Author's note: I'm so sorry that I haven't been posting my work xx. Most of my writing hasn't impressed me enough to post, but I have finally gathered the courage to post this piece that I wrote about two months after the finale in December. I reread my fics and I've decided to post something about my favorite ship- KATAANG!

Before you begin reading, you should understand that a lot of this is metaphorical, and it delves on what I imagine as what happened during Aang's limbo between life and death.

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar the last Airbender or any of the characters that appears in this one-shot.

Beyond Death

"I'm sorry Katara"

In the dark, he felt despair drain the air out of his lungs. He vainly clutched his throat knowing he was choking and his chest constricting, but as his body drifted down into the ocean-like abyss, he knew he would never awake again.

He squirmed under the pressure, but he tasted the salt of the futile struggle. Chest still vulnerable and eyes heavy with unearthly pain, he stretched his hand- a final farewell to the love he left behind.

He sank. The water caressed him until his body grew numb from cold or depth, he did not know. His teeth chattered and he knew death was upon him. Peace didn't quell his spirit like one about to pass into the afterlife instead he felt weak.

He failed. Bitter, selfish tears left his frail body to combine with the stinging water crushing him. Then he saw light from behind closed eyelids. He strained to comprehend, but he felt a beacon of hope surge through him. Hope cursing through him, he was able to lift dead eyelids and see her swimming in the ocean. He couldn't see her face-he didn't need to- but he could see her shining eyes from the shifting of her hair.

"kuh-tah-rah" was all he could manage and Aang feared that she wouldn't hear him. But she did. She arched her body and headed straight for him with her hand reaching for his.

Her cheeks were blue, but her eyes bluer, strong with resolve. He could feel his love for her multiply. With difficulty, he strained to keep his extended hand upright rather than floating submissively to his side as he fell deeper into death.

He felt her strength once their hungry hands met. She squeezed it fondly and began to tug him up. She guided him up and up.

As they flailed for the surface, the pain reemerged. It shot through his spine momentarily crippling him and flew towards his heart, hell-bound and determined to destroy his reason for living.

She gripped his fingers tighter as he began to slip. He found himself curling into a fetal position, quaking from all the pain. Her arms found him and held him to her heart. Its anxious thumping was what he concentrated on during those moments of pain. As the pain numbed, he realized she was still kicking and that she had never given up on him.

The surface was so close! He felt his eyes involuntary close waiting for impact….

Katara fought a wail of despair from reaching her throat. Thinking that Aang was dead sent her into a spiral of emotions she wasn't ready to endure, but it took all her effort to keep her from glancing down to the form cradled in her arms. His head, limp and unnatural, was pressed against her neck. And she could see from the corner of her eyes the expression of pain stamped across his face.

Aw fate! Countless moments before they had been in a similar position, but this was definitely different.

He had been smiling and his gray eyes twinkled…

"I can't give up yet. I can still save him."

She reminded herself as another tear ran down her cheek.

She continued running although her legs began to buckle from the sorrow. Her legs moved up and down in a constant rhythm and she felt almost detached from her body. Like she was somewhere else

'Oh let this be a dream!' Her heart hurt so much it could explode lest she let go of the fervent hope that clutched her so.

"Aang…Aang!" her mind screamed.

"Katara!" Her brother's voice sounded from above her and she nearly dropped Aang when she staggered when startled.

"What happened!" he yelled and jumped to the ground while she tried finding balance.

"No time" she sobbed.

He scooped Aang from her arms and she climbed to safety holding out her arms. Sokka hoisted the body to her and then settled him in her arms. She held him. Then shaking her head, she knew she had to try.

She extricated him from her body and wiped her damp face against the sleeve of her shirt. Carefully she lifted the delicate bottle from against her chest and lifted the lid. She coaxed the water out, feeling the power through it and the moment her healing powers kicked in. Pressing his body to her again she lowered the glowing water to his back and sucked in her breath...

The water sunk into his skin and a moan escaped her throat when he did not begin to breathe…

"Aang!"

"Aang!"

All the memories hit him, and he scrunched his face in a moan.

He could still feel her, the one who guided him back to life.

Slowly he felt himself being drawn back and he opened his eyes.

Katara's hair was still wild and moving about erratically, but it was her face that captured his attention. The blue depths of her eyes were prettier than sea and her brilliant smile could've launched a billion ships at that moment; he found himself wearing a contented smile as he was enveloped in another hug before the pain claimed him.

He began gasping for breath and she felt the tension leave.

The next moments were surreal. Aang opened his brilliant eyes once more and smiled. She felt such a thrill when he smiled.

Slowly she brought him back to her just so she could hear the sound of his chest rising and falling.

A few minutes later, she realized she too needed to breathe.

Author's Note:

Not my best work, but I want to get in the habit of posting, so I can cure this 'writer's block'. Feel free to review with your comments and opinions. I hope people are still willing to read my drabbles and I'm sorry this one shot is so short- I'm an incurable impulse writer that writes at the speed of light when inspired, but edits until the work is unbearably short xx .

Warning: I'm posting this now, but I may take it down to edit it further because I'm never completely satisfied ;)

Ps. This is the first time I've had trouble thinking up a title.