Tallula felt that something was wrong. She wasn't sure exactly what. She wasn't sure exactly where. She wasn't even sure exactly how. But she was sure it was something. Then again, there had been all sorts of vibrations lately that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. Ripples, of a sort, rolling through her Avatar senses like the first warning rumbles of an earthquake.

Granted, she wasn't 'home.' Home was the North Pole, out on the polar ice. At the moment, she was visiting one of the Air temples, trying to meditate in a little spiritually-attuned clearing on the mountain. 'Trying' was the keyword there; the spiritual ripples kept distracting her, and she wasn't the most accomplished at meditating, either. Finally, with a sigh of frustration, she stood up and kicked at a couple of loose stones. The stones went skittering over the ground, propelled by a bit of earthbending.

"I don't get it," she muttered. "What's going on? Why can't I figure out what's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" A familiar voice echoed throughout the empty temple. The avatar looked up to see he good friend, his loving girlfriend, "I do not know. I feel as if the spirits are upset; but I do not know what it is that has upset them so greatly." He told her sadly, "Perhaps you should go to the Air Temple and visit them." She told her boyfriend in her motherly tone that he had come to love over their adventures. He smiled at her with a unlimited happiness before standing up from his sitting position and giving her a kiss on the forehead. "Katara, I love you. I will be back within the day." He told her while grabbing his staff. He ran outside waving to his beloved friends and girlfriend a 'goodbye' before spinning his staff skillfully with a guest of wind and air bending, Aang lifted off the ground when opening it's wings.

He hung onto his staff as he flew to his once proud temple, he weaved back and forth from time to time out of boredom. "Whee!" He lightly mouthed before landing on the ancient stones of his former home. He slowly made his way to his old meditation chamber before he sat down. He placed upon his face a goofy but serious expression, he may have been older but he never lost his personality. He took a deep breath before he started to calm himself, his facial expression began to fade as he spiritually lifted into the realm he offend enjoyed.


- How's that? -

The shift was gradual, enough so that Tallula didn't notice it immediately. The ripples in the spiritual fabric of the world seemed to transition slowly into vibrations, slowly gathering in intensity until she could almost physically feel them buzzing against her skin. Cautiously, she knelt down in the middle of the clearing again and rested her hands on her knees as she tried to meditate again. It seemed like something was reaching out from the spirit world, stretching outward but unable to connect with anything. After a few futile moments of trying to puzzle it out logically, Tallula skipped to the next step: she took an even, calming breath and then reached out herself. Maybe she could help whatever-it-was reach what it was looking for.

A wave of spiritual energy crashed over her like thunder, roaring in her head as the four elements briefly swirled up around her and the barrier between the worlds buckled for the briefest of instants.

His form slowly began to lift from the ground as his tattoos glowed a enchanting neon blue, his spirit was at peace the farther he descended into the spiritual world. The spirits were use to him appearing into their world which made it easier to pass, but still he kept this guard up for the evil spirits. He came to the cave where the dragon spirit lived, the one he offend sot out advise from. "Hello?" He called out only for the dragon's eyes glowed from the darkness. "Ah, young Aang you were not who I was seeking?" The spirit spoke out which only confused him, "What do you mean? I don't understand. Who were you seeking, why are the spirits upset-" He began to question only to be shushed from the Dragon. He just stood there listening to the Dragon spirit, he was confused about everything he had said. Who was he actually seeking, his world was still at peace from the last battle with the Fire Lord, it made no sense why they were bothered so.

Before he could continued to speak the Dragon came out of the cave without warning making Aang fall back and hit his head. His eyes shot open was he was back in his world, or so he thought. He landed on his feet and caught his falling staff, that was the first time he was broken out of mediation like that. He rubbed his head where he hit it, there was no pain or any damage from it but he rubbed it out of habit. His head was smooth from his last shaving, he let his hand fall to his side as he took a deep breath and releasing it. "Not who he was seeking?" What did that even mean, who was he searching for. The more he thought of it, the more his brain hurt.

Tallula fell backwards as she was thrown out of her meditation, and she ended up sprawled on her back on the ground. She briefly flailed like an overturned seal-turtle, and then managed to get upright again.

"That was strange," she muttered as she brushed her hair out of her eyes. For a moment, she'd had the briefest glimpse of a huge dragon, and a boy about her own age, just before reality crushed back in on itself. She could have sworn, though, that the barrier had been completely open... She shook her head and got up again. Maybe it was time to go back for a while. When she turned around, though, she jumped and froze. She wasn't alone in the clearing anymore. It took her another second or so to realize that it was the boy from her vision. "Who are you? Where did you come from?"

He was snapped from his thoughts by a girls voice, he turned to her in the clearing; that's when it hint him. Clearing? He was no longer in the mediation chamber, he turned and looked around it was still the temple just outside in the clearing. He looked at the girl confused, "My name is Aang, I'm the avatar." He told the girl, most people panicked until he said he was the avatar, it offend calmed them down. "I came here from Republic City, the spirits were distressed and came here to find out why." The told the girl honestly, "May I ask your name and why you are here?" He asked her politely, most people didn't even know that this place existed anymore.

Talulla blinked. Who was this guy trying to fool? The Avatar? The boy clearly had Air Nomad tattoos, and everyone knew that the Avatar cycle was in its winter phase, making the Avatar native to the Water Tribes. The autumn phase, the Air Nomad Avatar, had been the one before her. But then again, with what just happened... Maybe the spirits were trying to tell her something.

"I'm Tallula of the Northern Water Tribe," she said cautiously. "I come here often to meditate with the monks. And I think something just went very, very strange." She bit her slip slightly. Even she wasn't entirely sure what was going on, but it needed to be set right somehow. "You can't possibly be the Avatar." She watched him carefully for his reaction.

He lightly bowed to the girl in respect, "It is nice to meet you Talulla." He stood up after talking to her politely, he then looked at her weirdly when she told him she was here to meditate with the monks. "The Fire Nation destroyed every monk in this temple and all the other Air Temples a century ago. I am the last air nomad." He told her trying nicely fill her in, unless she saw things then he would try and get her help. Katara was good at healing but he doubted she could heal her if she was crazy. Her question confused him, everyone heard of him and what he had done three years ago. "It is a long story, however I can show that I speak the truth." He told her smiling sweetly, the girl was standing in front of him so he turned away from the temple and her, he didn't want her to get hurt and took a deep breath. He never showed off his bending abilities but he decided what harm could it do, practice was always good.

He slowly moved elegantly letting the wind pick up around him, he let his staff go and fly in the wind he was creating. It spun in the wind as if controlled by a invisible warrior. He made the wind bring back his staff and stuck it into the ground behind him before he took a martial horse stance, his arms bent and his hands turned into fist. He stomped his foot onto the ground and brought up a stone wall a few feet in front of him, he stood up and forced the wall back into the ground. He moved as a water bender would, slowly causing the moisture in the air to gather into a small ball of water. He stood up and let the water fall into a small limping flower. He didn't want to use fire bending, the incident with Katara made him really cautiousness with it. He just created a small fire around his right hand before distinguishing it quickly. He looked at the girl, "I am the Avatar, as you could see." He told her sweetly, and waiting for her reply.

Tallula grew more and more confused as the boy (Aang, she told herself) spoke. The last of the airbenders? The Fire Nation exterminating them? It made no sense. There had been tensions with the Fire Nation, sure, and a war that had lasted several years, but nothing like what Aang was saying. Things were peaceful again. Her eyes widened when she saw him transition smoothly from airbending on through earthbending and waterbending. They were out of order, certainly, but they were there nonetheless.

"It's not possible," she whispered as she watched. There was no denying it, though. He had bent more than one element. She shook her head. "Something really strange is happening. This can't be true." She swept one of her arms around, creating a breeze that crossed the one he had created. The motion flowed smoothly into her other arm as she pulled up a graceful ribbon of water. Pulling her arms back close to herself, she gave a quick twist of her ankles to shift some of the earth under her feet, and a similar twist of one of her wrists produced a small, but bright flame. "There can't possibly be two Avatars. It doesn't happen that way."

He just watched her bend the same elements as he, he was just as confuse. It was then he noticed the monks watching them, they were Air benders. He took a step back, looking at all of them then to her. "This does not make sense, your the avatar, the monks are alive. Does the Fire Lord have his bending?" He asked her confused, he shook his head no in thought before she could answer. "No, I took his ability to bend away myself." He looked at the ground confused at the current events, "The spirits." He suddenly said, everything was fine til he went to see the spirits. "Perhaps Avatar Roku's Dragon knows what to do or how this can be fix." He told his fellow avatar, he then smiled at her in a goofy way realizing something. "You're the one he was waiting for, there is a disturbance here and he was waiting for you. Which means this world is completely different then mine." He started to laugh, which probably made him look crazy. "You're the avatar after me, if I'm here then I was sent to help you. However that doesn't make sense due to the other Air benders." He said thinking loud to himself.

He looked at the monks and smiled, it had been along time seeing the monks. He looked at the children playing air ball, he wanted to go join them in a game but he needed to fix this a figured it wouldn't be a right to leave her to figure it all out herself. He sat down and positioned himself, "Let us go talk to him together." He told her sweetly.

"Now hold on a second," Tallula replied, holding up her hands. "Just hold it." She shook her head, muttering about flighty airbenders, and stood there for a moment. Aang had just said a bunch of things she needed to sort through before she could ask anything else. "If the spirits did this, then it was for a reason. Things have been weird, lately, the spirit world has seemed restless. Almost like how elephant-koi or whale-turtles get before a storm." She went quiet again, trying to piece things together in her head. She got the distinct feeling she didn't have anywhere near every piece. "There have been issues with the Fire Nation in the past, yes. Big issues, even. But taking the Fire Lord's bending? It never went that far. And you're right, I don't need help with airbending." Here, she blushed a little bit, embarrassed. "But... I mean, you seem like you've got a good grip on your spirituality. I'm not so good at that."

He just quieted down and listened to her, he nodded to her in agreement; he to believe it was for a reason. "They have been, it was why I was checking on them." He told her softly, he just listened to her and smiled at her comparisons. He watched her from the ground, he wanted to hear her thoughts on the events. He closed his eyes and shook his head no, "I didn't want to but if I didn't, he would have killed myself and others. It was killing him or blocking his chi, where I am from, he killed all the Air Benders. I lived cause I ran away before hand." He was ashamed he did, but their was nothing he could do. "He was trying to consume the world with hatred, the Fire Nation destroyed many lives, many homes. It was the only choice." He told her softly, he looked at the ground sadly then back at her. "Then sit, maybe I can help you master your spirituality connection to the spirits." He said smiling at her, he motion to the ground for her sit.

"I'm not questioning you," Tallula pointed out as she sat down. "You had your reasons, I'm sure." The more they talked, the more certain Tallula was becoming that Aang was from a world similar enough to her own that there must only be a few key differences. "The Fire Nation was getting a bit uppity here, but they took a pretty good military-style backhand from the Earth Kingdom-Water Tribe Alliance and came to their senses." She glanced at the temple and back again. "I guess I really don't have to say that the Nomads really didn't get involved much." Not that she could blame them at all, really. The Air Nomads were reputed for being peaceful and non-violent.

Once she was comfortably seated, she looked at Aang. "So how does this work for you? I mean, clearly you've got a better grasp of it than I do."

He looked at her and smiled, listening to her. He just watch her sit down, it was a very interesting day he had to admit. This world sounded so similar yet so different, but hers seem less troubled then his was. "Oh, well hopefully they are nothing like the ones where I'm from, granted one of my best friends is the Fire Lord's son. Funny story." He told her trying to goof off but saw she wouldn't go for it. The breeze swept in from time to time, it felt good, he hadn't been in a living Air temple in a long time. He kind of didn't want to go so soon, he smiled at her, it was true about the Nomads.

"It took me a while as well, mostly cause of boredom." He told her honestly, "What I do is: I close my eyes, take a deep breath and let myself go. Everything, my mind, my body, when I do my spirit goes into the spiritual realm. Just relax feel the peaceful nature of life, do not think, just feel." He told her sweetly.
"

Tallula sat down in front of him, trying to mirror his pose. If she was honest, she'd tried his technique already, and it hadn't worked. She wasn't much for sitting still for long periods of time doing nothing. If she was going to be sitting still, she wanted to be doing something, whether it was trying to track air currents, trying to feel earth rhythms, or feeling the pulse at the heart of a flame. Not just sitting there letting her mind wander. But she would try again to see if it would work. For all she knew, it might.

Closing her eyes, she took a small breath and settled in to 'feel.' All she managed to feel, however, was how numb her backside was getting and how there was an itch forming on the small of her back. Eventually, she broke meditation to stretch a bit and take care of the itch.

"It isn't working," she said.

Aang smiled at the girl, "Then you most fine your own inner peace, something that makes you happy. Rather it be a person, animal, or a trinket." He looked at the ground, "Mine is Katara." His eyes widen that the mention of her name, remembering his promise. "Oh no! Katara is going to kill me, I promised to be back before dinner." He said in a light panic. If their worlds were similar then the sun was saying he had awhile before dinner but then again, what if he couldn't get back. No, he couldn't think like that. "Try and find you're happiness, I will go into the spiritual realm and talk to Avatar Roku's dragon." He told her still slightly panicking over his promise, Katara would kill him if he broke his promise.

He closed his eyes and placed a goofy look upon his face but a serious expression, it had become such a odd habit but it offend worked in him relaxing. The wind around him slowly began to pick up, his markings began to fade into a enchanting glowing blue. The more he released his spirit and mind the brighter they glowed, eventually he began to slowly lift off the ground. He really needed to find a way back to Katara.

Tallula envied Aang at how easily he was able to slip into the Avatar state. He seemed to go in and out of it as easily as putting on a jacket, but she constantly struggled with attaining and then maintaining the state. She knew it was because she was struggling so hard with connecting to her spirituality, but she still envied him. She wanted to ask who this 'Katara' was, since it sounded like a Water Tribe name, but she couldn't until Aang came back to the physical world. She figured, even if he didn't, that it would take longer than a day to straighten out this whole mess.

It felt like hours passed, the dragon just gave him riddle after riddle. "I need to get back to Katara, to my world, I don't have time to figure out your riddles... Hey, where are you going? Come back, please?" He called to the dragon spirit as it flew away from his cave, Aang felt defeated. He never got a clear answer from him only that he needed to fix what was broken. He slowly came back to Tallula's world and puffed out in irritation. "Stupid dragon and riddles." He spat like a child would when they were mad they got in trouble. He crossed his arms as he floated down til he was once again sitting on the ground. "All he did was talk in riddles: Fix what needs to be broken, only then will everything be as it should." He said in a mocking tone, "What is broken, everything seems at peace here." He said to the other avatar, clearly it was a better world then where he was from; granted he fixed his. He even started a city with his friend from the fire nation.

Tallula was surprised at how quickly Aang was able to come back out of the Avatar State, enough so that she almost missed his question.

"We're not at war with anyone at the moment," she agreed. "But being at peace doesn't mean that nothing is wrong. Why does political peace have to mean all is really well?" She bit her lip slightly. "Sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you. But our problem here isn't between nations. It's between the physical world and the spirit world." She looked down a bit. "That's why I've been trying so hard to be a good Avatar. I need to be able to fix things."

He just looked at her as she spoke, he knew that, he was talking about the state of the world and spirits. Though the spirits were in distressed about something that was happening or about to happen. "You are right, but I do not sense anything wrong with your world, only the spirits are aggravated." He told her softly, "If it is just the connection between your world and the spirits then it's nothing I can't really help with. You most learn to find your peace in order to connect with the spirits; that is your job as this world's avatar. However if it was just that, I should be able to go home." He simple told her, he knew something else was going to arise just by that simple sentence she said about the connection of her's to the spirits, after all he discovered his during the quest to stop the Fire Nation.

He looked at her sweetly, "You seem like you are doing your best, that alone means your doing a better job then you realize." He told her trying to comfort her. "You don't seem like the type to run away from the title, unlike me. I ran from being the avatar, I was told I was never allowed to marry, that I couldn't have a life other then a avatar's. That was the reason my world was in such bad shape. I was frozen in a sphere of ice near the Northern water tribe's village. A century had passed while I was frozen." He told her sadly as he looked at the ground, "It took time to understand my role and to become the avatar my world needed, as you will with your world in time." He told her smiling, he was hoping he cheered her up; granted that wasn't the best story to tell her.

"I don't mind being the Avatar," Tallula admitted. "I kind of like it. I'm just... not good at it." She was quiet for a moment, pensive, and then looked at him. "I'm from the Northern Water Tribe. I suppose if you were frozen in the polar ice, the North Pole is the best place to be frozen." She grinned. "Tui and La have blessed the North Pole with their presence for generations." Even as a child, she had snuck out from home at night to watch the Ocean and Moon spirits swim in the spirit oasis. It was one of the first clues that had alerted the elders that she was the Avatar. "So... You mentioned someone named Katara? That's a Water Tribe name. Is she a friend of yours?"