Authors Note:

This is my first time writing fanfiction, so feel free to review and help me out!

*This will be a story consisted of many chapters, but I'm not exactly sure just how many yet.

I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender

Katara watched the life slowly drain out of her husband's eyes as he released one last shuddering breath. And then he was gone.

Katara let out a choked sob. Her Aang. Gone. She reached up to touch her mother's necklace, and looked up, towards the heavens. "Why," she whispered tears streaming down her face. "Why must you take everyone I love away." And she broke. Out flooded all her pent-up emotions. She didn't let herself cry when it got harder for him to move around easily. She didn't let herself cry when he struggled to breathe after doing the simplest activities. She didn't let herself cry when he had told her that it was time for him to go. She had to be strong. She didn't want their last memories with each other to be filled with crying.

But she could cry now. He was gone, and she could cry now.

Aang opened his eyes and was immediately blinded by the sun's rays. He squinted sitting up. He could feel the soft grass and a slight breeze. He could see the never-ending fields and the mountains in the distance. He could hear the rushing of a river and the chatter of life. He sighed. He felt peaceful.

Standing up, he looked around trying to figure out where he was. He tried to use his air bending to get a better look but quickly realized that he couldn't. "I must be in the spirit world. But how did I get here?"

He reached up to stroke his beard, a habit he found himself doing every time he was searching for an answer but felt smooth skin in its place. A small gasp came out of his mouth. His brow immediately furrowed, and he started pacing.

"Okay," he thought. "I'm in the spirt would but don't remember coming here, my beard is gone, and I can walk without it aching." He paused for a brief moment, halted by his thoughts. "I can walk without aching."

"I can walk without aching!" He yelled, not caring who heard him. He whooped with joy barely registering the fact that his voice sounded different. And then it hit him like a ton of bricks.

He raced to the river, following the sounds of the flowing water, and peered into the rushing water. He could barely make his reflection, but it was enough to see the figure staring back at him. It was still him, but younger, around the age of 18.

He stumbled back processing everything. Thinking he could find answers in his memories, he thought back to the last time he was in the mortal world. He was lying on some softish hay, in his childhood home, the Southern Air temple. It was his last wish to be there when he …

All too quickly, the peacefulness that had one inhabited his body rushed out and was quickly replaced by remorse. He had died. He had left everything behind. He was in the spirit world and he couldn't go back. He had left his friends behind. He was no longer the avatar and left his duties behind. He left his sons, Tenzin and Bumi behind. His daughter, Kya behind. And... Katara.

Fear engulfed him and anguish took over his features. Not Katara. He wouldn't be able to bear it.

"KATARA!" he yelled, his voice cracking. "KATARAAAA!" He knew it was hopeless. He was here, and she was still back in the mortal world, and yet a small part of him hoped that she was simply hiding in the tall grass, playing a silly game with him, and any second she would jump out into his arms and laugh. Oh, how he craved to hear her laugh again, if only once more.

He yelled until he could yell no more and fell to the ground. "Please, please, please be a dream," he whispered, and yet he knew deep down that it wasn't.

He cried for what felt like hours, until his body would simply not let him cry no more, and so he sat in the cool breeze as the sun set and wallowed in his sorrow.

"I need to see her again," he pleaded not knowing exactly who he was speaking too. And yet, one answered.

"You will, Aang, you can still see her. There is a way." A soothing voice rang in his ears and a bright light emitted before him.

"Yue?" Aang spoke softly.

"Hi, Aang." She smiled warmly. "They're all waiting for you."

Aang dismissed her last words and only focused on what she had said moments ago. "How," His voice breaking. "Please, I need to know how. How can I see her again?"

"I can tell you later, but first you must meet the others."

"What others?" He asked, rather forcefully. His frustration was growing with his old friends' cryptic words.

"Where do you think all your friends and family went after they passed?" She waited a moment before continuing. "They're all here Aang, they're all waiting for you. I promise to help you, but only after you've seen everyone." She moved behind him and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "They all miss you."

Aang sat there for a few minutes, trying to briefly collect himself before slowly standing up and wiping his tear-stained cheeks. He took a shaky breath. "Okay."