Chapter 63

The mood gradually improved as we continued traveling. While the memories of Omashu were still fresh, they lost prominence in our minds. With no clues about where to go next to find Aang an earth bending master, we flew south. A choice made mostly by default. Going north would have meant going back the way we came, east would have led us into the desert, and west would have us going over the ocean toward the fire nation. As we were traveling south we eventually began to fly over a large section of swampy forest called the Foggy Swamp. I knew this was coming, and honestly, I was subtlety directing us here. I thought of maybe just directly bringing us to Gaoling, but I was worried that if I did that Aang wouldn't want to have Toph as his earth bending master. Toph is the best, so I really didn't want to risk screwing it up. Not to mention I'm a little curious about what I'll see in the forest.

While flying over the continuous jungle treetops we slowly begin to descend.

"Hey, you taking us down for any reason?"

I do a quick check over and yep Aang is sleeping.

"Sokka, pretty sure he's sleeping"

He slaps his own face before calling his sister.

"Katara can you ...?"

Katara gets it so she moves over and shakes Aang's shoulders a bit

"AHH! I'm up!"

"Aang we're going down any particular reason?"

"Sorry one second. Yipp... Actually, I think the forest is calling me"

"Well, that's not ominous at all." I quip

"Is the forest telling you where we can get anything to eat?"

"No, I think it wants me to land."

"Aang are you sure? It doesn't look like the best place to land."

"I don't know... Bumi said to learn earthbending I would have to wait and listen, and now I'm actually hearing the earth. Do you want me to ignore it?"

"Yes" "I don't know." "No" We all respond even Momo and Appa make some unintelligible animal noises.

"Aang takes us down nice and slow. Guys, if he says he's feeling some spiritual avatar stuff then we should listen. Plus we have no other leads on where to go next. "

"Appa Yop Yop" Aang calls out to get Appa to descend into the swamp.

"Ughh fine maybe this magic forest will have some meat"

"I guess it doesn't seem that creepy"

We gently descend and land in the swap with no problems. But as we do a thick fog appears. I guess I know why they call it Foggy Swamp, but even so, this fog seems to have popped up a bit too suddenly to be natural.

"I knew I had a bad feeling about this place"

"How are we going to get food now?" Katara and Sokka complained.

"It's not that bad we still have some rations. Plus with Aang falling asleep while flying we would have stopped for camp soon anyway"

"I feel like I should be doing something more"

"Aang what are you going to do? We're completely surrounded by this thick fog. "

"I guess we'll just camp. I just have this feeling still."

As we set up camp the fog of the swamp got steadily thicker. It wasn't long before the fog surrounded us completely and we couldn't see through it at all. Where the rest of the group couldn't see through the thick fog, I couldn't tell where the fog ended and something else began. There was so much water in the air that my humidity sense wasn't working. I wonder if this would happen when I go swimming or if this fog is special?

"AAHHHHH!!!" I hear a screaming call out from an indeterminate distance.

"Guys, you hear that?" I yell out asking anyone around me. I waited a few moments, but no one responded. I started to slowly walk toward the scream. Then I hear a war horn followed by screams. It takes me a moment, but I recognize the horn. It sounds like my winter horn from my time a giant. The screams aren't familiar, but I imagine it was the people of the wall and south of the wall. OH God dammit the swamp is handicap accessible. I can't have visions so it's giving me auditory hallucinations. The sound of my warhorn repeat and I continue to hear it and the screams of the people who died from the free folk. In retrospect that was pretty evil. I mean I'm not directly responsible, but I enabled the deaths and suffering of countless people. Then the chaos stops.

"There are seven chakras that go up the body. Each pool of energy has a purpose, and can be blocked by a specific kind of emotional muck."

What the hell? I'm confused, but the voice continues on.

"The water chakra deals with pleasure and is blocked by guilt. Now, look at all the guilt which burdens you so. What do you blame yourself for?" Oh, this is the guru that helps Aang, but why am I hearing this?

"Accept the reality that these things happened, but do not let them cloud and poison your energy. If you are to be a positive influence on the world, you need to forgive yourself."

Oh, I get it. This was the missing part. Bending is a part of a person. Their mind, body, and soul all effect bending. I had thought a clear and creative mind is all you needed for the mental component, but it's everything. Even if I'm not feeling a specific thing while bending it will still affect me. I've got my final water bending lesson for Aang and Katara, and soon we'll part ways. I wait to process my thoughts and as I wait the fog abruptly recedes giving my 'sight' back. With the fog gone I can now see we're all in the same place. Standing in the camp we set up the only difference is we're standing instead of sitting.

"You guys all have weird forest visions too?" I ask

"Yep" "Yeah" "Ugh" They responded even Appa and Momo grunted and screeched in response.

"I told you all this place was creepy"

"Yea next time a creepy forest calls out to you Aang, ignore it."

"Fine, Fine let's just leave before anything else happens"