Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender
Author's Note: It occurred to me watching SOFN that Katara must have really been hurt that night Aang pushed her away. It didn't really strike me the first time, but on my second viewing, I thought, "Ouch. That was harsh." This is an extension of that conversation. The beginning part in italics is from the actual scene, followed by my story.
Monster
"Come on. You need a hug," Katara said, moving toward Aang. He stayed out of her reach and bowed to her formally.
"Thank you for your concern, Katara," he said. Then, he turned and walked away.
"Aang, wait."
Reluctantly, Aang stopped but did not turn. He sensed Katara approaching a couple of steps, though she was respecting the new distance he'd put between them. On no account could he allow her to touch him. The new wall he'd built up inside himself couldn't withstand that kind of assault, and he knew it. It would crumble completely if she hugged him.
"Just one more thing, then I promise I'll leave you alone." He didn't move, but she went on anyway. "What would you call a powerful, intelligent creature with no compassion?"
"A monster, I guess."
"Right. So what does the Avatar become if he cuts himself off from his emotions? Just think about that." She brushed past him to find her sleeping place, leaving him frowning after her. Her words, combined with the unmistakable hurt in her voice, were sharp enough to cut through his defenses, just a little. He sealed the hole quickly, but the thought was stuck inside, irritating, like a stone in your shoe.
What if she was right? Was he just setting himself on a path to becoming the very thing he was trying to avoid?
At length, Aang decided that, if he was doomed to spread pain and destruction no matter what he did, he would rather do so without feeling the hurt himself. A little voice in the back of his head tried to tell him there was a flaw there somewhere, but he was simply too weary to care. Maybe, in the morning, he would think about it some more.
And maybe he wouldn't.