(What's this? I can upload during the day instead of 2 in the morning? :O)
Katara P.o.V.
"Those clouds look so soft, don't they? Like you could jump down and you'd land on a big, soft cottony heap."
Azami snickered. "You know there is a way to find out Katara."
"Yeah, maybe you should give it a try," Sokka smirked.
Katara rolled her eyes back at the two. "You're hilarious." Facing away from the two, she secretly let a smile cross her face. It had been really nice the past week, with Sokka and Azami finally getting along a lot of tension in the group had disappeared. They'd even managed to free a village of Earthbenders a few days ago from a Fire Nation prison, although Katara had unfortunately lost her necklace.
Suddenly, without warning, Aang leaped off of Appa's head, yelling "I'll try it!"
The three teenagers quickly ran to look over Appa's side to watch as Aang yelled in excitement, falling towards the clouds beneath them. Soon he fell out of view, and the three looked around for him as he swooped back up behind them on his glider, landing back on Appa. "Turns out clouds are made of water," Aang chuckled.
He quickly used his airbending to dry himself off, and Katara looked ahead of them to see a massive patch of black on the otherwise green terrain beneath them. "Hey, what is that?" she asked.
The group all looked ahead to see a massive expanse of burnt land, lending the appearance of the very earth being burned by fire. "It's like a scar," Sokka muttered.
Katara looked towards Azami and Aang, both on her left, to see a troubled expression on both their faces. Aang quickly leapt up to Appa's head, and set them down in the burnt forest beneath them. There was barely any wind that day, leaving the area in an eerie silence where there should have been the sounds of life.
"Listen," Sokka whispered. "It's so quiet. There's no life anywhere."
Aang and Azami had both walked a little farther from Appa, and Katara watched them both, concerned. "Are you two okay?" she hesitantly asked.
"Fire Nation!" Sokka suddenly exclaimed, spotting footsteps in the ash nearby. "Those evil savages make me sick! They have no respect for-" Katara quickly shushed him, worrying for the two benders. "What?" Sokka complained. "I'm not allowed to be angry?"
Katara simply pointed ahead of her, seeing Aang and Azami standing in a nearby clearing. Aang's body was incredibly still, showing almost no signs of life except for his light breathing, while Azami's shook with barely controlled emotion. Aang knelt in the ash beneath him, letting out a deep sigh.
"Why would anyone do this?" Aang questioned, ash falling from his fist. "How could I let this happen?"
"Aang, you didn't let this happen," Katara insisted. "Neither of you did. This has nothing to do with you."
Azami's head whipped around as she glared at Katara, her eyes threatening and full of pain. She seemed to barely be able to control herself from screaming at the waterbender, while Aang simply leaned his head back. "Yes, it does," Aang sighed. "It's the Avatar's job to protect nature, but I don't know how to do my job."
"That's why we're going to the North Pole," Katara encouraged him. "To find you a teacher."
"Yeah, a waterbending teacher," Aang scoffed. "But there's no one who couldd teach me how to be the Avatar. Monk Gyatso said that Avatar Roku would help me."
Sokka finally spoke up, seeming confused. "The Avatar before you? He died over a hundred years ago, how are you supposed to talk to him?"
Aang lowered his head in defeat. "I don't know."
"He's inside you, Aang," Azami muttered. "All the past Avatars are. Katara's right, this isn't your fault and you will figure this stuff out, as every Avatar has before you."
Sokka looked over at her, concerned. "You do know this isn't your fault either, right?"
Azami let out a humorless laugh. "How, exactly? You guys do realize that I'm directly related to every single person responsible for this, right? And I just vanished for a hundred years and let them do it without any opposition."
She shook her head before continuing, her voice low. "There's probably only one person who could've stopped all this before it happened, and the truth is she failed miserably." Azami turned her head away from the water tribe siblings, forcing her eyes shut to prevent her growing tears from flowing, hugging her arms.
"There's no way you could possibly know how things would've turned out," Katara insisted. "And your family's actions are not yours, nor will they ever be." She went to put her hand on the firebender's shoulder, but was shrugged off as Azami walked away from the group before sitting herself down, hugging her knees to her chest.
Katara looked around the area sadly, as she seemed unable to cheer up or even reassure either bender. She wandered the area for a bit, before she spotted something on the ground that caused her to smile. Leaning over, she picked up a handful of acorns and headed back towards the group. "Hey, are you two ready to be cheered up?" she called out to them.
Azami just buried her head further as Aang scoffed. "No," he muttered, before yelling in pain as Katara threw an acorn at his head. Aiming carefully, she launched another acorn at Azami, managing to land it just slightly on the back of her head, and she yelped in pain before her head snapped up to face Katara, wearing a murderous expression.
"Hey, how is that cheering us up?" Aang groaned as he massaged his head.
"Cheered me up," Sokka snickered, before Katara nailed him with yet another acorn. "Yeah, I probably deserved that," he muttered.
"Katara, I swear by every known spirit if you throw another one of those things at me..." Azami's voice trailed off, but the threat was still clear. Katara chuckled nervously before continuing.
"Azami, these acorns are everywhere. That means the forest will grow back," she explained, before she knelt in front of Aang, a fourth acorn in her palm. "Every one of these will be a tall oak tree someday, and all the birds and animals that lived here will come back."
She took one of Aang's hands in hers, placing the acorn in his palm, smiling softly at him. Aang seemed shocked for a moment, before a similar smile returned to his features, and he grasped the acorn tightly. "Thanks, Katara," he smiled up at her.
Azami looked away from them, still seeming conflicted, so Katara and Aang both walked up to her, each placing a hand on her shoulders. "I said it before at the Southern Air Temple, and I'll say it again," Aang insisted. "Azami, I don't blame you for this. None of us do. Your actions are yours alone, and the same goes for your family. And don't forget - we're your family too now."
She looked up at the airbender with wet eyes, a grateful look on her face. "I... thank you, Aang," she miled, before looking down, a frown on her face. "It's just so hard to believe that the people I thought I knew would get pleasure out of things like this."
Before Katara could respond, she gasped seeing a lone figure approaching them. Azami quickly wiped her eyes and got to her feet, her face now a mask of calm, and Sokka ran up to stand by them. "Hey, who are you?" Sokka asked.
The man - who appeared elderly, and walked with a cane - looked at them desperately, his attention on Aang. "When I saw the flying bison, I thought it was impossible," he whispered in awe. "But those markings... are you the Avatar, child?"
Aang quickly looked over at Katara, who nodded reassuringly, so Aang looked back to the old man and nodded. "My village desperately needs your help," he pleaded.
Azami P.o.V.
After around a half hour of walking, eventually returning to terrain that was still vibrant and full of life, the gaang arrived with the old man at a rather small village. Multiple buildings had been destroyed, and the old man made them halt before entering. Surprisingly, he turned to face Azami.
"Your highness, if I may," he began, and Azami's eyes widened in surprise that he knew her. "Yes, rumor has spread, and we've heard that you were traveling with the Avatar. You should know, while we will welcome you into our town, some people may be, ah, less than kind considering your lineage."
A week or two ago, she would've gotten defensive, but now she just sighed. This had happened on Kyoshi and with the Earthbenders they'd freed, so why expect anything different now? "As long as we can avoid any unnecessary confrontations, I don't really care," she muttered. "I'm used to it."
"Very well," the old man accepted her decision without argument. "If you will all follow me then." They headed straight up to the large building at the center of the town, the gaang glancing at the destruction around them as they passed.
Once they entered, the old man wasted no time introducing them. "This young person is the Avatar."
A middle-aged man came up to them, a relieved smile on his face. "So the rumors of your return are true," he breathed in awe as he bowed. "It is the greatest honor of a lifetime to be in your presence."
"Nice to meet you too," Aang smiled up at him.
The man glanced at the other three, his eyes widening slightly when he locked eyes with Azami's amber gaze, but Aang continued, returning the man's concentration to the young Avatar. "So, is there anything I can help you with?" Aang asked.
"I'm not sure," the man admitted, glancing at the floor.
"Our village is in crisis," the old man insisted. "He's our only hope." The younger man nodded, as the old man explained the situation. "For the last few days at sunset, a spirit monster comes and attacks our village. He is Hei Bai, the black and white spirit."
"Why is it attacking you?" Sokka asked, his voice deadly serious for once.
"We do not know," the younger man confessed, walking to the doorway. "But each of the last three nights, he has abducted one of our own. We are especially fearful because the winter solstice draws near."
"What happens then?" Katara asked.
"The solstice is when the physical and spiritual worlds are closest, Katara," Azami explained, her voice soft. "The line between them becomes blurred, making it easier for spirits to cross over. So if Hei Bai is causing problems now, it'll get far worse on the day of the solstice."
"Yes..." the younger man hissed, before sighing. "Sadly, she is right. Hei Bai is already causing devastation and destruction, so come the solstice, there's no telling what may happen."
"So..." Aang asked, confused. "What do you want me to do, exactly?"
"Who better to resolve a crisis between our world and the spirit world than the avatar himself?" the old man explained, a hopeful look on his face. "You are the great bridge between man and spirits."
"Right..." Aang said nervously. "That's me."
"Hey, great bridge guy," Katara called over to him. "Can I talk to you over here for a second?"
The gaang walked over to a nearby window, the two men giving them privacy as they discussed the situation. "Aang, you seem a little unsure about all this," Katara said, concerned.
"Yeah, that might be because I don't know anything at all about the spirit world," Aang said, a hint of sarcasm dripping in his voice. "It's not like there's someone to teach me this stuff!"
"So, can you help these people?" Katara asked him.
"I have to try, don't I?" Aang muttered. "Maybe whatever I have to do will just come to me."
"I think you can do it, Aang," Katara smiled at him.
"You won't know unless you try, right Aang?" Azami smiled at him.
"Yeah... we're all gonna get eaten by a spirit monster," Sokka deadpanned. Reaching over, Azami smacked Sokka's arm. "What? I'm just being realistic," he huffed, crossing his arms as he pouted.
A few hours later, Aang stood outside the main building, as the others all watched from the window. They watched as he walked out, calling to the Hei Bai spirit. "This isn't right," Sokka whispered. "We can't sit here and cower while Aang waits for some monster to show up."
"If anyone can save us, he can," the old man responded.
"He still shouldn't have to face this alone," Sokka insisted.
"I hate to break it to you, Sokka, but there's really nothing we can do," Azami stated bluntly. "There's basically no water for Katara to bend nearby, spirits are basically immune to any physical weapon or attack, and if I use my firebending there's a good chance I'll turn this town into a bonfire. For now, we have to trust in Aang."
Sokka looked back at her, a slightly desperate look on his face, before he sighed and nodded. They watched as the sun finally set, the sky slowly turning to black. Aang yelled out some nonsense and twirled his staff for a bit, before seemingly decided that Hei Bai wasn't going to show up and he started walking back.
Before he could get far, though, Azami's eyes widened as she saw a massive translucent being appear behind Aang, crawling on all fours with it's head hanging right above the airbender. He quickly turned around and tried to reason with it, but it just screamed in his face and ran past him.
The creature teleported around the village a bit, smashing multiple buildings, with Aang running around behind it, desperately trying to get its attention. "The Avatar's methods are... unusual," the middle-aged man muttered, as they all cringed watching another building get demolished.
"It doesn't seem too interested in what he's saying," Sokka replied. "Maybe we should go help him."
"No!" the old man insisted. "Only the Avatar stands a chance against the Hei Bai."
Katara seemed concerned as they all turned back to watch. "Aang will figure out the right thing to do, Sokka," she tried to reassure him.
They watched in horror as Hei Bai backhanded the Avatar, sending him flying into a nearby building. "That's it! He needs help!" Sokka exclaimed, running out, Azami following directly behind him. Katara tried calling out to them, but they had already run out.
Sokka called out to the spirit, throwing his boomerang as Azami jumped into a flip, her multicolored flame trailing her feet before she kicked out, launching an attack straight at the spirit. Unfortunately, both did seemingly nothing to Hei Bai, although it seemed particularly pissed with Azami. It growled, leaping ahead before anyone could even blink, snatching her up in its arm and racing out of the village, dragging her with it.
Azami let out a squeak in surprise as she felt the spirit grab her, and she started yelling out in fear as Hei Bai kept sprinting away from the village. This is why we leave the spirit stuff to the spirit kid, she thought to herself bitterly.
Aang soon caught up, flying beside them on his glider, and Azami desperately reached out to try and grab his hand, but before she got the chance she felt something strange happening to her body, and she blacked out.
Aang P.o.V.
Aang watched helplessly as the Hei Bai ran straight at some large rock, turning invisible along with Azami. Just as he thought he might be able to reach her, they both seemingly disappeared, and Aang crashed straight into the ash-littered ground. Groaning, he quickly bolted up, looking for Azami, only to realize he was alone. "I failed," he whispered sadly.
Walking back with his staff, it took Aang a while return, and when he did, he saw Sokka and Katara both waiting by the gate. Katara's expression was one of sadness, while Sokka's appeared both pained and slightly angry, the old man trying to reassure the siblings to little effect.
Aang slowly approached them, his body hunched over, before he looked up at them sadly. "Katara? Sokka? I'm sorry, I lost her," he muttered, though they seemed not to hear him.
"The sun is rising," the old man said to the siblings. "Perhaps they will return soon."
"What?" Aang asked, confused. "I'm right here!" He quickly waved his hand in front of the old man, before realizing that it was a transparent blue. "I'm in the spirit world," he gasped in shock.
Sokka P.o.V.
"Don't worry, Katara," Sokka tried to reassure his sister. "I'm sure they'll both return safely."
Katara smiled softly towards her brother, who had pulled her in for a hug. "It's been nice, seeing you and Azami get along. Who would've thought you'd be concerned about her?" she teased.
Sokka smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head with one hand. "I really was a jerk to her before, wasn't I?"
She just raised an eyebrow at him. "You really have to ask?"
He just sighed in response. "No. I... I just hope she's ok. It was my idea to fight Hei Bai after all."
Katara gave him a confident look, her voice never wavering as she reassured him. "Aang will come back safely, Sokka. They both will."
Azami P.o.V.
Azami groaned, her head throbbing in pain as she slowly opened her eyes. Taking in her surroundings, she quickly sat up, not recognizing the rather swampy area she found herself in. Before she had the chance to get up or explore her surroundings at all, she heard a voice call out to her, one she thought she'd never hear again.
"Welcome to the spirit world, sister."
A/N; AHAHAHAHA cliffhangers are so much fun. Not really much I want to say here, other than quickly summarize what happened in the imprisoned episode I chose to skip. Basically, the episode played out almost exactly the same, and surprise surprise once Azami used her firebending to help the earthbenders escape they became a lot colder towards her cuz racism and stereotypes ftw. Aside from that nothing changed, so I really couldn't be bothered wasting like another five thousand words on it, and as far as Sokka and Azami's relationship is concerned nothing's really changed from where Omashu left off, which is they're starting over with a new friendship.
Anyways hope you guys enjoyed (also I tried really hard to give Azami similar crisis to Aang's upon seeing the burned land without making her seem whiney or self-centered, hoping I succeeded but if not then im sorry ik that stuff can be frustrating to read)
(truth be told i was gonna do one chapter for each solstice part but instead i'm probably gonna turn it into a three-part thing, finally get to start getting to interesting stuff as well :D)