Chapter Text
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Katara had never seen black sand before, but the beaches of Crescent Island seemed to be covered with it. She bent down to inspect the small grains before looking up at the looming volcano in front of her. Its highest peak looked jagged and uneven, yet despite the evidence of previous eruptions, it appeared the volcano was sleeping. The tell tale sign of smoke missing from its giant mouth. She turned to watch her brother, Sokka, reach into Appa’s saddle having forgotten something. She smirked when his hand revealed itself from his rucksack holding his boomerang. She swears he never goes anywhere without that thing,
“Alright boomerang guy, you ready to go?”
“Ha, Ha, Katara. Very funny. We’ll see who’s laughing when this guy ” Sokka gestures wildly to himself, “and this boomerang save your butt one day.” he finishes, shaking the boomerang around in his fist, before it slipped through his fingers, landing on his foot.
Katara just smiles at her brother, shaking her head, before turning to see where Aang wandered off to. Across the beach, at the base of the mountain, Katara noticed a tall figure standing out against the dark rock behind them. Her eyes widened when she noticed Aang on his knees below the imposing frame of the mystery person.
“Aang!” She called out in alarm before sprinting in his direction, Sokka, having noticed the same thing, was only a few short steps behind her.
The last person Aang expected to see on the beaches below the Crescent Island Temple was his brother. Aang struggles to call himself this man’s brother- he didn’t deserve to call himself anyone's brother. Aang saw a young man, too young, with long hair, and a staff that seemed more similar to a sword than a gilder. He bore complex scars across his features, adding to the age of his face. He must have been a strong person. An Avatar who didn’t buckle under the pressure of the title. Didn’t run away from the responsibility. The stone eyes of Avatar Kaze’s statue stared ahead, unblinking. His mouth was drawn into a small frown, brows set in determination. An man worthy of the title of Avatar. Something Aang feared he would never fully live up to. Even now. Especially now .
If Aang heard the rushed approaches of his friends he made no motion to acknowledge them, only staring up at the face of a young man he didn’t recognize, bearing the name of someone he’d do anything just to see once again. But not like this.
If Katara and Sokka noticed the statue's airbending tattoos they chose not to mention it, remaining silent, regarding Aang with concerned eyes coming to the same conclusion. This man was significant to Aang. After a moment of silence, Katara reads the inscription etched into the obsidian below the base,
Avatar Kaze
Air Nomad
May he find peace beneath the mountain
Sokka’s voice hardly gives Katara’s words a moment to settle in her mind before bursting out, “Just who the heck was this guy and why is there a statue honoring him at a Fire Nation temple?”
Aang doesn’t answer for a moment but he can hear Sokka’s cry of pain following a faint slap, most likely administered by Katara for his rude question.
“It doesn’t matter. He’s dead now,” Aang finally answers taking a deep breath, still staring at the statue’s face, “But he is- was my-” He stops, closing his eyes hard.
“Hey wait!” Sokka interrupts, dodging another swing from Katara, “I recognize this name! Isn’t this who old King Bumi confused you for when we first arrived in Omashu?”
His words ring true, thinking back, Katara remembers hearing King Bumi address Aang by the wrong name, quickly fixing his mistake. She hadn't paid it any mind at the time, assuming he was just a crazy old man.
Aang lets out a soft chuckle, “That should have been my first clue at Bumi’s real identity, guess I was too shocked at hearing the name to realize who he meant...” He wipes his hands under his eyes, hoping to sweep away any tears. Aang wants to wonder why he and the old Earth King never talked about Kaze, but he knows Bumi probably chose not to bring up Kaze because of the story behind this statue. And Aang chose not to talk about Kaze because then he’d be forced to think about Kaze. Remember Kaze . His twin brother he chose to leave behind.
“Who was he talking about Aang?” Katara finally asks, kneeling next to him on the sand, gripping his hand tightly between her own.
“You know, if I’d talked to Kaze that night I probably wouldn't be standing here on this beach with you right now” Aang states, looking over at Katara, “he would have tried to talk me out of it, never was much of a rule breaker, most of the time, that is” Aang smiles at the first memory of his twin brother that comes to mind- refusing to throw a single custard pie at the monks, despite spending all day in the kitchen baking them and knowing exactly what they were going to be used for-
“I just like baking. That’s all. How was I supposed to know what Aang was going to do with them?” Kaze gave his best ‘lemur caught with its hand in a fruit basket’ stare to the old monks, freshly clean of custard. They fell for the act every time. As soon as the last one’s back was turned, Kaze snuck a cheeky grin at his twin, adding a small wink before skipping away. Leaving Aang to mop up the rest of the custard by himself, only to return an hour later with one final custard pie, just for Aang.
“Twins are rare enough as it is, so you can imagine the surprise of the monks when they learned the Avatar cycle somehow reincarnated into two bodies, not one,” Aang finally admits. Realization dawning on Katara’s face as she reads the inscription once again, her eyes following the lines of the statue before settling on its face. Now that she knew the truth, she noticed the young man made of stone did have some similarities to Aang.
“You had a brother. A twin .” Katara says, turning back to Aang. Her hand grasping his tightly as a few stray tears leaked from his gray eyes.
“A twin, huh?” Sokka muses from behind them, “That’s a sibling who is born at the same time as you right?” he doesn’t leave room for a response before he asks another question, “So you’re telling me, you had a twin brother- who was also an Avatar- who must have stayed behind when you ran away since there's a statue of him right here and he looks much older than you.”
Sokka ignored the blazing glare from his younger sister Katara. He just wanted to know all the facts, that's all.
“I- I think you pretty much covered it, Sokka. I ran away, got frozen and he-” Aang pauses, glancing up at the statue once more, “he died.”
The Water Tribe siblings don’t speak for a moment. Sokka walks up to Aang before kneeling in front of him, resting his hand along Aang’s arm. Aang looks up at the siblings, teary eyed, “I really love you guys, you know? And I don’t regret meeting you.” The siblings nod, equally teary eyed, before enveloping him in a hug, allowing him to mourn the loss of his brother.
---
The words of the fire sage echoed in Aang’s mind as he rushed passed the large doors deep within Avatar Roku’s Temple-
“The old Sages used to speak about your brother, Avatar, and how he awoke the volcano, only to send it back to sleep after sealing himself inside. I believe, if this volcano were to reawaken once again, Avatar Kaze might awaken as well.”
Maybe Avatar Roku knew the truth about what happened to his brother. Aang mentally sighs, just another addition to the increasingly large list of questions he needed Avatar Roku to answer.
Aang had to be fast. Zuko was here. His friends were captured. The sun was setting and he’d lose his chance to talk to Avatar Roku. Despite the looming threats, all Aang could think about was his brother. If Kaze was secretly alive- if the old sages were right- then maybe his brother really was hiding somewhere beneath his feet.
A bright light overtook Aang’s field of vision as he heard the doors slam shut behind him.
Aang throws his hand above his eyes, attempting to help them adjust to his light surroundings. Suddenly feeling a warm mist float across his hands. He was in the Spirit World.
“It’s good to finally meet you Aang. I’ve heard much about you from your brother.” a low voice greets Aang as he finally sees the tall man standing before him. Having seen the statues, Aang recognizes the voice as belonging to the late Avatar Roku, and older man with a long white beard.
Avatar Roku’s words cause Aang to stiffen and before he can stop himself he asks, “You’ve talked to Kaze? Is he here, in the spirit world? I just want to-”
“One question at a time, young Avatar,” Roku grinned at him before his expression melted into a small frown, “But I fear I must warn you- the comet you saw in your vision is the very same one Fire Lord Sozin used 100 years ago to start the war. He and his firebending army harnessed it’s incredible power to launch a deadly assault against the other nations.”
Aang was silent as he absorbed his words, “The comet made them stronger?”
“Stronger than you could even imagine. Sozin’s comet will return by the end of this summer. And I fear Fire Lord Ozai is planning to use this comet once again, to finish the war once and for all.”
Aang's heart thuds heavily against his chest, his anxiety spiking. There’s no way he’d be able to master the rest of the elements by the end of summer .
Avatar Roku placed his large hand on Aang’s shoulder, “You must defeat the Fire Lord Aang, I fear the world has been unbalanced for too long.”
Aang stares at him, eyes wide and alight with fear. He was just a kid. How can they expect him to defeat the Fire Lord? Avatar Roku’s wise eyes looked down on him, twinkling and swirling with unsaid words.
“There is one more thing I must tell you Aang, before I lose the chance,”
Aang braces himself for more bad news.
“Your brother” Roku pauses, “he always spoke highly of you. He cared for you a great deal,” Roku whispers with a small smile, “And while I may not know of his fate, I have a feeling two Avatars is just what the world needs to become balanced once again.”
---
The Crescent Island temple trembled and groaned as the earth beneath their feet shook.
“What is the meaning of this? More tricks from Avatar Roku? Or is the other one to blame this time?” Commander Zhao demanded, grabbing the Fire Sage nearest to him, stopping the older man from tumbling to the floor from the magnitude of the quakes. Katara and Sokka stare wide-eyed at the large door. The very same doors Aang managed to sneak behind before a flash of bright light blinded them. The earthquakes began only moments after Aang disappeared..
“I can’t say sir-” the Sage is cut off by a large explosion from outside the Temple, an especially fierce quake tares through the room. The support beams of the structure creak and groan from the force.
Another Sage runs into the room after a beat, “Commander Zhao- the volcano! We must evacuate the island!”
“What about the volcano!” Zhao yells at the man, growing more frustrated at the fumbling words of the Fire Sage. Katara glances at her brother, scared for not only their own safety , but also Aang’s- seeing as the boy was still locked inside the inner chamber.
“You mean to tell me the volcano is erupting now? What caused it!” The Commander barks.
“I can’t say sir- it's been 80 years since our last eruption- not even a sign of smoke, no warnings!”
The two men bicker back and forth, going in conversational circles.
“Katara,” Sokka whispers harshly, “What if what that fire sage said is true? Maybe Aang and Avatar Roku somehow managed to wake him up?” Katara squinted, not fully understanding.
“Avatar Kaze! Aang’s brother!” he hissed before her eyes widened in surprise she opens her mouth to respond before abruptly closing it, noticing the scalding glare of Commander Zhao staring at the two of them.
“What are they talking about,” he growls out, eyes scanning the other Fire Sages, “Someone care to explain why Avatar Kaze would have anything to do with this?”
“It’s just a myth, let the children dream. Avatar Kaze died at the hands of the Fire Nation 80 years ago. Anything else is pure speculation- he’s not coming back to life just because the volcano decided to reawaken.” The oldest sage spits out, before he stumbles after an especially powerful quake.
“Avatar Kaze better stay dead, if he knows what's good for him.” Commander Zhao ground out between clenched teeth, his fist tightening at his sides. A bark of laughter erupts from the opposite corner of the room, Prince Zuko’s shoulders bouncing up and down as he silently shakes his head at Commander Zhao. Having been silently listening to the chaos around him, he couldn’t help the sharp laugh that escaped him after hearing Zhao’s words.
“That would be bad news for you, wouldn’t it. Commander Zhao, seeing as it was your Great Grandfather who claimed he was going to deliver Avatar Kaze’s head to the Fire Lord on a silver platter- and failed,” Zuko bites with a condescending smile, and feels like the most powerful man in the room despite his arms shackled behind him.
“You hold your tongue, traitor! Before I cut it out for you!” Zhao threatens.
“I’m sure it took your family a long time to rise from the depths of that disappointment. Personally, I’d like to meet the man responsible for knocking your good name down a peg or two.” Zuko adds, knowing exactly how to get a rise out of the man.
“Avatar Kaze is dead! My Great Grandfather lost his life taking down the Avatar. He died an honorable death!” Commander Zhao screamed, finally losing his composure, fists flaming at his sides. Just as he’s about to strike Prince Zuko the large doors fly open with a massive explosion, dust fills the room, Commander Zhao stills before turning to his men, “The Avatar! Take him down!”
“Aang! No!” Katara screams, watching as Commander Zhao’s men blast the dark room with their flames only for them to be sent straight back towards them. The ghost of Avatar Roku stares them down, frowning as he firebends into the room. Chaos ensues. Sokka and Katara free themselves from their bonds while Zuko sprints out of the Temple. Commander Zhao and his men scramble to form ranks as the room splits apart, the Volcano rumbling beneath them as Avatar Roku draws its lava to the surface.
“Avatar Roku is going to destroy the temple!” A Fire Sage cried out.
Aang reaches Katara and Sokka amidst the chaos, an unreadable expression on his face, “Come on guys, we gotta get out of here!” Katara and Sokka don’t need much convincing, they run through the temple, watching as it crumbles beneath their very eyes. It’s only after running back outside do the trio realize the full extent of destruction caused to the island. Cracks form along the volcano's face extending down to the beaches, newly exposed rivers of lava cascade down the slope. After reaching Appa down on the beach, Aang turns back to look at the statue of his brother further down the coastline, only to see it crack in half as a tremor tears through the ground beneath it before its swallowed up by an explosion of magma, he turns away, eyes closed.
“Aang look!” Katara calls out to him.
“I saw it Katara.” Aang responds, voice tight with emotion.
“It’s heading right towards us!” she cries before he stares up at the sky. Something bright is shooting across the island from the mouth of the screaming volcano.
“Aang!” Sokka screams at him, holding onto Appa’s saddle with blood white knuckles.
“Appa! Yip-Yip!” Aang calls out to Appa, narrowly missing the smouldering boulder as it crashed into the beach a few yards to their right.
“Cut it a little close back there Aang!” Aang hears Sokka call from behind him, but he hardly pays attention to the words, captivated by the large rock spit out by the volcano- steaming as the tide washes over it periodically. What if-
Aang listens to his instincts as he sends Appa back down to the beach.
“Now were going back ?!” Sokka shrieks as Appa lands on the sad. Aang airbends himself right in front of the boulder before placing one hand on its side. He feels himself glow for a moment before his arrows dim, he removes his hand staring at it. He’s about to step away when the first cracks start to form in the rock, a sudden blast of hot air pushes him back to a safe distance before the rock explodes.
Aang feels himself getting picked up off of the ground by Sokka, the older sibling letting out a cautious, “Careful,” as he stared into the steam created by the blast. Katara attempts to waterbend the steam but struggles to clear the air entirely. She takes a tentative step forward, feelings of intense deja vu overwhelming her.
“Katara, wait!” Sokka wails, reaching out at her.
T his is just like when we found Aang. She realizes before rushing headfirst into the steam, Aang quick at her heels, “No, not you too!” Sokka says, smacking his face with his hand before swallowing his fear and following them.
What Aang finds inside the boulder leaves him immobilized.
Katara is the first one to act. She falls to her knees beside the body of the unconscious man found in the center of the rubble. Curled onto his side, the man’s arms were wrapped around a helmet- his large staff resting beside him. Sokka grabs the weapon from the man’s side- for their protection, not because it looked cool . Katara placed her hand on the unknown man’s shoulder, laying him flat on his back, resting her head on his chest she heard the faint murmur of a heartbeat.
Finally taking a glance at his face, Katara isn’t as surprised she feels she should be.
It’s not the first time she’s found the Avatar.