Sea and Sky

Chapter 27: The Likelihood of Coincidence

Sea and Sky
Chapter 26: The Likelihood of Coincidence

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To say that he was incredibly happy was an understatement. He was deliriously happy. What had once been a deep rooted fear that the love of his life had been poisoned had melted into a sense of relief, and the an all consuming joy. The joy he felt was overwhelming for him. Aang couldn't say he'd ever felt as happy to overhear Katara and Suki's secret conversation. Part of him felt like a spy, as if he'd interrupted them, had come across of private information he shouldn't know.

He thought that it should bother him that Katara hadn't told him of her condition yet, but he let that minor detail leave his mind. Aang would do everything in his power to show her that he was on to her, even if she didn't know it yet. He would wait for her to come to him with the news, as not to betray himself. He was going to be a father.

The urge to yell the news from the tops of his lungs loomed in his mind, using self control, he kept quite. Boots crunching on the leaves as he went, he was doing anything to keep himself busy. Aang wanted nothing more than to take the waterbender in his arms and hold her tight, but he would wait. He would wait for her to come to him.

In the mean time, Aang busied himself with a walk through the dense groves of trees surrounding their campsite. Far off from Katara and Suki's hiding spot next to the stream, he practically walked circles around the grove to keep himself from going crazy. He figured there was a lot to plan around the birth of a child. The impending birth seemed to be the least of his worries at the moment.

Focused deeply on his own internal monologue, the thought of taking a permanent residence sat at the back of his mind. For the past few years he and Katara had spent their time visiting the various palaces of the royal families of the world - King Kuei's winter palace during the cooling season, Zuko's Ember Island estate during the warm months, the frozen Southern villa belonging to Hakoda during the spring. But even Aang knew that raising a child at court would be next to impossible. Between the preening of the noble ladies and suffocating nature of the maidservants, Katara would never have to bond with the child.

While neither of them were royalty, whenever the Avatar paid a visit, the pair was never declined any sort of luxury or whim they might have. Wracking his brain, he thought over and over. Where on Earth would be a safe place for them to settle? The air temples, as much nostalgia he had for them, would not be a viable option in their current state. Images of an island came to mind. The island, situated in the bay of Cranefish Town.

Nodding to himself, the island seemed like the perfect place to establish a home for his growing family. The island was close enough to the continent while maintaining a safe distance and level of privacy for them to enjoy their lives together quietly. This much he could manage. The thought of spending yet another season stuck within the confines of another palace made his skin crawl.

It seemed as if the nomad was finally going to put down roots and establish a permanent home. Chuckling to himself, Aang moved towards a tall tree. Resting his staff against the ancient trunk, he pulled a few of the spindly branches down and plucked a handful of delicate plum blossoms. Studying the blooms, he was silent for a moment, his mind continuing to race. His entire life he'd felt semi-aimless, adrift in a sea of confusion and politics. It wasn't until Katara had found him that he'd felt some sort of connection to the world he'd awoken in.

Before his mind could made sense of the blood-curdling scream thatcracked over the horizon, he dropped the blooms, heart pounding in his chest, blood humming with adrenaline. Adrenaline flooded Aang, warming his limbs and pushing him into motion. Before he could think, he'd taken his glider, extending the wings outwards and shooting over the tree canopy. The rush of fear and dread woke up his mind, sharpening his mind as he searched for the source of the scream.