Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Tonight was perfect. Peaceful, quiet, and still the way only a place after snowfall can be. The way the snow on the mountains of his childhood home glittered in the starlight. Reminding him of nights much like this one but filled with much more laughter. And the nights of more recent years that were filled with grief. Tonight is neither of those nights, tonight is peaceful and lonely. Quietly painful. Greif will never change but it will never stay the same either.

His friends had gone inside a long time ago, leaving him alone. And Aang couldn’t bring himself to follow them. He was too tired to pretend to laugh. They meant well but their concern for him would only serve to make him acutely aware that he is the relic among them. Traded glances when they thought he wasn’t looking, none of them knowing what to do just because it was him. And he was always happy. He was never angry and sad and tired. He knows he can’t even blame them for not knowing, it is his own damn fault that he built up these walls.

But at least tonight out here is perfect, quiet. Maybe that could be enough right now. He doesn’t know what to do if it isn’t. He doesn’t have anything left. 

He had always had something he had to do, one more hurdle to jump. To distract him from his grief. First it was defeating Ozai, then Harmony Restoration, starting Republic City all of which didn’t need his involvement anymore. That left rebuilding the air temples and teaching about his culture. The temples had been rebuilt and he couldn’t think of anything he had taught the air acolytes. What is he supposed to do now? 

The world is looking towards the future and he is an almost forgotten relic from the past. Time went on for everyone else, he didn’t notice. 

“Aren’t you cold?” Katara’s voice sounded from behind him. He turned his body towards her.

“I can regulate my body temperature with bending, so no,” he replied glancing at her smiling. If he were being honest he would have said that he was frozen inside his body, even if he didn’t feel the sting of the wind.

“Why haven’t you shared that trick with the rest of us. I am still cold,” she said as she leaned against the balcony railing next to him. 

“Avatar trick only, I am afraid,” he nods sagely, trying to fake his usual hidden grin.

“Well that's too bad. I guess body heat is the only solution then,” without further prompting she moved into him, wrapping her arms around his waist. Aang returned her hug, resting his chin on her head. He returned to watching the stars, no interest in talking more. Talking required being present. Katara was fidgeting with his robes disrupting his peace. Especially as her hands, her cold hands found their way under his robes. 

“What are you doing?” he asks as he tries to squirm away. 

“My hands are cold,” she smiles, stars and mischief dancing in her eyes. 

“Oh really I hadn’t noticed,” he grabbed her hands pulling them away and holding them by their sides. Giving her an over exaggerated pout, which she laughed at. 

“Aang, do you want to dance with me?” No he doesn’t but he will. Because he doesn’t have the energy to explain himself if he says no. It would be too far removed from his normal self.

“Of course,” he answers and begins to gently sway with her to imagined music. He guides them around the patio, avoiding furniture. Katara starts to hum a song he doesn’t know. And warmth touched the iciness in his soul, if only for a moment. He doesn’t know what's wrong with him. He is dancing with the love of his life after being with his closest friends for over a week of celebrations. And he can hardly bring himself to smile. He hates himself for it.They deserve better. Katara deserves better. Even though she hardly notices that he is barely there with her.

Katara changes her song, something happier. A song that brings up memories of a fire lit cave. He knows this song so he hums along. She would notice something was wrong if he didn’t. It was their song after all. She starts to guide him around, spinning them faster. Pushing and pulling, together and apart they dance. He matches her at every spin. And they dance until they're breathless. She whispers that she loves him. He doesn’t say it back, only kisses her cheek and hugs her tighter. He wishes that he could. He wishes that he weren’t so broken that he couldn’t tell her he loved her. That he loves her with all of his heart.

“Do you want to,” she starts suddenly shy, “Do you want to marry me?” he stops moving completely. This can’t be happening. He has nothing to say. She is staring at him, her eyes still full of stars and hope. He drops her hands. 

“No,” he breaths out.

Chapter Text

“Um, hey Gyatso. It has been a while,” Aang stares at the unmoving stone statue of his mentor. The statue’s silence weighs on him. “I am sorry for not coming sooner. I was busy. Avatar stuff and everything,” he awkwardly sits down, he doesn’t know where to start describing the last few years of his life. He scans the mountains, still covered in snow, around them. They had moved Gyatso statue here back when they first started rebuilding the temples. No one wanted to accidentally break it and Aang wanted to be able to talk to him in private. 

They had settled on putting Gyatso on one of his favorite places to meditate. Gyatso had often taken him here when he was a child. It was high up a nearby mountain to the one the temple rested on and you had a wide view of everything around. Gyatso statue was placed in the gazebo that was already there. Another relic of what used to be here. He sighed, taking in the view was only stalling the inevitable. 

“I guess I just don’t know where to start. A lot has happened since I last talked to you,” he takes a deep, shaky, breath, “It has been five years? That city I told you about, Crane Fish, is now called Republic City. I made it center point for all nations, a place for peace and freedom. It also is the base of the air acolytes, everyone in the city is under their protection. The whole city is a tribute to the air nomads and their way of life. But that is not the only place the air acolytes are all of the temples have been rebuilt and they are taking care of them. We won’t be forgotten. So that is what I have been doing,” he relaxes more into the stone slab he sits on, glad to have gotten part of what he came here to say out of the way. 

He has been dreading this part ever since he started the hike up here. Katara flashes in his mind. The image of her the last time he saw her hasn’t left his mind. The hurt that had replaced the stars and joy in her eyes. He hated himself for the hurt he had caused her and himself. 

“Katara proposed,” he whispered, “I said no. Then we broke up. She asked me if I loved her and I didn’t say anything,” now that he had started talking he knew he wasn’t going to stop until everything had been said. He had kept everything in for so long, every bad emotion he hadn’t let himself feel. 

“I can’t... I don’t know what’s wrong with me. Something has to be broken in me, I can’t make myself care about anything beyond what I have to do. I wish I did. Because when I was with her half the time I was just pretending that everything was fine. She didn’t deserve that. But it isn’t just with her. The longer it has been since I defeated Ozai the more people believe or even expect me to be okay. How could I be okay,” he holds on to his anger, better to feel it than nothing at all.

“I lost everything. And then I didn’t even have time to breath before everyone expected me to save them. I was twelve. I was a child . I still haven’t had anytime to breathe. Officials want me to take their bullshit with a smile. Citizens expect my help with every little inconvenience. And to do this I had to be okay, so I just stopped feeling. I completely detached from everything. To the point where I just.. I don’t feel like a person anymore.” angry tears ran down his face. 

“Nobody treats me like I am either. I am just the Avatar, a spirit not a person. And the one person who didn’t. Well I just went and fucked that relationship up. And with it probably a lot of my other relationships. Sokka looked so angry before he left with Katara and Suki. I don’t blame him, this is my fault. I hate me too,” his anger is rapidly cooling. The only thing that is left is hollow desperation. Utter hopelessness. 

He just needs to breathe. Detach from this too, he thought bitterly. He is so desperate for Gyatso to respond that he tries to trick himself to think that maybe if he listens hard enough he will hear Gyatso. That maybe he could feel him here. Or that the wind would blow his shawl over his head and it would be him. Just anything so he wouldn’t be so alone. He knows better though. Gyatso is only alive in his head. 

“I miss you. And I wish I had asked you how to live because I don’t know. I don’t know if I even want to learn how to live anymore,” he glances towards the carved stone on the ceiling of the gazebo, trying to hold back his tears. 

“I am scared too. By my own thoughts. And I am trying to hold on to what you taught me, that all life is sacred. So that must include me, right. I like to think I am strong enough not to actively do anything but, sometimes I just stop trying. People try to kill me all the time and I almost let them. If I do that, what is stopping me from going further,” when he finishes speaking he feels quiet and empty. But he also feels like he can breathe, for the first time in a long time. The freedom that came with finally putting a voice to everything that he had been feeling for years. 

He wants to revel in this feeling. So he breaths it in and sits in its silence. He feels the warmth of the sun on his skin. The cold air around him, filling his lungs. He uses his earth bending to cast his awareness below him and into the mountains. Becoming one with the elements all around him. 

He knows that this peace will not last long. It is as fragile as he feels. It will break and leave him once he gets up. He knows that he has to leave soon. Leave Gyatso now, and the Southern Air Temple tomorrow. Off to where the next world ending event is. He opens his eyes and starts to lock everything back inside. Sliding back into nothingness.

Chapter Text

Ba Sing Se sprawled before him as he descended from the sky on Appa. Everyone will be here by tomorrow, if they are not already here. It was the 8th annual celebration for the end of the war. The Avatar and his companions were all expected to be there. Including Katara. It will be the first time he has seen her since she proposed. 

For some reason he thought he could stave off seeing her until later. Or never if it was up to him. It had only been a few weeks. He didn’t want to face the hurt he caused her, or be faced the fact she moved on. Either way he was dreading it. 

Appa touched down in the front of the palace where Toph was waiting for him. He flinched when he saw the look on Toph’s face; she was furious. Something told him that she and Katara had talked. He steeled himself a barrage of rocks as he stepped off of Appa. He is surprised when it never comes. 

“Hello Toph. How are you this fine evening,” he greets her smiling, pretending he doesn’t notice how angry she is. He hands Appa over to one of the palace staff before facing her fully. 

“Cut the shit Twinkle toes,” her angry reply came. 

“What do you mean Toph?” he asks her. 

“Quit playing oblivious with me. I am talking about Katara!” Toph’s raised voice was enough to gain the attention of the guards in the area. 

“Do we have to have this conversation here,” he asks as he glances at them. All who are now trying very hard to seem uninterested. 

“Yes we do. You broke her heart Aang,” she jabs a finger in his chest. 

“Can we at least go somewhere private before you yell at me,” he sighs. He wouldn’t be able to evade Toph’s wrath no matter how hard he tried. Best to get it over with. Much to his relief Toph motions him to start walking into the palace. 

The palace is the same as the first time he had been there. The only difference is he and his friends were now esteemed guests and no longer had to break down the doors to get in. The walk to Toph’s rooms seemed to pass him and before he knew it they were there. 

He throws himself on the green couch opposing the one Toph had chosen for herself. She lets him stew in her wrathful silence a bit longer. It doesn’t have the effect she is hoping for. He already feels drained to the point where he doesn’t care. 

“What is wrong with you,” she starts, seething. You would think he had rejected a proposal from her with how mad she is. 

“Do you want an answer or do you just want to yell at me,” he says dryly. 

“I want to yell some sense into you,” she snapped at him. “Your relationship with Katara is one of the best things you ever had. Why did you throw that away?” she waits for an answer and he doesn’t give her one. 

“Is it because the Air Nomads didn’t have marriages. Did you throw your relationship away because you didn’t want to break a stupid rule from a dead nation,” everything in him freezes. He drowns out whatever Toph is saying now, he’s done. She has no right to talk to him about them like that, no matter how angry she is. He gets up and makes his way to the door. Earth slams up in front of the door right before he gets there.  

“I am not done,” she practically growls at him. 

“Well I am,” with that he pushes the rock down, fighting her the whole time. He walks out shutting the door behind him. He heads towards his room, mind numb and frantic at the same time.

The door clicked shut behind him. He slides down the door until he is sitting knees to his chest. His breathing is uneven and ragged. He feels hyper aware of everything that is going on outside him. Panic blinds his senses, giving the world a white hue like he is going to black out. He pulls his knees tighter into his chest. Willing everything away. His mind runs over and over his conversation with Toph. What she was saying when he had drowned her out made an appearance in his mind. Whether she actually said it or not, it didn’t matter. Her voice and his were saying the same things. That he was some creature incapable of love. That he broke Katara’s heart just because he could. 

He had already imagined what Katara had been feeling, what Toph did and didn’t say only sealed that into his mind. Katara was hurting because of him. Katara is here and she isn’t with him and it is all his fault. Katara was here. It had only just occurred to him that if Toph knew what happened Katara was already here, likely had been for days. There was no chance he wasn’t going to see her tonight for the start of the celebrations. 

--

Aang had yet to see a glimpse of her, but he knew she was here. Had seen Sokka and other Water Tribe delegates. Sokka had seemed angrier than Toph when Aang caught his eye. He had then decided it was best to avoid the Water Tribe to the best of his ability. Which is a shame because they always were way more bearable than the stuffy Earth Kingdom officials. 

Which is who he is left with since most of his friends seem to hate him. Really funny how actions driven by hurt and loneliness only served to hurt him and make him feel more lonely. But even worse than the officials were their daughters. All of their plays to get the Avatar in their pocket. It is a relief to find someone who likes him for Aang not the Avatar. Like Katara his mind whispers viciously. 

“Avatar Aang it is a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance,” a girl greeted him bowing, smiling coyly up at him. Speaking of which he thought. 

“The pleasure is mine…” he replies smoothly waiting for her to fill in her name. 

“Liu,” she supplies. 

“Liu,” he repeats and she blushes. A blue dress catches his eye and his heart stutters. Katara was standing behind Liu. And if he had thought Toph and Sokka were bad nothing could have prepared him for this. He felt like he couldn’t breathe. There was no anger on her face, just hurt. Her eyes ask him if this is why as she glances at Liu. He can’t take it anymore. He looks away. Even as he knows it just confirms everything Katara is thinking, he focuses his attention on Liu. 

“If I may be so bold as to ask about you and Master Katara?” Liu asks, picking up on their exchange. Her deep brown eyes held a sincerity that he doesn’t see often. 

“We aren’t together if that is what you are asking,” he smiles at her putting on his usual face. Her face lights up. It seems like Liu is one of few genuine people. 

“I am sorry. There had been rumors. But I didn’t want to…” she stopped awkwardly. 

“Flirt with me just in case we were still together,” he finished for her. 

“I… Yes. Was it that obvious,” her face had turned a deep red, up to the tips of her ears.

“Only a little,” he chuckled. He glanced back up to where Katara was only to find her gone. Which is what he wanted.

“Well, I can leave if you want,” she still seems embarrassed. 

“No, it’s alright. You can stay,” he rushes to say. If she is here the less likely Sokka or Toph is to come up to him. 

“So I haven’t embarrassed myself too badly,” she asks as the color leaves her face. 

“Not at all. And to be honest you are a lot more fun to talk to than the delegates,” he says. It seems to be true he feels lighter than he has in ages. As they talk he notices someone go up to one of the guards and then they both leave. Something in his gut tells him to be alert. 

For the first time tonight he tries to catch Toph’s attention. He sends an almost imperceptible shockwave to her. Her body turns towards him signaling he has her attention. It seems even her anger will be put on pause for Avatar business. He directs a shockwave out and into the direction the guards went. Once Toph is out of sight he moves his attention back to Liu who is looking at him with a concerned expression. 

“I lost you there for a minute,” she laughs and before he could respond the floor cracked then caved under them.

Chapter Text

Dust fills the air, thick and heavy. Sounds of coughing and screaming ring in his ears. The only thing keeping everyone from being crushed was him. He is holding the entire room, and the rooms above it, up with earthbending. Despite the dust he breathes in, focuses on the air entering and leaving his body. He sinks into the earth of the building becoming deaf to the world around him. He needs to be able to hold it until everyone gets out. 

Someone pushes against him. He balances them out keeping the building upright. It is almost laughable how easy this is to him. It makes him wary. There must be something more. Something that hurts. 

The something comes through the floor. Shockwaves. Big ones meant to knock him off his balance. He twists earth around his ankles for support. Once they stop he feels more people start to attempt to find a way out. They scrabble around with no direction. He scans the area for the most structurally stable part. He pushes the awareness of his earthbending up and onto the surface. He pulls it down right in front of where the room ends creating a ramp up and out. 

No one seems to notice amid the screaming, creaking, and shuffling around. He shifts his weight to one side, holding out the other hand he lights a flame. People look towards him and they calm. The Avatar will give them directions, he will get them out. He throws the flame out to the ramp. 

“Walk out. Be careful the building can still fall,” he calls out. Another flame joins the one by the ramp. Zuko . It weaves its way closer to him. It is beaten by two Water Tribe warriors. He can barely make out their faces in the darkness but he knows their voice instantly. 

“Aang what do you want us to do,” Sokka asks, anger seemingly forgotten for now. 

“Go with Zuko, there are a few people trapped or unconscious that you need to get out,” people like Liu who is passed out on the ground near them. 

“You’re staying here,” Hakoda asks. 

“I am holding everything up, I will be the last person to leave,” he says. 

“Where is Toph?” 

“She went outside some guards were being weird and she went to check it out,” 

“Katara also went outside just in case you were worried,” Sokka said, iciness dripping in his voice. He flinches, anger can only be forgotten for so long it seems. 

“Not the time Sokka,” Zuko snaps as he gets to them. “What’s the plan?” he asks. 

“Get everyone who can’t get themselves out, out,” Hakoda says straight to the point.

“Let’s go then,” and with that they leave. He re-focuses on the earth, melding his energy with it. He feels as everyone walks out, as they run away as soon as they hit open air. He feels Katara get there from Appa and feels as she starts healing the injured. He feels Sokka, Hakoda, and Zuko bring more and more people out to her. 

“That’s the last person,” he screams to them, his throat burns from breathing in the dust. He sees Zuko nod in the light of the fire in his hand. He waits for them to get all the way out before loosening his control on the earth. That is when the earth benders from before make their appearance. They had come for him, he realizes as he feels them squeezing the walls towards him. He hesitates in fighting back, no one would blame him if he died here. No one would know he let them kill him. His hesitancy costs him. The earth has already created his tomb. 

Katara  

A sky bison was the best place to cry. Even if said sky bison is the life companion of the reason you are crying. Appa licks her again in comfort. 

“At least you seemed to have missed me,” she laughs through her tears. He huffs his confirmation and licks her again. She curls up against his leg. She just does know what she did wrong. Why wasn't she enough? Were those other girls enough for him? Were they just so much better than her? Did he want something she couldn’t give him? 

Toph has tried to beat it into her head that Katara was doing everything correctly and that Aang just doesn’t know something good when he has it. But she can’t help the feeling that maybe she missed something. 

Everything had been so perfect right before. They had danced. She had been warm despite the chill of the air around her. Aang had seemed just as happy. She doesn’t know what went wrong. It is eating her up. 

Appa’s head jerks up sensing something she couldn’t. 

“What’s wrong Appa,” she asks, standing up. He paws at the ground clearly agitated. Then she hears it. A resounding boom that echoes through the night sky. Years of practice keep her from freezing up as she pulls herself onto Appa’s head. 

“Yip Yip,” she commands. The aerial view gives her a full scope of what happened. The ground under the earth kingdom ballroom had seemingly been ripped out. But none of it seemed to be moving anyone, which she found odd given it just collapsed not even minutes ago. Someone must be earthbending it. She prays to the spirits that it is Aang or Toph and not the attackers waiting to crush everyone. 

Appa groans loudly knowing Aang is under the ruble. Despite recent events she feels the same worry for him. Her worry for Aang is matched by her worry for her Father and brother. But above that is her anger towards whoever did this. Once everyone is safe she would act on that rage but not before. People need her.

Knowing her family they were likely planning on how to get everyone out. Almost as if in response dirt neatly drops down creating an opening to what was once a ballroom. 

“Appa there,” she yells gently tugging on his reins. People are already coming out when they touch down. She reflectively reaches for her water pouch only to remember she had left it in her room. She climbs into Appa’s saddle hoping Aang had kept the water pouches she had put in. She sighs in relief to find them still there. She pulls the water to her having it pop open the containers. She wraps the water up her arms. 

“Get out of the way,” she shouts the effect doubled when Appa roared behind her. Her Father and brother make an appearance right before she gets to the ramp. They are holding a girl between them. She glimpses Zuko farther back with a fire in his hand. She can’t believe she forgot Zuko was here too. 

“Aang’s holding up the building,” her dad says in greeting. 

“We are getting the injured out. Can you heal them,” Sokka continues. 

“Of course I can,” she nods. They set the girl down on the ground before heading back in the ballroom. She sets to work. A pang of jealousy flashes through her when she recognizes the girl as the one Aang had been talking to. The one which he had used to confirm her worst thoughts. She heals the bloody cut on her head anyway. If Aang wants her instead she wasn’t going to get in the way of that she thinks bitterly. 

More and more people are brought out to her. She heals one person and two more take their place. But she trained for this, she can handle it. She can’t handle the amount of people that try to surround her and her patients to see if their loved one is among them. 

“GIVE HER SPACE LILY LIVERS,” Toph shouts. She has never been more grateful for the appearance of the earthbender. 

“Where were you?” she asks. 

“Some guards were trying to lure me out so I couldn’t stop this,” she pauses, “but between you and me I think they were going for Aang. They seemed surprised when it was me,” 

“You think they will still go after him?” it was going to be a long night. 

“I think it is not off the table,” 

“We need to make sure that all civilians are safely away then,” 

“On it,” she says with a grin. She stands and promptly starts shouting orders. She continues her battle, healing person after person. Until her brother says this is the last person. As soon as they make it out the place seems to condense. Her first thought was that everyone got out just in time. Her second thought was Aang wasn’t here. 

“Shit,” Sokka whispers as he looks around only to find Aang hasn't followed them. 

“Get Toph,” she says as she turns to do it herself. Toph meets her half way. She shoves her back toward where the ramp used to be and they run back. Toph’s feet push dirt with the force she plants her feet with. She pulls, arms tucking into her sides. The area moves back and forth, in the bending battle between Toph and whoever is responsible. To her surprise Toph drops her bending stance, panting. 

“What are you doing,” she demands. 

“I won’t be able to out bend them, there are a lot of people,” she sounds breathless. 

“How do we get Aang out then,” 

“He is going to have to do it himself. He never would have been trapped in the first place if he had wanted to stop them,” her words hold venom. 

“What are you saying,” Sokka asks. 

“Aang hesitated. He could have stopped it easily but he didn’t is what I am saying,”

“Why would he do that? That would get him killed,” she wonders aloud. Understanding settles on her dad’s features. 

“Maybe that is the point,” he whispers. Oh. That is what she had been missing. Her heart shatters because of Aang for the second time in the past month.

Chapter Text

Katara 

Her devastation and understanding was mirrored back at her. Aang wanted to die . And she didn’t notice at all. Guilt could come later, they had to figure out how to help him now. 

“What do we do,” she asks and she hates the shrillness of her voice. 

“ We can’t do much, it is all up to Aang,” Toph says. 

“We have to do something,” Sokka says. She agrees with him even if Toph doesn’t. 

“Can you find where these people are bending from, Toph,” she asks as a plan formulates in her head. 

“If we take enough of them out you could bend the earth away from Aang,” Sokka says catching on to her line of thought. Toph slams her hands into the rubble of the once beautiful ballroom.  They all wait, holding their breath. 

“It might be too late for that. I think Aang is unconscious they seem to be moving him,”

“Can you get us in there,” Dad asks. In response Toph opens up a narrow hole. 

“Everyone in,” she says as she jumps in. 

“It is so dark down here I can’t see a thing,” Sokka says when Toph closes the opening.

“Oh no what a nightmare,” Toph says, sarcasm dripping from her voice. 

“You walked right into that one,” Zuko says as he lights a small flame in his palm. She is startled when she sees him, she keeps forgetting he is here. 

They walk until they get to the carved out area that must have been where Aang was.  They were too late, he was already gone. A scream of frustration builds in her throat. 

“We need to hurry. Which way did they go,” she says instead. 

“This way,” Toph gestures. Her feet sink a little into the ground, as does everyone's. Panic flashes through her and water is in her hands in an instance. 

“Relax it is just me,” Toph says. Sheepishly she puts her water back. Then they are moving, quickly. Toph is moving the earth under them in a way similar to the trains that are in Ba Sing Se. They surprisingly end up at Lake Laogai. 

“The Dai Li?” Sokka asks. 

“That could explain why they went after Aang and not me,” Zuko said. They were likely among the few earth benders who hated Aang more than they hated Zuko. 

“If they Dai Li are here could Azula be here too?” she asks, the memory of lightning flashes on her eyelids. 

“My sister and the Dai Li did not end on great terms so I would doubt it,” Zuko replies. It was a relief to know that Azula most likely wasn’t here. 

“We should go,” Dad says. Toph earth bends the entrance up and they all descend into the damp darkness. 

Aang

Keep your eyes shut. A voice whispers to him in the back of his mind. He does as the voice instructed. There are other voices around him but are too muffled for him to hear clearly. He fights through the fog in his head to try to glean information on where he is. 

He can’t get any information as he is. His arms are tied back and he hangs from them limply. His legs are similarly chained to the floor, though he is an inch or two off of it. Something cold and hard covers the bottom half of his face, it cuts into his cheeks and he can feel blood pooling between it and his skin. A metal mask. 

They’re coming, the voice whispers to him again. The voice must be one of the past Avatars but in his foggy state he can’t tell which one. 

Who is coming? His friends or his enemies? Or both. Hanging in the air with his feet off the ground he has no way of telling. His head is starting to clear, but just barely. Just enough to be able to make out some of the voices near him.

“The Avatar still isn’t awake,” 

“We should hope it stays that way. Do you want the power of all four elements coming at you,” a second voice says followed by what sounds like a slap. 

“What was that for,” the first voice says. 

“For being stupid,” 

“He is all chained up. Isn’t it bad that the Avatar isn’t awake. We weren’t supposed to kill him,” 

“Yet. We need something from him first,” that grabs Aang’s attention. What could they want from him? That list is endless.

“Boss is coming,” a third, rougher, voice says and the conversation stops completely. Whoever their boss is, they have them scared into obeying. We are with you Aang, and your companions are coming for you, a different Avatar says this time. Yangchen he thinks. A feeling from the Air Avatar confirms his thought. 

“He is still out cold,” a new voice says. This must be their boss, they sound like they are used to getting their way. “Wake him up,” they order. The metal mask on his face is removed only for a sharp smell to invade his senses. He doesn't have to pretend much to jump awake. 

Once his eyes open the mask is settled back into place. It cuts into the already open skin creating a dull ache. Now that his eyes are open he can take into account his surroundings. It turns out there is not much to take in. Just a plain earthen box, damp and dark. There isn’t even a door, unless it is behind him, which he doubts. 

“Sorry this isn’t the accommodations you must be used to,” the boss says. They are a small figure that stands in front of him. And what they lack physically is made up by sheer presence in the room. They didn’t even have bodyguards with them. It was only him, the three people who were talking, and the boss. 

“I do prefer to sleep under the stars but this is just as lovely. Really the whole cell aesthetic is amazingly done,” Aang calls upon his cheerful demeanor as easily as breathing. He evens bothers to smile despite the mask covering half of his face. 

“I had heard you were funny Avatar. I am happy to learn it is true,” the boss laughs. 

“Glad to not disappoint,” he says just as easily.

“It is almost a shame that your humor won’t survive this. But you have something I need,” and they do look a bit remorseful. 

“I have a feeling that my humor won’t be the only thing dying through this,”

“If you answer my questions you will walk out alive, Avatar,” 

“Liar,” Aang laughs. His laughter seems to unsettle his captures, they were expecting him to fight to want to live. They stare at him like he has lost his mind and maybe he has. 

“What are the questions then,” he asks through his laughter. 

“How did you take away the Fire Lord’s bending?” one of the cronies asks. He recognizes the voice to be that of the first person to talk.

“You want to know about that,” he asks. 

“Energy bending, as it has been named, could unlock a limitless power among people and spirits,” the boss says. 

“Oh I am aware. I know what my own abilities are, Boss,” he makes the title sound as condescending as possible. It hits its mark as they bristle. They signal to one of the other cronies, who comes forward with a tray of needles. 

“You should remember who has the power here, Avatar,” the boss says as they take one of the needles and slides it into the skin of his arm. He doesn’t bother to say that even in chains he holds the power. 

“Watch the tattoos,” he sniffs at them. The man holding the needle jerks it up, ripping his skin. Blood slides down the trail his tattoo makes to his hand. 

“People also said you were smarter than provoking your captures. The poison on these needles can be deadly if you get a high enough dosage,” he had guessed as much. “It will close up your throat eventually. A horrible way for an Airbender to go out. And such a shame that Airbending will die with you. Unless you got your little Water Tribe girl pregnant,” that almost pisses him off enough to break out of his chains. 

“Oh wait did you break up. If that is the case I doubt the Water Tribe will be looking for you, no one is coming to save you,” Aang looks away and tears threaten to spill over his lashes. Let them think they hit a sore spot. He is not alone. 

“Not so confident now, good,” the boss smirks. 

“Energy bending,” a crony commands.

“What do you want to know,” his voice is dejected and broken, alone. 

“Who taught you,” 

“I did,” not a lie but not the whole truth either. 

“Who came up with it,” 

“The original benders,” again not a lie, but not the truth either. It just depends who you call the original benders.

“What is energy bending. And none of this vague bull shit anymore,” the boss says as they slide a needle on his opposing arm. 

“Energy is the fifth element it is like all other elements in that you can bend it,”

“Useless,” they snap. The third crony who had been standing in the corner comes forward. He receives a nod from the boss. Aang gasps as he is hit. The hits stay on his torso and legs, not touching anywhere near the needles or the mask. After what could have been any length of time the man pulls back. 

“Tell us some useful information now,” 

“You will never be able to energy bend so why bother to tell you,” he wheezes more needles are put in his arms. “It will kill you if you try so maybe I should tell you. Solve this problem,” 

“How will it kill us bending the other elements won’t,” 

“Energy has its own rules and I can tell that they would break you,” 

“You survived though,” 

“Perceptive of you,” he doesn’t want to give too much away. “What is your plan with it anyway,” 

“Why would we tell you,” 

“If you are going to kill me I might as well know why,” 

“We want energy bending because if you can take away bending than you can certainly give it and there is no reason you should be the only one to bend all the elements,” 

“I can think of many reasons only one person should bend all the elements. And even if you could bend all the elements there would still just be one Avatar who would keep you in check,” 

“Not if we figure out how to make our own Avatar,” he pauses to assess him, “I thought you would give people airbending. Why haven’t you,” he demands.

“You can’t bend something that isn’t there,” 

“So there is no way another person can bend all the elements,” the cronies seem to be wavering. If they can’t make their own Avatar they shouldn't anger the one they have.

“No there is not unless…” 

“Unless. What,” they shout and it reverberates through the room. The third crony gets a nod again. He tenses a little as the punches start coming. This time they aren’t limited to his torso. Pain shoots through his body at every contact until he is numb. But getting close was their mistake. He earthbends the chains off the wall and wrap it around crony number three's throat. Curling up with the one hand he bends the chains out of the floor. He brings his feet up and kicks fire at them. Not his best idea in a closed space it burns his exposed chest and arms as he swings back in its way. 

The only person left is the boss. They had earth bent in time to shield themselves from his fire. He frees his arm from the ceiling and the man's neck. He is glad that he still seems alive. The chains hang at his sides and he is beaten bloody. 

“It has been a wonderful time but it is time for me to go,” 

“You aren’t going anywhere,” they say, preparing to fight.

“Cute,” he says and sends a gust of wind that slams him against the back wall, knocking them out. He sinks the boss into the earth before lifting them out to trail behind him. He uses seismic sense to locate his friends. 

The poison must really be kicking in by the time he gets to them because he can’t think. The poison or the pain consuming his body. He can only manage to break open the wall above them and fall. Already blacking out.

“Aang,” someone shouts seconds before they catch him.

Chapter Text

Hakoda 

The tension in the air as their group walked through the compound could be cut with a knife. The progress has been slow going in order to avoid Aang's capture. 

    “Someones coming,” Toph whispered, “I can’t tell who it is,” she continued shifting into a fighting stance while the rest of them followed suit. Dirt shook free from the ceiling and dusted their heads right before it split open and unceremoniously dumped an unconscious avatar a few feet in front of them. 

    “Aang!” Katara screamed, darting towards him. Her water is already glowing with her healing. As his heart so often does, it breaks for the young man he has come to think of as a son, no matter what happened between him and his daughter. He shares a look with his son, neither of them could even stay angry at Aang for long. They both move to help Katara for whatever she may need. 

    “Looks like Aang brought a friend,” Toph said, poking at someone encased in earth with her foot. 

    “It has to be who kidnapped him, though I don’t recognize him as one of the Dai Lee,” the fire lord said. 

    “Whoever it is, they seem to have done a pretty crappy job keeping Aang, you know, captive,” Sokka said. It's true they had barely kept him for any amount of time. 

    “I told you he could stop them if he wanted,” Toph muttered. Katara flinched at her words. He knows her enough to know she is blaming herself for whatever struggles were going on in Aang's head. But she had always been good at moving forward and doing what needs to be done. 

    “We have to get Aang out of here. I think he has been poisoned and it will be easier to heal if I know exactly what it is,” Katara's voice left no room for argument. “Toph carry whoever that is, Dad, Sokka help me with Aang, Zuko light the way and watch our backs,” they all jumped in to do as she said. 

Katara

    Katara sat staring blankly into the fireplace in Aang's room chewing on her nails. It had been hours since they got back and Aang still hadn’t woken up. Worry curled in her gut as she glazed over his sleeping form. She had done everything she knew to do, had run through a check list multiple times over to insure she didn’t miss anything. Whatever was keeping him unconscious was beyond what her bending could reach, as much as it pains her to admit. 

The only thing keeping Aang from death was himself. And after what her dad revealed… She couldn’t understand how she missed something so huge. Especially with someone who she loved more than anything. Though maybe that is exactly why she hadn’t been able to see it, why she was able to turn a blind eye to Aang's pain. Spirits he had wanted to die. 

Thinking it fully stings but with this new knowledge she thinks she understands him a little more. Even if she couldn’t detect this she still knows him, he is her best friend after all. He wouldn’t have wanted her to worry. He wanted to give her the moon and he felt that his struggles would get in the way of that.

And then when she asked if he wanted to get married, he panicked thinking that he wouldn’t be able to give her everything he thinks she deserves. Tears fill her eyes without much notice. She isn’t going to lie and say that the rejection still doesn’t hurt but she understands. She just hopes he will wake up so she can tell him that she loves him no matter what and she loves him just the same at his worst and at his best. Spirits know he is the same for her. 

“Katara,” her dad spoke softly but she still startles out of her thoughts all the same, “I brought you some food,” he hands her a warm bowl of something she is tired to identify further than it is food and warm. She takes it gratefully and takes small sips from it. 

“Thank you,” she says barely above a whisper. 

“Do you want to talk,” he asks, touching her shoulder. 

“What is there to say,” he seems to understand what she means but he doesn't move away. She is grateful to have him here, she was never one to want to face things alone. They sit in silence for a long while watching over Aang like a guardian. 

The sun is already starting to set again by the time Aang starts to wake up. The relief she feels would have brought her to her knees had she not already been sitting. 

“Katara,” the broken whisper of her name is enough to bring new tears to her eyes, there has been too much crying in the last weeks of her life. 

“Aang,” and she was laughing and crying and relieved. Her dad without her noticing stepped out of the room with a small smile on his face. 

“Katara how… how long was I” he cuts himself off to cough. 

“Here,” she says, lifting a water pouch to his lips. He drinks careful sips. He sits up wincing a little and she knows she is watching him with all the love in the world written plainly across her face but she can’t help it. She missed him. 

“You were out all day today. We got you back early this morning, or late last night however you want to see it,” 

“And is everyone okay, did anyone get hurt,” 

“Not more than you,” 

“Oh that's good,”

“No, no it is not good Aang, you could have died . We could have lost you,” 

“As long as no one else gets hurt, that is a price I am willing to pay, Katara.” 

“Yeah, maybe a little too willing,” she snaps. He recoils a little and she immediately feels bad. 

“Katara I… I don’t know what to say,” 

“Then don’t say anything and let me speak,” she takes a breath to steady herself, “I am not going to say I know exactly what is going on in your head but I have a pretty good guess. I want you to know I love you,” his breath hitches and she puts her hand on his cheek stroking it with her thumb.

“And I am sorry you felt that you couldn’t talk to me but I want you to know I will always be here for you. Even if we aren’t together like we were, if that is what you want,” 

“Katara,” her name sounds like a prayer on his lips, “that is never what I wanted. I just didn’t know how… I still don’t know how to… live,”  he moves his forehead against hers. “You deserve more than that,” 

“No offense but that is crap. I want you. At your best and your worst and everything in between,” his gray eyes are bright and tired and oh so beautiful. “I know I can’t fix everything that hurts but let me be there for you, let all of our friends be there for you even if we don’t understand we can listen.” 

“You can never know how grateful I am to know you,” and she knows that they are going to be okay. Not yet but eventually. That is enough for both of them for the moment. She moves her hand to his jaw and slowly moves them until their lips are a fraction apart. His eyes flutter closed and she smiles to herself as she kisses him.