Chapter Text
Aang was back at the temple and just like before it was empty. He started to feel uneasy, Aang wonder where everyone was. The boy already knew the answer to that, yet still walks over to a tent. As he opens the tent, Aang sees himself and that Aang was glowing. He was in the Avatar State. Avatar Aang then attacks him. The nightmare consists of him being in the Avatar State. At one instance he stands before the Ocean Spirit. The nightmare changes again, before they can lay an attack. Now, Aang stands in complete darkness.
Then a bright, pink symbol suddenly appears in front of him. Although the symbol did more than bright, it was glowing.
Another glowing symbol then appeared from behind Aang. This symbol had a tint of bright blue. Though, this is a symbol Aang can understand. The word meant light.
The two symbols disappear, and gravity came. Aang falls into a large body of water. The waves were strong and Aang could barely stay afloat. He started to sink, and as his head was about to be below the surface, a different symbol hang above him. Unlike the previous two symbols, this one was dull. Aang sinks further into the water.
Finally, he wakes up.
The boy quickly looks around. He sighs in relief, Aang was still in the boat. It was all just a nightmare. Wanting to get a fresh of air, Aang went to the upper deck.
Katara wakes up as she sees her friend climb up the ladder. “Aang?” She says with concern. She gets out of her hammock and follows Aang to the upper deck. Once there she sees Aang on ledge of the boat, he looked rather sad. He turns his head towards her then turn back to the ocean. “Do you want to talk about it?” She asks.
“…I was in the Avatar State, but I was outside my body watching myself. It was scary. I was scary.” Aang closes his eyes and bows his head down, Katara puts her hand on his back in an act of comfort. Aang open his eyes before continuing. “Then something else happen. There were these symbols, and I was drowning. It was so dark that I could barely see a thing.”
“What did the symbols look like?”
“I only remember one of them. It looked like the kanji symbol for light. Hikari.”
“Maybe it was talking about you? I mean when ever you go into the Avatar State your eyes start glowing.”
“I don’t think - woah!” Before Aang could finish his sentence, the boat started rocking.
Both children hang on the boat’s rail, they hear some of the men coming up to the upper deck. “What is it? Is the Fire Nation attacking us?” Sokka asks while rubbing his eyes and holding his boomerang tiredly.
“Well, there’s no boat around so no.” Katara answers as she holds tightly to the rail.
Appa roars in discomfort after being awaken by the boat’s sudden movement. Aang moves to Appa to help and calm him down. As Katara sees the boy comforting the bison, she hears ripples from the water near her. Something was going to come up.
A serpent-like creature appears out of the water, almost flipping the boat to its side. It looms over the boat as the rest of the men finally came up to the deck. It was still dark, but both men and children can see the creature as the moon shines over it.
“What is that?” Sokka yells in surprise, snapping him into being fully awake.
“There shouldn’t be any serpents here, the water is too close to the north.” Master Pakku said in confusion as prepares himself for a fight. The rest of the men follow suit.
But the serpent didn’t attack immediately, it scans the deck. Looking down at the humans, with what looks like annoyance in its eyes, before heading back into the water. It was leaving? The human lowers their guard, surprise be the animal’s actions.
“Stupid humans.” It grumbles under its breath before the head went into the water. Its voice was so low that almost no one heard it, except for Katara. Her eyes widen as the serpent swims away from the boat.
“Huh weird, don’t big animals usually attack when their near us?” Sokka asked all confusion.
“I guess it didn’t saw us as a threat.”
“It spoke.” Katara finally says as she moves away from the boat’s rails. Sokka gave her a skeptic look, she immediately held both hands in front of her. “I mean it!”
“Really? What did it say?” Aang asks earnestly while he stroke Appa’s fur.
“I heard it said: stupid humans.”
“That’s so cool. I never heard of real talking animals before.”
“It didn’t speak, Aang. Animals don’t talk.” Sokka crosses his arms, he turns his head back to his sister. “You’re probably just hearing things, Katara.”
“I did! I heard it spoke!”
“You children will be leaving tomorrow. I suggest we all go back to sleep for the journey ahead.” Pakku spoke before these two siblings can continue their argument.
Everyone grumble at the fact they were awaken up for nothing. Some were secretly wishing that serpent did fight them, but what’s done was done.
“Don’t worry Katara I believe you.” Aang says as they lie on their beds. After hearing humph from her, he quickly continues. “I mean it. I heard that spirits who are animals can talk. So that serpent was probably a spirit and we didn’t know it. Maybe that’s why it didn’t attack us.”
Katara smiles, “thanks Aang. At least someone is open minded.” She says as she gives Sokka a glare.
Sokka groans, “you know what, I’m too tire for this. So, I’m going to say that Katara was just hearing things and that’s it. So good night.” With that he pulls his blanket cover over his head, not making any room for more conversation. Katara huffs in annoyance before pulling her blanket over her head as well.
Aang sighs, he thinks about the nightmare he had. As the boy closes his eyes, he hopes it doesn’t come back.