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Chapter Eighteen: Aftermath

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Luten

After Azula, who was still unconscious from the fight with Bumi, had been brought into prison under the fact that she could no longer Firebend, the teenaged Firebender and his friends returned home to Mai’s and Zuko’s place, since it was closer to the battlefield, and Jade and Katara healed the wounded. He was by Kya, his arm around her as she relaxed, her hand on his chest and watching the group in exhaustion. Her face was dirty and her clothes had some tears in it while her hair looked like it had a battle of its own; but Luten still thought her as the most beautiful girl in the world. He thought to the night on the beach, where they had revealed their feelings along with the promise that if they both survived the war, they would be together. He didn’t know if it was official yet, but he didn’t want to bother her with that now; Kya had been through too much already and the Firebender didn’t want to force into anything too fast.

He looked around the room. Lilly had a bandage on her cheek from the barbs, which had in fact been poisoned of a small dosage, with Alex by her; he was holding her hand tightly. Their parents, Suki and Sokka, and Smellerbee and Longshot, were sitting on either side of them. Tenzin was with Aang and Pema, giving food or other essentials. Lin had a sprained ankle and was being looked after by Matt, who was having trouble moving his arm where he had been shot, so Melisa was with him as well. Teo and Tatyana were holding hands and cried because some of their friends had been in the battle a few were dead. The other adults and the rest of his friends and siblings were either sitting or helping the injured. The only one not there was Sam, who had been wounded in battle near the end with a knife in his thigh; the healers did everything they could and now he was resting in a tent still full of patients, hence the healing happening in the house. Sam plans on going back to California after he was healed so he could be there with Anna and their soon-to-be born child.

Bumi was sitting on a chair and was talking about his battle with the Cold Firebender. The blisters from his skin are mostly gone, thanks to his mother’s healing abilities, but he still looked pink and sore. His blue eyes were dark as he recounted what had happened and the Firebender thought he looked older than before. The kid has been through a lot and the near death experience must have made him more aware of how dangerous the world could be. Luten was impressed by what he heard; of how the energy made into a shield around his body as the lightening zoomed at him, saving him from certain death and of the chase afterwards. “When I had her cuffed to the ground,” he continued, “I actually thought about ending her, but I couldn’t go through with it. There’s been so much death already and I couldn’t add another one to the list, no matter how evil or twisted she was. Instead, with the help of amulet Ursa gave me, I took Azula’s Bending away permanently.”

Luten grinned as Tenzin said, “I”m glad you didn’t kill her, Bumes; it would have made you feel guilty. Nice some of Dad’s lessons worked their way into your thick skull.”

Bumi gave a small smile as Aang clapped him on the shoulder. “We’re very impressed by you, all of you, and of what you did to protect the world. You should be very proud of yourselves.”

Kya looked up from his chest and smiled at her father. “Thanks Dad.” Aang smiled at her while Luten squeezed her shoulder as she laid back down and sighed, closing her eyes. The young Firebender yawned and rubbed his eyes; he was really tired and by looking around again, he noticed how a few of the younger kids were yawning or closing their eyes even though they tried to keep them open.

Bumi was the one who said, “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m beat. Fighting a crazy Firebender really wears you out.”

Kuzon laid his chin in his hand. “I’m with Glow Boy; I could really use some sleep.”

Tenzin brightened a little as a thought hit him and Luten knew what that meant when everyone was around. “Can we have a sleep over? Please; I’m not ready to be apart from everyone yet.” There were a few sleepy murmurs all around.

Aang looked at the other parents in the room and shrugged. “I’m fine with it if you guys are.”  There were nods and Luten was still amazed by how close their parents were, much like his own group; the adults must have been through a lot as teenagers.

After getting the wounded healed and they had been taken away, the house sounded with the many footsteps of the tired and exhausted. The house had extra rooms to accommodate if everyone shared, which was fine with Luten since he planned on sharing his room with Kya, who held onto his hand as she walked sleepily through the small crowd. The Firebender looked and saw Pema go with Tenzin into one room; Bumi and Jade into another; Matt and Melisa; Lin and Martin; Alex and Lilly; Kuzon and Jasmine. It surprised Luten how many couples or soon to be couples there were; and it came to his attention of Matt and Lin looking at one another almost longingly. He would be happy if he knew they would end up together.

Going into his room, he pulled the tired Waterbender over to his large bed and scooped her up before laying her down, where she snuggled into the duvet. It was chilly inside the house but it felt good after the day they had being outside in the heat. He took his shirt off and hesitated as he was about to go under the covers; would Kya be uncomfortable if he was shirtless? He took a deep breath and climbed in, slowly spooning her while wrapping her waist with his arm; she stirred and then looked at him; she saw him shirtless while blushing. Yet she had a smile on her face and didn’t look embarrassed. That was a relief; he never slept with a shirt on. It made him uncomfortable. She rolled until she was facing him, placed her head on his chest where she could surely hear his pounding heart, and sighed. Luten smiled and kissed her head. She looked up at him. “Luten?” she asked softly.

He looked down at her. “Yeah?” he asked back.

Here she took a deep breath. “Now that the battle is over, I would like us to give us a try.”

Luten blinked in some surprise. “Do you really want to?”

Kya nodded. “Sometime during the battle, I’ve thought what would happen if I had lost you and it felt like my heart was being ripped out of my chest. Do you know what that made me realize?” He shook his head although he did have an idea; but he wanted to hear her say it. “I’ve realized you became more than a friend or crush. I came to know that I love you too; maybe I’ve always had. I fell in love you, Luten.”

The Firebender smiled and brought her face close before kissing her sweetly but deeply, her responding in kind. After a few seconds, Luten broke away and they smiled at each other. “I love you too, Kya. Now, get some sleep; tomorrow is a new beginning for all of us.” She nodded and yawned before placing her head back down; he held her close.

“Goodnight, Ky,” he whispered.

“Goodnight, Luten,” she murmured back before falling asleep; Luten closed his eyes and joined her in slumber a few seconds later, filled with elation at the knowledge of her love.

Three Weeks Later: Funeral: Tenzin

The sly was gray and the Airbender could tell it was going to pour rain in a short while. Tenzin and his friends and family were at a huge service where they paid respects to those who had lost their lives in the battle three weeks ago. Sam had left two weeks ago to be with Anna and Tenzin was happy for him and hoped he and his family lived in peace from now on. Unfortunately, not everyone survived with only a wound; some of his friends’ fathers had died for various reasons: poison darts, knife wounds to vital organs, and a lot of other incidents he didn’t want to name. The Airbender had Pema by the hand with the rest on either side or behind. The weather matched everyone’s mood.

After the service, everyone got in their cars and drove over for the reception even though they didn’t really feel like it; but no one wanted to be rude and decided to bear with it. He sat at a table with a veggie sandwich and took a few bites; but he couldn’t stomach it and gave up eating before looking around. His friends were everywhere while the mind-controller stayed by his side, playing with her tomato soup; it looked like she couldn’t eat either. She looked up at him with sad eyes; one of her friends’ dad had also died for them and he could tell she felt guilty about it. The Airbender stopped her hand and held onto it, knowing how she felt without communicating. A few tears escaped Pema’s eyes and he kissed her cheek before she threw herself into his arms, where he held her close, a few tears escaping his eyes as well with his heart in pain while Pema sobbed.

After some time, Pema hiccupped and Tenzin let her go so she could wipe her eyes with a napkin. The Airbender knew it was going to take a long time for these wounds to heal for everyone, but he also believed they would survive the pain and loss. They were alive, ad that was something to be happy about; and also to celebrate the lives of those who had fought and died for what was right. He held her shoulders and rubbed one. “We’ll be alright; it going to take time to heal our wounds, but we’ll get through this like we did everything else.”

She sniffed her eyes bloodshot, still looking pretty in his eyes. “I know; but I hate to know how the others are feeling right now. People died because of us, Tenzin.”

The Airbender pulled her close. “I know what you mean, Pema; but those people knew what could happen if they fought and they did anyway. Everyone knew what the stakes were and they were willing to put their lives on the line to protect what was theirs. We all had the same goal in mind; to protect everyone we know and don’t, to keep peace. They knew what they were doing. Okay?” Pema took a deep breath and nodded slightly and gave a watery smile.

Deciding as a group, Tenzin was relived to leave early; he couldn’t take the atmosphere of sadness any longer; they slip their separate ways to go back to their homes. He looked out the window of the van and thought of the last three weeks; everyone had taken part in building up the funeral and a lot of people had been cremated while others were left to be buried. Luckily he saw none of that, but he could still his heart ache with the loss of so many people. Over 125 people had died and over the weeks the deaths have taken their toll on their home. People, either friends or strangers, had helped the families and done their work to get the funeral all in order. Over 100 people had been put into urns; the rest were buried, and the tombstones were in rows. Tenzin has never felt so depressed in his life.

After returning home, Tenzin, Kya, Bumi, and their parents went over to the graves of Appa and Momo, and they stood there for some time. The Airbender knelt down and touched the crosses sadly, tears gathering; then he felt Bumi lower himself to touch his shoulder. He looked up at his big brother and the Energy Bender gave a small nod. “This was for them, too.”

The Airbender stayed silent but nodded, and the rest of his family knelt to bow their heads. He couldn’t hear them, but the Airbender knew everyone was crying or had pained expressions on their faces. It started to rain, but the family didn’t move until it became a downpour, going into the house to get dry. This had been the most miserable day in life.

Early Evening: Bumi

After getting out his suit, the Energy Bender lay on his bed, looking at the ceiling. He still felt tired and stressed; he wondered if this was how it felt to be like a spring. He felt coiled and thought at any second he would either jump or collapse. While the rest of his family slept, he couldn’t. Bumi sighed and grunted, trying to get comfortable but gave up and sat up with a groan, rubbing his neck. There was still too much going on in his head and he had not gotten much sleep over the last few weeks. He snorted; that had become a bad habit. Stress had a way of twisting one out of a mental schedule. Bumi stood and went over to his mirror.

The boy who stared back at him had bags under his eyes and looked pale instead of lightly tanned. His black hair was a mess, more so than normal, and he seemed to have aged mentally. Bruises were still healing on his chest, stomach, and back, gross looking yellow and green splotches that made him look almost like a mutant. He definitely seemed older than almost sixteen; his birthday is only two weeks away. Tenzin will turn fourteen in fall and Kya will be eighteen in winter. Sighing again, Bumi put on a pair of shorts and left the room, intending to have some jasmine tea. When he was close to the spacious kitchen, he knew he wasn’t the only one have trouble calming; and looking into the kitchen he saw Tenzin drinking chai, wearing a yellow robe. His air was wet, indicating he taken a shower just recently. He couldn’t help grinning at the irony; it was here they shared the conversation that was so long ago; it had been about the dream message Matt had sent.

Bumi walked into the kitchen and Tenzin looked up. “Hey, Tenzin.” The Energy Bender didn’t feel like teasing.

His little brother smiled slightly. “Hey, Bumi.” The smile vanished as he played with his cup. “You couldn’t sleep either.” It was a statement, not a fact. Bumi sat and placed his chin on his folded forearms, which rested on the table. Observing the Airbender, it looked like the kid had grown mentally as well; he certainly looked older somehow. This war had not been good for either of them.

The Airbender looked up at his brother and said, “You need some tea?”

“Jasmine, please.” As Tenzin got up and made him a cup he added, “It’s a crazy ride, huh?”

His brother snorted as the water heated in the microwave. “I’ll say it was; but I’m glad it’s over. I just hate the fact that so many people died because of it.”

Bumi nodded, rubbing his head. “This is all Azula’s fault. If she had just stayed put, none of this would have happened. Revenge never solved anything.”

After removing the hot mug Tenzin said, “As I recall, you wanted revenge after Appa was killed.”

He winced guiltily. “I guess; but I learned better. I wanted to kill her for what she did, but I knew Appa wouldn’t have wanted that, and to be honest, I knew deep down I couldn’t go through with it. Taking her Bending away was the only way I could stop her without taking her life. I’m not a killer.”

Placing the jasmine tea in front of him, Tenzin sat down again and said, “I’m glad you’re not one either; you did the right thing by sparing her life. Maybe someday she’ll understand.” But there was doubt in his voice and Bumi felt that same doubt; Azula had not changed in her time during prison, and it seemed unlikely that it would ever happen. He smiled a little. “But at least she can’t hurt anyone anymore; without her Firebending there’s nothing she can do.”

Bumi smiled a little and raised his mug. “Cheers on that, little brother.” Tenzin raised his in salute and they drank, starting to feel peaceful after a time of unpleasantness.

The Next Afternoon: Matt

The Shadowbender was amazed by the people as they came over and greeted the twins by name, saying how amazing their powers are and of how grateful they are to them for helping the war end. For the third time in their lives, he and his sister were accepted. He and his twin had stayed with Teo and Tatyana again and Matt had felt… good; or maybe happy was the right word. The adults had accepted who he was and had even shown envy; but they never said one bad word or even got angry when he had accidently broke one of vases after having a nightmare the night before. Instead they had comforted him and calmed all the while hugging and talking to him, like normal parents.

Matt had thought a lot about what it would be like to live with them permanently and Lin’s words came to mind; she had been right when she said they had already accepted him for what he was. Maybe he could find a place here; but his protective side wanted to leave and spare everyone from his powers. He didn’t know what to do…

The whole gang and their families were currently at a place called the Jasmine Dragon. It was like a Chinese restaurant and Matt liked it; he was eating noodles with shrimp and turned out that he liked it; the shrimp was weird looking, but they tasted awesome. Melisa had the same thing but with steak. He felt kind of guilty because Teo and his wife were paying, but they didn’t seem to mind about buying their food. Again he was struck how parent-like they seem to be and a part of him wanted to be with them where they would encourage him and be there when he or Melisa was upset about something. He wondered if his mother would approve of them; and he felt a rush of warmth in him, a gentle nudge. Matt started and looked around; then he saw her. Or at least her spirit was there. His mother smiled at him and nodded before vanishing. And he smiled, knowing he got his answer. Judging by everyone else, Matt concluded that no one else saw her… except for Melisa; she turned her wide eyes on him and smiled too.

After everyone had eaten, Matt thought it was time to go; but he was surprised again when Tatyana said, “I think now would be a good time to ask, don’t you think Teo?”

Her husband smiled. “I couldn’t agree more, Tatyana.” He turned to the twins and held his wife’s hand as he took a deep breath. “Matt, Melisa, for these last few weeks, we, my wife and I, have been talking. We consider you two a part of this family, and it would mean a lot to us if… well, if you would become our adoptive children.”

Shocked silence met this request and Matt thought his heart was going to burst; the time had come to make a decision. Will he stay or leave? He looked from adult to another; then he turned to his light skinned twin. The Lightbender smiled at him. “No matter what you chose, I’ll be with you.” Even though he knew she wanted to stay, he also knew she wouldn’t leave him to fend for himself; none of the others had shown signs of letting him go either. He looked at his friends who came to mean the world to him. No; he couldn’t leave. Matt learned that even if you were born with something different, there were people out there that would defend you and help you, no matter if they were in harm’s way. Looking at Bumi, he could tell the Energy Bender knew exactly what he was thinking and how much he understands what it’s like to be different.

The Shadowbender turned back to Teo and Tatyana. “A long time ago, I thought I was better off without people knowing who I was or I could do. I didn’t think I could belong anywhere. Then I met my friends, who showed the importance of being different. My Bending is dark, but it could be used for good, just like my mom had told me. I also know that I would be missing out if I left. Even though I love my sister, I always felt something had been missing from our lives. These last few weeks have been sad, but there something hopeful too. If Melisa wants to stay, then I’ll stay too. I would be happy to be a part of your family.”

Melisa squealed and hugged him hard; he hugged back and felt a real grin split his face. There were cheers from the other tables as their friends whooped and clapped. His heart swelled; they had finally found a home. Lin came over just as their hug broke and Melisa backed away to allow Lin to hug Matt; he held her close and heard her whisper, “Thank you.” It was followed by a kiss to the cheek before she broke away from him, smiling. The Shadowbender smiled in kind and thought things couldn’t get any better. He never thought it possible, but he and Melisa had found what they really wanted: a home and a family.

Melisa

The Lightbender chattered excitedly as she, Matt, and their soon-to-be parents went home for the day. “We could go on picnics, the park. Our friends had told us it was amazing going there; all kinds of rides and stands and games! Oh, oh! Teo, can we go swimming as well? I love water; so much so it’s amazing how I’m Lightbender and not a Waterbender.”

Teo, in the front passenger seat, laughed with Tatyana. “Slow down kiddo; geez, what a chatterbox you are.” His eyes sparkled with mischief.

Her brother rolled his dark eyes but couldn’t seem to hold back a grin; Melisa thought he looked happier than he ever had in his life. ‘You’ll have to get used to Melisa’s chatter,” he teased. “She doesn’t know when to shut it.”

She dug her elbow into his ribs playfully, him laughing. “I don’t chatter all the time.”

Matt snorted. “Please; you could beat a monkey with your talk.” She laughed. He looked at Tatyana. “When we get home, can we get a dog?” He looked pleased at saying the word ‘home’ and Melisa felt the same elation; they finally had a place they could call home. And the best part was their real mother had approved. She used to have dreams about her; they had occurred after Matt had his dream vision. Their father hadn’t been able to be with her at the moment because he to help the Spirit Council; what, she wasn’t clear on, but Melisa knew it had to be important.

Tatyana raised a brow in amusement. “Maybe after we adopt you officially. It’ll only be a couples of weeks.” He pouted and she laughed.

Melisa pouted too. “But I don’t want a dog; I want a cat. I think they’re better.”

Matt narrowed his eyes on her and Melisa had to hold back a grin; he looked like a little kid who didn’t get his way. “Dogs are way awesome; I want a pit-bull.”

Now the grin slipped out and she countered, “Cats have more grace. I want a white fluffy one that I can cuddle.”

Teo interrupted their banter. “Okay, kids; that’s enough. If things go well and you two behave, we can get both, alright?”

Seeming mollified by the result, Matt settled back and stared out the window with a half-smile of satisfaction. Melisa sighed happily and watched as the town strolled by, feeling at home at last.

***

After a few weeks, it became official: Matt and Melisa were adopted into the Mecha family. The kids were happy and after a couple of days of the adoption papers being signed, they each got their animals: Melisa got the white kitten which she named Snowflake; Matt got a black pit-bull pup named Rex. As they got to know their companions, they started calling Teo and Tatyana ‘Mom’ and ‘Dad’. Melisa had never felt happier.

Two Days Later: Night: Jade

The Healer and her boyfriend were at the theater, watching an action packed movie, eating popcorn and relaxing. These last couple of days had been the most relaxing Jade ever had and she felt happy; the war was long done, everyone in their group and their families were alive, Azula was put back where she belonged with no Firebending to use, and the world was peaceful again. Yet they could never go back to being just teenagers; not really. They had been through too much to allow naivety into their lives again. The war had taught them much about life and the sacrifices one had to make in order to do what was right. They’ve had a lot of close calls and knew that none of them would have survived without each other.

After the movie was over, Bumi and Jade left, holding hands while they walked the almost empty streets. The energy bender was looking around as if he expected someone to jump out; she decided to put him out of his alertness. “There’s no one here; and even if there were, they’d be really stupid to take us on.”

Bumi looked at her, his blue dark and serious. ‘It bothers me; anyone could come out and get us.”

She sighed. “Bumi, everything’s fine. Besides, if someone was coming, we would sense them.”

Slowly his tense face relaxed, and they walked on until they reached his blue Mercedes. It had been a birthday/thank you present from the city council, even though he had tried to refuse it; they wouldn’t hear it. Right after that he had gotten his driver’s license and now they didn’t have to walk everywhere. Once inside, he started the car and packed out of the lot, gaining speed. He grinned. “Even though I wanted to give this car back, I was secretly pleased to get it.”

Jade laughed. “I’m glad you kept it; I love this car.” She looked out the window and noticed that they were going n the opposite direction of his house. She looked at him, puzzled. “Aren’t we going back your place?”

Bumi shook his head, still grinning. “There’s one more place I want to show you.” She shrugged and settled back as they drove on.

Leaving the town after about fifteen minutes, Jade looked out as saw the place where the battle had taken place. Here and there scorch marks littered the ground. She felt sad and wondered Bumi had brought her here in the first place; but they hadn’t stopped yet and she kept quiet. It took a little over half an hour, but they left the battle scene behind and Bumi left the road to park near the lake. He pushed the trunk button to open it; then turned off the engine and got out, Jade following.

After grabbing what looked like a large blanket, Jade finally asked, “What are you planning, Bumes?”

He smiled at her, making her heart do somersaults. “I thought we wouldn’t be missed for another hour or so; besides, I wanted to show you something.” After settling down on the blanket, he opened his arms and softly said, “Come here.” She sat in his arms and he shushed her before looking out at the water intently. She looked from him to the water and wondered what he was doing; she was about to ask when her eye caught something out in the water. It looked like a white blob; as it got closer, she realized it was a large bird, but not just any bird. It was a swan.

When it came close enough, she realized there were six brownish-gray little ones. The swan was a mother. Jade smiled. “They’re cute! How did you know these were here?”

He was looking at the swan family. “I came out her a couple of times to get away from everything. The lake calmed me, and went this far. When I saw the swan and her babies that first time, I came back and visited again. They grew to trust me and I wanted to show them to you.” He looked at one of them and he said, “They want to get to know you.”

She blinked. “Can you read their thoughts or just their emotions?”

“Pictures and emotions, actually. The mother is a little overprotective, but she’ll be okay with it as long as I’m here. Go ahead; hold one.” One of the more courageous babies came closer and Jade slowly stuck her hands out, showing she would not hurt them. The little swan waddled towards her hands curiously and went into her left palm, settling down there. She scoped the little thing up and gazed in wonder. She looked at her boyfriend. “This is incredible; do you know if it’s a boy or a girl?”

“Girl,” he said without hesitation. She looked at the baby girl swan and saw that she had fallen asleep in her hands; tears came to her eyes as she petted the little creature.

“Do you know what this might signify?” she asked the Energy Bender, holding the baby swan to her chest.

He smiled down at the swan chick and touched her with his free hand. “A new beginning,” was his answer.

Jade smiled, the tears in still in her eyes. “A new beginning,” she agreed and Bumi held her cheek before bringing his face to hers, kissing sweetly and lovingly. Her heart full of emotion she whispered, “I love you, Bumi.”

He broke away slightly and, lips still close to hers, whispered back, “I love you too, Jade.” He kissed her again and she kissed back, already seeing the future for them.

Epilogue coming fast; it will be the shortest chapter of all. It's just going to tell what happens to the rest of gang now that they could get back to their lives without having to look over their shoulders. Then it's all over; there will be no more books about this. But do not despair, my dear friends and fan fanatics; I will write more Avatar stories. But for now I am going to finish my novel before starting anything new. Thank you all for reading and faving. I'm glad my works have won some favor and fans; that really means a lot to me. Thank you all!

Epilogue: katara434.deviantart.com/art/E…
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gohaangten12's avatar
Omg it was such a beautiful ending! So cute! I felt the love! :) I really enjoyed reading this. U have a true talent, Melinda.