him.

It wasn't long before curses came from inside the temple and Zuko's heart all but leaped to his throat as he tried to look around, tried to see if Aang was there, if he was alright, if he… Zuko paled, his eyes widened and his heart all but dropped to the pit of his stomach when Aang finally came into view, disheveled and bloody, with blood still pouring out of his Qiqiao; behind, Zuko could hear the murmurs and cries of his friends and the people behind as they saw Aang, but Zuko, Zuko could only freeze in his place with terror, wanting to push the woman away and go to his beloved but was unable to because she could tell Aang and he didn't want that.

"Is it done?" Kyoshi questioned, making Aang who was wiping the blood off his face turn to Kyoshi, only to blink in shock when he saw Zuko standing beside Kyoshi. "The trials?" That snapped Aang's attention toward the woman and he hummed.

"All done. Passed. And we are finished." That was Aang's confusing reply as he nodded to Kyoshi, still wiping the blood off his face with his hands; by then, Zuko couldn't take it anymore and he rushed toward Aang, taking his face in his shaky hands and feeling fear and confusion when Aang's pale face greeted him. "Hey, hey, hey, what's with this look? It's fine." Aang reassured Zuko with a smile, raising his hand to touch Zuko's face but stopped at the last second when he noticed how bloody his hand was.

"Aang." Kyoshi's firm voice snapped both Zuko and Aang toward the woman, and Zuko could only sneer and send the woman a poison-filled glare daring her to say something after taking Aang inside this damn temple and bringing him out looking like this. "Here." The woman threw something at them, and Zuko's body almost moved to Fire Bend on instinct but was stopped when Aang pulled him to the side and moved his hand to snatch whatever Kyoshi threw at them.

"But… these are your fans." Aang looked at Kyoshi after what he caught in his hand turned out to be the fans that Kyoshi had… The ones that were in her shrine… Zuko would recognize them anywhere, especially when Suki had spent years dragging Zuko to that shrine and talking his ears off about every relic in that damned place.

"They are Our fans… use them… they would be of more use to you now more than ever." Kyoshi's lips twitched up into a smile, her face softening up some before she looked at Zuko and then that smile turned into one with a threatening edge. "…And Aang, if it happened again, you know where to find me." With that, Zuko watched how Avatar Kyoshi faded away into nothing, and that was everyone's cue to snap out of their daze and rush toward the temple and surround Aang, shouting questions left and right trying to get an answer out of him. Aang just gave a tired smile that day and refused to explain things using the excuse of it being an Avatar business…

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Aang slept for three days after they got back to the village…

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…(He was walking… walking… walking… walking… walking…

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Aang didn't know where he was heading, he didn't have a destination or a specific place in mind. He just walked through the forest, he walked along the river and up the mountain and high above until he finally found an abandoned temple… a temple that all of his instincts guided him toward instead of the shrine he should be at… but Aang… Aang knew that this was the right place to be if he wanted to have the answers he wanted. The answers to what was wrong with him, and why he was losing it, why… why? …Aang was losing it, and he needed someone to help, and give him answers…

Once upon a time, Monk Gyatso had taken him to the Southern Air Temple's Sanctuary and told him that someone was there to help him when it was the right time. That when Aang faced difficulties and pain, he couldn't pass, someone inside the Sanctuary would be there to help him in his quest and bring him the answer he desperately needed. Answers that Aang when opening the doors to the Sanctuary couldn't get out of the mouth of stones… but now, after knowing what he knew… now… maybe the stones could finally bring him the answer he desperately wanted…

So, Aang walked toward the temple, looking around and trying to find another soul that would help him in his quest. A soul that would shine the light on what was happening to him and why he was losing it at an alarming rate… someone… anyone… Aang needed an answer to why he felt like he was losing his own goddamn mind.

"Ah… what do we have here?" A voice hummed, resonating all around the mountain, resonating in Aang's whole being, making him stop in his tracks and turn behind him to see. "I never felt a rage so familiar in such a long time…" Fog blanketed the ground, blanketed the trees in the distance, blanketed everything and anything and even Aang; until the fog split, and from within walked a woman who looked at Aang… she was familiar in a way and Aang wondered if he knew that woman from somewhere… "…It brings nostalgia." The woman tilted her head and smiled, and Aang's tired mind finally managed to make the connection.

"Avatar… Kyoshi?" Aang breathed out, blinking several times in disbelieve as he gazed at the tall woman, the only reason Aang even managed to recognize who the woman was because of how tall she was as the woman standing not that far away didn't have her signature makeup and armor she was known for.

"Hello, Aang." Avatar Kyoshi smiled, raised her hands, and brought them into a downward motion dissipating the fog that blanketed the mountain; Aang breathed out, and he could only blink in surprise and shock because now… now Avatar Kyoshi was in her armor and makeup walking toward Aang with narrowed eyes. "We finally met." The woman started, tilting her head to the left and right as she seemed to study Aang intensely. "You were supposed to talk with Avatar Roku first; he was waiting for you, but you never came. Instead, you decided to jump the cycle and come into my domain… why is that?" Avatar Kyoshi questioned, looking Aang up and down with furrowed eyebrows and downturned lips.

"Do you know what's happening to me?" Aang finally managed to force through his throat after opening and closing his mouth several times, feeling like the world was darkening before his very own eyes when the woman in front of him frowned in confusion.

"I can't say; you look just fine," Kyoshi stated tilting her head as she studied him with narrowed eyes; her words all but drove Aang over the edge because he came here for help, he came here for help, not to be told that he was fine when he was a second away from losing it and doing the unspeakable!

"I resurface from the dark, and I refuse to go back into the shadows once more…" Aang whispered, watching how Avatar Kyoshi took a harsh inhale hearing this, her eyes widening and something flashed in them that made Aang shake in his place because Kyoshi knew… she knew… "Please…" Aang could only beg, feeling desperate as he stumbled toward the woman. "I feel like I am losing my own mind…" Aang confessed, making the woman close her eyes and swallow before motioning with her head to Aang to follow her inside the temple.

"How long have you been having these… visions?" Avatar Kyoshi crossed her arms behind her back as she asked her question, making Aang swallow and bite his lower lip hard because this just… it just proved that these dreams… these nightmares… were real…

"A few weeks," Aang answered shakily, sniffing as he looked away from Avatar Kyoshi for a while before continuing. "It was after… after touching Agni's fires…" Aang finally disclosed the secret that he wanted to bury because, by the end, it was Aang's fault for not thinking things through and going on and touching something he knew he shouldn't have touched.

"Ah… I see…" Kyoshi hummed to herself, not even looking that surprised at the turn of events. "And have you… have you interacted with the Spirit? Strike a deal with him? Anything of that sort?" Kyoshi stopped in her place, looking at Aang with a tilted head, and waited for his answer.

"…No… for striking the deal… not for the lack of trying on the Spirit's part…" Aang finally admitted, remembering the dream that all but choked him out, and how the Spirit had him in a chokehold and all but had him under his thumb when the sound of Zuko crying and being hurt all but made him sink under, it was only thanks to Aang's nature of being spiteful and stubborn that Aang managed to find a way out. "Who… who was that Spirit? And what does he want?" Aang finally managed to ask the question on his mind, turning to the woman who resumed walking toward the temple and making Aang follow her.

Kyoshi opened her mouth to answer before she closed it looking so lost; it happened several times before Kyoshi finally sighed and whispered. "Vaatu." Causing Aang to inhale harshly, and every muscle in his body locked as he stopped in his place, looking at Kyoshi's back as she got farther and farther away before she stopped when she noticed Aang wasn't following her.

"How…? How could he…? Was it because…?" Aang could only give broken questions, his mind going into overdrive as he tried to make sense of why and how 'Vaatu' managed to find him, managed to… to… a shiver of horror went down Aang's spine and he felt sick because how and why?!

"Because… you, me, Avatar Norran…" Hearing that name made Aang's eyes snap to Kyoshi, watching her with wide eyes filled with confusion and disbelief. "We are chaos, we are orders; we are death, and we are life… we were the incarnation of misfortune… The children of Raava and Vaatu… even if Raava refused to recognize Vaatu had anything to do with us, even being born under his star." Aang's hands shook as he heard this, and he could only look around the place trying to make things make sense to him because nothing was making sense… did Avatar Kyoshi just tell him that she was a child of misfortune?! How was that even real? Wasn't it the false Avatar Yun who…?!

Aang shook his head, now was not the time to go into technicality when something bigger was at play. "So… being a child of misfortune enabled Vaatu to have a connection with us? Huh?" Aang questioned, biting his lower lip bloody as he remembered what Tui and La told him weeks ago. "What little darkness existed in Raava would magnify to form the connection to Vaatu…" Aang finally concluded, looking at Kyoshi who nodded her head. "But… why us? Why just us? It's impossible that out of thousands of lives, of thousands of Avatars, we… we couldn't have been the only children of misfortune… right?" Aang inquired, looking at Kyoshi with desperation that made the woman give a wry smile.

"That's right…" Avatar Kyoshi answered, looking through Aang with her eyes before she shook her head. "But it was only the three of us who were offered a… a gift… by Agni." Aang furrowed his brows hearing this… A gift? What gift? Aang didn't remember meeting Agni or…

"The visions…" Aang finally realized, his eyes widening while his jaws dropped a bit as the realization struck him and all but stole the air out of his lungs. These… these visions… nightmares… Vaatu was using them to make his deal, he was using them to…

"Memories. Not visions, but memories." Here, Avatar Kyoshi lost Aang, and he could only watch the woman who let out a tired sigh and motioned with her head toward a table that had a tea set on it. "It's a long story." Avatar Kyoshi warned, and Aang swallowed.

"I have all the time in the world." Aang followed Kyoshi to the table in the middle of the temple that had a tea set on it, sitting on the other side of the table and serving his predecessor tea, watching from the corner of his eyes how Avatar Kyoshi seemed to be lost in thoughts, trying to gather herself and start the tale… Avatar Kyoshi did start the tale; starting with Avatar Norran… and by then not even horror could describe what Aang felt at every word heard, at the impossible fate that was granted… the madness… the loss… everything… Aang's mind still couldn't grasp what Avatar Kyoshi was saying, refused to believe what was said, because how…? How could it be real?

"…And then, Avatar Norran was given back the memories of the future in the hope of making things right again… the first mistake… His wife was also given her memories in the hope of helping Avatar Norran restore the balance… the second mistake… Turns out that their love wasn't as strong as Avatar Norran thought it would be and that being the wife of a creature of misfortune was not something any woman wanted, so she decided to put an end to it by killing Avatar Norran, and who could pull it than someone the Avatar trusted more than life itself… The third and final mistake… He survived of course, but that didn't mean the damage didn't sink and break the last link of humanity in Avatar Norran… that's when Vaatu struck… you know the rest of the story, don't you?" Kyoshi inquired gently as she sipped her tea, while Aang could only whirl the liquid around in his cup.

"And then he said… Let there be chaos… Let there be death… Let all the world burn for its sins…" Aang recited the words, feeling tiredness deep in his bones, and part of him just felt resigned and angry because Aang really thought that Avatar Norran was not a child of misfortune, that the stories had got it all wrong, that the history books… Zuko was so sure… he was so sure… and Aang believed… but now… now to be told that the history books were fabricated because they couldn't allow the Avatar to be shined under any light that wasn't divinity and wholeness just broke his heart.

"And that's what happened, and Avatar Norran became known as the 'Avatar of Chaos'… the only one who almost severed his link with Raava and freed Vaatu from his prison." Aang's hands shook, and he could only clutch them into tight fists to stop them from shaking. "It ended with fire and death when Agni himself descended from the skies and put an end to Avatar Norran… Agni didn't appreciate his gift being mocked like this, and he made it known to everyone by starting a purge." Aang nodded his head, picking up his tea and downing it all in one gulp like it was alcohol before pouring another cup for both him and Avatar Kyoshi. "After that… Raava interfered, and in the off-chance, this happened once more, she made a failsafe to stop it." Kyoshi sipped her tea, her words made Aang close his eyes tightly and inhale harshly.

"…Erase our memories…" Aang swallowed several times as he reached the final conclusion. "In the fear of us forsaking the world as it had forsaken us. She didn't fear this happening to the other Avatars… just her and Vaatu's unwanted mistake of children… that's when everyone started this witch hunt to eliminate every child born under the 'Star of Misfortune'." Aang snorted, picking up the tea and sipping it, wishing that Avatar Kyoshi would have brought alcohol instead of this tea, maybe then Aang would be able to forget the insanity he managed to hear.

"That's one way to put it… and you are not even wrong. I only managed to survive because my parents dumbed me somewhere like trash, never looked back, and went on with their lives. My adopted father tried to protect me as best as he could, even while being disgraced and mocked for what he did; he never knew, but I suspect if he did… it would just be another mark of disgrace that people would slap on him for refusing to hurt me. You on the other hand… how did your parents let you live? And how didn't the monks finish the job?" Aang paused with his cup near his lips before he put it down, a wry smile on his face, and he decided, why not tell her? It wasn't like the secret mattered much after everyone from his time had died and turned into dust.

"My mother was the First Wife to the 'Love of her Life' for over ten years." Aang spat, his lips twisting into a snarl that it took all of his willpower to force down at the reminder of his father. "Ten years with no children… people talk… and they talk nasty, especially when it concerns people in power, and who would take the blame other than the wife?" Aang snorted, seething at the reminder. "After ten years, my father married another, and told my mother she had ten years of fidelity she should be grateful, and if she wanted to leave then the door was there… She stayed, got demoted to the Second Wife, and was made the laughing stoke to the world when the new Mistress got pregnant a month after her wedding." Aang pressed his lips into a tight line, biting the inside of his cheek until he all but tasted blood as he remembered how people used to talk when they thought no one was there to hear them laughing and mocking his mother for her foolishness and misfortune even when it was never her fault. "She just wanted a child with her beloved…" Aang remembered the words whispered to him by his mother every time someone questioned her sanity for why she kept him when she should have gotten rid of him the day he was born. "When she finally had a child six years later; she refused to give him up… it cost her, her life…" Aang pressed his lips tightly at the reminder of his mother's death and how unjust it was. "…A few years later, I was picked from the streets by someone… someone like your adopted father who became a parent to me too… by then people knew I was the Avatar, making it too late to get rid of me; so, here we are." Kyoshi hummed upon hearing this, looking at her cup with contemplation, and Aang ran his tongue over the back of his teeth just remembering the words said and the actions that were taken, what would he do to forget everything now… but he couldn't because his memory was just that good… "What about you? Your story with Vaatu?" Aang asked, picking up his cup and sipping his tea, feeling nothing but ash and blood coating his tongue instead of the green tea.

"… I started having dreams after fleeing with Rangi…" Kyoshi sighed looking at the bottom of her cup with a tired look in her eyes. "I wanted revenge… I was filled with rage and hate and I wanted revenge. By then, I was already having some inkling that something was… wrong… and when the dreams started." Kyoshi ran her tongue over her lips, looking at Aang with a wry smile. "The thing about Vaatu was that he didn't lie, didn't trick you with sweet words, nor tried to make elaborate deals… he just brought back the memories, brought back the pain and rage, and then it would be your choice to remember and accept his deal," Kyoshi explained, and Aang couldn't help the snort that left him.

"Oh, he didn't need to go the extra mile," Aang replied to Kyoshi, already knowing why Vaatu wouldn't tire himself out with the long game and just gave it straight away to them. "He knew that if we ever remembered… we would forsake the world just like Norran did… just like you almost did…" Kyoshi turned away from Aang, not looking him in the eye because Aang managed to know her secret by reading between the lines and making a comparison between all three of them. "…And just like I would… Because we are the children of misfortune and when we love…" Aang let his words hang in the air, making Kyoshi give a mocking laugh.

"Ah, yes… children of misfortune know not love, not kindness, not luxury." Kyoshi grinned, picking up the teapot and pouring more damn tea into their cups. "Only hate, only the harshness of the world, only sadness, and the bitter truth." The Qianyuan picked up her cup and raised it, looking at it with amusement. "But when we find that special person who completed us when we find that person who would choose us despite being what we are…" She sipped her tea, letting out a hum.

"We can't let go… refuse to let go… death would have been more merciful than letting go." Aang finished, picking up his cup not daring to take another sip of the tea, just whirling it around in his cup. "It is… it's not an obsession, it's not possessiveness or all of those negative emotions people associate with our kind. It's just how we love, how we taught ourselves to love because we were never taught how to love right, and when we give our heart, we give it…" Kyoshi smiled and looked him in the eye, a look of understanding passed between them.

"Wholly and completely until there is no place for any other person to barge in, not unless they were special to our beloveds… to forsake everything for them, to love only them, to care for only them, for the world is nothing but a stage and they are the star of it. They are everything." Aang nodded finally taking another sip of that damn tea and scrunching his nose at the taste.

"Should have brought some damn Baijiu instead of tea," Aang grumbled, getting a snort from the woman who grumbled something about ungrateful brats under her breath. Aang and Kyoshi remained in their seats, sipping that damn tea, before Aang, finally gathered his thoughts and asked. "Is… does Zuko know about this? Is he having the same dreams or…?" Aang finally managed to ask, feeling sick at the thought of his beloved suffering the same as him.

"No." Kyoshi looked him in the eye and replied point blank, not cutting eye contact as she did so. "He doesn't know, nor does he have dreams. My best guess is that after Agni sealed your deal, he just offered your boy his fire and a few divine visions…. That's what he did to Rangi, the reason she took me and ran away. Probably did the same to your boy, and that's that. Don't overthink and overcomplicate things." Aang clutched his cups before his shoulders relaxed…

So Zuko didn't know… that was the only thing Aang was grateful for because just thinking about Zuko suffering the same thing as him, almost made Aang go mad. "Then… how do I stop remembering things?" Aang pleaded, wanting to stop remembering because he knew that if one more memory took hold of him, Aang would want to know, and if he knew… if he knew… then Aang felt that he would let his rage win, and if that happened… then Ozai would be the last thing people needed to worry about.

"…You are a stronger person than I ever was; wanting to let go." I am not, but I don't want to burn the world down, not when Zuko… Aang wanted to say but he held back and looked at Kyoshi who locked her jaws. "I wasn't strong back then, and wanted to remember… allowed myself to remember… only once… only one memory… Rangi's shame and my mistake and burden for being so weak… so…" Kyoshi's words trailed off, and Aang bit the inside of his cheek as he saw the look in the woman's eyes.

"What happened?" Aang questioned, even when part of him knew the answer to that question just by looking at Kyoshi's face; Aang could already feel the answer because the feeling and madness were already brewing inside of him and was whispering in his head and telling him to let go.

"Let's just say after that… I never felt guilty for taking people's lives; they were nothing but disgusting pigs in the end." Aang pressed his lips tightly at that but nodded his head in acceptance; what happened and what Kyoshi saw had probably changed her in the worst ways even if in the end it made her the most efficient out of every Avatar because it made her a no-nonsense type who didn't have time for anything but straightforward results. "As for you… Vaatu is moving fast… way faster than he ever did with me. Meaning that something major is going to happen soon." Kyoshi frowned as he said that, looking confused and concerned as she looked at Aang.

Aang paused hearing this, a memory… a vision… flashed in his mind-eye. "Sozin's Comet." That was Aang's answer, and he knew it was the right answer, even when he didn't know why it was the right answer. "It's this summer… six months away." Kyoshi let out a soft 'Ah' and she started tapping her fingers on the table.

"That's what got Avatar Roku in a tizzy. Something big is going to happen and Vaatu is eager to see it through, and if you go now with your new allies and your new resolves and newly chosen path… Raava is going to win and peace will come." Kyoshi tapped her fingers on the table, and Aang could only furrow his brows.

"…And he doesn't want that. It's either taking me out of the game and letting the enemy win, or turning me into the bigger enemy… either way, Vaatu wanted to win no matter the cost." Aang scowled harshly at that while Kyoshi clicked her tongue in annoyance; annoyance, and irritation that mirrored Aang perfectly. "So, how to stop it?" Aang repeated, making Kyoshi grimace.

"Should have really brought Sake instead of tea…" The woman huffed, and Aang rolled his eyes grumbling 'Too late' to the woman and just to be a little shit, Aang poured more tea into her cup with a smile. "Well, you have two options. One, as you youngsters say these days 'Glow it up'." Aang's lips twitched up hearing this because really, this was something that Sokka would say if he had the chance. "Go into the Avatar State, establish a stronger connection with Raava, and cut all of Vaatu's influence, but to do that you have to open all of your Chakra pathways… you need to let go of every single thread holding you into this world, your beloved included." The smile on Aang's face vanished, and he looked into Kyoshi's eyes, trying to find out if she was tricking him, but all he could see was sincerity.

There were no lies in the woman's eyes, no deception; nothing but sincerity that made Aang's throat close as the horror at the mere thought mounted inside of his heart. "No." That was Aang's final answer, and he didn't even need to think things through to give this answer; Aang preferred death to letting Zuko go, he refused to let Zuko go, even if the price was heavy and painful. "What is the second option?" Aang questioned, changing the subject and refusing to even think about it.

"If you refused the first choice… you would lose your only chance of mastering the Avatar State completely… that will cause serious consequences Aang." Kyoshi tried to make Aang understand why he needed to go down this path, but Aang just looked at her long and hard, a harsh frown on his face.

"Is that what you did? Give up Rangi to Master that state." Kyoshi froze upon hearing this, and Aang tilted his head in curiosity. "How did she take it? You letting her go after everything. After the connection, the acceptance, the love… did you look her in the eyes and tell her you wanted to let her go?" Kyoshi inhaled harshly, and Aang just smiled, already knowing the answer. "You obviously couldn't let go. I saw your granddaughter, crazy kid. Between you and me; that didn't look like letting go." Aang pressed his lips tightly and leaned his elbows on the table. "Now, what's the second option?" Kyoshi's lips twitched up then, and Aang knew she must feel that the whole thing happening was amusing.

"A little soul searching and a… hunt… will get rid of the problem. Don't worry, it won't affect your connection with Raava and you still can access the Avatar State when needed, but you will never be able to Master it; not unless you decide to let go. Going down this path; Aang, you need to know that it could possibly affect your ability to Air Bend, it will never be the same again, and from then on you will need assistance…. A spiritual tool…" Aang hummed hearing this and he could only run his tongue over his lips as the full picture started to manifest inside of his head.

"Like you and your war fans," Aang concluded, then and there, Aang knew what Kyoshi had to sacrifice to stop Vaatu and be with Rangi, even if it meant forsaking her duties as the Avatar and being made a mockery if everyone knew… and here… here it was proven to Aang that Avatar Kyoshi was a human after all, and wasn't that rigid woman who chose the world… no, Kyoshi was a human and she was a woman in love and she had chosen Rangi instead of the world… but no one would ever know because she had to work harder than all the Avatars combined to compensate for the choice she made. "You know what? If it is between Zuko and this mess, you already know my choice. We went down that road in the past, we could go down there once more." Aang let out a choked laugh, already knowing that if it came to Zuko and whatever mess Aang found himself in; Aang would always choose Zuko, no matter what people would have said and done, and if Aang's bending really got affected and he couldn't Air Bend? …He already knew other forms of bending that would be of use in the future if things went south.

"Are you sure, Aang? If you went down this path… there is no going back; no second chances, no possibility of reestablishing the spiritual connections you have now and are going to lose. I got lucky because I was an Earth Bender, but you? Do you have the heart to go through it knowing the risk?" Kyoshi questioned, and Aang offered her a tired smile.

"You are me, and I am you. You have been in my place; you know my answer. Do you really need to ask me something you already know?" Kyoshi gave him a look full of kinship and a soft smile. "You must have seen something in her, the same way I saw something in Zuko; if you didn't, we wouldn't be here." Kyoshi hummed, nodding her head in confirmation.

"Then Tell me… how much do you hate yourself? And how willing are you to… kill?" All at once Aang understood what Kyoshi meant, and admiration and respect couldn't help but course through him when he realized that's what Kyoshi must have done after nearly being driven crazy; get rid of whatever part of her soul that Vaatu decided to infect and hide within if it meant not letting go of her beloved… a look of understanding passed between the two of them before Aang leaned back and smiled…

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"Then this would be easier than I thought.")…

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So, what do you think?

Finally, an update, yay!

The start of Book Two: 'Earth', 'The Avatar State' and I had to make it about Vaatu and Raava!

So, many things are happening around here, I don't even know where to start.

We got to learn some background about our lovely characters today, especially Aang and his parents; Kyoshi and some of her life, and everything else.

Also, the secret is finally out… But in a way that wouldn't link Zuko to it… not if Avatar Kyoshi had anything to say about it, because she knew if Aang realized Zuko had his memories but wasn't willing to share; Aang would accept Vaatu's deal just to know what happened to Zuko, and if he knew? Well, the nations would have someone more dangerous and scarier than Ozai and the Fire Nation combined to deal with.

Will this be the last time we see Avatar Kyoshi? Probably not; Aang seemed to like her and connect with her in a way that he didn't with Roku, and she would probably teach him something or two about leaving his pacifist nature behind.

Will this be the last time we see Vaatu? Hmmm… I don't think so.

Is everything going downhill from here? Yes, it is.

Ah… drama!

Anyway, I posted a new ATLA fic, a role reversal one called 'Reveres'.

If you are interested give it a read and comment on it.

Read and Review

And tell me what you think…

Nazaki-Sama