The Oasis by Aang-mega-fan

Aang, Katara, Sokka, Momo and Appa were gliding across the surface of the sea. They had not set foot on land for two days and they were growing very hungry.

"Any sign of land yet?" Sokka groaned. "I'm starving!"

His stomach let out a loud growl.

"Not that I can see." Katara sighed. "Wait! What's that up ahead?"

They all jumped up and saw an island up ahead. Aang pulled out a map of the four kingdoms, but saw no such island on the map.

"This island has no name. I can't see it anywhere on the map."

"Who cares what it's called. Food at last!" Sokka shouted as he jumped up and down. Aang steered Appa and they landed on the most beautiful sandy beach they had ever seen. Palm trees, fruit trees, flowering trees of all different colours. Pink, white, yellow, orange and violet. The site was amazing. They walked further up the beach and built a camp.

"We should stay here for a few days." Katara said. "Appa looks exhausted after flying for two days without any rest." She patted Appa admiringly.

"We should gather some more food if we're going to stay here for more than a day. Our supplies are running low." Aang pointed to the small bag of fruits and bread that they had collected from Omashu before travelling across the sea. He set off towards the trees.

"You can't go alone! I'm coming with you!" Katara ran to his side.

They walked for a few minutes in silence. They climbed over large tree roots and ducked under low branches. Suddenly, they spotted a pink glow in the distance. They crept towards it and peered through the trees cautiously.

A picturesque oasis lay in front of them. It was a like a large garden with trees covered in pale pink flowers that were carried to the ground by the gentle breeze. The pool of water in the centre of the oasis was a clear crystal blue. The water acted as a mirror reflecting the light in all directions. The light shone through the roof of petals which surrounded the oasis. Katara hurried to the waters edge. She looked above her and began to turn slowly on the spot taking in all of her surroundings. Pink petals danced around her, some falling onto her long hair. Aang stepped slowly into the oasis. He looked around him. It was like a dream. No-one trying to capture him. No-one saying how the Avatar had left them when they needed him the most. Nothing to put him or Katara in danger. He turned to face the way they had come. "I don't want to forget the way back." He thought. "But do I want to go back?" He knew that he had to, but something about the oasis made him want to stay and never leave...

Aang turned to face Katara. She was spinning in the brightest ray of pink light near the waters edge. Petals falling all around her. Her hair flowing in a gentle circle as she turned. He felt his stomach do a back flip inside him. "She looks beautiful." He heard his heart say.

Katara saw that Aang was standing still. She stopped spinning. Her hair fell to her side. Their eyes met for a few short moments, but they turned in opposite directions soon after. Katara walked over to a patch of soft grass that was sheltered from the bright rays from above. She stared at the falling petals above her. Aang could not bear to stand alone, so he lay down next to her. He put his hands behind his head and began to think. His mind racing. He was here with Katara. Sokka, Momo and Appa were at the beach having a rest. He was here with Katara in a beautiful oasis; alone.

"It's beautiful here isn't it?" Katara said. "I've never seen anywhere as beautiful as this."

"Yes. It is beautiful." Aang replied.

Katara still had a few petals in her hair and there were still petals falling onto her. He had to say it now. He had to tell her now.

"Katara?..." Aang stopped. He did not know how to say what he felt inside.

"Yes?" Katara turned onto her side and rested on her elbow, looking straight into his eyes.

"Um...I...I need to tell you something." Aang sat up and wrapped his arms around his knees. He set his gaze straight in front of him, avoiding Katara's deep blue eyes. "I like you, but...not like normal...as friends...I like you...more than that."

Everything went silent. All that could be heard was the breeze brushing through the trees. Even the water, only a few feet away, had gone mute. Aang could feel his face growing hot, so he rested his head on his knees so that Katara would not notice. They stayed silent for a minute before Katara sat up. She moved a little closer to him.

"Aang..."

Her voice seemed quite calm, but Aang could tell that she had just recovered from one of the biggest shocks she had had in a long time. He felt her hand on his shoulder. All colour faded from his face. He went pale. Her hands were cold and clammy.

"Aang..." she repeated.

Her voice was much more controlled now, but it seemed different than usual. He brought his gaze to her face. He could tell that she had been blushing moments before, because they were still a little pink. "I...I've felt closer to you as well..." Her head moved closer to his as she said this. "I...I love you." she whispered. Their heads were only a few inches apart.

"I...I love you to." Aang said in a voice that was quite unlike his own. It was more mature and meaningful.

Their heads were so close. Only a few inches apart. They did not take their eyes from each other. Their heads moved closer still until...they kissed. To Aang it felt like hours. To Katara it felt like many beautiful, sunny days. They were still in a close embrace when they heard rustling coming from the trees.

They broke apart in an instant and leapt to their feet. Aang grabbed his staff and dived in front of Katara. They could hear a voice. It was shouting. It was getting closer, closer. A from emerged from the trees, but Aang was ready. He swung his staff through the air and knocked the intruder off its feet and slammed it against a nearby tree. However, he soon regretted doing this. The intruder was Sokka. Katara ran to him and Aang followed feeling deeply embarrassed.

"What was that for!" Sokka yelled. "I was just coming to find out why you guys were taking so long..." Sokka looked at them, then at the oasis around them. "What's taken you guys so long to get some food to last us for two days?" he asked, looking at them both with an expression of deep suspicion.

"Nothing." Aang and Katara practically shouted. They had said it so quickly that Sokka knew that something had been happening before he had got there. But he did not say anything, because his head had started pounding inside his skull.

"Oh my head! Well, can you help me up?" They walked out of the oasis and into the trees once more. "Who did you think I was anyway? You should have seen your faces when I came!" No-one spoke on the way back to the beach. Aang and Katara led the way, because Sokka had said that being knocked against the trees had made him forget. No-one believed him though. Aang and Katara did not look at each other for the whole journey. "I'm hungry." Sokka said as they passed a large tree full of ripe fruit. They collected the amount of fruit that they would need for the next few days back to camp. As they sat next to the fire that Aang had fire bended, Sokka told them about his swim with Momo and Appa. They were not listening though. They simply stared at Sokka, nodding occasionally when Sokka asked for their opinion. Aang and Katara were in deep thought about what had happened back in the oasis. Aang caught Katara's eye and they grinned at each other shyly, both blushing a light shade of pink like the petals on the trees in the oasis. Aang had told Katara about his love for her, and she her love for him. He had finally managed to tell Katara about the way he felt towards her.