Going inside would have been easier. Had it been but a few weeks earlier, I would have done that without question. Walked right back through that door without a second thought to the lone silouette sitting there, leaning against a chipped pillar, her azure eyes turned skyward as the full moon wreathed her face in a soft, pale light. But something, Agni only knows what, drove my feet forward, carrying me to her side.
Her gaze didn't shift an inch as she nodded and smiled slightly, acknowledging my presence. My approach didn't startle her, but that's hardly surprising. It takes a lot to sneak up on a master waterbender, much less the all-seeing Katara who could spot Sokka hiding his vegetables under the table from a mile away. And so we sat there in amiable silence, regarding the night sky and its thousand twinkling stars, flecks of light on an otherwise obsidian canvas. She was the one who finally broke the silence.
"I just... can't get used to it."
Turning to face her, I could see the conflict in her eyes now that I was close enough. Something in them was searching, desperately looking for something that wasn't there, and at the same time tugging her back to where it could be found. It was both a look of nostalgia and bereavement, of hoping and disappointment.
"The Western Air Temple?" It was a stab in the dark, but for the life of me I couldn't see what in the sky was different. The moon shone bright as always, accompanied by its troupe of glistening stars. The entire temple was doused in a pale glow, the moonlight reflecting off the rippling water of the fountain. In all senses of the word, the night was beautiful. What could possibly be wrong with it?
A soft chuckle escaped her lips and she drew her knees in tight. "I don't suppose you've ever been to the South Pole at night?"
"Uhh... I can't say I have. The only time I've ever been to the South Pole was... well, you know... When I was... trying to kidnap Aang... so..." Even in the dark, I'm sure she could see my face flush. Not exactly my proudest moment.
To my surprise, the memory of me storming into her tiny village and demanding the Avatar be delivered to me at once didn't make her gaze go stony, didn't make her muscles tense and her smile drop. Instead, she took me completely off-guard by spluttering out a laugh. "Yeah, back when you were a master jerkbender. Seems you've really let your skills slip, Zuko."
I feigned insult, but in reality, I was glad for moments like this. These were the times when I was reminded how far we'd come. From Katara not being able to be in the same room as me to sitting here in the dead of night, just talking and joking and... sitting together peacefully. It was a warm, comforting feeling. But that was Katara for you, she was comfort and reassurance and a feeling that I couldn't quite pin down. But I liked it.
Once the laughter subsided, she looked back to the sky, her eyes taking on that look that plagued them earlier once again. "It's just... every night at the South Pole, there are these... lights in the sky. All sorts of colors, and they dance around. They change shape, color... Our tribe had all sorts of stories about them. Mostly about how they were sky spirits who could only cross over to our world at its ends, at the poles. I don't know if I really believed any of them once I grew up but..." Her grip around her knees tightened, and she rested her chin on them, looking more like a child with every word. "... I guess I took them for granted. I'd give anything to be back home right now, sitting around the fire as night fell, listening to a storyteller weave tales around those lights."
Never in my life had I seen Katara look so defeated. So vulnerable. So... small. And the same thing that compelled me to walk outside and sit with her now had me on my feet, determined to fix it. Her eyebrow quirked upwards, eyeing me with playful suspicion.
"Close your eyes," I asked softly. Wow, what a sense of deja vu. It wasn't that long I was in Ba Sing Se, telling some other girl to close her eyes. Strangely enough, what followed was going to be similar enough, though far more difficult. Hesitantly, Katara closed her eyes, though you could still see the doubt painted on the rest of her features. Slowly and silently, I got to work.
I racked my brain, trying to remember everything I could from the day when Aang and I met the dragons. I slipped quietly through forms, weaving strands of flame in the sky, willing it to ignite in as many colors as the dragons had. It was far from simple and despite the cool night air, I soon found sweat breaking across my brow. Minutes passed in silence, save for a few whooshes of flame, and despite my solid concentration, I could tell that Katara's patience was wearing thin.
"A-Alright... you can... open your eyes..." I panted, struggling to keep the flames under my control.
The effort proved worth it when her eyes opened and her jaw dropped, even more the spitting image of a child who had just recieve the best birthday present of her life. A series of dancing flames in the sky, shifting and changing colors as they twisted between the stars and spun around the moon. I could see the colors of the lights reflected in her eyes as her face lit up, brighter than any flame I could try to conjure up. My shaking hands and strained muscles were worth every second of that smile.
It didn't take long for her to notice my strained panting and the sweat beading down the side of my head. "You idiot! I saw it, you can stop now!" she said, half-laughing and half-scolding. Her permission was all I needed, and I sank to the floor with a breath I'd been holding in an attempt to keep my focus unbroken.
"I take it... It looked... something like that?" I asked, a weak smile on my face as exhaustion took its toll.
Her response was a smile and a head on my shoulder, drawing another blush onto my already flushed cheeks.
"You did alright. For a jerk."