This was just an odd little idea and I ran with it. It was actually inspired by a picture off DeviantArt by BeybladerSteph-chan called "Katara and Aang for Maranda" it's a totally cute picture so check it out.
Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar
A Penny Doll For Your Thoughts
It was a time Katara wished she could forget. It was her birthday. Her sixteenth birthday.
But how could she be happy when it was the two year anniversary of her best friend's death?
Aang's death.
……
"So you're turning fourteen tomorrow, how does it feel?" Aang teased he was twelve years old at the time and was just as excited as Katara was about her fourteenth birthday. Katara just nodded, she giggled a little at his ways of communication. He might've been young but he was rather wise beyond his years, much less to Katara's understanding.
"Okay Aang you've been asking me that for two weeks now, stop it." She punched his arm playfully but he still winced and rubbed his arm; she just rolled her eyes and stepped up to her door. "I'll see you." She waved but quickly put her hand down when she saw the utter seriousness on Aang's face.
"Aang?" she whispered feeling a little uncomfortable. He just stepped up to the door as well coming face to face with her at a dangerously close distance. His face was red but unfazed at her slightly scared motions and just grabbed both of her hands and looked deep into her eyes.
"Aang," Katara repeated again. It wasn't a questioning this time it was more like she was trying to say something but just stopped after his name. But Aang couldn't wait any longer.
"I love you," He said. So simply, so effortlessly Katara had no reason not to believe he meant every word of it. She didn't even realize he was kissing her, it just felt so natural, like she was meant for this moment. Jus him and her standing on her dimly lit doorstep, kissing.
"Wait, Aang, no." She whispered urgently enough against his lips so that Aang stopped kissing her. She saw the hurt in his eyes and the jogging adults pass by them with wide eyes as the street lights came on illuminating more than just the street.
"It's okay," Aang sighed. "You don't have to answer now you can answer me at the party; I'm giving you the greatest present ever!" He threw his arms up to emphasize his excitement and jumped off the doorstep running off into the street happily. Katara smiled; touching her lips gingerly to savor the feeling of Aang's soft lips making contact with hers.
So the next day was her birthday and everyone had arrived to the party but one special person. Katara was ready to give him her answer, she was ready to tell him that she loved him too, she was ready to be with him regardless of anything or anyone.
"I have to take the bus to your party so I'll be a tad bit late, don't worry I'll be there as soon as I can." Was the last thing Aang said to her, little did she know though. It was only hours after she didn't show up, and a call from Aang's orphanage that he was in a car accident and was fatally hurt that Katara rushed over to the hospital regardless of her ongoing party.
"Is he going to be okay?" Katara asked once she made her way over there. But the doctors just looked sad and this made her worry even more. Being an orphan, Aang had no one to be there for him—the only way he had gotten there was because some kind people on the bus got him a room and everything—so she and later her parents sat at Aang's side. The beeping on the monitor was far too apart for Katara's liking. That is until the beeping stopped, being replaced by a constant ring.
"I'm sorry miss but your friend, Aang, he didn't make it. He was the only death in the accident and I'm sorry he had to go at this young age but I'm sure………" The doctor's voice slowly faded in Katara's mind when her attention went on the dead boy before her.
"He did want you to have this," The doctor's voice re-entered her mind when he handed her a small pink box. "He kept mumbling something about how he had to get this present to you and how it would help you cope." Katara grabbed the small box quickly and opened it to reveal Aang's perfect present.
A small penny doll of a bald little boy dressed in red and yellow clothing.
…………
Katara was sixteen now, much too old to be playing with dolls. But there was something strange and eerie about that doll, like Aang's soul was wrapped around it somehow.
"Katara dinner's ready!" Her mother, Kya, called, but after ten minutes of no response Kya came up to her room herself. "Katara I said dinner is-"
"Oh, I heard you," Katara snapped; sniggling her doll to her chest. "I'm not hungry."
"But it's your birthday Katara, at least try to be happy." No one had seen Katara smile ever since her fourteenth birthday and she didn't plan to until Aang was back with her.
"I don't want to celebrate my stupid birthday. Why would I want to celebrate on the day Aang died?!" Kya covered her mouth. She often missed Aang. Katara and him had been so close for so long it was still a shock that he was really gone. But Katara was taking it harder than anyone.
"Alright, just if you want something to eat come down, there's plenty." She exited Katara's room and left her alone with her penny doll. She had decided to name the doll after Aang since in a way it kind of looked like him. Even though the doll was bald with a strange arrow on his head it oddly reminded it of him.
"Oh, Aang," Katara sighed hugging her doll tighter. "You're the only one who understands me, you and no one else." She kissed the doll just as she always did, not caring if it was a little awkward she loved that doll for all it was worth, because Aang gave it to her.
"I'm giving you the best present ever!"
"He kept mumbling something about how he had to get you this present to you and how it would help you cope."
Katara closed her eyes as the flashbacks haunted her memory.
"I'm so sorry Aang, I wasn't able to tell you what I thought of you. I wasn't able to tell you how much I love you." She apologized to him every day for never telling him right then and there. "I love you Aang, so much." Every time after she told him that she would think she heard his voice, laughing and giggling how he loved her too.
She suddenly felt very sleepy so she placed the doll on her pillow while she changed into her sleeping shirt. She wasn't even going to bother eating that night, it would only make her sadder.
"Good night Aang," She whispered, shining a smile at the penny doll. It was the only thing Katara ever smiled at, the only thing that would ever make her happy.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
It was late that night and Katara knew she wouldn't be able to sleep that long. Ever since Aang's death her and sleep weren't the best of friends. But she felt a weird vibe coming from behind her and she turned to see…….her doll, he lifeless inanimate penny doll staring at her with human eyes in a human body.
"Waaaaa!" Katara yelled but her doll cover her mouth.
"Shhh," she whispered. "Don't let anyone know I'm here. It would ruin everything."
"Who are you? Where's my doll, where's Aang?" The strange boy just smiled at her, a smile that looked exactly like Aang's.
"I am Aang." He beamed, hugging her tightly. "I'm so glad you've finally got this present to work!" Katara blushed at the young bald boy oddly hugging her in her bed.
"Okay what kind of strange twist of fate is this that my doll came to life and is claiming he's Aang?" Katara asked herself quietly and Aang just laughed again.
"You're the one who's been calling me Aang for the past two years. But that was also the name of my previous owner."
"Pre-previous owner?"
"Mm hmm, my previous owner was named Aang but he gave me up to give to you." He snuggled tightly into her chest just as she always put him, when he was a doll though.
"Hey get off of me!" She pushed him away roughly almost sending him off the bed. "Okay rewind and freeze here. You're saying that you're a living doll that Aang used to have and he gave you to me for my birthday two years ago, and just now you decide to transform after all this time?"
"Transform?" Aang looked surprised but still smiled. "I've always been this way, you just haven't noticed."
"Okay now I'm confused," Katara mumbled, only to feel him snuggle up to her again.
"You know Aang loved you very much," he stated; snuggling further into her. Katara suddenly found herself blushing, this person had to be at least twelve, thought she never was against age differences.
"Why are you here Aang?" She asked sometime later, placing a warm hand on his back. He felt so much like Aang it actually scared her to the point that she might even fall in love with her doll.
"Because you need me," he said simply. "You need him don't you?" Katara just nodded miserably and leaned her head atop his, feeling at home there.
"You remind me of him, Aang, I don't' know why but you always did." Aang smiled.
"Tell me," He whispered to her so many moments later. "Tell me what you tell me every day." Katara looked back at him after he finished speaking. His eyes were sparkling in the same manner Aang's did.
This person, this doll it was Aang. Katara knew it was.
"I love you," she said just as simply and effortlessly as he did the day he told her that same thing and then she kissed. So roughly, so passionately it was enough to prove to them both that they were in love.
"How much?" Aang asked after they spread apart.
"So much." And they kissed again. Katara didn't know how it happened but somehow this doll was Aang as well. He had his touch, his kiss, his scent it was all the same as she remembered two years ago. It was him no matter what same of form he came in.
She had never been happier.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
It was five months, the greatest months of Katara's life. She would rush home from school and lock herself in her room to be with him for the rest of the day. Then dread waking up in the morning only to leave the comfort of his arms.
"Morning sleepy." Aang greeted those five months later.
"Morning," she sighed, hugging his bare shoulders. "Summer vacation's almost here." She had been reminding him of that for the past month. "Then we'll be able to be together all the time."
"You can't be locked up in your room with me all summer."
"Yes I can," she looked over at him for a moment. "Why is it that you can't go out of this room?" She had been wondering that ever since one day when she tried to pull out of the room to show her parents and he strongly refused.
"I'm only real to you Katara; no one else can see me like this." Katara sighed, he had told her this once before now that she thought of it, but it sounded worse to hear it a second time.
"Well, we still have the summer." She leaned on to his shoulder again only to be torn apart by her mother's scream to get out of bed and go to school.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
"Aang I'm back!" She greeted happily only to see that he wasn't there. "Aang?"
"Katara, come out and help with the garage sale." Kya ordered.
"Mom, do you know where my penny doll went?" she asked, a few small tears forming in her eyes.
"Well, your brother is out there selling it in the sale. I thought you didn't play with that old doll anymore."
"No mom!" Katara screamed, crying in full force by then. "That was what Aang gave me for my fourteenth birthday! It was the last thing I had to remember him and it's gone!"
"Oh honey I'm sorry, but your brother sold it hours ago." Katara just cried harder, and Kya hugged her for reassurance.
"We can try to track it down," she suggested.
"No, mom, it's too late it's gone. Aang's gone."
So she cried that night, just as hard as the night she'd lost him the first time.
"Katara….." A faint voice called and Katara immediately perked her head up. She knew that voice.
"Aang?"
"Katara you need to let me go." It was Aang. Not the doll but really him. The Aang Katara had known all those years ago. "I can't ruin your life anymore."
"How can you say that Aang, you're finally here and you just tell me to let you go……then why'd you give me that stupid doll in the first place if I would just have to let you go in the long run?"
"I gave you the doll to let out your feelings of hurt and sorrow, but now you need to let them go. Let me go Katara."
"No, Aang I-I can't….I won't!" She ran up to him and hugged him, His whole body was cold and blue tinted but just the fact that she was in his arms was good enough.
"I'll still love you, Katara, I always will no matter what happens but you need to let your attachment to me go and live your life with the love I give helping you your by your side." He kissed her forehead and stopped her when she moved to kiss his lips.
"Will I ever….." He placed a gentle hand on her lips to silence her.
"We'll meet again, I promise, when it's your time I'll be waiting.
And just like that he was gone.
Aang.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
It was six years later that Katara and her co-worker were walking back to work after a lunch break that something extraordinary happened.
"Hey, Katara look at this weird thing." Her friend said, looking in the window of a store. "Have you ever seen something like this?"
"Like what?" Katara asked looking up at the clouds.
"It looks like a penny doll, a cute little bald boy with blue arrows." Katara's head snapped once she heard its description and dashed into the store. And there she saw it.
A small penny doll of a bald little boy dressed in red and yellow clothing.
"Excuse me," Katara asked the sales man. "But where did you get this doll?"
"Oh no one's picked up that doll in years. We brought it at a garage sale about five or six years ago. When the kids grew out of toys, though, we kept it in the store. Would you like to buy it?"
"Yes, please." Katara nodded vigorously as she paid the man and held the doll close to her chest, just as always.
Katara was 22 now, much too old to be playing with dolls. But she was far too mature and far too in love with Aang to care.
I don't know if I like the ending, but that's the end.
Review this story and you'll receive your own penny doll of the person you love.