Six months after Sozin's Comet, Aang returned to the Eastern Air Temple to seek Guru Pathik to help him master the Avatar State. Katara visited the Northern Water Tribe to learn more about healing. Sokka went back home to restore the Southern Water Tribe, while his girlfriend, Suki,moved back to Kyoshi Island to train new warriors. Fire Lord Zuko helped rebuild the world his father more or less ruined while searching for his long lost mother, and Toph was reunited with her family in Ba Sing Se, and helps Uncle Iroh run his tea shop, The Jasmine Dragon, in the Upper Ring of Ba Sing Se.
"Now, Aang, let the pure cosmic energy flow in from the universe." Guru Pathik said to the young Avatar. The young Avatar took two deep breaths, and recrossed his legs. And then took two more deep breaths and groaned.
"There has to be another way. I cannot choose the pure cosmic energy from the universe over the girl I love!" Aang cried out. Guru Pathik opened his eyes to the gleaming sunlight and look towards his pupil.
"There is no other way, only this way. You must learn to let go." The old man grumbled out and took another sip of his onion and banana juice, "This is the last chakra, after you open the last one, you can go in and out of the Avatar State as you please. So, now, let the pure cosmic energy flow in from the universe."
Aang sighed and uncrossed his legs, "Let's face it, Pathik, I will not be able to master the Avatar State, I love Katara too much! I'm calling it a night, Katara sent a letter and I still have to read it." He rose and bowed to his guru then ran to his room in the temple. Every time Aang thought about his girlfriend, whom he hadn't seen in months, he missed her more and more. Aang was thinking about flying to the North Pole to surprise her, but Guru Pathik wouldn't agree. Pathik had said that if he left to see her, it would be even harder to open his last chakra.
He picked up the letter from where he had left it on his bed in the morning, before Pathik brought him breakfast, onion and banana juice, and told him that his 'lessons' were starting early that day. The envelope had a Northern Water Tribe stamp on it, and smelled like Katara. He ripped the seal off of the envelope and quickly opened the letter.
Aang,
Have you opened the last chakra yet? I hope you do soon so you can come live with me in the Northern Water Tribe. Zuko is visiting this week, to make sure everything was running smoothly up here. I don't think I will be able to see him very much because of his Fire Lord duties. He said he wanted to spend as much time he could with me, but that probably won;t be very long.
I feel like I am repeating my self.
Anyway, Sokka, Suki, and my father are coming to visit next week. Suki is trying to convince Toph to come, and I will try to see if Zuko can stay for another week or two. If you came too, it would be like a reunion sort of thing.
Well, some of us healers are throwing a baby shower for Hahn's new wife, Ta Min, and I am supposed to be there right now.
Katara.
This letter is much shorter than the others, Aang thought and placed it in the box with all the other letters she had sent. He noticed that the more recent letters she had been sending were getting shorter, and she always said that he should move up there with her, like she was up in the North permanently.
Her home was in the Southern Water Tribe, not the Northern Water Tribe, right?
Fire Lord Zuko stepped off of his ship and onto Northern Water Tribe snow. He was grateful of the parka his servants on his ship had given him before the ship had reached the docks. Chief Arnook bowed and welcome Zuko to his tribe.
"Fire Lord Zuko, welcome, we have your suite made up for you in the Northern Palace." Arnook spoke and walked a few steps over to a boat, "This is the royal catamaran, it will take you to the palace whenever you need to go."
"Thank you, Chief Arnook, I appreciate everything you have already done for me. I have a question though." Fire Lord Zuko said with a small smirk playing on his lips.
"Of course, Fire Lord." Arnook replied, his eyes wide and curious.
"Is Katara of the Southern Water Tribe still learning more healing? Or has she already left for the Southern Water Tribe?" Zuko questioned, eager to see his friend. Arnook looked confused.
"Katara isn't returning to the Southern Water Tribe, she decided to live up here. So, yes, Katara is still here. Actually, I passed her on my way to greet you. Do you want me to take you to her?" He smiled and climbed into his catamaran. Zuko followed right behind him, wanting to not waste anytime.
"Of course, Katara is an old friend of mine," He stated, "Not really an old friend, we were actually enemies up until about nine months ago, but she forgave me when I helped her find the leader of the Southern Raiders, the people who killed her mother." The Fire Lord rambled and Arnook stuck a hand out.
"I understand. Now, if I know Katara, she will probably be with Lue, Princess Yue's eldest brother." Arnook stopped the catamaran and stood up, "I saw them over here playing around with a Buffalo Yak, so they must be in the stables. Do you want to wait here, or I can br-"
"I'll go with you," Zuko demanded, then straightened up, "Only if that is okay, sir."
Arnook guffawed and started to walk towards a lit up barn covered in ice, "C'mon, son, sounds like you're excited to see her."
"Yes, I haven't seen Katara in months, neither had Aang, or her family for that matter. I feel kind of bad that she will see me before she sees her family and boyfriend." Zuko babbled on.
"Cheif Hadoka and his son? They are supposed to arrive next week, with a Kyoshi Warrior."
Arnook and Zuko stepped into the stable and heard girlish giggles coming from the west corner. They walked around aimlessly to find the young Water Tribe girl and her friend. They found them, Katara laying on the ground and Lue hoovering over her, tickling her stomach, making her laugh and roll around.
"Lue, Katara," Arnook spoke sternly, like he was disciplining two young children. Katara's smiling face dropped as Lue offered her a hand to stand up.
"Chief." Lue said and bowed, Katara following suit and then she laid eyes on Zuko and smiled.
"No way! Zuko!" She ran to Zuko and threw her thin around his neck, "I've missed you so much! How have you been? Has it really been six months?"
Zuko chuckled and returned the hug, "Yes, it really has been six months, and I am pretty worn out, being Fire Lord and all."
Katara grinned, "Come back to my house, we need to catch up!" She turned to Lue and hugged him tightly, "I had fun tonight, and uh, thanks for the lesson." She giggled and blushed as Lue's smiled became and cocky grin and kissed her cheek, "Night, Tar."
Arnook and Lue walked out of the stables and Katara hugged Zuko one more time, "La, I forgot how much I missed my family!" She said and grabbed Zuko's hand and led him to her igloo near the palace.
"Start a fire, I will make some tea." Katara ordered and pointed to a pile of coal surrounded by metal. Zuko lit the fire and sat next to it, feeling content. He was starting to get a small headache so he took out his Fire Lord Headpiece and undid his top-knot.
"Tea? Have you been hanging around my uncle?" Zuko teased as Katara sat down next to him and took off her parka, and fur leggings. Zuko looked at Katara in only her sarashi, and realized how much she had matured over six months.
"Not at all, I have not been in contact with anyone except for Aang for the past since I arrived here, only because he gets worried and sends me letters almost twice a week." Katara rolled her eyes and Zuko's mouth was agape.
"You haven't contacted your family in six months? Are you crazy? They probably think you're dead or something!" He shrieked.
"They send me letters, I just don't respond, I know they will probably be angry with me when they come next week, but I don't care, Arnook, Hahn, and Lue won't let me out of their sight when I'm not in healing classes. It's crazy." The tribeswoman shook her head.
"Sounds like you're in good hands here." Zuko smiled softly and finished his cup of tea.
"I really am, and I love it here. How long are you planning on staying?" Katara inquired and picked up both of the empty teacups and took them to the little sink.
"I'm not quite sure yet, actually," Zuko answered and stood up, "But I should get to my suite in the palace."
Katara's eyebrows creased and her smiled she had been wearing fell, "Oh, okay. Do you know how to get to the palace? Wait, you are staying at the palace, right?"
"Yes, and Arnook told me I just take the catamaran and I will get there." The young Fire Lord said and hugged Katara lightly, "Want to meet up for lunch tomorrow?" There was a gleam of hope in his eye and the sides of his lips rose.
"I promised Lue I would have lunch with him, but you can join us if you want to," Katara offered but Zuko shook his head and his small smile went away.
"No, I don't want to intrude. Well, goodnight Katara."
"Night Zuko." She said quietly, her igloo feeling small and lonely like had for the past six months. She could move back to the South Pole, she just didn't want to. She thought living at the North Pole was better. There was more people, more places to go and visit. She picked up on the customs fairly quickly and thought it would be hard to drop everything, everyone, and move again.
Sometimes, she would wait for Aang's letter saying that he opened the last chakra and was coming to live with her. But she knew better than that, and knew it would never happen. She was the reason he couldn't open the last chakra and she knew she was the reason. Most of the time, she would encourage her boyfriend to try to open the last chakra, just to keep the distance between them big. Very big.
"What a great girlfriend I am," Katara said to herself and sat on her bed, admiring the different furs and patterns on the blankets.
"Knock, knock!" Katara heard a male voice say and throw open the curtain, to see Lue standing there, with a little banjo in his right hand, "Hmm, did Fire Nation stand you up? Or did he just leave you here alone, like that?" Lue raised one eyebrow and smirked. Katara was giggling as she walked over to him and hugged him.
"Neither. You brought me a banjo! Cool!" She feigned excitement as she sat back down on her little bed.
"Funny, Tar. You look about as lonely as I do, I came here to sing you to sleep."
Katara laughed again, and covered her mouth with one of her small hands, "You can't sing you save you life, and I would be to amused to go to sleep even if you tried."
"Well, what shall we do then? You know how Arnook hates for you to go out when it's late, even with someone with you, and I doubt you want to her my beautiful singing voice, so, you get to choose what we do tonight." Lue teased and sat next to Katara on her bed. He started to unbraid her braid loopies, because he knew she liked it.
"I need to write to Aang, want to help me with my letter?" She asked and look up at him, he was rolling his eyes at her suggestion.
"Of course, princess." He said mockingly and grabbed a piece of paper and ink, "You can tell me what to write, and I will write it for you. Or, better yet, I will write it for you. How about, 'Dear Avatar Aang, I am sorry I have to do this but I think you should know I am breaking up with you. I found someone better, and can kick my ass at Waterbending. He is nice, sexy, and isn't a child. Sorry for breaking your heart, Katara.' Sounds pretty kick ass to me, how about you?"
"Thanks for the ideas," Katara said sarcastically, "And who is this nice, sexy, kick ass Waterbender you speak of?"
Lue pulled Katara closer to him and slung an arm around her shoulders, "I think we know who." He leaned closer to Katara.
"Who is 'we'? I have no clue who you are talking about." Katara said enticingly, and leaned toward him.
Lue leaned in further, so their lips were millimeters away, "Don't lie, you know." Katara wrapped one arm around his neck, playing with a piece of his hair. Lue gently pressed his lips to hers and Katara's eyes snapped open.
"Oh my La. No, no, no, no!" Katara whispered and dropped her arm that was around Lue and scooted away from him.
Lue's eyes snapped open and he pulled the girl onto his lap, "Tar, don't say that. Please."
"No, well, yes, but no. I can't. I want to, hell yes, I want to. But I can't. I'm so sorry." Katara cried and played with her mother's necklace, a habit she had pick up from spending so much time alone, and touching her mother's necklace made her feel like she had her mother there with her.
"Yes you can. He doesn't own you, Tar, you can do what you want." Lue pleaded and grabbed both of her hands. Katara nodded and sighed.
"Aang, he's gone through so much, he doesn't deserve this." Katara tried to convince herself, "Screw this." She said and placed her lips on his, her right arm lacing around his neck, her fingers in his hair. He positioned her so that she was straddling him and he wrapped his arms around her back and swept his tongue along her top lip, begging for her to let him in. She immediately responded, slightly parting her lips. His tongue explored her mouth and Lue's arm found it's way around her waist, pulling her closer to him.
"Hey, Katara, did I leave my headpi- What the fuck?" Zuko stood in the middle of the igloo, staring at his friend and the guy she was just kissing, who was obviously not her boyfriend.
"Oh my La. Zuko, this is not what it looks like, I swear." Katara sputtered out and climbed away from Lue.
"Okay, so you can tell me what it looks like, because it looks like you were just cheating on your boyfriend." Zuko yelled, and pointed to Lue, "And you, I think you need to leave."
Lue glared at Zuko, and then looked at Katara, who was trying to cover herself in blankets, "I think it would be best if you left. Goodnight." She said softly and he stood up and left the igloo.
"Katara," Zuko started, "Why did you do that?"
"Zuko, I owe you no explanations, please get what you came here for and can you burn out the fire? Goodnight." Katara said softly, her eyes were filled with tears.
Zuko grabbed his headpiece and walked over to Katara, and placed a hand on her shoulder, which she shrugged off, "You can't avoid me forever. Tomorrow, breakfast. Please?" He asked, his voice was soft, and full of comfort. Katara nodded and Zuko kissed her forehead, as if she was a four year old girl and he was her father, then burnt the fire and walked out, whispering a goodnight.
If I get one review I will update. Hm. That's easy. So, DO IT. (;