Aang breathed in deeply and held the leaf in front of him. He had to conquer fire to stop the war. A bird flew over head and he turned his head to look at it, in that split second the fire escaped his hold and spread to the edge of the leaf singeing his fingertips. "Oww!" He yelped dropping the leaf, he watched it tumble down and land with a small splash in the shallow stream. Slowly it began to flow down river on the current.

Katara sat on a nearby tree stump had been watching, when she saw his attention stray she stood up and headed over to him. She smiled and took his hands dipping them into the cold stream. Both of their hands began to glow and the small wounds disappeared.

"Thanks Katara."

Katara smiled, "Your welcome Aang, now keep trying, you'll get it, I'm sure of it." She gave him a reassuring smile and headed back to the tree stump to sit and watch.

Aang nodded and jumped into the air taking a small leaf from the tree that's branches overhung across the small stream. Landing gently back down on the rock in the middle of the stream he slid into a cross-legged position.

He stared at the leaf and breathed in, I can't do this, he thought. If only I hadn't run away, the war wouldn't have even started, it's all my fault. He glanced up at Katara who still had a reassuring smile on her face, he smiled back getting a slight pink tint to his cheeks. Well, if I had stayed, I never would have met Katara. And even if I can't ever fire bend I'll at least try for her.

With this final thought he looked up more confident and held the leaf out for Sokka to light. Sokka bent forward and lit the small leaf with a lit stick from their campfire. Aang held it by his fingertips and concentrated keeping the fire in the center of the leaf. Breathing in and out in a steady rhythm he sat on the rock in the middle of the stream taming fire. Minutes passed, maybe hours, Aang really didn't know, he had lost track of time, but it suddenly felt different. Smiling slightly he let the fire burn in a small circle outward leaving the leaf charred. Then the fire pulled back in and hovered in the air in the center of the burnt hole.

Aang let go of the leaf with one hand and slid it underneath the flame holding the flame in place. With his other hand he slowly lifted the leaf up from the flame and to his side. He let it go and watched it slowly float back and forth until it landed in the water sending a small ripple to the edges of the stream. Then the current caught it and swept it down stream. Turning his head back to the fire still floating above his other hand he closed his fist, and the flame disappeared.

If only I had been this patient earlier, Aang thought with a sigh.

"Aang, dinner's ready." Katara's voice floated to his ears and he smiled and looked up at her. He waded to shore and thought happily, Maybe the wait had been worth all of it's 'ifs'.