Heimat | Aang

THREE

He was laying on something soft, the sun shining down on him without mercy. Aang frowned, terribly confused as he raised a hand to shield his eyes from the light and slowly opened his eyes.

He was in a beach. He was laying on sand and the waves were close by, caressing the shore as if it were something precious, needing to be pampered and handled with the utmost care. His frown deepened as he looked in the clear horizon, at the sea glimmering as if it were made of diamonds. He didn't remember how he had gotten in the beach.

Aang tried to remind himself of what happened. He recalled being in his room in the ship Zuko had suggested he took, meditating, when the woman with the blue eyes had gotten inside. He screwed his eyes shut as he tried to remember. One by one, his memories were returning.

She had warned him the food was drugged, meant to sedate him. She had told him someone would come to kill him at night. She had been right, and hours later, someone had broken in his room. Aang remembered running to get away, getting on the deck despite the terrible storm so he had more room to fight. He recalled it was a terrifying storm, he certainly remembered the waves were tremendous. But that was as far as his memory would go.

Aang opened his eyes once more as he scanned the beach for anything that could explain the way he had gotten in this place—wherever it was—when he caught sight of a piece of dark red armour. Beside it was placed a helmet all soldiers in the Fire Nation fleet wore, and a few ways away, was a woman.

She was crouched down in front of the sea, dressed in the uniform all Fire Nation soldiers wore, the parts of her armour discarded. He could make out her dark skin even though he could only see her back. Her dark hair was set in intricate braids and twisted in a bun in the back of her head, unlike the usual manner all citizens of the Fire Nation wore it. Even though he couldn't see her eyes to be certain, he had a vague idea who she was.

"Hey," he croaked. She stopped what she had been doing, tilted her head to the side just slightly. He still couldn't make out her features as he made himself continue. "Where are we?"

"I don't know."

Her voice was clear and slightly deep, a soothing edge to it he was certain she hadn't meant to input. He blinked as she sank her hands in the water and washed her face. Awkwardly, he cleared his throat.

"How did we get here?"

"I got us here."

He blinked, confused, as she raised a hand, the water following her command. His eyes widened as she brought the water to the side of her face and her fingertips glowed in a display he had seen countless of times before. She was healing herself.

"You're a waterbender!"

She let the water fall back in the sea, stood up and turned around, making her way to sit on a rock closer to him. She sat down and turned to face him, meeting his gaze head on. Aang thought he had forgotten how to breathe.

She was easily the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Her skin was dark, her lips plump, high cheekbones giving way to a pair of eyes the same colour as a river or a lake in a forest, an unusual shade of blue he had never once seen before. There was no blemish seen, no imperfection, and for a moment, Aang thought of reaching forward and touching her just to make sure she wasn't a spirit but a human, like he was.

He blinked in an attempt to shake himself off of his stupor and cleared his throat as he desperately tried to remember what they had been talking about before she had turned and he had seen her face. It took him a while before he finally managed to remember.

"You're the one who warned me, aren't you?"

She nodded, "I am."

He desperately tried to get over her beauty for as much time as he needed to think of a coherent thought that didn't have to do with her appearance as he nodded to himself. He attempted to make himself look away, but his try was futile. His lips suddenly felt dry and he licked them quickly as he cleared his throat.