"I know you're mine when you put it like that
Guess you was right when you put it like that
I know now"
_____________
"This is it, the official rendezvous point for the invasion force."
"How did you pick this place?" Katzumi asks
"Before we split up, my dad and I found this island on a map. It's uninhabited, and the harbor surrounded by cliffs seemed like the perfect secluded place." Sokka explains
"Nice choice Sokka. And we're here four days ahead of schedule." Katara congratulates
"Wait," Aang shoots out of bed and high into the air "four days! The invasion's in four days!" Aang yells
"Whatever. That's like... four days from now." Sokka lays back onto his mat "Let's just calm down, and ... " Sokka instantly falls back sleeping
"Sokka's got the right idea Aang. We're here, we're ready... the best thing we can do now is get plenty of rest." Katara explains
"Uh.. " Aang looks around frantically but everyone seems to be asleep "I guess."
Aang curls up on the grass.
☯
"Uah!" Aang feels all around to make sure he is wearing pants, and then sighs with relief. Momo approaches him "It was just a dream Momo, I still have my pants Well, I better keep training."
Aang gets up and starts his "training"
He starts hitting and kicking a huge tree nearby. But clearly he's tired with the faint bags under his eyes
The others slowly waking up from the sound of the punching . Katara, looking drowsy turns, toward Sokka. Sokka shrugs and Katzumi gets up. She approaches a very fierce looking Aang from behind.
"Hey, how long have you been up?" She asks
"A couple hours. " Aang circles the tree, doing some fancy footwork and varying the type of punches "I got a lot more skills to refine if I'm going to fight Ozai." Aang explains
"You know there is such a thing as over-training." Katzumi says
Aang gives a final extremely hard punch, which reverberates through his body. He falls backward, stuck in his punching position. After a pause, the all the leaves fall from the tree at once.
Quickly Aang gets up with a crazy look in his eyes.
"You don't get it, do you?" Aang circles Katzumi, who looks half frightened half amused, as Aang does a variety of air punches and defensive maneuvers "My form is bad. I'm sloppy. And I only know the basics of firebending" Aang says.
Aang's eye twitches. Katzumi, moves Aang's hand away from her face with a worried smile
"That's okay Aang. The eclipse will block all firebending anyway, you don't need to know any. Plus it's a stupid element." Sokka explains
"Hey!" Katzumi yells
"Okay," Aang raises his arms and then begins a series of comic and sloppy attempts at chops, punches and kicks "well, I still have to work on everything else. I'd better spend the whole day training."
Aang bows quickly toward everyone and then creates an air ball and rides away on it.
☯
Aang slinks back to camp in a zombie like fashion. He gives a long yawn and falls back onto the ground.
"Good night Zumi Good night Katara. Good night Sokka. Good night Toph. Good night Appa. Good night Momo. Good night Appa and Momo."
"Go to sleep already!" Toph yells
Aang cringes, and lays back relaxed. His eyes slowly close
☯
Aang wakes up startled, sweat dripping from his brow. "I've got to be ready!" He yells
Aang gets up and walks away.
Aang circles some sleeping Koala-Sheep, practicing various defensive moves. Katzumi approaches.
"Aang, it's the middle of the night. You need to go back to sleep."
"But I forgot my pants and my math test." Aang says
Katzumi sighs, and then breathes in deeply, she moves forward and grabs Aang's shoulders. Aang's very bloodshot eyes turn toward her "Aang, sleep. Please...for me."
Aang looks confused and rubs his eyes. Katzumi leads him back toward their camp. A Koala-Sheep bleats after them.
☯
"Wake up Aang." Aang's eyes begin to open. The Fire Lord stands over Aang "Wake up sleepy-head. Rise and shine. You overslept." The Fire Lord bends in close, and then even closer "You missed the invasion."
He laughs only to reveal he is riding on a flying hippo pig. The creature breathes fire and flies skywards as the Fire Lord laughs menacingly.
He turns to Sokka who is still sound asleep and shakes him vigorously.
"Sokka get up! I need to know what day it is!" Aang pulls on Sokka's eyelids and lips.
"What?!" Sokka jumps up "Who's talking?!" Sokka thrusts forward with his sword, but hits a rock head-on before he can complete his swing. He falls back on to his sleeping mat, his body stiff, frozen in the swinging position
"Relax, it's still two days before the invasion." Toph says
"Sokka, you've got to get up and drill your rock climbing exercises."
"What?" Sokka asks
"In one of my dreams, you were running from the fire nation soldiers, trying to climb this cliff, but you were too slow and they got you." Sokka springs up to stand before Aang
"But that was just a dream, I'm a great climber."
"Then climb that cliff. Climb it fast!" Aang says as he points to a high cliff
Sokka beginning to climb.
"Stupid Avatar. Stupid cliff. Stupid dream! I can climb fast!"
Aang looks pleased and relieved at Sokka's climbing. Suddenly he turns around the girls. Toph has just put her lips to a satchel of water.
Aang Yells, causing Sokka to startle and slip down the cliff face "Don't drink that!"
Toph throws away the satchel and spits the water all over Katara, who is disgusted.
"Why, is it poisoned?" Toph asks
"In my dream, we were right in the middle of the invasion, and you had to stop to use the bathroom. We died because of your tiny bladder. And you" addressing Katara "need to start wearing your hair up. In my dream, your hair got caught in a train, and..."
Katzumi holds Aang's cheek "Aang, I know you're just trying to help. But you really need to get a grip. You're unraveling."
He looks extremely tired and has dark circles under his eyes. Aang lets out a sigh.
"You're right. I'm losing my mind."
"It's like every time I think about how stressed I am, I just end up more stressed." Aang paces back and forth. I'm like a big, growing snowball of nerves." Aang explains
"Of course you are. That's because you've got to fight the Fire Lord, the baddest man on the planet. And you better win, or we're all done for" Sokka says, But clearly has worried Aang even more
"Sokka, you're not helping!" Katara yells
"What? It's true. That's the deal, he knows it." Katara pushes Sokka to a sitting position angrily
"You know what? I've got just the thing." Katara places her arms on Aang's shoulders, smiling "Get ready to be "de-stress-i-fied".
☯
Aang and Katara are standing beside the steaming water inside the crater "These yoga stretches can really work wonders if you do them in extreme heat. Reach up. Reach for the sun. Feel your chi paths clearing." They bend over and touch their heads to the ground "Now close your eyes. How are you feeling?"
"I feel...really warm."
"Good, good. Go on."
"Like there's the warm feeling all around me. This heat... like I'm in the Fire Lord's palace, and he's shooting a bunch of fireballs at me. And the whole world is being engulfed in flames." Aang rolls out of the yoga position and on to his back. Katara looks up and tired and out of breath Aang
"Maybe your stress is the kind you need to talk out."
☯
Aang lays his head on a Koala-Sheep. Sokka sits beside him dawning the 'Wang Fire' beard. His elbows are propped up on a Koala-Sheep. He looks pensive.
Sokka speaks in a mocking, old man sounding, psychiatric tone "Why don't you get right down to business and tell me what's been bothering you."
"You know what's bothering me. I have to fight the Fire Lord in a few days."
"Mhm." He nods and gestures toward Aang "Tell me more about this, 'Fire Lord.' Why are you so afraid of him?" He asks
"You said it yourself. He's the baddest man on the planet. I'm supposed to defeat him and save the world."
"Hmm. Life does feel that way sometimes, doesn't it? Like we're all trying to save the world from evil."
"Okay, but what can I do to feel better?" Aang says
"Want to try screaming into this pillow?"
Aang screams into it and the Koala-Sheep bleats comically. Sokka scratches his head and then gives Aang the thumbs up sign and nods. And shakes his head indicating the negative.
☯
"Wow, you're really tense" Katzumi says as she kneads into Aang shoulders, Massaging him.
But all Aang can do is wince and move a bit
"Stop moving it's supposed to hurt, just keep breathing" Katzumi yells. Aang sighs.
"Good. Now how do you feel?" Katzumi asks. Aang winced again
"Uh, tense... this pressure... almost like I'm being locked in chains by the Firelord and his soldiers while the world in up in flames!" Aang finally yells. Katzumi lets go and he slumps on the floor
"Wow you're far gone"
☯
"Thanks for everything guys."
"So do you feel less stressed? Ready for a good night sleep?" Katzumi asks
"Uhh...I kinda think I sorta might ... slightly feel a little better ... maybe." Aang nervously smiles
"Then our work here is done." Sokka yawns, stretches and falls back onto his sleeping mat. The others do the same. Aang is the only one left awake and alone. Aang lays back and closes his eyes
☯
Aang wakes up screaming.
Katzumi, Katara, Toph and Sokka rush over.
"What happened Aang?"
Aang turns away from his friends and slumps over, bowing his head to the ground "It's the nightmares. They just get worse and worse." Aang says
"Looks like it's time for..." Sokka spins around and now dons the 'Wang Fire' beard "another therapy session."
Aang looks up at him, disgusted and then turns around and speaks angrily "No, that won't help. Nothing helps. There's only one thing I can do. I'm going to stay awake straight through to the invasion."
☯
"Invasion. All aboard for the invasion." Aang says as he stumbles
"You don't look so good. You sure you can't just lie down for a little nap?" Katzumi asks
"I told you, I can't go back to sleep."
"Aang, staying up can't be good for you."
"Actually staying up all night has given me some time to think. And I've realized some big things Zumi." Aang explains
"What big things?" Katzumi asks
"I see everything so clearly now... what really matters. Why I'm really doing this. I'm doing it to save the world, but more than that. I'm doing it for the people I love. I'm doing it for you Zumi."
"Aang, what are you saying?" Katzumi asks smirking
"I'm saying...I lov-" Aang is cut off by Katzumi kissing him
Aang kisses Katzumi back, she throws her arms around him. They pull apart
"Baby,"Aang swings Katzumi on to her back and goes in for another kiss "you're my forever girl."
Aang starts to lean in until her hears a thump.
"Ow!" Aang opened his eyes only to see Katzumi on the ground. He had fallen asleep while holding her and had dropped her.
"Thanks a lot!" Katzumi yelled and walks off
"Wait" Aang yells but Katzumi was already gone
☯
Aang suddenly is engulfed in a cloud of mist. In the middle of the mist is a large fluffy white pad. Aang approaches it. He comically pops around all sides of the pad, feeling and inspecting its fluffiness.
"Oh look, another hallucination. An imaginary bed, made out of clouds."
"Hey! It's real! We spent hours working on it."
"We made it for you. A good night sleep will probably take the crazy away... we hope."
Aang hops off and approaches his friends.
"Look, you guys keep telling me I need to sleep, but I can't, the invasion's tomorrow." Aang yells
"Aang..." Katara starts
"No Katara, there's still so much I haven't learned. I don't need sleep. What I need is practice. Quick, hit me." Aang raises his fists in a feeble attempt
"I'm not going to hit you."
"You want me to do it?" Toph asks
"Listen to me, you've been training for this since the day we met. I've seen your progress. You're smart, brave, and strong enough." Katzumi smiles
"You really think so?" he asks
"We all do. You can do this. You're ready."
"You're the man,Twinkle-toes."
"Thanks guys." He yawns and Katzumi helps him onto the fluffy Koala-Sheep wool bed "You know what? I think I am ready."