Paper Clouds

Chapter One

By MiaVortice

*All Standard Disclaimers Apply: This is a work of fiction.

Northern Water Tribe, 15 Years Earlier

"But there must be something you can do!" Her step-grandfather sounded both furious and desperate as she huddled in the waiting room, sitting across her grandmother's lap while burying her face in the old woman's thick blue coat. "She can't go on like this! She's just a child! It'll drive her mad!"

Small, gloved hands curled into the old woman's clothes as a gentle hand stroked the top of her head. Katara refused to look away from her grandmother. If she did, she'd see them. Most of the time, they'd be harmless: simply standing there or moving in silence. Time and time again, she had been told that they couldn't hurt her.

At least not directly.

But they seemed to know that she was looking at them and they would turn to meet her gaze. There were a few that would simply smile. There were others who would be drawn to her, extending their hands and asking her to help them or worse – come with them.

She was four years old, not even five yet. What could a child like her do for the dead?

"I'm sorry, Master Pakku," an elderly man said as the former Northern Water Tribe resident was escorted out of the back room by an uncertain tribe elder. "What she sees is a gift from the spirits. It is not something we mortals can take away."

Katara shut her eyes tightly. She hated it when they called it a 'gift'. Gifts were pleasant. What was so pleasant about seeing ghosts everywhere?

"A gift, you say," Pakku scoffed as he stood beside his wife and the little blue bundle on her lap. He shot a glare at the other elder. "You are not the one who wakes up screaming." He turned to the child and gathered her in his arms. "Come, Katara. We will find help elsewhere."

Her grandmother was more considerate, though equally disappointed. She rose from her seat and gave the elder a small bow of her head. "Thank you for seeing us, Elder Thurik; however, if you are not even willing to hear out the child herself in these matters, perhaps you should reconsider your position as a spiritual guide for our people."

The elder looked affronted, but said nothing as the old couple walked out of his hut and into the street.

"Honestly, Kanna, I cannot believe they allowed him to be an elder!" Pakku fumed as he marched forward, holding the child against him determinedly. "I don't even think he took us seriously!"

"Very few have heard, let alone understand Katara's situation," Kanna replied solemnly. "It took us a while to realize it ourselves."

Pakku lowered his eyes sadly. He and Kanna were recently married, although once betrothed when they were younger. She had left before the marriage could be made and it wasn't until years later, after an entire lifetime, did they meet again in the Southern Water Tribe. Kanna was a widow; she had a son, a daughter-in-law who was pregnant, and a grandson at the time.

Pakku was a strict, single old waterbending master who had been asked to instruct some more formal classes in the sister tribe. They had reunited and had fallen in love. While it took some time for Kanna's son, the current elected chief of the Southern Tribe to warm up to him, Pakku had been generally accepted. Being more a waterbender than a warrior, he had been a bit awkward around Kanna's non-bending grandson, Sokka, though he was fond of the boy and admired his earnest to learn. Kanna's granddaughter – his granddaughter, Katara, however, was his little princess.

He had been there when she was born. He had seen her take her first steps. He had been there the first time she waterbended, albeit accidentally. To Katara, Pakku was the only grandfather she'd known.

That was why it killed him just as much as it did the rest of her blood-related family to hear her screaming at night, crying for 'them' to leave her alone. As a baby, she would look past those around her. She would look at something or someone who wasn't there. When she began to talk, they would hear her speaking to herself. When they asked about it, she would say she was talking to 'them'.

They slowly came to the understanding that Katara didn't just see what everyone else saw. She could see the dead that still clung to life on the mortal plane. She saw, heard them as clearly as she did her own living family and couldn't tell the difference. She would watch something and start screaming or crying. She would have nightmares of what she saw. She would open her eyes and see them staring back at her.

"Grandpa," he heard her small voice whisper against him. Her arms were around his neck and he was carrying her in front of him. Her head was rested on his right shoulder and her wide eyes were fixed behind them, looking at the canal. Her voice was trembling. "Grandpa, there's someone in the water!"

His eyes widened as he turned around. Kanna looked confused and turned to follow his gaze. Their eyes looked over the canal they had been walking beside. A few people were on either side, but no one was in the water.

Sniffling was heard as the child began rubbing her eyes. "Katara," Kanna said softly, looking pained. "Katara, don't look." There was not much else they could tell her.

It was too late; she had already seen it. Katara was shaking her head and squirming in her grandfather's arms. "Gran-Gran, Grandpa, do something!" she cried as she tried to wiggle away. "Bend him out, Grandpa! Can't you see him!?"

"Katara! Wait!" Pakku tried to keep hold of her, but the child wedged herself away and slipped out of his arms. She landed on the snow packed ground and was quickly back on her feet. "Katara!"

"Katara, stop!" her grandmother called out.

The child was stumbling towards the canal. "Someone help him!" she shouted.

"Katara!" Pakku sent out a water whip, quickly wrapping around the child and holding her back before she found herself falling into the canal. "Katara! There isn't anyone there!"

"Yes, there is!" Katara cried as she tried to reach forward. She used her meager bending to loosen the whip just enough for her to slip through. "He needs help!"

A small part of her knew her grandfather was telling the truth; that there really wasn't anyone there. Regardless, she could see him. She could see the teen boy yelling, his face turning colors as he struggled to stay afloat. His clothes were heavy; they were dragging him down. She could hear the splashing as he choked on the water, trying to call for help.

She could see his expression twisted with panic as he screamed and screamed. His arms were flailing, growing weaker by the second as his energy ran out. Part of her knew he was already gone, but she couldn't dismiss what she saw so easily.

"Katara!" Her grandmother's gloved hands covered her wet eyes as she was pulled back from the edge of the canal.

The crying sound was hers now. This wasn't the first time she had seen something like this. She hated it when she watched someone die. She hated it when she could almost feel them in front of her and knowing that she couldn't save them. No matter what others told her – that those she saw were already dead and weren't really there, it never changed the fact that she would watch them die as if they were real, living people right before her eyes.

Her grandfather picked her up and held her against him. "It's alright, Katara," he told her softly. He looked at his wife. "Perhaps, we should go back for the day?"

Kanna nodded. "The Northern Tribe is older than the Southern one," she said quietly. "There is a longer…history here."

"Keep your eyes closed," Pakku urged as they began their walk towards his house. "Don't look any more, Katara. He is already gone."

She grit her teeth as she shut her eyes tight. She knew the boy was already dead. Katara could still feel the warm tears sliding down her flushed face. Knowing what she did would not change how her heart ached.

"She's just a child," Kanna whispered sadly as she reached up and stroked her granddaughter's hair. "How unfair are the spirits to burden such a small one with such heavy sight."

The walk back to Pakku's house felt long as Katara remained carried, her eyes still closed. If they remained closed, she couldn't see or hear them. Their voices, their screams, and cries were drowned out when she couldn't see them, but she couldn't walk around with her eyes shut the rest of her life.

"Is that Kanna?" a warm voice asked. Despite her grandfather's words, Katara turned her head towards the voice and opened her eyes.

"I recognize that hairstyle anywhere," her grandmother's pleased voice said as she moved forward to greet a gray-haired woman waiting at Pakku's doorstep. "Yugoda!"

"Kanna!" A small part of the child was relieved. If her grandmother could see people in front of her, then they weren't ghosts.

As the two old women embraced, Katara heard Pakku let out an exasperated sight. "Grandpa," she asked quietly. "Friends?"

"One of Gran-Gran's old friends," Pakku replied lamely. "They used to go everywhere together."

"I've heard all about your marriage to Pakku!" Yugoda laughed. "Who would've thought that the trip he didn't want to take would bring him back to you!"

"Yugoda!" Pakku frowned. "I never said I didn't want to go!"

"It was all we heard," Yugoda snorted as she gave Kanna a slight elbow to the side. "He claimed it was torture to make an old man go on such a voyage."

Kanna laughed. "Well, you must tell more inside! Come! I would also like to introduce you to my granddaughter."

"Ah, is this her?" Yugoda asked as she approached the little girl in Pakku's arms. Katara tried to meet Yugoda's warm smile with one of her own. It was all right to speak to this person; this person was alive.

"My name is Katara," the child said hopefully. "You know Gran-Gran and Grandpa?"

"Yes, my dear," Yugoda smiled. "My name is Yugoda and it is a pleasure to meet you."

Katara smiled widely. "It's a pleasure to meet you, too!" Her eyes moved just to Yugoda's side. "What is your name?"

Pakku's eyes widened. Kanna took in a sharp breath. Yugoda's brows furrowed and looked over her shoulder, who where Katara was looking. She had come alone. Her brows furrowed. "Katara?"

"Let's go inside," Pakku said as he brushed past Yugoda. "Quickly."

Yugoda tilted her head to the side, confused. Kanna grasped her arm. "Come, Yugoda," she said. "There is something we should tell you about Katara."

The old woman's eyes looked sadly at the little girl sleeping beneath some furs across the room. She had heard about Pakku getting married and about his new family, including that he and Kanna had a new granddaughter, but she never knew about what plagued the child.

"And she has always seen them?" Yugoda asked quietly.

"Since she was born," Kanna replied. "They do not appear as shadows to her, but as real people. She sees them like I can see you."

"She cries because she can't help them. She cries because they know she sees them and they ask for her help. It is extremely confusing for her, to see them as she sees everyone else," Pakku added. "We brought her to the Northern Tribe hoping to find someone who can seal this vision, so she would not have to keep watching the dead die or come to her and twist her reality."

"Unfortunately, none of the healers in the Southern Tribe could do anything for her and all the ones we've asked here are the same," Kanna said, sadly. She looked back at her sleeping granddaughter, watching as Katara tossed in her sleep. "If she keeps seeing the dead and cannot tell if they are alive or not, she will be unable to figure out what is really there and what isn't, and we fear for her."

A small whimper came from Katara as she turned in her sleep. Kanna put down cup and moved across the room to her granddaughter's side.

"We're not sure who else to go to," Pakku admitted. "But we know that if this continues-"

"Stop!" a shriek came from the child and Yugoda jumped. Pakku didn't seem surprised by the outburst as Kanna began trying to wake Katara. "Let me go! Leave me alone!"

"If this continues," the old man said sadly. "Katara will lose her mind."

Southern Air Temple, 15 Years Later

They grabbed at her, tugging her in multiple directions as she tried to fend them off with her arms. Follow us, they told her. Help me, they begged. She could feel them all around her, the pressure of spirits against her, making it difficult for her to breathe.

Who said they couldn't hurt her?

She had almost forgotten all those times she woke up in tears as a child, fighting off the spirits that visited her. She was shaking, crying, kicking and screaming; desperate to get them away from her because she knew they weren't there and there was nothing she could do to help them. Why couldn't they leave her alone?

This time, she could see herself being drawn forward, towards glowing orange light and heat. A fire? She heard yelling from within and the faint crackle of wood being consumed by flames. Instinct told her to turn around and run away from the fire, but she moved forward. Around her, fire began to catch on the tapestries hanging on the high, red walls. Dark colored columns were breaking and smoke filled the air.

She could smell burning clearly and continued to walk. Her eyes focused on a room at the end of the hall. The fire was coming from the doorway, yet she stepped through, seemingly ignoring the flames.

There was a woman crouched against the wall. Fallen columns blocked her way to the doors. Was she still alive? A pair of gold eyes rose and met hers. The realization slammed into her: that woman was already dead.

"No!" Blue eyes flew open as she woke up, tense in the modest bed she had been given. Her shaking hands were above her, her fingers curled into claws. Her heart was slamming against her chest as her eyes adjusted to the darkness. She was alone.

Katara took several deep breaths to calm herself. Those dreams were more frequent in recent months. Biting her lips, she lowered her arms to her sides and closed her eyes once more. The thin, orange blanket she was sleeping under had been kicked to the corner of the bed.

That was right, she told herself. She wasn't back in the Southern Water Tribe any longer…not since she began to see things again. She tilted her head back and felt the cushions of the bed beneath her, but not her pillow. Katara turned her head to the side and saw the object on the floor. Obviously, she had been tossing in her sleep again.

She lifted her hand and ran it down her face, wiping off the thin layer of sweat before forcing herself up. She glanced out her window. It was already morning, although the sun was still barely rising. She could see a thin sliver of orange in the horizon. That meant that the monks would be up soon.

Katara looked around the small room she had been given. It had a bed and a small table, where she had put her bag, and a chair, from where her water skin hung, but other than that, the Southern Air Temple's pilgrimage rooms were bare. She supposed it made sense, since they were monks, but it was still a surprise; the temple itself seemed far from plain the first time she had seen it.

Quietly, she rose from her bed and put on her usual clothes. She wanted to get to bathroom before the other visitors to the temple awoke and while she still had some privacy. She grabbed her water skin and slung it around her before slipping out of her room.

From the sound of her lone footsteps across the halls leading to the open area, she figured everyone else was still asleep. There had to have been at least a dozen or so other guests at the temple aside from her. After all, the Southern Air Temple was where the eighteen-year-old Avatar was and he was the one she had come to see.

There were few that knew of her special ability. One of those who knew was the woman who had sealed it when she was a child. Her memories of the ceremony were vague, but she remembered being taken to the Northern Water Tribe's main city. There, they followed her grandmother's friend to the Spirit Oasis, where Yugoda, a master waterbending healer, had dipped her in the pool and pleaded for the spirits to close her eye.

After that, she stopped seeing the dead. No more ghosts. No more deaths. No more night terrors pleading for aid. For the first time since she could remember, she could look out at her tribe and know that everyone she saw was a living, breathing human.

She was normal.

Playing with her brother without distraction had been a welcomed change. She was able to focus on her bending, on her studies, on her responsibilities as a tribe member and the chief's daughter.

Unfortunately, her seal wouldn't last. Yugoda had told them that it was only temporary; she couldn't stop Katara from seeing beyond what was physically there forever. Eventually, the seal would fade and the young waterbender would see them once more.

Fifteen years had passed and soon, she would turn twenty. She was already an adult, as far as her tribe was concerned. She was not engaged, thanks to being allowed to train with her grandfather, thus becoming the youngest waterbending master they could remember, but she was still deeply involved with the politics of her tribe.

It was not abnormal to accompany her father on trips abroad. She was on informal terms with Princess Yue and Princess Azula and looked forward to one day working with them.

Then, on her most recent trip to the Fire Nation, she began to see things. Azula liked to bend with her; both were prodigies in their respective element and the Fire Nation Princess took great pleasure in having someone to 'play with on equal mastery'. One afternoon, while their fathers were in a meeting with some delegates from the Southern Earth Kingdom, she shielded what she thought were children crossing their training grounds.

Katara had nearly been electrocuted and Azula angrily asked why she had lost concentration. That wasn't like her. When Katara tried to explain about the children, there were none to be had. It must've been a trick of her mind, they both had assumed. After all, Katara had just arrived that day; she was probably just tired.

It wouldn't be the last time. Katara began to see people where Azula didn't. And on one trip outside the palace to visit one of Azula's friends, Katara saw someone falling from tower. She ran after them and when she got to the base of the tower, there was no one.

Ty Lee had told her about a young noblewoman once committed suicide from that tower when her lover was killed. She had jumped off the tower.

Katara asked to return home immediately, but one more night was all she needed. She had gone to bed and when she woke up, she was in another room, being shaken awake by Azula. The dream she had since then had been reoccurring more and more often, even after she left the Fire Nation.

Her grandparents had deduced that the seal Yugoda had pleaded for was fading and that soon, Katara would see them again. That had been four months earlier.

She raised her eyes as she looked ahead of her. She was starting to question who was there and who wasn't. Katara shook her head and ran her hand down her face. She had to focus and to rationalize what she saw. Those who had already passed did not interact with those who couldn't' t seem. They were the odd ones out. That was how she could tell.

The difficult part of that came when there was no one else around.

Her feet came to a stop at the archway that led into an open area, where numerous fountains for cleansing, washing, and drinking were located. It was the first stop for pilgrims who had arrived. It was where they would refresh themselves and fill up their water canisters before they left.

In the mornings, pilgrims would go and wash their faces at the fountains. That early in the morning, she didn't expect someone to already be up.

Pale hands were dunked into one of the fountains before quickly being brought up, cupping water. The liquid was splashed up, hitting the face of a man bent forward as he seemed to wash his face and neck.

He relished the cool water against his flushed skin as he leaned over the edge of the stone fountain. He couldn't sleep that night and hoped that bending would tire him out. Before he knew it, it was dawn and he hadn't gotten any sleep.

He ran a hand down his face and reached for his discarded shirt that he had tossed on to the side of the fountain. Before he could grab it, he felt the eyes on him and lifted his head.

Dark hair, dark skin, blue eyes and blue clothes; she was from the Water Tribe. His gold eyes met hers defiantly and waited for her to say something. Instead, she stood there, frozen beneath the arch, as wide blue eyes seemed to stare at him uncertainly.

His eyes narrowed and he tore them away from hers. "Is there something I can help you with?" he asked. His voice sounded colder than he thought it would. He grabbed his shirt and used it as a towel, wiping his face, neck, and bare chest with it. She didn't answer and he looked back at her. She seemed tense. He frowned. He knew what got her. "I got the scar in an accident," he said quickly as he turned his head away. "I'm used to it, but that doesn't mean you can stare."

Katara blinked. Scar? She hadn't even been paying attention to the scar. As she blinked, she noticed the large, mutilated skin across his left eye. She sucked in a sharp breath and quickly lowered her eyes.

"I'm sorry," she murmured quickly. He was real, or rather, alive. A small part of her couldn't find anything off about him. She turned her head away. "I wasn't staring at that, I was just…." Wondering if you were a dead or not. Katara grimaced and bowed her head. "Never mind. I'm sorry."

The black-haired man looked back at her and gave a small nod of his head, accepting her apology. He finished wiping his face with his shirt and looked away. "Don't worry about it," he said quietly.

Katara took a deep breath and lifted her head, keeping her eyes away from him as she crossed the fountain area to get to the bathrooms. Nothing more needed to be said between them.

The man with the scar glanced over his shoulder and watched as she headed into the other hall. Just as he was about to return to his room, he heard her gasp.

"Oh, excuse me." He turned around and watched her seem to go around an empty space. His brows knit together.

There was no one else there.

Five. She could count five of them loitering around the courtyard below the stone steps, where she was sitting. One was a child. He stood to the side, looking at the airbender boys playing games amongst themselves. His head was shaved and his clothes were orange and brown. A large gash marred the side of his bare head. He must've fallen, Katara deduced.

Another was dressed as a monk; his robes wet. A drowning victim, perhaps? He remained standing by a well that had been sealed over and now overgrown with vines. A small smile was on his face as he watched the children play before him. Twice, when the ball had rolled his way and each time it did, it mysteriously rolled back, away from the well.

There were plenty of vengeful ghosts and spirits that still had emotions so powerful, it tied them to earth, but she knew there were good ones. Spirits are not that much different from us, Katara recalled Gran-Gran telling her, there were good ones, as well as not-so-good ones.

The other three didn't seem to be Air Nomads. Perhaps they were pilgrims who had died at the temple? One was a woman who was crying. The last two were men were wounded. Did they just not know they were dead?

The waterbender rested her chin on her knees as she brought her legs up to chest and wrapped her arms around them. They were there, right in front of her, as clear as the monks wandering the gardens or the airbender boys playing in the courtyard, yet, no one else saw them.

"Katara of the Southern Water Tribe?" a voice asked behind her. She lifted her head up and looked over a shoulder. A monk in orange robes smiled warmly at her as he held some papers in one hand.

"Yes," she said as she rose to her feet. "That's me."

The monk nodded. "The Avatar will see you now."

A small breath of relief escaped her lips as she brushed off her clothes and followed behind the monk. It had taken a week for her to get an appointment to see the Avatar. He had been gone when she first arrived to ask for help in sealing her sight, but arrived a few days afterwards. Unfortunately, there were several people before her who had arrived earlier and so an appointment was made, though it would take another few days.

While she wanted to see the Avatar as soon as possible, she was patient. She limited her wanderings to the pilgrimage areas of the temples. She'd seen a handful of spirits, but none had been malicious. Most seemed lost and were wandering. She hadn't witnessed deaths, which relieved her. Katara had also been careful with who she spoke to.

Her sight was not something to brag about and the last thing she wanted was for the others at the temple to wonder if she had lost her mind.

"Avatar Aang will be leaving for the Earth Kingdom soon and his time here is short," the monk leading Katara down the hall told her. "I'm afraid there are still several visitors after you." Of course there were others; the Avatar was a busy young man. He had probably just come home to rest, only to have to deal with those like her who needed his guidance.

"It's alright," Katara assured him. "I only have one request." She just needed him to seal her sight. That was all. Yugoda had been able to do it and she was a simple healer. While no other tribesman had been able to repeat it, Katara had faith that the Avatar could. She wouldn't have troubled him if Yugoda were still alive, but as of right now, he was her best hope.

They reached a set of large double doors and Katara lifted her head, impressed with the size. One of the doors was open and as they got closer, she could hear voices within. One was calm and she could barely hear him. The other was a loud voice, filling the hall behind them.

"There is no one else who'd be able to do that! You must return and press for an investigation!" It was a man's voice and the monk in front of her cringed. He looked over his shoulder and gave Katara and apologetic look.

"Pardon me. Please wait here while I announce you and request for the previous audience to leave," the monk told her as he lingered by the door. Katara nodded and stood in place, peering into the hearing room as the monk entered. "Avatar Aang, your next appointment has arrived."

"Wait a moment!" the man's voice yelled once more. "I'm not through!"

"Zuko, please," the first voice replied, sounding tired. "I told you, such a request is not within my realm. I cannot do as you ask."

"But you are a link between our world and the Spirit World!" whoever 'Zuko' was shouted. "Are you telling me that you can't even lay my mother to rest!?"

Katara's eyes widened. She craned her neck and looked between the doors. A tall man with black hair pulled back into a neat topknot was standing in the center of the room, fuming.

"Avatar Aang," the monk repeated once more. "Katara of the Southern Water Tribe is here," he added, hoping to hint that Zuko's time was over.

The black-haired man in the red clothes shot him a scathing glare. The Avatar let out a sigh. "Zuko, please. There are others who seek my council. Please allow me to speak to them."

"We are not done-"

"Monk Agvan," the Avatar spoke once more. "Please see her in."

"Wait!" The monk returned to the door way and offered Katara a hopeful smile.

"I apologize for the wait, please come in," he said as he bowed and pushed open the door a bit further to let her in. Katara nodded and slipped through the doors. Her eyes were drawn to the angry man standing before the seated Avatar. As she reached them, she saw the scar across his eye and bit her lip. He was the man she had met that morning. Rather and focus on him, she bowed her head respectfully to the Avatar before raising her eyes and meeting his gaze.

"Thank you for taking time to see me, Avatar Aang." She focused her eyes on him. This was her time with him, not the other man's. She had waited days and she was confident that her request would be met. The Avatar was seated on a bright orange cushion, beaming a warm smile as she entered. His eyes crinkled up as he recognized her.

"Katara of the Southern Water Tribe, welcome to the Southern Air Temple," he greeted. "It has been some time since we last met. How is your tribe?" The tension in the room had not dissipated, even at the cheerful greeting. Katara could feel a burning glare coming from her right side, as the previous man who had an audience with the Avatar remained. She resisted the urge to frown. Why was he glaring at her when it was he who intruded on her time? Aang looked over at him despondently. "Zuko, please. I have to speak to other visitors. Your time has ended and I have given you my answer."

"I refuse to leave until I hear a more favorable one," Zuko replied stubbornly as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Aang opened his mouth to reply, only to hear Katara's voice fill the large chamber. "It is fine with me to have him present while I speak to you, Avatar Aang." The gray-eyed young man looked surprised, but nodded.

"Very well," he conceded. "How many I help you, Katara?"

She took a deep breath. Her hands balled at her sides as she lifted her chin. "As a child, I faced an affliction that hindered me; driving me to bursts of emotional fits and an inability to assert reality. When I was four, this affliction was sealed by a healer named Yugoda in the Northern Water Tribe." So far, so good. It didn't sound too crazy. "However, she had told us that the seal was temporary and would fade. I am finding that now, I am starting to see symptoms of that affliction once more." Still sounding sane, she took another deep breath. "Avatar Aang, please reinstate the seal."

The eighteen year old on the cushions furrowed his brows. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he studied her carefully. "Katara, you do not seem to have any physical affliction. In such I case, I am not much of a healer, anyway. I do not sense anything wrong…may I ask," he said as he cocked his head to the side, confused. "What is your affliction?"

She hesitated. A strained look filled her face as she grit her teeth. This was the part where no one would believe her.

"I can see the dead."

She didn't see the man several paces from her snap his head in her direction or his eyes widen at her statement.

Across from them, the bald Avatar drew his head back slowly. His eyes were wide as he sat up straight, surprise written across his face. This wasn't good. She knew it was a difficult thing to believe in the first place, she had been confident that the Avatar of all people would understand. Had she been wrong?

"Katara," he began carefully. "How long have you been able to?"

She wasn't sure how to take his question. "My family says that I was able to see them since birth. I would stare past them, speak to empty spaces, and I remember seeing people – people who no one else could see – since I was a child."

"And Healer Yugoda sealed this ability?" Aang asked curiously. Katara nodded. "How?"

"She took me to the Spirit Oasis in the North Pole. She put me in a pool with fish and prayed for them to block this ability," Katara explained. "I do not remember much after that, but I was no longer faced with such an issue after."

"When did you start…um…seeing…uh," Aang tried to find the right words.

"The dead," Zuko said. Katara turned towards him. His narrowed eyes were boring into her critically. "When did you start seeing the dead again?"

"It started four months ago," Katara answered, her eyes lingering on his before turning back to the Avatar. "I thought I saw some children in front of me, but my companion didn't. At first, we thought it was because I had been traveling and was tired, but it happened again." Her heart clenched and her eyes crinkled. "I saw someone fall from a tower. I rushed to where they had landed and no one was there. There was no body. No blood. No crowds. Nothing," she stressed. "I later found out that years ago, there was a suicide there – a woman jumped from the tower."

Aang's lips pursed. Admittedly, it did sound unbelievable, but in his lifetimes, he had seen stranger. Katara was not lying.

"You were born with this ability," he said. Katara nodded. He looked at her quizzically. "Why do you wish to seal it?"

Her eyes widened and she looked at him, as if he were insane. Several paces away, the scarred brunette looked equally surprised at the Avatar's words. Wasn't it obvious why?

"Do you not understand how clearly I see them?" Katara choked out. "They're not shadows or transparent beings, as you hear in children's stories! They're as real, as flesh and blood, to me as you and I are!" she cried out. "When I see them, I don't immediately know they are spirits of the deceased! When I see one cross my path, wounded and bleeding, I think that they truly are. When I saw that woman fall from that tower, I thought a living, breathing human being had fallen! Do you understand how terrifying it is to watch people die in front of me? Over and over and I can't do anything!"

Pain laced her voice and both Zuko and the Avatar were looking at her sadly. Tears rimmed her eyes and Katara wiped frantically at her face. For a moment, they were silent.

The Avatar sank down in his seat, his eyes focused on the ground before him as he concentrated. He slowly swallowed a lump in his throat and raised his eyes. "Katara," he began carefully. "What you can see was something that was given to you by the spirits. It is not something I, even as the Avatar, can take away."

Those words were almost familiar and she closed her eyes tightly. "I am not asking you to rid me of it. I am only asking for you to seal this sight so that I can distinguish living from dead." So I can keep my sanity.

The young Avatar took a deep breath. "I cannot do that."

Her head snapped up and wide eyes focused on him. "What do you mean?" she demanded, taking a step forward. "Yugoda was able to seal it! She was just a healer! You're the Avatar! Why can't you!?"

Aang raised his hands to calm her. "It was not Yugoda who sealed your eyes, it was the spirits who resided in that pool," he told her. "All they did was blind your vision just a bit, but it was only a temporary affect, as you know. They did so because you were a child; at the time, you could not handle the gift bestowed upon you."

"Gift?" Katara spat out. "You call this a gift!?" she nearly screamed. "How is watching the deaths of trapped souls over and over again a gift?"

"They are spirits, Katara-"

"I know that, but that doesn't make them any less real to me!" she shouted. She looked at him beseechingly. "When I first see them, I don't know they're human or not!"

Zuko narrowed his eyes. He had recognized her from that morning, at the fountains. She had stopped and stared at him. Was that why? Because she couldn't tell if he was human or not?

Aang squinted. "Does that mean you can figure out if they are or aren't eventually?"

She drew back a bit. "Eventually," she admitted reluctantly. She lowered her eyes. "After a while, you begin to notice that no one else sees them. People react to other people, when they can see them. When they don't look, don't acknowledge, sometimes even walk right through them, you understand that no one sees them, but you."

Zuko looked back at the Avatar. Aang was rubbing his chin thoughtfully as his brows knit together. "Katara," he said softly. "Why do you wish to seal this gift?"

"Haven't I told you already? I can't tell-"

"You can," Aang cut her off. "I believe you can. Maybe not now, but one day, you'll be able to tell immediately." She looked at him and shook her head. "Katara, this is not something that will just go away."

"I know. That is why I ask for a temporary seal-"

"What will that do?" the Avatar asked. "It is temporary. It is a crutch. You'd only be running away from the problem."

Her chest rose and fell with pained breaths. "Then what do you want me to do?" she asked bitterly. "Look like a mad woman, talking to someone who isn't there? Watch deaths be replayed before my eyes? See things in my dreams and wake up screaming every night?"

Aang released a heavy breath. "The best I can do is help you focus on identifying who is living and who is not."

"What!?"

"I cannot take away or block this ability, Katara. It is not within my abilities as the Avatar. If the spirits have given you this vision, they must've done so for a reason," Aang insisted. "I must have faith that there is a reason."

Katara grit her teeth and tightened her first. "I understand," she said in a low voice. She had been too hopeful, too naïve. "You will not help me." She wasn't sure if she was more angry or disappointed. She closed her eyes and gave a stiff bow. "Thank you for your time, Avatar."

"Katara!" She ignored him. She turned around and marched out of the chamber, her eyes crinkled and focused ahead of her as she willed herself not to cry in frustration. Aang slumped back and tilted his head to the ceiling. He let out a heavy breath and closed his eyes. "I'll have to talk to her later," he asserted to himself. He sat up straight and turned to where the other man had been. "Zuko, can we discuss your request later…." He trailed off. The scarred man was gone.

Outside the doors, backtracking towards the pilgrim's dormitory on the other side of the temple compound, Katara refused to look anywhere but directly ahead of her. Silently she berated herself. She had been too foolish. Yes, the Avatar was powerful, but honestly, what gave her the idea that he'd actually have the ability and would be willing to seal it?

Yugoda had already told it was not something they could just stop. Even knowing that, it didn't make the disappointment hurt any less. Her chest ached and she lifted her hand over it. This was it then; she'd be forced to go through the rest of her life unable to tell who was alive and who wasn't. She'd be forced to witness traumatic deaths when she walked down innocent looking streets. She'd be plagued with nightmares where spirits called for her aid.

Her arms wrapped around herself. This wasn't fair. She never asked to see such things. What good could it possibly do her?

"Katara!" she heard her name being called and she turned around. "Excuse me! Wait a moment!" She wiped at her eyes as she saw the black-haired man from the Avatar's hearing chamber jogging towards her. "Your name is Katara, yes?" he asked as he slowed to a stop in front of her.

She drew her head back and nodded. "Is there something I can help you with, Mister…?"

"Zuko," he told her as he gave her a quick bow of his head.

"Zuko, yes…." She bit her lip and turned her head away. "If this is about this morning, as I said before, I am sorry."

"No, it's not about that…well." He lifted a hand and scratched the back of his neck as he looked to the side. "It is." He met her eyes inquisitively. "What you said in the chamber…about what you saw? Were you serious?"

Her lips automatically fell into a frown. Her eyes narrowed into slits as she shot him a glare. "Believe what you want," she spat out as she turned around and began stalking forward once more. "But I know what I see."

Zuko cringed. "I didn't mean it like that," he insisted from behind her as he rushed to keep at her pace. "This morning, you were staring at me. You said that you could tell when someone is alive or not when you notice the reactions of others around them. We were alone in the morning…you were staring at me because you weren't sure, weren't you?"

"I know it sounds ridiculous. I'm not unaware of how much so it does," Katara snapped back. "I don't care if you think I'm crazy, but I don't need this from anyone right now-"

"I believe you." She stopped. Her head turned towards him as he stopped in front of her and met her eyes. "I know you probably don't believe me, but I do."

Her eyes narrowed. "Why," she demanded more than asked. "You have no reason to."

"I do," he told her. "I believe you. I hope you're telling the truth."

"Why would it matter to you?" she hissed. She tried to take a step, but he moved in front of her, a desperate look in his face.

"My mother was murdered." Katara froze. "Several years ago, when I was a boy. I was there, but I don't remember much and she had sent me away before I could see anything, but I know she didn't just die in a fire."

The waterbender looked suspicious. "What does that matter to me?"

"I want to know who killed my mother," he told her. His voice trembled just a bit. "And if you can see the dead, I believe that you may be able to find out who did it."

For a moment, she was angry. Her eyes crinkled up as she clenched her jaw. "Do you think this is a joke?" she spat out furiously. "What do you mean find out who did it? I'm not a detective!" she growled as she sidestepped him.

"I'm not asking you to be a detective!" Zuko said as he turned around. "I just need your help!"

"To do what?" Katara whirled around and glared. "Go to where you think she was killed and hope to find her wandering spirit and ask her who killed her? Do you know what that means? Are you hoping that your mother is still wandering the earth instead of at peace?"

"How can she be at peace if she was murdered!?" Zuko demanded, looking equally angry. "Listen, you have a gift – like the Avatar said! Why don't you use it?"

"To your benefit," she scoffed.

"I'll make it worth your while," the man insisted, determinedly. "I can take you to the Fire Sages. They're the spiritual leaders of the Fire Nation. They may be able to help you."

"After you use me, you mean," Katara shook her head. "You don't understand what I'll see, do you? At the scene of the murder, if your mother is still there, I won't just see a ghost of a woman, casually waiting to be interviewed. I'll see a murder scene. I will see, I will hear, I live the terror of that moment as if it were happening right then and there!" she yelled painfully. Zuko took a step back as his angry expression weakened. "Do you understand now?" Katara choked out. "That's what I'm trying to stop seeing! To stop feeling! I don't want to feel that pain any more!"

She whirled around and stormed down the hall, leaving the dark-haired man standing alone.

At the other end of the corridor, a pair of gray eyes lowered, saddened.

It was a gift. She twisted her body around, moving the water around her smoothly with each motion. They told her it was a gift. She moved her arms, bringing the cool liquid around them. How could it possibly be a gift? She grit her teeth and slammed the water back into the ground. Her hand shot to her head and she rubbed her forehead. She couldn't even concentrate on bending over how upsetting the day had been.

"Nice night for some waterbending, huh?" a voice asked behind her. Katara whirled around and saw a tall, orange dressed young man hop down some of the steps, to where she was bending.

She bristled at the sight of him, but forced herself to be civil. "Avatar Aang."

"Just calling me Aang is fine," he told her with a smile. "So…you're bending?"

"I was trying to get my mind off of things," Katara replied as she turned her back to him.

"Oh…," he nodded. "Want to spar?"

"With the Avatar?" she scoffed, looking over her shoulder. "Isn't that a little unfair?"

"I'll just bend water...or any element of your choice," he offered.

"Fine," Katara conceded. She raised her arms, drawing water from the ground where she had allowed it to fall earlier. "Fire."

Aang looked surprised, but nodded. He adjusted his stance, reflecting a familiar firebending position she had seen numerous times. It seemed that the Avatar had lessons in the classic fighting styles. "You start."

The stream of water seemed to come out of nowhere and Aang barely had time to dodge it. His surprise was quickly replaced by determination as he punched his first forwards, moving his arms at a rapid pace to shoot out balls of fire at his opponent.

It was child's play. Katara had 'played' with one of the most gifted firebenders of their generation; a few fireballs were nothing to be afraid of. A quick wall of water easily finished them off. "You're not trying!"

"I'm just warming up!" Aang assured her happily. The spiraling wave of fire that came towards her proved that. Katara bended water around her legs and coasted to the side, avoiding the flames before turning back to retaliate.

Aang was surprisingly fast, but she supposed he had to be. He was the Avatar after all. While he lacked the intense blue fire of the Fire Nation Princess, he had knowledge of her particular bending style. It was a matter of reading and manipulating her movements to counter any attack Katara made.

As a flash of fire barely missed her head, Katara could feel a trickle of sweat slide down her temple. Yes, this was what she needed: something to take her mind off of her situation.

She raised her arms, bending water around her body as she prepared to throw everything she had at the Avatar. She could see him throwing his arms back, about to bring them forward to bring forth another wave of fire.

Then she saw her. Out of the corner of her eye, Katara could see a woman in worn clothing tearfully running out into the courtyard where they were bending. Her eyes went wide. The woman would be in direct line of the Avatar's fire.

"Wait!" Her voice filled the moonlit courtyard as she threw her arms out and circled the woman with a wave of water, desperately hoping that any fire would be blocked by it.

As soon as he heard her voice, Aang threw back his hands, pulling back the fire and allowing it to dispel at his sides rather than in front of it. Wide gray eyes looked panicked, wondering if he had missed something. "What is it!? What's wrong?" Had he gotten a shot in and actually hurt her?

Katara rushed forward. "You almost got her!" she yelled as she drew back her water. "Didn't you see her coming down?"

The Avatar's eyes crinkled up. "See who coming down?"

"Her!" Katara said, motioning her hands towards the woman now walking at the far end of the courtyard. She didn't seem to pay any attention to them as she looked around, clutching her arms against her chest as tears streamed down her face. "The crying woman!"

Even as she said it, the reality settled in. Aang didn't see the woman. He couldn't. Katara's face went from irritated to tense in an instant. Her eyes turned back to the woman scurrying around. She recognized her now; that was the ghost in the other courtyard who had been crying. She should've known from the outdated clothes.

Across from her, Aang followed her gaze to an empty spot in the courtyard. Someone was there, his senses felt it. "What is she doing?" he asked quietly.

"She's crying," Katara replied, unmoving from where she stood. "She's going back and forth," she narrated, her eyes moving as she followed the figure. They squinted. "I think she's searching for something." The Avatar nodded. That was all he needed to know. He walked forward, towards the spot where the ghost must've been and began to look around the ground. Katara's eyes widened. "What are you doing?"

"Helping her look," Aang replied, nonchalantly. "Do you know what she's looking for?" He asked as if he were merely asking her to pass a bowl of fruit across the table.

Katara shook her head. "I don't know! Why would I know?" she choked out. "Avatar-"

"Aang! Just call me Aang!" he reminded her as he reached the bushes at the edge of the courtyard and began ruffling through them, squinting to try to look for anything out of the ordinary.

"You don't know what she's looking for!" Katara called out.

"Did you ask her?" a voice asked behind her. She whirled around and saw the scarred, black-haired man from earlier lingering by the steps.

"What-"

"Did you ask her?" he pressed as he walked forward.

"That's a good idea, Zuko!" Aang beamed from the bushes. He looked back at Katara. "Ask her what she's looking for, Katara!"

"What?" the waterbender stared at him in disbelief. "Are you crazy?"

"You're the one who says she sees ghosts," Zuko reminded her simply. "And you're calling the Avatar crazy?" Her gave him a hardened look before turning back to the woman seemingly wandering before her.

"Ex…excuse me!" This was ridiculous. Katara took a hesitant step closer. "Miss…mam?" What was she supposed to say? "He…hey!" she shouted, quickly clamping her mouth shut. A pair of eyes turned towards her and she froze.

"Katara?" Aang asked as he stepped out of the bushes. He furrowed his brows. "Are you okay?"

Blue eyes were wide, staring directly in front of her as she felt her blood run cold. The woman was staring right back at her. Zuko frowned as he watched her body tense. "Katara," he said. "What do you see?"

"She's look at me," Katara said in a breathless voice. She drew her head back. "She's right in front of me."

"Ask her," Aang urged. "Tell her we can help."

She couldn't move. All she could do was stare back into long dead eyes. She'd met their gazes before, but never as close as the woman was now; less than an arm's length away, looking back at her.

"Katara, don't be afraid," she heard Aang assure her.

"We're right here," Zuko added.

The waterbender's breath was shaky. "What…what are you looking for?" she wheezed out. "We will help you find it."

The crying woman's face seemed to soften. She took a step back and lifted her arm. Katara couldn't move as the ghost's hand rose and seemed to point to the blue choker around Katara's neck before drawing her hand back and motioning back to hers.

"Katara?" Aang called out.

"Her necklace," Katara wheezed. She crinkled her eyes as they looked over the woman's tattered clothes. She could barely make out the work animal skin mixed with the worn woven fabrics. Nomads didn't wear animal skin. Both did the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom citizens didn't wear it to the extent they did. "She's Water Tribe." She was one of her people. Katara caught her breath. She understood. "She's looking for her betrothal necklace." Katara took a step forward. "That's it, isn't it?" she asked the woman earnestly. "You're looking for your betrothal necklace!"

The woman nodded as a tearful smile came to her face.

"So that's what we're looking for!" Aang asserted.

"Something that small can be anywhere here," Zuko frowned as he glanced around the area. "And who knows if it's still in decent condition."

"It doesn't matter about the leather strap," Katara told him. She lifted her chin and tapped the stone hanging from her own necklace. "The pendants are always made out of stone, so it should still be here."

"How are we going to find a single stone…." Zuko's voice trailed off as he caught sight of the Avatar hopping on one leg, trying to remove one of his boots. "What are you doing?"

"I think I can find it!" Aang said as he managed to tug off one of his boots. He dropped it beside him.

Zuko looked at him with a deadpan expression. "Without your boots?"

"Without a boot," Aang beamed. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "Are you sure she dropped it around here, Katara?"

"It's where she was looking," Katara said. "So it's probably the best place to start."

Aang nodded. He lifted his foot and slammed it into the ground. He concentrated, focusing on the vibrations he felt against him. Stones, stones, earth, rocks, that ball the boys were looking for two days earlier….

His eyes shot open and his head turned towards the corner of the courtyard. "There!" he pointed.

"What do you mean?" Zuko asked, confused.

"Is it there?" Katara asked. Even as she said it, the woman was running towards where the Avatar had pointed. Frantically, she looked around.

"It's buried now," Aang said as he grabbed his booth and began tugging it back on. "But it's there. Part of the strap has rotted away-"

"Never mind that," Zuko frowned as he headed towards the corner of the yard. "Katara may be able to see them as if they were still alive, but I doubt they can dig like they were."

"I know, I'm coming!" Aang said as he finally managed to put the boot back on. He followed after Zuko. "I'm going to lift some earth. See if you can find anything!"

"It's dark," Zuko said as he lifted his hand and lit a fire in his palm. Katara jerked her head back. She didn't know he was a bender. "Go ahead!"

Aang nodded and stomped his foot on the floor before raising his fist. A chunk of earth rose in the air and Zuko knelt down moving the fire over the spot.

Katara could see the woman trying to get closer. "Wait," she called out. Zuko looked over his shoulder. "No, not you," she said. "Her."

"Right…." He turned back to the dirt.

"He'll get it for you," Katara told the woman as she approached her. "Don't worry, Aang says it's here."

"Found something!" Katara couldn't help the excitement that filled her as she turned her attention to the black haired man. A small smile seemed to tug at his lips as he held up a worn, ripped piece of leather. Caked with dirt and some rust was an oval shaped, blue stone still attached.

Katara bent some water from a puddle on the ground and wrapped it around her hand. She slowly cupped the stone and allowed the water to wash away the dirt, revealing the shining object underneath. Aang slowly returned the earth back into place as Zuko handed the remains of the necklace to Katara.

"Is this it?" she asked the crying woman as she held it up. For a moment, Katara forgot that the woman was no longer alive. Shaking hands reached for the necklace as a relieved smile finally graced a tear-streaked face. As her fingertips touched the stone, she began to disappear. Katara's eyes widened. "What…."

The two men watched as Katara's head tilted upwards. The loops framing her face wavered in a brief breeze as her eyes watched something they couldn't see. Aang closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Is she gone?" Zuko asked after a moment of silence.

Katara's hand closed around the stone. "Yeah," she whispered as her eyes closed. "Now she can rest."

"During the period of Avatar Yangcheng, a massive glacier broke off in the South Pole and collided with one of the Water Tribe villages there," one of the monks said as he stood on a ladder and rummaged through the piles and piles of scrolls in one of the many libraries at the temple. Aang was on the other side, checking the archives on the other wall. "Tribal Elders were concerned about safety, so they evacuated several surrounding villages. A few refugees were housed here temporarily."

"But did any die here?" Zuko asked. He stood beside the table, where Katara was seated, silently running her finger over the blue, oval stone.

"We can check the records."

Zuko nodded and glanced back at the young woman. He glanced around and opened his mouth, but no words came out. Awkwardly, he rubbed the back of his neck, unsure of what to say after what had happened the night before.

Afterwards, Katara could only stare at the stone, even as they lead her back into the temple. None had gotten any sleep, despite Aang's insistence that they go and rest after 'such an exciting night'. He was curious as to what had happened and Zuko, for reasons he couldn't fathom himself, did as well. Their curiosity led them to the library and when one of the monks arrived that morning, he had offered to help them.

Zuko pulled out a chair from beside the desk and eyed the stone in Katara's hands. "You…uh…," he began stupidly. Silently, he cursed himself for trying to talk when he didn't know what to say. "Did good…last night." That was terrible.

Katara didn't take her eyes off the stone. "I never asked," she whispered. Zuko craned his neck to hear her.

"What?"

Her hands stopped moving over the stone. "I never asked them," she repeated. Her eyes rose slowly and met us. "The ones I see," she clarified. "I used to scream and cry for help. I used to try to get away from them, ignore them when they asked for help."

He lowered his own eyes. "You said you were a kid back then. You didn't know," he shrugged, unsure of what else to say. "What could you have done?"

Her eyes crinkled. "Aang said that maybe the spirits at the oasis sealed me because I was still a child." She inhaled and exhaled deeply. "At the time, I couldn't do anything. I was helpless…and it hurt," she admitted. "I wanted to help them, but I couldn't."

Zuko looked down.

"Found it!" Aang shouted. The two benders at the table lifted their heads and turned towards the oddly energetic Avatar as he jumped off the ladder and landed easily in front of them. He put an old, bound book on the table. "A list of all the names of people who visited during that evacuation period!"

He immediately began to flip through it. "It looks like the rooms they were in were recorded. Most of them left…." He stopped and held down a page with one hand. "This name," he dragged one finger across the page. "She left later than everyone else."

"No," Aang's voice lowered. "That character," he said as he moved his finger against it. "She was sick and died here."

The group went quiet. Katara stared at the date on the page. "That was…so long ago," she wheezed. Her hand tightened around the stone once more. "She's been here, looking for a necklace…for hundreds of years."

"But she found it," Zuko said. He raised his eyes and met hers. "Because of you."

Katara pursed her lips. It was a gift, they told her, but she never believed it. All it had ever caused her was confusion, terror, and heartbreak.

Until now.

A Note from the Author

First, please accept my thanks for reading my fanfic. I seemed to have written a rather long chapter and it severely lacks Zutara. I've been a fan for quite some time and I've ready many fics – although, not recently. Quarter end at work, and what not. Lately, I thought I'd try my hand at writing. I'm not sure if this has been done before, but my favorite fiction to read tends to be supernatural thrillers (with a touch of romance…just a touch. More like implied romance.) and I wanted to try writing one. I will probably come back and change a few things in this chapter later, but for now, this is what I have.

Many thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of my fanfic.