Avatar The Last Airbender Fan Fiction ❯ Phantoms ❯ Old and New ( Chapter 1 )

This has been an idea in my head for a while, but I've never put it out until now, and it's going well, since I've figured it out.

Set in the future. All will be explained

Phantoms

Chapter One: Old and New

Aang breathed out a sigh.

He had been traveling for a long time, since the end of the war. The Fire Lord had been defeated, of course, in some grand climatic fight that he was ready to put behind him. Things had occurred, but it was better not to think on that. Balance had been restored, and the nations were rebuilding themselves. That was what mattered.

Aang had employed himself on a new mission: searching to see if he was really was the last air-bender. He'd grown, matured; he'd seen battles firsthand and had even had to kill someone himself. He was five years older than when he'd started his journey, but he was much more grown up.

And he'd discovered things about himself. He'd learned his emotions were his strongest ally and his strongest enemy. He'd learned guilt was something not easily let go of, but important to put to a better use. And heartbreak…

There was a life beyond heartbreak, that much he knew.

Sokka had gone back to the Southern Water Tribe. Aang had promised to see him again; they'd become like brothers in his travels, but he didn't want to think like that, because that would make Katara his sister, and that was the last thing he wanted.

Katara (how it hurt to think that name) had gone off on her own. She murmured goodbyes, saying there was something she'd needed to do. Both he and Sokka had protested, but she'd promised one day… She'd left with a hung and even granted Aang one kiss.

Then she'd disappeared.

Zuko, a long time enemy turned ally, had returned to the Fire Nation. He'd destroyed his family, because they were no longer his enemy. They'd become enemies. But it had still hurt him to kill his sister; his father was an easier manner. There was a rumor that Iroh had been offered the throne, but he'd turned it down for a quieter life. It was now Zuko who was Fire Lord, nad his plans were much more peaceful.

Aang was not alone, though. Appa was his main transportation, and Momo was his companion. He'd found himself lost in the mountainous regions of the Earth Kingdoms, where he'd hoped to find air-benders in the tallest peaks.

But he'd stopped at a village first. He was welcome; they'd nearly held a festival at his arrival. He'd been there less than a day, and people treated him like a king. He paid no expenses, a fine treat. A family had opened up their home to him, and he graciously accepted.

“You're looking for air-benders?” the mother of the home asked. “We hid in those mountains; there was nothing.”

“Air-benders can get to places no other person could,” Aang reassured, more himself than her. “There might be a chance.”

“Well good luck to you.” She smiled at him. “Such a young boy. However did you defeat the Fire Lord?”

“Dumb luck?” he suggested, and she laughed.

He set out for food. The mountains were dangerous; flying bison or no. The marketplace was alive and loud. Stalls sold whatever he could imagine, and tempting and exotic scents distracted him all around. He sampled everything, and all were kind. Some vendors pulled up small talk, some told old war stories, and Aang enjoyed it to a point that he forgot his original goal.

He thanked the old crone who'd just sold him some fruits and turned, instantly tripping over a child who'd run in his way. He jumped back and tripped, falling over anyway. The child laughed and pressed a hand against his bald head, then clapped his hands together. Aang chuckled also, pulling himself into a comfortable position.

“Hey there,” he grinned. “You should be more careful.”

Someone scooped the child up, murmuring something he couldn't quite hear, but it sounded like a scolding. He looked up, blinking beneath the bright sun that suddenly framed the persons head like a halo and stood, brushing off his tunic. The woman, whom he could only assume was the child's mother, glanced at him, did a double-take, and clutched the child closer. Her eyes went wide and he found a familiarity in them that he couldn't quite place.

“I'm sorry,” she said, her voice a low whisper. “Excuse me.”

He watched her walk away before words could come out. The crowd swallowed her up, and he turned back to the crone, who'd given a low chuckle.

“You look lovestruck,” she said in a creaking voice. “That girl's a cute thing, an outsider who came `ere a few years ago. Keeps t' `erself mostly. Says the father of that baby boy died in the war.”

Oh,” he responded, still staring into the crowd.

“'Er voice hasn't been right since she got `ere. Must've been the shock of her husband's death. Plenty `a girls gone mute altogether.”

“Do you know where she's from?”

“Wouldn't say. Came `ere with a baby boy barely a month old `bout four years ago. Aged a bit since then- her face's always distorted with worry- but men've asked her. She's always said no.”

He thanked her and walked on. That woman had been so familiar: the shape of her face, her fluid movements, even the ways she'd coddled the child seemed reminiscent of something. He thought of past people: people met in the Earth Kingdoms. No one quite matched her description- or, no one he knew well enough. The woman's features were sharp in his mind: dark brown hair parted over a chestnut-skinned face. Soft lips parting for her words to come out and clear blue eyes…

The thought hit him, and he nearly reeled back. Of course! How could he be so blind? Five years had not changed her enough to hide her identity! It had to be-

“Katara!”

Aang glanced around at the shout. Through the crowd he caught a glimpse of a stern looking man speaking boldly to Katara. He couldn't quite catch their conversation, and the crowd was pushing him back, but he wormed his way free in time to see Katara turn sharply and lead the young child out of the marketplace. He thrust through then stopped and ducked between stalls. He was desperate to catch up with her, just to see…

She was walking towards a lighter side of town, not so heavily built with houses. The child skipped along happily, and she smiled at him, turning into a cottage, disappearing behind a closed door.

Aang stopped. He wasn't quite sure what he was doing. Now he just seemed like a stalker, especially if he was wrong. But he'd longed to see Katara again…

No, his brain chided him. Even if it is her, what good will it do?

I can bring her back to Sokka, find out where she's been, his heart responded.

Opening old wounds does no good.

I'm not opening them. Katara is my friend.

If it is her, why didn't she say something?

He had no answer to that, but his heart won out, and he marched up to the cottage. He hesitated just a moment before giving a feeble knock.

There was a rustle and a thump from the other side. He waited a moment before the door pulled back and inch, and Katara stood before him.

It was most definitely her.

The contours of her face were the same, a few wrinkles from her furrowed brow built in. The curve of her lips turned downwards, and the sharp blue eyes went wide. Her hair had been cut short, brushing her shoulders. Her garb was a soft green dress, tied at the waist with a green sash. A tan undershirt poked from beneath.

“Katara,” he breathed.

She shook her head, pulling the door shut. “You're not supposed to be here,” she whispered.

It was not a denial, and that made him happy. He stopped the door from closing, forcing it back the tiniest bit. “Katara, you're… here! I'm so happy to see you!”

She stared at him a moment, gave a sigh, and pulled the door back.

“You might as well come in.”

Authoress Notes:

The beginning. I considered making it a oneshot, but it seemed better to space out her story from the original first chapter, which was shorter.

Chapter one. Now maybe I can update all my other stories.

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