Avatar: The Last Airbender
Katara, voice-over:
Water.
Earth.
Fire.
Air.
It has been six years since the end of the Great War. Since Aang defeated Fire Lord Ozai.
The citizens are working hard to reconstruct their battered countries, and there has been great success so far. Fire Lord Zuko had reclaimed his nation's honor; Toph is now a great earthbending trainer; Sokka is chief of the Southern Water Tribe, with Suki at his side; Aang had started up a group called The United People's Society.
Great progress had been made in reuniting the Four Nations. Much is being done to maintain order and peace. But my friends and I know that where there is light, there is shadow.
No matter how far we've come, there is always more work to be done.
---
Chapter One: Waves of Desire
"Zuko, enough. There was never anything between us. It happened years ago, but it's over now."
She heard her past statement clearly in her mind. Katara had soon grown to regret having said this. She and Zuko had a confrontation a few months back. She had mixed feelings about him that she could not decipher. She thought them to be great hatred and contempt, but now she realized she was entirely wrong.
As Katara watched the Fire Lord address his people, she couldn't help but feel a great yearn for him.
It has been six years since the war ended. The team had grown up so much since, yet they stuck close together. Mai and Zuko now had a 5-year-old daughter named Narya. Sokka and Suki had married in the Southern Water Tribe and had infant twin sons(Katara still hadn't memorized their names). Toph and Aang were very close friends. Yeah, "friends", Katara thought. She knew there were some unresolved feelings between the nineteen-year-olds. She could feel waves of desire coming off of Toph whenever she was near the airbender. Katara couldn't help but feel a bit bad for Toph. Aang had been in love with Katara since they first met seven years ago. To this day she wasn't sure if he still had feelings for her... she had broken up with Aang a year after the war. She just didn't feel compatible with him. Katara did have love for him, but wasn't romantically interested in him. Suddenly she felt an immense pang of guilt as she recalled the day she broke their relationship. It was a bright spring day. The flowers around them were all in bloom. Aang had chosen that day to ask her to marry him. Katara could still feel her initial shock. At the time, she was 16, and he was only 14. To think that they were so young. They weren't at all ready for marriage.
Katara snapped back to reality upon a hard pinch at her shoulder. Aang motioned for her to pay attention to their friend.
They were attending the biyearly Four Nations meeting. At least two generals from each major city in the world were there.
As she watched Zuko speak, she realized how much the team really did grow. Just a few years ago, Zuko was extremely nervous whenever he had to stand in front of a crowd. Now he addressed his people with confidence and pride. Over the years, Katara had grown to deeply admire the Fire Lord. He had gone through a lot in his childhood, and somehow he managed to come out on top.
We belong together, Katara suddenly thought, with great envy towards Mai.
"So, how was the meeting?" a man asked Katara when she left the palace.
"Oh, you know, Ryu" she responded. "Boring."
"Aw come on! You don't find it fascinating when the Four Nations unite?"
Katara turned to face her boyfriend. "Ryu, I took part in the war. I've been going to these meetings for the last six years. It's not really that fascinating anymore."
"Okay, I got ya."
"If you're that interested," she began, "why don't you go to a meeting?"
"It's one thing for you to attend. You're the Water Tribe representative. But I..." Ryu lowered his gaze. "I'm just a lowly Earth Kingdom peasant. I don't belong with them."
Katara laughed aloud, and hung her arm around his shoulders. "Dude, haven't you paid any attention over the years? We're not like that anymore. We're united today."
The man sighed, and there was a hint of doubt in his brown eyes.
Katara nudged him. "You should talk to Zuko. He'll get you into one of the meetings. I promise," she added with a smile.
"Ack! Dammit, Twinkletoes, watch where you're flying!"
Katara looked up when she heard the outcry. She spotted Toph sprawled on the ground, rubbing her arm and grimacing in pain. Aang was collapsed a few feet away from her, his glider torn from its collision. He groaned as he hoisted himself to his feet.
"Sorry, Toph." Aang took her hand to help her. "I wasn't paying attention." He cast a swift glance at Katara.
Her face suddenly felt hot with embarrassment.
Toph struggled to her feet, brushing the dust and sand from her clothes. "Obviously!" She briskly started in the opposite direction. "And I'm the blind one!" she muttered angrily as she walked off.
Katara's heart lurched as she noticed Aang heading toward her and Ryu.
"Um..." She gulped.
"Hi," he extended a hand to Ryu. "I'm Aang."
"Wow." The man shook his hand, his mouth wide in awe. "The Avatar!"
Aang grinned. "None other." Then he looked to the waterbender. "Uh, Katara? Aren't you gonna introduce us?"
"Hmm? Oh, yeah! Uh, Aang, this is Ryu." She put her hand on his shoulder. "Um, my boyfriend."
"Your boyfriend?" The airbender seemed to struggle with the idea.
"Yeah." Ryu put his arm around Katara's shoulders. "We've been together for two years."
Shut up, Ryu! Katara wanted to say.
"You've been together for..." Aang looked at her. "Why haven't you told me?"
She sighed. "Aang, what does it matter to you?"
"It damn well matters! I'm your friend; whenever you're with someone, I'd like to know about it. What if something would happen to you?"
Uh, Katara..." Ryu interjected. "Listen, I have to go. I have to watch my little brother. I'll see you later."
"Wait, Ryu!" she called. But he was already gone. Katara groaned in frustration, and glared at Aang.
"Do you see what you've done?" she bellowed. As she noticed the passersby casting concerned glances at her, she continued in a lowered voice, "You ruined my last two relationships; you'd better not ruin this one."
"Katara—"
"Look. I like Ryu a lot, and I don't want anything to spoil what we have."
"How do you know he's not out to kill you?" Aang retorted.
Katara narrowed her eyes. When she spoke, her voice came out in an eerie hiss, "I love that man. I love being with him, and I will not let you come between us."
"But Katara..."
She was suddenly filled with intense rage. She drew herself directly in front of him, and whispered, "Stay the hell out of my life."
Then she turned and strode away, the image of Aang's shocked expression burned into her mind.
Night had soon fallen, and Katara found herself in her kitchen, preparing a meal for her and Ryu. As she glanced out the window at the black night sky, she couldn't help but feel wracked with guilt about her earlier encounter with Aang.
"Hey, there."
Ryu came up from behind and gave Katara a light kiss on the cheek. She grinned and leaned closer to him.
"What was with the Avatar earlier?" he questioned.
"Mm, you're thinking about him too, huh?" She sighed. "I don't know. He's been like that since we broke up..."
"Wait, what? 'Broke up'?" Ryu sounded surprised.
"Yeah, we, uh..." Katara suddenly felt embarrassed. "We were together when the war ended. Aang's always had a crush on me, and I kinda liked him..."
"What do you mean, 'kinda'?"
Katara paused. "I really..." She struggled for the right words. "We... It just never would have worked out. We decided to just stay friends."
Ryu grunted. "He didn't seem so friendly before."
"I dunno. I guess he's just jealous." She chuckled at the thought. "Sometimes he thinks he's my brother. Aang always was a little overprotective."
Ryu gently turned her head toward him. He studied her eyes. "But you're definitely not interested in him now, right? Whatever that was once there is gone?"
She smiled, and nodded. "Yep. It's all gone."
"Good, because now—" He wrapped his arms around her. "Now you're mine. And anyone who dares to say otherwise..."
Katara pressed her finger to his lips. "No violence, Ryu."
He paused and thought. "You're no fun, Katara," he said teasingly.
She turned back to her cooking. "Never have been, never will." She grabbed a piece of carrot and handed it to Ryu.
"Great! I'm starving," he said, snatching the carrot.
Just like a child, she thought, amused.
When he started to grab for another carrot piece, she slapped his hand. "Calm down," Katara told him. "It'll be ready soon enough." She gave him a light kiss. "Now wait in the dining room."
With a final "As you wish", he disappeared through the curtains.
"So what are your plans for the day?" Ryu asked Katara over breakfast the next morning.
"I dunno." She grabbed a fluffy bread roll and bit into it. "I was thinking of volunteering at the White Lotus Hospital. They could probably use a few extra hands, especially since the latest outbreak of dragon fever."
Ryu grunted, and lightly pulled on Katara's arm. "C'mon, why don't you take the day off? If you stay home, I'll call in to work sick."
Katara paused and stabbed at a piece of egg with her chopstick. As much as she yearned to stay in, she also felt desperate to be alone with her thoughts. Lately she'd been feeling lost, and a bit of air might do her good, she thought.
"I'm sorry, but they really do need me, Ryu," she lied. Katara rose from the table and took her dish to the sink. She scraped the remaining food bits off, and left the dish to soak in a pool of water. Turning towards the door, she bent and gave her boyfriend a peck on the cheek before heading off.
Katara came to a halt before two huge drapes with the White Lotus emblem sewn in. She pressed aside the curtains and led her way into the hospital.
"Well, hello again, Katara," an elderly voice called from across the room.
The waterbender made her way to the opposite end. Bowing respectfully to the old man, she greeted him, "Hello, Pan Wei. How are you doing today?"
Pan Wei grunted. "I'm okay."
The old man had injured his knee a few days ago, chasing after black crow-dragons that were lingering on his crops. Katara had used some healing water on his knee, but the injury still required some rest and monitoring.
"Is it feeling any better?" Katara asked, gesturing to the man's bandaged knee.
Pan Wei smiled. "Much better, thank you. Still some pain, but I'll manage."
"You're a strong man," she responded, heading over to the medical supplies corner. "I know you'll get through this."
"Oh! Katara!" a female voice called to her. She heard the shuffle of feet approaching her.
"Katara, we need you down the hall." The young woman sounded a little frantic.
"What is it, Ling?" the waterbender asked her friend.
"Huangji is getting warm. I'm afraid it might be dragon fever!"
Katara gasped, and slapped her hand to her mouth, worried. "Oh no! The poor boy!"
She spun on her heels and darted down the hall. The woman quickly found the little boy's room, and bolted inside.
The boy was lying in is bed, with the blankets drawn to his chin. His normally olive complexion was now a sickly grayish. His dark brown hair looked dry and unkempt. Upon Katara's entrance, he turned his head to look at her, his once-glimmering amber eyes now seemed to be covered over with a dull film. He opened his mouth to greet her, but soon broke into a series of heavy coughs that rippled through his small body.
"Who are you?" Huangji queried between coughs.
She approached him. "My name's Katara. I'm here to help you." She carefully walked to the bedside. Katara yearned to hug the poor boy and assure him he'd be okay. Yet at the same time she was afraid of catching whatever it was he had.
"Are you going to take this cold away?" he asked in a small, raspy voice.
Her heart lurched. She pushed away her fears and gently placed a hand on his forehead. Katara gave a smile and said, "I'll do what I can."
She swallowed hard as she began a light examination. She checked Huangji's heartbeat and his blood pressure. She asked how he'd been feeling recently, and received a weak response. Then, Katara felt his forehead and face. He was certainly burning up. Katara paused, and thought.
"I'll be right back," she assured him, and darted out of the room.
She returned a minute later with a small flask of water. Using her waterbending skills, she pulled the liquid out of the bottle and it hovered over the boy's chest. Throwing the flask aside, Katara focused on the spiral of water. She stared at it, concentrating hard. With a bend of her fingers, the water changed its course. It now began to creep up her hands and wrists, glowing.
She closed her eyes and laid her hands on Huangji's chest. The glowing water started to radiate from her hands to his chest and sides. Then his whole abdominal area glimmered with the water's healing energy. He let out a pained groan as the water hovered around his upper chest.
The water suddenly stopped spinning. Its glow began to fade, and when Katara saw this, she bent it back into its flask.
She sighed as she replaced the cap to the bottle. "Are you feeling any better now?"
"Um." Huangji thought for a moment. "My chest doesn't hurt that much anymore." He forced a feeble smile.
"I'm sorry. I wish I could have done more."
"That's okay. I don't—" Huangji was interrupted by a series of wracking coughs.
Katara felt sick with sadness. She tried her best to sound cheerful and optimistic as she said, "Shh. Don't talk; you need your rest. Your cold will go away soon, and then you'll be a big, strong warrior."
This seemed to please the little boy, and he gave a weak smile. Then he closed his eyes, adjusted his blanket, and drifted off into sleep.
Katara was walking down the hall, forcing herself not to break into tears. Though she knew nothing but his name, she hated to leave Huangji at his miserable moments.
Suddenly, she wondered why she felt so guilty and worried. She'd been around sick and dying people before, but none have touched her heart quite like the little boy. She wondered if he even had a family. Katara would think that his family would be at his side, praying and hoping that he'd recover.
But instead the boy was alone.
What if he's an orphan? Katara thought. Once he recovers and is released, who will look after him?
"Do you need any more help?" Katara asked her friend, Ling.
The young woman thought for a moment, glancing around. "Uhh, no I don't think so. Everyone seems to be fine on their own. Hey, what'd you find with Huangji?"
Katara heaved a sigh. "Looks like he has dragon fever. He's coughing terribly, he's weak, and his forehead felt like it was on fire."
"Aww." Ling wore an expression of sorrow. "Hope he gets better soon."
"Yeah," Katara murmured. She had always been a very optimistic person, but even she had her doubts about the child's recovery.
Katara was walking down a small alley, lost in her thoughts. She couldn't help worrying about little Huangji. Then she remembered the events of the previous day, and suddenly felt extreme guilt about what she'd said to the Avatar.
"Stay the hell out of my life."
At the time, she was extremely infuriated with the young airbender. She just wanted him to stop bothering her about her relationships. Now she was beginning to wonder whether she'd been too harsh in saying that. Aang was her closest friend. They'd been together for seven years. They'd fought together, laughed together, cried together, grown up together. Then suddenly it felt like they were bitter enemies. Katara remembered how overprotective and prying Aang had gotten within the last couple of years. Still she questioned whether she really meant what she had said.
Maybe I ought to go apologize.
As if on cue, Aang appeared at the end of the alley. Katara wondered where he was headed.
"Hey," she called.
Aang stopped in his tracks and glanced around, seemingly looking for the source of the noise. Then his eyes met Katara's, and he continued to pace toward her.
"Um, hi." Aang glanced around, seemingly not wanting to meet her gaze.
"How have you been?" She forced a smile. Studying Aang's face, she guessed that the memory of their previous encounter was still very fresh in his mind.
"Eh." He shrugged. "I've been all right. You?"
"Mm. Same."
Katara couldn't believe how awkward she felt in front of her oldest and closest friend. It suddenly seemed like they were absolute strangers. As difficult as it felt, she pushed herself to talk some more.
"So..." She searched her mind frantically for conversation topics. "How's Momo?"
"Momo?" The airbender was obviously caught off-guard. "He's fine. He seems to be getting a little weaker. You know...age."
"Oh." Suddenly she regretted having brought it up. "Look, Aang..." Katara sighed. "I really wanted to talk to you. About yesterday... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you. I was just so..."
He held up his hand to stop her. "No, Katara. You were right; I've been a total jerk lately. You're my friend, and I should have respect for your privacy. It's just..." Aang swallowed. "It's just so hard to see someone you love...yet they're with someone else."
Katara gave a soft grunt. "I know what you mean." She glanced at the Fire Lord's palace, suddenly feeling a pang of longing.
"What?"
When she looked back, she saw Aang's brown eyes stretched wide with shock.
"Zuko? Really?!" he yelped. Then he quickly shut his mouth, with an embarrassed look on his face. He hadn't meant to say it so loudly.
"Shh!" Katara hurried to his side and pressed her hand against his mouth. "Must you yell it to the world?"
"Sorry." He pulled her hand away. "For how long?"
He was referring to how long Katara had had a crush on the Fire Lord.
She shrugged smoothly. "I don't know. Since we became friends, I suppose."
Aang stood still, his eyes bulging out of his head, his mouth agape. "How the hell did I not see that?!"
Katara couldn't help but giggle at his response. When he shot her a questioning look, she shrugged.
She really couldn't quite explain why she secretly had feelings for Fire Lord Zuko. He had issues with his anger(though if asked, he'd insist he's working on them), he was dry, and hadn't much of a sense of humor. So why was Katara in love with him?
Measuring their personalities, Mai and Zuko seemed like the perfect match. Mai was emotionless, with the exception of her hatred for everything in this world. She seemed like she'd be cold and unloving. What the hell did Zuko see in her?
"Uh, Katara?"
Suddenly, she blinked, and looked at the Avatar.
"Sorry; I zoned out."
"So..." Aang seemed desperate to talk with her more. "How's Ryu?"
"He's fine." Katara would have liked to have said more, but couldn't think of anything else.
"It's been two years." He blinked. "Sounds pretty serious."
The waterbender shrugged. "I love him, but..."
She trailed off, unsure of exactly what to say next. To her relief, Aang didn't pressure her.
"Do you have a girlfriend?" she asked the Avatar randomly.
He sighed. "I used to. Nika—but then she moved back to Omashu."
"Oh."
Katara felt a little sorry for Aang. The young man had many great qualities, not to mention the fact that he's become a very famous character. He could have almost any girl he wanted.
But he doesn't want just any girl. He wants me.
"You'll find someone, Aang." She kissed his bald head. "I have to go. Ryu's expecting dinner right about now." She glanced at the sky, where the sun was beginning to set.
"Okay, Katara." The Avatar gave a gentle smile. "It was good seeing you again."
She returned the smile. "You too." And she turned and walked out of the alley. His final comment was a bit strange, considering they see each other nearly every day. Despite their separate lives, Team Avatar still meets every day or every other day just to hang out.
Suddenly, a wave of sadness engulfed Katara. The group was only around their early twenties, and still very young. What would happen once they hit their thirties and forties, and had full families to care for? Would they still be as close-knit as they are now?
Katara hastily pulled herself from those thoughts. No. I can't think about tomorrow; the day is still young.
And so are we.
End of Chapter One.