This is the sequel to "Beatiful," which is a much more intense version of this story. I won't complain if you read both. Really, I won't. This is for Blue-Kataang who thought I was a little harsh on Katara in "Beautiful."
For clarity, after dropping off Katara and Zuko at Azula's coronation, Appa went off to pick up Aang and the others after the battle with Ozai. Also apply this line of logic to the other "Beautiful" story. Yeah. Now this makes sense.
I don't own avatar. Don't bring it up. It's a sore subject.
More Beautiful
"Yeah!" shouted Sokka ecstatically into Ozai's dismayed face, the wind throwing his mop of tangled hair off the side of Appa's saddle. "You went down! Down with a frown!"
Toph groaned.
"Don't move your leg so much, Sokka," scolded Suki lovingly, trying to push the overexcited warrior to a sitting position.
Toph sighed to herself. No one else heard it.
"The war is over! The war is over!" sang Sokka gleefully.
"Not quite yet," cautioned Aang from the saddle. "We still don't know how Zuko and Katara did against Azula."
"Fire Lord Azula!" spat Ozai.
"More like Fire Lord Poop Master," taunted Sokka.
Ozai grumbled incoherently to himself.
"I'm sure they did fine," comforted Suki. "There's no way Azula could do that much to them if they fought together, right?"
"I'm not so sure," muttered Aang grimly. "She did a lot to me." He pointed at the mark on his back. Suki grimaced.
Aang steered the giant bison towards the Fire Nation capital. The sky didn't look so red anymore. The war really was over. No matter what happened between Azula, Zuko, and Katara, Aang had fulfilled his duties as the Avatar, completed his rite of passage. It made him feel full, actually. He had nothing to think about, to brood over anymore, save for his two friends whose fates had been decided as he was crafting his own. And, with nothing else to worry about, his mind could only settle on the confused girl who wished he had never kissed her, the one he wished only to kiss once more.
Zuko was waiting to greet them as the sky bison touched down. There was retching in the background, as well as what sounded like occasional explosions.
"It's just my sister," explained Zuko, gesturing over to a grate on the side of the courtyard. She was tied to her knees, trapped in a perpetual bow to peasants and traitors, and she couldn't handle it. Tortured tears evaporated from her face as she breathed fire aimlessly out her mouth at aberrations only she could see. She panted, she gasped, she wheezed.
Toph loved every minute of it.
"You!" bellowed Ozai to his son. "Traitor! Disgrace to the Fire Nation!"
"Hi, Dad," said Zuko with uncharacteristic cheer.
"Shut up, Loser Lord," said Sokka as Suki helped him off Appa's saddle ("Careful! There's a tough spot right… here. Okay, you're almost down. Now lean into me right here so I can break your fall. Good!")
"You know what I think we should do with her, Twinkle Toes?" asked Toph, gesturing towards Azula.
Aang grinned. "I would be honored," he said, wringing his hands together as he approached the grate.
"Come from behind," warned Zuko. "She can still breathe fire from her mouth."
Moments later Azula had collapsed to the ground, unconscious and drooling, and Aang was struggling for the strength to remain standing.
"Wow," said Zuko. "What was that? Some crazy avatar thing?"
"He took away his bending!" bragged Sokka. "Just like he did for your big, bad dad over there!"
"A giant lion turtle taught him how," explained Toph.
"Um, right," said Zuko, scratching his head.
"I don't think I can do that again," Aang panted, trudging up to the rest of the group.
"I don't think you'll need to anymore," said Toph with a smile.
"Hey," said Aang, looking around the courtyard. "Where's Katara?"
"Um, right. Katara," said Zuko uneasily. He took a deep breath. "Aang, I have to tell you something you're not going to like."
Aang's eyes widened, his energy returning in the form of borderline panic. "What happened to Katara?" he demanded. "Zuko, what happened? What did Azula do?"
"She caught me off guard," said Zuko, hanging his head. "I thought I could beat her myself, and now… Katara says she can't face you anymore."
Aang stared into Zuko's downcast eyes, searching for something that could explain what he meant, what he was hiding.
"Why?" he asked, his voice soft and hurt.
"She says you won't like her anymore," said Zuko sadly. "Azula hit her with a fire blast on the side of her face. She has burns all over."
Sokka gasped and Aang collapsed to his knees.
"Can't she heal them, though?" asked Toph.
"I tried to tell her," pleaded Zuko, "but she wouldn't listen. She was so upset that she just left the burns, and then she told me that you wouldn't like her anymore if you knew she wasn't beautiful."
"She must be in so much pain," said Suki sympathetically.
"Can I talk to her at least?" asked Aang desperately.
"She said she doesn't want to see you again."
Aang put his head in his hands, feeling his skin soak up the water from his eyes.
"What about me?" asked Sokka anxiously. "Can I talk to her?"
"I'm sorry, Aang," said Zuko, ignoring Sokka's question.
"Zuko," sobbed Aang. "I don't just like Katara. It's so much more than that." He glanced uneasily at Sokka with red, watery eyes. "I love her. And I love her because of who she is." He sobbed and dropped his head. "And I still would her even if she weren't beautiful."
"I'm sorry," repeated Zuko.
"Can I talk to her?' asked Sokka again.
"If only," said Aang with a hiccup. "If only I could tell her that myself. Before it was too late."
Aang wept as maturely as he possibly could. It didn't matter anymore if she was confused. It was over. Everything was over. War. Romance. Fighting. Love. Now all that was left was vast emptiness. A pit in his stomach. He wanted to throw up. There was nothing left to throw up but tears.
"Why are you grinning, Toph?" asked Suki scornfully. "What's there to be happy about?"
"You might want to look up, Twinkle Toes," said Toph haughtily.
Aang obeyed, and through blurry eyes he saw Katara walking towards him and into the courtyard. He rubbed his eyes, just to be sure. She wore her blue Water Tribe kimono, her hair in a long braid with loops over her forehead, like when they first met. She walked elegantly, her hands behind her back. Smiling sweetly. Blushing.
Aang rubbed his eyes again. Just to be sure.
"Katara!" exclaimed Sokka with relief.
"Your face!" said Suki. "It's not burnt at all!"
"But then why…?" began Aang, straightening his back to stare at her in awe. He wiped the moisture off his cheeks with his forearm.
Katara knelt down in front of him. "I'm sorry to test you like that," she said soothingly. "I just needed to make sure you weren't like Jet who liked me for no other reason than because I was pretty."
Sokka opened his mouth to say something but Suki blocked it with her hand.
"You were testing me?" asked Aang in disbelief. Without warning he broke out into a trademark grin. "Don't ever do that to me again. I was seriously worried about you!"
"I know," said Katara apologetically. "I'm sorry. But I just needed to know if you really meant it on the day of the invasion."
Aang leaned forward and pushed his lips into hers, the salty water meshing with the sweet taste of her tongue and the fragrance of feminine flesh. He rested his hand on her shoulder, just like on the Day of Black Sun, but this time she did the same, pulling him into her.
"I thought you were confused," panted Aang, breathing warmly on her lips.
"I used to be," whispered Katara.
She put her hand behind Aang's head and pushed him back into her.
"Not to interrupt," complained Sokka, "but can't you do that somewhere else? I'm just saying."
Aang and Katara stared at the Water Tribe warrior for a moment. Then Aang lifted his arm, bending an earthy wall between them and their disconcerted audience. Now he could stroke her hair and feel her body heat and taste her lips without distraction.
And while he knew he would adore her no matter how she appeared, he also knew that she was undoubtedly more beautiful than anyone else he had ever known. And he liked it.
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I've been trying to do that earth bending wall thing for so long and finally it works! My work here is done.
I can imagine Ozai watching the two new lovers, taking notes, looking around to make sure no one else sees.
I promised Katara I'd post this if she did well enough on my finals (read "That Time of Year" if you don't know what I'm talking about). I've got enough grades back to determine that she not only deserves to have a romantic moment with Aang but she also gets to keep her face. I hope you were all okay with that.
Happy Avatar Day or whatever you normal people celebrate this time of year,
-samtana