AN:

Billeh did the proof reading! Thank you )

Previously on Avatar:

- - -

"I can't contact Roku anymore... I fear the cycle is broken when I got wounded in the Avatar State", Aang mumbled, sitting with cross legs in front of Katara, Sokka and Toph.

- - -

"And now? The end of summer is coming nearer. He needs to fight the firelord or we're all doomed", Sokka shouted nervously.
"I know, I know!", Aang tore his hair. "But I need a firebending teacher for that!"
"We're in the firenation now, it can't be that hard to find someone!", Sokka answered.
"He has to be on our side when he's teaching Aang", Katara stated.

- - -

Book 3: Fire Aangs Firebending teacher

Aangs first lesson in firebending took place on a terrace of which the firenation city had many. It was usual that firebending was trained and taught on these terraces so nobody would become suspicious when seeing them train there, especially because they were still in their disguises.
Aang wore his firenation clothing, the grey and black uniform with the red stripes. He used the belt as a headband, hiding the part of the arrow his hairs couldn't have covered. Just his light, grey eyes told that he wasn't from the firenation.
With him and Zuko was Katara who had accompanied Aang, wearing her red firenation clothing as well and having her thick, brown hair trimmed in the usual firenation-style. She had sat down at the edge of the terrace to watch the lesson.

Zuko and Aang stood opposite each other, examining each other with stern faces.
The tension that had been build up from the first second of their first 'peaceful' encounter was still there. You could almost feel it, the air thickened between them.
"Okay!", cut Zukos voice through the silence. "You'll need to do what I tell you to do. Ok?", he said harshly – and that was the worst way he could have began the training. Aang frowned. "Now stand straight, apart your feet from each other." Aang did how he was told to and Zuko stared at him with increasing chagrin. "Not like that!"
"Then how?!", shouted Aang angrily and got back to a normal stance. That was ridiculous! The guy who has been chasing him for months was now his firebending teacher?! The guy who never wanted to be friends with him, who had kicked fire in his direction as he has offered him friendship?
"Like this!" Zuko showed him how he had to take a stance and Aang was imitating it. The both stared at each other with stern faces.
"And now?", Aang asked nerve-racked.
"Close your eyes and concentrate on feeling the sun!"
"I'm supposed to do what?! I already did that! I've got enough of it!", Aang shouted aghast.
"Go back into your stance!", growled Zuko. Aang obeyed reluctantly.
"But I already learned that feeling of the sun, all the breathing and stuff! I already bended fire and..."
"When you can all this, why do you need someone to teach you then?!", Zuko answered. Aang noticed a glance lying on his face. It was Katara, who was sending him a reassuring smile and Aang gulped. He didn't want to disappoint her. So he gritted his teeth and closed his eyes. After a few minutes he blinked.
"Close your eyes!", Zuko commanded. Aang again closed his eyes. He tried to concentrate on the sun, but quickly his thoughts wandered to other things. They ended up in the past in the southern airtemple where the other monks had been. Where monk Gyatso had been. Aang gulped. The monk had never shouted at him, no matter what he had done. A smile spread across Aangs face.
"What do you feel?", Zukos voice interrupted Aangs thoughts. He opened his eyes.
"Huh?"
"What did you feel?!", Zuko repeated frowning.
"Erm... nothing", Aang admitted honestly.
"Damn it! I told you to concentrate on the sun!" Zuko vent his anger in a darting flame.
"Zuko!", Katara admonished, raising her hands a bit.
"What?!", he shouted at her. "How am I supposed to teach him something when he never pays attention?! How can someone like him just be the Avatar?! He has no idea what it means to carry the burden to save the world!" Zuko snorted. "He's a child..."
"Don't shout at her!", Aang said coldly to Zuko. "It's not her fault! – And when I'm supposed to save the world very soon, then why do I learn how to sunbathe?! I'm here to learn firebending!"
"But for that you need the sun! You got nothing!"
"With waterbending it's the moon which makes it more powerful, but while learning waterbending I never sat down to feel the moon! Katara is a much more better teacher than you!", Aang stated.
"She's just to indulgent with you!", Zuko answered harshly. They glared at each other and the tension between them increased with every second.
"Stop that, guys!" Katara, who got up, raised her hands. Now the both glared at her.
"Oh no, first this jerk has to apologise to me!", growled Zuko.
"No way..." Aang folded his arms in front of his chest. "You started it!"
"Who started it?!"
"It's enough now!" Katara gesticulated widely with her arms. "Stop it!"
"She's right. Let's stop the teaching." Now Zuko was folding his arms.
"Good idea!", Aang answered and looked away.
"Are you crazy?", Katara asked furiously. "Where am I? In the kindergarten?"
"Ask him." Zuko pointed at Aang.
"You're the right one who says that", was the response. Katara tore her hair. "Let's go, Katara." Aang was about to go.
"Aang! Stay! You need to learn firebending!"
"He'll never learn that. Let him go so we both adults can get a rest from his childish behaviour", interfered Zuko
"She'll come with me!", Aang said between gritted teeth.
"If I were you I wouldn't be so self-confident about that, after all it was her who accepted me first to join your little group."
Aang gritted his teeth. Damn, Zuko was right. Katara had believed him that he wanted to help the Avatar to learn firebending. She even had convinced the others to let him join. That was why Aang had been against Zuko this much. That was why he was watching the distance between Kataras and Zukos arms right now. That was why he felt so jealous and why he hated Zuko for joining the group.
"I won't go with anyone of you anywhere", Katara responded. "We'll all stay here and learn firebending! Please..." Aang bit his under lip. He couldn't stand her crystal eyes. He started to think, to balance pros and cons. He knew that he had to learn how to bend fire. On the other hand... He looked at Zuko, who grinned, obviously pleased how things turned out.
"When you apologise to me I'll start teaching you again", he said. Aang gulped. Why apologising? Geez, he hadn't done a thing!
"Come on, Aang", mumbled Katara and sent him a begging glance. "Please, don't be that childish!" Like a flash her last sentence stroke his heart, broke it into two.
I'm nothing more than a child to her... A little brother... nothing else...
"I understand!" He grabbed his staff, kicked it to swirl around so the wings shot up. With on jump he was in the air.
"Aang!" Katara couldn't reach him anymore, not even with her voice. She closed her eyes and sank her head. Zuko watched her. "I'm sorry", she said suddenly. "Normally he isn't that..."
"... childish?", Zuko tried to help her out.
"No, he's often like that", she smiled. "I meant his stubborn behaviour. Usually he tries to be friends with everyone..."
"Don't you think we could have been friends too?"
"I know", Zuko answered and Katara shot a questioning glance at him which he ignored. "You two seemed to get along very well."
"Uhm...", sad Katara.
"I mean, he seems to... admire you", Zuko added.
"Uhm.. well... That... may be..." Katara coughed a bit embarrassed. Zuko raised his eyebrows. He wanted to know more, now his interest was sparked.
"I think he really likes you."
"I... I know." Katara was playing with her hair, wishing she had a staff like Aang so she could get away from here as fast as possible. Zuko watched her. She was pretty, especially now with the blush creeping over her cheeks.
"And you like him, too", he grinned which made her blush even more.
"I-I-I", she stammered.
"You should go find him. I think there are some things you should discuss. Plus there is this firebending he needs to learn..." He shot a grin at her and Katara smiled back. "Now look if you can bring this stubborn child back."
"Yes!" Katara nodded and went.

Aang had flown upright in the air so Katara was searching for him at the upper terraces. She found him quickly on the second terrace about the one they had been with Zuko. He was playing with the marbles he had always with him. When he noticed Katara a smiled spread over his face. She knelt down next to him and gave him a serious glance.
"Have you calmed down?", she asked.
"Calmed down?", he repeated. "Ah, cause of Zuko! He's just an idiot." He raised his shoulders and smiled at her.
"He's your only chance, Aang... Plus he's really nice when you get to know him", she told him and Aang tensed immediately.
She thinks he's nice... Oh great... Nice means she likes him... maybe even lov-... oh man...
"Is this the reason for you being always on his side?", he asked, staring somewhere but not at Katara.
"What? But I'm not on his side...", she contradicted.
"Oh yeah? And why are you here? Cause he sent you to search me, right?"
"Yes... he did...", she admitted weakly. "But.. that's not the point! This is not about Zuko, or me and not even you. It's about the future of the world. You alone can make it. Everyone build his hope on you, Aang! So please pull yourself up, Aang and think of you duty!", she begged. With a wild gust of air Aang got up on his feet. His grey eyes had become dark and cloudy.
"What do you think I'm doing all day, Katara? What's haunting me in my dreams? I see that I run out of time! And it won't become better when my teaching in firebending takes longer than necessary due to 'feeling the sun'!" He gulped and blinked the first tears away. "I thought you'd understand me... but obviously.. I was wrong." He grabbed his staff and again he was with a gust of air in the sky. This time forgetting all precautions and flying with his glider above the city to hide somewhere, leaving Katara back speechless.

- - -

It took Katara 2 hours till she found Aang. After about an hour Katara had started to take ever measure in terms of finding Aang in the quickest way.
Without Appa she probably wouldn't have found Aang either who had left the city and hidden on a plateau nearby. After Appa had landed she slowly approached the young airbender, who sat there, his face buried in his crossed arms he had laid down on his knees. She sat down next to him looking at the horizon.
"We all make big mistakes. When we see you bend, no matter if air, water or earth, then we see and feel your unbelievable power. Let alone your power when being in the Avatar State..." She was silent for a minute and watched his huddled form next to her. "But what we forget to see is that you aren't that strong. In contrast. You're still a child..."
Aang uttered a dull sound, that sounded like a sob. He raised his head and on his face glistened silver paths his tears had left.
"Everyone I meet tells me that I'm the Avatar and that I'm supposed to save the world. I can see the hope in their eyes... but... I don't know if I can live up to it..." He sobbed.
"Aang..." Katara laid her hand on his shoulder. It hurt her so much to him like that, so disillusioned and lost.
"I don't even know how to bring back the harmony to this world. I have no idea how to save the world..." Tears ran down his cheeks. Katara hugged him carefully and let his head rest against her shoulder.
"Maybe Avatar Roku can help..."
"Last time I tried I wasn't able to connect to the spirit world, so why should it work now?", he answered.
"Maybe you just weren't ready..." Aang laughed at her words, but it sounded doleful.
"I've heard this so often now... That I'm not ready yet... And I know that I am not. But I know, too, that all I've got is this summer to become ready! I'm running out of time.. and I can do nothing about it!" Katara stroked his back and mumbled soothing words. Aang leant weakly against her, feeling so secure and comfortable in her embrace. "I can't make it. This burden.. is just to heavy for me to carry..." He closed his eyes to stop the tears from coming out.
"And there is no one who could take this burden for you, Aang. Not even me, no matter how much I'd be willing to do...", Katara said in a low tone. "I know that there isn't much I can do, but I want to promise you something: No matter how long your journey will be and how difficult and no matter to which place it will lead you. I will be always at your side, Aang." She placed a light kiss on his temple and he backed a bit away from her so he could look her in the oceanblue eyes and beam lovingly smile at her.
"It means... a lot to me that you say that", he said softly and Katara smiled, blushing lightly.
"You aren't on your own, Aang. You've got friends. We'll help you. Together, we'll make it!" She smiled and Aang felt relieved and as if the burden on his shoulders lost a lot of weight. He respired.
"And.. this with Zuko...", he mumbled a bit embarrassed. "I... I think I was.. kinda.. jealous." Katara couldn't help but jiggle a bit.
"I know", she smiled. "But don't worry, even if he wouldn't have sent me to search you, I would have gone...", she added then, blushing a bit. Aangs heart started to beat faster.
Does that mean?!
"Ka-Katara...", he started, but she interrupted him.
"Close your eyes", she said.
Wow!
He closed his eyes.
"What do you feel?", she asked him. He was about to open his eyes, but he felt a light swing of the air when Katara shook her head. "So... what do you feel...?" He concentrated. For that he crossed his legs and laid his hands on his knees.
"I feel the air", he answered after a few seconds. He felt the wind caressing his cheeks, drying the wet paths the tears had left there. He felt Kataras warm breath joining the wind. And he felt the air going in and out of his lungs with every breath he took.
"And the water?", Katara asked after a while. He concentrated. He felt the water his body was made of, he felt Kataras body next to him. He felt the groundwater deep under him. And he felt the dampness in the air.
"Yes."
"Earth", Katara mumbled and Aang concentrated again. He was sitting on earth, he could feel the weathered stone under himself.
"Hmmm..."
"Good, and now fire."
"But here's no fire!" He was about to open his eyes, but Katara covered them with her hand.
"Focus!", she whispered. He tried to. Suddenly he felt her lips softly on his cheek, short and quick like the stroke of a butterflies wings. He could feel the heat raging through his body. There is was, the fire within him. And he felt an other fire. It was burning on his skin.
"The sun", he said, smiling and he could feel how Katara was nodding next to him.
"You got it, Aang." She took her hand away and he saw directly in her pretty face with the blue eyes looking at him. He grinned at her.
"Thanks, Katara." She smiled as a reply. "I'm sorry what happened today..."
"It's okay Aang...", she reassured him. "And... I'm sorry for calling you childish and a child."
"But I am", Aang replied with a sweet smile.
"Yes but... I said it as if it would be something bad..."
"So it isn't?", he wondered. Katara shook her head and she looked up to the sky, a soft blush forming on her cheeks.
"Well... that is what I love most about you", she said quickly.
Aang needed a few seconds to get the meaning of this sentence.
"That.. that means...", he stumbled while Kataras whole face had turned to some colour between pink and a deep red.
"I think so...", she said, still not looking at him.
"Wow", he grinned. "Katara I... I feel the same...", he said then. Katara couldn't help but smile. He approached her a bit and Katara, finally, looked at him. Aang screwed up his courage and bend a bit forward. Carefully Aang placed his lips on Kataras. The time stood still. She laid her arms around him and pulled him closer. Aang smiled and became a bit more brave and kissed her with more passion.
He put all his love he had in this one kiss and he felt, how he became as light as the air, at the same time as firm as the earth, as vitally alive as the water and as passionate as the fire.

And he could feel the sun on his skin and the fire in his heart and he knew that he was able to learn how to bend fire and that he was able to discharge his duty.

The End