Dancing on the Ashes of Your Heart

Katara sighed. Another day of no love and no Aang, she thought. What happened to us, Aang? she thought, then corrected herself. More importantly, what have I done? She said in her mind. Then she went to check on her newborn daughter.

Flashback
It was a beautiful day to go strolling through Ba Sing Se. The group was here on political business. But this day, this particular day, was the day he felt happiest. He and Katara had been very close friends for awhile now. Remembering the kiss they shared at the Jasmine Dragon, Aang smiled to himself. Today was the day he was going to ask Katara out. On a real date.
Katara had been very happy for the few days that they had been in the bustling metropolis. She seemed brightest of all today, so Aang concluded today was the day he would ask her. "Got the time and place. Now just get the girl." He mumbled softly to himself.
"Hey Katara!" he said as he strolled into her room.
"Oh, hi Aang!" Katara said brightly.
"Katara, I umm… am going on a stroll around the market! Wanna come?" he asked, a schoolgirl's grin on his face.
Katara finished her hair loopies. "Sure!" she said. "Let's go."
Aang nodded and they ran downstairs and out the door.

"So Katara, are you doing anything tonight? Aang said, smiling widely. "This is it!" he thought.
Katara just smiled brighter. "Of course I do, dummy! Zuko and I are having our date tonight!" she proclaimed gleefully.
"Okay, so I was thinking the- Wait, what?!" he said, feeling his heart slowly shattering.
Katara just grinned "Don't you remember? Zuko and I are going to see if we could work out together. Jeez, we told everyone!"
Aang attempted to smile. "Oh… well apparently I wasn't told about it…"
He choked back his tears as his heart shattered into even smaller pieces.
Aang looked up again "Well, I'm going to see if they have any moon peaches!" he said in a forced cheerful tone." He ran off before Katara could say anymore.

Katara made her way to her kitchen, starting breakfast as the sun rose over the South Pole. "Aang used to start the fire…" she thought sadly. She swore she saw his face in the cooking pot.

Flashback

His sixteenth birthday. The most-anticipated day of his young life.
Aang popped out of bed, already fully-awake. His eyes meandered over to the necklace on his dresser. He picked it up and smiled, giving it a final checkup. Aang decided everything was perfect.

"Aang, this view is amazing! You can see the whole city from here!" Katara exclaimed. Aang just grinned and slid his arm around her waist.
The two were seated on a bench, in a park overlooking Ba Sing Se. The sun was setting, giving the sky a warm pinkish-orange hue. A soft breeze blew, just strong enough to blow Katara's hair around a little. Flowers adorned the grass around them, as beautiful trees with the springtime flowers gave them shade. It was like a scene from a painting.
"Katara…" Aang began, and the aforementioned sat up straighter.
"Katara, I've loved you since the day we first locked eyes. I've loved you ever since the day you released me from the iceberg. I've loved you ever single day we've been together. Katara of the Southern Water Tribe, will you marry me?" he asked, and pulled out the betrothal necklace he made for her.
Katara gasped, her hands fluttered to her heart, but then she bit her lip, and her expression changed.
"I…I… I can… I can't" she said, sputtering.
Aang's face fell completely, as his heart was set on fire, burned, and someone then danced on the ashes. "Wha…What do you mean?" he asked slowly, his heart shattering more every second.
"Aang, I love you, and I will marry you. Just… now isn't the right time. There's something important I have to tell you." She tried to say, but the damage was done.
Aang made no effort the hold back his tears. He turned around, but just hung his head. He snapped open his glider and took off, leaving a crying Katara on the bench.
"Please, Aang…come back. Please." Katara sobbed. But it was no use, as his figure was gone, soaring through the lonely skies over Ba Sing Se.
Katara circled her finger around her navel, then picked up the necklace, looking it over through her tear-filled eyes.
It was a demonstration of exquisite craftsmanship. The necklace's center was a blue stone, with the Water and Air symbols intertwined together. The back of the necklace had an inscription on it, saying "For Katara, my one and only love."
Reading those words only made her cry harder. "What have I done?" she thought, tears openly streaming down her face.

Katara hummed softly, eating some stew and thinking back to that fateful day when Aang finally lost it.

Flashback

It was the first time the pair had seen each other since that day two weeks ago. The day Katara had turned Aang's proposal.
The hallway. That hallway. The hallway in which Aang finally lost it.
It was a cloudy morning, not too bright. Katara was walking down the hallway that led to stairs down to the main floor of the tea shop.
Lost in her thoughts, she didn't realize Aang was standing in front of her until she bumped into him.
"Oh, hi Aang." she said.
"Hello Katara." Aang replied, the coldness in his voice obvious.
Katara shifted uncomfortably. "So, do you want to do something tonight?" she asked.
Aang turned around to face her, his eyes with hints of anger in them. "Gee, doesn't that sound familiar? The same thing I said to you the day I was going to ask you out. Do you remember that? That day you rejected me?"
Katara let the anger in his voice roll over her. "Aang, Zuko and I broke up after only two dates. But seriously, do you want to go out tonight?" she asked promptly. By now, Aang, who was walking down the hall, turned around, his face filled with rage.
"No, I do not want to go out with you! I gave you numerous chances, but you rejected nearly all of them! Including the most important one of all! You turned down marrying me! I went through the trouble of making the betrothal necklace, arranging that date, then you go and blow me off! YOU DON'T DO THAT TO A GUY!!!!!" he shouted.
"But Aang…" Katara tried to say.
"No buts! You've broken my heart too many times, Katara! You've set my heart on fire, watched it burned, than danced on the ashes! Unless you manage to find some magical Spirit Superglue, then don't count on me loving you! Because I don't!!!" he screamed at her.
A flood of tears were running down both of their faces now. While Aang stayed in the hallway, fuming, Katara ran to her bedroom, slammed the door, and bawled her heart out into the pillow. She didn't even get to tell him.

Katara began sobbing at that painful memory. No matter what would happen, she would always love Aang. And maybe he would love her back again. But only time could tell.

How'd ya' like it? Read& Review please!!!! Something weird happened to the spacing, so sorry if it's weird looking.