Archive of Our Own ^beta

Wind, 

It was a powerful element. 

As an Anemoi, Aang knew this best. Aang was a difficult situation to explain. Aang was a name he had given himself. He was an Anemoi Thuellai, a storm spirit, child of the Anemoi. He was nameless, merely another powerful air spirit among countless. He was a physical manifestation of air itself. 

Among other gods he was just another Anemoi Thuellai but to himself he was Aang.

He felt so free and light, like nothing weighed him down. He was every breeze, every wind, his physical body bound together by the clouds. He filled the large expanse of the sky. He was floating, constantly in motion. 

But he was alone,

He had not met another Anemoi in many years and it was a lonely existence.

He understands it’s not his place to see other Anemoi as they were surely controlling winds around the world. They had to keep busy as did Aang.

It was of no concern to him, he was not a mortal. He was a force of nature, it was his job to keep the elements in turn. Without his wind, the world would be out of balance.

He kept things flowing, circulating. He was a mostly peaceful god who had great power at the touch of his fingertips but he held back. The rest of the Anemoi might not have been as benevolent. Most of his fellow Anemoi Thuellai were calm breezes while some were raging winds and violent tempests.

Sometimes Aang would descend from the heavens and watch over the mortals from the clouds. Being immortal, he had watched many love stories occur. He knew he could never have what they had for himself. The Moirai, also known as the three fates, were called Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos. Clotho was the spinner who made the thread that determined the start of a new destiny. Lachesis decided the length of the thread, measured it and weaved the events in between the end and the beginning. Atropos cut the thread, and was the end to everyone’s destiny.

As a god, what was his? 

If every life on Earth is to have their fate predetermined, so was their soulmate. Aang transcended the laws of normal mortals and felt himself above fate. But the Moirai laughed at his foolishness and merely smiled and said no one escapes fate. 

Who was he to judge? He was a young god compared to the Moirai who were among the eldest immortal beings. He wanted to believe that his destiny contained a soulmate, someone who loved him and that he loved dearly back.

One day while he skimmed over the ocean, little breezes came from hands and nipped the surface. It caused delicate waves and he giggled in joy. He was being propelled upward by his bottom half which resembled a funnel of wind.

He had to keep the minds restrained lest they rage into a tornado. While he concentrated on controlling his powers, he noticed a few women in the sea. Were they mortals drowning and in need of help? He floated down to help them and noticed that these women were unnaturally beautiful and ethereal. While humanoid, their features were more aquatic, containing features more found on those of sea creatures. Their bodies were sleek and built for marine life. These were the nereids also known as ocean nymphs who often served in Poseidon’s court.

One of them caught his attention for some reason. She was beautiful with long billowing hair that flowed around her. Eyes as blue as the ocean and the waves were drawn to her presence. Webbed hands and fins on her arms, her gills closed up as soon as she got up from the water.

They made brief eye contact and the nereid told the other nereids to hide beneath the water but be ready to attack. The other nereid looked up at Aang, winked at him, and laughed as they dipped back into the ocean.

The nereid left glared at Aang with her arms folded.

“What business do you have here? The ocean is under protection of the great Poseidon and Amphitrite and we are of his court.”She stated, her stance threatening and her gills flared.

Aang would answer but he was too busy concentrating on her beautiful voice. Aang hadn’t seen many other nature spirits up close. He’s seen the dryads guarding their plants to which their life was attached to but he never spoke to them in person.

Now he was seeing one in person for the first time in forever.

Apparently she didn’t like his silence and the water around her swirled as she fashioned a spear out of water.

Aang panicked and the winds around him began to swirl faster. 

“I don’t mean you any harm, I’m just doing my god job as an anemoi, just sending wind across the world…”Aang feebly explained, his wind funnel weakening into some meek breezes.

The nereid continued to stare at him, probably realizing he meant no harm, relented and lowered the water spear which dissipated into mist.

“Who are you?”She asked, her eyes reflecting the colors of the sky.

Aang swallowed nervously, this nymph intimidated him. It felt like her presence contained the entire ocean and she filled up any breathing space. She commanded the waves and she knew it, that hard cold steel in her eyes.

“I’m Aang”He answered, the fury in her gaze causing goosebumps.

“Katara”She responded, as she dipped back into the water.

Her last look had a strange emotion Aang couldn’t decipher but took it as a warning to not harm her or her nymphs.

Katara

Her name was Katara

Aang meditated on the mountaintop, using breezes to blow the chimes and create sounds to aid his meditation. Technically his wind powers were considered forces of nature and therefore should only be used to keep the forces of nature in check but this was more fun. Besides it wasn’t like he was absolutely needed for balance, the smaller winds could aid his duties.

His thoughts were cloudy, thinking of the beautiful ocean nymph from the other day. Katara, as she called herself, was so fierce and assertive.

Safe to say, Katara could rock his world anytime.

Meditation was doing nothing for his spirituality at the moment. Thinking about Katara dissolved him into a giggling blushing mess and he just met her. How was he already so head over heels in love with this woman?

It was fate.

Unknown to Aang but watched carefully by the Moirai, this love would be preserved as inscribed in the threads of destiny.

Aang blew out the scented candles and burning incense with a strong wind. Then he propelled himself upward in the air, heading toward the ocean. The gusts of wind supported his weight as he glided over the ground.

Katara was busy serving as a ruling member of Poseidon’s royal court. She carried out justice according to the laws of the seas as ordered by the Earthshaker. Today her mind wandered to that young Anemoi Thúellai she encountered the other day. She had not seen one of his kind for many centuries. His power was unimaginable, if she could’ve guessed he possessed power from all four major wind gods. 

And yet, his status as an immortal being did not faze her. She thought about the small things about him. His goofy grin and carefree attitude nudged her from the back of her mind. His interesting arrow tattoos and bright eyes caught her attention. 

Katara can’t dwell on Aang for the time being. She must handle relations with their freshwater sisters, the naiads.

“We should meet at the Kolau Mountains”Aang suggested, pointing at the horizon where the mountains rested in the distance.

Katara paused to ponder the decision. She stared toward the distance where the sun began to set over the water. Katara inhaled and looked back at Aang who gave her hopeful puppy eyes.

Ugh,

The emotional manipulation.

“Ok, I’ll be there”Katara finally decided, trying to fight the mile that tugged at her lips.

Aang smiled so bright, it felt like everything around them was melting. Katara felt a burning heat in her cheeks and looked away.

Whenever Katara was free from her duties as a member of Poseidon's court, she went over to the Kolau mountains in search of Aang. His face graced her dreams and she thought about him constantly.

Aang finally had a friend, he hadn’t had people to hang out with and air glide in forever. Katara was so kind and sweet and Aang’s heart warmed whenever Katara smiled at him.

Today he took Katara to the highest peak for the best view of the stars. He’d traveled all over, nature deities were pretty nomadic. And all of this paid off, he had a beautiful date spot for the perfect girl.

“Being with you is the best feeling I’ve had in a long time”Aang breathed out, as he laid on the grass.

He felt the green grass in between his fingers and tried not to stare at Katara. If he stared now he might just burst into flames.

“Being with you...it’s amazing but-”Katara trailed off mid sentence, refusing to meet aang's eyes.

“What?”Aang asked, as he turned to look over at Katara.

“Being with you makes me recognize my own mortality,”Katara admitted, sighing as she stared up into the sky.

Katara went quiet and Aang pondered the meaning of the statement.

“How so?”Aang questioned, hoisting himself off the ground and propping his head on his hand.

He stared at Katara as he leaned over. The blue of her eyes reflected the dark night sky so you could see the stars in her eyes.

“Though we are mythical  beings, there are limits to our immortality,”Katara explained, her mouth settling into a grim expression.

Aang knew this, the Olympian gods probably held the truest form of immortality. Lesser mythical beings such as themselves would live forever as long as they weren’t struck down in battle. They could live without sustenance and they would never fall ill but they were vulnerable to injury. They might reform in Tartarus or reincarnate but who knows if they’re destined to find each other again

“Realizing these things makes me feel a sense of hopelessness, because I want to be with you for eternity”

“We will be together for eternity,”Aang promised earnestly.

“Aang, despite me possibly being a lesser being, I’m older than you”Katara reminded him swiftly, trying to be honest but not cruel.

Aang knew she was older, though time and age were mostly irrelevant to him so he never thought of the implications before.

“I’ve seen eons of turmoil that you have not bear witness to and I hope you never do”Katara had an unnaturally serious look in her eye.. She felt a sense of fierce protectiveness toward this Anemoi. She felt all out of sorts and she made stupid decisions around him, all of which were new feelings she’d hadn’t experienced.

Aang was gone from this world while Katara suffered through it. New feelings flooded through him, warm and confusing. He experienced new feelings all the time with Katara and he wasn’t used to it. Were beings like them allowed to love like mortals were, a love that could last, a love that doesn’t end in tragedy. 

Katara thought of her brother Sokka, a mortal, which means that he would age and she would stay young. Sokka may die and Katara most likely won't see the underworld for centuries.

“As much as I want us to be forever, we are not infinite, as much as we’d like to believe” Her voice trails off into a whisper and Aang hates the hopelessness that reaches her eyes.

Aang contemplates this harsh reality for a long time. He’s spent a long time grasping the meaning of time, of distance, and many human concepts. They are not human, but here they were loving like humans. Aang grasps Katara’s hand tightly.

“But in the long time we do have, don’t you feel infinite?”Aang asked, his eyes sparkling with wonder. 

Katara’s eyes widened at the sight of the hope in Aang’s eyes. Katara had to admit, his innocence and childlike optimism brought Katara joy. This man’s happiness was infectious and here Katara was, under his spell.

“Baby, you’re my forever girl,”Aang teased with a grin on his face.

Katara was taken aback and then slapped Aang’s arm. She tried to pretend to be annoyed while hiding her smile. 

“I feel like my world is forever with you,”Aang confessed, bringing Katara’s hand to his lips for a kiss.

Katara blushed and smiled sweetly back. They then both huddled closer on the soft grass.

“I love you”Katara whispered into Aang’s ear, gripping his hand so tightly he could feel her anxiety. 

Aang put his hand on Katara’s and she stopped squeezing. Aang looked at Katara and saw that she was being genuine. Aang’s heart fluttered and a laugh escaped his lips before looking back at the most beautiful girl in the world.

“I love you too”

As they kissed under the stars, the Moirai watched carefully, as they spun their threads, intertwining Aang and Kara forever.

Sometimes it feels like borrowed time or rather stolen time, a fake eternity. Aang was used to the notion of death, other air spirits who have died, some of which go to tartarus and reform after some centuries or some who reincarnate into another kind of spirit. Many have passed on Nephelae/Nebulae, Aurae, other Anemoi.

But how could he let go of this love, even if he knew it was meant to be? He’d felt alone for so long and wandered the world, trying to find his other half.

They were soul mates bound by fate

The sea and the sky always find each other.

They were destiny, their hearts and souls intertwined,

Their love is infinite.