Chapter 127 - Chapter 129 (1/2)
A few hours later on top of Amell's mountain, Aang opened his eyes as he rested on the cold and hard surface. He felt dizzy and his mind didn't have full clarity. It took a few seconds of cloud gazing to get his memories in order, and he finally sat up in a panic.
A hand came from behind and forced him to stay in place, ”Calm down, Aang, getting upset will not help you now.” Amell's familiar strict voice entered his ear and the boy turned around and was greeted with the sight of someone he also thought was dead.
”Amell!” Aang said and jumped up and gave the man a bear hug. The feeling of sorrow started to disappear a little, the happiness of seeing someone he grew up around helped immensely.
”How are you here?” Aang asked genuinely shocked because Katara and Sokka had told him multiple times that almost a hundred years had passed since he was frozen in the ocean.
”You have your secrets and I have mine,” Amell said and gave Aang a teasing smile.
”Where are Katara and Sokka?” He looked behind Amell but saw no one there. And Amell just smiled cheekily and pointed at the place next to Aang.
”WOW!” Aang looked behind him and right next to where he had been laid Katara. And Sokka was a bit further away from them and sleeping against Appa, Aang's flying bison.
”Yeah, she was so worried about you she could barely sleep. She laid there half the night and just stared at your face.” Amell was almost in tears as he laughed while telling Aang about Katara's behaviour.
”And the funny thing is that she tried and hide it. She was pretending not to look, only to sneak a peek a second later, it was absolutely adorable.” Amell said and continued his hysterical laughter.
”ANYWAY! Have you been up here for a hundred years, master?” Aang asked with a completely red face.
”No, I have not. I have only been here for the last few years while waiting for you to show up again. I knew you weren't dead so I waited and waited, and here you are,” Amell said and smiled.
”Why would you wait for me?” Aang asked with a curious yet cautious tone. He was still apprehensive towards his responsibility as the Avatar so he didn't want any lectures on what responsibilities now lies on his shoulders alone.
”There is a war Aang, one I could stop, and have been able to stop for years. I could have stopped it a hundred years ago. But I can't do that. This world relies heavily on the balance of all things. And the Avatar exists for only one purpose, to restore and protect that balance. So I can't directly interfere in the war, because I have no place in this world any longer. Your duty, Aang, is to stop the war and bring back balance to this world.”
”I-I can't do that! Why can't you just do it, what's stopping you?!” Aang was starting to become agitated because duty this and duty that, everyone kept telling him all of this, but he understood none of it.
”Universal law. Something not even I can fight against, yet. But you will understand in time, Aang. I only ask that you do this for Gyatso. And for everyone that has died or will die in this war. There is a pressure to being the Avatar, and it will not be easy, but the world chose you because you were the bravest and most powerful air bender of your time.” Amell said and Aang just stared at the ground, completely lost in thought.