Kataang Week
Mischief
The Gaang decided it was time for a break. They had gone to the North Pole and faced many hardships there. Then they went to the town with the crazy Earth Kingdom general that was supposed to have escorted them to Omashu, but instead forced Aang to go into the Avatar State. The Gaang felt tired and stressed. They were playing in a small lake, and Sokka was floating, his eyes closed.
Katara and Aang were practicing waterbending when Katara noticed her brother floating in the water.
"Aang," she whispered, "look at Sokka." She smiled, stifling a laugh.
Aang gazed at him, a devious smile on his face. Katara knew what he was planning, so she decided to help out.
They commanded the water to rise with the pull of their fingers, guiding the water towards Sokka. When it reached him, they dropped their fingers, splashing him.
"Katara!" Sokka shrieked, rising to dry off.
Katara and Aang couldn't stop laughing, mischievous smiles on their faces.
* * * *
Skin
When they found the boy in the iceberg, he was blue. His eyes and tattoos lit up with a blue, luminous light. When Katara and Sokka got him out of it, Katara's dark-skinned face was the first thing Aang saw.
She looked at his face in amazement wondering how he got there. She gazed at his blue tattoos, no longer shining, her gloved hand stroking his pale face.
Little did she know, for that little, pale-skinned, blue tattooed boy, was the Avatar and her love.
* * * *
Reunion
Aang knew something was wrong with Katara. He saw her in a vision; she was in trouble. He left the Guru, whose voice echoed in Aang's mind.
"If you leave now, you will lock your chakra and will never be able to go into the Avatar State again..."
Aang picked Sokka up, and as they were flying they found Toph. The three then headed to Ba Sing Se. They went right to the Earth King to see if everything was okay. He said everything was fine, and that the Kyoshi Warriors had arrived. The Gaang then went back to their apartment to see if Katara and Suki were there.
They weren't.
"I knew Katara was in trouble!" Aang said worriedly.
Toph heard someone at the door, "Someone is here that can help." She opened the door.
It was Iroh, Zuko's uncle, asking for help. He told the Gaang that Zuko and Katara were captured, but he didn't know where they were, and that Azula, Zuko's vicious sister, was there, planning something.
Iroh had brought a Dai Lee agent with him, who told them that the prisoners were in the catacombs of Old Ba Sing Se, and that Azula was planning a coup against the Earth King.
They rushed to the palace where Toph found the underground catacombs, which Iroh and Aang went into, while Sokka and Toph went to the King. On their way down, Aang asked Iroh for advice about the Avatar State. They found Katara and Zuko, and Aang and Zuko's eyes locked in a fierce glare.
Katara and Aang had a silent reunion, but bad things were to come.
Zuko chose the wrong side; he teamed up with Azula and the Dai Lee, outnumbering Katara and Aang.
Aang's mind was about to explode with worry. He guided his thoughts away from his love for Katara over to the wise Guru, whose echoing voice told him to let go of love.
Amidst all the rage and chaos, Aang forced his mind to focus. He earthbended a crystallized tent around him, and meditated, focusing, trying as hard as he could to go into the Avatar State.
As he rose into the air, triggering the Avatar State, he felt a sudden shock, painful and terrifying.
Katara watched as Aang rose then saw Azula point two fingers, her aim directed straight for Aang's heart. Her blue fire turned into lightning; Katara screamed as Azula shot Aang.
Aang dropped, his eyes shut, and his face pained. Azula looked victorious. As the avatar's limp body fell, Katara's eyes became very watery. Just in that moment, that second, Katara realized her true feelings for Aang.
Iroh suddenly jumped out from the shadows and blasted fire towards the Dai Lee agents. He told Katara to grab Aang and leave. She did what he said.
Katara prepared the spirit water from the North Pole, ready to heal the gaping, star-shaped scar on Aang's back. After she healed him, Aang's eyes opened, looking at her, alive. He smiled weakly, relieved she was okay; he still loved her. He could barely keep his eyes open from the pain and slipped back into unconsciousness. Katara cried more and hugged him all through the rest of the night.
Katara, Aang and the Gaang had their reunion, but it was a bitter one.
* * * *
Secrets
Aang~
He stared into her crystal pools of blue and sighed. Aang had a secret - many actually. But there was only one person he could tell them to.
Katara.
He loved her and would do anything for her.
Aang told her his feelings about being the Avatar, and how he never wanted to be. She was the only person who could take him out of the Avatar State and cause him to go in.
But he was afraid, afraid that she would reject him, and their friendship would be ruined.
They had kissed at the Cave of Two Lovers, and before the Invasion, he thought they would be together, but she was confused.
Confused?!?
He would just have to give her time to think...
Katara~
Katara heard Aang sigh, and she turned away. She had secrets too. She could always rely on Aang and tell him what was bothering her. They could tell each other anything.
She was jealous when On Ji was dancing with Aang, and Katara knew why, she just wouldn't admit it. But when he asked for her hand, she lied, saying she didn't have the right shoes on for dancing; he saw right through her and led her to the dance floor.
He whispered the name of the dance they were going to do, and they started. As they were dancing everyone was watching.
Katara whispered, "Aang, everyone's watching."
He looked her straight in the eye and said, "Ignore them. It's just you and me right now." That made her blush.
It was her idea that they should kiss in the Cave of Two Lovers. She had kissed his cheek many times before. They kissed at the Invasion, and Aang told her his feelings for her just in case he didn't come back. She had pushed that thought away at the time.
When she told him she was confused, she could see the sadness in his eyes...
But when Azula shot him with lightning in Ba Sing Se, Katara realized her true feelings for him. She loved him too, but they were in a war, they couldn't...
* * * *
Passion
He could see it in her eyes - her passion for waterbending. Aang also shared a passion for bending. In addition, they both had a passion for saving the world.
Passion could be found in everything they did.
They also had passion for each other.
* * * *
Spirit
Aang used to be a carefree spirit, as all the airbenders...until he found out he was the Avatar. And although he was the Avatar and had so many duties, so much to do and learn, Aang remained a happy, optimistic spirit.
He had gone to the Spirit World before; he saw Hei Bai and Coh, the face stealer; Aang was smart to show no emotion at all, although he was terrified. In his journey, he learned what to do about the North Pole's problem and found a solution.
Katara's spirit was kind, gentle, and motherly. She cared about everything she did and how it would affect people.
It seemed as if Katara and Aang's spirits were connected.
* * * *
Destiny
"Destiny is a funny thing." ~Iroh
Destiny IS a funny thing. Destiny is what brought the Gaang together. Destiny is what brought Katara and Sokka to Aang. Destiny is what made Aang the Avatar. Destiny put Zuko on the right path, and led him through all the pain and suffering.
Aang's destiny intertwined with all of his friends' destinies, especially Katara's.
Destiny had causedall the struggles, pain, love, and had brought success. Destiny caused everything.
Destiny is an important thing; destiny lets us achieve anything.
But ponder this: If Katara and Sokka weren't there when they found Aang, what would've happened?
The war would probably have raged on. Zuko would never have joined the Gaang, and never set his life straight; he would've turned out to be an evil firelord, just like Oazi.
Toph wouldn't have learned to bend metal. With no freedom, she would have been treated the way she hated, like a fragile blind girl, over-protected.
Katara and Aang wouldn't be together; the world would turn itself over.
Destiny is a funny, funny thing.