Walk The Path

Chapter Eleven

*Sexual content ahead*

The multicolored leaves finally began to fall from trees, exposing bare branches against the cold, winter air. The sun set earlier and the days became shorter. Aang became more and more proficient at entering the Avatar State, accessing it easily on demand. In the months following his reiki session with Guru Pathik, the heaviness in his heart had dissipated. While he still felt a loss for his parents whenever he thought about them, the feeling was brief and no longer all consuming. He was able to think about them and then return to his life. He made peace with the idea that his parents would always be with him in spirit. A few times a week, Aang lit a candle and mediated about his parents. He would pick a few memories or words he wished to say to them, and when he was done, he would blow out the candle. This ritual seemed to be needed less and less as the new year dawned. Early January saw him accepting his duty as the Avatar, and that he needed to be present fully in life.

Something also new was Aang finally felt comfortable displaying his pictures of his parents in his room. On his wooden dresser, he smiled at the picture in an oakwood frame. He was about 6, with short hair, sitting between his parents on a bench at the Temple. Until recently, Aang almost forgot what his parents looked like. The images were too much to bear before. He scooched to sit on the edge of his bed in his pajamas, grazing the picture lightly with his finger. "Hi, Mom and Dad," he chuckled, "It's my girlfriend's birthday in three weeks and I don't know what to get her. I wish you were here to give me some advice. I know you would've loved her. Katara, my waterbender. I know I'm in love with her but I don't know when or how to say it. What if she doesn't feel the same way? I don't know if my heart can take it. I want what you had. I think...I hope..we can love each other the way you both did." Aang's eyes started to water but he choked through to continue talking, "It's a lot harder than I thought, being vulnerable with her. You both made it look so easy. I still haven't told Katara about you. I guess I should start there before I tell her I love her, huh? Mom...Dad...I miss you," he paused to sniffle, "I think about you every day and I...feel a hole in my heart that I don't think will ever be filled. And I've accepted that, I'm trying to change. I hope I made you proud."

Aang blew out the candle on his dresser and took a deep breath. He imagined putting the conversation he just had in a lockbox, away from where he could reach. He picked up his phone and smiled at the background picture of Katara. He decided to focus on her and what he has right now in this moment. He vowed to no longer be hesitant to accept joy. A genuine smile and warmth radiated from the airbender as he began to get dressed for the day. He smiled also thinking about how after his fight with Zhao, Ozai was associated with Zhao and the emails about plotting to kill Aang and his parents were leaked. Ozai was either forced out or quit before he could be embarrassed, but Vice Principal Joo Dee became interim Principal for the rest of the school year. Ozai's whereabouts have been unknown for the past two months.

At school, Aang's high spirits were dampened a bit when he saw Katara and his friends attending the college fair during lunch. He forgot that not everyone had a vocation handed to them by birth like he had. They would graduate next year and then probably all go their separate ways. Aang shook these thoughts away as he focused on planning to make the next year and a half filled with fun memories. He secretly hoped that they, and especially Katara, decided to attend Republic University so he could still see them. The irony was not lost on him that after graduation, he would be expected to take on more Avatar duties so he might not see them as much either. His eyes lit up when Katara creeped up behind him and threw her arms around his neck, her soft hair tickling his skin.

"Hey, Katara, how did it go?" She nuzzled her face into his neck, kissing him softly, "It went surprisingly well," she smiled and sat down next to Aang, "I have a few schools that would be a good fit and might give me a scholarship for Holistic Medicine. But we can talk about that later, do you have any plans tonight?" Aang felt relieved at the switch in topics as he doesn't want to think about possibly being separated by Katara any more. With a smirk, he locked eyes with Katara, "Yeah, I'm planning on hanging out with the most beautiful girl in the world. Try not to get jealous, she has a mean water whip." Katara tried to hide her blush as she became flustered and sputtered for a few moments. Aang's smile widened at his effect on his girlfriend. He leaned in and met her lips with his, moving a strand of hair behind her ear.