Balance and Peace

How is it that even though it is the Avatar spirit that is reincarnated, we can always find every past avatar in the Spirit World? This fic examines how this can be.

 Disclaimer:  Avatar: the Last Airbender or Avatar: the Legend of Aang and all things related are property of Nickelodeon, a division of Viacom International.  I am not making any profit off of this work in any way, shape or form.

Suddenly, Aang’s eyes and tattoos stopped glowing.  Aang opened his eyes to see his wife on their bed sleeping comfortably.  Smiling, he walked over to her and kissed her on the forehead before joining her in bad after extinguishing the candle with a blow of air.

 

The next morning Aang woke up to hear the sound of his kids getting ready for school.  Katara was in the kitchen making breakfast.

 

He smiled as he saw her and approached her from behind.  “Good morning,” he whispered as he wrapped his arms around her.

 

Katara turned and smiled at her husband.  “Hey, how was your trip into the spirit world?”

 

“It was nice, I learned a lot about who we are.”

 

“We?  What do you mean?”

 

Aang smiled, “Let’s send Shanthi and Vikram to school and then we’ll talk.”

 

An hour later Aang and Katara’s son, Vikram, and their daughter, Shanthi, waved goodbye as they began their walk to their school.

 

After lunch, Aang and Katara sat down on their couch.

 

“Now what were you doing in the Spirit World yesterday?”  Katara demanded of Aang.

 

“I was seeking out Roku and the other Avatars about a question that was bothering me.”

 

“What was it?”

 

“If the Avatar spirit is reincarnated, how can all of the past avatars be found in the

Spirit World?”

 

“Did you get your answer?”

 

“Yeah.  Yangchen told me that the answer lied in the difference between spirit and soul.  In the case of the Avatar, it is his or her soul that ascends to the Spirit World after their death.”

 

“But what is the difference between spirit and soul.”

 

“You know Katara.”

 

“Oh…  You’re hiding something from me aren’t you?”

 

Aang didn’t respond.

 

“Aang, what is it?”

 

“It’s about us…  And who we are…”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Katara, think about it.  Look deep within yourself and see if you can find something like a powerful energy of more than one soul within you.”

 

Katara’s face betrayed her confusion but did as Aang told.  Closing her eyes, she searched deep within herself as far as the depths of her mind.  After a few minutes of searching she opened her eyes with a gasp.  “What is it?”

 

Aang looked at her smiling.  “What do you feel?”

 

“It felt like a thousand people all trying to become known.”

 

“Those are your past incarnations.  In other words, your past lives.”

 

“What?  I thought it was only the Avatar that was reincarnated over time.”

 

“That isn’t the case.  You already know that the Avatar is the Spirit of the World incarnate in mortal world.  But you didn’t know that the Avatar’s lover is also always reincarnated over time.”

 

“Huh?”

 

Aang smiled, “You are the spirit of peace, just as I am the spirit of the world and balance.”

 

“So, I have had as many lifetimes as you?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Katara’s face showed her shock and contemplation.  “But wait, I wasn’t alive when you were at the Southern Air Temple…”

 

A saddened tint entered into Aang’s eyes.  “I know.  There is only one Avatar incarnation in which they didn’t have a lover.  And also, there is only one Avatar incarnation in which the Avatar has had two lovers…”

 

“It’s you isn’t it?”

 

“Yeah, since I lived past the normal two lifetimes, the universe had to deny one of the Avatars their lovers.  It was in this reign that the world was in the greatest era of peace.”

 

“Avatar Yangchen.”

 

“She was denied her love so that my reign could reach its full potential.”

 

The two lapsed into a solemn silence.

 

“Who was it?”

 

Aang was startled out of his thoughts.  “Huh?  What?”

 

“My previous incarnation, who was it?”

 

“Oh…  It was an Air Nomad girl from the Eastern Air Temple.  I met her once, during the Air Council at the Southern Air Temple.”

 

"What was she, or rather, I like?"

 

Aang smiled and then kissed her passionately. "Just like you always have been," he whispered, "you're the same as you always were Matra. Mother of Peace…"

 

Katara closed as she felt something stir deep within her, something thousands of years old existing since the beginning of time. "As with you great Prathama, Father of the World and Universe," the newest incarnation of Peace replied with a smile.

 

And they kissed again, not the first, and definitely not the last until the end of time. So, Balance and Peace were united once more in this abyss of life. Not for the first time and most definitely not for the last time with thousands of lifetimes that have come and past and thousands more to come.

Author's Note

Reviews are nice! XD :P