I have no idea where this came from. I just thought about Kataangy fluffy goodness, and suddenly, BAM! This idea came up.
It doesn't take place in any particular episode, but I guess it's in the Fire book, at least, because it has some Toph in it.
Jeez, I'm bad. Writing a story and not even knowing when the setting is. X)
Oh. By the way… this is… kinda sappy. It's good, but… sappy. XD But, just like Akuma Sumizome had commented on a previous post… most people love the sappy! lol ;D
Anyways! On to the story! Dun, dun dun duuuuuun! (Pssst! For effect! Ominous music… ooh, what will happen?)
Xxx
Aang looked around. He was… in a field. In an endless field, with an eternity of black and white flowers, delicate and beautiful. The sun was high in the sky, beating its warm rays on his shoulders, and a cool breeze blew across his skin, bending the familiar blooms beneath him.
Panda lilies, Aang thought, and reached down to pick one from its stem. He held it two inches from his nose, studying it for a minute. What did this signify? What did it mean?
All of a sudden, the leaves began to tremble. It shook, and Aang dropped it, shocked. His eyes grew wide as he watched the vibrating flower drift down to his feet, and it seemed to hop up and down on its side from the constant tremors.
Then the petals began to peel back on themselves. The black and white blossom disappeared within its own stem, and then the small piece of what was left of the flower split open, and folded out, revealing a little trinket. The green flesh vanished beneath the small token it had left him, gone forever.
Aang reached down and picked up the delicate chain of woven fishing line.
Sokka's fishing line.
In the middle was a flower. His flower. It was small and pink, and had brought back bittersweet memories. Memories of fortune tellers, and stalkers, and raging volcanoes...and desperate attempts to tell the girl he loved his feelings.
He quickly swallowed the growing lump in his throat. He clutched the necklace, and stuffed it in the pocket of his pants. No tears, he told himself. Absolutely none.
"Aang."
He looked up. Staring straight at him was an old woman, with thick makeup and fancy robes, blowing lazily in the wind. In one hand she held tarot cards, and in another was a cracked bone.
"Aunt Wu?"
She cocked an eyebrow. "What did I tell you about trusting your heart, and shaping your own destiny?"
He swallowed. This was totally weird. "Uh… I…"
Suddenly, everything around him went black. Aunt Wu dissolved into a vapor of glowing ashes, and they gathered along his ankles, and blew away into nothingness.
All that was left were the tarot cards and the cracked bone.
Aang bent over and grabbed the bone. He gripped it in his hand, and it once again brought back painful scenes of ice blue eyes and beautiful smiles.
Then it began to grow warm. Almost hot, even.
His hand began to burn!
"Ow!" He proclaimed, and dropped the bone. As soon as it hit the midnight ground beneath him, it shattered into a thousand pieces, before disintegrating into cinders.
The tarot cards blew towards his feet. He reluctantly picked them up, unsure. He didn't want to, but… a nagging voice in the back of his head told him to do so. When he looked at the pictures, he was stunned at what he saw.
They were flashbacks, pictures that constantly changed. Memories.
His memories.
Finding Katara after he was awoken from his hundred year trance, penguin sledding, going aboard the abandoned Fire Nation ship, getting banished. The tarot card seemed to tell him the series of the past year, his feelings, all things he ever said, did, spoken of, thought about…
The other card, however, was a whole different ball of waspbee wax. It only showed him the memories that he thought of the most. Running away, Aunt Wu's village, the Cave of Two Lovers… everything that he either kept dear to his heart, or he despised so much he would do anything to get them out of his head.
"Hey, Twinkletoes."
He looked up to find Toph standing right in front of him.
She pointed towards the cards in his hands. "Remember those places? Guess what, Airhead? Those good and bad memories are going to haunt you for the rest of your life, whether the war is going to end or not."
He gulped. "Toph, what…"
"Aang, those memories might be with you forever, but you have our help. Go Team Avatar!" There was slight hesitation. "Or… uh.. The Boomeraang Squad! Yeah, I like that one better."
He turned to his right. There was Sokka, shooting him a goofy thumbs-up.
Aang's brow furrowed in frustration. "Sokka, why are you-"
"You are just a child, Avatar."
The airbender whipped around. Zuko was there, menacing, his fists clenched. He was frightening looking with the horrid red scar that occupied his features.
The Fire Nation Prince opened his lips, and muttered, "You're weak, Aang." The teen narrowed his eyes. "Aang."
Then Aang heard Toph and Sokka's voice join in as well. "Aang."
They began to circle around him, unmoving. They just seemed to float on the spot. "Aang."
Aang was beginning to panic. "Guys, what are you…"
"Aang."
"Aang."
"Aang."
"Aang."
Then, with a flash of white, they disappeared from is view. Now he was in a tunnel, a long, dark cave.
A bit of gold crept into the corner of his eye. He whipped his head towards the light, to find a soft, yellow glowing, rippling along the mountains and valleys of the ragged stone walls. In the middle of the light was the black silhouette of a girl.
Aang squinted his eyes, and started to slowly walk toward the person. As he crept closer, she began to look more familiar. An outline of curls rippled down the sides of the body, swirling and curling in majestic tendrils, as if she was underwater. She had an hourglass figure, and her bare feet were just inches off of the ground. She was in a dress, and it was flowing and billowing out around her continuously.
And, slowly, her eyes began to open.
They were blue. A heartbreakingly, amazingly, extraordinarily beautiful blue.
It was Katara.
He reached out a hand to her longingly. "K- Katara?"
She said nothing. But her own graceful hand lifted, and stretched out to touch his own. It was soft and delicate, and seemed to fit just right in his.
"Aang… never give up. You can do this."
It didn't seem to some from her lips. It echoed through the cave, and was soothing and sweet and gentle; everything he would expect from the one girl who could make his heart thump and his stomach take a sudden liking to gymnastics. Her thin fingers enlaced in his, and Aang gripped to her palm as if it were his lifeline.
"Katara…" he swallowed. "You're… you're my everything."
He could see her smile, and dip her head towards his, cupping his chin with one free, smooth hand. He could feel her growing closer and closer, her sweet breath on his face. Her brilliant blue eyes shone, seeming to radiate with their own light, before disappearing behind her luxurious dark lashes. His heart was a sledgehammer in his chest, and his knees were shaking uncontrollably, his breathing shallow. She was so close, her heart-shaped lips slightly pursed. Aang suddenly felt very small under her ravenous beauty.
She was perfect.
No, that was a wrong word… completely. She was far more than perfect. She was kind, gentle, unique, passionate, gorgeous, strong, thoughtful, loyal… and yet, those words didn't seem to fit, either. There was nothing that could explain how incredibly beautiful she was, how she was such a good person, how she had captured his heart the first time he saw her, even if he didn't know it. To this day, he mentally whacks himself upside the head for not realizing it sooner.
She was his life. The reason for living. Aang would be dead by now, if it wasn't for her. She was his savior. Aang would break down if she didn't love him the way he did her. But, how could she possibly? He loved her more than anything. He was positive no one could love more than he felt for this girl. If the amount of attraction she felt for him was the same as the aching in his own heart, he would be truly and utterly taken aback.
She was his motivation, his passion, his love…
Katara was the light at the end of his tunnel.
A small smile played across Aang's content features, and he subconsciously wrapped his free arm around her thin waist. She was a hair's width away. Aang closed his eyes. He could feel the tiniest brushing sensation across his lips…
Then, there was a pull on his grip. His hand was torn from her torso, and she was lurched away from him.
Aang felt astonished at first. She… almost kissed him. Why had she broken away?
Then he realized the growing clenching feeling on his palm. He opened his eyes. What he saw sent his heart beating faster than when he was near Katara, if that was possible.
She was being pulled in. To the glow. The glow that he once thought was pretty and heartwarming, now became the awareness of his love's certain death.
Katara's blue eyes went wide with fright, and something drug her backward into the blinding light with an invisible force so strong that gravity itself could not compare.
Aang held on desperately to her hand and tried to reel her in. "Katara! Hold on!" His bare feet drug against the rocky ground, and stones and pebbles encased the soles of his feet. He winced in pain.
"Aang!"
Her grip slipped until it was just the crook of Aang's fingers was the barrier that came in between her and the glowing light. Dread washed through every fiber of his being. No… no…
Aang glanced behind her. When he looked farther down, he realized in horror that the golden light came from, of all things, fire. The flickering flames at the end of the tunnel threatened Katara's life. The girl he loved.
She breathed heavily as her fright-filled eyes spoke words to him that he knew she could not manage to make emerge from her lips; Please. Help me.
Aang tugged one hard pull. She was not, under any circumstances, going to die while he was standing right there, grasping her hand, as the only thing that could come between her hands certain death. He would not allow it.
Then he heard a throaty, raspy laugh. "Foolish little boy. There is nothing you can do for her. Her life will end today. She will die in flames…" the voice chuckled. "Your flames."
Then Katara's fingers slipped from his, and she was slung back into the roaring fire. A cry of pain echoed from her lips, and her caramel skin began to burn a furious red and black. Her hair was singed, and she began to writhe in the flickering whisps of flame. She couldn't seem to get herself out. She was tstruggled, but something seemed to be forcing her back.
Tears came to Aang's eyes, and cascaded down his cheeks. "No!" He jumped in after her, without hesitation. The element seared his skin, and he bit back a wail; but he was willing to do anything for her.
Anything.
"KATARA!"
xxx
Katara's eyes shot open.
She sat up, her blankets falling from her shoulders. She looked around their campsite; she was positive she had heard somebody scream.
The glowing embers of what was left of their fire stood in the middle. A cold breeze blew in, and Katara shivered and wrapped her arms around herself, goosebumps running up and down her skin. Jeez, it's cold tonight. It shouldn't be. It was early summer.
The waterbender brushed it off with a shrug. Nah, it's probably just a cold front, she thought to herself. It'll pass.
She looked over at the sorry excuse for their wood supply. Only a couple twigs and leaves.
Katara crawled out of her sleeping bag, and pulled on her sandals. Not bothering to get a heavier sheet out from Appa's saddle, she wrapped a blanket around her and tugged it close. Right now, in the bitter cold of the early morning, there was only one thing on her mind; wood.
She stood up from her sitting position, and made her way into the forest surrounding them. The full moon was high in the sky tonight, and provided enough light where she could see.
Katara stepped over a fallen branch. She picked up traces of sticks around her that weren't damp, and small twigs for kindling. She plucked wood piece after wood piece off of the ground, until she felt she had her fill.
Her arms were nearly full. Time to turn around and head towards Sokka and Toph.
But what if this amount wasn't enough?
She was debating on whether or not to go back to camp, when she heard a small sniffle.
Her head shot up in the direction of the sound. It wasn't just quiet cries now. It was sobs, distant sobs that she could hear as clear as day.
"Hello?" She called, and began to walk toward the noises. "Is anybody there?"
She trudged through the greenery, clutching her wood to her chest. Her heart thumped beneath it, and her ands tightened around the sticks. "Hello? Who's…"
Then she saw it. It was a boy. He was curled up in the trunk of a tree, crying and sobbing into his knees, rocking back and forth. His pale skin glowed in the moonlight, and his bare back was facing her. She could spot the smallest hint of blue trailing up his back…
Her eyes widened. Aang.
The wood she was holding clattered to her feet, now the last thing on her mind. She cautiously stepped forward over the sticks. She took another step.
His shoulders were shuddering endlessly, and she could see he was shaking. Trembling uncontrollably.
Katara gave up the thought of a quiet approach. She rushed forward, tripping over weeds and tree roots. She stumbled into the trunk of Aang's tree. Her heart was thumping, and her palms were sweaty; what on earth could make him have such a heartbroken reaction?
The waterbender crouched beside him without hesitation. She cautiously leaned forward and touched his heaving shoulder. "Aang? Aang, what's wrong?"
His head shot up, and turned to look at her.
Katara nearly crumbled at the sight of him.
His eyes were bloodshot, and his face paler than usual, all traces of color washed out from his skin, making it look transparent. His lips were cracked and swollen, and sweat trailed down his neck and shoulders. His knuckles were red and bleeding, the crimson fluid trickled down the backs of his hands, staining his trousers.
Yet, when she felt his eyes lift up at her, she could see relief flood through his face, his shoulders tense and rigid. A small smile lit up his features, tears sliding over his pale lips.
His bloody hand reached out to her. "K…Katara?" His trembling fingers brushed over her cheek; she could feel a blush heating her face. "Katara…"
The last mention of her name was full of contentment. As if… he felt complete.
"Aang?" She forced down the growing lump in her throat. "What's…"
She clenched her jaw shut. She pushed herself not to ask. If it was that devastating for him… she didn't think he would want to talk about it.
They stood there for a minute. Katara crouched by him, Aang cupping her cheek with one scraped hand. His stormy gray orbs bore into hers, wide and filling up with continuous tears. She felt a stinging behind her own eyes, threatening to cascade down her cheeks and onto the dirt ground below them.
All of a sudden, he threw himself onto her, wrapping his arms around her waist in a desperate hug. He broke down right there and then, sobbing endlessly into her shoulder. "Katar-ra… I-I'm so… I t-tried to… I'm-m so s-sor-ry…"
"Ssh…" she rocked him back and forth in her arms. "Ssh… it's okay…"
"N-no, it's n-not… y-you were… t-turned black… burn-ned…"
Her heart was officially ripped out of her chest. Seeing him like this was… was so incredibly depressing and heartbreaking. The tears she had forced back came then, trickling down her cheeks. "Aang… it's not your fault…"
He nodded against her collarbone. "Y-yes, it i-is…" His voice was thick. "H-how could I… l-let you…" he cried even harder, his wails echoing through the woods. "Y-you… you were s-so…"
"Ssh… Aang, it's over…"
"B-but… I shouldn't h-have l-let…"
Katara leaned one temple against the top of his head. His scruffy hair tickled her cheeks. "No, Aang… it's over."
Xxx
The next morning, Aang woke up, tired, his muscles fatigued. He was strangely very warm. A scent filled his nose; fresh sea roses, cool ocean breezes, the faint perfume of peaches…
He rolled over into a warm, cottony feeling of cloth. It practically radiated the smell. He contentedly rubbed his face against the soft, fluffy fabric…
Soft, fluffy fabric?
Aang's eyes shot open, and he bolted into a sitting position. Glancing around, he noticed the wonders of the morning; the new sunrise, the faint trace of night chill, a refreshing feeling of dew. But, strangely, only his face, arms and chest were cold from the morning air, not his lower torso or legs.
He looked down.
He was in a sleeping bag…
…Katara's sleeping bag.
He frantically looked around the campsite. Sokka was snoring away, his mouth hanging open. A thin line of drool stretched away from his gaping lips, and his hands and arms were askew, spreading out like a fan around him. Regular old Sokka.
Toph, as usual, was in her earth tent. She was completely fine from being away from the group, sitting in her dark little room with nothing to disturb her except the vibrations outside.
He glanced across the fire pit. Katara was, obviously, not in her sleeping bag. Instead, she was curled up in a ball, shivering enormously in the thin blanket wrapped around her. Her hair was scattered with pieces of grass and twigs from lying on the bare ground. Her feet were stuffed in her sandals; she had obviously hoped they would give her some kind of warmth.
Aang felt a huge pang of guilt in his chest. She had given up comfort… to make him feel better.
Mentally kicking himself, he thought, Aang, you idiot! You acted like a total wimp last night, and now look! She's practically turning blue!
Crawling out of the sleeping bag, Aang rolled it up into a sloppy ball. He trudged over to Katara, who was tense and still trembling from the bitter cold.
He knelt down beside her. His eyes, completely abandoning his wishes, trailed over her sleeping figure.
Jeez, she was pretty.
He didn't mean to stare at her. He really didn't, but… he couldn't help it. She practically radiated beauty. Especially when she was asleep. She looked so… peaceful. Serene.
But, he could name a million different times when he thought she was the prettiest, too. Sewing Sokka's pants. Knocking somebody upside the head with a water whip. When she was washing clothes. Scrubbing the dirt off of a fussing Momo. Trying her hardest to tear a comb through her chocolate ringlets. Practicing waterbending. Patting Toph on the back for actually helping with a chore. Whooping a Fire Nation soldier's butt. The possibilities were endless.
Aang gingerly cradled her head in one hand, gently pulling her up to lean against his shoulder.
Katara stirred, and sighed in her sleep.
The airbender froze. Please don't wake up, please don't wake up, please don't wake up…
But she continued to doze, breathing in her nose, and puffing a breath out of her mouth. Inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale.
Aang sagged in relief. Whew. That was a close one. He wouldn't dare try to imagine what would happen if she awoke.
Holding Katara with one arm, he spread out the sleeping bag with his hand, and flattened out the crumpled fabric as best he could.
He started to set Katara back in the blankets, but he stopped. Hesitantly, he began to pick the leaves and twigs from her hair. The mahogany waves brushes against his fingers, and he noted the soft sensation against his skin. She smelled exactly like her sleeping bag- only this time, it was even more beautiful.
When all of the scraps were out of her long tresses, he gingerly set her in the sleeping bag. He then tucked the cloth up to her chin, and she snuggled gratefully into the cotton. A small smile quirked on her pink, heart-shaped lips, and her caramel cheeks flushed from the warmth.
He stayed there, watching her for a few minutes.
Then he mentally kicked himself, yet again. Quit… quit staring at her! You're being a creeper!
Nevertheless, he continued to eye her yearningly.
Katara shifted in her sleep, and managed a soft little moan.
Finally snapping to his senses, Aang shot up, and quickly made his way past his friends, and hurried into the woods to meditate. At this point in time, he desperately needed it.
Xxx
Heh. Uh, yeah, sappy… heh. O.o
Uh, hope you liked it, I guess? Anyways, I hate asking this question, but review, please? Feedback! Constructional criticism appreciated! Um, I don't like flames… but who doesn't? Flame me if you want to, though. I haven't been getting may reviews on my other ones… so… yeah. *laughs sheepishly* I would like to know your opinion on this and my other works. I know some of you get irritated (*cough cough*… Awesome-sauce12), but I would really like to know how you like them.
Jeez, I sound pathetic! RAAAAH! *hits self with stick*