A Time of Change {ATLA & LOK}

Chapter 23 - The EverStorm

The southern water tribe seemed calm and tranquil, the avatars family though were frantically looking for their youngest. Kya seemed to be looking the hardest, she felt guilty, she deemed it her fault that her younger sister had disappeared, or rather she probably ran away.

Katara was in "Worried Mother mode", she was asking people all over the tribe if they had seen her, unfortunately no one had seen her since the festival earlier that evening.

Tenzin was looking around the area where Kya said she last saw her, when she "talked" to Talia. He and his baby sister were the closest in the family and it hurt him that she had disappeared with the most likely scenario being she ran away and no one knew where she was.

Aang was flying all over the tribe, looking down from above for any signs of his powerful dual bending daughter. Unfortunately having no lock. Aang could see the everstorm in the distance, though it seemed very violent in some places and calm in other, it seemed that something was shining through the fluctuating cloud. It was quite odd how it looked blotchy, it was an odd site, a almost pitch black swirling hurricane like cloud in parts and a smooth dark grey cloud that was thin with what seemed similar to Talia's light when she light bended trying to break through it. Aang decided to land and group up with the others, but his mind kept returning to the everstorm and the difference in it's behaviour that day.

"Anything?" Katara asked upon Aang's landing. Aang shook his head glumly.

Aang was about to mention something about the everstorm when a force of sorts rushed through them, the feeling Aang realised was similar to that of the transition between the spirit world and the material world, it left or rather came back at them as quick as it came.

"Dad? what was that?" Tenzin asked looking up at his dad.

"I'm not sure but I think It came from the everstorm and what lies at the centre of it." Aang replied looking off into the distance at the storm. "I'm going to see what it was"

"You sure?" Katara asked worriedly.

"Yeah" Aang replied "I'll be fine" he then gave his wife a quick kiss on the cheek before flying up on the air and going off in the direction of the storm.

~~~

Once Aang neared the ice forest at the centre of the storm he could see a light in the middle through the ice, having never been to the pole himself he didn't know what to expect. he landed and started to cautiously walk into the forest. As he walked deeper into the forest he grew more confused and wary of his surroundings. There was a great deal of spiritual energy in the area, but it was different, unsettling.

Aang arrived at the centre of the forest just in time to see Talia fade into what seemed to be a dome of light, as she entered there was a flash of light and a brief second of spiritual tranquillity. Aang stood still staring at the dome where his youngest daughter had just disappeared into.

Aang cautiously walked towards the dome glider still in hand. As he approached the dome a force was slowly being pushed against him, it started to get difficult to move any further forward, until he reached a point where the pressure stopped but there was a barrier, an invisible wall in front of him, he walked to the right and left following the barrier to see if there was anyway through.

Aang tried all the elements, each element separately and then a combination nothing worked, he even tried entering the Avatar state, but got the same results. He was confused to what was going on and what the light in front of him was.

A realisation that he needed help came to him, he sat down in the lotus position and meditated, contacting his past lives and more specifically Roku first.

"Avatar Roku, i seek your guidance" the spiritual projection of Avatar Rocky, formed in front of Aang as he opened his eyes.

"What can I help you with, Aang?" Roku questioned.

"I need help, my daughter just disappeared into that light and I don't know what it is" Aang asked as if he was a little kid again. "I can't get any closer to it, there's something booking me."
Roku's spirit stood up and turned around, looking quizicallh at the dome of light.

"That is an ancient portal into the spirit world, long closed around 10,000 years ago." He turned looking at Aang. "Your daughter has entered the spirit world" he said wisely.

Aang nodded looking surprised " so I could just meditate into the spirit word and bring her back?" Aang asked confused.

"It won't be that easy" Roku replied "when one enters through this portal, they enter the spirit world physically" he paused "the only way for her return to the material world would be to exit through the portal" he looked back at the portal. "But the spirits obviously don't want that to happen as you are the only one who can open the portal and you are being held back by this invisible force field" with that Roku faded away and Aang stood dumbfounded by his new discovery.